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House of Joseph (LDS Church)

The House of Joseph (sometimes referred to as the Tribe of Joseph) is a designation which members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) apply to the ancient "birthright" tribe of the house of Israel (Jacob) as it is described in the Old Testament, made up of the tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh. The tribes' namesakes — the two sons of Joseph of Egypt — are first mentioned in Genesis 41:50-52.

Members of the LDS Church believe themselves, in a general sense, to be members of the House of Israel, many of whom believe themselves also to be the literal bloodline descendants of Ephraim, Joseph of Egypt's youngest son, but inheritor, notwithstanding, of Israel's "firstborn" birthright blessings. These modern Josephites claim, however, that many in their ranks are also of the tribe of Manasseh, Joseph's eldest son and a joint-recipient of the 'double portion' of Jacob's birthright blessing upon the heads of his grandsons.

Church members therefore consider themselves to be a 'covenant people', specially called or foreordained from 'eternity' (or before earth's creation, which they call 'premortality', or pre-existence).[1][2] They profess to attend to sacred saving ordinances as they existed anciently in God's holy temple — "the place of the covenant"[3] — with sacred responsibilities and obligations for God-given 'birthright' blessings that are contingent upon upright living.

Young people within the church are often referred to as 'youth of the noble birthright' — a designation inspired by lyrics from one of the faith's time-honored hymns.

Much of the story of the House of Joseph, according to Latter-day Saints,[4][5] is reflected in ancient ancestral prophecies, including those made by the patriarch Jacob and his son, Joseph of Egypt (many of them now restored through revelation by the LDS faith's founding prophet).[6][7] But that story is also relayed in messianic Jewish tradition and legend concerning one 'Messiah ben Joseph'[8][9] that, for some Latter-day Saints, mirrors the earthly mission of Joseph Smith, the faith's founder, who in the LDS worldview stands preeminent among the heirs of Joseph's house.[3][4][6]

The house of Joseph is mentioned in the Bible several times, notably in Numbers 13:11; Deuteronomy 27:12; Judges 1:22-35; and Ezekiel 47:13. There is also an allusion to the house of Joseph in Psalms 80:1.

  1. ^ Latter-day Saint ecclesiastical leaders from Joseph Smith to the church's present-day prophet have taught the fundamental church doctrine of premortality (Deut 32:7–9; Acts 17:24, 26; Alma 13:3-4; Abr 3:22-26), wherein all humankind, antecedent to the Creation or before their earthly existence, dwelt as spirit children of God. Those of the house of Israel, and especially the house of Joseph, come to earth with what one of the church's latter-day apostles called "believing blood," meaning that "those born in that lineage have both the right and a special spiritual capacity to recognize, receive, and believe the truth [that applies principally to] the seed of Abraham to whom the promises were made" ... "My sheep hear my voice," the Master said, "and I know them, and they follow me" (John 10:27; latter-day Apostle Bruce R. McConkie, cited in Millet & McConkie, 2010). LDS Apostle Erastus Snow had, earlier in 1882, also testified of modern Israel's special birthright mission: "The Lord has sent those noble spirits [of Israel] into the world to perform a special work, and appointed their times ... Such were called and chosen and elected of God to perform a certain work at a certain time in the world’s history and in due time he fitted them for that work ... Their blood [by which, as God promised Abraham "all the nations of the earth" would be blessed - Gen 26:4; Abr 2:8-11] has permeated European society, and it coursed in the veins of the early colonists in America. And when the books shall be opened and the lineage of all men is known, it will be found that they have been first and foremost in everything noble among men in the various nations [including the ancient Christian martyrs] in breaking off the shackles of kingcraft and priestcraft and oppression of every kind, and the foremost among men in upholding and maintaining the principles of liberty and freedom upon this continent and establishing a representative government, and thus preparing the way for the coming forth of the fulness of the everlasting Gospel [for it was those 'founding fathers', "prodded by the hand of the Almighty, who provided the resting place, as it were, 'for the Ark of the covenant, where the temple of our God might be built,' where the gospel could be restored, and practiced in freedom"]. And it is the foremost of those spirits whom the Lord has prepared to receive the Gospel when it was presented to them ... [the elect of Israel] having been watched over from the days that God promised those blessings upon Isaac and Jacob and Joseph and Ephraim. And these are they that will be found in the front ranks of all that is noble and good in their day and time ... and among those also who receive the fullness of the everlasting Gospel, and the keys of Priesthood in the last days, through whom God determined to gather up again unto himself a peculiar people, a holy nation, a pure seed that shall stand upon Mount Zion as saviors" (JD 23:185-187; 26:201).
  2. ^ Whitehead, E. L. (1972) [1947]. The House of Israel: A Treatise on the Destiny, History and Identification of Israel in All the Five Branches. Salt Lake City, Utah: Publishers Press. Originally published by Zion's Printing and Publishing Company: Independence, Missouri.
  3. ^ a b Millet, Robert L.; McConkie, Joseph Fielding (2010) [1993]. Our Destiny: The Call and Election of the House of Israel. Salt Lake City, Utah: Deseret Book. Originally published by Bookcraft. ISBN 978-1933317632.
  4. ^ a b McConkie, Joseph F. (1980). His Name Shall Be Joseph: Ancient Prophecies of the Latter-day Seer. Salt Lake City, Utah: Hawkes Publishing. ISBN 978-0890361528.
  5. ^ Hatch, Trevan G. (2007). "Messiah ben Joseph: Jewish Traditions and Legends of a Latter-day Restorer". Selections from the Religious Education Student Symposium, 2007. Provo, Utah: BYU Religious Studies Center. pp. 37–56.
  6. ^ a b Madsen, Truman (1989). Joseph Smith the Prophet. Salt Lake City, Utah: Bookcraft.
  7. ^ Cite error: The named reference All Things Restored was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  8. ^ Greenstone, Julius H. (1906). The Messiah Idea in Jewish History. Philadelphia: The Jewish Publication Society of America.
  9. ^ McConkie, Joseph F. (1984). "Joseph Smith as Found in Ancient Manuscripts". Isaiah and the Prophets: Inspired Voices from the Old Testament. Provo, Utah: BYU Religious Studies Center. pp. 11–31.
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