A patriarchal blessing is a sacred guideline of counsel, promises, and information from the Lord. I appreciate some of the hypothesis in the posts, but it seems rather anti-climatic and metaphorical/symbolic as opposed to literal. Mormon lives are busier than most. It is to be done by this sealing power, and the other Comforter spoken of, which will be manifest by revelation. It also stands as a sign that God will keep His covenants with the remnants of the house of Israel (see 3 Ne. I dont know that they read them all but a random selection review at a minimum is required. 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. Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of His glory, that we may be sealed up unto the day of redemption.Ephesians, 1st chapter. I know a few people from a few different tribes but their life doesnt seem to be any different from mine. chanson I think youre forgetting that heir and descendent are not synonyms. Similarly, does it matter what my callings are (if tribes and patriarchal blessings are more like assignments?) While the primary responsibilities of Ephraim are to spread the gospel, the primary responsibilities of Judah are to maintain and keep the records. (This is why the old one drop rule, as we now know, was ridiculous; everyone, even Brother Brigham, has one drop.). My patriciarch typed up the blessings himself. 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. 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. 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. And if he did not have descendants that survived to today, well, then obviously no one alive today is a descendant of Ephraim. Or is there some important significance to my tribe? The lineage stuff came along later and developed its own sort of mythology and internal logic. 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 would HATE that calling . Why should the oldest son matter? Otherwise its like the name in the temple. Rumors were his wife did it as well. . This has bothered me for over thirty years. That number (using an internet exponent calculator) works out to something like 5708990770823839524233143877797980545530986496. They like the rituals, and even some of the garb of the priesthood. 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. No blessings have been alike that weve come across in the stake. These privileged blessings are a powerful witness of the mission of the Lord Jesus Christ in bringing exaltation to each of us. Why are there so many rules to obey for salvation if Mormonism is a Christian church? 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. 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. 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. What are the blessings of the tribe of Ephraim? A look at the 3 gods of the Mormon godhead. What does it mean if I come from a tribe other than Ephraim according Whom do I talk to about getting a patriarchal blessing? 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, . A patriarchal blessing has two main purposes. The only point is that the math is one thing, but there can be real world bottlenecks that affect things. 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. I never really put much stock in my lineage. I was declared to be of the tribe of Manasseh and an institute director told us once that Ephraim is the leadership tribe, and this was why all of the quorum of the 12 and first presidency were from the tribe of Ephraim. Kinderhook Plates and The Greek Psalter Incident serve as further proof Smith was a false prophet. Elder John A. Widtsoe, an Apostle, declared, "In giving a blessing the patriarch may declare our lineage-that is, that we are of Israel, therefore of the family of Abraham, and of a specific tribe of Jacob. 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. EG- you most definitely should have the opportunity to receive another blessing, as do others in this situation. The Book of Mormon; The Doctrine and Covenants & Church History; The Pearl of Great Price . If he had no descendants, section 68 is meaningless. 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). As a person studies his or her patriarchal blessing and follows the counsel it contains, it will provide guidance, comfort, and protection. Original Content Copyright 2008-2011 J. Max Wilson. Our patriarchal blessing names the predominant bloodline to which each individual will be held accountable, and so it is not uncommon for members of the same family to be declared of different tribal lineages. 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. 149-50). 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. "Prophet" John Taylor in prison for polygamy. Patriarchal Blessings: What about children in the same families from May 30, 2012 | AAAA AskGramps Website, Bible, Blessings, Family Roots | 3 comments. 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. Like many blessings, they must be requested by the person or by the family of the one desiring the blessing. It has been a testimony to me that God knows His children well and as individuals. The most distinguished Benjamite was the apostle Paul ( Rom. True Mormon salvation = godhood with multiple wives and countless spirit babies. What are the responsibilities and blessings of the Tribe of Manasseh? - John 8:32, Moroni, Comoro off the coast of East Africa. I've only devoted a few Saturday mornings to this scripture study project, but the [.] Some rights reserved. We all, hopefully, believe the gospel and try to live it as best as we can. The patriarchal blessings of most Latter-day Saints indicate that they are literal, blood descendants of Abraham and of Israel. Heres another way to look at it. Declaration Of Lineage - General Discussions - Mormon Dialogue 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. Personally while I cant make sense o fit Im more than willing to continue it. Why do Mormons attack the body of Christ if they're Christians? 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. Anyone or anything that disagrees with the LDS Church is considered anti-Mormon. Everyone baptized into the gospel belongs to one of these 12 tribes, but what does it mean if you don't belong to the same tribe as your family? There was a disappearance of the dividing line between time and eternity. Our patriarchal blessings indicate what the Lord expects of us and what our potential can be. Ephraim (it was explained) is viewed as the missionary arm, the ones to restore the gospel. The patriarchal blessing is a powerful shamanic evocation of ancient covnenants, telling the recipient that they are partaking of the promises made to Abraham. This page was last modified on 27 May 2011, at 16:25. Scriptures that show Mormons can fully trust God's word! 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. 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. Therefore, your life and priesthood have remained, and must needs remain through you and your lineage (D&C 86:810). Now, the tribe of Judah has many revelations specifically tied to it. Not even the patriarch or bishop or branch president should interpret it. 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. About Patriarchal Blessings - The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Our patriarchs give total devotion to their callings and do all they can to live in faith and worthiness so that each blessing is inspired. King Benjamin refers to the faithful as the children of Christ, his sons, and his daughters thus being able to be spiritually begotten through faith (Mosiah 5:7), and thus coming into the family of Christ through a spiritual birth. The Mormon Church takes part in a unique ritual where they receive a patriarchal blessing. Find out why they're not the same! 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. By seed we mean the heirs of the body. Why Doesn't the Church Practice Polygamy Today? Each blessing is absolutely qualified and given upon the condition of the faithfulness of the recipient of the blessing. Sure is ridiculous when you think about what LDS, Catholics, and JWs believe in and do. It has a meaning. These blessings include access to the Book of Mormon, which stands as another testament of Jesus Christ. Adoption into the House of Israel 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. 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. Aaron lived over 3,000 years ago. Paul makes repeated references to adoption into the house of Israel through faith: But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Besides, the giver of the blessings, the Lord, reserves the right to have them become active in our lives as suits his divine purposes. It definitely used to be viewed as a literally descent from a specific ancestor. 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. 11; 1 Ne. Upon that revelation we both concluded that bloodline has nothing to do with it, at least not with the significance most want to consider. That man that has none of the blood of Abraham (naturally) must have a new creation by the Holy Ghost. It is to play an important part in convincing Lamanites, Jews, and Gentiles that Jesus is the messiah and that God does remember his covenant people (see Book of Mormon: Title Page From Book of Mormon). It does not matter if a persons lineage in the house of Israel is through bloodlines or by adoption. Blessings and Responsibilities of the Tribe of Ephraim Yet we know so little about spirituality and the connection between a body and spirit that its hard to even know where to start. 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. No one need assume that he or she will be denied any blessing by reason of not being of the blood lineage of Israel. 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 the last days, Ephraim's descendants have the privilege and responsibility to bear the message of the restoration of the gospel to the world and to gather scattered Israel (D&C 113:3-6). 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. 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.? Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window), Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window), Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window), Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window), Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window), Click to share on Pocket (Opens in new window), Click to share on Telegram (Opens in new window), Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window), Click to share on Skype (Opens in new window), Biographical Sketches Of Joseph Smith The Prophet And His Progenitors For Many Generations. 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. I dont know whether this was a uniform church policy or just local practice, but years ago, my mission president told me that when he was stake president, one of his responsibilities was to briefly read through each patriarchal blessing just to ensure that the patriarch is still pronouncing fresh, unique, inspired blessings and not falling into rote patterns. I believe I know what it means for me but I couldnt tell someone else what theirs means. I said I did not want to read theirs but wanted to know if there were any differences. He knows our capabilities and our potential. It seems that inherent (familial) identity (or ethnic or tribal or genetic) _means_ something to us still, despite being vacuous from technical, empirical grounds. no official affiliation to, Blessings and Responsibilities of the Tribe of Ephraim, Continue reading at the original source . At some level much of it might not matter, in other ways, there may be meaningful differences. 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. Most of those people are dead now. The LDS Church doesn't ascribe to the orthodox belief in original sin; why is that? Knowing these two facts gave me an added sense that I was literally serving my brothers. In Abraham we are told, And I will bless them through thy name; for as many as receive this Gospel shall be called after thy name, and shall be accounted thy seed, and shall rise up and bless thee, as their father (Abr. 3:12; D&C 27:5). 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. Frankly, I believe Patriarchal Blessings are pointless. 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. You would think he would be adopted into our tribe. It contains personal revelation and instructions from Heavenly Father, who knows our strengths, weaknesses, and eternal potential. 9: 1) At the division of the kingdom Benjamin joined the northern tribes ( 1 Kgs. Id say the other ordinances (baptism and sealing) are sufficient for establishing heirship, perhaps thats why they are essential ordinances and PBs arent. So, can tribes truly be found if they are no longer distinct? The lineage thing did not bother me so much. 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. 16:11-12; 3 Ne. Ask any patriarch and they will tell you that the Stake President is supposed to regularly review the blessings given. Theyre all sons of Abraham / Jacob. More than 1/2 the witnesses denounced their testimonies! 1 Nephi 14:1-2; And it shall come to pass, that if theGentilesshall hearken unto the Lamb of God in that day that he shall manifest himself unto them in word, and also inpower, in very deed, unto thetakingaway of theirstumbling blocks2And harden not their hearts against the Lamb of God, they shall be numbered among the seed of thy father; yea, they shall benumberedamong the house of Israel; and they shall be ablessedpeople upon thepromised land forever; they shall be no more brought down into captivity; and the house of Israel shall no more be confounded., Alma 10:3; And Aminadi was a descendant of Nephi, who was the son of Lehi, who came out of the land of Jerusalem, who was a descendant ofManasseh, who was the son ofJoseph who wassoldinto Egypt by the hands of his brethren.. She is now 26. 2:10). 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 . In a similar vein, Ive always found D&C 15 and 16 a fascinating phenomenon. It is in essence a prophetic utterance. 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 compared our two blessings.they were exactly word for word. 2. Aggregated Content Copyright 2008-2011 by the original authors. 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. 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) 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. and (because Im a green-eyed monster) feel particularly jealous every time I read something cool someone else got. 4:27-31;28;29;30; 3 Ne. Those who are not literal descendants are adopted into the family of Abraham when they receive baptism and confirmation (see Law of Adoption). Each tribe is named after one of the sons of Jacob, and carries with it certain primary duties. We know Jesus died for our sins, but what did Joseph die for? 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. On Judah and some harlot- https://rsc.byu.edu/archived/story-judah-and-tamar. Are these incidents all coincidental, or well planned trickery? 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. 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. 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. Ive read it in all of their histories. I dont know, Aaron, I just wrote that without actually looking at anything. tribe of ephraim lds patriarchal blessing D&C 84:33-34). A patriarchal blessing includes a declaration of lineage, stating that the person is of the house of Israela descendant of Abraham, belonging to a specific tribe of Jacob. Second, guided by the spirit of prophecy, the patriarch will pronounce blessings and may also provide promises, cautions, or admonitions that apply specifically to you. Find out why their monthly messages aren't biblical! One of the most important blessings available to worthy members of the Church is patriarchal blessings. Deut. So its likely that we have many many literal ancestors in those kajillions of pedigree slots from whom weve received no genetic contribution whatsoever.