The Olive Press

Several years ago in general conference Elder Christofferson said this about the Savior’s atonement, “His agony in Gethsemane and on the cross was greater than any mortal could bear. Nevertheless, because of His love for His Father and for us, He endured, and as a consequence, He can offer us both immortality and eternal life.” He continued, “It is poignantly symbolic that ‘blood [came] from every pore’ as Jesus suffered in Gethsemane, the place of the olive press. To produce olive oil in the Savior’s time, olives were first crushed by rolling a large stone over them. The resulting ‘mash’ was placed in soft, loosely woven baskets, which were piled one upon another. Their weight expressed the first and finest oil. Then added stress was applied by placing a large beam or log on top of the stacked baskets, producing more oil. Finally, to draw out the very last drops, the beam was weighted with stones on one end to create the maximum, crushing pressure. And yes, the oil is bloodred as it first flows out.” He shared a picture showing an olive press and the red ooze coming out from the bottom, a terrible symbol of the Savior’s blood He shed from every pore in the Garden of Gethsemane. The word Gethsemane itself means “oil press,” and the location was at the bottom of the Mount of Olives in the midst of olive groves. He was pressed there, and His divine blood was crushed out in order to bless all mankind. It is a powerful symbol that today we anoint the sick (and others within the temple) with olive oil to give them blessings from the Lord. That oil reminds us that the blessings provided cost the blood of the Lamb who was pressed until His life was completely offered. This imagery of the olive press gives even more power to these poignant words of Isaiah about the blessings the Savior offers us: “To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness” (Isaiah 61:3). He provides the “oil of joy” to heal our mourning, and He can do so because He spilt His blood at the place of the oil press.

            Understanding the symbolism of olive oil and how it can represent the atonement of Jesus Christ gives new meaning for me to the parable of the ten virgins. Matthew recorded, “They that were foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them: But the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. And the foolish said unto the wise, Give us of your oil; for our lamps are gone out. But the wise answered, saying, Not so; lest there be not enough for us and you: but go ye rather to them that sell, and buy for yourselves” (Matthew 25:3-4, 8-9). What did the wise have that the foolish didn’t? They had applied the atoning blood of Jesus Christ in their lives which had purified them and prepared them to meet the Bridegroom. In other words, they had been forgiven of their sins through His blood—symbolized by oil—and so they were prepared for His coming. Of course, the foolish could not borrow that kind of oil from the wise because it can only be given when we pay the price personally through repentance. We cannot repent for one another. The foolish needed to go and “buy” the oil, symbolizing how they needed to repent of their sins in order to apply the Savior’s atonement to cleanse themselves. But at that point it was too late; time had run out to repent. They had found these words of Samuel the Lamanite were true for them: “Ye have procrastinated the day of your salvation until it is everlastingly too late” (Helaman 13:38). Those who were wise, on the other hand, had found the oil of joy in response to their mourning (repentance) and were like the people of King Benjamin who prayed, “O have mercy, and apply the atoning blood of Christ that we may receive forgiveness of our sins, and our hearts may be purified; for we believe in Jesus Christ, the Son of God, who created heaven and earth, and all things; who shall come down among the children of men” (Mosiah 4:2). This parable reminds us that the time to repent and receive the symbolic oil of the Savior’s atonement is now, just as He invited all of us with these words: “Will ye not now return unto me, and repent of your sins, and be converted, that I may heal you?” (3 Nephi 9:13)