Israel Gathered from All Nations

K. Douglas Bassett

1 Ne. 22:3-4; 19:16; 3 Ne. 5:23-24; D&C 110:11; 133:26-32; Deut. 4:27; 28:29; Jer. 16:14-15; 31:8; Ezek. 11:15-17; Hosea 9:16-17; Dan. 9:7; History of the Church, Smith, 1:176; Old Testament 302 Student Manual, p. 115; refer in this text to 2 Ne. 29:12-14; 2 Ne. 25:16-17

“Through this scattering the Lord has caused Israel to mix with the nations and bring the Gentiles within the blessings of the seed of Abraham. We are preaching the gospel now in all parts of the world, and for what purpose? To gather out from the Gentile nations the lost sheep of the house of Israel. It is by this scattering that the Gentile nations have been blessed, and if they will truly repent they are entitled to all the blessings promised to Israel… .” (Joseph Fielding Smith, Answers to Gospel Questions, 2:57)
“But, says one, are they [the lost tribes of Israel] not in a body somewhere in the land of the north? Answer: They are not; they are scattered in all nations. The north countries of their habitation are all the countries north of their Palestinian home, north of Assyria from whence they escaped… . Query: What happened to the Ten Tribes after the visit of the Savior to them … ? Answer: The same thing that happened to the Nephites. There was righteousness for a season, and then there was apostasy and wickedness… . In this day when the head of the Church can communicate with all men on earth, there is no longer any need for one kingdom in Jerusalem and another in Bountiful and others in whatever place or places the Ten Tribes were when Jesus visited them. This is the promised day when there shall be one God, one Shepherd, one prophet, one gospel, one church, and one kingdom for all the earth. This is the day when one man shall direct all of the Lord’s work in all the earth; the day when he shall bring all Israel into one fold… .” (Bruce R. McConkie, The Millennial Messiah, pp. 216-217)

Latter-Day Commentary on the Book of Mormon

References