When a government building or edifice is so important that it requires military protection, there is often a ceremonious changing of the guard that takes place. This procedure, like the one at Arlington National Cemetery, or Buckingham Palace, provides relief to the first crew as the next crew comes on duty. The scriptures tell a story of a similar changing of the guard[i]. The full story is best realized by studying at least three books of scripture, which include Nephi’s vision, the Savior’s ministry among the Ancient Americans, and a sermon Joseph Smith gave to the early saints, now known as Section 45 of the Doctrine and Covenants.
Applying the metaphor of the military guard to the scriptural example, the special edifice that requires protection is the gospel, or God’s kingdom on the earth. The most ceremonious and formal guard to care for her was called to duty about the time of Moses. The manner of guardianship in the kingdom was given by him and others of the Lord’s holy prophets to the House of Israel[ii], and involved what we might refer to as the laws and ordinances of the gospel today.
For a time the Israelites succeeded, until they ultimately fell into apostasy, were scattered[iii], and lost the Lord’s favor and blessings. This initial discharge of Israel as the steward of the Father’s Kingdom on earth was a heartbreaking event, or at least that is the picture the Bible paints from just about every one of its authors, and many from the Book of Mormon.
In due time the Lord saw fit to enlist another guard for His kingdom. Interestingly, He chose a non-covenant people He and His ancient prophets referred to as Gentiles to fill that role. It might be asked why the Gentiles were entrusted with this special role. It appears that it is because of the belief among them, especially in their early days.
Speaking of this changing of the guard to the Gentiles, the Savior taught the Nephites: “And blessed are the Gentiles, because of their belief in me … Behold, because of their belief in me, saith the Father, and because of the unbelief of you, O house of Israel, in the latter day shall the truth come unto the Gentiles, that the fulness of these things shall be made known unto them” (3 Nephi 16:6-7). It seems to me that the Lord is suggesting that it is ones belief that entitles him to a fullness of the blessings of the gospel, not his blood heritage alone.
Speaking of this changing of the guard to the Gentiles, the Savior taught the Nephites: “And blessed are the Gentiles, because of their belief in me … Behold, because of their belief in me, saith the Father, and because of the unbelief of you, O house of Israel, in the latter day shall the truth come unto the Gentiles, that the fulness of these things shall be made known unto them” (3 Nephi 16:6-7). It seems to me that the Lord is suggesting that it is ones belief that entitles him to a fullness of the blessings of the gospel, not his blood heritage alone.
Nephi picks up the story from there and fittingly so, as he is the somewhat iconic prophet of the Gentile Nation (aka “America”). In 1st Nephi chapter 13, he was shown a land of many nations and kingdoms (v 1-3) which nations he understood to be the Gentiles. He was then shown the entire duration of the Gentile guardianship of the Kingdom [iv], beginning with the colonizing of America and the righteousness of its early inhabitants. Of those wonderful founders Nephi said he “beheld that the Gentiles who had gone forth out of captivity did humble themselves before the Lord; and the power of the Lord was with them” (v 16).
About this point in the narrative, it becomes clear that the Lord intended for this period of Gentile guardianship to be for them, a day of mercy; while on the other hand it is a day of judgment upon the House of Israel. Using the dialogue of Nephi’s vision, and of the Savior to the Nephites, we can see this in two ways: First, Nephi and the Savior both described the scourges and trials the Gentiles would inflict upon the House of Israel, which in both accounts referred to the Native Americans (see 1 Nephi 13:34; 3 Nephi 16:8).
The second way the Father intended for this to be a period of affliction to Israel comes in the next verse: “And because of the mercies of the Father unto the Gentiles, and also the judgments of the Father upon my people who are of the house of Israel, verily, verily, I say unto you, that after all this, and I have caused my people who are of the house of Israel to be smitten, and to be afflicted, and to be slain, and to be cast out from among them, and to become hated by them, and to become a hiss and a byword among them” (v 9). Not to trivialize the Lord’s purposes, but this day of mercy for the Gentiles, and day of judgment upon Israel feels very much like Israel had been placed in a timeout; a time for them to go to their room and think about what they’ve done.
Another fascinating thing happens during this time of Gentile guardianship, and shows the wisdom and tender mercy of the Lord. Those among the Gentiles who hearken to Christ become numbered among the seed of Israel. By extension, those who harden their hearts against Christ remain Gentiles and invoke an age old warning, reaffirmed by the angel to Nephi: “…if the Gentiles repent it shall be well with them…and thou also hast heard that whoso repenteth not must perish” (1 Nephi 14:5). The Savior further taught that “if the Gentiles will repent and return unto me, saith the Father, behold they shall be numbered among my people, O house of Israel” (3 Nephi 16:13). With that said, I squarely place myself and other truly converted individuals in that category. Though truly converted covenant members of the church live among a Gentile nation, I believe we can confidently affiliate ourselves with the House of Israel.
Speaking on behalf of the Lord to the Saints about this Gentile apostasy and their latter-day rejection of their guardianship, Joseph Smith said, “But they receive it not; for they perceive not the light, and they turn their hearts from me because of the precepts of men. And in that generation shall the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled (Doctrine and Covenants 45:29). Or in the metaphoric terms laid out here, it is time to change the guard – again.
The Savior gave more detail to the events and conditions that would lead to this latter-day changing of the guard when he spoke to the Ancient Americans:
“At that day when the Gentiles shall sin against my gospel, and shall reject the fulness of my gospel, and shall be lifted up in the pride of their hearts above all nations, and above all the people of the whole earth, and shall be filled with all manner of lyings, and of deceits, and of mischiefs, and all manner of hypocrisy, and murders, and priestcrafts, and whoredoms, and of secret abominations; and if they shall do all those things, and shall reject the fulness of my gospel, behold, saith the Father, I will bring the fulness of my gospel from among them. And then will I remember my covenant which I have made unto my people, O house of Israel, and I will bring my gospel unto them. And I will show unto thee, O house of Israel, that the Gentiles shall not have power over you; but I will remember my covenant unto you, O house of Israel, and ye shall come unto the knowledge of the fulness of my gospel” (3 Nephi 16:10-12).
The Lord apparently knew the Gentiles would reject their guardianship, as Israel had done many years before, but this time He planned to make that transition smooth by retaining the converted seed of Jacob living among the Gentiles through to the next guard. It is like saying to Israel, come out of your room now; you’ve been punished long enough[v], while sending the unconverted Gentiles to their well deserved timeout; But letting the well behaved Gentiles, now turned to Israel, stick around for the next guard. Isaiah saw this change of guard when he said speaking of Israel, “For thou shalt break forth on the right hand and on the left; and thy seed shall inherit the Gentiles” (Isaiah 54:3).
When Israel resumes its rightful place in the guardianship of the Kingdom, it appears that it will come in three stages. I don’t know the details, or even the order of those events, but the scriptures give an account that feels a lot like the Return of the King, in the Lord of the Rings series by J.R. Tolkien. In that story, a war takes place between men and Orcs. But at the time a major war breaks out, the Kingdom of men are divided three-ways, The City of Kings (the White City), The Kingdom of Rohan, and the dead spirits of the Men of the Mountains. In this metaphor, I liken the kingdom of men to the House of Israel, and the kingdom of Orcs to the Gentiles. The City of Kings is like the tribe of Joseph; The kingdom of Rohan is like the tribe of Judah, and the hidden Men of the Mountains are like the lost tribes of Israel.
When the battle ensued, citizens of the White City had no confidence due to the sheer numbers of the enemy. But then the Kingdom of Rohan came to their aid, adding to their strength and confidence. Then in a dramatic turn of the tide, the numerous Men of the Mountains came out of hiding and completely annihilated the enemy, and created victory for the Kingdom of Men.
I use this story of three kingdoms coming together at a time of need and seeming hopelessness to compare to the way Joseph, Judah, and the lost tribes will come together[vi] and constitute the House of Israel – the true guardian of the Gospel.
The scriptures use peculiar expressions[vii], and go to great literary lengths concerning the reacquainted Israelite Guardianship and the power they will possess. This passage spoken by the Savior is especially detailed:
Then shall ye, who are a remnant of the house of Jacob, go forth among them; and ye shall be in the midst of them who shall be many; and ye shall be among them as a lion among the beasts of the forest, and as a young lion among the flocks of sheep, who, if he goeth through both treadeth down and teareth in pieces, and none can deliver. Thy hand shall be lifted up upon thine adversaries, and all thine enemies shall be cut off. And I will gather my people together as a man gathereth his sheaves into the floor. For I will make my people with whom the Father hath covenanted, yea, I will make thy horn iron, and I will make thy hoofs brass. And thou shalt beat in pieces many people; and I will consecrate their gain unto the Lord, and their substance unto the Lord of the whole earth. And behold, I am he who doeth it (3 Nephi 20:16-19).
For those who love America and may have a difficult time letting her go, invest yourselves wholeheartedly to the House of Israel – God’s covenant people – and embrace Jesus Christ as the one true ruler of this emerging nation. Come and stand proudly as a member of the new guard of the Kingdom of God on the earth. With the God of Israel at our head, and clothed in the robes of righteousness (Isaiah 61: 9-11), this time we will help build and witness an entire world far greater than America was in the beginning.
[i] See The Allegory of the Olive Tree (Jacob 5); Nephi’s Vision (1 Nephi 13, 14); The Savior’s Sermon (3 Nephi 16); Joseph Smith’s sermon (Doctrine and Covenants 45)
[ii] The Law of Moses as revealed in many of the early books of the Bible.
[iv] See 1 Nephi 13, 14
[v] Doctrine and Covenants 109:65-67; “The kingdom was not to be restored to Israel in their day. Let them preach the gospel and save souls before the dire day of darkness that soon would cover the earth. The promised day of restoration, the day of Israel’s triumph and glory, the day of millennial glory—all this lay ahead. It was scheduled for the last days” (McConkie,Millennial Messiah, 309–10)
[vi] “By and by the Jews will be gathered to the land of their fathers, and the ten tribes, who wandered into the north, will be gathered home, and the blood of Ephraim, the second son of Joseph, who was sold into Egypt, which is to be found in every kingdom and nation under heaven, will be gathered from among the Gentiles, and the Gentiles who will receive and adhere to the principles of the Gospel will be adopted and initiated into the family of Father Abraham, and Jesus will reign over his own and Satan will reign over his own” (Brigham Young, Discourses of Brigham Young, 121–22).
“It is essential in this dispensation that Ephraim stand in his place at the head, exercising the birthright in Israel which was given to him by direct revelation. Therefore, Ephraim must be gathered first to prepare the way, through the gospel and the priesthood, for the rest of the tribes of Israel when the time comes for them to be gathered to Zion. The great majority of those who have come into the Church are Ephraimites. It is the exception to find one of any other tribe, unless it is of Manasseh. It is Ephraim, today, who holds the priesthood. It is with Ephraim that the Lord has made covenant and has revealed the fulness of the everlasting gospel. It is Ephraim who is building temples and performing the ordinances in them for both the living and for the dead. When the ‘lost tribes’ come—and it will be a most wonderful sight and a marvelous thing when they do come to Zion—in fulfilment of the promises made through Isaiah and Jeremiah, they will have to receive the crowning blessings from their brother Ephraim, the ‘firstborn’ in Israel” (Smith, Doctrines of Salvation,3:252–53).