Expert: Sal - 1/4/2007

Question
Dear Sal,

  Because of the many bizarre and outlandish views that have been propagated about the "lost tribes" over the years, a disclaimer is necessary. "British Israel" and "American Israel" theories have been promulgated by some racist groups as "evidence" of the "superiority" of one race or people-group over another. Such theories are baseless. The genetic contribution of ancient Israel to Western European people-groups appears to be relatively minor, and such people-groups are referred to by the Lord as "Gentiles" – i.e. non-Israelites – in scripture. All of the twelve tribes have different attributes. No one tribe is better than another, and there are no grounds for labels of the supposed "superiority" or "inferiority" of any group. The scriptures teach that the lineage of dispersed Israelites can be found in all nations, and no nation or people-group has a monopoly on such ancestry. Additionally, the claims of some non-Western people groups to some Israelite ancestry are just as strong if not stronger than the evidence for the blood of Israel in the United Kingdom and Western Europe.

Lineage provides no advantage in our standing before God. Christ cited the Gentile centurion as having greater faith than that he had seen in all of Israel (Luke 7:1-10). He taught that miracles had been wrought among non-Israelites anciently because of the unbelief of the Children of Israel, and that the prophets of God had often been better accepted by non-Israelites than among their own people (Luke 4:24-27). He rejected the Pharisees, who believed that they were entitled to special blessings as children of Abraham, and noted that many would come "from the " and sit down in the kingdom of God, while many of the Israelites would be cast out. The Apostle Peter taught that "God is no respecter of persons: But in every nation he that feareth him, and worketh righteousness, is accepted of him" (Acts 10:34-35).

Where are the "Lost Tribes of Israel?"

It would be impossible to catalogue all the silly, fantastic, and speculative claims that have circulated regarding the location of the "Lost Tribes of Israel." Over the years, there has been conjecture about the "Lost Tribes" being hidden under the polar icecaps, in "secret cities" in Russia, in the center of the Earth, under the sea, and so forth.

From a brief review of the scriptures, it should be obvious that the descendants of the dispersed tribes of Israel are found among the nations and people-groups of our present world. The Lord stated of the Tribes of Israel: "I shall scatter them among the nations, and disperse them in the countries" (Ezekiel 12:15). The Book of Mormon teaches in the last days, the twelve tribes will be "gathered in from their long dispersion, from the isles of the sea, and from the four parts of the earth" (2 Nephi 10:8). The Book of Ezekiel alone notes seven times that Israel was dispersed "among the countries" or "through the countries." Jeremiah tells us that in the last days, the Lord will "gather them out of all countries, whither I have driven them in mine anger, and in my fury, and in great wrath; and I will bring them again unto this place, and I will cause them to dwell safely" (Jeremiah 32:37).



If the Church is worldwide, why haven’t the "Ten Tribes" been found?

The overwhelming preponderance of members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints have been identified by patriarchal blessings as members of the tribes of Ephraim or Manasseh. These lineages are so common that many Latter-day Saints do not realize that Ephraim and Manasseh are in fact two of the "lost ten tribes." The "found tribes" of the Bible are the tribes of the Kingdom of Judah, i.e. Judah, Benjamin, and a portion of the tribe of Levi.

While the lineages of Ephraim and Manasseh are dominant in most nations where the Church has been long established, some other culture groups have a preponderance of different lineages. This body of data will increase in coming years with the eventual establishment of stakes in additional nations and the expansion of outreach to as yet unreached people-groups. As new data is collected, the path of dispersion of each of the tribes of Israel will become better defined.

Figurative and Literal use of Lineage in Scripture

It should be noted that lineage is used in the scriptures both in figurative and literal ways. For example, in the Doctrine and Covenants, the Lord states that "the rebellious are not of the blood of Ephraim" (D&C 64:36). Latter-day Saints believe in the "literal gathering of Israel and in the restoration of the Ten Tribes" (Article of Faith 10) and that the declaration of lineage in patriarchal blessings reflects at least one component of genuine genetic ancestry, although Gentiles without Israelite ancestry can be "adopted" into a tribe.

There are some cases where parents are of one tribe and a child may be declared to be of a different tribal lineage. While the purpose of this paper is not to explore the genetics of the transmission of tribal lineage, it is sufficient to say some individuals may have some genetic influence from more than one tribe, although only one tribe is declared as primary in each patriarchal blessing. There may also be dominant and recessive traits associated with lineage. When mixed lineage is present, lineage of Ephraim and Manasseh frequently appear to be dominant. For example, most full-blooded Irish members are of the tribe of Dan, while the overwhelming preponderance of those of mixed Irish ancestry – Irish-American, Irish-Scottish, Irish-English, etc. – are of the tribe of Ephraim. This concept of dominant and recessive inheritance may explain at least in part why there are so many LDS members of the lineage of Ephraim and Manasseh.

History of the Tribes

The apocryphal second book of Esdras, regarded as genuine by many early Christians, gives the following account of the ten tribes:


'"nd whereas thou sawest that he gathered another peaceable people unto him. These are the Ten Tribes which were carried away captives out of their own land in the time of Oseas, the king, whom Salmanaser, the king of the Assyrians, took captive and crossed them beyond the river; so were they brought into another land, but they took this council to themselves, that they would leave the multitude of the heathen and go forth onto a further country, where never man dwelt, that they might keep the statutes, which they never kept in their own land. And they entered in at the narrow passages of the river Euphrates, for the most High then showed them signs and stayed the springs of the flood till they were passed over; for through the country there was great journey, even of a year and a half, and the same region is called Arsareth." (2 Esdras 13:39-45.)Who's listed?
       Judah           praise or Praise the Lord
       Reuben          see, a son
       Gad             good fortune
       Asher           happy
       Naphtali        my struggle or obtained by wrestling
       Manasseh        causing forgetfulness
       Simeon          one who hears or hears and obeys
       Levi            attached or joined
       Issachar        reward
       Zebulun         honour or looking for a home
       Joseph          may God add
       Benjamin        son of the right hand
   Who's not listed?
       Dan             he has vindicates or he that judges
       Ephraim         doubly fruitful
   What's it mean?
       who does this list describe
           the 144,000 servants sealed by God
       what purpose does enumerating them serve?
           couldn't one have just said
               12,000 from each of the tribes of Israel?
   How about taking the meaning of the names into consideration
       Those who praise the Lord       Judah
           seeing the Son              Reuben
           in good fortune             Gad
           and happiness               Asher
           but wrestling               Naphtali
           with forgetfulness.         Manasseh
           Hearing and obeying         Simeon
           and joined,                 Levi
           as a reward                 Issachar
           looking for a home,         Zebulun
           added as the                Joseph
           son of the right hand.      Benjamin
       we've lost an interpretive tool over the past centuries we have forgotten what the names mean since our names rarely "mean" anything. except to expectant parents


Genesis chap 49 and Deuteronmy 33 proves we are the true descendants of Abraham, Issac, Jacob.

Who is the tribe of levi and Simeon?
Ans: Haitians and Dominicans

Who is the tribe of Judah?
Ans: So Called American Negroes

Who is the tribe of Benjamin?
Ans: So called West Indians

Who is the tribe of Zebulon?
ans: So called Central Americans (Guatemala to Panama)

Who is the tribe of Ephraim and Manasseh?
Ans: Puerto Ricans And Cubans

Who is the tribe of Gad?
ans: Native American Indians

Who is the tirbe of Reuben?
Seminole Indians

Who is the tribe of Asher?
Ans: South Americans (Columbia to Uruguay)

Who is the tribe of Nathtali
ans: Argentina and Chile

Who is the tribe of Issachar?
Ans: Mexicans

See is this right because I am trying to study God's chosen people and I am wondering if this is true. An I am beinging to see in the light because I am trying to be more open. I know that I dont want to be a nun now because there is so much in life that I havent fully discovered yet. I will be 21 this year and another question am I a true christian if I am a catholic? An also am I a heir of God if I am a catholic. How do you know if your of God? An if your doing the will of God meaning if you are listening to him and not to yourself. An many people state that catholics idol worship and I keep on telling them the real truth about our religion that we dont worship statues also they say that we make Mary the mother of God a Goddess I was spiritualy hurt by it and they also said that Jesus had brothers and sisters and I dont believe in that I believe he was an only child sent by God and that Mary is a sinless virgin the new eve also I only believe in one God in three persons and that Jesus never had brothers or sisters that the apstoles where just merely his followers and his friends that he called them brother because God made them new in spirit! If I believe in all of that am I a true child of God?


Answer
Dear Jacqueline:

Happy New Year to you.

Ten of the twelves tribes were dispersed and intermarried with others. Those tribes no longer exist. The Mormons are wrong on this point and many others I might add.

If you believe all that the Catholic Church, the True Church, teaches then you are very close to God. That is the key: follow the teachings of the Church. Remember that Jesus gave us the Pope beginning with St. Peter to guide and protect us like a shepherd with his sheep (see John 21:15-17). The Pope holds the keys to heaven (see Matthew 16:18). Those keys are the very authority of Jesus Christ so obey the Pope and thereby obey Jesus.
God Bless You,
Sal