One of the most important parts of a patriarchal blessing (see #76 PATRIARCHAL BLESSINGS - DIVINE PERSONAL COUNSEL) is the declaration of someone’s lineage in Israel. Latter-day Saints believe in the literal gathering of Israel (Articles of Faith 1:10). The Lost Ten Tribes of Israel will literally be gathered at some point on the American continent.

There are two related issues in attempting to understand what exactly it means to designate someone’s tribal affiliation in their patriarchal blessing and these are (1) whether the designation means that someone is of the literal, genetic descent of that tribe and (2) whether the designation carries with it particular roles or responsibilities in the gathering of Israel.

Regarding the first issue, it is hard to understand the relationship between science and scripture on this point. There are several potential explanations of scripture and its relationship to science that are consistent with Latter-day Saint beliefs about God’s power and the Second Coming.  

“The biblical scriptures in which the early Church was steeped are saturated with the language and vocabulary of an important and chosen literal bloodline. Given that the Lord speaks to men and women in their language according to their understanding (2 Nephi 31:3), it is to be expected that the early Church would hear and understand the latter-day revelations in these same terms.”¹⁶¹ Joseph Smith received a few revelations that indicate that one has a “legal right” to the bishopric if they are of the literal descent of Aaron (Doctrine & Covenants 107:16, 76). There are also ambiguous references to how the sons of Levi would be “purged as gold and silver” (3 Nephi 24:3; Doctrine & Covenants 128:24). Some have found confirmation of the existence of people that are “of the literal descent of Levi” in the Jewish Kohanim who all claim to be such descendants. The scriptures would seem to indicate that there are literal bloodlines that we can trace our ancestry in Israel through. 

On the other hand is what we glean from a scientific perspective––namely, that “if you go back far enough, each one of us has a shared ancestor with every other person on earth. Scientists estimate that the most recent common ancestor of all humans lived just a few thousand years ago.”¹⁶² Thus it is likely that, if the heads of the twelve tribes of Israel have had descendants that survived past a few generations, then practically everyone on earth would be of the literal, bloodline lineage of all of the heads of the tribes of Israel. Thus, whether we are of the literal descent of these heads, not of the literal descent of these heads but adopted into a tribe of Israel that is of the literal descent of one of these heads, assigned a responsibility that aligns with the responsibilities held anciently by the respective tribes in the gathering of Israel, or some other explanation, is not fully understood. In an attempt to understand the declaration of lineage in harmony with science, one writer has proposed “that while all people on the planet are probably of Abraham’s literal blood lineage, only as we accept the gospel do we become literally a part of covenant Israel. All of covenant Israel would then be a people who are both literal descendants of Abraham and who worship God and look to Abraham as their spiritual father. We would be one both in bloodline and in covenant. And we would, hopefully, bless all nations of the earth.”¹⁶³

No matter which way we are to understand the science and scripture related to this issue, we can take comfort knowing that the scriptures tell us that we are encouraged and free to use “things both in heaven and in the earth, and under the earth; things which have been, things which are, [and] things which must shortly come to pass” in order to “be instructed more perfectly in theory, in principle, in doctrine, in the law of the gospel, in all things that pertain unto the kingdom of God, that are expedient for [us] to understand” (Doctrine & Covenants 88:78–79). Also that, at the Second Coming, the Lord “shall reveal all things—things which have passed, and hidden things which no man knew, things of the earth, by which it was made, and the purpose and the end thereof—things most precious, things that are above, and things that are beneath, things that are in the earth, and upon the earth, and in heaven” (Doctrine & Covenants 101:32–34).

Regarding the second issue, and assuming that the declaration of lineage indeed assigns us responsibilities in the gathering of Israel, it is difficult to know the responsibilities for each of the tribes given that those roles and responsibilities are spelled out in good detail for some of these tribes and not others in scripture. Of those for which we have more information than not:

1. Judah: Known for leadership; from this tribe came kings like David and ultimately, Jesus Christ, who is sometimes referred to as the "Lion of Judah."
2. Levi: This tribe was set apart for religious duties. The Levites were responsible for the priesthood and temple work.
3. Joseph: Joseph received a double portion of inheritance through his sons, Ephraim and Manasseh. Ephraim is considered the leading tribe in the gathering of Israel in Latter-day Saint belief. Ephraim is the most common tribe for Latter-day Saints to be a part of. Both ancient (see #35 THE BIRTHRIGHT WAS JOSEPH’S) and modern revelation (Doctrine & Covenants 133:30–34) give a special role to Ephraim in the gathering of Israel. The tribe of Manasseh was unique in that it received land on both sides of the Jordan River. Half of the tribe settled east of the Jordan, while the other half settled west, illustrating a sense of strength and influence. Manasseh, along with Ephraim, is also considered part of this gathering effort, particularly among the descendants of Lehi (considered by faith to be from Manasseh) found in the Book of Mormon. Manasseh is sometimes viewed as representative of overcoming challenges and achieving greatness despite trials, as his father Joseph did.
4. Benjamin: Played a significant role due to its location and association with Judah after the split of the northern and southern kingdoms.

The specific roles of the tribes of Reuben, Simeon, Zebulun, Issachar, Dan, Gad, Asher, and Naphtali are not as prominently defined as those of Judah, Levi, and Joseph, but they each have unique characteristics and roles described in biblical blessings and prophecies. 

1. Reuben: As the firstborn, Reuben was originally entitled to leadership, but he lost that right due to misconduct. He is symbolized by water — unstable and easily moved.
2. Simeon: Known for its violent actions, particularly in the account of Shechem. Simeon's inheritance was eventually absorbed into Judah.
3. Zebulun: Often associated with trade and prosperity, Zebulun was said to dwell by the sea and be a haven for ships.
4. Issachar: Characterized as hardworking and resilient; often represented as a strong donkey, indicating labor and service.
5. Dan: Known for judgment and being a serpent by the way, indicating a role in governance and protection. Samson was from the tribe of Dan.
6. Gad: Known for military prowess and bravery. Often involved in skirmishes and battles.
7. Asher: Blessed with abundance and richness, particularly in terms of fertile land and luxury.
8. Naphtali: Known for its freedom and swiftness, symbolized by a deer let loose.

These descriptions are primarily derived from patriarchal blessings in Genesis (Chapter 49) and other scriptural insights. They're more about character traits and symbolism rather than specific, assigned roles. Thus, designation as part of these tribes might not indicate a particular role that a person has in the gathering of Israel, but of characteristics that could shape their individual personality. This would not mean, however, that members of these tribes are excluded from performing functions in the gathering of Israel–including those performed by members of other “tribes” in the Church.

Regardless of these issues, we can all be certain, as covenant Latter-day Saints, that we are all, in some way, numbered among the house of Israel. How are we empowered knowing that we are connected with ancient Israel? The same Israel that had its prophets so frequently commune with God and witnessed the miraculous as they established themselves as a nation and covenant people?