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It's Not Magic: The Gathering, Pt. 2 (Articles of Faith Series)

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The Cross Radio
April 25, 2021 12:01 am

It's Not Magic: The Gathering, Pt. 2 (Articles of Faith Series)

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April 25, 2021 12:01 am

The scions of light continue and wrap up their discussion of LDS Article of Faith #10 related to the gathering of Israel. Last episode they talked about some LDS folk doctrines related to the lost 10 tribes. Listen to this episode to find out if our intrepid podcasters can locate the money quote from Joseph Smith about a literal changing of blood to make one a descendant of Abraham.

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Your answering and and and welcome fireplace of this episode of the outer brightness podcast. Thank you for joining us today.

We will be talking about the gathering of Israel, what does that mean how does that affect Latter Day Saints today and how does that affect us as Christians from your understanding either as A. St. studying in just church and Sunday school or if it may be in your private study. When you study the history of the church, was it your understanding that Joseph Smith prophesied that the return of Christ was imminent, meaning it was coming very soon.

You know, 1800 some time and that the literal gathering of Israel was to be quick or did you see this as our understanding is teaching is more a long process which is basically what the district teaches now so Michael granted any thoughts on this long process that maybe it would be at some point where involvement where I'm now wants those August Operation like a long-term cost so a lot of the prophecy Joe's just did make that work directly related were really made a prophecy you know she would see Christ's time he was a certain age was fairly soon in the future and the government was supposed to happen before the coming of Christ. So it does seem like it was initially supposed to be imminent, but then like we talked about as the decades rolled on the church's position changes in the church's position changes. Old Joe Smith must've meant that it was going to be far in the future. The entire so I kinda started to take that why Joseph Smith was not intending this to be, but some future date way out way far away you think there were at least two prophecies right there is one that you mention my goal where it says if you reach the age of 60 or 70, you will see the Lord. And a lot of these apologists will say well it was a conditional prophecy you know just have died. So Jesus did return and cycle will doesn't God know when Joseph Smith would die. I don't know of quality thing, but this yeah I think Joseph Smith did believe that it was imminent, if not in his own lifetime. I think he believed it was very soon. One example of that is the statement he made in February 1835 where he said according to BH Roberts history of the church quote. It was the will of God, that those who went to Zion. Went to Zion, with a determination to lay down their lives, if necessary, should be ordained to the ministry and go forth to prune the vineyard for the last time the coming of the Lord which was nigh, even 56 years should wind up the scene so I think it's clear he believed that it was it was very soon from that statement and other other prophecies that he recorded document covenants 87 which many take to be a prophecy of of the Civil War, which I don't think is too but once I studied American history and how long that political issue was brewing… I don't see that prophecy just is kind of remarkable. But he does kind of unit in D&C 87.

It is kind of also Put forth. This is a precursor to the return of Jesus when he said 56 years, Paul appreciate your talking about Jupiter years that that's a lot longer than our earthly or medical log years so that's no that's like 56,000 years to get started on at the food storage going on a related note, 55,900 something is left I'm I'm bad at math.

It's very more than that because one day as a thousand years on coal up so got a long ways off 5,000,006 day getting a 5 million years worth of food storage guys so the passage also that I was think is referring to is D&C one 3014 to 15 where he wrote I was whispering very earnestly to know the time of the coming of the Son of Man.

When I heard a voice repeat the following Joseph, my son, if thou livest, until thou art 85 years old now shall see the face of the Son of Man, therefore let the suffice and troubled me know. More on this matter so that was given in will see 18 and was us forget. I forgot the or was, but if if he was 85 right some you get to some dispensational style chronology. Okay, I got I need a whiteboard though if you like dispensational is always on the whiteboard and a timeline and like the thing just is cluttered with notes and stuff like that I love. I love her dispensational friends but you got admit just go on YouTube type dispensational timeline and there's always a guide whiteboard with 5 million things and arrows any little thing like a mix John Madden have a seizure but 85 years old Joe Smith that would be 1889, 1892, 91. And in that other prophecy that your document the 56 years should wind up the scene thousand 1835. Yet, 56 to that the 1891. Click the same time. They converge right. It seems like he had figured out so that when 1819 1891 passed and Jesus didn't return man so to to kinda extend on my story about the Seventh-day Adventist pastor guy from my mission, so he was some in that meeting. He was simultaneously like giving us like the tomorrow and I would love anti-Mormon spiel and also like pushing Ellen G. White prophecy. So it was like he was going through all the stuff of doing the passage is doing the whole dispensational thing and I'm I'm sitting there trying to make heads or tails of it right back 20-year-old kid and I'm like okay wait he's he's ended up with like 1844 and like all my goodness nothing temple on like making all these connections in my head I left out of the out of that meeting.

Like with my head just like spinning on on prophecy of my cast Mormon is gotta be right so this has to fit somehow you possess to bolster my testimony somehow it was wasn't at the great disappointment was 1844 yeah yet that's restocked about.

We know it's funny is another big date in terms of the end of the world is 1914 because there were several religions it predicted the Jesus to return in 1914, right, one of which I think was Jehovah's Witnesses betting is a big day. Yeah. And there were other groups too, but I forgot who they were.

I think that was also there's a there's a Colts in like a legitimate cult in Korea where they believe that God the father would write return to earth in 1914 and think that was the year that one of their leaders was born and so they believe that because Jesus had to come to earth and take a body. This Korean man came and he took on a body and he was heavenly father and his wife was heavenly mother.

Now the man he's since passed away, but the woman still lives he can literally take a plane and go talk to God the mother. I think they should be marketing this towards Latter Day Saints. They can make a ton of money on. Come see God the mother live and in person is a set up shop in Missouri that you can really get your head spin.

And like I was writing 44 in the great disappointment and there's the seven years right and all that plays into it and I was trying to make sense, and I was like man 1844 Kissel Ellen GY was a little bit off 1844 take away those seven years to set does not line up with like the appearance of leisure something Elijah in the crib and temporally as I try to make that lineup.

Like all my goodness close nine artist. I have a call you now Frank and I have*Connie Paul Gregerson. I gave that up a long time ago when I realized things in lineup. You look at what Paul Gregerson's videos and estimates how they all start out is like. Check out this verses nine through 11, but all playback of the same stuff yet it's it's it's interesting to talk to that kind of stuff but we have always come back to is the millennial position because we see themes that Scripture going we see we see more patterns of what's happening rather than trying to pin down everything to a specific instance.

It's like we see the themes of God's people being persecuted, you know, there's the little countries of the world to combat the people of God, like I think so. I think it's fascinating but yet it's kind of get into the weeds. Now a little bit but but it's it's kind of inevitable when you talk about this right because it is the eschatology Latter Day Saints. It states like it's like hard coded into their religion. This gathering of Israel. So yeah let's get into actually being a member of Israel. So how do you believe that this view of the gathering of Israel related to the eldest belief that their members are literal descendents of Israel is my blood by adoption.

So is there some kind of connection there or you think they're just kind of tangentially related, and we want to go first, so my patriarchal blessing we just throw that in there when they started that off. They said we may be of the tribe of Ephraim the first two weeks after that is either by blood or by adoption, but you know like which one is it bothered me my whole life. Unlike how can you stay in a prosthetic blessing either by blood or by adoption old. Can you be blood and adopted into the tribe.

Why would I be adopted as follows line.

It just didn't make sense but I just at the time I thought it was just deeper spiritual Mike yeah I'm double Ephraim because some blood and ducted tunic. But years I don't think that all Latter Day Saints believe that they were literally descendents of Abraham. I think that a lot of them believe that they are because with the scattering of Israel contamination told me she didn't understand the scattering of his ground so that I can explain it to him as a latter-day St., is I got a glass of water and I poured a Galápagos era in their best Israel and I took a spoon and I started all that you couldn't see the syrup anymore. Now it's and scattered. It is gone and it's mixed with everything else and out all of this is is brownies and I understand now. So I think a lot Latter Day Saints would say that they are literal descendents of Israel and but not all of them are, and that's not really necessarily the make it or break it point. The real point is that where they believe they are spiritually is that they are in that covenant really muddies the waters is that they don't really differentiate the old covenant with the new covenant so much that they believe there were always your moments of apostasy or dispensation when the full truth was on your and so I think that they believe that there's, continuation of that covenant as opposed to a whole new covenant that we are under now That you know signing this year? Getting out like because to me when I see and maybe and I think it ties and what you answered Michael, but what I see this gathering of Israel. I think of it is kind of like Smith synthesizing different ideas and different views of the Bible and trying to make it all fit together like so both the spiritual and the physical because I think he wants to say Wells Israel it's Zion and that's the pure in heart.

It's all believers, but at the same time, there should be a physical gathering one at one thing that I pointed to his letter to Santa.

No others did to show that were literal descendents of Abraham was Galatians chapter 3 Saul just reported that real quick. Now that faith is, you are no longer under a guardian for you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ there is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male or female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham's descendents and heirs according to the promise. So I kinda use that is showing if you're baptized in the church than you are a descendent of Abraham's of the promises that God gave Abraham belong to me as a latter-day St. I think Joseph Smith took that and he said okay well that must mean that we somehow become physical descendents of Abraham doesn't make sense. So, did you actually believe that your DNA changed at the moment that you were baptized.

You know what I was actually googling I just now that the teaching of the prophet Joseph Smith because he does say and there. He does talk about literally becoming adopted.

Let me try to find that really quick as I think of her that a long time ago but it's just kinda dismissed as speculation and not really being the official LDS church position.

Did state that your fine. I can't really blame think and hope and Carol 20 the start photograph your okay this is says there are two comforters spoken of.

What is the Holy Ghost the same as given on the day of Pentecost that All Saints receive their faith right before you did repentance and baptism. The first comforter or the Holy Ghost has no other effect than pure intelligence is more powerful and expanding the mind, enlightening the understanding and storing the intellect with present knowledge of a man who was the literal seed of Abraham than one that is a Gentile, though it may not have half as much visible effect upon the body for as the Holy Ghost falls upon one of the literal seed of Abraham is calm and serene in his whole soul and body are only exercised by the pure spirit of intelligence, while the effect of the Holy Ghost upon a Gentile, is to purge out the old glide and make him actually the seed of Abraham, that man that has none of the blood of Abraham naturally must have a new creation by the Holy Ghost in such a case, there may be more of a powerful effect upon the body and visible to the eye that upon an Israelite, while the Israelite at first might be far before the Gentile and pure intelligence stated teach it was going as far as you start reading in my depth. That's what I don't truly guide complete jeopardy music actually like trying to find that's an entire number for my dad trying to explain this to me and just being totally confused if you think about it it's really interesting thing that Joe Smith said because what, what's the kinda line from the Church of Jesus Christ of latter-day Saints today about the fruit of spirit right what missionaries teach you fields can be peaceful. It's good to be supreme. You know this can be all of the things that the Galatians passage says you know as equations or visions and regulations, especially Galatians 5 so that the really contradicts you know what Joseph Smith said should be happening to us as Gentiles as the Holy Spirit falls upon us right but maybe that's a maybe that's a separate experience.

Maybe after you have hands laid on your head for the gift of the Holy Ghost.

And that's when you should have this ability to witness what has he explained purging of the old leveraging of the old left yeah that's got to be some experience. It was interesting.

Those I guess word I guess God keeps all that old blood when you apostatized from the church and back in Jones were not Israelites anymore that it also makes you wonder what was Joseph Smith describing their know was he describing the experience of of kind of the charismatics of his day you made all their Gentiles.

They don't have any of the pure blood of Abraham. So they have this falling down next to us with the Holy Spirit falls upon the Reno interesting yeah, and it makes you wonder you know the experience of King Lemieux nine where he falls and looks like it's dead to the point where is his wife is worrying about his body stinking, but he was right. According to the narrative of the book Mormon pure Israel. The blood of Abraham. So why would why would you have express our guys.

Interesting that in a thing is crazy. He said right there you you can see the change with your hands and you go to any warning you not to see a bunch of Hebrew people use. I mean you got mostly Caucasian. So either Joe Smith was way off, or at least people are really getting the holy the second that comforter.

He was not doing anything and that by so either it's not working or joblessness was way off, but either way it doesn't really fare very well. I think Michael earlier to transubstantiation is actually a good one because of Roman Catholics do believe that the actual substance of the wine and bread is completely trance transfer substantiated that the substance is changed from the wine and the bread to become the body. The blood and body of Jesus and what is left over that still looks like wine to taste like wine and bread. Those were the call. The accidents, so that's just the appearance as the appearance basically bread and wine, but it's not brittle anymore. It's body and blood so I could see letter Saints, making that same distinction you know if our latter-day St.

That's probably what I would do. I would say well we don't see any outward change in the person we don't see we don't see their blood boiling in their veins are in a like some got a crazy thing happening. It appears on the outside of there's no change happening, but in reality we have to take his faith that the blood did transform into that of a legitimate literal Israelite to the substance change but the accidents didn't but then it at that point at cycle.

How do you really verify other than just her faith that that's what's actually happening that I I am kind of sensing an article coming on for Michael comparing transubstantiation, and this passage from from Joseph Smith. We think Michael yeah the next two or three months so be watching for that on from waterway.org yeah so this just raises questions in my mind why or why you think there is such a focus in latter-day St. theology on the kind of the literal changing of blood right because there also the teaching that when Adam and Eve ate the fruit that that the blood flowed in their veins for the first time right and then there's this this teaching of Joseph Smith that you know when you have a second second comforter. Come upon you. If you're Gentile. It literally changes your blood to the blood of Abraham. Why do you think there's such a literal, but if such a focus on this. These ideas of change of and stopping being literal with latter-day St. theology but I thought they just came to mind.

You know, we see all the sacrifices tied to blood than others, and in Scripture even says there is no forgiveness without the shedding of blood. And so there's this this connection between blood and sin with the shedding of blood representing the third of the punishment for our sins on that altar in the Old Testament and then shutting up Christ's blood on the cross for our sins and latter-day St. theology also believes that when were glorified persons that we will no longer have blood but will just be glorified persons of body and flesh or body of flesh and bone so we won't have blood anymore so and one thing I just cannot mind is maybe what he saying is you know the ideas to become like God are to become like Christ. Basically, completely right to become just like Jesus in every way possible. Well, what was Jesus.

He was an Israelite, so maybe in Joseph Smith's thinking. He said that not only do we have to become like him. And ever since, sanctified and cleansed from us. We need to literally have the same physical blood that Jesus had. We need to become an Israelite, just like Jesus was the suspect OSHA my part, but maybe that's something that came across as mine. I just think you really think you Israel is being God's chosen people and so they want to throw themselves and their saying we are that we are literally Israel and so we are just a continuation of God's chosen people to kind of church and make them look more valid as my short answer will go back to what you had said about Hebrew Israelite setting. It's what they usually prefer to be called on the common leader called Black Hebrew Israelites because they believe that only black people are the literal descendents of Israel. And when you're talking how they tie how was it when your time at them or someone else were you trying to tie specific tribes of Israel to different groups of people all your sing like the Mongolians right yeah well that's what Black Hebrew Israelites.

Also, do they try to say some of some groups not all them.

Some groups are to say to include all people of color, not just African civil say.

Well if you're from sub-Saharan Africa.

You're part of the tribe of Joseph, and if you're from and I probably said Judah because I think Jude is the best tribe and if you're from the Caribbean islands you're from the tribe of gesture is unknown, so there's no from all the different tribes in other like always different group people groups to try to tie that in because they read the Bible. They see all the fulfillment is literal. So if you're not in Israel. You not going to be getting any of the spiritual blessings, so maybe that was also something just a thought is like you know if you're not part of some tribe of Israel. Somehow, then you aren't going to be connected to the promises given to Abraham know we were talking about Pedro blessings ends and how those declare which tribe of Israel. You belong to, by adoption or by blood, we are all you from correct house and have any of you ever met latter-day saying, who is not of the tribe of Ephraim yeah so my my ex-wife was from Manasseh, which I think that's why the marriage failed actually codes from different tribes for the fleet thing to do is, she was one of the only people in her family that was from Manasseh, which does that mean your done. Like yeah I met a few from Manasseh and whole on my group online event over the Latter Day Saints. Just ask them. There were a couple of most of them were overwhelmingly Ephraim but then I saw couple is due on young couples Parsons out there, but super rare for Latter Day Saints and not be yeah I was just wondering, you know, like is like room patriarchs who don't understand the passage about the 10 tribes coming back from underneath the ice can't be another Chevy one of the 10 you have to be from a Manasseh only dynamite. Just a thought on that one is kinetic to another thing is interesting is that the 10 tribes that were taken away, Manasseh and Ephraim were part of those 10 tribes that were lost were the only ones dealing with the remainder Judah and Benjamin Judah and Benjamin right so while it makes you think. Does that mean there's going to be a tried to come back where it will happen to the tribe of Benjamin's a lot of inconsistency in this have to think on this church is true that Michael don't go testimony. I also wonder though what millennium work well, Jens, the Mormons will think if they listen to this episode because I kind of sense that a lot of this is kind of gone by the wayside, don't you, Jens. He still ran right in between my male who wants to be a Gen X are now not imminent them easily spend weeks we spent four generations we got Gen X we got lineal malarial know it gnaws at those for the night. We spent three generations.

Yeah I'm actually is the meal guys were accenting will you was aware of January reproducing something we cut you off I can remember. So if gone by the wayside. New generation all this stuff about my literal blood is here not prompt her time where wearing actually care about most of my childhood and California was a lot less serious… Jane last say actually read an article on the elders website that's recent it's 2019. Maybe now is a time to time to just quickly go through because your my screen is okay now it says is disabled, could you enable Nepal place of work. Okay, I think you I thought was a good thing to share because a lot of times you know, a lot of times you can get into the really deep theological works and it gets kinda muddy and it's clinical not official, but a lot of what's official is what you teach your kids, you know I cannot committee chairs eat your kids you want to boil it down simple point, simple doctrines, so your kids can understand it.

So a lot of times the most honest teachings are down there and that's what this Canada appears like I'm not sure what it's from it's from Woodland one of the church magazines. Can you see the screen or that we consider that all facts about the gathering is so this is from 2019 C July 2019 and so it looks like it's made for kids. Later, the graphics are kind of set up in the releasable bullet points, so gives 12 points .1 being God made a covenant with Abraham, promising him that he would have a numerous posterity. His seed would have the gospel in the priesthood is from the book of Abraham and all the earth will be blessed through his seed. The covenant was passed down through Abraham's son and Isaac and Isaac stick son Jacob was also called Israel. Point number two.

The point number three. Ultimately, the Abraham covenant also includes temple ordinances which allows to inherit eternal life with heavenly father and be sealed for families forever, so I think we'd all agree that that's pretty core to elicit teachings and kind of what they've talked since forever that don't get to the core ideas, but the scattering such as ancient prophets, including Moses foretold the scattering of Israel because they were unrighteous rebelled and killed the prophets the Lord punished Israel and scattered them, placing Abraham seed throughout the earth.

Israel split into the northern and southern kingdoms and in 721 BC. The 10 northern tribes of Israel were carried captive to Syria and then were scattered and lost the remaining Israelites, mostly from the tribes of Judah and Benjamin swung back and forth between righteousness and wickedness 605 BC, and again in 597 BC Israelites were carried captive from Jerusalem to Babylon in 537 BC Sears of Persia, who had conquered Babylon allowed them to return in A.D. 70 and again in 181 35. The Romans destroyed Jerusalem, scattering the Jews among all the nations, so there is kind of like a lot of historical facts are that I think will line up pretty well, but in fact check all the specific dates but I think there pretty accurate so it's interesting when you point that out because their talk about bringing the 10 tribes back but from this time and it seems like all the tribes of Israel are scattered and also why only the 10 tribes are refocusing on. It seems like you want to focus on all 12 tribes of Israel to the back so it continues on .6 digit something on Apple yeah yeah I think the reason for that is that the 10 tribes of the northern kingdom were carried away by a Syria right and then later you have the Babylonian captivity of Judah and Benjamin. You don't see you have a return from Babylon.

But you don't have a return from Syria sets whether kinda the 10 tribes are kind of you just lost but then Judah and Benjamin coming on scattered again after the destruction of the Temple elaborate yes it does, like everybody scattered now really think about it after point. So yes, then they go on to point number six with the gathering is a both an ancient and modern prophets from Munich to Joseph Smith effort told that the Lord's covenant people would be gathered again in the future day first spiritually and then temporarily so I thought we were talk my spiritual versus literal I thought was interesting because I thought it was low, but previously it was like you know a literal gathering of everybody physically to Zion, you know.

But maybe he's saying it was maybe thing here. First, spiritually in terms of like reading people and through the gospel and then temporarily meaning the literal descendents were outside the gospel so it is not quite clear. There but it's his first spiritually and then temporally that has a picture of.

I think Joseph Smith Moses. I think, and a really creepy image of present Nelson guided to have this artist try to make a rendition of me. I probably look super creepy so the gathering is a prelude to the second coming of Jesus Christ is point number seven. I think that's I mean it's pretty evident gathering as part of the restoration has priesthood keys associated with it, which were restored and Moses deliver them to Joseph Smith and that's another thing I wanted to bring up to is because I think in that section. It talks about how basically he would.

Moses was getting these keys because the ending is like right at the doorsteps.

Yeah, this is an adoption conus 110 verse 11 after his vision.

Close the heavens were again opened unto us. And Moses appeared before us and committed into us the keys of the gathering of Israel, the poor for parts of the earth and leading of the 10 tribes in light of the north and then alliance which they thought was a different person from Elijah, but Elias and Elijah in the Bible are the same person. I wrote a small article are small little blip on Facebook about that but basically a lysis from Greek Elijah from Hebrew and just didn't know that so you thought there were two different people. So after Elijah. He says he came to give the keys to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, the children. The fathers was the whole earth basement with a curse, and this goes along with what we said earlier about how Joseph Smith thought that the ending was just right at the doorsteps is therefore the keys of this dispensation are committed into your hands and by this you may know that the great and dreadful day of the Lord is near, even at the doors. So it's another confirmation that he thought that the return of Christ was just coming very very soon step also going that's article number nine through the Lord's people though the Lord's people may sometimes be asked to gather to particular place evil today generally are gathered when they accept the gospel receive ordinances and make covenants so that's it's more reinterpreting it to say you're gathered when you receive the ordinances we join the church, whereas you would get the early LDS church 1830s, 1840s, people were moving from the UK. In particular, they are moving from France from Germany from Canada. There, moving all over the country to come to Zion in the US and now they're saying is you said stay where you are.

All people can be gathered. Israel either by direct dissent or by adoption, which happens when they are baptized and receive the gift of the Holy Ghost so wanted to bring that up because I think that confirms Joseph says quote right where he said that your blood is changed literally to become a literal descendent of Abraham in baptism.

So maybe they're not specifically talk about the blood transformation but I do not that that's a pretty clear connection there that when you're baptized you become a literal descendent of Israel is open baptized literacy would pick article blessing which declares her lineage in a tribe of Israel is .11 .12 says the book of Mormon is written to the remnant of the house of Israel, to the Jew and Gentile, and is a sign that God's fulfilling his covenant to gather Israel the last days, as well as a major instrument of that gathering so I thought I did take the time to go to this but that is good because I guess that sometimes with little kid book serving all articles made for young kids.

It may boil down a lot of the extraneous details and get to write the core issues that seems, like what we would advertise latter-day St. my life that ring true for you guys also yeah yeah I think just a couple of points there.

Then there that I think are are indicative of the kind of the shift on on these doctrines are are what you noted Matthew where talks about the first being spiritual gathering, and then temporarily and then the other one being the idea of either being a literal descendent of Abraham or by adoption through baptism and reception of the gift of the Holy Ghost is like your say electric if it's by adoption, then there's no literal change of blood like Joseph Smith was talking about when the Holy Ghost comes upon you, so you can see that printer. Michael did anything ended up yeah yeah consistent with what I was taught growing up as well since it's pretty good way to explain the earliest teachings. So let me let me rephrase number eight so did believing that you were either literally or by adoption. You were descendent of Abraham. You're one of the tried of Israel's one of the tribe of Israel did that make you feel special in some way.

You know like did it has some kind of sick of kits for your spiritual life being thinking while I'm a literal descendent of Abraham. All these problem promises are made specific way to me if you have any noise like that.

Yeah, super elitists because I was a member of the house of Israel and the rest of Israel there all lost that. But I'm here and I in the Lord's church and I'm found only in money found but I'm part of the group finding the rest of the lost tribes, so I felt really special because I was a member and I thought really proud to be a member of the tribe of Ephraim to you. You look at it is you're out so I go and look at the blessings that Jacob gave McGowen Ephraim. This is greater than been asked and blessing about Joe's afternoon is Steve you know she's a fruitful low in his fines go over the wall metal that means that his seed will go over the ocean that there can be here on the American continent and it's funny because I just idolized the tribe of Ephraim back to the Old Testament. Now when I read the tribe about the tribe of Ephraim, why these guys were a nightmare for Israel to like why would I be proud to be from this tri-line forget that you know and some blinders on that shoot was really the tribe that roasts that a special event that Christ was coming from. From that Ron is always focused on oh Ephraim has the birthright and that means that I am part of the seed that has the birthright on the best blessing. So yeah, I think the most in understatement to say that I felt like I was special because of this lineage, we think we yeah I mean first time was special to my paycheck blessing converts the cherished doll like I was kind that could lead to extended family into the church people is out of the calling to be a missionary in the tribe of Ephraim like in your family is a kind of higher talk about like how he was going to convert parent and his sister church in Iraq. Here I cannot wait to break some prominent blank church Sunday because he plays spiritual because I love my thoughts on being a member of the tribe of Israel that I have barely really think about it all that much about you fall yeah I did because my paycheck blessing and then because of the teachings that you from us holds the keys of the gathering right but in terms of making me feel special and I don't think it did because there was a sense in which a lot of a lot of the stuff were talking about tonight for me when I was growing up in the church in a missionary. I just kinda looked at the stuff and and thought what does this mean you know I couldn't make heads or tails of a lot of it because some of because of some of the kind that inconsistency easily pointed out tonight, but I don't know that really manifests special per se.

I just I wanted to understand it and I and I didn't. But you know, no feelings of of of special and really I didn't. I didn't think that I was a literal descendent of Israel right and maybe if you never went through the third grade spiritual change that Joseph Smith said I should have but I kind I was like I'm I'm a Gentile right my family's German and then in Danish so that I didn't. I didn't have any kinda great feelings of spiritual elitism. But that's just a better person than Michael is well my descendents were actually is because they use the word you in the book of Mormon so the French were obviously one of the last time so I reject that you are better Turks than he admits to being elitist and then says Jan French depth expense. If you think about it. One of the tribes of Israel is Gad right and the what France was called the forms conference is called gall all vote could be like that of the Gad the Gad-ites. They moved to Gaul than the language changed you know and slowly change to gall and announce France or the other could be the Gad-ites plus led blend well away French today and some are Spanish to me.

So my thoughts on it or it was. I never really thought Holland is holding a descendent of Israel kind of thing I will my focus on is like being a priesthood holder you know and like the responsibility that comes with that but also before my mission. I kind of came back into the activity in the church and I received my rhetorical blessing. Then when I was 19 or 20. So and then I felt kind of a sense of possibility at the like will of God gives me a testimony of the book Mormon.

That means I need to serve a mission and that was just reconfirmed to him even more when I was receiving my paycheck blessing and I was told that I was part of the tribe of Ephraim's. I felt like okay there's even a more confirmation that God wants me going to mission because he saying that you're part of Ephraim and part of their responsibility is to primarily be part of the gathering of Israel. So I think of it as much as like what does it mean or how my special because I'm an Israelite is more just feeling more of the sense of urgency or responsibility on my shoulders and I had to fulfill that I didn't have before. All right fireflies that's a wrap for this topic. Feel free to share your thoughts in the outer brightness group on Facebook.

Is there an aspect of this topic. We missed something you'd like to see us discuss the future, let us know next week will be discussing the topic of morality and the 13th article of faith. Until then, shine bright fireflies right side but that also engaged what the heck is that junk I just got it does raise some questions back if you if you get the job and moved to Idaho Falls she didn't go with you. My mom home that would be nice, thank you for doing into this number seven of the outer brightness we love to hear from you. Please visit the outer brightness Facebook.

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Stay bright fireflies to show the kind of you and a and and and we will see on the way and and and and and and and human way that in