1. Introduction
a) Genealogy
i) Abraham's birthright son, Isaac
(1) Marriage
(a) Rebekah
(i) Twin sons
1. Esau
2. Jacob
(ii) Esau, the eldest, sold his birthright to Jacob
ii) Jacob
(1) Marriage
(a) Story
(i) Went to his uncle Laban, Rebakah's brother, to find a wife
(ii) Fell in love with Rachel
(iii) Worked seven years, Laban said he must marry Leah first
(iv) Worked another seven years to marry Rachel
(v) Also married Zilpah, Leah's handmaid, and Bilhah, Rachel's handmaid
1. Zilpah and Bilhah were lesser wives
(vi) These four wives bore 12 sons for Jacob, who would be called Israel
1. Source of the 12 tribes of Israel
(b) Leah
(i) Firstborn was Reuben
1. Lost his birthright as a result of adultery with one of his father's concubines
(c) Rachel
(i) Could not conceive for some years
(ii) Firstborn was Joseph
1. Became birthright son after Reuben's transgression
(iii) Rachel died bearing Jacob's youngest son, Benjamin
b) Joseph
i) 
Spoke last week of Joseph's sale into slavery by his brothers, who told Jacob that Joseph was dead.
ii) When Joseph resisted the advances of Potiphar's wife, he was thrown into prison
2. Prophetic Dreams
a) Prophetic dreams played an important role in Joseph's life
i) While he was living at home
(1) Dream of his brothers' eleven sheaves of wheat bowing to his sheaf
(2) Dream of the sun and the moon and the eleven stars bowing to Joseph.
ii) In Egypt
(1) Interpreted the dream of Pharaoh's butler and the baker
(2) Interprets Pharaoh's dreams
b) Other Prophetic Dreams
i) Jacob's dream of the ladder reaching up to heaven
ii) Book of Mormon - Lehi's dream of the tree of life
iii) In the New Testament, Joseph was warned in a dream to take Mary and the infant Jesus to Egypt to avoid the slaughter of the infants that Herod would order.
3. Joseph's Afflictions
a) Afflictions
i) Hated by his brothers
ii) Brothers first planned to kill him, then sold him into slavery
iii) Repeatedly tempted by Potiphar's wife while he was a slave
iv) Unjustly imprisoned for seven years
b) Response to Afflictions
i) Joseph remained righteous
ii) Reading 1 – Genesis 39:21-23
21 ¶ But the Lord was with Joseph, and shewed him mercy, and gave him favour in the sight of the keeper of the prison.
22 And the keeper of the prison committed to Joseph’s hand all the prisoners that were in the prison; and whatsoever they did there, he was the doer of it.
23 The keeper of the prison looked not to any thing that was under his hand; because the Lord was with him, and that which he did, the Lord made it to prosper.
c) Role of Afflictions in Our Lives
i) Have spoken about the mounting afflictions of Abraham, with the greatest affliction coming when he was an old man and commanded to sacrifice Isaac
ii) Joseph Smith's afflictions
iii) Reading 2 – 1 Peter 4:12-13
12 Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you:
13 But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ’s sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy.
iv) READ – Elder Richard G. Scott has said, "While you are passing through [your trials], the pain and difficulty that comes from being enlarged will continue. If all matters were immediately resolved at your first petition, you could not grow. Your Father in Heaven and His Beloved Son love you perfectly. They would not require you to experience a moment more of difficulty than is absolutely needed for your personal benefit or for that of those you love." (Richard G. Scott, "Trust in the Lord," Ensign, Nov. 1995, 17)
v) READ Romans 8:28
28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.
(1) Joseph is a great example of how all things work out well for them that love God
4. Pharaoh's Dream
a) Joseph in prison and interprets the dream of the butler
i) Asks that the butler tell Pharaoh about him when he is released
ii) Butler forgets about Joseph
b) 
Reading 3 – Genesis 41:1-16
1 And it came to pass at the end of two full years [after the butler was released from prison], that Pharaoh dreamed: and, behold, he stood by the river.
2 And, behold, there came up out of the river seven well favoured kine and fatfleshed; and they fed in a meadow.
3 And, behold, seven other kine came up after them out of the river, ill favoured and leanfleshed; and stood by the other kine upon the brink of the river.
4 And the ill favoured and leanfleshed kine did eat up the seven well favoured and fat kine. So Pharaoh awoke.
5 And he slept and dreamed the second time: and, behold, seven ears of corn came up upon one stalk, rank and good.
6 And, behold, seven thin ears and blasted with the east wind sprung up after them.
7 And the seven thin ears devoured the seven rank and full ears. And Pharaoh awoke, and, behold, it was a dream.
8 And it came to pass in the morning that his spirit was troubled; and he sent and called for all the magicians of Egypt, and all the wise men thereof: and Pharaoh told them his dream; but there was none that could interpret them unto Pharaoh.
9 ¶ Then spake the chief butler unto Pharaoh, saying, I do remember my faults this day:
10 Pharaoh was wroth with his servants, and put me in ward in the captain of the guard’s house, both me and the chief baker:
11 And we dreamed a dream in one night, I and he; we dreamed each man according to the interpretation of his dream.
12 And there was there with us a young man, an Hebrew, servant to the captain of the guard; and we told him, and he interpreted to us our dreams; to each man according to his dream he did interpret.
13 And it came to pass, as he interpreted to us, so it was; me he restored unto mine office, and him he hanged.
14 ¶ Then Pharaoh sent and called Joseph, and they brought him hastily out of the dungeon: and he shaved himself, and changed his raiment, and came in unto Pharaoh.
15 And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, I have dreamed a dream, and there is none that can interpret it: and I have heard say of thee, that thou canst understand a dream to interpret it.
16 And Joseph answered Pharaoh, saying, It is not in me: God shall give Pharaoh an answer of peace.
c) Joseph hears Pharaoh's dream
i) READ – Genesis 41:25
25 ¶ And Joseph said unto Pharaoh, The dream of Pharaoh is one: God hath shewed Pharaoh what he is about to do.
d) Joseph interprets the dream as 7 years of prosperity followed by 7 years of famine
i) Tells Pharaoh that he must store food during times of properity
ii) Must appoint someone wise to oversee the process
e) Great rags-to-riches story
i) Reading 4 – Genesis 41:37-43
37 ¶ And the thing was good in the eyes of Pharaoh, and in the eyes of all his servants.
38 And Pharaoh said unto his servants, Can we find such a one as this is, a man in whom the Spirit of God is?
39 And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, Forasmuch as God hath shewed thee all this, there is none so discreet and wise as thou art:
40 Thou shalt be over my house, and according unto thy word shall all my people be ruled: only in the throne will I be greater than thou.
41 And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, See, I have set thee over all the land of Egypt.
42 And Pharaoh took off his ring from his hand, and put it upon Joseph’s hand, and arrayed him in vestures of fine linen, and put a gold chain about his neck;
43 And he made him to ride in the second chariot which he had; and they cried before him, Bow the knee: and he made him ruler over all the land of Egypt.
f) Joseph is now 30 years old and has been a slave or in prison for 13 years
g) Joseph been a faithful follower of the Lord and abided by the law of the harvest and after a very long time, the harvest has come
h) Because of Joseph's faithfulness, Jehovah has put him in a position to be the temporal savior of the house of Israel.
5. Joseph forgives his brothers
a) The famine has hit Canaan hard
b) Jacob sends his ten oldest sons to Egypt to purchase grain
c) Reading 5 – Genesis 42:5-8
5 And the sons of Israel came to buy corn among those that came: for the famine was in the land of Canaan.
6 And Joseph was the governor over the land, and he it was that sold to all the people of the land: and Joseph’s brethren came, and bowed down themselves before him with their faces to the earth.
7 And Joseph saw his brethren, and he knew them, but made himself strange unto them, and spake roughly unto them; and he said unto them, Whence come ye? And they said, From the land of Canaan to buy food.
8 And Joseph knew his brethren, but they knew not him.
d) Joseph then accuses them of being spies and says that they will have to bring Benjamin into Egypt when they come to buy grain a second time.
e) Reading 6 – Genesis 42:17-24
17 And he put them all together into ward three days.
18 And Joseph said unto them the third day, This do, and live; for I fear God:
19 If ye be true men, let one of your brethren be bound in the house of your prison: go ye, carry corn for the famine of your houses:
20 But bring your youngest brother unto me; so shall your words be verified, and ye shall not die. And they did so.
21 ¶ And they said one to another, We are verily guilty concerning our brother, in that we saw the anguish of his soul, when he besought us, and we would not hear; therefore is this distress come upon us.
22 And Reuben answered them, saying, Spake I not unto you, saying, Do not sin against the child; and ye would not hear? therefore, behold, also his blood is required.
23 And they knew not that Joseph understood them; for he spake unto them by an interpreter.
24 And he turned himself about from them, and wept; and returned to them again, and communed with them, and took from them Simeon, and bound him before their eyes.
i) ASK - Why is Joseph speaking roughly to them and why does he tell them they will have to bring Benjamin to Egypt?
ii) Verse 21 - And they said one to another, We are verily guilty concerning our brother, in that we saw the anguish of his soul, when he besought us, and we would not hear; therefore is this distress come upon us.
(1) The brothers are consumed by guilt over what they did to Joseph more than 20 years earlier
(a) They had lived with their sin of betrayal
(b) They carried the memories of Joseph pleading with them to release him
(c) They had all lied to their father, Jacob, about Joseph.
(d) They thought that Joseph must be dead by now.
(e) They had no way to repent of their sins.
iii) Verse 22 - And Reuben answered them, saying, Spake I not unto you, saying, Do not sin against the child; and ye would not hear? therefore, behold, also his blood is required
(1) Reuben reminds them that he objected to killing Joseph (but not selling him into slavery)
(2) Now, Reuben is fearful that Benjamin, the only other son of Rachel, will also be killed like he believes Joseph was killed.
iv) Verse 24 – Joseph turned himself about from them, and wept
(1) What must Joseph be feeling at this time?
(a) The injustice of his own treatment at the hands of his brothers
(b) Seeing the bitter pain that his brothers are still suffering because of their sins
f) Joseph holds Simeon and his brothers go back to tell Jacob that they will have to bring Benjamin to Egypt or starve for lack of grain.
i) Jacob's Response
(1) READ Genesis 42:36-38
36 And Jacob their father said unto them, Me have ye bereaved of my children: Joseph is not, and Simeon is not, and ye will take Benjamin away: all these things are against me.
37 And Reuben spake unto his father, saying, Slay my two sons, if I bring him not to thee: deliver him into my hand, and I will bring him to thee again.
38 And he said, My son shall not go down with you; for his brother is dead, and he is left alone: if mischief befall him by the way in the which ye go, then shall ye bring down my gray hairs with sorrow to the grave.
(2) Finally, the famine is so great that Jacob consents to have Benjamin go to Egypt.
(a) Judah promises that he will bring Benjamin back
ii) When the brothers bring Benjamin to Egypt, Joseph engineers a crisis with Benjamin that tests Judah's promise.
iii) Judah speaks to Joseph, still not knowing who he is.
iv) Reading 7 – Genesis 44:18, 30-34
18 ¶ Then Judah came near unto him, and said, Oh my lord, let thy servant, I pray thee, speak a word in my lord’s ears, and let not thine anger burn against thy servant: for thou art even as Pharaoh.
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30 Now therefore when I come to thy servant my father, and the lad be not with us; seeing that his life is bound up in the lad’s life;
31 It shall come to pass, when he seeth that the lad is not with us, that he will die: and thy servants shall bring down the gray hairs of thy servant our father with sorrow to the grave.
32 For thy servant became surety for the lad unto my father, saying, If I bring him not unto thee, then I shall bear the blame to my father for ever.
33 Now therefore, I pray thee, let thy servant abide instead of the lad a bondman to my lord; and let the lad go up with his brethren.
34 For how shall I go up to my father, and the lad be not with me? lest peradventure I see the evil that shall come on my father.
(1) This is a big change from the Judah who wanted to kill Joseph and lied to his father many years earlier
(2) Judah is willing to sacrifice himself to save Benjamin
g)
Joseph Reveals Himself to His Brothers
i) Reading 8 – Genesis 45:1-15
1 Then Joseph could not refrain himself before all them that stood by him; and he cried, Cause every man to go out from me. And there stood no man with him, while Joseph made himself known unto his brethren.
2 And he wept aloud: and the Egyptians and the house of Pharaoh heard.
3 And Joseph said unto his brethren, I am Joseph; doth my father yet live? And his brethren could not answer him; for they were troubled at his presence.
4 And Joseph said unto his brethren, Come near to me, I pray you. And they came near. And he said, I am Joseph your brother, whom ye sold into Egypt.
5 Now therefore be not grieved, nor angry with yourselves, that ye sold me hither: for God did send me before you to preserve life.
6 For these two years hath the famine been in the land: and yet there are five years, in the which there shall neither be earing nor harvest.
7 And God sent me before you to preserve you a posterity in the earth, and to save your lives by a great deliverance.
8 So now it was not you that sent me hither, but God: and he hath made me a father to Pharaoh, and lord of all his house, and a ruler throughout all the land of Egypt.
9 Haste ye, and go up to my father, and say unto him, Thus saith thy son Joseph, God hath made me lord of all Egypt: come down unto me, tarry not:
10 And thou shalt dwell in the land of Goshen, and thou shalt be near unto me, thou, and thy children, and thy children’s children, and thy flocks, and thy herds, and all that thou hast:
11 And there will I nourish thee; for yet there are five years of famine; lest thou, and thy household, and all that thou hast, come to poverty.
12 And, behold, your eyes see, and the eyes of my brother Benjamin, that it is my mouth that speaketh unto you.
13 And ye shall tell my father of all my glory in Egypt, and of all that ye have seen: and ye shall haste and bring down my father hither.
14 And he fell upon his brother Benjamin’s neck, and wept; and Benjamin wept upon his neck.
15 Moreover he kissed all his brethren, and wept upon them: and after that his brethren talked with him.
(1) Verse 1 - Cause every man to go out from me. And there stood no man with him, while Joseph made himself known unto his brethren
(2) Verse 2 - he wept aloud
(3) Verse 3 - Joseph said unto his brethren, I am Joseph; doth my father yet live?
(4) Verse 3 - his brethren could not answer him; for they were troubled at his presence
(a) They were worried that the now-powerful Joseph would repay them cruelty for cruelty
(5) Verse 4 - Come near to me, I pray you. And they came near. And he said, I am Joseph your brother, whom ye sold into Egypt
(6) Verse 5 - be not grieved, nor angry with yourselves
(a) Joseph is forgiving them
(7) Verse 5 - God did send me before you to preserve life
(a) Joseph sees the hand of God in all that has happened to him during the past 22 years
(8) Verse 7 - God sent me before you to preserve you a posterity in the earth, and to save your lives by a great deliverance
(a) Joseph is able to save his father, his brothers and all their families
(b) Joseph is the temporal savior of all the children of Israel, delivering them from death by famine
(9) Verse 9 - Haste ye, and go up to my father, and say unto him, Thus saith thy son Joseph, God hath made me lord of all Egypt: come down unto me, tarry not
(a) Joseph acknowledges God's hand in his life
(10) Verse 10 - thou shalt be near unto me, thou, and thy children, and thy children’s children
(11) Verse 11 - there will I nourish thee
(12) Verse 15 - he kissed all his brethren, and wept upon them
h) Reading 9 – Elder Dallin H. Oaks has written: The issue for us is trusting God enough to trust also His timing. If we can truly believe he has our welfare at heart, may we not let his plans unfold as he thinks best? The same is true with the second coming and with all those matters wherein our faith needs to include faith in the Lord's timing for us personally, not just in His overall plans and purposes. (Dallin H. Oaks: Even As I Am, p. 93)
i) “all things work together for good to them that love God” (Romans 8:28)
6. Joseph's Posterity
a) In Egypt, Joseph has married Asenath, the daughter of a priest of On (Genesis 41:45)
i) Elder Mark E. Peterson has written that Asenath was not of the forbidden Egyptian blood, but, was, in fact, a Semite, and that marriage by Joseph to her was lawful. The true religion was not in Egypt, except in the person of Joseph, so he taught Asenath the true gospel. (Joseph of Egypt, pp37-38)
b) Asenath bore two sons: Manasseh and Ephraim (Genesis 41:50-52)
i) Manasseh means “forgetting” and Ephraim means “fruitful.” (Bible Dictionary, pages 666 and 728.)
c) Near the end of Jacob's life, Joseph brought his two sons to see their grandfather for a blessing. (Genesis 48).
i) Jacob asked for the boys and Joseph guided the first born, Manasseh, to Jacob's right hand and Ephraim to the left.
ii) Israel stretched out his right hand and laid it on Ephraim and the left on Manasseh.
iii) Joseph tried to lift his father's hands and correct the blessing.
iv) Jacob refused and gave Ephraim the birthright blessing.
d) Ephraim and Manasseh were adopted by Jacob as if they were his own.
i) They each received a share of the inheritance of Israel, thus Joseph received two shares (Genesis 48:22).
ii) Growing out of the birthright and inheritance Ephraim "was to assume the leadership responsibilities for the House of Israel in the last days." (The Millennial Messiah, p.189)
iii) As Joseph gathered Israel for their temporal salvation in his day, in the last days Ephraim will direct the latter-day temporal and spiritual gathering.
iv) Joseph Smith was a direct descendant of Joseph who was sold into Egypt.
7. Conclusion
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