Article of Faith 10 – The Gathering of Israel

We believe in the literal gathering of Israel and in the restoration of the Ten Tribes; that Zion (the New Jerusalem) will be built upon the American Continent; that Christ will reign personally upon the earth; and that the earth will be renewed and receive its paradisiacal glory.
- Articles of Faith 1:10

This is a statement of belief in prophecy, which, per article 9 [A of F 1:9], we believe is ongoing. The scattering and gathering of Israel was prophesied of since Old Testament times. The process by which Israel will be gathered is missionary work, temple work, and the work of ministering to those members of Israel who have already been gathered. Indeed anytime we do anything that helps anyone—on either side of the veil—to make and keep their covenants with God, we are helping to gather Israel [Russel M. Nelson; General Conference, Oct 2020].

In the same letter in which Joseph Smith penned the Articles of Faith, he gave a prophecy about the gathering of Israel and the missionary work which would come forth in the latter-days. He wrote

The standard of truth has been erected. No unhallowed hand can stop the work from progressing; persecutions may rage, mobs may combine, armies may assemble, calumny may defame, but the truth of God will go forth boldly, nobly, and independent till it has penetrated every continent, visited every clime, swept every country, and sounded in every ear, till the purposes of God shall be accomplished and the great Jehovah shall say the work is done.
- The Wentworth Letter; Joseph Smith, 1842

It is the duty of all those who have received the gospel message to share it with others [D&C 88:81] As the work of God goes forth, it reaches more of the people of Israel, and those people who are or will be counted among God's chosen people and receive the blessings of Israel.

Zion

Zion (spelled Sion in the New Testament) refers severally to a hill in Jerusalem, a couple cities which existed and are expected to be established through time, and to the Lord's people generally. Mount Zion is a hill outside the Old City wall in Jerusalem, situated to the south. It was on this hill that Solomon built a temple [1 Kgs 8].

Enoch, a man of the sixth generation from Adam, established a city called Zion. All that is written of him in the Old Testament is that, Enoch walked with God: and he was not; for God took him [Gen 5:24]. In later revelations, we learn that Enoch was a great prophet, who prophesied and taught repentance unto many of his generation, and was anointed a seer under tha hand of God [Moses 6:26-37]. He taught and baptized many, and those righteous who heeded his teachings established a city called Zion [Moses 7:19]. It is here also where we see the symbolic meaning of Zion, as the Lord called his people Zion, because they were of one heart and one mind, and dwelt in righteousness; and there was no poor among them [Moses 7:18]. All the righteous had gathered to Enoch's city, and in time, the entire city was taken up into heaven [Moses 7:20-21].

Finally, many have prophesied about a new Jerusalem, a city called Zion which will be established in the latter days. The association between Zion and the New Jerusalem is made explicit in the book of Moses where got teaches Moses that he will again establish a holy city, wherein he will establish a tabernacle, and that it should be called Zion, a New Jerusalem [Moses 7:62]. Many other prophets have seen the New Jerusalem. Isaiah speaks of it as the place where the mountain of the Lord's house shall be established in the last days [Isa 2:2].

Modern revelation has also indicated that the New Jerusalem would be built upon the American continent. The Ancient American prophet Ether saw the establishment of the New Jerusalem, and saw that it would be established on the American continent unto the seed of Joseph [Ether 13:5-6]. According to the instructions of the Lord, his church is to be built up in every land where believers are to be found, and converts to be made, until the time that the New Jerusalem should be established [D&C 42:8-9]. In the days leading up to the second coming of the Savior, this Zion city will be a refuge from the horrors of the world. All men will be at war, and the righteous will gather to Zion. The glory and power of God will be upon the New Jerusalem, and no other nation nor power will dare go to war against it [D&C 45:66-71]. The Lord later designated the exact place in the state of Missouri where the New Jerusalem will be established [D&C 84:2-3].

Gathering of Israel

The New Jerusalem will be a central focus of the Gathering of Israel.

Israel

Israel refers severally to an individual, a literal group of people (descendants of the person called Israel), a land, and a kingdom.

Israel was first given as a name to Jacob, the son of Isaac and grandson of Abraham, after his wrestle before the lord in Peniel [Gen 32:24-30]. It has Hebrew origins meaning, "he perseveres with God" or "let God prevail." This name was later extended to Jacob's household, and among his sons and grandsons are the heads of the 12 tribes of Israel: Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Dan, Naphtali, Gad, Asher, Issachar, Zebulun, Benjamin, Manasseh, and Ephraim. The latter two are the sons of Joseph, grandsons of Israel, and are given by their grandfather an inheritance with their uncles. The posterity of Levi, while still considered of the house of Israel, is not given an inheritance in the same way as the other 12. They were given no inheritance in the land of Canaan, but were instead given numerous cities, given the tithes offered by the rest of the tribes, and given the right to serve in the tabernacle [Num 18:20-24, 35:6].

Once the descendants of Jacob had been led out of Egypt by Moses, and into Canaan by Joshua, the land was divided among the people, according to their lineage, and the land came to be called Israel as well. This land was promised to the descendants of Abraham by God when he covenanted with Abraham [Gen 17:8].

History

After the reign of King Solomon, Rehoboam, son of Solomon was anointed King over the land of Israel. His rule was more oppressive than that of this father [1 Kgs 12:4-14], and 10 of the 12 tribes under his rule—all but Judah and Benjamin—revolted, forming the Kingdom of Israel under king Jeroboam, of the house of Ephraim [1 Kgs 12:19-21]. The kingdom of Israel later apostatized, and was invaded and destroyed by Assyria around 720 BC. Many of them were taken captive, and carried throughout the old world. This event is referred to as the scattering of Israel, and the 10 tribes pertaining to the Kingdom of Israel came to be known as the lost 10 tribes.

A little more than a hundred years later, the remaining tribes of Judah and Benjamin also fell into apostasy, and were destroyed by the Babylonians in 587 BC according to the prophecies of Jeremiah [Jer 15:3-6], and Lehi [1 Ne 1:13, 18-20]. About a generation later, in 539 BC, Babylon was taken over by Persia. The next year (537 BC), King Cyrus of Persia permitted the Jews to return to Jerusalem and commanded that the temple be rebuilt [Ezra 1:1-4]. This temple is that one referred to as the Temple of Zerubbabel, on account of his role in the later completion of the temple after construction was stalled [Ezra 5:2]. Jerusalem and the temple were captured again by Ptolemy I [1], and Antiochus Epiphanes [2, 2 Maccabees]. They were permitted to remain in Jerusalem under these other rulers, as well as the Romans, with some autonomy until the shortly after Jesus' ministry. Jerusalem was burned and reduced to rubble by the Romans around 70 AD [3)].

Gathering

If they are faithful, the house of Israel is entitled to receive all the promises made to the fathers. This refers principally to the promises made to Abraham, collectively referred to as the Abrahamic Covenant. In Genesis, the Lord says to Abraham that he will make of thee [Abraham] a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing: and I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all the families of the earth be blessed [Gen 12:2-3]. He also promises that the posterity of Abraham would bear the Priesthood of God, that the world would be blessed through this priesthood, and that these blessing would be the blessings of the Gospel, which are the blessings of salvation, even of life eternal [Abr 2:9-11].

While the work of the gathering will continue until the second coming of the savior, the literal gathering has already begun. Many Jews began to return to Jerusalem in the wake of WWI, after the overthrow of the Ottoman empire when administration of the holy land was given to the British [4]. This return should probably be considered part of the gathering of Israel in the latter days, and a fulfilling of the covenant to Abraham that his seed would inherit the land of Canaan. While this is a miracle in its own right, the scope and glory of the gathering far exceeds the literal return of the Jews to the city of Jerusalem.

Abraham was also told that all who receive the gospel should be counted his seed, regardless of ancestry, and therefore these faithful saints would also be entitled to receive the blessings of the House of Israel [Abr 2:10, Jer 12:16-17, 2 Ne 30:2]. For this reason, Israel is also used to refer to any of God's faithful, regardless of ancestry.

As it is the right of all descendants of Israel to receive the gospel and its blessings if they are faithful, the gospel must be preached throughout the world until those descendants of the the lost ten tribes are discovered and once again offered the gospel after their apostasy and destruction millennia ago. This work primarily falls to the tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh [JST, Genesis 48:11, D&C 133:32], the descendants of Joseph, and all those who are not literal descendants of Israel receive a birthright with the tribe of Ephraim, as well as the same responsibility to gather Israel. This is first made clear in the Book of Mormon. Nephi, and Jesus Christ prophesy that the coming forth of the Book of Mormon in the last days will be a sign of the beginning of the gathering [2 Ne 29:2, 3 Ne 21:7]. The Book of Mormon will first be a testament to the posterity of its authors—the remnant of the house of Lehi who was of the tribe of Manasseh [Alma 10:3]—that the Lord was mindful of them and would gather them in again. It will later be a standard to [God's] people [2 Ne 29:2]. The Book of Mormon would be sent first to the gentiles, that is, those not of the house of Israel, and form there would be brought to the house of Lehi, then to the remainder of Israel. It was first brought forth by Joseph Smith, an Ephraimite, to non-Jews living in the United States. From there, and after the organization of the church, missions were first organized to the Native Americans, who are among the descendants of Lehi, and to England, among whom are additional gentiles and possibly members of scattered tribes. The extension of the gospel to the gentiles first in the latter days is part of what was meant by the last shall be first, and the first shall be last [1 Ne 13:42, Matt 19:30], as in ancient times the gospel was offered first to the jews then to the gentiles.

It is important to note that the blessings of salvation, even of life eternal mentioned to Abraham [Abr 2:11] can only be fully administered through priesthood ordinances. Baptism, which is prerequisite for salvation [John 3:5], can only be performed by one who is authorized by a holder of Priesthood keys, and who holds the authority to perform the ordinance. Other Priesthood ordinances performed in the temple are also required to receive the fullness of God's blessings [D&C 131:1-4, D&C 132:19-20], as such, a functional organization is required for the gathering. This organization must be endowed with the correct power and ordinances, and must be able to authorize their performance for all those who allow themselves to be gathered in. It must exist to build and manage the temples where these ordinances are administered. It also facilitates the preaching of the gospel throughout the earth, and unifies the channels of revelation through which God can teach his people.

It is often written in the scriptures that the Lord will bring forth a marvelous work and a wonder [Isa 29:14, 2 Ne 25:17]: that he will make bare his arm in the eyes of all the nations, and that all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of their God. This wording refers to the great work of the gathering of Israel and the establishment of Zion in the latter days. It will be a work of magnificent scale, in preaching the gospel to every ear which will hear it, and providing the ordinances of the gospel to as many of the deceased whose records can be found, and of preparing the entire world for the glorious return of Jesus Christ. It will also be great in power, as the power of God will fall upon those who carry out his work, and upon the gentiles and Israelites who receive his word. They will be as a young lion among the flocks of sheep, who, if he go through both treadeth down and teareth in pieces, and none can deliver. Their hand shall be lifted up upon their adversaries, and all their enemies shall be cut off [3 Ne 21:12-13]. The power of God will be evident to all who behold the work, as he make[s] bare his arm in the eyes of all the nations [Isa 52:10].

Other References

The Gathering of Scattered Israel; Russel M Nelson; Oct 2006