A sizeable majority of the memebership of the LDS Church, as stated in their patriarchal blessings, are of the tribe of Ephraim. And a majority of those who are not of Ephraim, are of the tribe of Jospeh's other son, Manasseh. It has fallen upon the family of Joseph of Egypt, Ephraim being the selected 'firstborn' of the covenant and Manasseh to assist his brother, to fulfill the promises of the covenant, and and to bring about the blessings of the Abrahamic Covenant to the world in the latter-days. Most all who are learned in the perspectives of the Jews and traditional Christianity which happens to include many of our own LDS scholars, do divide the covenants, promises and blessings of the Abrahamic Covenant between two tribes, one tribe of the house of Leah being Judah, and one of the house of Rachel, being Ephraim, the son of Joseph. They do this as they have no other perspective of understanding but that which the world has given them. They have not even considered or allowed themselves to have considered any alternative which would keep the covenants and promises 'whole'.

"And the Lord said, Blessed is he through whose seed Messiah shall come, for he saith, I am Messiah, the King of Zion, the Rock of heaven, which is broad as eternity, and whoso cometh in at the gate, and climbeth up by me shall never fail." ~ JST Genesis 7:59

This presentation does not divide the covenants and promises of the Abramic Covenant in two. Here in we have shown that it is through Ephraim that all the blessings have remained even the legal rightful seed of the Messiah does remain in Joseph and through his son Ephraim. There is no dichotomy or division of the blessings and resposibilities of the everlasting covenant. It is well pointed out in the 133 section of the Doctrine and Covenants that the bring forth of the gospel to the world falls upon Ephraim in the latter-days. That gospel includes the birth and mission of our Lord Jesus Christ. And it is Ephraim that will be crowned with glory. I will but quote one verse from that section though a reading of much more of the section would be of benefit in understanding Ephraim's great role in the last days and into the Millennial reign of the Lord.

"Behold, this is the blessing of the everlasting God upon the tribes of Israel, and the richer blessing upon the head of Ephraim and his fellows." ~ D&C 133:34

Building line upon line and perhaps from a differennt latter-day perspective than we have previously put forth, we turn now to the restored gospel's connection to Messiah Ben Joseph and Messiah Ben David, who is but one and the same Messiah, Jesus Christ even Jehovah, our God and King. From the very beginning of the restoration our connection to the covenant promises of old was establishe by the messengers from God. After the initial visit of God the Father and the Son Jesus Christ, it was some seven years time while the young Joseph grew and matured before he was again visited.

This is not unlike the calling of Samuel, as in his very young youth Samuel was called by God and sponken with, but later as Samuel matured, is when he became the leadiing prophet and judge of all Israel. After the 1820 first vision to the 14 year old Joseph Smith Jr., it wasn't until September of 1827 that the first messenger from God did come and speak with Joseph Smith, who was then age 21. This messenger was the angel Moroni who held the keys to the stick or testament of Joseph or Ephraim (see D&C 27:5). And one of the first messages that Angel Moroni delieved to Joseph was that the long awaited day of the coming of Elijah the prophet, the forerunner to the second coming of Christ, was about to be fulfilled.

Moroni spoke his message from various scriptures including the prophecy found in Malachi concerning the coming of Elijah the prophet before the great and dreadful day of the Lord. And Moroni stated that the priesthood that Elijah did hold would be revealed and given, which would be the means of fulfilling the promises made to the fathers of old. (see Jospeh Smith History, Pearl of Great Price 1:30-43)

". . . And he [Elijah] shall plant in the hearts of the children the promises made to the fathers, and the hearts of the children shall turn to their fathers. If it were not so, the whole world would be utterly wasted at his coming." ~ PofGP Joseph Smith History 1:39

Moroni, who was well versed in the proper Hebrew or Israelite traditions did render the verses more plainly transliterated than have been produced in the Kings James Version of the Bible. Moroni made it clear to Joseph Smith whose mind had been enfluenced by 'gentile' traditional Christianity and was not well versed in the Hebrew understandings. It must be remembered that to the ancient Jew or Hebrew, that any reference to Abraham as being their father did well included all the implications of that grand Covenant of Abraham, those promises made to the fathers, including Isaac and Jacob or Israel being fulfilled upon Abraham's seed of promise. This is what distinguished Abrahan, Issac, and Jocab as the great ancestors of all of Israel. And all of Israel did look constantly to those anceint blessings and promises as their heritage and claim by right as given by God to the fathers that they where the children of promise, they where God's chosen people and bearers of the covenant promises of God. Therefore, it is of little wonder that Moroni would have more clearly rendered the meaning of Malachi to the young 'gentile trianed mind' of Joseph Smith as he did.

Elijah means 'Jehovah is God' and the Greek form of the name Elijah is Elias. This places both John the Baptist and Elijah in the same category of priesthood office, that is in the office and 'spirit' of Elias or Elijah. And in Israel, it was well understood that before the Lord's coming Elijah, that is 'Elias'. the prophet would be sent. It was this Elijah (Elias) whom the Pharisees did inquire of John the Baptist if he were this promised prophet Elijah, the promised prophet, the precusor prophet, to the the Lord's glorious coming (see John 1:20-23). And John stated he was not.

And thus it was that Elijah did not come before of during the time of Christ's mortal ministry. And while John the Baptist was 'an' Elias, a bearer of witness to the Christ, he was not Elijah the promised prophet who would turn the hearts of the children to the promises of the fathers. And by whom did these promises remain? The Doctrine and Covenants explains by whom the promises did remain and who the fathers are as in section 27 verse 9 it again quotes the coming of Elijah and the turning to the fathers and then in verse 10 it clearly states the following:

"And also with Joseph and Jacob, and Isaac, and Abraham, your fathers, by whom the promises remain." ~ D&C 27:10

Joseph of Egypt is here included as 'our' fathers of the latter-days by whom the covenant promises of old do remain in force. And we are to understand that it is our role as descendants of Ephraim of the latter-days to fulfill those promises. There is a binding link of the promises of covenant made before the foundation of the world of the plan of salvation down through the fathers, Adam, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph and even Ephraim to us who live today that are to be fulfilled.

We are the remnant of the promise by whom the promises are to be fulfilled including the coming forth of the Messiah in the latter-day. And it has been and is the right of Ephraim to bring forth the coming of the Messiah, including the covenant promises of the plan of salvation to the peoples of the world that the work and glory of bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man might be wroght upon all who have ever lived.

That the Messiahship is a part of these promises has already been established in the item covering the Abrahamic Covenant. That it is by Joseph and his son Ephraim that these promises remain and are fulfilled is also now will established. And that by right Ephraim and Joseph are to be considered as the rightful sources of the promises of the Messiah, even Messiah ben Joseph, also known as Messiah ben David should be well conceived.

Who but God's selected 'Firstborn' is to bring forth in the latter-day's God's 'Firstborn' son Jesus Christ but Ephraim, who is clearly stated to be the children of the Firstborn? Judah by blood and Ephraim by right doth present the great Messiah, the Anointed One of God to the world. Christ shall come to his people. Ephraim as the representative of all of Israel, bring all to Christ, and Judah as they who did and do remain in Jerusalem.

By right does Ephraim rule in these latter-days. And by his right in Ephraim is Christ our King and Redeemer, the Savior of all mankind. What could be more conclusive a relationship than for those latter-day sons of Ephraim of the promises of fathers but to usher in the Second Coming of the King of Israel, not just the King of the Jews as Messiah ben David, but as the King of all of Israel as Messiah ben Joseph, the promised Messiah of the legal and rightful seed of Ephraim ruling and reigning over all of Israel and all of the earth as it was Israel who was sifted among the nations of the world and who are now being called forth by their God, their Savior and Redeemer, and their Messiah by legal right as the seed of Ephraim, as will be witnessed by the stick of Joseph to be even He as Messiah ben Joseph?

There is the tie between Ephraim and Christ, clearly stated in terms of the events relating to the latter-day restoration of the gospel in accordance to the covenant promises made of the fathers from God the Father, through Christ our Gospel Father to all the fathers through, Adam to Ephraim to Christ to us today. What is more fitting than that Rachel might have comfort for all her children, that they might be so provided for and both receive and administer in the offices of the fulness of the Gospel from the very Highest unto the very least in these last days of the dispensation of the fulness of times? Consider if it is not so.

In the Spirit and Calling of Elijah

"And also Elijah, unto whom I have committed the keys of the power of turning the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the hearts of the children to the fathers, that the whole earth may not be smitten with a curse; And also with Joseph and Jacob, and Isaac, and Abraham, your fathers, by whom the promise remain; And also with Michael, or Adam, the father of all, the prince of all, the ancient of days; And also with Peter, and James, and John, whom I have sent unto you, by whom I have ordained you and confirmed you to be apostles, and especial witnesses of my name, and bear the keys of your ministry and of the same things which I revealed unto them; Unto whom I have committed the keys of my kingdom, and a dispensation of the gospel for the last times; and for the fulness of times, in the which I will gather together in one all things, both which are in heaven , and which are on earth; And also with all those whom my Father hath given me out of the world. ~ D&C 27:9-14

Here is 'more' of the concept which is all in one long sentence which spans in the D&C verses 5 through 14 including the everlasting gospel of the 'stick of Ephraim' to the calling of John the Baptist as set out in Luke 1:17 to Joseph Smith and we of the latter days. Understanding that the whole of the work of the Lord is but one work under the Everlasting Covenant of God to all his children of the promise becomes evident in this prolonged and all inclusive sentence concerning the work of the Lord today, which word is that same work of bring to past the immortality and eternal life of man (Moses 1:39), which ever has been from the beginning, part and particle of the Everlasting Gospel unto the Children of God who do keep their estates in and through the name of the Lord.