Docsity
Docsity

Prepare for your exams
Prepare for your exams

Study with the several resources on Docsity


Earn points to download
Earn points to download

Earn points by helping other students or get them with a premium plan


Guidelines and tips
Guidelines and tips

The Everlasting Inheritance of Abraham and His Seed: The Promise of Land and Priesthood, Lecture notes of Humanities

The biblical promises made to Abraham and his descendants regarding an everlasting inheritance of land and the priesthood. The text delves into the historical context of these promises, their fulfillment throughout history, and their significance for modern-day believers. It also discusses the importance of Abraham as the 'father of nations' and the role of his posterity in administering saving ordinances and binding families together for eternity.

Typology: Lecture notes

2021/2022

Uploaded on 09/12/2022

beatryx
beatryx 🇺🇸

4.6

(16)

291 documents

1 / 6

Toggle sidebar

This page cannot be seen from the preview

Don't miss anything!

bg1
“A strange land . . . I will give unto thy seed after
thee for an everlasting possession” (Abraham 2:6; see
also Genesis 12:7; 13:14–15; JST, Genesis 15:9–12;
Genesis 15:18; 17:8).
This blessing specifically refers to the land “from the
river of Egypt [not the Nile, but a river that separates
Egypt from Israel] unto . . . the river Euphrates”
(Genesis 15:18), which actually goes beyond the
boundaries of what we usually call Canaan (or Israel,
or Palestine). Since the time of Abraham, some or all
of that extended area has been inhabited by
Abraham’s posterity through Ishmael, Isaac, and the
sons of Keturah. When the Lord renewed the
covenant with Abraham’s grandson Jacob, he
indicated that the children of Israel would have the
land of Canaan as an inheritance but would also
spread “to the west, and to the east, and to the
north, and to the south” (Genesis 28:14).
For example, the posterity of Jacob’s (Israel’s) son
Joseph were promised a special land beyond Canaan
where they would “push the people together to the
ends of the earth” (Deuteronomy 33:17; see vv.
13–17; see also Genesis 49:22–26). This prophecy
refers to the Western Hemisphere, where the people
of the Book of Mormon—who were descendants of
Joseph—settled and where the gospel was restored in
the latter days to those of the tribe of Ephraim who
were mixed among the Gentiles. (Ephraim was
Joseph’s birthright son; Brigham Young said that
“Joseph Smith was a pure Ephraimite” [Discourses of
Brigham Young, 322].) Furthermore, Joseph Smith
taught that “the whole of America is Zion itself from
north to south” (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph
Smith, 362), where it is prophesied that others of the
lost tribes gather to receive their blessings of the
Abrahamic covenant “by the hands of . . . the
children of Ephraim” (D&C 133:32; see vv. 26–34).
The Lord even designated a place in North America
for the city of Zion (see D&C 57:1–3), the place of
the New Jerusalem (see D&C 84:2–5).
All of the tribes, or families, of Israel will yet receive
inheritances in the land of Canaan, but the land has
been noted especially as a gathering place for the
tribe of Judah (see D&C 109:62–64).
Ultimately, this promise of an “everlasting”
inheritance of land is fulfilled when the righteous
inherit the earth in its glorified state (see JST, Genesis
15:9–12; D&C 45:57–59; 63:20; 88:17–20).
93
THE ABRAHAMIC COVENANT
Promises Explanatory Notes
Land
35852 7. PofGP AbrCovenant 11-22-2006 10:31 AM Page 93
pf3
pf4
pf5

Partial preview of the text

Download The Everlasting Inheritance of Abraham and His Seed: The Promise of Land and Priesthood and more Lecture notes Humanities in PDF only on Docsity!

“A strange land... I will give unto thy seed after thee for an everlasting possession” (Abraham 2:6; see also Genesis 12:7; 13:14–15; JST, Genesis 15:9–12; Genesis 15:18; 17:8).

This blessing specifically refers to the land “from the river of Egypt [not the Nile, but a river that separates Egypt from Israel] unto... the river Euphrates” (Genesis 15:18), which actually goes beyond the boundaries of what we usually call Canaan (or Israel, or Palestine). Since the time of Abraham, some or all of that extended area has been inhabited by Abraham’s posterity through Ishmael, Isaac, and the sons of Keturah. When the Lord renewed the covenant with Abraham’s grandson Jacob, he indicated that the children of Israel would have the land of Canaan as an inheritance but would also spread “to the west, and to the east, and to the north, and to the south” (Genesis 28:14). For example, the posterity of Jacob’s (Israel’s) son Joseph were promised a special land beyond Canaan where they would “push the people together to the ends of the earth” (Deuteronomy 33:17; see vv. 13–17; see also Genesis 49:22–26). This prophecy refers to the Western Hemisphere, where the people of the Book of Mormon—who were descendants of Joseph—settled and where the gospel was restored in the latter days to those of the tribe of Ephraim who were mixed among the Gentiles. (Ephraim was Joseph’s birthright son; Brigham Young said that “Joseph Smith was a pure Ephraimite” [ Discourses of Brigham Young, 322].) Furthermore, Joseph Smith taught that “the whole of America is Zion itself from north to south” ( Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, 362), where it is prophesied that others of the lost tribes gather to receive their blessings of the Abrahamic covenant “by the hands of... the children of Ephraim” (D&C 133:32; see vv. 26–34). The Lord even designated a place in North America for the city of Zion (see D&C 57:1–3), the place of the New Jerusalem (see D&C 84:2–5). All of the tribes, or families, of Israel will yet receive inheritances in the land of Canaan, but the land has been noted especially as a gathering place for the tribe of Judah (see D&C 109:62–64). Ultimately, this promise of an “everlasting” inheritance of land is fulfilled when the righteous inherit the earth in its glorified state (see JST, Genesis 15:9–12; D&C 45:57–59; 63:20; 88:17–20).

THE ABRAHAMIC COVENANT

Promises Explanatory Notes

Land

  1. “I will take thee, to put upon thee my name, even the Priesthood” (Abraham 1:18).
  2. “Through thy ministry my name shall be known in the earth forever” (Abraham 1:19; see also Abraham 2:9).
  3. “I will... make thy name great among all nations” (Abraham 2:9; see also Genesis 12:2).
  4. “I will bless them that bless thee, and curse them that curse thee” (Abraham 2:11; see also Genesis 12:3).
  5. “This right [of the priesthood] shall continue in thee, and in thy seed” (Abraham 2:11). 1. As he desired (see Abraham 1:2–4), Abraham received the priesthood, which is the authority to act in the name of God. He received the priesthood from Melchizedek (see D&C 84:14). 2. In addition to preaching the gospel as the Lord’s representatives, this blessing is fulfilled when priesthood bearers administer ordinances, such as baptism, the sacrament, or temple ordinances, that make known the name of the Lord by requiring individuals to take upon them that name (see D&C 20:37, 77; 109:22, 26). 3. We know that there is “no other name given... whereby salvation can come unto the children of men, only in and through the name of Christ” (Mosiah 3:17). Because Abraham’s posterity have Christ’s name put upon them and the people of the world know his name because of them (see Abraham 1:18–19), the name of Abraham becomes “great,” or very important and prominent, to all in the whole world who seek eternal life. In other words, Abraham’s name is great because he presides over his posterity who administer the blessings of eternal life to all the world. These blessings are called the “dispensation of the gospel of Abraham” (D&C 110:12) and were restored by Elias on 3 April 1836 in the Kirtland temple. Because these keys were restored, all mankind has access to the blessings of exaltation for themselves and their posterity.
  6. This is a promised blessing for those who bear the priesthood and are righteously representing the Savior.
  7. See “Posterity,” number 5, in this chart.

Priesthood and Gospel Blessings

Posterity

  1. “I will make of thee a great nation” (Abraham 2:9). 1. In this case, great seems to mean “mighty” or “prominent” and refers to the quality of life the Lord gives to his people (or “nation”) by allowing them to have the gospel and live its principles. The gospel makes all people “great” who live it. Abraham’s seed are also prominent because they bear the authority to perform saving ordinances
  1. “As many as receive this Gospel shall be called after thy name, and shall be accounted thy seed, and shall rise up and bless thee, as their father” (Abraham 2:10; see also Isaiah 51:1–2). 6. Before Abraham, the saving ordinances of the gospel were administered through fathers, in a patriarchal order (see D&C 107:40–56). Abraham’s father apostatized and did not have authority to administer these ordinances to Abraham as Abraham desired (see Abraham 1:2–5). Because of Abraham’s great desire, faith, and obedience, he received the blessings of the priesthood from those who had authority to give them as well as the right to administer them to his posterity. This opened a new dispensation of the gospel—with Abraham set up as the “father”—wherein all who desired these same blessings for themselves and their posterity could receive them in the way Abraham did. Because Abraham received the promise that his posterity would have the right to the priesthood from his day until the end of the world, all who desire the blessings of the saving priesthood ordinances receive them at the hand of Abraham and his descendants. In this way, regardless of whether the blood of Abraham literally flows in their veins, all who accept the gospel become the children of Abraham. We should note that the Prophet Joseph Smith said that “the effect of the Holy Ghost upon a Gentile, is to purge out the old blood, and make him actually of the seed of Abraham” ( Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, 150), so all who are baptized and receive the Holy Ghost are actually sons and daughters of Abraham. Furthermore, Christ was a descendant of Abraham and is the one who made possible the fulfillment of all the blessings promised to Abraham (see JST, Genesis 15:9–12). When individuals receive the gospel and are born again, they become sons and daughters of Christ (see Mosiah 5:7) and, consequently, his heirs. Christ was the first to fully obtain all of the blessings promised to Abraham. Only by first becoming sons and daughters of Christ may we qualify as heirs of all that the Father has (see D&C 84:38), which is what was promised to Abraham and his seed (see Galatians 3:27–29; see also “Salvation and Eternal Life,” no. 3, in this chart). Taking upon oneself the name of Christ is the most important way to be a son or daughter of Abraham. If an individual is of the literal posterity of Abraham but never accepts the gospel of Christ, he or she becomes disinherited with regards to the covenant and its blessings (see 2 Nephi 30:2). This is why the Book of Mormon emphasizes that the children of Abraham must not only come to know who they are as a people, but they must be gathered to Christ and restored to their covenant relationship with him (see 2 Nephi 30:4–5).
  1. “He [Abraham] will command his children... and they shall keep the way of the Lord, to do justice and judgment” (Genesis 18:19). 7. From the beginning of his record, Abraham expressed a desire to not only receive the blessings of the gospel in this life and eternal life in the world to come but to administer these blessings to his posterity (see Abraham 1:2–4). Those who claim Abraham as their father will “do the works of Abraham” (John 8:39), which include bringing up children “in light and truth” (D&C 93:40).

Salvation and Eternal Life

  1. “In thy seed after thee... shall all the families of the earth be blessed” (Abraham 2:11; see also Genesis 12:3; 18:18; 22:18).
  2. “I will bless thee above measure...

“... And in thy seed after thee... shall all the families of the earth be blessed, even with the blessings of the Gospel, which are the blessings of salvation, even of life eternal” (Abraham 2:9, 11; see also Genesis 12:2).

  1. The families of the earth are blessed through Abraham because his posterity gives them the blessings of the gospel, which bring “peace in this world, and eternal life in the world to come” (D&C 59:23) Families are even more specifically blessed through the Abrahamic covenant because the crowning blessing of this covenant is eternal marriage (see “Posterity,” no. 3, in this chart). Through this sacred ordinance, parents are bound to their posterity for eternity. In addition, because of keys restored by the prophet Elijah (see D&C 110:13–16), the posterity of Abraham may also perform ordinances in temples for their deceased ancestors and others. Through these priesthood ordinances performed by the seed of Abraham, which include celestial marriage for the living and the dead, families can be eternally bound together. Those who do not accept these ordinances and covenants “remain separately and singly [meaning without marriage and family], without exaltation... to all eternity” (D&C 132:17). Ultimately, the greatest way in which families of the earth are blessed through Abraham’s seed is through the Atonement of Jesus Christ, a son of Abraham in the flesh. Blessings of the Atonement come to all the families of the earth (see 1 Corinthians 15:21–22; Mormon 9:12–23).
  2. Through Jesus Christ it is possible to have all of the blessings of eternal life. Abraham knew of Christ, saw the work He performed, and believed in Him. This knowledge brought rest to his soul and faith to do all things required in mortality (see JST, Genesis 15:9–12; Hebrews 11:8–19). The Doctrine and Covenants teaches that the crowning blessing Abraham received was that of celestial marriage, which qualified him for exaltation and enabled him to become like God (see D&C 131:1–4; 132:29–32, 37). Elder Bruce R.