There is one factor that tended greatly to the diffusion of Israelitish blood, that we have scarcely noticed, as it relates far more largely to Judah than to Ephraim. We refer to those who remained settled in foreign countries after the return of the Jews from the Babylonian captivity, and during the period of the second temple. At the beginning of the Christian era the dispersed were divided into three great sections, the Babylonian, the Syrian, and the Egyptian. From Babylon the Jews spread through Persia, Media and Parthia. The Greek conquests in Asia extended the limits of this dispersion. Large settlements of the children of Judah were established in Cyprus, and on the western coast of Asia Minor. These latter, to a very unfortunate extent, adopted the Greek language and Greek ideas. In Africa, Alexander and Ptolemy I. established large colonies of Jews at Alexandria, not far from which place a temple was erected to Jehovah after the order of that at Jerusalem. From Alexandria the Jews spread out over the coasts of northern and eastern Africa. How greatly the Jews had become scattered in the time of Christ, may be judged from the devout men who came up to worship and keep the passover at Jerusalem, and who listened to the preaching of Peter on the day of Pentecost. They are stated to have been Parthians, Medes, Elamites (Persians), dwellers in Mesopotamia, Judea, Cappadocia, Pontus, Asia, Phrygia, Pamphilia, Egypt, Cyrene (Tripoli), Cretes, Arabians, Romans, Jews and proselytes. There is also another view of the subject, which we are not prepared to enlarge upon in this article, but which bears the weight of abundant proof. It is, that the Latter-day Saints have been, and are today, fulfilling the work that it has been oft foretold Ephraim and his fellows should do. Then, if we are doing the work, and claim that we are they who should do it, and it being impossible to invalidate our assumption, is not our claim worthy of thoughtful consideration and average respect? God has declared that He will make of His latter-day Israel a nation of kings and priests. In former dispensations (except that lesser authority among the Jews given to the house of Aaron) the Priesthood was conferred upon the few, it was an honor of the highest kind; but in the dispensation of the fullness of times, the whole people are to be a race of kings and priests, and not less honorable because of the multitude. To our mind this is a great proof that that people will be of Ephraim. There is a cause for all God's promises--there is one for this. In the order of the higher law, the Priesthood belongs to the first-born. Ephraim is God's adopted first-born in all the races of mankind, therefore, by right of that adoption, they are a nation of priests--priests of God after the order of Melchisedek, under Jesus our Redeemer, the Savior of the world.