What Patriarchs Say

Mark E. Petersen
Joseph of Egypt, Chapter Four

I have included this chapter from Mark E. Petersen's book Joseph of Egypt as a reference on what lineages Patriarchs are seeing coming into the Church during this dispensation. From this 1980 survey of Patriarchal blessings it can be seen that those from the lineages of the lost tribes are a comparative handful, with the tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh the dominant tribes.

Patriarchal blessings clearly point out that it is the tribe of Joseph that is carrying forward the last dispensation. And how could it be otherwise?

The Ten Tribes are still lost. The Jews are being gathered to the Holy Land. Many, of course, still live in other parts of the world. In New York, for example, there are more Jews than there are in Jerusalem. But they are not interested in taking part as yet in this latter-day drama. Their time will come, centering at Jerusalem, in all probability, when the Lord returns.

So it is Joseph who is doing the present-day work through The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Patriarchal blessings give the lineage of Church members receiving the blessings, and they are predominantly of Joseph.

For example, three different patriarchs in Great Britain report that of their blessings, very few indeed show a lineage other than that of Ephraim. One of those patriarchs has given more than six hundred blessings, another five hundred, and the third more than three hundred. Each reports that of all his blessings, not more than half a dozen declare a lineage other than of Ephraim.

This clearly shows that Great Britain is a land of Ephraim. But the same thing may be said of other European countries. They too are Ephraim. Converts by the thousands have come from there. It is not expected, of course, that all of the millions in Europe will join the Church. The scripture says that the way is strait and narrow "and few there be that find it." (Matt. 7:14Matt. 7:14.) But those who do come are primarily of Ephraim. And Ephraim is a son of Joseph.

Throughout the Polynesian islands and Latin America the blood of Manasseh is dominant.

In Mexico, patriarchs report that 75 percent of the blessings indicate the lineage of Manasseh and 25 percent, of Ephraim. Only two or three blessings out of hundreds given mention any other tribe.

In Peru one patriarch in a given period gave 95 blessings, of which 90 indicated the blood of Manasseh, 3 of Ephraim, and 2 of Abraham.

Another patriarch in the same area gave 347 blessings in a given period, of which 122 were of Ephraim, 130 of Manasseh, 90 of Joseph, 2 of Ashur, 2 of Benjamin, and 1 of Levi.

Another patriarch in that land has given over nine hundred blessings, of which 90 percent are of Manasseh and the rest of Ephraim, except for a half dozen referring to other tribes.

In New Zealand virtually all of the Europeans are declared to be of Ephraim and the Polynesians of Manasseh, with a few declared simply to be of Joseph.

In Tonga the patriarchs report that 75 percent of their blessings show a lineage of Manasseh and 25 percent of Ephraim. Out of many blessings given, only 4 were related to other tribes.

It is interesting to see how the blessings occur in still other lands. In Hong Kong, out of 326 blessings, 323 were of Ephraim and 3 of Manasseh.

In Taiwan, out of a group of 210 blessings, all were of Ephraim. In the Philippines every blessing given by the patriarchs there declared a lineage of Ephraim.

In Japan, out of 2,641 blessings, 1,326 were shown to be of Joseph, 444 specifically of Ephraim, and 871 of Manasseh. No other tribes were mentioned.

In Italy, out of 150 blessings, all were declared of Ephraim. No exceptions.

In France one patriarch reported on 300 blessings of which 280 were of Ephraim and the rest of Manasseh except a few of Judah.

Another French patriarch gave 94 blessings, all showing a line of Ephraim except one of Judah. A third French patriarch just beginning his work said that all of his blessings thus far showed the line of Ephraim.

In Argentina, out of 100 blessings given, 66 were of Ephraim and 33 of Manasseh, with one from another tribe.

Out of 100 blessings in Chile, 60 were of Ephraim and 40 of Manasseh. From 100 blessings given in Uruguay, 21 were of Ephraim, 76 of Manasseh, and 3 from other tribes. In North America nearly all Indians are shown to be of Manasseh. The sifting of the blood of Joseph and his sons Ephraim and Manasseh to all parts of the world is nothing short of miraculous. And it is likewise obviously an act of Providence that the Latter-day Saints being brought into the Church in all parts of the world are overwhelmingly of the blood of Joseph.

It is highly significant in the light of the prophecies concerning Joseph and his latter-day mission.