Lost Ten Tribes

(Note: I think it is difficult to find quotes I like on lds.org, because their search engine stinks. So whenever I want to remember a quote, I'm just putting it onto my blog. I can search my blog better than on lds.org.)

Topic for today: The Lost Ten Tribes. Here are a bunch of quotes and scriptures that are all related to this topic. I am no expert, but putting these all together gives me an idea of what is going to happen when the Lost Ten Tribes return. The following is just my understanding. If my understanding is incorrect, I guess I will find out when the time comes.

Jeremiah 16:14-15
Therefore, behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that it shall no more be said, The Lord liveth, that brought up the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt,
But, The Lord liveth, that brought up the children of Israel from the land of the north, and from all the lands whither he had driven them: and I will bring them again into their land that I gave unto their fathers.

I have heard the above scripture explained this way: That the miracle that accompanies the return of the lost ten tribes will be such a big miracle that people will start referring to it, and stop referring to the parting of the Red Sea.

So, what do the scriptures say this big miracle is going to be?

Doctrine and Covenants 133:23-30 (I will only type some parts of these verses, you'll have to look at your D&C for the whole verses)
verse 23: He shall command the great deep and it shall be driven back into the north countries, and the islands shall become one land:....
verse 26: And they who are in the north countries shall come in remembrance before the Lord; and their prophets shall hear his voice, and shall no longer stay themselves; and they shall smite the rocks, and the ice thall flow down at thier presence.
verse 27: And an highway shall be cast up in the midst of the great deep.
verse 30: And they shall bring forth their rich treasures unto the children of Ephraim...

I have no idea if verses 23-25 actually go with the Ten Tribes returning, we'll have to see what the actual chronological order turns out to be. However, the footnote on verse 26 does refer to the Lost Ten Tribes, so we'll have to believe that verse 26 is talking about them.

So my understanding of Doctrine and Covenants 133:26-30 is that the Lost Ten Tribes will be led by prophets; some miraculous things are going to happen involving rocks, ice, and a highway in the midst of the great deep; and they will bring forth rich treasures (I am guessing this means their records.)

And as it says in Jeremiah 16:14-15, this is going to be a greater miracle than the parting of the Red Sea. Cool!

When is all this going to happen? I am betting it is going to happen pretty soon (but I'm nobody, don't pay any attention to me.)

"At the October, 1916, general conference of the Church, Elder James E. Talmage made this prediction:
"The tribes shall come; they are not lost unto the Lord; they shall be brought forth as hath been predicted: and I say unto you there are those now living--aye, some here present--who shall live to read the records of the Lost Tribes of Israel, which shall be made one with the record of the Jews, or the Holy Bible, and the record of the Nephites, or the Book of Mormon, even as the Lord predicted; and those records, which the tribes lost to man but yet to be found again shall bring, shall tell of the visit of the resurrected Christ to them, after he had manifested himself to the Nephites upon this continent. (Articles of Faith, p. 513)"
(Mormon Doctrine, pp. 455-58)

Time is running out for this prophecy to come true, since he said it in 1916. I wonder how many people are still alive who were in that meeting?

Who is going to lead the Ten Tribes?

"When the ten tribes return they will come at the direction of the President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, for he now holds and will then hold the keys of presidency and direction for this mighty work."
Bruce R. McConkie, Ensign April 1980, p. 22

Could the Lost Ten Tribes already be gathering? Elder James E. Talmage warned us not to look at it that way:

"There is a tendency among men to explain away what they don't wish to understand in literal simplicity, and we, as Latter-day Saints are not entirely free from the taint of that tendency....
Some people say that prediction is to be explained this way: A gathering is in progress, and has been in progress from the early days of this Church; and thus the "Lost Tribes" are now being gathered; but that we are not to look for the return of any body of people now unknown as to their whereabouts.
True, the gathering is in progress, this is a gathering dispensation; but the prophecy stands that the tribes shall be brought forth from their hiding place bringing their scriptures with them, which scriptures shall become one with the scriptures of the Jews, the holy Bible, and with the scriptures of the Nephites, the Book of Mormon, and with the scriptures of the Latter-day Saints as embodied in the volumes of modern revelation."
Elder James E. Talmage, Conference Report, April 1916, p. 130. As quoted in The Coming of the Lord,p. 163, Gerald N. Lund.

The return of the Lost Ten Tribes is one of the things that I am most looking forward to.

And getting the sealed portion of the Gold Plates.

And Adam-ondi-Ahman.

Plus I really really want to fly up and meet Christ in the air.