Laurel Lawrence class 10/21 House of Israel, Abrahamic Covenant

Mnemonic for 12 Tribes of Israel – L.B. J’s DENIM RAGZ: Levi, Benjamin, Judah, Simeon, Dan, Ephraim, Naphtali, Issachar, Manasseh, , Reuben, Asher, Gad, Zebulun.

Laurel actually wrote it out on a piece of denim.

When Lawrence’s were in a mission in Siberia, Laurel was very lonely, so she always looked forward to the mission presidents’ seminars. One year President Nelson, who was then an apostle, was the visiting authority. He was VERY interested in the Eastern Europe area. Their son even served a mission in Moscow. However, he didn’t teach about missionary work – he taught about the House of Israel. That is his passion.

Jacob 5 is the longest book in the Book of Mormon and is all about the scattering and gathering of Israel. 

The first Patriarchs were sent to Russia after the Lawrences left. It is important that patriarchs be able to give the blessings in the people’s native language.  All patriarchal blessings are sent to Utah to be stored there. When the first 100 blessings were sent, they found that every tribe of Israel was represented in the blessings from Russia. Nelson said the lost tribes of Israel have been found in the lands of the north.

The Russian people are beautiful, literate, and educated. They have tiny apartments but all have a wealth of good books. They are very fit because they have to walk everywhere, they are not wealthy but they all own fur coats.

The older generation people are not very friendly because of growing up in communism, but the younger generations are very friendly.

6 years after their mission, Lawrences went back to Russia as general authority seventy. This time they were in Moscow instead of Siberia. The members and missionaries there were very interested in learning about the House of Israel.

All of the House of Israel is only 3% of the total population. They are known to have “believing blood”.

This is the breakdown in Russia when Lawrences were there.

When a patriarch gives a blessing, he assigns that person to one of the tribes of the House of Israel, according to inspiration. We are all inter-related, so it is common for people of the same family to be of different tribes, according to what God want your life mission focus to be. If someone is not of the House of Israel, the patriarch will say, “You will receive your blessings through Abraham.

Lehi was a descendent of Menasseh; Ishmael was a descendent of Ephriam, so when the patriarch gives a blessing to a descendent of Lehi, he will just say that they are descended from Joseph. Mulekites were of the house of Judah.

Why the gathering is so important? In the war in heaven, it was shown who the more valiant people were, and those were put in the House of Israel. The people of the House of Israel have been elected to fight on the most wicked planet.

Abraham wanted the Priesthood and asked Melchizedek for it. He wanted to be exalted and promised to be faithful. Because of his faithfulness, he was promised Posterity, Property, and Priesthood. These are the blessings of exaltation.

  

D&C 101 – we each have to have a test like Abraham. The test will be something “we don’t deserve” – that’s what makes it so hard. Abraham was called to be a witness of God. He was called to se3rve a mission en Egypt, Heron. The scriptures say that he took his converts with him when he went back home. (Genesis and P of GP) Abraham paid tithing and kept the commandments.

Jacob’s name was changed to Israel, which means “Let God Prevail”, and “Soldier of God”.

The promise made to Abraham is called the Abrahamic Covenant, which is now called the new and Everlasting Covenant. Exaltation is done 2 by 2. Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob were all exalted and made Gods.

Not all Jews are of the house of Judah. Many Jews are from Levi or Benjamin.

Prophet Joseph Smith called Elder Orson Hyde of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles and George J. Adams on a mission to Russia “to introduce the fullness of the Gospel to the people of that vast empire, and [to this] is attached some of the most important things concerning the advancement and building up of the kingdom of God in the last days, which cannot be explained at this time.” History of the Church, 6:41

“All these rewards were seemingly promised, or foreordained, before the world was. Surely these matters must have been determined by the kind of lives we had lived in that premortal spirit world. Some may question these assumptions, but at the same time they will accept without any question the belief that each one of us will be judged when we leave this earth according to his or her deeds during our lives here in mortality. Isn’t it just as reasonable to believe that what we have received here in this earth [life] was given to each of us according to the merits of our conduct before we came here?” (Harold B. Lee, in Conference Report, Oct. 1973, 7–8; or Ensign, Jan. 1974, 5).

Join the Battalion, Help Gather Israel - President Russell M. Nelson
https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/ensign/2018/07/join-the-battalion-help-gather-israel?lang=eng

Read Born to Change the World.