And perhaps they were just as literally the descendants of Ephraim/10 tribes as the rest of us with no particularly unique claim to a literal blood connection (as Israel is to be gathered from all nations), but it seems this early group of pioneers were called and chosen to lay the foundation of this marvelous work. Ive only devoted a few Saturday mornings to this scripture study project, but the []. Judah, thou art he whom thy brethren shall praise: thy hand shall be in the neck of thine enemies; thy fathers children shall bow down before thee. Our patriarchal blessings indicate what the Lord expects of us and what our potential can be. Why would you place your salvation into the hands of a false prophet? 541-75. So if the patriarchs lived circa 1900 B.C. That man that has none of the blood of Abraham (naturally) must have a new creation by the Holy Ghost.3. The patriarchal blessings of most Latter-day Saints indicate that they are literal, blood descendants of Abraham and of Israel. Why Doesn't the Church Practice Polygamy Today? My ancestry is both from old england, and spain with many crypto and sephardic jews mixed in. It really makes no difference if the blessings of the house of Israel come through the lineage or through the spirit of adoption. Now, the tribe of Judah has many revelations specifically tied to it. When Should I Get My Patriarchal Blessing? Personally while I cant make sense o fit Im more than willing to continue it. To give another example, look at Queen Elizabeth. Her blessing is her and is true to what has transpired down to the details and order of things. Find out why they're not the same! It contains personal revelation and instructions from Heavenly Father, who knows our strengths, weaknesses, and eternal potential. For they are not all Israel, which are of Israel., As we hold the tension between were all related, and were all descended from all the tribes and patriarchal lineages mean _some_thing, Im reminded of the tension between being sealed (generally) and being sealed to my family (particularly). I believe the prophesy (D&C 133:26-34) of a specific group representing the 10 tribes gathered in from the North has already been fulfilled with the influx of converts from Northern Europe who came and made up a large portion of the membership in Utah and laid the foundation for full work of the gathering of Israel from every nation, kindred, tongue, and people (D&C 77:11) in these last days. The Book of Mormon records that Joseph of old "obtained a promise of the Lord, that out of the fruit of his loins the Lord God would raise up a righteous branch unto the house of Israel…to be remembered in the covenants of the Lord" (2 Ne. Find out who and why we shouldn't trust their testimonies. Those who are not literal descendants are adopted into the family of Abraham when they receive baptism and confirmation (see Law of Adoption). I think theres some parallels with patriarchal lineage. This first Comforter or Holy Ghost has no other effect than pure intelligence. I have long wondered what Richard Bushmans take on lineage and patriarchal blessings in general is. Not trying to attack anyone personally, call me cynical, I just find it trite. Yet we know so little about spirituality and the connection between a body and spirit that its hard to even know where to start. She is now 26. An essential part of a patriarchal blessing is a declaration of lineage. The Patriarch who did my blessing years earlier before my spouse was still Patriarch and did my spouses blessing. Are comments like "blacks are slaves mentally" really from the God of the Bible or racist men? First off there officially is not a tribe of Joseph - but rather the tribe of Joseph was devided between Ephrain and Manasseh - the greater role given to Ephrain. Those promises and blessings that are not realized in this life will be fulfilled in the next. If one is worthy, all promises will be fulfilled in the Lords due time. Kevin, a natural extension of this principle would seem to apply to literal descendants of Aaron, which D/C 68 tells us are entitled to be bishops (at least male firstborn desecendants). Mormons damn themselves when they dont obey ALL of Gods laws if you break even one youre guilty of breaking them all James 2:10. (Not the modern white-supremacist kind, but the 19th Century, Englishmen-are-Ephraimites strain.). Our blessings can encourage us when we are discouraged, strengthen us when we are fearful, comfort us when we sorrow, give us courage when we are filled with anxiety, lift us up when we are weak in spirit. Saul didnt seem much like what we think of as a king, but progressively with David and then especially with Solomon they gained a capitol, a palace, a temple, engaged in foreign affairs, and had pretty much all the trappings of kingship. The prophecy in 1st Nephi tells us theyll belong to the tribe of Nephis father, Lehi. Saying this person descended from Ephraim and this person didnt no longer makes any sense given our modern understanding of population dynamics. The Lord continued to acknowledge Ephraim's blessing centuries later when he said, "I am a father to Israel, and Ephraim is my firstborn" (Jer. In Mexico, he had met a patriarch that was doing them all alike but I cant remember if the Church intervened or not. . I am from ephraim (no surprise). Ten of the tribes revolted and followed Jeroboam as their king and became known as the Kingdom of Israel or the Kingdom of Ephraim. The overwhelming number of such assignments of lineage are to Ephraim, with substantial numbers being assigned to Manasseh (especially in central and south America and the Pacific Islands), and Jews are generally assigned to Judah. However, a person should not expect that the blessing will detail all that will happen to him or her or be an answer to all questions. I recall him saying that the tribe of Dan is overwhelmingly from Ireland. I think the point of this post and thread is to get past a bit labels like son of a whore and son of a prophet at least in a certain sense (the sense of are we not all beggars, or are we not all children of Adam and Eve?), Coincidentally, since my last post, I came across this germane passage in Romans 9: Book of Mormon: broken promises, false prophecies, historically inncorrect, poor grammarhow can you trust this? I received my own patriarchal blessing when I was but a boy of 12. The keys of gathering Israel were committed to the Prophet Joseph Smith by Moses on April 3, 1836, in the Kirtland Temple (D&C 110:11). The majority of modern blessings have designated Ephraim or Manasseh as the main link in this tracing, but others of every tribe of Israel have also been named. Our patriarchal blessings indicate what the Lord expects of us and what our potential can be. It is now viewed more as your sorting hat implies, a lineage that symbolizes your specific mission in this and your eternal life. The house of Israel, in the original sense, meant the literal blood descendants of the house of Jacob. I have a question to ask Kevin privately but have lost his email. One of the most important blessings available to worthy members of the Church is patriarchal blessings. 29:3; Morm. And, if inspiration is tied to it, Im fine being told my lineage whether that relates to some gene manifestation, some promise, or something tied to my spirit. We and our blessings are in the hands of the Lord, but there is a general testimony that when the gospel law has been obeyed, the promised blessings have been realized.1. So here we go: First, a little biblical history. But what about the over 600 hundred laws? The patriarch seeks inspiration to specify the dominant family line that leads back to Abraham. Ill try to explain the problem with that view. Amen! Further, a "choice seer" would arise from Joseph's descendants who would "do a work for the fruit of [Joseph's] loins, his brethren, which shall be of great worth unto them, even to the bringing of them to the knowledge of the covenants which I [the Lord] have made with thy fathers" (2 Ne. . All the tribes will be gathered during the Millenium and will eventually then return to their individual lands of inheritance. Aaron lived over 3,000 years ago. 1. The views expressed by individual users are the responsibility of those users and do not necessarily represent the position of the Church. Because each of us has many bloodlines running in us, two members of the same family may be declared as being of different tribes in Israel. These sacred blessings also strengthen the testimonies of those worthy persons who are the recipients of such blessings, provided those recipients live so as to merit the blessings pronounced therein. Why must Mormons follow a prophet and not God? Regarding Patriarchal blessings and the declaration of lineage, President James E. Faust stated: . 2:10). Most of them concern their gathering in Jerusalem before the Savior returns and the building up of their temple. Joseph Smith taught that when the Holy Ghost falls upon one of the literal seed of Abraham, it is calm and serene; while the effect of the Holy Ghost upon a Gentile, is to purge out the old blood, and make him actually of the seed of Abraham. 2:11). A patriarchal blessing is a unique and remarkable privilege that can come to the faithful members of the Church having sufficient maturity to understand the nature and the importance of such blessings. 149-50). I said I did not want to read theirs but wanted to know if there were any differences. My most famous Mormon ancestor was Thomas Grover, who was my great, great, great grandfather (on my mothers side). No setting apart required. The patriarchal blessings of most Latter-day Saints indicate that they are literal, blood descendants of Abraham and of Israel. If the blessing does not mention an important event, such as a full-time mission or marriage, the person should not assume that he or she will not receive that opportunity. Find out why! I think they did. I think lineage is one of several tropes that are meant to link us together in one of many holy ways. Many Latter-day Saints are of the tribe of Ephraim, the tribe given the primary responsibility to lead the latter-day work of the Lord. To find out how to receive a patriarchal blessing, Church members should speak with their bishop or branch president. At some level much of it might not matter, in other ways, there may be meaningful differences. over a 20-year period several thousand Israelites were taken captive to Assyria and resettled there. To learn more about patriarchal blessings, you can read these articles in the Gospel Library at www.lds.org: About Patriarchal Blessings (New Era, Mar. Because each of us has many bloodlines running in us, two members of the same family may be declared as being of different tribes in Israel. Evidences and Reconciliations, arr. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his (Rom. Heres another way to look at it. One of the tools to be used in the gathering is the Book of Mormon, also known among Latter-day Saints as the stick of Joseph or the stick of Ephraim (Ezek. Seeing that the majority of declared lineages today are Joseph (primarily Ephraim) I believe that this in essence means we represent the northern kingdom or the lost 10 tribes as a whole. The patriarchal blessing is a powerful shamanic evocation of ancient covnenants, telling the recipient that they are partaking of the promises made to Abraham. Its nice to have that extra copy of the will around with some reassuring words that you havent been disinherented, I suppose. While the primary responsibilities of Ephraim are to spread the gospel, the primary responsibilities of Judah are to maintain and keep the records. There are two Comforters spoken of. According to Religion 430-431 - Doctrinces of the Gospel Student Manual, the tribe of Ephraim is greatly praised by the LDS Church. What does the lineage assignment mean? Which I guess we do, symbolically, whatever that might mean. chanson I think youre forgetting that heir and descendent are not synonyms. It is a sacred, spiritual calling that usually will continue the remainder of the patriarchs life. Only by following the counsel in a patriarchal blessing can one receive the blessings contained therein. One child may be of Ephraim, another in the same family of Manasseh, Judah, or one of the other tribes. Imagine if we had the knowledge to complete a massive pedigree chart going back to the time of the biblical patriarchs. . Who knows? Those who are not literal descendants are adopted into the family of Abraham when they receive baptism and confirmation (see Law of Adoption ). For the official Church websites, please visit churchofjesuschrist.org or comeuntochrist.org. The southern kingdom was nominally comprised of two tribes: Judah and Benjamin (which basically had been absorbed into Judah), and the northern kingdom of the remaining ten tribes. They got hung up on the real world bottlenecks you describe (What about an isolated tribe from Iceland?) and so rejected the whole argument. 10:14; Jacob 5; cf. Widtsoe, John A. Evidences and Reconciliations, pp. I find it interesting and perhaps very relevant that the Kingdom of Israel was often simply referred to as Joseph or Ephraim, being the predominant tribe. Deut. Ive been asked this question, and had a thought hit me that seemed correct at the time. What can I do to feel better when I have sinned? Has anyone else made similar observations? On 4/4/2016 at 11:44 AM, Edspringer said: Curiously, I once came across someone who is from the tribe of Joseph, according to his patriarchal blessing. JSJ preached a little on physical blood changes upon conversion, which we dont teach today but which clearly influenced the patriarchal blessing process and how we view lineage today: 14. Mormons are faced with confusing doctrine every time they open their scriptures. Men have stumbled at times because promised blessings have not occurred in this life. . However, due to health or other personal circumstances, he may be given nonfunctioning status. Besides, the giver of the blessings, the Lord, reserves the right to have them become active in our lives as suits his divine purposes. Ill try raising this point next time I need to wreak havoc in HP group. And if he did not have descendants that survived to today, well, then obviously no one alive today is a descendant of Ephraim. Perhaps there is a reason that specific other tribe names are occasionally declared, maybe assigned to a specific role in the kingdom in this life, but I think being declared of Joseph Ephraim and Manasseh is a way of generically representing the 10 tribes, and perhaps separating Manasseh out is also significant as the BofM has many prophesies related to the descendants of the Nephites/Lamanites (which similarly to most of the world becoming the seed of Abraham, it seems as if generally almost all those converted with primary ancestry native to the Americas belong to this group). The lineage stuff came along later and developed its own sort of mythology and internal logic. 8:9). Its one of those things that sounds like a cool piece of ancestral trivia, until you learn that everyones grandpa and their dog were the prophets bodyguards. Multiple non-Ephraim blessings would be flagged. I found his perspective to be rather blurry, administrative and academic as compared to other patriarchs in the church, but was appreciative of his personal honesty and openness to the processes and policies. Similarly, does it matter what my callings are (if tribes and patriarchal blessings are more like assignments?) Could this book cost you salvation in Jesus? It's like having your own personalized section of the Doctrine and Covenants. When moved upon by the Holy Spirit, the patriarch makes an inspired declaration of the lineage of the recipient together with such blessings, spiritual gifts, promises, advice, admonition, and warnings as the patriarch feels inspired to give. This is excellent I dont necessarily have an answer to what they mean in an objective sense, and I have some thoughts about what they mean to me personally (I value them), but this is a really informative summary of the concept of the Twelve Tribes and the population genetics problem associated with taking too literal a belief in being a descendant of one particular patriarch (but not all the others, which, as you note, if there are living descendants of any of them, all human beings are among those descendants). Joseph honestly thought there was some connection. (I tried posting this once and it didnt take; apologies if this becomes a duplicate). He lived recently enough in the past that that kind of genealogical distinction makes sense. An elder in our mission who had a black father, and white mother was quite disturbed by his patriarchal blessing because he was declared to not have a lineage of any tribe. What I can say is that Im certain the lineage does not come by rote thinking on the part of the Patriarch if they are in tune with the Spirit which they should be but Ill accept that there could be exceptions. Kinderhook Plates and The Greek Psalter Incident serve as further proof Smith was a false prophet. I apologize, had to get that off my chest, pet peeve rant over. Therefore, your life and priesthood have remained, and must needs remain through you and your lineage (D&C 86:810). It definitely used to be viewed as a literally descent from a specific ancestor. The golden rule takes on much greater meaning when you realize everyone you meet is related to you. For a time there was a short-lived calling in the ward to support him, but it didnt last. The blessings do follow our bloodlines, but we each have many different bloodlines running within us. My brother who was adopted from China was given the lineage Naphtali, not Ephraim like the rest of our family. Brigham Young said that Joseph was a pure Ephraimite, but Ugo Perego through investigation of Josephs DNA discovered that he was old irish and a descendant of Niall of the 9. Upon that revelation we both concluded that bloodline has nothing to do with it, at least not with the significance most want to consider. 2:10). I never really put much stock in my lineage. (This is why the old one drop rule, as we now know, was ridiculous; everyone, even Brother Brigham, has one drop.). https://rsc.byu.edu/archived/story-judah-and-tamar, Levi (no territorial allotment, except a number of cities located within the territories of the other tribes). This page was last modified on 27 May 2011, at 16:25. A patriarchal blessing is a prophetic utterance. Sometimes here at BCC we do requests. 20-21). If you're a Christian & feel you're speaking a different language, learn about the differences here. My hometeacher was a patriarch, mission president and a bishop. And a reader recently asked us if we could do a post on what patriarchal blessing lineage assignments are supposed to mean. Salt Lake City, 1985. Those who have received a patriarchal blessing should treasure its words, ponder them, and live to be worthy to receive the promised blessings in this life and in the life to come. 2004) and Q&A (New Era, May 2002 and Mar. Darius Grey was declared to be of all the tribes except one. And the punishment for not keeping them? How many ancestral slots would there be at that time depth? Patriarchal blessings are sacred and personal. I received my blessing at sixteen. 43 And they entered into Euphrates by the narrow places of the river. 44 For the most High then shewed signs for them, and held still the flood, till they were passed over. canik sfx recoil springs hoop central 6 script pastebin sherwinwilliams wood stain colors. Why does Mormonism have so many false doctrines about our galaxy and the Lord? Eldred G. Smith said this Many of us are a mixture of several tribes of Israel, and so it is the right of the patriarch to declare that line through which the blessings of Israel shall come., many of us are a mixture of several tribes. Probably even their dogs had wonderful characteristics and spiritual gifts. Galatians 1:6-9 says not to accept another gospel from an angel of light, yet atop every LDS temple there sits an angel of light proclaiming a new gospel Why is talking to dead people condoned in Mormonism?