Israel's God is JEHOVAH who is JESUS CHRIST. In the day's of Elimelch, his very name proclaimed it - GOD IS KING. And under the system of Judges, Israel was still recognizing Jehovah as being their king while the pagan nations round about them did raise up men unto that honor. Then Israel decided it too whanted an earthly king instead of God their King. And so Samuel the prophet first installed Saul. Later David was installed in Saul's place. David was the *great great grandson of Elimelech whose name symbolically signaled the ending of the era where God was Israel's King.
[* Elimelech-Mahlon son-Obed grandson-Jesse great grandson-David 2nd great grandson.]

Pilate asked Jesus if he were the King of the Jews and Jesus answered, 'You have said. But my kingdom is not of this world.' And it was not to be until the American revolution that a people in known world history would again look unto God to be as their King, though the Book of Mormon history would have intervened if it were generally known and accepted.

The most historic band of minutemen in the American Revolution was led by Deacon Parker under the auspices of Rev. Jonas Clarke. Jonas Clarke was the pastor of a Lexinton Church. A common phase was adopted by a number of the revolutionary leaders such as John Adams, John Hancock and others. One story is on April 18, 1775, on the eve of the Revolutionary War, after a British major ordered an assembled group were to disperse in "the name of George the Sovereign King of England." To this was replied, "We recognize no Sovereign but God, and no King but Jesus!" The quote below attributes it to Rev. Jonas Clarke or one of his company, which is not totally at variance with either account as likely the phrase was so adopted and repeated by many an American patriot.
[Note: The cousin of the wife of Rev. Jonas Clarke was John Hancock. And John Hancock and Samuel Adams would visit and stay at the Clarke home when there about their busienss. They had been so housed at Lexington at the opening of the American Revolution.]

"We recognize no Soveriegn but God and no King but Jesus." ~ Rev. Jonas Clarke or one of his company

A clarion call of the seekers of God's truth from the days of the Prodestant revolt of Scotland against the Church and King of England has been, 'We have no King but Jesus.' Ironically and just as associated with this is both the modern and ancient positons of God's true followers both in America and in the Old Testament lands of Israel. In a time when many of the Israelites were seeking for a King like unto the pagan civilizations surrounding, there was one particular family which held up the true beacon of who was truly the King in Israel. So much so was this position, that the very name of the patriarch of that family became 'Elimelech', meaning God or Jehovah Is King. And this has been the same clarion call in America since on April 19, 1775, the day after the mid-night ride of Paul Revere, the Britsh Major Pitcairn shouted to an assembled regiment of Minutemen; "Disperse, ye villians, lay down your arms in the name of George the Sovereign King of England." The immediate response from the assemly either of Reverand Jonas Clarke or one of his company was: "We recognize no Sovereign but God and no King but Jesus."

"Behold, this [America] is a choice land, and whatsoever nation shall posses it shall be free from bondage, and from captivity, and from all other nations under heaven, if they well but serve the God of the land, who is Jesus Christ, who hath been manifested by the things which we have written." ~ Ether 2:12

"If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land." 2 Chronicles 7:14

"Wherefore, I will consecrate this land unto thy seed, and them who shall be numbered among thy seed, forever, for the land of their inheritance; for it is a choice land, saith God unto me, above all other lands, wherefore I will have all men that dwell thereon that they shall worship me, saith God." ~ 2 Nephi 10:19

"And I beheld the Spirit of the Lord, that it was upon the Gentiles, and they did prosper and obtain the land for their inheritance; and I beheld that they were white, and exceedingly fair and beautiful, like unto my people before they were slain." ~ 1 Nephi 13:15

"And behold, the Lord hath reserved their blessings, which they might have received in the land, for the Gentiles who shall possess the land." ~ Mormon 5:19

Thus the Book of Mormon places this very position upon the nations of the Americas, declaring this to be a promised land, a land choice above all other lands and that it is a land preserved to be under the name of Jesus Christ. It is of further interest that those of the people of the Book of Mormon, the children of Lehi and Nephi, where of the house of Joseph and these Book of Mormon promises were therefore so made to the House of Joseph. Even Joseph of Egypt's patriarchal blessing under the hand of father Jacob - Israel, so rang of the blessing to Joseph, that he would be a fruitful bough that spread across the 'wall' alluding to the ocean barier (Genesis 49:22-26). Further the blessing directed by the Lord upon Joseph (JST Genesis 50:24-38) and Lehi (2 Nephi 3), were further aimed directly toward Joseph of Egypt, his seed, America and even the prophet of the restoration, Joseph Smith, Jr.

And though spoken of elsewhere in greater detail in other items, it ought to be noted here as well that Jacob did bestow the great birthright covenant blessing and name of Israel upon Joseph and his two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim (Genesis 48:all (5, 16, 19-20) & JST Genesis 48:5-11). And the greater blessing fell upon Ephraim the younger and on him rested the responsiblity of the covenant birthright to provide for the blessing of his brethren and according to the covenant of Abraham to bring the blessings of Abraham unto the nations of the earth. Even in the Bible, the Northern Kingdom of Ephraim was named and called the Kingdom of Israel. And it is through the covenant of Abraham that all the nations of the earth are to be blessed and through that gospel of Jesus Christ as restored in America, so that all may become the children of God, and become of the House of Israel, and be as the children of Abraham, and of the Generation of Jesus Christ. And that primary responsibility fell upon Ephraim as assisted by his brother Manasseh. And an understanding of this is not merely had by the LDS Church, but many other Christians and Christians groups have also come to recognize that Ephraim and Manasseh have been sifted in to the nations and have been heavily recognized in the two nations of Britain and America.