"I sought for mine appointment unto the Priesthood according to the appointment of God unto the fathers concerning the seed." ~ Abraham 1:4

Now 'the seed' of which the Covenant was, was that same seed which had been spoken of as the 'seed of the woman' (Genesis 3:15), meaning the promised Messiah, Jesus Christ. Enoch speaks of the covenant of the coming Messiah (Moses 7:49-53), and that through Noah, Enoch's descendant, would the Covenant of the Messiah be preserved, and that Noah would be the blessed ancestor through whom the Messiah would come. And this was the covenant blessing concerning 'the seed' to which Abraham did asspire. That he would be the ancestor of Jesus Christ, that 'the seed' should come through him as in the promises of the covenant with the fathers. And so it was as stated in Genesis 22:18 and as explained by the Apostle Paul in Galatians chapter 3.

"That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ, that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith. Brethren, I speak after the manner of men; Though it be but a man's covenant, yet if it be confirmed, no man disannulleth, or addeth thereto. Now to Abraham and his seed [Jesus Christ] were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many, but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ. And this I say, that the covenant, that was confirmed before of God in Christ, the law [Law of Moses], which was four hundred and thirty years after, cannot disannul, that it should make the promise none effect. For if the inheritance be of the law, it is no more of promise: but God gave it to Abraham by promise. Wherefore then serveth the law? It was added because of transgression, till the seed [Jesus Chris] should come to whom the promise was made; and it was ordained by angels in the hand of a mediator. Now a mediator is not a mediator of one, but God is one. Is the law [Law of Moses] then against the promises of God? God forbid: for if there had been a law given which could have given life, verily righteousness should have been by the law. But the scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe." ~ Galatians 3:14-22

Now Paul here explains the meaning of the Covenant of Abraham and that is was in Christ, as Abraham's promised seed that all the nations of the earth would be blessed. This 'seed', the Hebrew tranliterated word being Zar' or Zara, is stated by Paul to be the singular seed, the single person, the redeemer, even Jesus Chrsit. Paul continues on to record how it is that all the nations are blessed in Christ and become Christ's in the spiritual gospel frame of reference to which the Covenant of Abraham does properly refer.

The Covenant of Abraham to which Paul has reference is given to Abraham just after Abraham's commanded sacrifice of his son Isaac. In that event Abraham was a similitude of God the Father and Isaac was a similitude of Jesus Christ. Abraham came to understand much of the hurt and love the Father would feel for His Son who would be so sacrificed for the sins of the world. Isaac, a stripling youth, could have easily over powered his 100+ year old parent, but Isaac if compliance to the word of God and love for God and his father did willing submit to the demand that he should be so sacrificed. It was a learning experience for Isaac in the love of the son which would so willingly allow himself to be so sacrificed. Upon this back drop, Abraham is then presented that through him the promised Messiah would be born and that in that 'seed' (singular), Jesus Christ, the nations of the earth would be so blessed with salvation. That simple covenant promise is quoted here.

"And in thy seed [Jesus Christ] shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because thou hast obeyed my voice." ~ Genesis 22:18

Jesus Christ was, is and will forever be the promised 'seed' of the covenant promises of the Fathers, and this is the Covenant of Abraham which is also the covenant promises which where preserved in Joseph.

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

Now, understanding that in the single seed of Christ is the nations blessed, he being the one and only way to salvation, let us now turn to and consider the blessing of Ephraim by the mouth of Jacob as guided by the spirit in Genesis chapter 48. There it is that we are assured that Ephraim received the same blessing of the Covenant of Abraham that through Ephraim would the nations of the earth be blessed.

"And his father refused, and said, I know it, my son, I know it: he also shall become a people, and he also shall be great: but truly his younger brother shall be greater than he, and his seed [Jesus Christ] shall become a multitude of nations." ~ Genesis 48:19

Now the 'seed' used here as being of Ephraim/Joseph, (Ephraim being Joseph's son of the promised covenant), is the same word of zar' or zara in the Heberew as was used in reference to the seed of Abraham is Genesis 22:18. The LDS scriptures reference this 'seed' of Joseph to the topic of the 'Seed of Abraham'. Now alone, this may not seem to prove that Joseph/Ephraim is so receiveing the fulness of the blessing of Abraham, which includes the ancestory of Christ, the promised 'seed' through whom the nations of the earth would be blessed. But connected with all else which has been presented, it is certainly consistant with the concept that Christ is Messiah ben Joseph in legal right under the Law of God.

Now there seems to be the matter from whence Jesus was to come. Coveted by Judah, David and the Messiah came at the time of his birth out of the land of Jerusalem, which despite their previous desire to claim the Messiah as there own, they denied him and called form his crusifixion. Thus he was rejected by them. Who is it from whom the Messiah will come in his full success but from the true vine of the linage of the Messiah. Now the general understanding of the Church is that Ephraim did receive that blessing of the Covenant of Abraham that it would be through the seed of Ephraim that the nations of the earth would be blessed. This sounds like the same covenant. But before those who would distinguish that the 'Covenant' was divided between Ephraim and Judah, Ephraim providing the 'gathering saviors' of the latter day and Judah providing the ultimate providing 'Savior' of that same Covenant, there needs to be presented another enlightening and clarifying note provided by the Apostle Paul.

"For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in. And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion [Zion] the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob: For this is my covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins." ~ Romans 11:25-27

Paul states that out of Zion comes the Deliverer. The Deliverer is Jesus Chirst. Zion is in Israel, that is in Ephraim as opposed to Jerusalem being in and of Judah. In the latter-day the mystery which has hide is that Jesus comes of Zion, the house of Ephraim. Now one last consideration of Paul's teaching in Galatians concerning the 'strictness' of the covenant, for there is but one covenant.

"Brethren, I speak after the manner of men; Though it be but a man's covenant, yet if it be confirmed, no man disannulleth, or addeth thereto." ~ Galatians 3:15

The Covenant stands as one whole, being in and through Jesus Christ. No man disannulleth it. No man can add to it and place conditions upon it. It cannot be divide between two factions. It cannot be divide between Judah and Ephraim, for the one killeth it and the other whose true parentage it comes under will embrace it and take it, that is Him, Jesus Christ, He who is the Covenant to all the world.

Now one last note, though it has been covered to an extent in relationship to the proper linage of the 'priesthood' in item 45, in speaking of the promised 'seed' of Joseph, it needs to be recited again.

"The order of this priesthood 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." ~ D&C 107:40

Joseph Smith and the initial elders of Israel of this latter day restoration were of the 'chosen' and 'promised' seed, being of the house of Joseph and primarily of the seed of Ephraim as has been stipulated throughout Church History of the restoration. (Joseph Smith being a 'pure Ephraimite' though of Jesse as while as of Joseph of Egypt through Ephraim for as we have presented Jesse was an Ephrathite, an Ephraimite by legal right also.) Now, we have just learned in this section that the 'chosen seed' of the Covenant of Abraham was Jesus Christ as taught by Paul. From an eternal perspective Jesus Christ was rightful heir to the priesthood of God being the Son of God. Both as to the eternities and as to this world, being the only Begotten of the Father in the flesh. But as covered in item 45, to fulfill all righteouness, Christ heirship of the flesh would also need to provide him that right to the priesthood. Now that right belonged to Joseph and thence to Ephraim. It did not come through Judah and the blood line of Boaz. It could only come if Christ was the legal and rightful seed of the linage of Joseph, being the Son of Joseph, the promised Messiah ben Joseph. In this he qualified as being the seed of Joseph as being raised up as 'seed' to the dead under the Law of Moses, the Law of God, as the legal and rightful heir of the household of Mahlon and his father Elimelech, Ephrathites or Ephraimites. And he retained that linage both through Mary his mother who was of the house of Elimelech and Mahlon through the descent of Obed, Jesse and David. And he also retained that linage by the law of adoptive parenthood that if a man took a women and she had a son and he raised him as his own, and taught him his own profession, the that son would be his son. And in the case of Jesus, that son was taken as his firstborn son and heir. And thereby the right to the priesthood of the 'flesh' did rest upon Jesus, he being legal heir to the priesthood just as much and any Ephraimite of the latter day covenant was also rightful heir based upon their worthiness.