The era of righteousness and peace that followed Jesus’ visit to the Nephites forms a type of Jesus’ universal millennial reign. The organization of the church that he instituted among the Nephites foreshadows the millennial organization of the kingdom of God on the earth. In that sense, the “gospel of the kingdom” that would be preached in all the world would doubtless include his promise to “restore again of the kingdom to Israel,” concerning which his apostles had inquired (Acts 1:6). The restoration of the political kingdom of Israel forms an integral part of the “restitution [or ‘restoration’] of all things” spoken by the mouths of all the holy prophets since the world began (cf. Mark 9:12; Acts 3:21; Doctrine and Covenants 27:6; 77:9).
While the keys of the kingdom of God were bestowed upon the Prophet Joseph Smith (Doctrine and Covenants 27:13; 65:2; 81:2), the restoration of the political kingdom of Israel would wait until the Lord would gather together his ancient covenant people in the last days (Doctrine and Covenants 113:6; cf. Isaiah 11:1–5, 10–12, 15–16). The ancient type of that restoration was the prophet Samuel’s anointing of David as king after the existing king, Saul, had transgressed (1 Samuel 10:1; 16:3, 13; 2 Samuel 5:3; Psalms 89:20).
Joseph Smith declared that as a result of David’s transgression, however, “the throne and kingdom of David is to be taken from him and given to another by the name of David in the last days, raised up out of his lineage” (TPJS, 339). Doctrine and Covenants 113:6 identifies that person as “a descendant of Jesse, as well as of Joseph, unto whom rightly belongs the priesthood, and the keys of the kingdom, for an ensign, and for the gathering of my people in the last days.”
While the idea of such a person has seemed threatening to some—as if one called and chosen of God could somehow detract from God’s plan—and while many misguided souls have imagined themselves to be that person, the Lord’s word will nonetheless be fulfilled when he will “restore again the kingdom to Israel.”
Israel’s ancient prophets saw aright that the Lord (Jehovah) himself would be our Messiah and Savior and that the David of Hebrew prophecy would be his (Hosea 3:5); “They shall serve the Lord their God, and David their king, whom I will raise up unto them” (Jeremiah 30:9); “I will set up one shepherd over them, and he shall feed them, even my servant David; he shall feed them, and he shall be their shepherd. And I the Lord will be their God, and my servant David a prince among them; I the Lord have spoken it” (Ezekiel 34:23–24).
(Taken from Studies in the Book of Mormon, pp 147–148)
