In an earlier post I compared Joseph who was sold into Egypt as a type of Christ. In this one I want to compare Joseph in Egypt with the Prophet Joseph Smith.
Today, April 6th, is a predetermined sacred day according to the preface of Doctrine and Covenants Section 20. The Prophet wrote, "We obtained of Him [Jesus Christ] the following, by the spirit of prophecy and revelation; which not only gave us much information, but also pointed out to us the precise day upon which, according to His will and commandment, we should proceed to organize His Church once more here upon the earth.”
The calling of the Prophet Joseph Smith was foreordained and prophesied in previous millennia. Let's begin with Joseph's (the former one) birth and name. The footnote a in Genesis 30, verse 24 tells us, "'Joseph' relates both to the Hebrew root yasaph, 'to add,' and to asaph, meaning both 'to take away' and 'to gather.' The context plays upon all of these meanings."
Joseph's mother, Rachel, said, "The Lord shall add to me another son." Joseph named his second son Ephraim, which in Hebrew literally means a double portion. The Lord added to Joseph's prosperity and made him "fruitful in the land of (his) affliction" (Genesis 41:52).
Joseph was sold into Egypt where he was "taken away" from the rest of the family of Israel (Jacob). But his separation from his brethren created a great blessing for the entire family of Israel. It was in Egypt where he fulfilled the role of the third part of his name, meaning he became a "gatherer."
"And he (Joseph) gathered up all the food of the seven years, which were in the land of Egypt, and laid up the food in the cities: the food of the field, which was round about every city, laid he up in the same.
"And Joseph gathered corn as the sand of the sea, very much, until he left numbering; for it was without number" (Genesis 41:48-49).
The word corn probably should be translated as grain, and thus, Joseph implemented a food storage plan which eventually saved the family of Israel. The reference to the grain being "as the sand of the sea" in number is an obvious allusion to the Abrahamic Covenant and Abraham's posterity being as the "sand of the sea" (see Genesis 22:17). When the famine waxed sore in the land of Canaan, the family of Israel was saved by the grain "gathered" by Joseph. The family of Israel, now increased to seventy souls, went down into Egypt and were saved by Joseph and his food gathering.
Let's fast-forward almost two thousand years and we find the General Epistle of James who writes to "the twelve tribes (of Israel) which are scattered abroad" (James 1:1). If you were James and were writing to scattered Israel, wouldn't you hope your words would end up in the hands of a Joseph--a "gatherer?" If James had such a secret prayer, his prayer was surely answered as Joseph Smith reads James Chapter One and exclaims upon reading verse 5, "Never did any passage of scripture come with more power to the heart of man than this did at this time to mine. It seemed to enter with great force into every feeling of my heart. I reflected on it again and again" (Joseph Smith--History 1:12).
You know the rest of the story. Joseph goes into the Grove and "offers up the desires of his heart," as a true Old Testament burnt offering--a surrender to God. The Father and Son appear and utter the first word spoken to open the dispensation of the fullness of times. Joseph records, "One of them spake unto me, calling me by name" (Joseph Smith--History 1:15,17). So the first word spoken to open this dispensation was the name "Joseph." It is that Hebrew word meaning "to add," "to take away," and "to gather."
The seed of Joseph had already been "taken away" twice now--really three times, at least, if you count the capture of Samaria by the Assyrians (2 Kings 17). The Nephites and Lamanites are the "branches that run over the wall" and go to America, the land of "everlasting hills," the Rocky Mountains, the only continuous mountain range on any continent in the world (Genesis 49:22,26).
The two branches (sons) of Joseph, Ephraim and Manasseh, leave the Holy Land and "run over the wall" to the American Continent. Lehi was a direct descendant of Manasseh (see Alma 10:3) and Ishmael, who allowed his sons and daughters to marry Lehi's children, was a descendant of Ephraim, according to Joseph Smith as recorded by Erastus Snow (see Book of Mormon Reference Companion pages 400-401). When the early converts to the Church began migrating to America in the 1800's, many of them were descendants of Ephraim, and thus the prophecy continues to be fulfilled and the tribe of Joseph and his branches are "taken away" to another promised land.
Joseph Smith and his family were "taken away" as his ancestors immigrated to America. He was born in Vermont and then moved to Palmyra, New York.
As Joseph went to the Grove to pray he had a question about which church he should join. His knowledge was "added upon" and he came away knowing much more than his original question posed. One hundred and eighty-four years ago today, Joseph and a handful of others met in a small cabin and organized a church according to the laws of the State of New York. The Church has been "added upon" as it now has over 15 million members.
Joseph of Egypt "gathered" grain, in fulfillment of his name, to save the family of Jacob from famine and starvation.
Joseph Smith went into the Grove and he records, "I saw two Personages, whose brightness and glory defy all description, standing above me in the air. One of them spake unto me, calling me by name and said, pointing to the other—This is My Beloved Son. Hear Him!" (Joseph Smith--History 1:17). The phrase, "calling me by name" has two meanings. Of course, Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ knew young Joseph intimately. But also, he was called by name, or in other words, his calling came in his name, meaning to "gather" and to "add upon." Joseph Smith would also "gather" the grain. His calling is to gather scattered Israel, and to gather the wheat from the tares.
Three revelations in the Doctrine and Covenants emphasize this point. Joseph would eventually see his older brother Alvin in celestial glory and he "marveled how it was that he had obtained an inheritance in that kingdom, seeing that he had departed this life before the Lord had set his hand to gather Israel the second time, and had not been baptized for the remission of sins" (D&C 137:6).
In Doctrine and Covenants section 113, the Prophet answers questions about some verses in Isaiah 11. He is asked about the "root of Jesse," which is a prophecy that, in part, points to him. He doesn't name himself directly out of humility, but says, "Behold, thus saith the Lord, it is a descendant of Jesse, as well as of Joseph, unto whom rightly belongs the priesthood, and the keys of the kingdom, for an ensign, and for the gathering of my people in the last days" (v. 6).
Joseph in Egypt "gathered" grain to save the family of Israel from physical starvation. Joseph Smith's calling to gather Israel is to save the house of Israel (and everyone one else who will listen) from spiritual starvation.
Then in another revelation speaking of the welding of keys of dispensations, the scripture records,
"For it is necessary in the ushering in of the dispensation of the fulness of times, which dispensation is now beginning to usher in, that a whole and complete and perfect union, and welding together (or gathering) of dispensations, and keys, and powers, and glories should take place, and be revealed from the days of Adam even to the present time. And not only this, but those things which never have been revealed from the foundation of the world, but have been kept hid (or "taken away") from the wise and prudent, shall be revealed (or "added upon") unto babes and sucklings in this, the dispensation of the fulness of times" (D&C 128:18).
As President Dieter F. Uchtdorf stated last evening, the Restoration is an ongoing process as the Lord "will yet reveal many great and important things pertaining to the Kingdom of God" (Article of Faith 9). He said he hopes we don't sleep through the Restoration. He spoke of addictions. As a recovering alcoholic and addict I sincerely hope I don't go to sleep during the Restoration in the dispensation of the fullness of times.
I am so grateful for living prophets, seers, and revelators, and so grateful for the scriptures we have. Wasn't General Conference so awesome!
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