The blessing given by Jacob to his son Joseph highlights great promises for the restored gospel in the latter days.
I want to talk about some key phrases in Genesis 49, verses 22 to 26, highlighted below:
"Joseph is a fruitful bough, even a fruitful bough by a well; whose branches run over the wall"
Joseph's posterity would become numerous in the latter days and they would have access to the restored gospel and ordinances, because they are watered by the Savior's well of living water--a "well of water springing up into everlasting life" (see John 4:10-14).
Joseph's posterity would eventually leave the Holy Land and both branches (Ephraim and Manasseh) would "run over the wall" to the American Continent. Lehi descended from Manasseh (see Alma 10:3) and Ishmael descended from Ephraim. And even today, the Americas are filled with descendants of Ephraim and Manasseh.
"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)."
The Lord previously established the rainbow as a token of the covenant. He said, "I do set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be for a token of a covenant between me and the earth" (Genesis 9:13). Hebrew, like English, uses the same word for a hunting bow as it does a rainbow. Both rainbow and bow are qesheth in Hebrew. Remember when Laman and Lemuel's bows lost their springs (1 Nephi 16:21)? There is a symbolic message here. Laman and Lemuel had lost the power of the covenant because of disobedience. The "hands" that pull the bow are "made strong" by the hands of the Shepherd and Stone of Israel, even Jesus Christ. In His strength "we can do all things" (Philippians 4:13). Our strength comes through the Atonement and grace of Jesus Christ. A stone becomes a secure foundation and it is where our strength is built. Helaman called it "the rock of our Redeemer" (Helaman 5:12).
"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."
The "blessings of heaven above" are latter-day revelations given to bring about the Restoration of the Gospel. This began, of course, with the First Vision received by the Prophet Joseph Smith, and according to President Uchtdorf, the Restoration is still underway.
"Blessings of the deep that lieth under" are the blessings of the Book of Mormon, which lay underground in the form of gold plates, which were eventually translated by the Prophet Joseph Smith.
If we abide in the covenants we have made, we are prospered and nourished both temporally and spiritually.
"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."
This verse tells us where the "branches run over the wall," or where they run to. The "everlasting hills" refers to the American Continent. "Everlasting hills" are a continuous mountain range running the entire length of the continent. There is only one such mountain range in the world. The Rocky Mountains begin in Alaska and run down the North American Continent (including Utah), into Central America, and down the continent of South America.
These great promises and blessings are not reserved only for people who dwell in America, though. Those who are faithful will eventually wear the "crown." The Lord has said, "And those who receive it (the Lord's work) in faith, and work righteousness, shall receive a crown of eternal life" (D&C 20:14).
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