On the main topic (what does lineage mean in a world where everyone is family), I do wonder about the social impact of promulgating the idea, for example, that technically were all Jewish. I image that concept would be meant with some objection in certain quarters, which begs the question, why, if were all Abrahams seed and (probablisticly) kids of Judah and some harlot (I want to say Tamar?)? How is this to be done? Patriarchs are privileged to impart blessings directly rather than just solicit blessings to the individual, for the patriarchs are entitled to speak authoritatively for the Lord. I always assumed as a kid that I would end up in one of the obscure tribes like Asher or Dan because I was, frankly, an obscure kid. He lived recently enough in the past that that kind of genealogical distinction makes sense. Latter-day Saint Life Patriarchal Blessings: What to Do When Yours Isn't "Coming True" Since Mormons like to rely on their own works they should take heed to what God said in Micah 5:12-13 , And I will cut off witchcrafts out of thine hand; and thou shalt have no more soothsayers: 13 Thy graven images also will I cut off, and thy standing images out of the midst of thee; and thou shalt no more worship the work of thine hands., Posted in Book of Mormon | Tagged Ephraim, false gospel, Lehi, Mannasseh, Nephi, patriarchal blessings | 2 Comments. The kingdom of Israel was divided about 975 B.C. 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 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. As a person studies his or her patriarchal blessing and follows the counsel it contains, it will provide guidance, comfort, and protection. Ive only devoted a few Saturday mornings to this scripture study project, but the []. My pat. Regarding Patriarchal blessings and the declaration of lineage, President James E. Faust stated: . 32, right (16 +16)? 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. The lineage thing did not bother me so much. Book of Mormon: broken promises, false prophecies, historically inncorrect, poor grammarhow can you trust this? About a year ago our Stake Patriarch spoke on this, and since Ive heard a Stake Patriarch opine on it decades ago, I could see a change in trend (or else just two different people with two different opinions). Besides, the giver of the blessings, the Lord, reserves the right to have them become active in our lives as suits his divine purposes. When the Lord tells us not to seek out soothsayers or fortune tellers, Hes not just yammering on with another rule. I dont know, Aaron, I just wrote that without actually looking at anything. 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. Widtsoe, John A. Evidences and Reconciliations, pp. Whether this lineage is of blood or adoption it does not matter" (p. 73; cf. After a person has faith in Christ, repents of his sins, and is baptized for the remission of his sins and receives the Holy Ghost, (by the laying on of hands), which is the first Comforter, then let him continue to humble himself before God, hungering and thirsting after righteousness, and living by every word of God, and the Lord will soon say unto him, Son, thou shalt be exalted. The patriarchal blessings of most Latter-day Saints indicate that they are literal, blood descendants of Abraham and of Israel. Patriarchal blessings should be read humbly and prayerfully and frequently. Quite honestly, they were probably just absorbed into Assyrian society (and not allowed to maintain a continuing identity and relationships as were the Jews in the later Babylonian captivity). British Israelism. I apologize, had to get that off my chest, pet peeve rant over. 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. 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. Upon that revelation we both concluded that bloodline has nothing to do with it, at least not with the significance most want to consider. 3:12; D&C 27:5). 3:5). Multiple non-Ephraim blessings would be flagged. Of course, genetically we are all the seed of Abraham at this point. 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. 2:11). Personally while I cant make sense o fit Im more than willing to continue it. 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. Should we trust someone who's involved with these things? Believing Gentiles, even though not of the blood lines or genealogical ancestry of Israel, become adopted into the house of Israel. 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. Elder John A. Widtsoe stated, Whether this lineage is of blood or of adoption does not matter.2. Deut. but no Im differentand it is unique to who I am. I wish to pay tribute to the faithful men holding this great calling and ordination. I think thats a nice evolution of and conclusion to the tribalism of the distant past. Jesus said; "And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." According to Religion 430-431 - Doctrinces of the Gospel Student Manual, the tribe of Ephraim is greatly praised by the LDS Church. The Patriarch who did my blessing years earlier before my spouse was still Patriarch and did my spouses blessing. Id say the other ordinances (baptism and sealing) are sufficient for establishing heirship, perhaps thats why they are essential ordinances and PBs arent. There has been an intermixture of the tribes one with another. There are that many slots at that time depth on the pedigree chart, but theyre not all unique names; the same name is probably going to appear kajillions of times on the pedigree chart. I received my blessing at sixteen. In the second half of the 8th century B.C. Its not like people from Benjamin are better clerks than others or Issachar play better sports or Reuben are all the leadership. All our blessings were *exactly* the same word for word. How many ancestral slots would there be at that time depth? I received my own patriarchal blessing when I was but a boy of 12. one child may be declared to be from the tribe of Ephraim and another of the same family from Manasseh or one of the other tribes. Maybe he was getting some dementia. Our testimonies can be strengthened and fortified and our lives given greater purpose every time we read and reread our patriarchal blessings. James Russell Uhl. 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. Patriarchal blessings may contain promises, admonitions, and warnings. The prophecy in 1st Nephi tells us theyll belong to the tribe of Nephis father, Lehi. Therefore, your life and priesthood have remained, and must needs remain through you and your lineage (D&C 86:810). I have a friend whose father was declared of Judah, his younger brother was declared of Asher and he was declared of Benjamin. To be more accurate according to population genetics: every single one of us is a mixture of all of the tribes of Israel, assuming that each of the Patriarchs has any living descendants today. 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. I know a few people from a few different tribes but their life doesnt seem to be any different from mine. 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. To find out how to receive a patriarchal blessing, Church members should speak with their bishop or branch president. Many people today belong to the tribe of Ephraim, and they have a responsibility to spread the gospel and to be leaders and teachers in the Church. These privileged blessings are a powerful witness of the mission of the Lord Jesus Christ in bringing exaltation to each of us. 41 But they took this counsel among themselves, that they would leave the multitude of the heathen, and go forth into a further country, where never mankind dwelt. 47 The Highest shall stay the springs of the stream again, that they may go through: therefore sawest thou the multitude with peace. It definitely used to be viewed as a literally descent from a specific ancestor. Since that is way, way, waymore than the total number of people who have ever lived on this earth, how can that be possible? The only name that counts in the temple is the name of Jesus Christ. I tried to explain these population dynamics to some relatives this past weekend and failed spectacularly. It is more powerful in expanding the mind, enlightening the understanding, and storing the intellect with present knowledge, of a man who is of the literal seed of Abraham, than one that is a Gentile, though it may not have half as much visible effect upon the body; for as the Holy Ghost falls upon one of the literal seed of Abraham, it is calm and serene; and his whole soul and body are only exercised by the pure spirit of intelligence; 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. Those who follow the counsel in their patriarchal blessing will be less likely to go astray or be misled. 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, . 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. I suspect that Australian Aboriginies have been interacting with the rest of the world for long enough that their DNA has spread into most of our family trees in one of the 29 trillion, trillion, trillion spaces. Why? 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. Sure is ridiculous when you think about what LDS, Catholics, and JWs believe in and do. 11: 1 ). Circling back to the topic, I think grammar and precise word choice matters in the gospel. 12: 21 ), but the nearness to Jerusalem seems to have caused Benjamin gradually to become part of the kingdom of Judah. The Mormon Church takes part in a unique ritual where they receive a patriarchal blessing. and (because Im a green-eyed monster) feel particularly jealous every time I read something cool someone else got. 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. Historical evidence proves Lehi & Nephi didn't exist! This page was last modified on 27 May 2011, at 16:25. 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. Otherwise its like the name in the temple. What can I do to feel better when I have sinned? In the Latter Day Saint movement, a patriarchal blessing is an ordinance administered by the laying on of hands, with accompanying words of promise, counsel, and lifelong guidance intended solely for the recipient. This doctrine of adoption was understood by ancient prophets and apostles (e.g., Rom. Its nice to have that extra copy of the will around with some reassuring words that you havent been disinherented, I suppose. Id rather have her blessing (!) Know the Difference between Christianity and pseudo-Christianity! Which I guess we do, symbolically, whatever that might mean. It's like having your own personalized section of the Doctrine and Covenants. The most important aspect of our patriarchal lineage is that it ties us to the covenant made between God and Abraham. The patriarchal blessings of most Latter-day Saints indicate that they are literal, blood descendants of Abraham and of Israel. An essential part of a patriarchal blessing is a declaration of lineage. Ill try to explain the problem with that view. It offers counsel and guidance directly from your Heavenly Father. Kevin, are Australian aborigines truly an exception to the rule? It contains counsel, promises, and information from the Lord. I am going to keep trying for my husband and myself to get new blessings. The real answer: nobody knows. 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. Who, or what, is the foundation of your Christian faith? 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? Astrology, witchcraft, Satanism, Masonry, Universalism, Hinduismit's all there in one package called Mormonism. 20% of verses in the Book of Mormon contain the phrase "and it came to pass", Almost 4,000 changes to the Book of Mormon and over 7,200 Greek and Latin words found, Book of Mormon Artifacts; Smithsonian & National Geographic says no artifacts found. When I met my spouse, he had just gotten his blessing ( he was inactive most of his life and just reactivated when we met). 42 That they might there keep their statutes, which they never kept in their own land. The 10 th President of the LDS Church, Joseph Fielding Smith, said, "A blessing given by a Patriarch is intended to point out the path which the recipient should travel. Were all probably descended from all 12 of the sons of Jacob. Like Ephraim's descendants, the tribe of Manasseh is heir to all the blessings and obligations given to Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph. An examination of the LDS' latest teachings from the presidency to the women's groups. 3:5-16; D&C 133:30-34) and that the Prophet Joseph Smith is the "choice seer" (3 Ne. This was well illustrated in my fathers patriarchal blessing. 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. Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. If he had no descendants, section 68 is meaningless. Find out who and why we shouldn't trust their testimonies. Most of those people are dead now. Not even the patriarch or bishop or branch president should interpret it. They are very personal but may be shared with close family members. I dont see any of us better or different than others just because we come from a different tribe. My most famous Mormon ancestor was Thomas Grover, who was my great, great, great grandfather (on my mothers side). "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). The patriarchal office is one of blessing, not of administration, nor of counseling. 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. Patriarchal blessings include a declaration of a person's lineage in the house of Israel and contain personal counsel from the Lord. 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. 17:5-6; see also Israel: Scattering of IsraelIsrael: Lost Tribes of Israel). In Mexico, he had met a patriarch that was doing them all alike but I cant remember if the Church intervened or not. She is now 26. All the rules of how to pray and what to say leaves no room for a conversation with the Lord! The purpose of a patriarchal blessing is (1) to identify the tribe of Israel to which the individual belongs, whether literal or "adopted", along with the responsibilities and blessings associated; (2) to bless the member with knowledge and the spiritual gifts that may be obtained by obedience to gospel principles; (3) to give advice or help to Charles, in turn, has four descendents but one heir, William. It also stands as a sign that God will keep His covenants with the remnants of the house of Israel (see 3 Ne. If Lehi was a real person with real descendants, he lived so long ago that nearly all Native Americans would have him as a literal ancestor. It hurt my feelings, that I was only worthy of a lesser lineage but I am over it now. Teaching Children about Patriarchal Blessings, What a Patriarchal Blessing Can Do for You. But now Im just really curious whether that was local practice or churchwide policy. So here we go: First, a little biblical history. 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). Does God speak to prophets with glowing stones in a hat? 1978 Prophecy, Book of Moses, Curse of Cain, 2 Nephi 30:6, All are Alike Unto GodWhat is the truth? See this page in the original 1992 publication. . If he had 1+ descendant(s) then every firstborn male member of the church is entitled to be a bishop. This website is not owned by or affiliated with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (sometimes called the Mormon or LDS Church). Imagine if we had the knowledge to complete a massive pedigree chart going back to the time of the biblical patriarchs. While the idea of literal ancestry was strongly held in the 19th and early 20th century, my sense is that that view is receding, because it just plain doesnt make a lot of sense. 541-75. 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. 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. What are the blessings of the tribe of Ephraim? 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. 149-50). Church members are counted as a descendant of Abraham and an heir to all the promises and blessings contained in the Abrahamic covenant (see Abrahamic Covenant). 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. .. Could this book cost you salvation in Jesus? Kevin sneaks in a Patriarchal Lineages, Ranked without Scott or Steve noticing. How can different children from the same family descend from different partiachal lines? 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). To give another example, look at Queen Elizabeth. 2004) and Q&A (New Era, May 2002 and Mar. It makes perfect sense for Slytherin to have only one heir, in spite of having plenty of descendents. 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. It is to be done by this sealing power, and the other Comforter spoken of, which will be manifest by revelation. 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. So its likely that we have many many literal ancestors in those kajillions of pedigree slots from whom weve received no genetic contribution whatsoever. 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. As a person studies his or her patriarchal blessing and follows the counsel it contains, it will provide guidance, comfort, and protection. The patriarch seeks inspiration to specify the dominant family line that leads back to Abraham. My patriciarch typed up the blessings himself. Most of us will be named as members of the tribe of Ephraim, as it is the primary responsibility of this tribe to spread the word of God through missionary work and service that it might be heard by all people throughout the earth. We know Jesus died for our sins, but what did Joseph die for? No blessings have been alike that weve come across in the stake. It really makes no difference if the blessings of the house of Israel come through the lineage or through the spirit of adoption. As always, Mark E. Petersen is the definitive resource: http://www.ldslastdays.com/default.aspx?page=talk_patriarchs.htm. Someday there will be a big family reunion for all the children of our Heavenly Father. Scriptures that show Mormons can fully trust God's word! A study of those patriarchs will show that regardless of which tribe you fall in, your blessing is bounteous. The omission of the blessing of a great event in life such as a mission or marriage does not mean it will not happen. That man that has none of the blood of Abraham (naturally) must have a new creation by the Holy Ghost.3. 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. So, with that framing, what do patriarchal blessing lineage assignments mean to you? 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. They are often among the most humble and faithful of our brethren. [1] The words, inspired by the Holy Ghost, are spoken by the patriarch performing the ordinance. 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: He was told in his blessing that he would be blessed with many beautiful daughters. He and my mother became the parents of five sons. But we know from modern population genetics that when were talking about that kind of time depth, our near-term genealogical view of things simply doesnt work anymore. What it means to me is that we are ALL, every one of us on the face of the earth, brothers and sisters, literally. It was also promised specifically to Judah that he would be a ruler and overcome his enemies-. For the official Church websites, please visit churchofjesuschrist.org or comeuntochrist.org. So if the patriarchs lived circa 1900 B.C. 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. How can the names in the Book of Mormon be holy if they're ungodly in the Bible? Saying this person descended from Ephraim and this person didnt no longer makes any sense given our modern understanding of population dynamics. More than 1/2 the witnesses denounced their testimonies! "for I know whom I have believed" 2 Tim. 16:11-12; 3 Ne. None from our family has ever been from that tribe? 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 . 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. blessing is nothing like hers. Mormonism's True Agenda; Saving Souls or Ruling America? I think theres some parallels with patriarchal lineage. 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. But I really like what was said in the OP about the tribes basically being all mixed in with the entire world population. Am I Less Worthy Not Being From the Tribe of Ephraim? If you were a man and lived in Nauvoo with the prophet, guaranteed you served as his bodyguard, at some point. 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. You can when you receive your patriarchal blessing. God knows our spirits; He knows our strengths and weaknesses. sardine lake fishing report; ulrich beck risk society ppt; nascar pinty's series cars for sale; how to buy pallets from victoria secret And if the 12 patriarchs all had descendants that survived until today, then each of those patriarchs is going to fill many, many slots on that pedigree chart for our hypothetical child. I dont know that they read them all but a random selection review at a minimum is required. Gramps I have a grandson and it stated in his blessing he was of the Tribe of Juda. Too many members use it the wrong way. I have different European, Native American and Middle Eastern ancestors. This happened to me 30+ years ago and my leaders came to me and made the offer for me to receive a new blessing. 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). 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. We will be expected to fulfill the duties of our tribe both in this life and the next. I have wondered why, if Patriarchs blessings are reviewed from time to time, ( which I did not know until this post) the Patriarch who did my blessing and so many others was not released, and a new Patriarch called. The only point is that the math is one thing, but there can be real world bottlenecks that affect things. I believe I know what it means for me but I couldnt tell someone else what theirs means. Yet we know so little about spirituality and the connection between a body and spirit that its hard to even know where to start. 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. The other Comforter spoken of is a subject of great interest, and perhaps understood by few of this generation.
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