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.

WHO IS EPHRAIM

Son of Joseph ............ Firstborn of Israel

Ephraim was the second son of that Joseph who was sold into Egypt. His grandfather Jacob, crossed his hands while blessing him and his elder brother, Manasseh; placing his right hand on Ephraim's head to give him the greater blessing. Jacob also adopted them as his own sons, giving Joseph a double portion in Israel. As though this were not enough, Ephraim was also given the position of firstborn within his grandfather's family, the House of Israel.

The Bull ............ Or Unicorn

Although Ephraim and Manasseh were two tribes, Moses blessed them both, calling them Joseph: "His glory is like the firstling of his bullock, and his horns are like the horns of unicorns ... and they are the ten thousands of Ephraim, and they are the thou-sands of Manasseh." (Duet. 33:17)

Each of the tribes had an ensign, or flag. On Joseph's there was a bull, on Judah's there was a lion. I mention these two because these two symbols were not only indicative of their tribes individually, but of Israel as a whole. This is brought out in Numbers 23:22-24, and 24:8,9, where Balaam blesses Israel, saying, "God brought him forth out of Egypt; he hath as it were the strength of an Unicorn: ... as a great lion: who shall stir him up?" Joseph Smith confirms this in the "White Horse Prophecy" where he says, "The Lion and the Unicorn of England [on the royal coat of arms] is the ensign of Israel."

The Bull or Unicorn of Joseph, i.e. Ephraim, as he predominates in Joseph, is actually one and the same. The Unicorn was a wild ox of their time. "From the side it appeared to have one horn, thus possibly the reason for the designation "unicorn" ... but in reality it had two.

The animal was fierce, powerful and untameable, thus never domesti-cated." (Bible Dictionary)

Anglo-Saxons ............. I-saacs sons

Brigham Young identified the sons of Ephraim as, "... wild and un-cultivated, unruly, ungovernable. The spirit in them is turbulent and resolute; they are the Anglo-Saxon race." (J.D. 10:188) (This may be of benefit in identifying unicorns; though in our day I believe they're thought of in terms less flattering.)

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" ... the people who are known as Angles, Saxons, Danes, Celts or Kelts, Jutes, Scots, Welsh, Scyths (or Scythians), or Normans can trace themselves back to their ancestors in the Khumree, at the place, and the very time, when Israel was losing her identity ... We cannot take the time or space to deal with the origin of all of the above names, but feel we must say something concerning the name Saxon, as it is the most general name of the race - really the present generic name of the house of Joseph. .... it was a very common custom among the Israelites, to drop the first letter of a proper name. Bible examples of this custom are: Oshea, otherwise Hoseah; Hagar, otherwise Agar; Jachan, otherwise Achan; Heber, otherwise Eber, etc." "It is now a well authenticated fact that the word Saxon is derived from the Hebrew name of I-saac, together with an affix, which means sons of." (Judah's Sceptre and Joseph's Birthright, pages 292-4)

In Summary: Ephraim is the firstborn of the House of Israel, he is symbolized as a Unicorn. He is the Anglo-Saxon Race.