A Remnant of the Seed of Joseph

Our chapel was built a long time ago and the wall behind the stand has a unique design of variously shaped stones in it. When I was there this week someone showed me that a few of the stones were put in place intentionally to represent Joseph of Egypt. There was clearly a stone shaped like a head, and then some other variously colored stones representing the body with a coat of many colors were placed below. Those were only a few stones among hundreds, but it was fun to see a representation of Joseph hidden in there. In perhaps a similar manner, Joseph of Egypt is not prominent in the Book of Mormon text, but he is referenced a few times and in unexpected places. Though his story does not play a major role in the narrative, the writers spoke of him enough for us to see that he was an important prophet for the Nephites.

               We find references to Joseph in Egypt from all of the major writers in the Book of Mormon. Each of them highlighted the fact that they were descendants of Joseph. Of course the most noticeable place is in the words of Lehi, recorded by Nephi, in which he spoke to his son Joseph about how Joseph in Egypt saw their day and how he, Lehi, was “a descendant of Joseph who was carried captive into Egypt” (2 Nephi 3:4). He recounted some of the prophecies of Joseph and gave us priceless words of Joseph that we don’t have in the Bible. Nephi also highlighted as soon as they got the plates that they discovered they were from Joseph: “And it came to pass that my father, Lehi, also found upon the plates of brass a genealogy of his fathers; wherefore he knew that he was a descendant of Joseph; yea, even that Joseph who was the son of Jacob, who was sold into Egypt, and who was preserved by the hand of the Lord, that he might preserve his father, Jacob, and all his household from perishing with famine…. For it sufficeth me to say that we are descendants of Joseph” (1 Nephi 5:14, 6:2). Jacob also gave us a few of the words of the Lord concerning how they were a branch of Joseph: “Wherefore, thus saith the Lord, I have led this people forth out of the land of Jerusalem, by the power of mine arm, that I might raise up unto me a righteous branch from the fruit of the loins of Joseph” (Jacob 2:25). The Nephites were, if they would keep the commandments of the Lord, a righteous posterity of Joseph.

            Others similarly referenced Joseph and how they were a remnant from him. Captain Moroni used his story to motivate the Nephite soldiers: “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, and we be cast into prison, or be sold, or be slain. Yea, let us preserve our liberty as a remnant of Joseph; yea, 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 46:23-24). Joseph’s story was for Captain Moroni directly applicable to their challenges especially because they were a remnant of his seed. Even the Savior, when He visited the Nephites, highlighted that the Nephites were from Joseph: “Ye are my disciples; and ye are a light unto this people, who are a remnant of the house of Joseph” (3 Nephi 15:12). Mormon, in addition to including these and other references, said this: “Behold, our father Jacob also testified concerning a remnant of the seed of Joseph. And behold, are not we a remnant of the seed of Joseph? And these things which testify of us, are they not written upon the plates of brass which our father Lehi brought out of Jerusalem?” (3 Nephi 10:17) To him being a descendant of Joseph was of upmost importance, and Moroni showed why it should be significant for us today: “And that a New Jerusalem should be built up upon this land, unto the remnant of the seed of Joseph, for which things there has been a type. For as Joseph brought his father down into the land of Egypt, even so he died there; wherefore, the Lord brought a remnant of the seed of Joseph out of the land of Jerusalem, that he might be merciful unto the seed of Joseph that they should perish not, even as he was merciful unto the father of Joseph that he should perish not” (Ether 13:6-7). Most members of the church in the latter days have their lineage through Joseph, and this implies great blessings and responsibilities. In particular, we are to build up the New Jerusalem, a task yet to be done. Even as Joseph and his family were preserved from the famine, so too will we be preserved physically and spiritually if we are part of the city of Zion as the events preceding the Savior’s Second Coming unfold. We can rejoice in being numbered among the seed of Joseph, and most importantly his life can inspire us to live with the kind of virtue and faithfulness that he had.