I had an interesting question asked about the "remnant" I thought worth addressing here.
There should be no confusion about the identity of the "remnant"
spoken of in the Book of Mormon. It refers to the descendants of Lehi
(at times further divided into those descended from Nephi, Jacob and
Joseph-- all Lehi's sons). The European stock who migrated to North
America and dispossessed the indigenous people are invariably referred
to as "gentiles" in the Book of Mormon. Throughout it is the case that
the European descendants are "gentiles" and never anything else.
You can start in 1st Nephi and go through the end. The "gentiles"
are us-- the Latter-day Saints (to the extent we are primarily
European-descended and not Native American).
Joseph Smith received the dedicatory prayer for the Kirtland Temple
by revelation. In the prayer he refers to the church as being
"identified with the gentiles." (D&C 109: 60)
It does not matter if we descend from Israel. Nor if we have
actual genetic markers which would make us Ephraimites, or Levites, or of the tribe of
Judah, or any of the other tribes of Israel. Unless we are Native
American, we are not the "remnant" discussed in the Book of
Mormon.
