Monday, May 25, 2009

36a - The Three Josephs - Book of Mormon Prophecies are Fulfilled in Our Day. Part I

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Preparation for TODAY'S THEME:


Please read (and Listen to) Genesis 37:1-36


Joseph, Son of Jacob, Is Being Sold Into Bondage in Egypt -by Ted Henninger
In this painting Joseph, the eleventh son of Jacob, (Israel), is being sold by his jealous brothers to traders for twenty pieces of silver.

These traders then took Joseph to Egypt and sold him to Potiphar, one of Pharaoh’s officers, the captain of Pharaoh's guard."

Remember what you can of Joseph's dreams in that scripture you just read. His dreams indicated that Joseph would come to be like royalty of the highest degree. His telling of those dreams is what caused his brothers to be jealous of him to the point that they were very desirous of "getting rid of him."

I must remind you, however, that his oldest brother, Reuben, did not want his youngest brother harmed and when his plans to return him to their father didn't work out, Reuben was very upset. Reuben, you get high marks for that! You didn't always do what is right, but your intentions were right in this case.

Potipher's Wife Has Evil Intentions Regarding Joseph -by Del Parson
If you have seen the ever popular musical, "Joseph and His Amazing Technicolor Dream Coat", you will have seen, with some alterations, the story of Joseph, Who Was Sold Into Egypt. Perhaps that musical has been produced in your country as well as in the United States of America. It has been very popular here.
In this painting Joseph is shown successfully avoiding the advances of Potiphar's wife.

Angry at Joseph for resisting her advances, this woman accused him of making advances on her. Potiphar had him imprisoned in the king's prison, a place where the king's prisoners were kept. Read about this in Genesis Chapter 39.

An additional scriptural account, (Genesis, chapter 41) tells us how Joseph, who was worthy to possess the gift of Prophecy and Revelation (or the testimony of Jesus), was brought, by the use of that gift, from the lowly status of a Hebrew slave and jail prisoner to becoming second in command over all of Egypt, just under Pharaoh.

Through this spiritual gift Joseph had learned to use, God was able to lead him to the point where, as second in command to Pharaoh, Joseph was able to have the nation of Egypt fully prepared when a great famine struck all that part of the world including the land where his father, Jacob, and the rest of his family lived.

Many of you may have read in the Old Testament, the touching story of Joseph being reunited with his brothers and eventually with his father who had deeply, and for a long time, mourned the supposed death of his favorite son. (Please read, when you have time, Genesis Chapters 42 though 50.)

I'm sure you'll agree with me that seventeen year old Joseph's dreams about his family bowing down before him, were proven to be true. Those dreams had come to seventeen year old Joseph through the gift of God!
TODAY'S THEME
Father Lehi Preaching to Citizens of Jerusalem -by Del Parson


Now let's go to an account of Father Lehi and his family. Here is a painting  in which Lehi is preaching to citizens of Jerusalem who don't appreciate his message. (600 B.C.)

When unbelieving people in Jerusalem sought to kill Lehi, the Lord commanded him to take his family out of Jerusalem. The Lord then lead them to and across the Arabian Peninsula on their way to their promised land (which was to be in the Western Hemisphere).

Lehi didn't die until they had become firmly established in what is now, the area of Central America. Shortly before Lehi died, he gave blessings to each of his sons.

Arriving at Their Promised Land -by Arnold Friberg
Besides, Laman, Lemuel, Sam and Nephi, Lehi and his wife, Sariah, became the parents of two more sons, Jacob and Joseph while still traveling eastward on the Arabian Peninsula to the seashore, where by the Lord's guidance through Nephi, a ship was built and they were guided to Central America.
Please read (and Listen to, if you so desire) Lehi's blessing he gave his youngest son, Joseph:  II Nephi 3:1-25:

Here are, as I see them, are the key points Lehi made in his blessing of his youngest son, Joseph:

1. Lehi and his family are descendants of Joseph who was sold into Egypt.
2. The Lord promised Joseph that He, the Lord, would appear to his descendants in their promised land (Central America) after his death and resurrection.
3. The Lord promised to raise up a choice seer to help Lehi's descendants in the latter-days. (in our day)
4. That seer would only do the work the Lord gave him to do.
Joseph Smith, Jr. Translating the Book of Mormon, Another Testament of Jesus Christ. Oliver Cowdery is Serving as his scribe -by Del Parson 
5. That seer, would, like Moses, deliver his people, Israel, from bondage. That seer would bring forth the Lord's word, the Book of Mormon which will confirm the truth of a first book of scriptures, the Bible.
6. That seer would bring forth the Lord's word, the Book of Mormon which will confirm the truth of a first book of scriptures, the Bible.


7. Lehi told his son, Joseph, that religious confusion would be stopped among his descendants in the last days, when those 2 scriptures are used together.
8. The Lord told that ancient Joseph that the efforts of others to destroy that seer would be prevented until that seer had finished his work.
9. This promised seer will also be named Joseph as will his father.
10. The work done by this promised seer will bring salvation to this ancient Joseph's descendants, and bring about the gathering of all Israel.
11. The Lord promised the ancient Joseph that his posterity would last forever.
12. The ancient Joseph's descendants' words shall "cry from the dust" to be heard by his descendants in the latter-days. The golden plates containing the Book of Mormon have done that.


According to what the Lord told Joseph who had been sold into Egypt, this mighty seer would become an instrument in the hands of God to bring much restoration to the House of Israel in our time. (beginning in 1820)


The Book of Mormon is the word of God spoken of by Joseph who was sold into Egypt, before he died. He promised that this modern day Joseph would bring forth God's word which along with the Bible would stop religious confusion.

This blog post really shows the tight bond between three Josephs, Joseph the Prophet who had been sold into Egypt, Lehi's son, Joseph and the latter-day prophet of God: Joseph Smith, Jr.

In this series of posts we will learn more about what Book of Mormon Prophets had to say about the work which the third Joseph, Joseph Smith, Jr. would do to further the work of the Resurrected Lord, Jesus Christ.



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TO ACCESS NEIL BIRCH'S BLOG INDEX To Either Read the Full Index Item Which Refers To This Blog Post, (Or An Item Which Refers To Any Other Blog Post You May Desire To Access): After Reading All of This Paragraph Please Click on the Following: (The) Book of Mormon - The Three Josephs Play Important Roles in Its Coming About. - Post 36a. When You See the Picture of Our Savior Jesus Christ Sitting Next To a Little Boy, Please, Scroll Down To Your Target Item Or Use The Alphabetic Scrolling Device (When It Has Been Installed.)
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