TO the ends of the earth

Perspective can change everything. What is seen to be true may not be when viewed through a different lens. Conversely, the interpretive faculties of the mind can cause one to ignore what is actually seen even though it may be viewed through a perfect lens. For example, we have all experienced the optical phenomenon in which light rays are bent over pavement on a hot day to produce the likeness of a river or lake in the distance. Unlike a hallucination, this kind of illusion can be captured on camera, since light rays are actually refracted to form the false image at the observer's location. At another location, however, those same light rays may not create the same optical phenomenon. And even if they did present the same phenomenon, what will "appear" to that individual will be determined by the interpretive faculties of his mind.

Hence, when driving down the highway at 75 mph on a clear, hot day, we usually won't decelerate when our eyes see a body of water streaming across the road because our mind interprets the phenomenon to be false and confirms to us that driving conditions are safe. But, what if, against all likelihood, there was a river flowing across the road? Our interpretive response, in this case, would actually cause an unsafe driving condition by ignoring reality!

With this backdrop, the phrase "the ends of the earth" is used nearly 30 times in the Old Testament and 40 times in other verses of scripture. It is most often associated with spreading the gospel or the scattering and gathering of Israel. The Hebrew for "ends", when used in conjunction with "the earth", is 'ephec which means "end, edge, extremity or uttermost part". The Hebrew for "end" when used independently is qatseh, which similarly means "border, edge, end, frontier, outmost coast, shore, uttermost part". Hence, most who comment on the meaning of this phrase suggest that it is used to indicate the furthest reach of man's dominion, that is, "a very long way away". In Revelation 7:1 and 20:8, the "four corners of the earth" is mentioned. In the Greek, "corners", or "gonia" means "an angle, corner, cornerstone, or a secret place."

Summarizing what is explained in an article published by the Institute for Biblical & Scientific Studies, there are several different Hebrew words for 'end', including nk, ws, spa, and hxq. Continuing, the article notes:

The Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew and English Lexicon translates nk as 'the extremities of the earth,' (BDB 1980, 489), whereas, the Hebrew root of the word means 'winged'.… In Egyptian literature, the 'ends' of the earth are the extremities of the land where the sky and earth meet, but some of the time it is used in hyperbole to refer to lands and people who are very far away.… In Egyptian drawings the 'ends' of the earth are represented by lions which symbolize mountains that are at the edge of the world. Several drawings have twin lions with the sun in the middle (Keel 1978, 25-26, emphasis added).

Each of the Hebrew and Greek explanations is quite useful and can be applied to explain the scriptural meaning of the phrase "ends of the earth." However, the preposition "to" or "from" that precedes this phrase, in conjunction with the Old Testament blessings given to Joseph of Egypt, is the most useful in ascertaining its true meaning. It is also helpful to recall that geographers commonly label the axes of the earth's rotation...the north and south poles...the "ends of the earth" (see Cornell's Grammar-school Geography, Cornell, Sarah S., D. Appleton & Company, 1878, Lesson 1).

Moving on . . ., Deuteronomy 33:17 is the first verse wherein the phrase "ends of the earth" is used. The phrase "end (singular) of the earth" is first used in Deuteronomy 28:64. Thus, Moses appears to be the individual who coined the phrase "ends of the earth", and so it is to his writings that I turn for understanding. Beginning with Deuteronomy 33:1 and continuing through verse 25, Moses recorded his "last blessing" upon the children of Israel prior to being taken up by the Spirit (see Alma 45:19). The part which concerns Joseph and his posterity begins in verse 13 and is, by far, the most developed part of the blessing. In large respect, it mirrors the blessing (see Genesis 49:22-26) given to Joseph by his father, Jacob, concerning "that which shall befall [Joseph] in the last days" (see Genesis 49:1). Recounting the entire blessing given by Moses is helpful so that the reader may analyze the phrase "ends of the earth" in its proper context:

And of Joseph he said, Blessed of the Lord be his land, for the precious things of heaven, for the dew, and for the deep that coucheth beneath,

And for the precious fruits brought forth by the sun, and for the precious things put forth by the moon,

And for the chief things of the ancient mountains, and for the precious things of the lasting hills,

And for the precious things of the earth and fulness thereof, and for the good will of him that dwelt in the bush: let the blessing come upon the head of Joseph, and upon the top of the head of him that was separated from his brethren.

His glory is like the firstling of his bullock, and his horns are like the horns of unicorns: with them he shall push the people together to the ends of the earth: and they are the ten thousands of Ephraim, and they are the thousands of Manasseh (Deuteronomy 33:13-17), emphasis added).

To assist in explaining these verses, several ideas are worthy of further consideration. First, Joseph's land is America--both North and South (see 2 Nephi 1:9). As confirmed by a Book of Mormon prophet, New Jerusalem will be built up upon this land "unto the remnant of the seed of Joseph" and "it shall be a land of their inheritance" (see Ether 13:6, 8). Further, as noted by the 10th President of the Church, the Garden of Eden was located where this New Jerusalem will eventually be built. When Adam and Eve were driven out of the Garden, they established their permanent residence in a place nearby "called Adam-ondi-Ahman, situated in what is now Daviess County, Missouri" (see Smith, Joseph Fielding, Doctrines of Salvation, Bookcraft, Salt Lake City, Utah, 3:74; compare Heber C. Kimball, Journal of Discourses 10:235 and D&C 78:15-16).

The scriptures refer to this land where Adam dwelt as "the plains of Olaha Shinehah" (see D&C 117:7-8), words used by Abraham to denote the moon and sun, respectively (see Abraham 3:13). Because of the associating of this land with the original house of the Lord (i.e., the Garden of Eden), and possibly due to the fact that South America has the longest continental mountain range on the face of the earth, the land of Joseph's inheritance is likewise called the "mountains of Adam-ondi-Ahman" (see D&C 117:7-8), the ancient mountains" (see Deuteronomy 33:15) and the "everlasting hills" (see Genesis 49:26).

Second, the name Joseph (written "Yowceph" in Hebrew) has a double etymology--one which means "he takes away" and the other which means "he shall add". The primitive root of the name "Yacaph" supports the latter meaning "to add or to increase." As given by his mother, Rachel, the name Joseph signified that "the Lord shall add to me another son" (see Genesis 30:24). The scriptural footnote to this verse provides the following relevant comment: "'Joseph' relates both to the Hebrew root yasaph, 'to add,' and to asaph, meaning both 'to take away' and 'to gather.' The context plays upon all of these meanings." In view of his ancient and latter-day responsibilities to gather the tribes of Israel (see D&C 133:30-34) and save them in time of famine, the name Joseph most properly suggests "the son who shall gather."

In the last days, the descendants of Joseph are commissioned to gather Israel the second time "from Assyria, and from Egypt, and from Pathros, and from Cush, and from Elam, and from Shinar, and from Hamath, and from the islands of the sea" (Isaiah 11:11; compare D&C 137:5-6, Jacob 6:2, and JS-History 1:40). This latter-day gathering officially began in 1833 (see letter from Joseph Smith to N. C. Saxton, Jan. 4, 1833, Kirtland, Ohio, History of the Church 1:315; Mr. Saxton’s name is incorrectly given as “N. E. Seaton” in History of the Church). Rather than to lands of inheritance, the more important gathering in this day, and in any day, is unto Christ (see Genesis 49:10).

Third, the Hebrew for unicorn is re'em, meaning "a fierce and untamed animal resembling an ox." It is likely that it was the great aurochs that is now extinct, the last known of which died in 1627 in Poland. According to Wikipedia, "the proportions and body shape of the aurochs were strikingly different from many modern cattle breeds. For example, the legs were considerably longer and more slender, resulting in a shoulder height that nearly equaled the trunk length. The skull, carrying the large horns, was substantially larger and more elongated than in most cattle breeds. As in other wild bovines, the body shape of the aurochs was athletic and, especially in bulls, showed a strongly expressed neck and shoulder musculature. Therefore the forehand was larger than the rear, similar to the Wisent but unlike many domestic cattle." This life restoration of an aurochs bull found in Braunschweig, Germany shows the bull's muscular dimensions.

The height of these animals generally ranged from 5-6 feet, exceeding the height of today's typical bovine by nearly a foot. Restoration of the aurochs based on a bull skeleton from Lund, Scandanavia and a cow skeleton from Copenhagen, Denmark shows its size compared to a 6 foot man. When the animal was drawn in profile, only one horn was visible, which some suggest gave rise to the use of the term unicorn. Regardless, this wild bull which was, in the words of ancient prophets, equipped with hoofs of brass and horns of iron (see Micah 4:13, compare 3 Nephi 20:17-22), became one of the Old Testament's principal symbols of Joseph and his latter-day posterity (see Deuteronomy 33:17). Importantly, his horns were the Old Testament symbol of priesthood power; horns graced the each corner of the sacrificial altar (Exodus 38:2) as well as the golden altar before the throne of God (see Revelation 9:13).

To summarize the foregoing, 1) America is the land of Joseph's inheritance, 2) implicit in the name Joseph is a commission to gather all of the tribes of Israel, and 3) Joseph is characterized as a wild bull with hoofs like brass and horns like the horns of unicorns. "With them", Moses declared, "he shall push the people together to the ends of the earth" (Deuteronomy 33:17). Importantly, from these verses in Deuteronomy, it is clear that Joseph is not scattering the people; rather, he is pushing them together . . . together to a place called "the ends of the earth." Concerning this verse penned by Moses describing Joseph's latter-day work, Elder Orson Pratt expressed the following important connection:

Recollect what Jacob said, concerning the seed of Joseph, in the 48th chapter of Genesis—they were to become a multitude of nations. (Genesis 48:19) They never were a multitude of nations in Palestine, neither in Asia, Europe, nor Africa, and if the prophecy is not fulfilled upon the great western continent, it will not be fulfilled at all. . . . The tens of thousands of Ephraim, and the thousands of Manasseh, will push the people together to the ends of the earth. . . . The Indians, and Lamanites, who will take hold in this great latter-day work, are the horns of Joseph, not to scatter the people, but to push them together. Where? To the ends of the earth, the 33rd of Deuteronomy says, and I have no doubt that when Moses saw this continent in vision, he called it "the ends of the earth." There was to be a gathering there; they were to be pushed together; instead of being gathered from the nations of the earth back to Palestine, they were to be gathered in the latter days away in some distant country, that Moses designates by the term "ends of the earth" (Journal of Discourses, Vol.18, p.166-167, Orson Pratt, July 18, 1875).

The "ends of the earth" is the continent comprising both North and South America. It is Joseph's land that embraces the geographic ends of the earth and is, therefore, called "the ends of the earth". It is the continent that has the appearance of "two wings of a great eagle" (see Revelation 12:14) that span from pole to pole, thereby, connecting the phrase "ends of the earth" to its Hebrew root meaning "winged". Isaiah understood this meaning and, likewise, referred to the ends of the earth as "the land shadowing with wings" (see Isaiah 18:1), a land from beyond the rivers of Ethiopia (Zephaniah 3:10) where the Lord's dispersed would bring his offering (see Ezekiel 20:40; compare Ezekiel 17:22-24). From Moses forward, the phrase "ends of the earth" was understood by every prophet to mean the land of Joseph's inheritance--AMERICA!

To usher in the time when Joseph was to push the people together, the heavens opened on April 3, 1836 and Moses appeared to the prophet Joseph Smith, a lineal descendent of Joseph of Egypt, and committed unto him "the keys of the gathering of Israel from the four parts of the earth, and the leading of the ten tribes from the land of the north" (D&C 110:11). As the Church grew in converts, Joseph Smith sent missionaries . . . first to Liverpool, England where the seed of Joseph had unwittingly congregated and the call was sent forth for all saints, near and far, to gather to Independence, Missouri (the land appointed and consecrated for the gathering of the saints, the land of promise, and the place for the city of Zion, see D&C 57:1-2). Indeed, with horns as the horns of unicorns, Joseph began the great work of pushing the people to the ends of the earth.

Notwithstanding the priesthood keys that Joseph held to spread the gospel to every nation, kindred, tongue, and people, and to gather all who would hear unto the knowledge of the Redeemer, the greater gathering unto Christ was yet to be ushered in; the gathering of those who had died without a knowledge of this gospel (D&C 138:54). Elijah, therefore, also appeared on April 3, 1836 and committed unto Joseph the keys "to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the children to the fathers" (D&C 110:15). Thus, the great work of building temples began . . . that the children might be baptized for their fathers and, for them, prepare the way that they might be judged according to men in the flesh, but live according to God in the Spirit. And even as the Lord designated Missouri as the land of Zion, he designated in the "place which is now called Independence . . . a spot for the temple" (D&C 57:3). Even though persecution prevented the saints from erecting a temple, temples now dot the face of the earth.

Portraying Joseph as an important temple symbol connected to baptism, every temple of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has 12 wild bulls standing abreast in a circular pattern supporting the temple's baptismal font upon their backs (picture of temple baptismal font). It is commonly thought by members of the Church that these twelve oxen represent the twelve tribes of Israel. However, given that Judah is a lion's whelp, Daniel...a serpent, Issachar...a strong ass, and Naphtali...a hind let loose (see Genesis 49:9, 14, 17, 21), it is not probable that this oft-accepted interpretation is correct. The more likely conclusion is that all twelve oxen situated beneath the baptismal fonts represent Joseph gathering the 12 tribes of Israel. Note the important distinction that exists between the oxen verses the number of oxen beneath the font: the number of oxen (12) represent the tribes of Israel, whereas, the oxen represent Joseph gathering those 12 tribes. As expected, three of the oxen in each house of God face east, three west, three north, and three south, thus, depicting Joseph's commission to gather Israel from the four corners of the earth. This baptismal font fashioned by the goldsmith Renier de Huy in the first half of the 12th century now sits in the Eglise Saint Barhélemy (Church of St. Bartholomew). It confirms that fonts such as those described in the scriptures as "one sea, and twelve oxen under the sea" (1 Kings 7:44) were, indeed, anciently used.

Upon close inspection of the LDS temple baptismal font, it will be noted that the oxen are standing amidst reeds (picture of temple baptismal font). A "bruised or broken reed" is occasionally used in the Old Testament to symbolize Egypt. To Israel, Isaiah wrote, "Lo, thou trustest in the staff of this broken reed, on Egypt; whereon if a man lean, it will go into his hand, and pierce it: so is Pharaoh king of Egypt to all that trust in him" (see Isaiah 36:6, compare Ezekiel 29:6-16). This symbolic association of the wild ox with a reed provides further evidence that the ox is, indeed, a symbol of Joseph sold into Egypt.

In time, Joseph became governor of Egypt and, by opening the storehouses, saved both Egypt and Israel from a sore famine. In these last day, Joseph Smith performed a similar service to save both Egypt and Israel from a more terrible famine--that of hearing the word of the Lord (see Amos 8:11-13). And like Joseph of old, he opened up the storehouses wherein God's children are being saved, from his day forward.

In time, there came a king in Egypt who knew not Joseph (see Exodus 1:8), and Israel was made to serve Egypt in rigour and hard bondage for more than 400 years. While wasting away in that state, Israel's labor was not limited to building the treasure houses of Pithom and Raamses, but they did also labor in sin and began to trust in the staff of the broken reed. They, the bride of the Lord, partook of the wealth of Egypt, turned from their husband (see Isaiah 54:5), and went whoring after other gods (see Ezekiel 16). No less than Eve, this woman was beguiled by the serpent (see Isaiah 27:1) and partook of the forbidden fruit (see Abraham 1:23). In her unclean condition, it was necessary that she be brought out of the world to which she had become accustomed (see Ezekiel 23). Thus, the Lord raised up Moses. And, although separated by generations, Egypt was where Joseph and Moses crossed paths. Whereas, Joseph was sold to the reeds, Moses was found among the reeds (Exodus 2:5). And he was brought unto Pharaoh’s daughter, and became her son, and she called his name Moses because he was taken "out of the water" (Exodus 2:10).

Hence, both Joseph and Moses were needed to recover Israel; Joseph saved her from famine and Moses saved her from gluttony. At the baptismal fonts of the temples, both Joseph and Moses are symbolized; Joseph, with horns like the horns of unicorns, is shown pushing the people together to the ends of the earth and Moses is shown taking Israel out of water. 4,000 years later, Joseph Smith came forward to do spiritually that which Joseph of Egypt and Moses did temporally. 

I testify of the great prophet of this dispensation, Joseph Smith. He saw God and Jesus Christ, was given all the keys of the priesthood, and restored the gospel in its entirety. Through him, we have all of the ordinances of salvation. Because of him, we have temples today, wherein our dead and ourselves might be saved. Because of him, we can receive the atonement of our Great Redeemer, Jesus Christ. In this month in which we celebrate the births of these two men, Jesus Christ and Joseph Smith, I testify that salvation is made available to us because of them.