The Stick of Judah and the Stick of Joseph by Lloyd Sharp

Many faithful LDS have claimed that Ezekiel 37:16-17 predicts the coming of the Book of Mormon.

Moreover, thou son of man, take thee one stick, and write upon it, For Judah, and for the children of Israel his companions: then take another stick, and write upon it, For Joseph, the stick of Ephraim, and for all the house of Israel his companions: And join them one to another into one stick; and they shall become one in thine hand.

The argument is that the stick of Judah represents the Bible and the stick of Joseph represents the Book of Mormon.

This interpretation "appears in the Mormon church publication, Meet the Mormons:

Because some ancient records were kept on parchment or other material and rolled on sticks, they were referred to as "sticks." (p. 45, as cited by Bill McKever in Answering Mormons Questions, p. 67, italics original)

The first problem with this interpretation is that parchment rolled on sticks were referred to as scrolls and not sticks. The use of the word stick in Ezekiel 37:16-17 is the Hebrew word aits, which literally means a stick or piece of wood.

"Had Ezekiel meant records or scrolls, he would have used the correct Hbrew word, which is saipher. Since he did not, it cannot be assumed that the Mormon interpretation is correct." (Ibid.)

The second problem with this LDS interpretation is seen when we put these verses in their proper context. When we read Ezekiel 37:18-20 we see that these sticks represent nations, not records or scrolls.

And when the children of thy people shall speak unto thee, saying, Wilt thou not shew us what thou meanest by these? Say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I will take the stick of Joseph, which is in the hand of Ephraim, and the tribes of Israel his fellows, and will put them with him, even with the stick of Judah, and make them one stick, and they shall be one in mine hand. And the sticks whereon thou writest shall be in thine hand before their eyes. (itaics added)

These verses predict the joining of the tribes of Israel becoming one nation, not the coming of the Book of Mormon.

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