Joseph², the youngest son of Lehi and Sariah, was born in the wilderness during the family’s travels after leaving Jerusalem (2 Nephi 3:1). As a young child on the sea voyage he and his brother Jacob, needing much nourishment, were grieved by the afflictions of their mother (1 Nephi 18:19). He was numbered among the brothers—Nephi, Jacob, and Sam—whom the record later calls just and holy men (Alma 3:6), and he went with Nephi when the Lord warned Nephi to flee into the wilderness away from Laman and Lemuel (2 Nephi 5:5-6). Nephi consecrated Joseph and Jacob as priests and teachers over his people (2 Nephi 5:26; Jacob 1:18).
Before his death, Lehi blessed Joseph, naming him for Joseph of Egypt, from whom Lehi descended, and promising that Joseph’s seed would not utterly be destroyed (2 Nephi 3:3). In the same blessing Lehi recounted the prophecy of Joseph of Egypt that the Lord would raise up a choice seer from his descendants to bring them the knowledge of the covenants made with their fathers, a seer who would bear the name Joseph after his own father (2 Nephi 3:15).