10 tribes - together or dispersed? (gospel, salvation, missionaries, blood)

[Comprehend]

If this has already been discussed I apologize.

What do you guys think? are the 10 tribes together or dispersed?

Here is some info to get started:

The Articles of Faith 1:10
10 We believe in the literal gathering of Israel and in the restoration of the Ten Tribes;

D&C 133:26-34
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 shall flow down at their presence.
D&C 133:27
27 And an highway shall be cast up in the midst of the great deep.
D&C 133:28
28 Their enemies shall become a prey unto them,
D&C 133:29
29 And in the barren deserts there shall come forth pools of living water; and the parched ground shall no longer be a thirsty land.
D&C 133:30
30 And they shall bring forth their rich treasures unto the children of Ephraim, my servants.
D&C 133:31
31 And the boundaries of the everlasting hills shall tremble at their presence.
D&C 133:32
32 And there shall they fall down and be crowned with glory, even in Zion, by the hands of the servants of the Lord, even the children of Ephraim.
D&C 133:33
33 And they shall be filled with songs of everlasting joy.
D&C 133:34
34 Behold, this is the blessing of the everlasting God upon the tribes of Israel, and the richer blessing upon the head of Ephraim and his fellows.

Elder Spencer W. Kimball, Conference Report, April 1963, Afternoon Meeting, p.67
Then he says he will gather the three folds into one fold, and he will be their shepherd. And the records of the ten tribes are still to be recovered. "And it shall come to pass that the Jews shall have the words of the Nephites, and the Nephites shall have the words of the Jews; and the Nephites and the Jews shall have the words of the lost tribes of Israel; and the lost tribes of Israel shall have the words of the Nephites and the Jews.

Elder Mark E. Petersen, Conference Report, April 1953, Afternoon Meeting, p.83
I do not believe we should accept the current views that the lost ten tribes have been found in the northern nations of Europe or that they have been named, indexed, and classified.

Joseph Fielding Smith, The Restoration of All Things, p.131 - 132
The promise is made that they shall return, but to this day they are lost to the world. As they journeyed to the north many of their number straggled and fell behind and mingled with the peoples in the lands through which they passed, but the main body continued on their journey and were hidden by the hand of the Lord.

Alvin R. Dyer, Who Am I?, p.458
While there are those who claim that the ten tribes, as a whole, are lost only as they are sprinkled among all nations, and, therefore, hidden as to identity, having been amalgamated with other nations. The Prophet Nephi's statement would appear to contradict this theory, for said he: "the more part of all the tribes, (meaning the ten tribes whom the Lord God moved out of his sight), have been led away and they are scattered, (from the land of their abode), to and fro upon the isles of the sea; and whither they are none of us knoweth, save that we know that they have been led away.

[jonny]

I believe that they are dispersed, or scattered. Most all of us probably have some blood from the ten tribes in us. The gathering of the tribes is symbolic for spreading the gospel.

That's how I see it.

[SoyLeche]

I worked at the MTC as a "custodian" (meaning I was one of the guys with the blue vests that told the missionaries what to do when they came to do service - great job!).

One day while I was inspecting rooms I saw a quote taped to the wall. These missionaries must have been going to some former iron curtain country. I don't remember the exact quote or the author. I wish I did.

Basically, the quote talked about communism, and that even something like that could be used by God to bring about good. It said that communism was able to break the strangle hold that the church had on those countries and make the people willing to hear the Gospel. He went on to say that there was more of the blood of Israel in those countries than just about anywhere else in the world.

[Comprehend]

ok. here is what I am inclined to think, although I have no real basis for it.

I agree with Joseph Fielding (?) Smith above that said there were some that were dispersed along the way but most of them stayed together. I don't see any other way that they can have their own records unless they stayed more or less together. One of the quotes I put above talks about them bringing their records to join with our scriptures and the bible. I also think it is interesting that the D&C says they will bring precious gems with them, almost like the israelites when they left egypt. Anyway I know it isn't essential to our salvation or anything. I just like to think about it.

PS. did anyone notice that there was a news article this past week that had some indians (from india) claiming that they were jews from the lost tribes and they moved to Israel??? India isn't very north to me but I was really surprised to see it in the news. I'll see if I can find the link.

[Comprehend]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn...2401070_2.html

here is the link.

[SoyLeche]

Originally Posted by comprehend

ok. here is what I am inclined to think, although I have no real basis for it.

I agree with Joseph Fielding (?) Smith above that said there were some that were dispersed along the way but most of them stayed together. I don't see any other way that they can have their own records unless they stayed more or less together. One of the quotes I put above talks about them bringing their records to join with our scriptures and the bible. I also think it is interesting that the D&C says they will bring precious gems with them, almost like the israelites when they left egypt. Anyway I know it isn't essential to our salvation or anything. I just like to think about it.

PS. did anyone notice that there was a news article this past week that had some indians (from india) claiming that they were jews from the lost tribes and they moved to Israel??? India isn't very north to me but I was really surprised to see it in the news. I'll see if I can find the link.

Well, we got the records of the Nephites and they didn't stay together from then until now. The 10 tribes could have been together for a while before they were separated.

It doesn't really matter to me though. I just don't see how they could be a group still and us not know about it. I'm fairly certain that wherever they are - they don't know who they are. I definately am not one to believe that they have been in some undergroud cave for all this time - as I have heard some postulate.