Blogging Through the Book of Mormon

46:28-47:6 - It seems like for all his boys, Jacob has come to rely on Judah the most to run the show. On the way down to Egypt from Canaan, Jacob sends Judah to Joseph so that they could know exactly where he wanted them to go. When Judah gets to Joseph, he is directed to the land of Goshen, for the reasons that we’ve discussed previously, such as keeping Joseph’s family away from the corruptive influence of the unbelieving Egyptians and also allowing them to pursue shepherding in a community that hates shepherds. Upon Joseph instructing Judah to go to Goshen, Judah returns to his father Jacob, and Joseph “made ready his chariot, and went up to meet Israel his father… and he fell on his neck, and wept on his neck a good while.” I can’t imagine how this feels for Jospeh and Jacob both, truly never thinking that they’d see each other again. I wonder if this is how I would feel if one of my children was taken away for 20 years, I’m sure it is. While settling in Goshen, Joseph wants to ...

46:1-27 - The joy felt by learning of Jospeh’s wellbeing in Egypt must have been countered equally with dread when Jacob realizes that his sons are planning, to take the whole family from their lands in Canaan to Egypt, permanently. Why the trepidation about leaving Canaan where there was a years long famine and going to Egypt, where they would have the best lands and plenty of food because of the political position held by his long lost favorite son? First, Jacob was born in the land of Canaan and his brother Esau lived in that area, so he would be leaving his childhood home and family. This is a double edged sword though because it seems he had a tenuous relationship with Esau. But familiarity wouldn’t have been enough to discourage Jacob from going to Egypt. Second, we have to remember that even though Jacob was born in this land, he had to flee it for his safety in his formative years, and on his journey away there was a spiritual awakening with visions where God promised “the la...

45:16-28 - The news that Joseph’s brothers had been found as well as his father, and that they were all coming to live in Egypt became big news, at least to the political elite, and even Pharaoh told Jospeh to take all types of food and beasts and wagons to Canaan to pick up his father and the rest of his house hold. Pharoah promised “I will give you the good of the land of Egypt, and ye shall eat the fat of the land.” Pharoah is able to give the best land to Jospeh’s family because at this point, he owns almost all the land in all of Egypt because he’s been selling the grain confiscated from the Egyptian citizenry, back to them taking all their money, land, and even themselves as slaves. I would imagine that if this land that was gained by Pharoah through these means was then just freely given to Joseph’s family, the Egyptian people would not be pleased and it would cause hate and bitterness between the two groups, Egyptians and Hebrews at some point. Joseph does as Pharoah advises a...