Parley P. Pratt: Ephraim’s record comes forth before the gathering
proposed fulfillment
On: the stick of Joseph, which is in the hand of Ephraim
Source quotation · Parley P. Pratt, A Voice of Warning, eleventh edition (Salt Lake City: Deseret News Company, 1881), chapter IV, “The Book of Mormon—Origin of the American Indians, etc.,” pp. 153–156; three paragraphs from “Third: Were these writings” through “if they take pains to read it.”
Third: Were these writings to come forth just previously to the gathering of Israel? Answer: They were, according to Ezekiel, thirty-seventh chapter, where God commanded him to "Take one stick, and write upon it For Judah, and the children of Israel his companions; then take another stick, and write upon it For Joseph, the stick of Ephraim, and for all the house of Israel his companions; and join them one to another, into one stick, and they shall become one in thine hand. And when the children of thy people shall speak unto thee, saying, Wilt not thou show us what thou meanest by these? say unto them, Thus saith the Lord God, Behold, I will take the stick of Joseph, which is in the hand of Ephraim, and the tribes of Israel his fellows, and will put them with him, even with the stick of Judah, and make them one stick, and they shall be one in mine hand; and the sticks whereon thou writest shall be in thine hand before their eyes. And say unto them, Thus saith the Lord God, Behold, I will take the children of Israel from among the heathen, whither they be gone, and will gather them on every side, and bring them into their own land; and I will make them one nation in the land upon the mountains of Israel; and one king shall be king to them all: and they shall be no more two nations, neither shall they be divided into two kingdoms any more at all."
Now, nothing can be more plain than the above prophecy; there are presented two writings, the one to Ephraim, the other to Judah; that of Ephraim is to be brought forth by the Lord, and put with that of Judah, and they are to become one in their testimony, and grow together in this manner, in order to bring about the gathering of Israel. The eighty-fifth Psalm is very plain on the subject: speaking of the restoration of Israel to their own land, it says, "Mercy and Truth are met together; Righteousness and peace have kissed each other. Truth shall spring out of the earth: and Righteousness shall look down from heaven. Yea, the Lord shall give that which is good; and our land shall yield her increase. Righteousness shall go before Him, and shall set us in the way of His steps." Now the Savior, while praying for His disciples, said: "Sanctify them through Thy truth—Thy word is truth." From these passages we learn, that His word is to spring out of the earth, while Righteousness looks down from heaven. And the next thing that follows is, that Israel are set in the way of His steps, and partaking of the fruit of their own land. Jeremiah, xxxiii, 6, speaking of the final return from captivity of both Judah and Israel, says: "I will reveal unto them the abundance of peace and truth." And Isaiah, speaking of the everlasting covenant, which should gather them, makes this extraordinary and very remarkable expression: "Their seed shall be known amongst the Gentiles, and their offspring among the people." Now, reader, let me ask, can any one tell whether the Indians of America are of Israel, unless by revelation from God? Therefore this was a hidden mystery, which it was necessary to reveal in time for their gathering.
So much, then, we have produced from the Scriptures, in proof of a work, like the book of Mormon, making its appearance in these days; to say nothing of Isaiah, xxix. But says one, "What is the use of the Book of Mormon, even if it be true?" I answer: First, it brings to light an important history, before unknown to man. Second, it reveals the origin of the American Indians, which was before a mystery. Third, it contains important prophecies, yet to be fulfilled, which immediately concern the present generation. Fourth, it contains much plainness in regard to points of doctrine, insomuch that all may understand, and see eye to eye, if they take pains to read it.
A Voice of Warning · Eleventh edition, Deseret News Company, Salt Lake City, 1881. Project Gutenberg eBook 35554, Mormon Texts Project transcription. Chapters I (pp. 31–37), II (pp. 82–86) and IV (pp. 153–156). HTML formatting and paragraph whitespace normalized; original wording, quotations and reference numbering retained. Compared word by word with the Internet Archive warninginvoiceof00pratrich (1881) scan text; pages 82 and 84 viewed. No passages omitted within the selected units.
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Public-domain 1881 edition in the United States: https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/35554. Transcription by the Mormon Texts Project volunteers. Project Gutenberg license: https://www.gutenberg.org/policy/license.html.
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Third: Were these writings to come forth just previously to the gathering of Israel? Answer: They were, according to Ezekiel, thirty-seventh chapter, where God commanded him to "Take one stick, and write upon it For Judah, and the children of Israel his companions; then take another stick, and write upon it For Joseph, the stick of Ephraim, and for all the house of Israel his companions; and join them one to another, into one stick, and they shall become one in thine hand. And when the children of thy people shall speak unto thee, saying, Wilt not thou show us what thou meanest by these? say unto them, Thus saith the Lord God, Behold, I will take the stick of Joseph, which is in the hand of Ephraim, and the tribes of Israel his fellows, and will put them with him, even with the stick of Judah, and make them one stick, and they shall be one in mine hand; and the sticks whereon thou writest shall be in thine hand before their eyes. And say unto them, Thus saith the Lord God, Behold, I will take the children of Israel from among the heathen, whither they be gone, and will gather them on every side, and bring them into their own land; and I will make them one nation in the land upon the mountains of Israel; and one king shall be king to them all: and they shall be no more two nations, neither shall they be divided into two kingdoms any more at all."
Now, nothing can be more plain than the above prophecy; there are presented two writings, the one to Ephraim, the other to Judah; that of Ephraim is to be brought forth by the Lord, and put with that of Judah, and they are to become one in their testimony, and grow together in this manner, in order to bring about the gathering of Israel. The eighty-fifth Psalm is very plain on the subject: speaking of the restoration of Israel to their own land, it says, "Mercy and Truth are met together; Righteousness and peace have kissed each other. Truth shall spring out of the earth: and Righteousness shall look down from heaven. Yea, the Lord shall give that which is good; and our land shall yield her increase. Righteousness shall go before Him, and shall set us in the way of His steps." Now the Savior, while praying for His disciples, said: "Sanctify them through Thy truth—Thy word is truth." From these passages we learn, that His word is to spring out of the earth, while Righteousness looks down from heaven. And the next thing that follows is, that Israel are set in the way of His steps, and partaking of the fruit of their own land. Jeremiah, xxxiii, 6, speaking of the final return from captivity of both Judah and Israel, says: "I will reveal unto them the abundance of peace and truth." And Isaiah, speaking of the everlasting covenant, which should gather them, makes this extraordinary and very remarkable expression: "Their seed shall be known amongst the Gentiles, and their offspring among the people." Now, reader, let me ask, can any one tell whether the Indians of America are of Israel, unless by revelation from God? Therefore this was a hidden mystery, which it was necessary to reveal in time for their gathering.
So much, then, we have produced from the Scriptures, in proof of a work, like the book of Mormon, making its appearance in these days; to say nothing of Isaiah, xxix. But says one, "What is the use of the Book of Mormon, even if it be true?" I answer: First, it brings to light an important history, before unknown to man. Second, it reveals the origin of the American Indians, which was before a mystery. Third, it contains important prophecies, yet to be fulfilled, which immediately concern the present generation. Fourth, it contains much plainness in regard to points of doctrine, insomuch that all may understand, and see eye to eye, if they take pains to read it.
Pratt identifies the Book of Mormon as the stick of Joseph
proposed fulfillment
On: write upon it, For Joseph, the stick of Ephraim
Source quotation · Orson Pratt, as reported by David W. Evans, 25 January 1874; Journal of Discourses 16, pp. 350–351, two paragraphs from “Now let us come to” through “under the name of Christianity.”
Now let us come to those passages of Scripture which I read at the commencement of my discourse. The thirty-seventh chapter of Ezekiel informs us that before God should restore the House of Israel to their own lands he would bring forth the stick of Joseph, written upon for Joseph, and put it with the stick of Judah, written upon for Judah, and that he would make these two records one in his own hands; and then, for fear the children of Israel would not understand what Ezekiel meant by writing upon one stick for Joseph, the stick of Ephraim, and then writing upon the second stick for Judah, he was required to hold up these two sticks, after having joined them in one before the children of Israel, and then says the Lord—"When the children of thy people shall speak unto thee, saying, Wilt thou not show us what thou meanest by these two sticks, written upon for these two tribes, say unto them, thus saith the Lord God, Behold I will take the stick of Ephraim, the stick of Joseph, and I will put it with the stick of Judah, and they shall become one in mine hands; but the sticks whereon thou writest shall be in thine hands before their eyes;" showing that that which was in Ezekiel's hands was to typify that which the Lord said should be in his own hands.
Now you see that this record of the tribe of Joseph, called the Book of Mormon, agrees in all its particulars, so far as doctrine is concerned, with the record of the tribe of Judah; hence the testimony of two nations should be a witness to all people, nations and tongues respecting the truth of Christianity: and instead of doing away with Christianity, the Book of Mormon—the record or stick of Joseph, is an additional testimony to the great and important truths contained in the Bible; it is a testimony against the corruptions that have been introduced into the world under the name of Christianity.
Orson Pratt on the stick of Joseph and the times of the Gentiles · Journal of Discourses, vol. 16 (Liverpool: Joseph F. Smith), discourse by Orson Pratt delivered in the Fourteenth Ward Assembly Rooms, Salt Lake City, Sunday afternoon, 25 January 1874, reported by David W. Evans, beginning p. 339. Selected units pp. 350–351; pp. 352–353. JournalofDiscourses.com transcription retrieved 30 September 2026, collated word by word against the Internet Archive JoDV16 OCR text layer, with page images inspected where the witnesses differed; wording and spelling follow the print, punctuation and capitalization follow the electronic witness. HTML markup removed and whitespace normalized. No passages omitted within selected units. Print readings restored: “in their apostasy” → “in their apostacy”.
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Now let us come to those passages of Scripture which I read at the commencement of my discourse. The thirty-seventh chapter of Ezekiel informs us that before God should restore the House of Israel to their own lands he would bring forth the stick of Joseph, written upon for Joseph, and put it with the stick of Judah, written upon for Judah, and that he would make these two records one in his own hands; and then, for fear the children of Israel would not understand what Ezekiel meant by writing upon one stick for Joseph, the stick of Ephraim, and then writing upon the second stick for Judah, he was required to hold up these two sticks, after having joined them in one before the children of Israel, and then says the Lord—"When the children of thy people shall speak unto thee, saying, Wilt thou not show us what thou meanest by these two sticks, written upon for these two tribes, say unto them, thus saith the Lord God, Behold I will take the stick of Ephraim, the stick of Joseph, and I will put it with the stick of Judah, and they shall become one in mine hands; but the sticks whereon thou writest shall be in thine hands before their eyes;" showing that that which was in Ezekiel's hands was to typify that which the Lord said should be in his own hands.
Now you see that this record of the tribe of Joseph, called the Book of Mormon, agrees in all its particulars, so far as doctrine is concerned, with the record of the tribe of Judah; hence the testimony of two nations should be a witness to all people, nations and tongues respecting the truth of Christianity: and instead of doing away with Christianity, the Book of Mormon—the record or stick of Joseph, is an additional testimony to the great and important truths contained in the Bible; it is a testimony against the corruptions that have been introduced into the world under the name of Christianity.
The 1840 Nauvoo conference: the time for the Jews’ return has arrived
proposed fulfillment
On: bring them into their own land
Linked by Rainbow Watch. The conference letter does not quote a particular verse; it cites “declarations contained in the oracles of God” for the Jews’ return. Ezekiel 37:21 is linked here as a representative promise of the return to the land, not as the letter’s own citation.
Source quotation · Letter of commendation from the conference at Nauvoo, 6 April 1840, signed by Joseph Smith Jr., chairman, and Robert B. Thompson, clerk, appointing Orson Hyde and John E. Page; printed in Orson Hyde, A Voice from Jerusalem (Liverpool, 1842), pp. iv–v. Two paragraphs from “Be it known” through “throughout the United States.”; the greeting, the closing recommendation and the signatures are omitted.
Be it known that we, the constituted authorities of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, assembled in Conference, at Nauvoo, Hancock county, and State of Illinois, on this sixth day of April, in the year of our Lord, one thousand eight hundred and forty, consider an important event at hand—an event involving the interest and fate of the Gentile nations throughout the world. From the signs of the times, and from declarations contained in the oracles of God, we are forced to come to this conclusion. The Jewish nation have been scattered abroad among the Gentiles for a long period; and, in our estimation, the time of the commencement of their return to the "holy land" has already arrived.
As this scattered and persecuted people are set among the Gentiles as a sign unto them of the second coming of the Messiah, and also, of the overthrow of the present kingdoms and governments of the earth by the potency of his Almighty arm, in scattering famine and pestilence like the frosts and snows of winter, and in sending the sword, with nation against nation to bathe it in each others blood; it his highly important, in our opinion, that the present views and movements of the Jewish people be sought after, and laid before the American people for their consideration, their profit and their learning; feeling it to be our duty to employ the most efficient means in our power to save the children of men from the "abomination that maketh desolate," we have, by the counsel of the Holy Spirit, appointed Elders Orson Hyde and John E. Page, the bearers of these presents, faithful and worthy ministers of Jesus Christ, to be our agents and representatives in foreign lands, to visit the cities of London, Amsterdam, Constantinople and Jerusalem, and also other places which they may deem expedient; to converse with the priests, rulers, and elders of the Jews, and obtain from them all the information possible; and communicate the same to some principal papers for publication, that it may have a general circulation throughout the United States.
A Voice from Jerusalem · Orson Hyde, A Voice from Jerusalem, or a Sketch of the Travels and Ministry of Elder Orson Hyde (Liverpool: P. P. Pratt, 1842), Letter III, dated Alexandria, 22 November 1841, pp. 28–32. Project Gutenberg eBook 46208 (Mormon Texts Project transcription), retrieved 30 September 2026, compared word by word with the Internet Archive voicefromjerusal00hyde OCR text layer; printed p. 29 visually checked. One omission in the transcription restored from print: “unto thee, O Father!” HTML markup removed and whitespace normalized; italics rendered plain. No passages omitted within the selected unit.
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Public-domain English edition published in 1842. Project Gutenberg license: https://www.gutenberg.org/policy/license.html. Print witness: https://archive.org/details/voicefromjerusal00hyde
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Be it known that we, the constituted authorities of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, assembled in Conference, at Nauvoo, Hancock county, and State of Illinois, on this sixth day of April, in the year of our Lord, one thousand eight hundred and forty, consider an important event at hand—an event involving the interest and fate of the Gentile nations throughout the world. From the signs of the times, and from declarations contained in the oracles of God, we are forced to come to this conclusion. The Jewish nation have been scattered abroad among the Gentiles for a long period; and, in our estimation, the time of the commencement of their return to the "holy land" has already arrived.
As this scattered and persecuted people are set among the Gentiles as a sign unto them of the second coming of the Messiah, and also, of the overthrow of the present kingdoms and governments of the earth by the potency of his Almighty arm, in scattering famine and pestilence like the frosts and snows of winter, and in sending the sword, with nation against nation to bathe it in each others blood; it his highly important, in our opinion, that the present views and movements of the Jewish people be sought after, and laid before the American people for their consideration, their profit and their learning; feeling it to be our duty to employ the most efficient means in our power to save the children of men from the "abomination that maketh desolate," we have, by the counsel of the Holy Spirit, appointed Elders Orson Hyde and John E. Page, the bearers of these presents, faithful and worthy ministers of Jesus Christ, to be our agents and representatives in foreign lands, to visit the cities of London, Amsterdam, Constantinople and Jerusalem, and also other places which they may deem expedient; to converse with the priests, rulers, and elders of the Jews, and obtain from them all the information possible; and communicate the same to some principal papers for publication, that it may have a general circulation throughout the United States.