Volume l #2

EPHRAIM'S FORUM

For those who are of Ephraim, holding the rights

and responsibilities of the kingdom, this is your

forum; to pursue remedy for our ills, and

accomplish the bringing forth of Zion.

WHAT ABOUT EPHRAIM

Right of the Firstborn ........... Keys of the Priesthood

"...thus saith the Lord; ... I am a father to Israel, and Ephraim is my firstborn." (Jeremiah 31:7, 9) To understand this statement of the Almighty is to understand the importance of Ephraim, and answer the question, "What About Ephraim?"

Adam was the first man appointed by God as ruler of the earth; to him it was said "thou shall have dominion over the earth and all things therein...." there was a right of dominion given; it was called the birthright, and it belongs to the first-born of the sons. And this seems to have been an order existing in the heavens even before Adam. For it is written of Jesus, the Lamb of God, that he was the first-born of many brethren. Moreover, his rights of dominion as the first-born continued with him because he loved righteousness and hated iniquity; ... But notwithstanding his birthright, had he not loved righteousness and hated iniquity, and exercised his rights and his dominion in con-nection with the powers of heaven and the principles of righteousness, he would not have been chosen ... Erastus Snow goes on to show how Cain, Esau, and Reuben, lost their privilege as firstborn; it going to one more worthy. "...because Reuben defiled his father's bed, the birthright was taken from him and given to the sons of Joseph; and the priesthood was reckoned after that lineage, ... unto Ephraim, the son of Joseph, was given the keys of the Priesthood - or those rights that apply to the birthright." (JD 21:369-371)

To help gain an understanding of Ephraim's rights as the firstborn, let us go back before the world was.

Fore-ordination .................. Pre-election

"Now the Lord had shown unto me, Abraham, the intelligences that were organized before the world was; among all those were many of the great and noble ones; And God ... said: These I will make my rulers; ... Abraham, thou art one of them; thou wast chosen before thou wast born." (Abraham 3:22-3)

Jeremiah is told by the Lord, "Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; ... and I ordained thee a prophet to the nations." (Jeremiah l:5)

Alma tells his brethren to remember, "... that the Lord God ordained priests, after his holy order, which was after the order of his Son, ... And this is the manner after which they were ordained - being called and prepared from the foundation of the world ..." (Alma 13:1, 3)

Joseph Smith taught, "Every man who has a calling to minister to the inhabitants of the world was ordained to that very purpose in the Grand Council of heaven before this world was." (TPJS, page 365)

It is apparent that there was a certain class of spirits ordained to rule or have dominion even before this world was.

Brigham Young taught, "... that in the spirit world people are orga-nized as they are here. There were patriarchs standing at the head of certain classes of spirits, and there were certain relationships exist-ing which affected their coming into the world to take tabernacles;" (MOrmonism Shadow or Reality, page 583)

"... the Lord God, created all things, ... spiritually, before they were naturally upon the face of the earth." (Moses 3:5) Not only were things created, they had an order; there was an organization that affected the spirits coming into this world. Which brings us to line-age.

Chosen Seed ................ Lineage

"The order of this priesthood [right of the firstborn] was confirmed to be handed down from father to son, and rightly belongs to the literal descendants of the chosen seed to whom the promises were made. This order was instituted in the days of Adam, and came down by lineage ..." (D&C 107:40-1)

The importance of this lineage exists in the fact that only in it does one find salvation and eternal life.

"I [Abraham] sought for the blessings of the fathers, and the right whereunto I should be ordained to administer the same; ... desiring to receive instructions and to keep the commandments of God, I became a rightful heir, a High Priest, holding the right belonging to the fathers. It was conferred upon me from the fathers, it came down from the fathers, from the beginning of time, yea, even from the beginning, or before the foundations of the earth to the present time, even the right of the firstborn, on the first man, who is Adam, our first father, through the fathers unto me. ... I sought for mine appointment unto the Priesthood according to the appointment of God unto the fathers concern-ing the seed." (Abraham l:2-4)

It is amazing how many times father(s) are mentioned in this passage. In gaining his appointment to the priesthood, Abraham, became an heir, a High Priest, holding the right belonging to the fathers, even the right of the firstborn. What is the right belonging to the fathers? Simply

being a father is a great responsibility, and as rights and responsi-

bilities are separate but inseparable; a father holds the right of dominion over his family. This is "even the right of the firstborn". A firstborn son stands in his father's stead in the absence of the father. It is his right to act in the name of the father, and to stand as the father, or a father.

The priesthood is the right to act in the name of God, it is also the right to act as God and the responsibility to be a God. John Taylor said that the people were to comprehend God via the priesthood (Patri-archal Order of Family Government, page ____). When the Lord says, "I am a father to Israel, and Ephraim is my firstborn." That is literally what He means.

Renewal of

Election ........................ Priesthood

This election or calling to the priesthood before the foundations of the world does no more than place one within the holy lineage. Abraham was born having been fore-ordained, yet he says he sought for the priesthood, the right of the firstborn. Neither priesthood or lineage is of any efficacy without a love for righteousness and a hatred for iniquity. Once in the flesh there must be a renewal of these things.

Parley P. Pratt, talking about Abraham said, "... he was chosen be-fore the world was, and came into the world for the very purpose which he fulfilled. But, notwithstanding this pre-election in passing the veil, and entering a tabernacle of flesh, he became a little child, ... and commenced anew ... And when he had been sufficiently proved accord-ing to the flesh, the Lord manifested to him the election before exer-cised towards him in the eternal world. He then renewed that election and covenant, ..." (JD l:258-9)

Government ................. Priesthood

"Priesthood ... is simply ... the rule and government of God ..." (John Taylor JD 22:291)

When I think of government I think of ours and how its constitution was inspired of God. It must be because of its being inspired that, "The Constitution and laws of the United States resemble a theocracy more closely than any government now on the earth, ... But few, if any, understand what a theocratic government is. In every sense of the word, it is a republican government, and differs but little in form from our National, State, and Territorial Governments;" (Brigham Young JD 6:342) On the Constitution of the State of Deseret it was written that it is a principle of all republican governments that the power of the government is inherent in the people.

The Coat of Many Colors .......... Branches of Government

"Now Israel loved Joseph more than all his children, ... and he made him a coat of many colors." A souvenir of this coat ... is still found in the many colored plaid, as worn by the Scotch Highlanders ..." (Judah's Sceptre and Joseph's Birthright, page 314)

The jealousy of Joseph's brothers grew not out of the coat itself, but its symbolism. Though each son of Israel wore a coat of a different color (remember the power of government is inherent in the people), Joseph's coat had gathered in it all the colors of Israel.

Our Constitution calls for three branches of government, the priesthood also has three main branches. Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob held the priesthood or government of God. But in Israel, the lesser priesthood, right of the bishopric, or judicial branch went to Levi. The sceptre, the right to preside, or executive branch went to Judah. The birthright went to Joseph, to Ephraim. Without having evidence I only assume, by following the pattern, that patriarchs, as they stand in the priesthood, stand as the legislative branch of government. There is some reason to support this. Cicero claimed that right reason was true law, and that reasoning was something shared in common with Gods and men; thus also something they held in common. The key point here is that patriarchs, as old men, have experienced more and therefore know more and should be consulted in any legislative action. This with a possibility that the legislative branch as we know it is flawed gives it plausibility. The main point I wish to make here is that as the colors of Israel were gathered in Joseph's coat, so were the branches of government to be gathered. Joseph Smith was he in whom these things were gathered.

"All of the ancient rights, promises, and powers of the divine patriarchal order were given to the latter-day seer. They included the promises given to Abraham; all the rights and powers of the birthright belonging to Ephraim; the keys of the Aaronic Priesthood that centered in the sons of Aaron; and the right to political power over the system which was appointed to the sons of Jesse. These facts suggest that the Prophet was a legal heir in the flesh to the major rights and powers of that divine system - that he descended in the flesh through the presid-ing lines of Ephraim and Jesse." (Doctrines of the Kingdom page 537)

Life and Salvation

Gospel ........................ Fathers

Noah was the perfect pattern of life and salvation. By gathering all who would live into the ark their salvation was brought about.

Abraham is told by the Lord, "As it was with Noah so shall it be with thee;" (Abraham l:19)

What was the pattern of Noah?

l. It was through him that life or salvation came to the human family.

2. By so doing he became the father of all living. Remembering this let's look at what the Lord tells Abraham. "... for as many as received this Gospel shall be called after thy name, and shall be accounted thy seed, and shall rise up and bless thee, as their father; ... and in thee (that is, in thy Priesthood) and in thy seed (that is, thy priesthood), ... shall all the families of the earth be blessed, even with the blessings of the Gospel, which are the blessings of salvation, even of life eternal." (Abraham 2:10-1) NOTE: The brackets are not mine.

And now we come to Joseph Smith. The Lord says in D & C 124:58, "And as I said unto Abraham ... so I say unto my servant Joseph:" In Joseph's words, "He has given you all to me, and commanded me to seal you up to everlasting life, ... " (Doctrines of the Kingdom, page 541) Before leaving Carthage, Illinois, where he was killed by a mob, the Prophet assembled the Nauvoo Legion and asked the brethren: "Are you willing to lay down your lives for me?" "Yes," they replied with a unanimous voice. "I am your father," he then declared. Shall I not be your father?" Again they exclaimed with one voice, "Yes." (Ibid.)

In D & C 84:32-4 Joseph Smith and six elders are told they are the sons of Moses and of Aaron, and that those who receive and magnify the priesthood(s) become the sons of Moses and Aaron. This, with the fact that twice (Numbers 14:12, and Deuteronomy 9:14) Moses is told by the Lord that he will make of him (Moses) a greater nation than the hosts of the Israelites; gives substance to the idea that the seven dispensation heads stand as seven fathers to the human family, offering, through themselves, life and salvation , i.e. the Gospel. For, "Joseph is a father to Ephraim and to all Israel in these last days." (ibid.)

The Law of Adoption .......... Renewal of the Lineage

It is the "Israelites; to whom pertaineth the adoption, ..." (Romans 9:4) "The election of the promised seed still continues, and in the last day, they shall have the Priesthood restored to them, and they shall be saviours on Mount Zion, ..." (TPJS, page 189)

"Joseph Smith had sealed to himself a number of his most faithful followers, among them the first members of the Council of Fifty, to help to establish the Kingdom of God upon this earth ... Brigham Young had adopted at least forty young men ..." (Mormonism Shadow or Reality, page 482)

"I (Heber C. Kimball is speaking) look upon the law of adoption as being the means of uniting families together by the connecting links of the priesthood, still I am aware that many have had trials for fear that they had given away their birthright when in fact they had none, not having been adopted ... It does not matter so much where we are sealed provided we form a part or link of the Priesthood." (ibid.)

"I have gathered a number of families around me through the law of adoption and seal of the covenant according to the order of the priest-hood and others have done likewise it being the means of salvation left to bring us back to God. ... Before I stop I will answer a question that has been repeatedly asked me (i.e.) should I ... be adopted to my fa-ther? I answer no. If we have to attend to the ordinances of redemp-tion for our dead relatives we then become their saviours [fathers] and were we to wait to redeem our dead relatives before we could link the chains of the P.H. [Priesthood Heads] we would never accomplish it." (Mormonism Shadow or Reality, pages 481-2) (Brigham Young)

"... the Lord God, created all things, ... spiritually, before they were naturally upon the face of the earth." (Moses 3:5) In the pre-existence there were ordinations to the Priesthood, and the spirits were organized with patriarchs standing at the head of certain classes of spirits. By virtue of their ordinations those chosen as priests were to come through the chosen lineage when passing through the veil and entering into the flesh. This must be renewed.

"God has wrought out a salvation for all men, unless they have com-mitted a certain sin; and every man who has a friend in the eternal world can save him, unless he has committed the unpardonable sin. And so you see how far you can be a saviour [father]." (TPJS, page 357)

Only as the rights of the fathers are renewed or gained and a line-age, or chain of command that will reach back to our eternal Father-in-heaven, established can eternal life or salvation come. This, of course can only come with the Gospel as only those who love righteousness and hate iniquity can hold the rights of the Father who resides in Heaven.