Abraham, covenant of
“Abraham first received the gospel by baptism (which is the covenant of salvation). Then he had conferred upon him the higher priesthood, and he entered into celestial marriage (which is the covenant of exaltation), gaining assurance thereby that he would have eternal increase. Finally he received a promise that all of these blessings would be offered to all of his mortal posterity (D&C 132:29–50; Abr. 2:6–11). Included in the divine promises to Abraham were the assurances that:
(1) Christ would come through his lineage, and that
(2) Abraham’s posterity would receive certain lands as an eternal inheritance (Gen. 17; 22:15–18; Gal. 3; Abr. 2).
These promises taken together are called the “Abrahamic covenant.” It was renewed with Isaac (Gen. 26:1–4, 24) and again with Jacob (Gen. 28; 35:9–13; 48:3–4).
The portions of the covenant that pertain to personal salvation and eternal increase are renewed with each individual who receives the ordinance of celestial marriage (see D&C 132:29–33). Those of non-Israelite lineage, commonly known as Gentiles, are adopted into the house of Israel and become heirs of the covenant and the seed of Abraham through the ordinances of the gospel (Gal. 3:26–29).
Being an heir to the Abrahamic covenant does not make one a “chosen person” per se but does signify that such are chosen to responsibly carry the gospel to all the peoples of the earth. Abraham’s seed have carried out the missionary activity in all the nations since Abraham’s day. (Matt. 3:9; Abr. 2:9–11.)” LDS Bible dictionary Abrahamic, Covenant
The Gospel 4-Principles, 2-Ordinances
4 Principles
Faith
Repentance
Baptism
Gift of Holy Ghost
2 Ordinances
Endowment
Sealing
Before we speak about Great Britain, we will address the division of land in the Old World. We know that Ephraim and Manasseh were the two sons of Joseph who was one of the twelve sons of Jacob or Israel. Below we read about the blessing given to Ephraim and Manasseh and then the blessing given to their father Joseph by Jacob.
Blessing of Manasseh and Ephraim
17 And when Joseph saw that his father laid his right hand upon the head of Ephraim, it displeased him: and he held up his father’s hand, to remove it from Ephraim’s head unto Manasseh’s head.
18 And Joseph said unto his father, Not so, my father: for this is the firstborn; put thy right hand upon his head.
19 And his father refused, and said, I know it, my son, I know it: he also shall become a people, and he also shall be great: but truly his younger brother shall be greater than he, and his seed shall become a multitude of nations.
20 And he blessed them that day, saying, In thee shall Israel bless, saying, God make thee as Ephraim and as Manasseh: and he set Ephraim before Manasseh. Genesis 48:17-20
What was Joseph’s Blessing?
“Joseph is a fruitful bough by a well—His branches (the Nephites and Lamanites) will run over the wall” Genesis 49 Content Header
22 Joseph is a fruitful bough, even a fruitful bough by a well; whose branches run over the wall:
23 The archers have sorely grieved him, and shot at him, and hated him:
24 But his bow abode in strength, and the arms of his hands were made strong by the hands of the mighty God of Jacob; (from thence is the shepherd, the stone of Israel:)
25 Even by the God of thy father, who shall help thee; and by the Almighty, who shall bless thee with blessings of heaven above, blessings of the deep that lieth under, blessings of the breasts, and of the womb:
26 The blessings of thy father have prevailed above the blessings of my progenitors unto the utmost bound of the everlasting hills: they shall be on the head of Joseph, and on the crown of the head of him that was separate from his brethren. Genesis 49:22-26
“To the Latter-day Saints the blessing of Joseph [in Genesis 49] has a particular significance, for the reason that they, more than any other people, are familiar with his descendants, and the blessing promised them in which also they hope to participate. The Book of Mormon is a history, chiefly, of the descendants of Joseph; and in the mighty nations which have peopled the American continent, the Latter-day Saints see, in part, the fulfillment of the great blessings pronounced upon his head.
The article reviews Book of Mormon passages that refer to the seed of Jacob through Joseph coming to a promised land, including the comments made by the Savior when he visited them after his resurrection. Additional passages are reviewed that discuss the additional blessings pronounced upon Joseph by Moses. The author then says:
But what seems singular in connection with these promises made to Joseph and the account of their partial fulfillment in a portion of his posterity inhabiting America is, that after the nations, composed largely of his descendants, had been destroyed and other peoples from Europe—among whom, however, were also large numbers of the descendants of Joseph through the loins of Ephraim—had taken possession of the land, at the real establishment of that government which is destined to shape the destiny of the great continent of America—the land of Joseph—the very first executive chosen for that nation when being sworn to preserve, protect and defend the constitution of this land which God had inspired men to frame, he [George Washington] placed his hand upon the very page of the Bible containing the blessing pronounced upon the head of Joseph by the patriarch Jacob. … B. H. Roberts. Contributor, vol. 10, p. 275: (Emphasis added) Source:
“Certain lands were given to Israel for an inheritance in time and in eternity. America is the land of Joseph; it was the home of Nephite Israel, who were of Joseph, for a thousand years, and it is the headquarters of the Church in this final dispensation in which the church and kingdom of God are in the lands of Ephraim.” 1985 – Elder Bruce R. McConkie
12 Tribes of Israel
We understand there were 12 Tribes of Israel. Two Tribes didn’t receive a Land inheritance! (Joseph and Levi)
“Only unto the tribe of Levi he gave none inheritance; the sacrifices of the Lord God of Israel made by fire are their inheritance, as he said unto them.” Joshua 13:14
“So the children of Joseph, Manasseh and Ephraim, took their inheritance.” Joshua 16:4. The House of Ephraim and the House of Manasseh each received a land inheritance.
In other words because Levi and Joseph didn’t receive one of 12 portions of land, that left only 10 portions given. As Joshua 16:4 says those two portions were given to Joseph’s two sons, Ephraim and Manasseh. And as Pres. Nelson said in his quote below, “Joseph’s inheritance was to be a land choice above all others. [USA] Pres. Russell M. Nelson
Land of Joseph
“The Book of Mormon reveals that Joseph, the son of Jacob who was once sold into Egypt, foresaw the Prophet Joseph Smith and his day and noted that there would be many similarities in their lives. Centuries later, the Prophet Joseph stated, “I feel like Joseph in Egypt.” The Book of Mormon reveals that the inheritance of Joseph, son of Israel, was not forgotten when land was distributed to the tribes of Israel, as promised in the Abrahamic covenant. Joseph’s inheritance was to be a land choice above all others. It was choice not because of beauty or wealth of natural resources, but choice because it was chosen to be the repository of sacred writings on golden plates from which the Book of Mormon would one day come. It was choice because it would eventually host the world headquarters of the restored Church of Jesus Christ in the latter days. And it was choice because it is a land of liberty for those who worship the Lord and keep His commandments.” President Russell M. Nelson, President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, addresses new Mission Presidents June 22 through June 26, 2016 (Emphasis added)
This quote to me clearly shows that the Land chosen for Joseph of Egypt was indeed CHOICE above all others including any land in Canaan and indeed it was to be the United States of America, the place of Joseph Smith, the gold plates, Salt Lake City and this choice land of liberty.
“Wherefore, the remnant of the house of Joseph shall be built upon this land; [North America] and it shall be a land of their inheritance; and they shall build up a holy city [New Jerusalem] unto the Lord, like unto the Jerusalem of old; and they shall no more be confounded, until the end come when the earth shall pass away.” Ether 13:8 Bold and Parentheses added.
“The Lord gave a divine promise to the ancient inhabitants of this favored country (the United States): ‘Behold, this is a choice land, and whatsoever nation shall possess it shall be free from bondage, and from captivity, and from all other nations under heaven, if they will but serve the God of the land, who is Jesus Christ” (Ether 2:12).
The article below makes a lot of sense. I urge you to read, ponder, and pray and see the value it may have for your understanding of the brotherhood between Great Britain and the United States of America.
Great Britain….The Blessing Given to Manasseh, Not Ephraim
“To most Believers in The Most High and His Son, the debate as to which country matches which of Joseph’s sons (Ephraim or Manasseh) simply isn’t all that important. Fact is, Most Believers wouldn’t care…..but they should. For, wrapped up in this debate is, what I would call, the greatest mystery in all of scripture, which if a Believers comes to understand, it opens up the entirety of the Bible. Suddenly, the Bible makes sense, far more than it ever could before.
I have chosen to deal with Great Britain first because Manasseh was first born and Great Britain was a nation first, long before America.
We’ll begin by stating an often overlooked point. The meaning of the name Manasseh, which is forgetful or he who forgets. This is so important because Great Britain has so much symbolism right before their very eyes and yet, they have forgotten who they are……And when I say, they have forgotten, I mean, the last few generations have forgotten. Generations of Brits long ago certainly did know. Here is evidence of that fact.
Have you ever heard of The Declaration of Arbroath? We today, might call it The Scottish Declaration of Independence. Scotland declared its independence from Great Britain in 1320 of the common era and in the third paragraph, the authors, Robert the Bruce, Sir James Douglas, and Sir Thomas Randolph, and others, very plainly state the following:
“Thence they came, twelve hundred years after the people of Israel crossed the Red Sea, to their home in the west where they still live today.”
The full English text of The Declaration of Arbroath can be seen here:
Staying on the Scottish theme, Joseph’s coat of many colors hold the pattern of the plaid kilt. The following article is an excellent source on this subject: http://www.britam.org/tartan.html#Term
Thus is it suffice to say, as a subheading to Great Britain, Scotland lends itself to the tribe of Joseph specifically more than any of the other nations.
Now, let’s identify another characteristic of Manasseh which I believe to be proof positive of who the Brits are in this Genesis 48 prophecy. Take a look at how the 12 tribes were to be laid out right after Israel settled in the middle eastern promised land given to Abraham (which is not the same promise made to Israel in Deuteronomy 8, by the way).
Do you see how the Jordan river divides east Manasseh from west Manasseh? As we shall see in our studies, The Jordan is a type of the Atlantic Ocean. There is an eastern Manasseh, Great Britain and there is a western Manasseh, which is one half of British Canada, and Ephraim is on the western side of that typological Atlantic Ocean, which would be America.
Next, take a look at Deuteronomy 33:17. This should clinch the matter as to which nation is Manasseh and which is Ephraim. The text is the last verse of the blessing Moses pronounced on Joseph and His two sons. It says this:
“As the firstborn of his ox, majesty is his, And his horns are the horns of the wild ox; With them he will push the peoples, All at once, to the ends of the earth. And those are the ten thousands of Ephraim, And those are the thousands of Manasseh.”
The firstborn of Joseph was of course Manasseh. He was the one who pushed the envelope for conquering the entire world. At one point, it could be said of The British Empire, The sun never sets…..Meaning, their conquered territory was so vast, there was always a country governed by Great Britain, on which the sun was shining at any given point in the day. This is what is meant by “All at once, to the ends of the earth.”
However, Moses then makes a pronouncement of numbers which can only be understood at this end time (in the last 100 years). As Great Britain systematically lost all that vast territory as the New World of America opened up and became great, and the territory of America grew and over-spread throughout the world. The territory of people governed by America to that of The UK is ten times more, just as Moses prophesied it would be.
A few other facts concerning Great Britain which point to a tie with Jacob/Israel, apart from the debate of which nation is Ephraim or Manasseh…
1 — The word British is a compound Hebrew word. BRT in Hebrew means Covenant. Ish in Hebrew means man. Thus Britishish means Covenant Man, pointing back to the Abrahamic and Israelite covenants found in scripture.
2 — The flag of Great Britain is called The Union Jack. Jack is a nickname for Jacob. Thus the Union Jack flag is representative of the Union of Jacob/Israel.
3 — The Union Jack is an overlay of two symbols. The Christian Cross and the crossed X symbol which symbolized the crossed arms of Jacob as he blessed Joseph’s sons Ephraim and Manasseh.
4 — All the Kings and Queens of Scotland and England have been coronated on the throne, which is said to be the throne of King David, which has The Stone of Scoon (Jacob’s Pillar Stone), sitting in its base, at the times each country had the throne in their possession. The two countries fought over this very throne for many, many years and it was overturned several times. Here is a picture of the throne of England:
5 — Throne of England (Picture Right)
6 — The Anglo Saxon tie to Great Britain is undeniable in history. The meanings of the words, Anglo and Saxon tell the story. Anglo means messenger and Saxon means Sons of Isaac, Sac’s sons. Thus the Anglo Saxons are messengers of the sons of Isaac. Take a look at Genesis 21:12:
“But YHWH said to Abraham, “Do not be distressed because of the lad and your maid; whatever Sarah tells you, listen to her, for through Isaac your descendants shall be named.”
There is so much more evidence pointing to the fact, not only that Great Britain is an Israelite nation, but more specifically, how it is the fulfillment of the blessing Jacob/Israel gave to His Grandson, Manasseh.
Joey Thompson https://medium.com/@joeythompson_51343/great-britain-the-blessing-given-to-manasseh-not-ephraim-16369a246089
The more we understand our lineage and our role in the Lord’s kingdom, the more we can assist the Lord in His work. A few quotes from a great article that explains our role in the House of Israel is below from Daniel Ludlow. Source Here
Who Is a Literal Descendant of Abraham by Birth?
In the scriptures, a literal descendant of Abraham is often referred to by the word Hebrew, a word derived from the same root as Eber. (See Gen. 10:21.) The first time the word is used in the Bible (in Gen. 14:13) it refers to Abraham himself. In Genesis 39:14 [Gen. 39:14] it refers to Joseph, a great-grandson of Abraham. Rather consistently throughout the remainder of the scriptures, Hebrews is used to refer to those who are direct, literal descendants of Abraham.
The descendants of Abraham (Hebrews) include anyone whose lineage goes back to any of the sons born to Abraham and his three wives. These wives and their sons, listed in the order of the wives’ marriages to Abraham, are as follows: from Sarah—Isaac; from Hagar—Ishmael; from Keturah—Zimran, Jokshan, Medan, Midian, Ishbak, and Shuah.
Please note that the descendants of Abraham include many, many more peoples than those who are descended from Isaac, the son who is discussed most in the Bible. Entire nations are directly descended from Abraham, including citizens of the numerous Arab countries and those from multitudinous groups who have intermarried into other cultures and races.
“What special responsibilities are held by Ephraimites in this dispensation?”
President Joseph Fielding Smith and others have made it abundantly clear that the descendants of Ephraim hold the presiding keys to carry forth the work of the Restoration and of the gathering of Israel in the last days. His statement is as follows:
“The members of the Church, most of us of the tribe of Ephraim, are of the remnant of Jacob. We know it to be the fact that the Lord called upon the descendants of Ephraim to commence his work in the earth in these last days. We know further that he has said that he set Ephraim, according to the promises of his birthright, at the head. Ephraim receives the ‘richer blessings,’ these blessings being those of presidency or direction. The keys are with Ephraim. It is Ephraim who is to be endowed with power to bless and give to the other tribes, including the Lamanites, their blessings. All the other tribes of Jacob, including the Lamanites, are to be crowned with glory in Zion by the hands of Ephraim. …
“That the remnants of Joseph, found among the descendants of Lehi, will have part in this great work is certainly consistent, and the great work of this restoration, the building of the temple and the City of Zion, or New Jerusalem, will fall to the lot of the descendants of Joseph, but it is Ephraim who will stand at the head and direct the work.” (Doctrines of Salvation, 2:250–51; italics in original removed.)
From what the prophets have said, then, most members of the Church come from Gentile nations, but they have some Israelite ancestors in their lineage. Therefore, they are not “assigned to” or “adopted into” the house of Israel. They are legal heirs of the covenant, and the lineage proclaimed in their patriarchal blessings identifies the blood line that ties them back to Abraham.
While identifying the Lamanites as some of the children of Abraham, President Spencer W. Kimball wrote:
“The Lamanite is a chosen child of God, but he is not the only chosen one. There are many other good people including the Anglos, the French, the German, and the English, who are also of Ephraim and Manasseh. They, with the Lamanites, are also chosen people, and they are a remnant of Jacob. The Lamanite is not wholly and exclusively the remnant of Jacob which the Book of Mormon talks about. We are all of Israel! We are of Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and Joseph through Ephraim and Manasseh. We are all of us remnants of Jacob.” (The Teachings of Spencer W. Kimball, Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1982, pp. 600–601.)
“The Lord gave a divine promise to the ancient inhabitants of this favored country (the United States): ‘Behold, this is a choice land, and whatsoever nation shall possess it shall be free from bondage, and from captivity, and from all other nations under heaven, if they will but serve the God of the land, who is Jesus Christ” (Ether 2:12).
“Our Heavenly Father inspired the leaders of…the United States of America, that they might together, under His direction, having been raised up by God for the purpose, establish the Constitution of this country and…Bill of Rights, that by the year of our Lord 1805 [there would be] a climate where our Heavenly Father could send into this period of mortality a choice spirit who would be known as Joseph Smith, Jr.” 2011 President Thomas S. Monson (ordained an Apostle, 1963; ordained President of the Church, 2008)
