In the _History of Joseph Smith_, under date of September 14, 1840, we are informed that Joseph Smith, Sen., Patriarch of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, died at Nauvoo. In a biographical sketch of him, of the same date, we are informed that he was ordained to this office, on the eighteenth of December, 1833. The distinguishing feature between his calling and that of other patriarchs is, that he was patriarch of the whole church, while others were ordained patriarchs in the church. Of the latter was John Young, Sen., who was ordained a patriarch in the church by the Prophet Joseph Smith, in 1834; _His. of J. Smith, under date of Aug_. 8, 1844. "It is the duty of the Twelve, in all large branches of the church, to ordain evangelical ministers, (or patriarchs), as they shall be designated unto them by revelation;" _Doc. & Cov_. 107. 39. "The order of this (patriarchal) Priesthood was confirmed, to be handed down from father to son, and rightly belongs to the literal descendants of the chosen seed, to whom the promises were made. This order was instituted in the days of Adam, and came down by lineage;" _verses_ 40-57. From the last quotation it is evident that if a man holds the High Priesthood, by virtue of that Priesthood he is patriarch over his own posterity, and as such has a right to bestow upon them patriarchal blessings. A little more than four months after the death of the Patriarch, Joseph Smith, Sen., in a revelation given to his son Joseph, occurs the following: "That my servant Hyrum may take the office of Priesthood and Patriarch, which was appointed unto him by his father, _by blessing and also by right_, that from henceforth he shall hold the keys of the patriarchal blessings upon the heads of all my people, that whoever he blesses shall be blessed, and whoever he curses shall be cursed; that whatsoever he shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatsoever he shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven;" _Doc. & Cov_. 124. 91-93. From this we learn, that Joseph Smith, Sen., inherited the Patriarchal Priesthood, by right from the fathers over the house of Israel in this dispensation. For this right to have descended to him, by lineage, he must of necessity be an Ephraimite, for Ephraim, by the right of appointment and ordination by his father Jacob, is the head of Israel. This fact is plainly stated in the Scriptures: "Now the sons of Reuben the firstborn of Israel, for he was the firstborn; but, forasmuch as he defiled his father's bed, his birthright was given unto the sons of Joseph the son of Israel: and the genealogy is not to be reckoned after the birthright;" 1 _Chron_. 5. 1.