Gramps I have a grandson and it stated in his blessing he was of the Tribe of Juda. None from our family has ever been from that tribe? I was told by a Patriarch that the lineage not a blood line issue but the area of governmental responsibility during the millennium?
Phil
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Phil,
The most important aspect of our patriarchal lineage is that it ties us to the covenant made between God and Abraham. Whether his children directly through bloodline or through adoption, we are heirs to both the blessings and responsibilities of the Abrahamic covenant. S. Michael Wilcox covered this topic in detail in the January 1998 Ensign in his article “The Abrahamic Covenant“. It is important that we study this promise and its attendant responsibilities so that we can know what is and will be required of us.
Each tribe is named after one of the sons of Jacob, and carries with it certain primary duties. We will be expected to fulfill the duties of our tribe both in this life and the next. Most of us will be named as members of the tribe of Ephraim, as it is the primary responsibility of this tribe to spread the word of God through missionary work and service that it might be heard by all people throughout the earth. Members of other tribes, however, hold different roles and responsibilities.
The blessings do follow our bloodlines, but we each have many different bloodlines running within us. Our patriarchal blessing names the predominant bloodline to which each individual will be held accountable, and so it is not uncommon for members of the same family to be declared of different tribal lineages. The naming of tribes other than Ephraim has been rare, but is becoming more common as the word is spread abroad, more people are coming into the fold, and more Priesthood duties are becoming necessary to be fulfilled.
Now, the tribe of Judah has many revelations specifically tied to it. Most of them concern their gathering in Jerusalem before the Savior returns and the building up of their temple. All the tribes will be gathered during the Millenium and will eventually then return to their individual lands of inheritance. Ephraim and Judah, specifically, are to be joined and Zion and Jerusalem are to be capitals of the world when the Savior comes to rule and reign. While the primary responsibilities of Ephraim are to spread the gospel, the primary responsibilities of Judah are to maintain and keep the records. It was also promised specifically to Judah that he would be a ruler and overcome his enemies-
“Judah, thou art he whom thy brethren shall praise: thy hand shall be in the neck of thine enemies; thy father’s children shall bow down before thee.
Judah is a lion’s whelp: from the prey, my son, thou art gone up: he stooped down, he couched as a lion, and as an old lion; who shall rouse him up?
The sceptre shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come; and unto him shall the gathering of the people be.” (Genesis 49:8-10)
For further understanding of the prophecies and promises as they relate to the tribe of Judah, I would suggest that your grandson study the writings of Isaiah, Ezekial, Joel, Jeremiah, and Zechariah. These prophets wrote many things concerning the last days, the gathering of Isreal, and the events surrounding both the tribes of Ephraim and of Judah.
Gramps
