What is the purpose of knowing to which tribe of the House of Israel we belong?

Question

Dear Gramps,

If all of us need to do all that we can in this life, what is the purpose of knowing which tribe we belong to? Thank you for all that you and your team do to enlighten us.

Susan

Answer

Dear Susan,

Among the great blessings given to Abraham, and through him to his posterity, is included the astounding blessing that all of those who enter the celestial kingdom of God will be counted as his descendants. If anyone who is not of the lineage of Abraham joins The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (the Mormon Church) who is not a literal descendant of one of the twelve tribes of Israel (Abraham’s grandson, through whom the Abrahamic blessings flow) that person is adopted into one of the twelve tribes of Israel. (A stake patriarch may declare to any person to which of the Twelve Tribes he belongs). The government of the kingdom of heaven in the eternities will undoubtedly take into account the various tribes of Israel. Thus in that realm each tribe may have particular responsibilities. So my opinion is (and of course this is only an opinion, as I know of no doctrinal writings on the subject) that the declaration of to which tribe of Israel any person belongs may be more important for life in the next world that it is in mortality.

Gramps