Book of Mormon Lesson Plan 40

What is the house of Israel?

The titles house of Israel and Israel refer to the descendants of Jacob, whose name was changed to Israel.  Members of the house of Israel have been referred to in scripture as “the covenant people of the Lord” (1 Nephi 15:14) and “the children of the covenant” (3 Nephi 20:25–26). The Nephites were of the house of Israel, as descendants of Jacob’s son Joseph (1 Nephi 5:14).

Why was Israel scattered?

Read 3 Nephi 16:4.  The members of the house of Israel were “scattered forth upon the face of the earth because of their unbelief.”

• What warning is there for us in this verse?
• Interesting side note – Jesus commanded the Nephites to record the details of His ministry among them so that Jews would be able to learn about the Nephites if they didn’t pray and ask the Father to teach them these things.  How would the Jews know to pray and ask for that?

Review this section from the entry on Prayer in the Bible Dictionary:

• Prayer is the act by which the will of the Father and the will of the child are brought into correspondence with each other. The object of prayer is not to change the will of God, but to secure for ourselves and for others blessings that God is already willing to grant, but that are made conditional on our asking for them. Blessings require some work or effort on our part before we can obtain them. Prayer is a form of work, and is an appointed means for obtaining the highest of all blessings.
• Food for thought – are we praying for the right things in our family and personal prayer?  The only way to know is to ask God.

Who are the Gentiles?

In the scriptures, the term Gentiles is used to designate either people who were not born into the house of Israel or nations that are without the gospel. In the chapters discussed in this lesson, the term Gentiles refers to nations that are without the gospel, even though some individuals in those nations may be descendants of Jacob (Bible Dictionary, “Gentile,” 679).

• We are Gentiles because we live in a Gentile nation
• We are of the House of Israel because we have been baptized in the covenant

What do the Gentiles have to do with the scattering and gathering of Israel?

Scattering

Read 3 Nephi 16:7–10.  Verse 8 refers to the Gentiles casting out those of the House of Israel.  When might that have happened?

• Driving out the Native Americans to reservations
• Driving out the early Latter-day Saints to the deserts of the Rocky Mountains

We cannot dispute that God has been abundantly merciful to our Gentile nation, and that we have been an instrument in carrying out God’s work.

• How can we follow the warning in verse 10?

Gathering

Read 3 Nephi 21:1–5

What is the gathering of Israel?

Read 3 Nephi 16:12 and 20:10–13.  Notice that the purpose of a physical gathering in both cases is to bring the covenant people to knowledge.

 

President Spencer W. Kimball explained: “The ‘gathering of Israel’ is effected when the people of the faraway countries accept the gospel and remain in their native lands. The gathering of Israel for Mexicans is in Mexico; in Scandinavia, for those of the northern countries; the gathering place for the Germans is in Germany; and the Polynesians, in the islands; for the Brazilians, in Brazil; for the Argentines, in Argentina” (in Conference Report, Apr. 1975, 4; or Ensign, May 1975, 4).

 

In the early days of the church, a physical gathering had to take place so followers would be able to hear their leaders, and so temples could be built.  Today with instant worldwide communication, we can gather locally and still be taught.  And with the miraculous temple building that has taken place, local gatherings are blessing the world.

 

What sign has been given to show that the latter-day gathering of Israel has begun?

Read 3 Nephi 21:2, 5, 7.  Speaking of the Book of Mormon, Mormon wrote on the title page that its purpose “is to show unto the remnant of the House of Israel what great things the Lord hath done for their fathers; and that they may know the covenants of the Lord, that they are not cast off forever—And also to the convincing of the Jew and Gentile that Jesus is the Christ, the Eternal God, manifesting himself unto all nations…”

 

The Lord warns that unrepentant Gentiles will in turn be smitten by the House of Israel.  But a promise is also given in 3 Nephi 16:13.

 

President Joseph Fielding Smith said: “Every person who embraces the gospel becomes of the house of Israel. In other words, they become members of the chosen lineage, or Abraham’s children through Isaac and Jacob unto whom the promises were made. The great majority of those who become members of the Church are literal descendants of Abraham through Ephraim, son of Joseph. Those who are not literal descendants of Abraham and Israel must become such, and when they are baptized and confirmed they are grafted into the tree and are entitled to all the rights and privileges as heirs” (Doctrines of Salvation, comp. Bruce R. McConkie, 3 vols. [1954–56], 3:246).

 

As members of the Church, what are our responsibilities in the gathering of Israel?

The mission of the Church is to invite all people to come unto Christ. We accomplish this mission by proclaiming the gospel, redeeming the dead, and perfecting the Saints.  As with all things, we start with ourselves and our families.  As we “cleanse the inner vessel,” then we move outward and help others do the same.

Conclusion

We are Gentiles of the House of Israel.  We are in a unique position to receive the blessings promised to both groups.  As we develop our testimonies of the Savior through the influence of the Holy Ghost, we will be able to valiantly fulfill the responsibilities that fall upon both groups.