There is something wonderful and exciting about our ancient ancestor Joseph. He is a hero in many ways, and is one of the outstanding seers of all time. So great was he in the work of the Lord, that the name of Joseph has a reverence about it; just hearing the name causes spiritual echoes and visual images to come into the mind.
Being the great seer that he was, . . . Joseph was chosen in the Grand Council before the world was (see Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, p. 365), and is one of the "noble and great ones" seen in vision by Abraham, (Abr. 3:22-23) and was foreordained to become a ruler on the earth and in eternity.The life of Joseph illustrates the truth that when the Lord wants something done He has a particular baby born who will grow up and do it. This is true of all of the prophets and apostles, and was true of Joseph.
Joseph is an example of how the Lord knows the situation of all His children, and is aware of their individual circumstances. He often proves and tries them to the uttermost, tempering and strengthening them to accomplish very difficult tasks. Joseph's experiences with his older brothers who sold him as a slave, his ups and downs in Egypt, being falsely accused by Potiphar's wife, and his leadership in the prisonhouse that followed, and finally the God-given inspiration to interpret the Pharaoh's dream all signify that the Lord does not make our paths easy - but He does help those who trust in Him. Joseph would not have had the wisdom, and perhaps not even the opportunity to use his wisdom, if he had not been blessed of the Lord for his faithfulness in times of adversity. The Lord, who looketh on the heart, knew of Joseph's integrity. Thus, part of our heritage from Joseph is his good example.
The Lord will minister help to all who sincerely obey Him. And I believe that what the Lord does for us will be better than if we had dictated the terms ourselves.
