"And the Lord, even the Savior, shall stand in the midst of his people, and shall reign over all flesh. ... 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 133:25 & 34

In discussing Joseph Smith as a similitude of the Messiah, as was Joseph of Egypt, Moses, Joshua and others, it seems appropriate to review that Joseph Smith is of the promised house of Joseph the son of Jacob, he is as state by Brigham Young a 'Pure Ephraimite' and as set out in various places to also be considered as a descendant of Jesse, as was Jesus himself. Further, it seem appropriate to again set forth that Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior is to come again to the Land of Joseph where the New Jerusalem is to be built and established by the hand of the house of Joseph, Ehraim aided by Manasseh, in America, the Land of Joseph and that Jesus Christ as the chief prince of that house of Joseph is to 'stand in the midst of his people', those of the house of Joseph, and from that theater will he reign as the promised King David 'over all flesh'. Truely, the richer blessing in all things is 'upon the head of Ephraim and his fellows'.

Now, it should also be pointed out again and established, that Joseph Smith IS NOT the Messiah in any since of that concept and context, and he should not be attibuted any such title which includes the name of Messiah in it such as being Messiah ben Joseph. Like Joseph of Egypt, Moses, Joshua and others, Joseph Smith is but a similitude of, a likeness of, but is not the Messiah himself. In such a context, Joseph Smith SHOULD NOT be refered to as 'Messiah ben Joseph'. There is only one who is the Messiah. And it has been well set out and established that that one is Jesus Christ and He and He alone by his dual ancestry of Blood and Right, is both the Messiah ben David and the Messiah ben Joseph. In fact, King David held as much a dual ancestry as did Jesus, as David was the son of Jesse, that Ephrathite of Bethlehem, the son of Obed the Rightful son of Mahlon and of the Ephrathite house of Elimelech, the same house of the rightful line of legal descent of those Ephrathites, Nun and Joshua, who was the heirship line of Ephraim and of the house of Joseph. David by Blood was of Judah, but by law, the Law of God as established by the Law of Moses and the law which had always been practiced in raising up seed to the dead, whether it was Seth to Abel or as set out by Judah upon his own sons in relation to Tamar, that is that Obed was legally and rightfully the promised heir of the house of Elimelech and Naomi, the seed of the dead Mahlon, son of Elimelech.

What Joseph Smith is, is that great promised prophet and seer promised of the house of Joseph to head the last despensation of time, the despensation of the fulness of times which is to take the gospel of Jesus Christ to all the world, every nation, kindred, tongue and people, in preparation for the comeing of the one and only true Messiah of heaven and earth, Jesus Chrsit. Thus, just as Joseph of Egypt was a similitude of the coming Messiah and his progenetor, so is Joseph Smith a similitude of the Messiah, but not the Messiah who has come and who will come again and is also descended from that same linage as was Jesse and was the Messiah himself. It is a significant point in establishing these two Josephs as similitudes of the Messiah to also set forth that they are all three, Joseph of Egypt, Jesus of Nazareth and Joseph Smith of the promised land of Joseph are all three of the same linage and are all three of the saving house of Joseph.

"And that seer will I bless, and they that seek to destory him shall be confounded; for this promise I give unto you; for I will remember you from generation to generation; and his name shall be called Joseph, and it shall be after the name of his father; and he shall be like unto you; for the thing which the Lord shall bring forth by his hand shall bring my people unto salvation." ~ JST Genesis 50:33
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"And thus prophesied Joseph, saying: Behold, that seer will the Lord bless; and they that seek to destory him shall be confounded; for this promise, which I have obtained of the Lord, of the fruit of my loins, shall be fulfilled. Behold, I am sure of the fulfilling of this promise; And his name shall be called after me; and it shall be after the name of his father. And he shall be like unto me; for the thing, which the Lord shall bring forth by his hand, by the power of the Lord shall bring my people unto salvation." ~ 2 Nephi 3:14-15

As presented in item number 5, Joseph of Egypt was a forshadowing and a type of the Messiah. Here is stated that Joseph Smith will be like his great ancestor, Joseph of Egypt, in that he too will bring 'salvation' unto the house of Israel, the Lord's people. As the life and work of Joseph of Egypt brought temporal salvation to the people, so it is that the life and work of Joseph Smith will bring eternal salvation to the people. Thus Joseph Smith is likened unto Joseph of Egypt who is liken unto the Messiah, Jesus Christ. Elder McConkie has stated it another way.

"Every holder of the Melchizedek Priesthood is or should be a type of Christ. Those who lived before he came were types and shadows and witnesses of his coming. Those who have lived since he came are witnesses of such coming and are types and shadows of what he was." ~ 'The Promised Messiah' p. 449

This reference was taken from under a topic heading which states: 'All Prophets Are Types of Christ'. Certainly this is where the various perspectives concerning the answers given in D&C 113 in relation to Isaiah chapter 11 are taken from. It should be noted fact that Isaiah chapter 11 speaks of Christ, but in the sense that all prophets and even all faithful Melchizedek Priesthood holders who do magnify their callings, are to be types of Christ in following after him in bring salvation to the world and being saviors on mount Zion and in living according to the example which the Lord has set before us, Isaiah 11 as stated in D&C 113 may be likened and applied to many who live in the latter-days, foremostly including Joseph Smith. But again, we should not lose proper perspective, that while many may be in the similitude of the Messiah and his example and life, none but Jehovah, who is Jesus Christ it the one and only Messiah.

Joseph Smith's in death can also be a type of the death of the Messiah. They both died a myrtar's death as a witness to the cause for which they lived. They both died prematurely as young men. Both had completed their mission but could had lived longer if their persecutors had not cause their untimely demise. It would be much beyond my present degree of knowledge to compare in greater detail all the ways in which the life of Joseph Smith is a type of the life and mission of the Savior. There are others much more qualified than myself who could do so. But it is true that Joseph Smith is a type and may be likened unto the Messiah just as other prophets are so likened. Just as Joseph Smith is like unto Joseph of Egypt who is like unto the Messiah, just as Joseph Smith is one of the many prophets and Melchizedek Priesthood holders who are to be likened unto the Messiah, and just as D&C 113 and Isaiah 11, which speaks of Jesus, may be likened unto Joseph Smith, so may Joseph Smith be seen and spoken of as being in the similitude of the Messiah, likened unto him in may ways, a type as it were.