Monday, April 12, 2021

Joseph Smith on the Adoption of "Non-Ephraimites" into Ephraim Upon Conversion to the Gospel

In a sermon from the summer of 1839, Joseph Smith stated that the Holy Ghost

 

is more powerful in expanding the mind enlightening the Understanding & storeing the intellect with present Knowledge of a man who is of the literal seed of Abraham than one that is a gentile though it may not have half as much visible effect upon the body for as the Holy ghost falls upon one of the Literal Seed of Abraham it is calm & serene & his whole soul & body are only exercised by the pure spirit of Inteligence; while the effect <of the Holy Ghost> upon a gentile is to purge out the old blood & make him actually of the seed of Abraham. That man that has none of the blood of Abraham (naturally) must have a new creation by the Holy Ghost, in such a case there may be more of a powerful effect upon the body & visible to the eye than upon an Israelite, while the Israelite at first might be far before the Gentile in pure Intelligence. (Discourse, between circa 26 June and circa 2 July 1839, as Reported by Willard Richards [cf. the version recorded by Wilford Woodruff])

 

Further Reading


Russell Ashdown Refutes Lane Thuet on Patriarchal Blessings