Lessons from Joseph of Egypt

{Presiding Patriarch of the Church) ¶

At the sight of this wonderful congregation here, this morning my heart and soul are filled with blessing for this people, and praise to our Lord and Redeemer who sacrificed his life upon the cross for us and who, in these the last days, has restored to the earth the wonderful plan of redemption, that we all, through obedience unto that plan, may come back into the presence of our maker. I suppose about ninety-eight, or more, per cent of this wonderful congregation here today are descendants of that Joseph who was sold by his brothers, and are of the lineage of his favored son Ephraim. Despised by most of his brothers, and, separated from them, and taken into a strange land, Joseph was protected and blessed. The Lord ¶

made of him an instrument through which salvation came to many people, — a valuable lesson that you and I today, and in fact the whole world, if they will only learn it, may appreciate and enjoy. Without reading the scripture, I should like to refer those who do read the Bible to the life and history of that wonderful youth of the Lord. He was so blessed that the Lord manifested his power unto him. That power was so arranged that not only the people of his own race, his own family, were saved from famine and from many other conditions of life, but whole nations of people were saved. In fact the whole plan of his mission and ministry is a type of the great plan of salvation which the Lord taught unto Joseph Smith and which he in turn taught the people would come to pass in the last days. Just a verse or two: ¶

"And when money failed in the land of Egypt, and in the land of Canaan, ¶

all the Egyptians came unto Joseph and said: Give us bread, for why should we die in thy presence? For the money faileth." * * * ¶

And Joseph said: "Give your cattle; and I will give you for your cattle, if money fail. And they brought their cattle unto Joseph, and Joseph gave them bread in exchange for horses, and for the flocks, and for the cattle of the herds, and for the asses; and he fed them with bread, for all their cattle, for that year." The nex': year the same, and so on, until, they had given all their money and all their cattle, and when all their earthly possessions had gone, they finally came and offered themselves to Joseph and to Pharaoh that they might be saved alive; and (because they did give all of their possessions, their lands and actually themselves, they sacrificed all that they had in order to he saved, through the blessings of the Almighty, through the ministry and mission of one of his chosen servants who was led away into a strange land and in a peculiar manner. ¶

"Then Joseph said unto the people, Behold, I have bought you this day and your land, for Pharaoh; lo, here is seed for you, and you shall sow the land. And it shall come to pass, in the increase that ye shall give the fifth part unto Pharaoh; and four parts shall be your own for seed of the field, and for your food,, and for them of your households, and for food for your little ones. * * *" ¶

The thought is this, brethren and sisters, after they were saved alive, that was not sufficient. The Lord in his mercy provided for them to continue to live, to continue to live through working the lands which they had sacrificed for their living, and for their very existence, literally for their salvation. They were to continue to labor in the land and to have their actual salvation in that land, but they were to honor the rulers and the leaders of the land through giving them one-fifth of their increase. We are not asked to give quite that much. ¶

I would like to refer you now to the more modern scripture upon this very subject. A descendant of this Joseph who was carried away from his brothers through his mission and ministry by the blessings of the Almighty did bring about literal salvation, not only to his own family but to all of the people of the land who rendered their service unto him. Reading from the third chapter of Second Nephi, concerning a descendant of this Joseph, of whom I have spoken: "And thus prophesied Joseph: "Behold, that seer will the Lord bless ; and they that seek to destroy him shall be confounded for this promise, which I have obtained from the Lord, of the fruit of my loins, shall be fulfilled. Behold I am sure of the fulfilling of this promise; ¶

"And his name shall be called after me; and it shall be after the name of his father. And he shall be like unto me : for the thing which the Lord shall bring forth by his hand, but the power of the Lord shall bring my people unto salvation." ¶

I testify to you, my brethren and sisters, that the work which was entrusted into the hands of Joseph the Prophet, in these the last days, is to be a literal type. In other words, it is the actual restoration of this great plan of redemption which will not only save the house of Joseph, not only to save you and me who are here, representatives of that great family in Israel through our lineage and our obedience, but, it will save all who come in from the lands surrounding us, from the nations of the world, who render obedience unto the laws that govern it. Its fulfilment will be literal in these the last days. I testify to you, my brethren and sisters, that we are enjoying today the blessings of plenty, the blessings of the productions of the land; and as a servant of the Lord, I give thanks to our Father for those glorious blessings. I praise and thank him for the glorious plan of redemption, and trust that we shall return unto him that portion of our increase which he requires at our hands, and continue to live and enjoy the blessings of this land of Joseph; and in these the last days be instruments in the hands of God to bring about this literal salvation to the souls of men, that we may not only enjoy the blessings of our home and our lands, but that we may enjoy those unto ■ his chosen children, that we may live, unitedly together, sharing our blessings, and our privileges and returning unto God the faith and works which he requires at our hands, that we may continue to live. In so doing we will not only honor ourselves and receive our blessings as they have been promised, according to the records, as they were promised to that Joseph who was sold by his brothers, and to our Prophet Joseph Smith who was raised up of the Lord in these the last days, but we shall enjoy the blessings as they have been multiplied unto us in these the last days, to (bring about that wonderful and glorious salvation of the souls of all men. We sang yesterday that song about Joseph who gave his life as a martyr, for ¶

his testimony concerning the work which the Lord entrusted into his hands. I should like to read again the last verse of that song: ¶

Sacrifice brings forth the blessings of heaven. ¶

Earth must atone for the blood of that man. Wake up the world for the conflict of justice. ¶

Millions shall know brother Joseph again. ¶

Hail to the prophet- — and so forth. ¶

His life and ministry were an actual type in fulfilment of that type which was given to Joseph who was sold into Egypt, to bring about the great plan of redemption, that we may all, after we have made our sacrifices, through giving into the Lord that portion which he requires, — in service, and the fruits of our labors, — continue to live and enjoy the blessings of heaven and earth,, which blessings I pray for, for us all, in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen. ¶