By the "nethermost" parts, the Nephites would have understood that as being the farthest away you can get, and that would refer to them. However, "nether" also means "lower." Even though it seems to be an obscure and undesirable place, being located in the nethermost part of the vineyard can be a good thing. Unlike the high point of the vineyard the lower areas can be in protected ravines and not exposed to high winds. The trees in these lower places would also receive a little more of the runoff water that comes down through little ravines. It is a place where you would put a precious tree if you really wanted it to survive.
In a way, the trees in the nethermost parts of the vineyard are like the small, remote branches of the Church. They may not have the prominence and visibility that branches on the top of the hill have, but they often have the most cohesiveness. All fruit-bearing little branches in this parable can be grafted back up into the central tree where there are long-standing roots.Figure 5 Small tree in a lower part of an olive grove in Galilee. Photo: John W. Welch
This goes back to the idea in Exodus 15 that Israel was planted in that place because it is a holy and special place. These deep roots—of the covenant with God in which he promised that he would always remember his people—are ultimately the ones that will be able to bear and support the longest time and produce the best fruit.