"The sages regarded Ruth as the prototype of the righteous convert. They taught that Elimelech and his sons were punished for going to Moab during the famine in Judah. They should have remained to share the hardships of their own people, and to help them with their own wealth. Ruth on the other hand left her home not to seek an easier life, but to devote herself to the God of Israel, and to share the fortunes of Naomi and her people, whatever they were destined to be." (Encyclopedia Judaica Jr.)

On the other hand, the stigma of "gentile" has been carried for a long time Judaism. Although modern Israel is now reflecting more gentile habits, some Orthodox describe, assimilation of some gentile habits as a major problem.

"The custom of decorating graves with flowers is strongly opposed by some Orthodox rabbis on the ground that it is a "gentile custom." Neither Conservative nor Reform Judaism, however, objects and it is also common practice in Israel, particularly in military cemeteries."

Understanding some of the thought process and "genetic memory" in Jewish thinking, can assist Latter-day Saints (who are truly a part of the House of Israel) improve their "Gentile" way of thinking.

"An undoubted factor in the survival of the Jews as a people with a common identity has been their shared experience of persecution at the hands of gentiles (non-Jews). In general the Jewish attitude toward the gentile has been conditioned, since the Exile, by the gentile's attitude toward the Jew --- tolerance being met with tolerance."

"In ancient Israel the acceptance of monotheism (the belief that there is only one God) became the chief factor distinguishing Jews from gentiles, who then worshiped many gods. In addition, the dangers of being affected by the gentiles' assumed lower moral and social standards were constantly stressed."

"At this time gentiles were either natives living in Erez Israel or travelers passing through it. Resident gentiles were protected by traditional hospitality and by contractual agreements made between Israel and the neighboring states. Native gentiles were expected to be loyal to Israel's civil laws in return for protection, but were generally in a humbler position than the Israelite population."

"The gentile was not obliged to acknowledge God, but was at least obliged to abandon the worship of false gods. Unlike Jews, Noachides were not required to suffer martyrdom rather than break the law against idolatry; they were, however, required to choose martyrdom rather than shed human blood. In some instances gentiles were also required to observe Sabbath and the festivals, and to fast on the Day of Atonement. Social differences remained, nonetheless . . ."

"During the latter part of the Second Temple period (from the second century B.C.E.) the prohibition against Jews marrying gentiles, limited originally to the seven Canaanite nations --- Hittites, Girgashites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites ("neither shalt thou make marriages with them" Deuteronomy 7:3) --- was extended to include all gentiles, who might lure Jews away from the true God. In order to prevent the possibility of intermarriage the rabbis enacted a series of laws intended to limit social contact between Jew and non-Jew. These included a strict prohibition on the use of gentile wine, originally limited to that used in idolatrous libations, but later extended to cover all non-Jewish produced wine."

"According to the aggadah Midian allied with Moab against Israel. By making the Israelites drunk they succeeded in luring them to idolatry and forbidden relations with the daughters of Midian; for this reason the drinking of gentile wine was forbidden."

"Jews were forbidden to emulate gentile customs of an idolatrous or superstitious nature. The prohibition (hukkat ha-goi) was derived from the biblical commandment "ye shall not walk in the customs of the nation" (Leviticus 20:23 and 18:13). Its purpose was to prevent Jews being converted to other religions. In Talmudic literature the term "the customs of the Amorites" (darkhei ha-Emori) was also used to cover all heathen practices of the gentiles of that time. Even gentile dress associated with non-Jewish religious practice was forbidden ("martyrdom should be accepted rather than changing the style of a shoelace"). Jewish garb thus became an emblem of traditional Judaism, especially in eastern Europe, and modern dress was frowned on as a cunning method of Christianization. Many of the restrictions against involvement with gentiles made during Talmudic times were reduced as economic contact increased between the Jewish and gentile communities during the Middle Ages."

"During the 500 years of the Talmudic period to 499 C.E. widely differing attitudes toward gentiles were expressed. When Jews were being tortured during the reign of the Roman emperor Hadrian, Rabbi Simeon bar Yohai stated that the best of gentiles should be killed. In later, less hostile times, it was sometimes claimed that no difference between Jew and gentile would be made on the Day of Judgment. The concept of the righteous gentile (hasidei ummot ha-olam -- the pious ones of the nations of the world) is first found in the Midrash. The Tosefta teaches that they are as eligible to a place in the hereafter as any member of the House of Israel. Rabbi Isaac Arama states that "every true pious gentile is equal to a son of Israel." The Zohar states that all gentiles who do not hate Israel, and who deal justly with Jews, qualify as pious ones. According to Maimonides righteous gentiles were those who observed the Noachide laws and were motivated by belief in the divine origin and authenticity of Moses' prophecy, and not merely by the reasonableness of the laws, in which case they were considered simply wise men but not hasidei ummot ha-olam. Since World War II the concept of the righteous gentile has been used to refer to those non-Jews who helped Jews escape the persecutions of Nazism." (Encyclopedia Judaica Jr.)

At Yad Vashem, the Holocaust Memorial in Jerusalem, there is an avenue of planted trees. Each one is dedicated to a "Righteous Gentile." There is one planted in memory of a Dutch Latter-day Saint who helped Jews escape in Nazi occupied Europe. However, the Latter-day Saint is a member of the House of Israel!

"RIGHTEOUS GENTILES (Hebrew: Hasidei Ummot ha-Olam), rabbinic term for those non-Jews who, because of their moral character or virtuous acts, rank equally in merit and grace with Jews. According to the Talmud, the righteous gentile is as eligible as any Jew for a place in the world to come." (Encyclopedia Judaica Jr.)

One of the Israeli Travel agents once commented to a prospective traveler to the USA, "You've got to visit Salt Lake City, that's the only place a Jew can walk down the street and feel like a gentile!" Of course, this needs correction. Latter-day Saints know they are a part of the House of Israel, in large part from the tribe of Joseph.

"According to the Talmud, the Messiah will be a descendant of the House of David and will be preceded by a secondary Messiah, from the House of Joseph." (Encyclopedia Judaica Jr.)

There is a Jewish tradition that the Messiah's return will reflect either the date or event of the destruction of the First and Second Temples. Joseph Smith's mission was to restore temple worship. Eventually, the "Lord will suddenly come to his Temple, (Malachi 3:1)."

Abraham brought his son to the Mount Moriah (Hebrew: Taught of the Lord) which was later to become the place of the Temple, to offer Isaac as a human sacrifice. Human sacrifice is precisely the trouble that Abraham was spared in the Ur of Chaldees. It was a profound lesson in opposition, a Chiasmus. Jewish tradition states that Isaac was in his early thirties when brought to be sacrificed. The "trouble" was spared when God provided instruction that a "Lamb" was to be offered as a sacrifice.

Abraham and Isaac found an "alternative sacrifice," a ram, in the thicket and it was offered as a substitute for Isaac. Later, other animals, first born and unblemished were brought to the same place, where now stood the Temple. In some cases they were "blessed" with the sins (troubles) of the people in attendance. In one case, a lamb or goat would "escape" out the Gate Beautiful (also Gate of Forgiveness and Gate or Mercy). It would be tied with a red ribbon at let out into the wilderness to die on its own (carrying the sins of the people).

Isaiah portrays the same principle when he describes the "glory" fastened in a "sure place." It is a glory that we can bring our troubles (sins) to the Lord, at his house, and leave with greater blessings than we ever imagined.

"And I will clothe him with thy robe, and strengthen him with thy girdle, and I will commit thy government into his hand: and he shall be a father to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and to the house of Judah. And the key of the house of David will I lay upon his shoulder; so he shall open, and none shall shut; and he shall shut, and none shall open. "And I will fasten him as a nail in a sure place; and he shall be for a glorious throne to his father's house. And they shall hang upon him all the glory of his father's house, the offspring and the issue, all vessels of small quantity, from the vessels of cups, even to all the vessels of flagons. In that day, saith the LORD of hosts, shall the nail that is fastened in the sure place be removed, and be cut down, and fall; and the burden that was upon it shall be cut off: for the LORD hath spoken it." (Isaiah 22:21-25)

In Jerusalem, there are thousands of nails pounded into the old Western (Wailing) Wall, a remnant of the last known Jewish Temple. They remind us a practice the Jews had until about a hundred years ago. They would "nail their sins in a sure place" and then get on with life. A Glorious thought!

Going to the Temple for Latter-day Saints not only blesses the ancestors whose work is being done, but those who are serving them. It is the Lord's house where virtuous people meet, renew their souls and remind themselves of the name they have taken upon themselves.