These prophets wrote many things concerning the last days, the gathering of Isreal, and the events surrounding both the tribes of Ephraim and of Judah. but no Im differentand it is unique to who I am. Your Patriarchal Blessing, New Era, Nov. 2005, 4. You would think he would be adopted into our tribe. Could this book cost you salvation in Jesus? In other words, does it matter exclusively that I have my ordinances done and am part of the big old family of God connected (sealed) in a great chain from Adam to Zed, or is there great eternal importance to _my_ particular familythat Im sealed to my spouse, my parents, my children, etc.? The Patriarch who did my blessing years earlier before my spouse was still Patriarch and did my spouses blessing. A prophetic promise fulfilled but one which with modern knowledge seems rather unimportant. Why? [2] Next on the list so you can trace your ancestry back to Adam? They have failed to remember that, in the gospel, life with all its activities continues forever and that the labors of earth may be continued in heaven. He was a member of the Nauvoo High Council and served for a time as a bodyguard to Joseph Smith. Those who are not literal descendants are adopted into the family of Abraham when they receive baptism and confirmation (see Law of Adoption). Yet, the Church considers themselves to be a Christian church. They got hung up on the real world bottlenecks you describe (What about an isolated tribe from Iceland?) and so rejected the whole argument. Ill try raising this point next time I need to wreak havoc in HP group. I have different European, Native American and Middle Eastern ancestors. I have a friend whose father was declared of Judah, his younger brother was declared of Asher and he was declared of Benjamin. I thought there was something unique to that until I worked as a temple worker for a few years and understood how the names really work. The patriarch has no blessing of his own to give; the blessing is the Lords to give. Anyone or anything that disagrees with the LDS Church is considered anti-Mormon. Judah is a lions whelp: from the prey, my son, thou art gone up: he stooped down, he couched as a lion, and as an old lion; who shall rouse him up? Multiple non-Ephraim blessings would be flagged. 11/09/2015 by lifeafterministry. News from around the globe about Christianity & the ministries God works through. How is this to be done? Patriarchal blessings are sacred and personal. asos mens hoodies 31:9; cf. Perhaps there was a genetic difference that was passed along. If you were a man and lived in Nauvoo with the prophet, guaranteed you served as his bodyguard, at some point. Its meaning lies in how we honor each other as believers perhaps. Deut. Book of Mormon: broken promises, false prophecies, historically inncorrect, poor grammarhow can you trust this? According to the Bible, when Joseph brought his two sons to his father, Jacob, for a blessing, Ephraim received the birthright blessing in place of Manasseh (Gen. 48:13-20), one of the departures noted in the Bible from the custom of bestowing on the firstborn son the special privileges that belonged to him by right of primogeniture. Regarding Patriarchal blessings and the declaration of lineage, President James E. Faust stated: . I appreciate some of the hypothesis in the posts, but it seems rather anti-climatic and metaphorical/symbolic as opposed to literal. If you're a Christian & feel you're speaking a different language, learn about the differences here. 20-21). admin on volusia county school schedule; tribe of ephraim lds patriarchal blessing My daughter is hoping for Slytherin. 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. Only by following the counsel in a patriarchal blessing can one receive the blessings contained therein. 42 That they might there keep their statutes, which they never kept in their own land. S. Michael Wilcox covered this topic in detail in the January 1998 Ensign in his article The Abrahamic Covenant. Joseph honestly thought there was some connection. 29:3; Morm. I would HATE that calling . Men have stumbled at times because promised blessings have not occurred in this life. The views expressed herein do not necessarily represent the position of the Church. That one is important but Im not convinced there is any deeper meaning. Find out why! As a person studies his or her patriarchal blessing and follows the counsel it contains, it will provide guidance, comfort, and protection. The Twelve Tribes according to their inheritance of land in Palestine were as follows: Eventually the northern kingdom ran afoul of the great world power at the time, Assyria. The kingdom of Israel was divided about 975 B.C. None from our family has ever been from that tribe? 2. 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. So its likely that we have many many literal ancestors in those kajillions of pedigree slots from whom weve received no genetic contribution whatsoever. Elder John A. Widtsoe stated, Whether this lineage is of blood or of adoption does not matter.2. The only name that counts in the temple is the name of Jesus Christ. When the Lord tells us not to seek out soothsayers or fortune tellers, Hes not just yammering on with another rule. Darius Grey was declared to be of all the tribes except one. Opinions on this subject differ widely. 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. Its standard Church policy. "And they [others of the tribes of Israel] shall bring forth their rich treasures unto the children of Ephraim, my servants…and there shall they fall down and be crowned with glory, even in Zion, by the hands of the servants of the Lord, even the children of Ephraim, and they shall be filled with songs of everlasting joy" (D&C 133:30-33; see also Israel: Gathering of Israel). Mormons are faced with confusing doctrine every time they open their scriptures. They may be shared with immediate family members, but should not be read aloud in public or read or interpreted by others. My pat. Frankly, lineage doesnt make a lot of sense in todays world, as the OP suggests. A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z, Book of Mormon: Title Page From Book of Mormon, https://eom.byu.edu/index.php?title=Ephraim&oldid=4550. This last summer when we had a family reunion, I saw my fathers granddaughters moving about tending to the food and ministering to the young children and the elderly, and the realization came to me that Fathers blessing had been literally fulfilled; he has, indeed, many beautiful daughters. There are several versions of Smith's first vision; which one do you believe? Ten of the tribes revolted and followed Jeroboam as their king and became known as the Kingdom of Israel or the Kingdom of Ephraim. Salt Lake City, 1985. I think lineage is one of several tropes that are meant to link us together in one of many holy ways. sardine lake fishing report; ulrich beck risk society ppt; nascar pinty's series cars for sale; how to buy pallets from victoria secret "Prophet" John Taylor in prison for polygamy. Whether his children directly through bloodline or through adoption, we are heirs to both the blessings and responsibilities of the Abrahamic covenant. A patriarchal blessing is a prophetic utterance. Of course, genetically we are all the seed of Abraham at this point. 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). Find out why they're not the same! Ill try to explain the problem with that view. Semi-annual reminders to follow the prophet. To me that is significant in that every last one of us is one of gods covenant people and that the restoration of the tribes could therefore more broadly be seen as the reconciliation of every human being with deity. Salt Lake City, 1943. Ishtar, an Assyrian and Babylonian Goddess known as the Queen of Heaven, Moses 5:13; "And Satan came among them, saying, I am also a son of God", Witnessing tracts & handouts for missions and classes at your church. Know the Difference between Christianity and pseudo-Christianity! It contains personal revelation and instructions from Heavenly Father, who knows our strengths, weaknesses, and eternal potential. Maybe his last name had something to do with it ( very prominent church last name). www.NothingWavering.org is an individually owned and operated website with 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. It contains counsel, promises, and information from the Lord. Listen, Im the first one to honor and praise our pioneer ancestors, but we have to realize that being a bodyguard to Joseph Smith, is not all that unique. Ive read it in all of their histories. The most distinguished Benjamite was the apostle Paul ( Rom. 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. It definitely used to be viewed as a literally descent from a specific ancestor. When Should I Get My Patriarchal Blessing? Arguing about whether Native Americans are literal descendants of Lehi doesnt make much sense either. Why would you place your salvation into the hands of a false prophet? She has 17 descendents (4 children, 8 grandchildren, 5 great-grandchildren), but only one heir to her throne, Prince Charles. If he had 1+ descendant(s) then every firstborn male member of the church is entitled to be a bishop. Was the restriction of unclean foods in the Bible a commandment. If he had no descendants, section 68 is meaningless. I've only devoted a few Saturday mornings to this scripture study project, but the [.] 3:5). Freedom in Him is the most treasured gift of all! I feel to this day the Patriarch who did my blessing was not inspired..rote blessings to all. In our time the Lord has said, Thus saith the Lord unto you, with whom the priesthood hath continued through the lineage of your fathers, For ye are lawful heirs, according to the flesh, . Our patriarchal blessings indicate what the Lord expects of us and what our potential can be. Hey there, cousinanother Grover descendant here. The patriarch seeks inspiration to specify the dominant family line that leads back to Abraham. 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. Having a declared tribe means you have a place at the table, that you belong. What are the blessings of the tribe of Ephraim? Patriarchal blessings are available to baptized church members upon their request. Good choice of image. Historically other assignments were relatively rare, but in recent years they have been becoming more common; I believe that assignments to every one of the Twelve Tribes have been made by patriarchs. More than 1/2 the witnesses denounced their testimonies! In a similar vein, Ive always found D&C 15 and 16 a fascinating phenomenon. The naming of tribes other than Ephraim has been rare, but is becoming more common as the word is spread abroad, more people are coming into the fold, and more Priesthood duties are becoming necessary to be fulfilled. This was well illustrated in my fathers patriarchal blessing. We will be expected to fulfill the duties of our tribe both in this life and the next. The views expressed by individual users are the responsibility of those users and do not necessarily represent the position of the Church. Mormon Salvation vs. Biblical Salvation. God knows our spirits; He knows our strengths and weaknesses. Designed by Elegant Themes | Powered by WordPress. 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. Kinderhook Plates and The Greek Psalter Incident serve as further proof Smith was a false prophet. Were all adopted into the covenant relationship. 9:4). Whether this lineage is of blood or adoption it does not matter" (p. 73; cf. The house of Israel, in the original sense, meant the literal blood descendants of the house of Jacob. And then with the Jews to be gathered we will once again have the Kingdoms of Ephraim and Judah. I think he also mentioned reviewers (SP and SLC). They are then entitled to all the rights and privileges of heirs (TPJS, The only point is that the math is one thing, but there can be real world bottlenecks that affect things. That number (using an internet exponent calculator) works out to something like 5708990770823839524233143877797980545530986496. 1 Nephi 14:1-2; "And it shall come to pass, that if the Gentiles shall hearken unto the Lamb of God in that day that he shall manifest himself unto them in word, and also in power, in very deed, unto the taking away of their stumbling blocks 2 And . Ask any patriarch and they will tell you that the Stake President is supposed to regularly review the blessings given. I think patriarchal blessing lineage assignment is a vestigial trait of 19th Century Mormonism. Elder John A. Widtsoe (18721952), an Apostle, had the following to say: It should always be kept in mind that the realization of the promises made may come in this life or the future life. There has been an intermixture of the tribes one with another. 1 Chr. By seed we mean the heirs of the body. The nomadic tribe-based Hebrews we read about in Judges were for a short time united in a kingdom, with three successive kings: Saul, David and Solomon. Astrology, witchcraft, Satanism, Masonry, Universalism, Hinduismit's all there in one package called Mormonism. My hometeacher was a patriarch, mission president and a bishop. But a passage in 2 Esdras 13 of the Apocrypha portrays them as maintaining coherence as a group: 40 Those are the ten tribes, which were carried away prisoners out of their own land in the time of Osea the king, whom Salmanasar the king of Assyria led away captive, and he carried them over the waters, and so came they into another land. All our blessings were *exactly* the same word for word. 11: 1 ). Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. Her patriarch later told her that none of the Lao people were descended from any tribe, but that another ethnic group in Laos (called the Mongs) were all descendants of Gad. I said I did not want to read theirs but wanted to know if there were any differences. If Ephraim had descendants that survived to today, then pretty much everyone on the planet is a descendant of Ephraim (excluding some limited areas where reasonable mixing does not occur, such as say Australian aborigines). Each blessing is absolutely qualified and given upon the condition of the faithfulness of the recipient of the blessing. I dont know that they read them all but a random selection review at a minimum is required. 2:10). In the 19th century, a lot of Mormons were fond of the notion that Joseph and our other prophets were descended from Jesus himself. Those who are not literal descendants are adopted into the family of Abraham when they receive baptism and confirmation (see Law of Adoption ). Too many members use it the wrong way. For Latter-day Saints, identification of a person's lineage in latter-day Covenant Israel is made under the hands of inspired Patriarchs through patriarchal blessings that declare lineage. Evidently, the Church thinks enough of this tradition that they continue to insist that declaration of lineage is the most essential part of the blessing. Ephraim's descendants will continue in significant roles. 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. Why does Mormonism mimic so many religions? Find out what Mormon Church leaders really think of polygamy. Should we trust someone who's involved with these things? According to Religion 430-431 - Doctrinces of the Gospel Student Manual, the tribe of Ephraim is greatly praised by the LDS Church. I will say this, my father is a Patriarch, and Ive bounced this question of what the lineage means around with him several times. You can read more about it here in an awesome article Melissa wrote! Your patriarchal blessing includes a declaration of your lineage, stating that you are of the house of Israela descendant of Abraham, belonging to a specific tribe of Jacob. The Lord says to disregard the prophet who speaks a lie in His name - Deuteronomy 18:20-22, See how the Mormon canon of scripture contradicts itself & the Bible, The Early Christian Church's Statements of Faith. Yet for the ancients on up through the late modern era it was of prime concern to many. "for I know whom I have believed" 2 Tim. This exact point annoyed me to no end (as a mathematician) reading that Salazar Slytherin who supposedly lived a thousand years ago had exactly one heir. 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. 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). Rumors were his wife did it as well. One of the most important blessings available to worthy members of the Church is patriarchal blessings. 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: 2:10). After all these years, I recently paid attention to the injunction in my patriarchal blessing that comes after the declaration that I belong to the tribe of Ephraim, a directive to learn about the blessings and responsibilities that attend that lineage. Knowing these two facts gave me an added sense that I was literally serving my brothers. Who, or what, is the foundation of your Christian faith? I have a question to ask Kevin privately but have lost his email. .. According to other Book of Mormon scriptures, Lehi belonged to the tribe of Manasseh. (E.g., a baby born in 2000 had two parents born in 1975, four grandparents born in 1950, eight great grandparents born in 1925 and 16 great, great grandparents born in 1900.) Find out who and why we shouldn't trust their testimonies. If you have received a patriarchal blessing, you may request a copy of it online. If Im in the kingdom of Israel, does it matter where? Our testimonies can be strengthened and fortified and our lives given greater purpose every time we read and reread our patriarchal blessings. Those who follow the counsel in their patriarchal blessing will be less likely to go astray or be misled. 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. 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). I have long wondered what Richard Bushmans take on lineage and patriarchal blessings in general is. Exotic folk beliefs aside, most Mormons believe that the Ten Tribes still exist in some identifiable fashion, as seems to be suggested by the opening words of the 10th Article of Faith: We believe in the literal gathering of Israel and in the restoration of the Ten Tribes. Mormonism has its own folklore on the subject, such as folk beliefs that the Ten Tribes are living at the north pole or at the center of the earth. The biblical temple and Mormon temples have virtually nothing in common; find out why. I am from ephraim (no surprise). . How does swearing secret oaths glorify God? It offers counsel and guidance directly from your Heavenly Father. 1. 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. There was a disappearance of the dividing line between time and eternity. My own blessing is short and is limited to perhaps three quarters of one page on one side, yet it has been completely adequate and perfect for me. The real answer: nobody knows. Saying this person descended from Ephraim and this person didnt no longer makes any sense given our modern understanding of population dynamics. And my guess is that people have just assumed you can think in the same way about the biblical patriarchs; I might be descended from one, and you from another. Or is there some important significance to my tribe? What can I do to help the youth in my ward get along? I mean, thats a pretty convenient view for sure given that nearly everyone has been assigned to Ephraim. - John 8:32, Moroni, Comoro off the coast of East Africa. So I talked to some other members my age who I knew, told them what I discovered, and asked if they would take my blessing and compare it to theirs, as they had same Patriarch. I received my own patriarchal blessing when I was but a boy of 12. Where else in the modern world can you have a shamanic experience? It's like having your own personalized section of the Doctrine and Covenants. These privileged blessings are a powerful witness of the mission of the Lord Jesus Christ in bringing exaltation to each of us. The original tribe of Levi did not receive a land inheritance (other than the levitical cities), so that its priestly members could live throughout the land, so Joseph (the dominant tribe in the north) was basically bifurcated into two representing his sons, Ephraim and Manasseh, to keep the tribal number at ten. Why does Mormonism have so many false doctrines about our galaxy and the Lord? This principle ought (in its proper place) to be taught, for God hath not revealed anything to Joseph, but what He will make known unto the Twelve, and even the least Saint may know all things as fast as he is able to bear them, for the day must come when no man need say to his neighbor, Know ye the Lord; for all shall know Him (who remain) from the least to the greatest. No, the slots increase geometrically, not arithmetically, so the answer is 256 (16 x 16). The Twelve Tribes according to their inheritance of land in Palestine were as follows: Reuben Simeon Judah Issachar Zebulun Dan Naphtali Gad Asher Benjamin Ephraim (son of Joseph) Manasseh (son of Joseph) Levi (no territorial allotment, except a number of cities located within the territories of the other tribes) 4:27-31;28;29;30; 3 Ne. Guide to the Scriptures, Evangelist, Israel, Patriarchal Blessings, Patriarch, Patriarchal, Your Patriarchal Blessing: A Liahona of Light, Declaration of Lineage in Patriarchal Blessings, Request a copy of your own or a deceased ancestors patriarchal blessing, ChurchofJesusChrist.org, Whom do I talk to about getting a patriarchal blessing? New Era, July 2010, Your Patriarchal Blessing, Ensign or Liahona, February 2010, RobertK. Wagstaff, When Should I Get My Patriarchal Blessing? New Era, August 2009, About Patriarchal Blessings, New Era, March 2004, DanielH. Ludlow, Of the House of Israel, Ensign or Liahona, January 1991, Teaching Children about Patriarchal Blessings, Ensign, October 1987, DavidA. Edwards, What a Patriarchal Blessing Can Do for You, New Era, May 2013, The Gathering of the House of Israel, Patriarchal Blessings, Lesson Helps for Teaching Children, What is a Patriarchal Blessing, The Latter-day Saints Channel Q&A, episode62, Request a copy of your own or a deceased ancestors patriarchal blessing.