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Joseph, Son of Jacob, Foresaw Joseph Smith Jr
Latter-day Saints are fortunate to know that our current canon of scripture is not complete. There have been many things that have been deleted, added, revised, and more to the biblical canon.
One thing that separates Latter-day Saint understandings from other Christians of the Bible is their knowledge that Joseph, son of Jacob, prophesied the latter-day Restoration of God’s people.
In the Book of Mormon, Lehi gives his valedictory to his children. Speaking to his son Joseph, Lehi first draws a parallel between him and Joseph of Egypt. Lehi then quotes a prophecy from Joseph of Egypt in which a “choice seer,” with the same name as Joseph of Egypt, would be raised up, and he would be of the descendancy of Joseph of Egypt. Additionally, that seer’s father’s name would also be Joseph–making this a prophecy made by Joseph of Egypt, quoted to Joseph the son of Lehi, about a future Joseph who would be a chosen seer of God and whose father’s name would be Joseph.
A similar prophecy about Joseph Smith is found in the Joseph Smith Translation of Genesis 50. Latter-day Saint scholars and other observers argue that Lehi is quoting the brass plates version of Genesis 50 which strongly follows with the text of 2 Nephi 3. However, there are also important differences between the two. Writers for Scripture Central, a non-profit scripture research organization that supports the Church, produced an online essay about the differences and concluded:
In 2 Nephi 3, Lehi interpreted Genesis in a remarkably complex way. The subtle nuances that become apparent when comparing 2 Nephi and JST Genesis 50 strongly suggest that Joseph Smith did not simply modify 2 Nephi to produce the Joseph Smith Translation. It is much more likely that something very close to the Joseph Smith Translation of Genesis 50 was on the Plates of Brass, and that Lehi carefully reinterpreted this text to apply it to his own descendants.47
Joseph Smith truly was a choice seer–producing over 1000 pages of new scripture and revelation for latter-day followers of Jesus Christ and His Restored Church.
47Scripture Central, “How Lehi Likened the Scriptures to Himself,” Scripture Central, February 5, 2024, https://scripturecentral.org/knowhy/how-lehi-likened-the-scriptures-to-himself. Citing Kent P. Jackson, “Inspired Additions to Genesis (JST, Genesis),” in Old Testament, Part 1: Genesis to 2 Samuel, Studies in Scripture, Volume 3, ed. Kent P. Jackson and Robert L. Millet (Salt Lake City, UT: Deseret Book, 1989), 44–45.
