What Mormons Believe about the House of Israel

The Descendants of Israel

The House of Israel is a family--the family descended from Jacob, re-named Israel by the Lord. Jacob was the grandson of Abraham and an inheritor of the blessing that Abraham received that "all the families of the earth" would be blessed through his seed or lineage.

When Moses led the children of Israel out of Egypt and they eventually settled in the land of Canaan, each tribe, except for Levi, was given a land inheritance. In the course of time, the tribes of the north (headed by Ephraim) split off from the tribes of the south (headed by Judah). The southern tribes maintained their distinct identity, for the most part, and are now knows as modern-day Jews.

The northern tribes were dispersed and we believe they have mingled with all the peoples of the earth.

The House of Israel in the Latter Days

But in the latter days, these tribes have a work to do in preparing the earth for the return of Jesus Christ. We believe that, beginning with the restoration and re-establishment of the Church of Jesus Christ via the prophet Joseph Smith, that the gathering of the House of Israel has begun through missionary work.
Ephraim and Manasseh
Ephraim and Manasseh were the two oldest sons of Joseph, Jacob's 11th son. When Jacob blessed these two boys (his grandsons), he included them as among his very own sons. But he crossed his arms and gave the greater blessing to the younger son, Ephraim. And Ephraim's posterity in the latter-days have the responsibility of carrying the light of the gospel to all the world.

See the Bible Dictionary for more info on the richly blessed tribe of Ephraim.

Patriarchal Blessings

As Latter-day Saints, we have a unique privilege in receiving our patriarchal blessing. It's like personalized scripture as well as a declaration of our house of Israel lineage. In this video, Elder Faust explains how people from the same family can be from different tribes, and how converts are adopted in to a tribe and given the same blessings.
Thomas S. Monson speaks about the importance of our blessings as our own personal liahona here.
Elder Bussey, who recently spoke at our stake conference, said that he reads his blessing every week. Sounds like a good idea!

Our Responsibilities as the House of Israel

In Abraham 2:11, we learn about our blessings and our responsibilities:

 And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse them that curse thee; and in thee (that is, in thy Priesthood) and in thy seed (that is, thy Priesthood), for I give unto thee a promise that this right shall continue in thee, and in thy seed after thee (that is to say, the literal seed, or the seed of the body) shall all the families of the earth be blessed, even with the blessings of the Gospel, which are the blessings of salvation, even of life eternal.

In the Joseph Smith Translation of Genesis, we get a clearer view of our privileges:

For thou shalt be a light unto my people, to deliver them in the days of their captivity, from bondage; and to bring salvation unto them, when they are altogether bowed down under sin. (JST Genesis 48:11) 

I love this scripture and I hope that I can be a light unto the people within my sphere of influence.

Talk to People

One way is to learn how to naturally help people learn about the restored gospel. Here is a very helpful list of articles on How Missionary Work Can Change Your Life. 
But I think this webpage may be even more helpful. It lists videos and scriptures that you can share with friends who have specific questions and situations. For example, do you have a friend who is undergoing a health challenge? Share this video with them. The webpage is called Sharing the Gospel Naturally. It's focused on youth, but an excellent resource for any member.
Bishop Baird asked us to widen our circle of friends. Here's a very inspiration video that will give you something to think about: I'll Go Where You Want Me to Go.
Another video, By Small and Simple Things, shows how one young woman invited a friend to come for dinner and eventually introduced him to the church. It may be just as simple as a dinner invitation.

Other Ways to Fulfill Our Responsibilities

I believe all of the work of the Church is preparing the earth for the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. Temple work, family history work, welfare work...the list goes on. If you are involved in any or all of these, you are helping to fulfill your duties as the House of Israel.

But, like me, you could probably do better. And it would make the Lord happy, so why not?

How can you better fulfill your divine responsibilities as members of the House of Israel?