Moroni and Joseph's Coat

As Captain Moroni sought to inspire the Nephites to defend their freedom and religion and uphold the title of liberty, he called upon the story of Joseph in Egypt.  He said, “Behold, we are a remnant of the seed of Jacob; yea, we are a remnant of the seed of Joseph, whose coat was rent by his brethren into many pieces; yea, and now behold, let us remember to keep the commandments of God, or our garments shall be rent by our brethren” (Alma 46:23).  The Biblical account of this story in Genesis 37 doesn’t actually say that the coat was rent in pieces, but it seems somewhat implied by the fact that when the brothers “brought it to their father,” Jacob made the statement, “It is my son’s coat; an evil beast hath devoured him; Joseph is without doubt rent in pieces” (Genesis 37:33).  It’s also interesting to note that Moroni did not call it a coat of many colors like the Bible—he just called it a coat—since there is debate as to whether the original text really should be translated as a “coat of many colors.”  Some interpretations render it as being richly ornamented or long sleeved. 

               The next verse provides more information about this story that is also not in the Bible.  Moroni told his people, “Let us remember the words of Jacob, before his death, for behold, he saw that a part of the remnant of the coat of Joseph was preserved and had not decayed. And he said—Even as this remnant of garment of my son hath been preserved, so shall a remnant of the seed of my son be preserved by the hand of God, and be taken unto himself, while the remainder of the seed of Joseph shall perish, even as the remnant of his garment” (Alma 46:24).  As far as I’m aware, this prophecy of Jacob based on Joseph’s coat is not in the Bible.  Jacob made prophecies at the time right before his death in Genesis 49, but we have no record of a prophecy like this.  So apparently Jacob kept the pieces of the coat of Joseph, and over time one of those pieces was miraculously preserved and didn’t fray and decay, whereas the others did.  Using that visual symbol he made a prophecy that some of the seed of Joseph would perish like the pieces of the garment that decayed, but others of the seed of Joseph would be preserved and “be taken unto [God]” to receive salvation.  It seems most likely that this would have been referring to the fact that most of the tribe of Joseph was carried away with the lost ten tribes in the 8^th century B.C. but that a remnant—Lehi and his family—were preserved and carried into the promised land.  Moroni used the story, though, to make a different application.  “And now who knoweth but what the remnant of the seed of Joseph, which shall perish as his garment, are those who have dissented from us? Yea, and even it shall be ourselves if we do not stand fast in the faith of Christ” (Alma 46:27).  I love how he applied the scriptures to the critical needs of this time, and surely we can do the same.  Which part of the coat of Joseph will we be?  Will we be like the portion that was preserved, “that part of his seed which shall be taken unto God,” or that part which decayed and was lost?