"“How Can I Do This Great Wickedness?”

“How Can I Do This Great Wickedness?”
Lesson 11
Compiled by Maren Hardy Hale,
March 21, 2010

Scriptures: Genesis 34; 37-39
Board: Today’s themes:
1. The wages of Envy
2. The consequences of Moral Weakness
3. The blessings of Leadership and Virtue

INTRODUCTION

There is a huge contrast between the character of Joseph who was sold into Egypt and the characters of his brothers. Joseph was a man with great integrity, honesty and virtue. His brothers exemplified envy, jealousy, and moral laxity. Joseph’s moral courage and leadership show strength, discipline, and stability.

“By way of contrast, those who succumb to unchecked greed or lust display a wavering instability from which harmony, peace, and lasting happiness can never flow.” (Teachings and commentary on the Old Testament, Ed. J. Pinegar and Richard J. Allen, p. 335)

QUESTION: What is happening to the standards of sexual morality presented today in our movies, television shows, books and magazines? [They are deteriorating]

EXPERIENCE: Media shock

Our family spent 8 years in Europe with the Air Force. During our first 3 years was no television. Then we were able to get Armed Services Television Network. This is one channel with public service announcements and carefully selected programs suitable for the whole family. When the New Era Magazine arrived each month our 3 oldest children fought over who got to read it first. Each of them devoured it from cover to cover. It was a wonderful time for our family.

We returned to the States and lived in the Temporary Living Facility on Mountain Home Air Force Base while we looked for a home in the community. We turned on the television and went through culture shock! We couldn’t believe what we were seeing and hearing. Standards had dropped so much in those 8 years. We turned it off and began, once again, to carefully monitor our family’s television watching.

When moral degradation is all around you, it creeps in slowly and you become numb to it. To safeguard our children, we must be very vigilant. It would be wise to never let our children watch a new TV show unless we sit down and watch it with them to judge its merits.

QUESTION: What are you doing to safeguard your children from TV?

One day one of our daughters mentioned that she had made a new friend at school. She said, Mom, “She’s just like me – her parents put a lock on their TV, too!” [Stimulus control]

“The moral behavior of society often differs from the moral standards that the Lord has established. While the standards of society can change, the Lord’s standards are constant.” (LDS Old Testament Manual, lesson 11)

QUOTE #1 [2nd paragraph is like a beautiful Psalm]

First Presidency Message (President Heber J. Grant, J. Reuben Clark, Jr., David O McKay): "By virtue of the authority in us vested as the First Presidency of the Church, we warn our people who are offending, of the degradation, the wickedness, the punishment that attend upon unchastity; we urge you to remember the blessings which flow from the living of the clean life; we call upon you to keep, day in and day out, the way of strictest chastity, through which only can God's choice gifts come to you and His spirit abide with you.
"How glorious is he who lives the chaste life. He walks unfearful in the full glare of the noonday sun, for he is without moral infirmity. He can be reached by no shafts of base calumny, for his armor is without flaw. His virtue cannot be challenged by any just accuser, for he lives above reproach. His cheek is never blotched with shame, for he is without hidden sin. He is honored and respected by all mankind, for he is beyond their censure. He is loved by the Lord, for he stands without blemish. The exaltations of eternities await his coming." (Conference Report, Oct 1942)

Today’s lesson has three themes:
1. The wages of Envy
2. The consequences of Moral Weakness
3. The blessings of Leadership and Virtue

BODY

Joseph is sold into slavery by his brothers

Jacob married Leah and Rachel, and also married their handmaids, Zilpah and Bilhah. Jacob’s wives bore him 12 sons who became the beginnings of the 12 tribes of Israel. We learn in Genesis 32:28 that the Lord told Jacob, “Thy name shall be called no more Jacob, but Israel: for as a prince hast thou power with God and with men, and hast prevailed.”

Joseph was the 11th Son of Jacob. He was the first child of Jacob’s beloved wife Rachel. The 12th son was Benjamin (Genesis 35:16-18).

Joseph spent the remaining years of his youth at Hebron (20 miles south of Jerusalem) watching the flocks of sheep and goats.

Reuben was the firstborn through Leah. He was the automatic heir of the birthright.

QUESTION: How did Joseph, the 11th son, become the recipient of the birthright?
● Reuben lost he birthright – transgressed with one of his father’s
concubines
(Genesis 35:22).
● Birthright then fell to the 1st son of next wife – Joseph (1st son of
Rachel, Jacob’s 2nd wife).
● Sons of concubines not eligible because mothers were handmaids to Leah
and Rachel.

The Wages of Envy

SCRIPTURE: Genesis 37:3

37. Now Israel loved, Joseph more than all his children, because he was the son of his old age: and he made him a coat of many colours.” [Septuagint word = a long coat with sleeves]

“Joseph being favored of Jacob became a target of malice on the part of his older brothers. Joseph was not reluctant to share his dreams regarding his future leadership and hence contributed to his brothers’ feelings of jealousy.

“When Joseph was sold into slavery by his brothers, the stage was set for a future reunion in the courts of Pharaoh when his brethren would confess their sins and admit that Joseph was indeed divinely chosen to be the leader of the family and the patriarchal standard-bearer for many future nations.

“The rent ‘coat of many colors’ became a lasting symbol of the ultimate preservation of the Lord’s chosen lineage (Alma 46:23-34). The story of Joseph, who was sold into Egypt, shows the results of jealousy, envy, greed, and hatred, yet shows the power of God in all things.” (“Teachings and Commentary on the Old Testament, Ed J. Pinegar and Richard J. Allen, p. 336)

Let’s read 2 quotes from our prophets concerning the destructive nature of jealousy, envy, greed, and hatred.

QUOTE #2

President Gordon B. Hinckley: “Ours is the duty to walk by faith. Ours is the duty to walk in faith, rising above the evils of the world. We are sons and daughters of God. Ours is a divine birthright. Ours is a divine destiny. We must not, we cannot sink to the evils of the world – to selfishness and sin, to hate and envy and backbiting, to the ‘mean and beggarly’ elements of life.” (Teachings of Gordon B. Hinckley, page 7)

QUOTE #3

President David O. McKay: “Jealousy, hatred, envy, animosity – all such evils you must overcome by suppression. That is where your control comes in. Suppress the anger! Suppress that jealousy, that envy! They are all injurious to the spirit.” (Gospel Ideals: Selections From the Discourses of David O. McKay, Improvement era, 1953, p. 356)

QUESTION: How can we overcome envy, jealousy, greed, and hatred?
● Gain gospel values and strive for unconditional love.
● Recognize happiness is within, not based on possessions or having fun.
● Recognize your divine nature – seek to improve yourself.

Envy and jealousy are concerns for everyone because of their power to destroy the souls of men.

As we know, the coat of many colors Joseph received of his father compounded the antagonism of Joseph’s brothers until they “hated him, and could not speak peaceably unto him” (Genesis 37:3).

QUESTION: What have you seen when a child receives better treatment than the other siblings his or her family?
● Causes competition, rebellion or low self esteem in families.
● We can avert this situation if we teach our children to love one another
and value each other’s distinct abilities and talents – including their
own.
● Don’t discuss publically a child’s weaknesses or compare them (give
children the opportunity to grow, repent and change without any stigmas
attached. If you need help, go to confidential sources – bishop,
counselor, grandparent)

QUESTION: How can we overcome jealous feelings or anger towards family members, friends, or acquaintances? What should you do?
● If jealous – if you serve someone for whom you feel jealous, more feelings
of love and care come to the foreground and feelings of jealousy
subside.
● If Angry – confront source of frustration – talk about it rather than let
it boil
into a violent explosion. Be willing to carefully listen.

We know that Joseph had dreams that revealed the special relationship Joseph would have with his family and also foreshadowed the eventual mission of his posterity in the eternal salvation of the house of Israel.

Joseph’s brothers were unable to accept his dreams

SCRIPTURE: Genesis 37:8

8. And his brethren said to him, Shalt thou indeed reign over us? Or shalt thou indeed have dominion over us? And they hated him yet the more for his dreams, and for his words”.

Remember the situation with Nephi and his older brothers. After Nephi had shared the meaning of Lehi’s dream and they said: “Thou has declared unto us hard things, more than we are able to bear.” Nephi went on to say: “…the guilty taketh the truth to be hard, for it cutteth them to the very center (1 Nephi 1-2)

Joseph’s brothers went 45 miles to Shechem to feed the flocks (Genesis 37:12). Later, Jacob sent Joseph to check on his brothers. Arriving in Shechem, Joseph learned his brothers had gone on another 12 miles. (Genesis 37: 13-17)

SCRIPTURE: Genesis 37: 18-20

18. And when they saw him afar off, even before he came near unto them, they conspired against him to slay him.

19. And they said one to another, Behold, this dreamer cometh.

20. Come now therefore, and let us slay him, and cast him into some pit, and we will say, Some evil beast hath devoured him: and we shall see what will become of his dreams.

QUESTION: Who wanted to spare his life? [Reuben – oldest, must have felt more responsibility for him – argued he must not be killed, but returned to his father.]

QUESTION: What did the brothers do?
● Stripped off his coat and left him a pit to die
● Joseph sold to a caravan of Ishmeelites headed to Egypt for 20 pieces of
silver (Genesis 37:27-28).
● Tore Joseph’s coat into many pieces, covered it with goat’s blood, and
returned it to Jacob as evidence a wild beast had devoured Joseph (Genesis
37:31-33)

Then Jacob mourned and no one could comfort him. Joseph was sold to Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh and captain of the guard.

Portraits of Moral Weakness

Judah and Tamar

In Genesis 38, we see portraits of moral weakness. Judah takes a Canaanite woman and she bears him children. Judah then takes Tamar as a wife for Er. Er was wicked and the Lord slew him. Then Judah tells his son Onan to raise up seed to his brother Er through Tamar. (Genesis 38:1-8)

The Lord slays Onan for spilling his seed on the ground. Judah tells Tamar to remain in her father’s home until his son, Shelah is old enough, to take her as wife. (Genesis 10-11)

QUESTION: Then what does Tamar do? (Genesis 38:14-27)
● Tamar takes off her widow’s garment and sits by the wayside for Judah’s
now grown son Shelah to see her.
● Judah sees Tamar, thinks she is a harlot, desires her and promises her a
kid.
Tamar asks for his signet, bracelets, and staff as a pledge.
She conceives.
● Tamar leaves, puts on her widow’s garments and the pledge can’t be
delivered because she has gone. Judah wants kid delivered so he isn’t
blamed.
● Judah hears Tamar is with child and has her brought to him to be burnt.
● Tamar produces the signet, bracelets, and staff and Judah acknowledges them saying that Tamar is more righteous than he is'
“because that I gave her not to Shelah my son.”

Now, another portrait of moral weakness.

QUESTION: Who would like to tell us about Dinah, the daughter of Jacob, who is defiled by Shechem (a prince and Hivite)? (Genesis 34:1-31)
● Dinah is defiled by Shechem who wants to marry her and goes to his father.
● Hamor wants to join families and goes to Jacob and his sons.
● Shechem says he’ll give a large dowry.
● Sons of Jacob lie and request that every man be circumcised.
● On the 3rd day when they were sore, Simeon and Levi slew all the males,
Including Shechem and Hamor, and took Dinah.
● Sons of Jacob spoil the city, take their wealth, wives, and children
captive.
● Jacob voices concern to his sons that they have put his family in harms
way with the Canaanites and Perizzites because of their deed.
● Jacob’s sons answer, “Should he deal with our sister as with an harlot?”

“Simeon and Levi’s destruction laid the groundwork for lasting enmity in the land. The lessons overshadowing these portraits of moral weakness is the fact that the Lord’s purposes are not defeated, for Joseph’s sons inherited the birthright, and thus his lineage carried on the leadership role under the Abrahamic Covenant.

Similarly, the Savior would come from the preserved lineage of Judah as the light and life of the world. No matter what some of the Lord’s children do in defiance of His laws, the Lord is still in charge of the process whereby the plan of salvation can unfold to its ultimate destiny.” (Teachings and Commentary on the Old Testament, Ed. J. Pinegar and Richard J. Allen, p. 337)

Let’s read 3 quotes from latter-day prophets regarding moral weakness and transgression and the need for repentance.

QUOTE #4

Spencer W. Kimball:

“Illicit sex is a selfish act, a betrayal, and is dishonest. To be unwilling to accept responsibility is cowardly, disloyal. Marriage is for time and eternity. Fornication and all other deviations are for today, for the hour, for the “now.” Marriage gives life. Fornication leads to death. (Faith Precedes the Miracle, page 156)

QUOTE #5

Ezra Taft Benson: “Yes, one can repent of moral transgression. The miracle of forgiveness is real, and true repentance is accepted of the Lord. But it is not pleasing to the Lord prior to a mission, or any time, to sow one’s wild oats, to engage in sexual transgression of any nature, and then to expect that planned confession and quick repentance will satisfy the Lord.” (Come, Listen to a Prophet’s Voice, p. 6)

QUOTE #6

President Gordon B. Hinckley: “There is in each of us that sense of modesty and morality to which this writer refers…The Lord has made it clear, and the experience of centuries had confirmed it, that happiness lies not in immortality, but rather in abstinence. The voice of the Church to which you belong is a voice pleading for virtue. It is a voice pleading for strength to abstain from that which is evil. It is a voice declaring that sexual transgression is sin. It is contrary to the will of the Lord. It is contrary to the teachings of the Church. It is contrary to the happiness and well-being of those who indulge in it.” (Teaching of Gordon B. Hinckley, p. 48)

In our world today, we have daily reminders in the news of politicians, actors, sports heroes, clergy, and teachers, who have been unfaithful to their wives or who have hurt children. Their “planned confession and quick repentance” have sometimes satisfied the world, but not the Lord. We as Church members need to continue to plead “for the strength to abstain from that which is evil.”

QUOTE: President Spencer W. Kimball

“May I talk to you just a moment or two about that which is most dear and precious above all things. Can you think what it would be? Would it be bonds, stocks, or diamonds? Would it be herds or flocks? Would it be automobiles and houses? Would it be medals in athletics? This is the greatest blessing, the most dear and precious above all things – above all things. It cannot be purchased with money, but may be enjoyed by all, even those of humble circumstances as well as the affluent, as much by the high school student as by those who have doctor’s degrees. Even mortal life when placed upon the balance scales weighs less. That of which I speak is chastity and virtue. The lack of it has caused rivers of tears to flow, broken numerous homes, and deprived large numbers of innocent children.” (quoted in We Believe)

QUOTE #7

Elder Melvin J. Ballard: “Certainly our teachers were right when they held up an ideal that virtue was as sacred as life itself, and that we had better lose our lives than lose our virtue….Next to the crime of murder itself is the crime of sexual impurity.” (Conference Report, April 1929)

QUESTION: Ultimately, who ends up being hurt when lying and infidelity are present in a marriage? [Children – feel abandoned, think they are responsible – they have had a bad example and are afraid of marriage themselves]

Portrait of Leadership and Virtue

Joseph’s example of moral uprightness in Egypt is among the most celebrated instances of strength of character in all of scripture. We read in Genesis 39:23 that “The Lord was with him, and that which he did, the Lord made it to prosper.

QUESTION: How was Joseph blessed after being sold into Egypt?
● Joseph became a servant in the household of Potiphar, “a prosperous man.”

SCRIPTURE: Genesis 39:3-4

3. And his master saw that the Lord was with him, and that the Lord made all that he did to proper in his hand.

4. And Joseph found grace in his sight, and he served him: and he made him overseer over his house, and all that he had he put into his hand.”

Joseph was blessed by the Lord because he “was a goodly person (Gen. 39:20).

Then Potiphar’s wife tried to lure Joseph to her. And Joseph answered, “…how then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God? (Gen. 39:9).

She continued to tempt Joseph and ‘he harkened not unto her…” (Gen 39:10)

Then Joseph went into the house to do business when no men were there.

SCRIPTURE: Genesis 39:12

12. And she caught him by his garment, saying, Lie with me: and he left his garment into her hand, and fled, and got him out.

QUESTION: Then what does Potiphar’s wife do? [She lies to the men of her house and her husband about Joseph and he is put in prison.]

But the Lord was with Joseph and he found favor with the prison keeper. Joseph was put completely in charge of the prisoners and the Lord made Joseph prosper. (Genesis 39:21-23)

I admire Joseph’s reaction when he was first tempted by Potiphar’s wife. He said “…how then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?” (Gen. 39:9). Joseph’s first allegiance was to his God.

Then when Potiphar’s wife cornered him, he had already made his decision for he
“left his garment into her hand, and fled, and got him out.” He wanted to avoid the very presence of evil.

We need to have a close association with our Father in Heaven through prayer so that He will have our first allegiance.

We need to teach our children to always avoid the presence of evil – to obey the promptings of the Spirit – when caught in a difficult situation, just leave and go to a place of safety. Do not hesitate!

EXPERIENCE: Invitation to a party

I was excited in high school to be invited to a party that all the popular kids were attending. After driving home from work, my mother drove me to the home where it was being held which was quite a distance from our home. I went down to the basement where my friends were. I saw them doing things that I was uncomfortable with. I had a bad feeling come over me. I quickly walked up the stairs and waited in the bathroom for a while until I thought my mother had reached home. I used the phone and called my mother to pick me up telling her I had a bad feeling about being there. She said she’d come immediately. As we drove home she never complained about having been in the car so many times and for so long, but instead expressed her happiness that I would listen to the Spirit.

EXPERIENCE: Missionary daughter in Austria

When our daughter, Spring, was serving a mission in Austria, she and her companion lived in a very bad area of the city. One evening as they were walking from an appointment, they felt someone following them. They received promptings that they were in danger and they quickly ran away. They felt blessed that they were in tune so that they could receive such a prompting.

Joseph had many difficult trials in his life, but he learned to turn bad experiences and circumstances into good ones.

QUOTE #8

Elder Harman Rector, Jr.: “[The] ability to turn everything into something good appears to be a godly characteristic. Our Heavenly Father always seems able to do this. Everything, no matter how dire, becomes a victory to the Lord. Joseph, although a slave and wholly undeserving of this fate, nevertheless remained faithful to the Lord and continued to live the commandments and made something very good of his degrading circumstances. People like this cannot be defeated.” (Ensign, January 1973, p. 130)

EXPERIENCE: Reverend Martin Neimoller

“For three years Reverend Martin Neimoller survived the horrors of Dauchau – the smells of burning human flesh and the sights of walking dead men. For three years this German pastor who dared to defy Adolf Hitler was kept in solitary confinement in the world’s worst concentration camp.

“‘How could you stand it without losing your sanity?’ an interviewer asked Pastor Neimoller years later over a Chicago radio station. ‘A man doesn’t realize how much he can stand until he is put to the test,’ Neimoller answered confidently, continuing, ‘you can stand far more than you think you can. You are much stronger than you think you are…if God is dwelling in your life’.” (Move with Possibility Thinking, p. 180)

CONCLUSION

Joseph was a man of integrity.

QUESTION: What is integrity? [Uncompromising adherence to moral and ethical principles – honesty – honorable]

QUOTE –

President James E. Faust: “I should like to emphasize three important elements of integrity – dealing justly with oneself, dealing justly with others, and recognizing the law of the harvest.” (Conference Report, April 1982)

The law of the harvest means that we sow what we reap.

Joseph demonstrated integrity by:
● Dealing justly with himself – he was true to the principles which he
believe in and was blessed. He worked hard at making the best of a bad
situation.
● Joseph dealt justly with others – he remained true to Potiphar and himself
by not giving in to Potiphar’s wife’s desires.
● Joseph understood the law of the harvest – no matter what situation Joseph
was in, he practiced the Law of the Harvest by always planting righteous
seeds.

Brothers and Sisters, I am so grateful for the example of Joseph who showed great integrity, honor, strength, leadership, and moral virtue.

It is my testimony that we are strong when our Father in Heaven, the Savior,
and the Holy Ghost are dwelling in our lives.

References:

Genesis 34; 37-39
Gospel Doctrine Old Testament Lesson ll, Bob Beardall
LDS Old Testament Teacher’s Manual, Lesson 11
Personal experiences of Maren Hardy Hale
Personal experience of Spring Hale Thibaudeau
Personal experience of Reverend Martin Neimoller (Move with Possibility Thinking, p. 180)
Quotes from General Authorities as noted in lesson
Teachings and Commentaries on the Old Testament, Ed. J. Pinegar and Richard J. Allen, pp. 346-341

"Birthright Blessings; Marriage in the Covenant"

Birthright Blessings; Marriage in the Covenant
Old Testament: Lesson 10 (Genesis 24-29)
by Ted L. Gibbons
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Introduction
In the Provo Daily Herald on the date of Friday, July 13, 1990, page D1, I found a photo of Glynn "Scotty" Wolfe, "who holds the title as 'World's Most Married Man . . .'" He is pictured with his 27th wife, Daisy, whom he plans to divorce to marry her 15-year-old sister. The 81-year-old ordained minster said he plans to pay for his new bride's trip from the Philippines by having Daisy, 19, pose nude for a magazine for $10,000. Neither they nor she are interested.

Somewhere in the passage of time, this ordained minister and millions of others have mislaid a correct understanding of what marriage is all about. But the voice of the scriptures and the prophets is clear on this matter, and some of the clearest teachings appear in Genesis.

In fact, no episode in the Bible teaches the importance of marriage in the covenant better than the experiences of Isaac and Rebekah. These are followed closely in the text by the accounts of the marriages of Jacob and Esau, which also teach powerful lessons about this subject.

I. ABRAHAM EMPHASIZES THE IMPORTANCE OF MARRIAGE IN THE COVENANT (ETERNAL MARRIAGE).

Brigham Young said,

There is not a young man in our community who would not be willing to travel from here to England to be married right, if he understood things as they are; there is not a young woman in our community, who loves the Gospel and wishes its blessings, that would be married in any other way; they would live unmarried until they could be married as they should be, if they lived until they were as old as Sarah before she had Isaac born to her. (Discourses of Brigham Young, p.195—p.196)

Abraham understood this principle. When Isaac was 40 (Gen. 25:20), Abraham made the most careful of arrangements for his son's marriage. He called his trusted servant, Eliezer, and put him under oath to insure by every precaution that his son married someone worthy to continue the covenant blessings the Lord had promised him and his posterity.

The oath included these provisions.

"Thou shalt not take a wife unto my son of the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I dwell" (Gen 24:2)

"Thou shalt go unto my country" (24:4)

"Thou shalt go . . . to my kindred" (24:4)

"Beware thou that thou bring not my son thither again" (24:6)

And the servant put his hand under the hand of Abraham his master, and sware to him concerning that matter (Gen 24:9, JST).

If we were to begin a list of the marriage decisions that matter most, based on this account, our first entry would be this one: FIND A SPOUSE WORTHY OF THE COVENANT. No matter how many other qualities one might find in a prospective mate, if this one is missing, the others are less lasting than water on a summer sidewalk.

For the journey, the servant took ten camels. Since they are important in this story, let me say a word about them. The distance to be traveled from Hebron to Haran was probably over 400 miles, perhaps as many as 450. Camels average about 3 miles per hour for about 8 hours a day. So we may assume that the trip would take 18 days of travel each way, and two additional days for Sabbath observance without travel. So the round-trip time, not counting the time in Haran, would have been about 40 days.

When Eliezer arrived in Haran, he stopped at the city well and prayed.

And he said, O LORD God of my master Abraham, I pray thee, send me good speed this day, and shew kindness unto my master Abraham. Behold, I stand here by the well of water; and the daughters of the men of the city come out to draw water: And let it come to pass, that the damsel to whom I shall say, Let down thy pitcher, I pray thee, that I may drink; and she shall say, Drink, and I will give thy camels drink also: let the same be she that thou hast appointed for thy servant Isaac; and thereby shall I know that thou hast shewed kindness unto my master (Genesis 24:12-14).

Following Abraham's offer to sacrifice Isaac, the Lord had promised him, "In blessing I will bless thee . . ." (Gen 22:17 ). Eliezer asks for this blessing on that basis—the righteousness of his master whom the Lord has blessed in all things (see Gen. 24:1).

And it came to pass, before he had done speaking, that, behold, Rebekah came out, who was born to Bethuel, son of Milcah, the wife of Nahor, Abraham's brother, with her pitcher upon her shoulder. And the damsel was very fair to look upon, a virgin, neither had any man known the like unto her. . . (Gen. 24:15,16, JST).

There is a statement in these verses about the beauty of Rebekah: she "was very fair to look upon." But I have not and will not include external beauty in my list of important characteristics in a spouse. The media has nearly ruined the ability of our youth to think clearly and logically about such things. We are bombarded constantly with messages about chemistry, about physical attraction. Physical beauty is thin and temporary, but the other qualities suggested by this story are thick and eternal.

I have sometimes taught the encounter at the well between Rebekah and Abraham's servant with this caption: JOHNNY LINGO, EAT YOUR HEART OUT! Rebekah is not an 8-cow wife, but she is a 10-camel woman! A thirsty camel can drink up to 25 gallons of water. There are ten camels to be watered, and she must do it with whatever jar or container she has with her. The record calls it a pitcher (24:18,20). And note the location of the well. Genesis 24:16 and 45 both indicate that this water in this well is in a deep hole, probably reached by descending a spiral path or stairs. Rebekah "went down to the well, filler her pitcher, and came up." Archaeologists uncovered a well of this sort at Gibeon. The water level was 80 feet below ground level (see Atlas of the Bible, p. 97). And note that she hasted (24:18,20) to serve this stranger.

We can now add a second quality to our list of important attributes. WE OUGHT TO SEEK A SPOUSE WHO IS WILLING TO SERVE. There is another quality implied here. IT WILL BE A GREAT BLESSING TO HAVE A SPOUSE WHO KNOWS HOW TO WORK.

Eliezer needed to know if the Lord had answered his prayer so suddenly, and asked Rebekah about her family.

And she said unto him, I am the daughter of Bethuel the son of Milcah, which she bare unto Nahor (Gen. 24:24).

Abraham had sent his servant to find a wife among his kindred. This woman qualified. Abraham had two brothers, Nahor and Haran. Nahor had a son named Bethuel, and Rebekah was his daughter. When Eliezer learned this, he immediately "bowed down his head, and worshipped the Lord" (24:26).

In his prayer of gratitude, he teaches another important lesson about finding a spouse.

And he said, Blessed [be] the LORD God of my master Abraham, who hath not left destitute my master of his mercy and his truth: I being in the way, the LORD led me to the house of my master's brethren. (24:27, emphasis added).

Eliezer found a bride for Isaac because he looked for her in the right place. "I being in the way . . ." he says. This is another lesson worth teaching to the unmarried youth of Zion. AS YOU SEEK A WORTHY, ETERNAL COMPANION, STAY IN THE WAY—the strait and narrow way. That is where you are most likely to find a person worthy of the covenant. Chances of success in this diminish at dance clubs and rock concerts and undisciplined parties.

Eliezer went to the home of Rebekah and explained his mission to her father and her brother Laban. When he had finished his recitation, he said,

And now if ye will deal kindly and truly with my master, tell me: and if not, tell me; that I may turn to the right hand, or to the left (Gen. 24:49).

Then Laban and Bethuel answered and said

The thing proceedeth from the LORD: we cannot speak unto thee bad or good. Behold, Rebekah is before thee, take her, and go, and let her be thy master's son's wife, as the LORD hath spoken (Gen. 24:50,51).

Upon hearing this, the servant again bowed his head in thanksgiving before the Lord (see Gen. 24:52). There were two questions yet to be answered. Would Rebekah be willing to accompany him? and when could Eliezer begin his return journey to Hebron?

Rebekah's relatives were understandably reluctant to bid her farewell at once. They said, "Let the damsel abide with us a few days, at the least ten; after that she shall go" (24:55). But Eliezer knew that Abraham was very old ("well stricken in age" Gen 24:1), and he also knew that Isaac wasn't getting much sleep for worry and anticipation.

And he said unto them, Hinder me not, seeing the LORD hath prospered my way; send me away that I may go to my master. (24:56)

To resolve the difference in opinion, they determined to ask Rebekah. Would she be willing to travel over 400 miles with a man she had just met to marry a man she did not know because she believed the Lord wanted her to? She said, "I will go" (24:58). Her response is every whit as impressive as that of Nephi when asked to get the plates from Laban. "I will go . . ." (1 Nephi 3:7)

Here is another lesson in seeking an eternal companion. FIND SOMEONE DISPOSED TO OBEY THE LORD.

The priesthood blessing given to Rebekah by her relatives suggests that they knew of the Abrahamic covenant: "Be thou the mother of thousands of millions . . ." (24:60)

We are told that on the day the travelers arrived in Hebron, "Isaac went out to meditate in the field at the eventide" (24:63). Does anyone wonder what he is meditating about? I wonder what he thought when he saw the camels coming.

I do not mean to overemphasize the sequence in the final verse of Genesis 24, but it is important.

And Isaac (1) brought her into his mother Sarah's tent, and (2) took Rebekah, and she became his wife; (3) and he loved her . . . (24:67)

The love came last. I know this is not a popular thing to say, but I believe it is true. What I feel for my wife is not what I felt for her almost 38 years ago. I thought I loved her then. I guess I did love her. But 60,000 dirty diapers and 27 cars and 13 homes and 24 vacuum cleaners have shown me what love really means. What I felt then and what I feel now are perhaps the same thing, but they are not the same amount. If my love was water, 33 years ago it would have been a puddle. Today it is the Pacific Ocean.

II. ESAU SELLS HIS BIRTHRIGHT TO JACOB.

Rebekah was without children for the first 20 years of her marriage (see Gen. 25:20,26). But her husband prayed for her (and blessed her?) and she conceived. Something about the pregnancy troubled her and she prayed to understand.

And the LORD said unto her, Two nations are in thy womb, and two manner of people shall be separated from thy bowels; and the one people shall be stronger than the other people; and the elder shall serve the younger (Gen 25:23).

Rebekah knew something about her sons that even her husband seemed not to know. The younger of the two would preside. One would think she would have told him. Perhaps she did but he did not listen to his wife. What a mistake that would be, for all of us.

These two sons were men of different interests. There is nothing wrong with that. But there was something wrong with Esau's attitude about spiritual things. His willingness to give up the birthright responsibilities and opportunities for a bowl of red pottage (25:30), and the announcement that "Esau despised his birthright" (25:34) show us quite clearly why the Lord had determined before the birth of the twins that the birthright should go to Jacob. At least he wanted it.

Rebekah made preparations to insure that Jacob got the birthright blessing. It seems that she was not sure the Lord could handle it himself. However, the blessing that came to Jacob from Isaac was reiterated by the Lord (see Gen. 28:10-15).

When Esau was 40 (the age at which his father married) he took matters into his own hands and married two wives. Neither were of the covenant, and they were therefore "a grief of mind unto Isaac and to Rebekah" (26:34,35), both of whom knew from personal experience the power and blessings of the covenant. (Esau would later take a wife from the descendants of Abraham. The account is in Gen. 28:8,9).

III. JACOB MARRIES LEAH AND RACHEL IN THE COVENANT, AND THROUGH HIM THE ABRAHAMIC COVENANT CONTINUES.

Rebekah spoke to her husband about the marriage of her sons.

I am weary of my life because of the daughters of Heth: if Jacob take a wife of the daughters of Heth, such as these which are of the daughters of the land, what good shall my life do me? (Gen. 27:46)

Jacob was therefore sent to Haran to find a wife worthy of the covenant. Jacob journeyed where his grandfather's servant had journeyed before, and joined himself to Laban, the brother of his mother. In the course of 20 years (see Gen. 31:41), Jacob married four wives and had 11 sons and at least one daughter. Benjamin, the 12th son, would be born after the return of Jacob to his home.
Conclusion
Every normal young man desires a wife. Every normal young woman desires a husband. Be worthy of the mate you choose. Respect him or her. Give encouragement to him or her. Love your companion with all your heart. This will be the most important decision of your life, the individual whom you marry.

There is no substitute for marrying in the temple. It is the only place under the heavens where marriage can be solemnized for eternity. Don't cheat yourself. Don't cheat your companion. Don't shortchange your lives. Marry the right person in the right place at the right time (Gordon B. Hinckley, "Life's Obligations," Ensign, Feb. 1999, 2, emphasis added).

Proper marriage is life's most important decision. I know you believe that. I believe it too. I met my wife in High School. I do not remember her, but she says she remembers me. I have occasionally reflected on the remarkable fact that I must have passed my wife hundreds of times in the halls and on the grounds of Logan High without knowing . . . I wrote a poem to her about it.

I now suppose creation
Froze
Each time I met you there,
And growing things
Stopped growing
As I passed by
Unaware.

And mighty suns fell soundlessly,
In grief
That I could pass
Unseeing,
By eternity,
To be on time to class.

—by Ted L. Gibbons, 1969

I pray that none of us will pass unseeing by eternity for any reason.

"God Will Provide Himself a Lamb”

“God Will Provide Himself a Lamb”
Lesson 9
Compiled by Maren Hale, Pleasant View 1st Ward Gospel Doctrine Class, March 7, 2010

Readings: Abraham 1; Genesis 15-17; 21-22
Board: “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.” (Proverbs 3:5-6)

INTRODUCTION

The life of Abraham is an exemplary pattern of spiritual growth. From his early youth, he was schooled by experiences of adversity and oppression…The lessons of obedience and valor he learned carried him through life on the wings of divine support and blessing.

“Never losing the vision of his destined calling, he set an unequaled example of one willing to do everything asked of him by God, without hesitation and without question.” (Teachings and Commentary on the Old Testament, Ed J. Pinegar and Richard J. Allen, pp. 315-16)

BODY

Abraham is nearly sacrificed by the false priests of Pharaoh.

All these things shall give thee experience

In Abraham, Chapter 1, we learn that Abraham spent his early years in Ur of Chaldea. His fathers had turned from righteousness and did not keep the commandments. They worshiped the false gods of the heathen. “Their hearts were set to do evil.” They even offered up their men, women, and children as human sacrifices to these idols.

Pharaoh’s false priests tried to offer him as a sacrifice to their false gods.

SCRIPTURE: Abraham 1:15

“And as they lifted up their hands upon me, that they might offer me up and take away my life, behold, I lifted up my voice unto the Lord my God, and the Lord hearkened and heard.”

Abraham had within his heart a desire to serve God in the future. He had to depend on the Lord and his faith to preserve and deliver him.

How was Abraham saved from these false priests – what happened?
● Abraham called upon the Lord and an angel loosed the bands with which he
was tied – Abraham 1:15-16
● The Lord broke down the altar of Elkenah and smote the priest -- Abraham 1:20

Abraham’s experience on the altar of the false priests helped him prepare for future trials:
● It strengthened his faith in the Lord.
● He also knew what fear Isaac might face and he could prepare Isaac.

How can our trials prepare us for future difficulties? [They give us experience. We learn that we can be comforted, guided, and strengthened by the Lord through His Spirit]

I love this advice by the writer Harriet Beecher Stowe: “When you get into a tight place and everything goes against you, till it seems as though you could not hold on a minute longer, never give up then, for that is just the place and time that the tide will turn.”

EXPERIENCE: Student at Berkeley

During High School, There were times when I was singled out by teachers in a negative fashion because I was a Mormon. I remember the promptings I received to respond and stand firm in the faith. One teacher taught one day that all Mormon boys serve missions for 5 years and all Mormon girls become nurses. I raised my hand and incurred her ire as I tried to gently correct her. She ended with, “You’re wrong!”

I recall the time when I was a student in a Race and Ethnic Relations class at Berkeley. It was a smaller class and we would sit around a large, rectangular oak table. We got to know each other fairly well as the professor called upon each of us often in class.

One day we were discussing prejudice and its effects in America. The teacher suddenly turned to me and said, “Miss Hale, because you were born in Utah, I assume you are a Mormon.” I acknowledged that I was. He continued, “Then you, Miss Hale, are the prime example in America of prejudice against blacks.”

I felt my neck and face flush and my heart started to pound wildly (I began a pleading prayer for help from the Lord). The teacher went on to explain to the class that Mormons withhold their priesthood from blacks. He turned to me and said, “Isn’t that so, Miss Hale?”

I answered that indeed blacks were restricted from holding the priesthood. I explained that there have been times when the priesthood was restricted to a certain group or withheld from certain groups throughout history.

I told the class that I was very uncomfortable having the priesthood withheld from blacks, but that I had faith that one day a revelation would be given to our prophet that the priesthood would be extended to them, and that I was praying for that day.

I mentioned my esteem and affection for many blacks I had been acquainted with growing up in Washington, D.C., and that I regarded all people as equal. As I sat down my heart was heavy because I knew that my explanation fell short of my teacher’s scrutiny.

To my surprise the black student seated next to me raised his hand and said, “There is something wrong here. I don’t understand how you can single Miss Hale out for being prejudice when she has explained to us that she is not. I think perhaps she is the one feeling the prejudice, not me.”

As I walked out of that class, I felt my prayer had been answered – that the Spirit had strengthened me and had touched the student sitting beside me.

“I [had] lifted up my voice unto the Lord my God, and the Lord hearkened and heard.” Abraham 1:15

Abraham has children through Hagar and Sarah.

Abraham was concerned about being childless.

SCRIPTURE: Genesis 15:5-6

5. And he brought him forth abroad, and said, Look now toward heaven, and tell the stars, if thou be able to number them: and he said unto him, So shall thy seed be.
6. And he believed in the Lord; and he counted it to him for righteousness.

This must have been amazing to Abraham. He was an older man and did not have children, but “he believed in the Lord.”

SCRIPTURE: Genesis 16:3

“And Sarai Abram’s wife took Hagar her maid the Egyptian, after Abram had dwelt ten years in the land of Canaan, and gave her to her husband Abram to be his wife.”

Sarah had not born Abraham any children, so she sent Abraham to Hagar so that she could “obtain children by her.” (Genesis 16:1-2)

Let’s read an explanation from the Encyclopedia of Mormonism on why that happened.

QUOTE #1

Encyclopedia of Mormonism: “In her old age, Sarah gave Hagar, her maid, to Abraham. Modern revelation indicates that Sarah thereby ‘administered unto Abraham according to the law’ (D&C 132:65), and more recent scholarship has confirmed the widespread legal obligation of the childless wife in the ancient Near East to provide her husband with a second wife.” (p. 1260)

SCRIPTURE D&C 132:34-35

34. God commanded Abraham, and Sarah gave Hagar to Abraham to wife. And why did she do it? Because this was the law; and from Hagar sprang many people. This, therefore, was fulfilling, among other things, the promises.
35. Was Abraham, therefore, under condemnation? Verily I say unto you, Nay; for I, the Lord, commanded it.

Abraham was 86 years old when Hagar bore him a son, Ishmael (Genesis 16:34-35).

QUESTION: Prior to the birth of Ishmael did Sarah and Hagar get along? [They had a falling out, Hagar fled, was stopped by an angel and told that she would bear a child and that her seed would be multiplied “exceedingly.”]

Elder Bruce R. McConkie tells us that “The son’s of Ishamel peopled the north and west of the Arabian peninsula and supposedly formed the chief element of the Arab nation, the wandering Bedouin tribes. They are now mostly [Muslims].” (Mormon Doctrine, p. 389)

In Genesis 17 the Lord appeared to Abraham when he was 99 years old and renewed the covenant.

SCRIPTURE: Genesis 17:15-17

15. “And God said unto Abraham, As for Sarai thy wife, thou shalt not call her name Sarai, but Sarah shall her name be.
16. And I will bless her, and give thee a son also of her: yea, I will bless her, and she shall be a mother of nations; kings of people shall be of her.
17. Then Abraham fell upon his face, and laughed, and said in his heart, Shall a child be born unto him that is an hundred years old? And shall Sarah, that is ninety years old, bear?

The Joseph Smith Translation reads:

“Then Abraham fell upon his face and rejoiced...”

In the Genesis version Abraham “laughed” at the Lord’s promises.
In the Joseph Smith Translation, Abraham is a man of tremendous faith.

SCRIPTURE: Genesis 17:20-21

20. And as for Ishmael, I have heard thee: Behold, I have blessed him, and will make him fruitful, and will multiply him exceedingly; twelve princes shall he beget, and I will make him a great nation.
21. But my covenant will I establish with Isaac, which Sarah shall bear unto thee at this set time in the next year.

When we think about the yearning over the years of Abraham and Sarah to have a child, we understand that the Lord always fulfills his promises. His blessings may not come when we think they will come, but they will come. Sometimes we must have our faith tested over a period of time.

in Genesis 18:14 we read: “Is anything too hard for the Lord?...”

QUOTE #2

George Q. Cannon: “It is time, with the experience we have had now as a Church, that we should be a people of unbounded faith, willing to believe that all things are possible with God and that when He commands us to do anything, we should go to with our might and with unyielding determination to accomplish that end according to the mind and will of God. (Gospel Truth: Discourses and Writings of President George Q. Cannon, p. 115)

God commands Abraham to sacrifice Isaac.

SCRIPTURE: Genesis 22:1-2

1. And it came to pass after these things, that God did tempt (test or prove) Abraham, and said unto him, Abraham: and he said, Behold, here I am.
2. And he said, Take now thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest, and get thee into the land of Moriah; and offer him there for a burnt offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of.

QUESTION: Did Abraham question the Lord? [Abraham was a man of great faith and absolute obedience]

Still, he may have had some of these thoughts about this terribly difficult request:
● This is my only son with Sarah.
● I have been promised that Isaac was the covenant child.
● Sarah and I are a little old to start over having children.
● It is wrong to kill another human being.
● As a young man I was nearly sacrificed by the priests of Pharaoh.

But Abraham was obedient.

SCRIPTURE: Genesis 22:7-13

7. And Isaac spake unto Abraham his father, and said, My father: and he said, Here am I, my son. And he said, Behold the fire and the wood: but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?
8. And Abraham said, My son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering: so they went both of them together.
9. And they came to the place which God had told him of; and Abraham built an altar there, and laid the wood in order, and bound Isaac his son, and laid him on the altar upon the wood.
10. And Abraham stretched forth his hand, and took the knife to slay his son.
11. And the angel of the Lord called unto him out of heaven, and said, Abraham, Abraham: and he said Here am I.
12. And he said, Lay not thine hand upon the lad, neither do thou any thing unto him: for now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son from me.
13. And Abraham lifted up his eyes, and looked, and behold behind him a ram caught in a thicket by his horns: and Abraham went and took the ram, and offered him up for a burnt offering in the stead of his son.

Isaac was obedient to his father, Abraham, and trusted him completely.

QUOTE #3

Elder Dallin H. Oaks: “…The bible says, ‘Abraham…bound Isaac his son, and laid him on the altar upon the wood’ (Genesis22:9). What did Isaac think when Abraham did such a strange thing? The Bible mentions no struggle or objection. Isaac’s silence can be explained only in terms of his trust in and obedience to his father.” (Conference Report, October 1992, p. 51).

I love this insight from Truman Madsen as he questioned President Hugh B. Brown about Abraham:

QUOTE: Handout front, bottom right

Truman G. Madsen: “Modern revelation indicates at least three times that each of us who seek eternal life must one day be tried, even as Abraham. I put the question once to President Hugh B. Brown, when we were in Israel: Why was Abraham commanded to go up on that mountain (traditionally Mount Moriah in Jerusalem) and offer as a sacrifice his only hope for the promised posterity? President Brown wisely replied, ‘Abraham needed to learn something about Abraham.’ By being tested, all of us will one day know how much our hearts are really set on the kingdom of God.” (Joseph Smith the Prophet, p. 92)

Trials and Sacrifice are blessings in our lives.

EXPERIENCE: A story of trial – President Allen

I am reminded of a fast and testimony meeting when our family was stationed at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. A member of our stake presidency who resided in our ward stood up to bear his testimony.

He had been diagnosed with terminal cancer 6 months earlier. He had received a priesthood blessing telling him to search and that the Lord would bless him. He had been drawn to a book in an airport shop that gave him some important health information. He researched and found a clinic in Texas where he underwent treatments. He was now standing before us cured.

In his testimony he told us how he had felt the Lord’s guidance and love. He had learned many things about himself and found that he was able to endure more than he ever thought he could. He told us how he loved feeling so close to the Spirit during the past physically and emotionally agonizing months. He ended his testimony with this statement. ‘I pray that the Lord will find me worthy to try again so that I might prove myself, learn and grow, and feel His close presence again in my life.’” He had learned about himself and desired that closeness engendered through trial and sacrifice.

EXPERIENCE: A story of sacrifice – Elder Buck Bailey, Munich/Austria Mission

I read in this week’s Mormon Times about Elder Buck Bailey who is serving in the Munich/Austria Mission. This Park City native has skied since he was 2 years old and was a shoe-in for the U.S. Olympic Ski Jumping Team in Vancouver.

A year ago, he had experienced a chance meeting with Elder Uchtdorf and told him about his dilemma of joining the team or serving a mission. “Elder Uchdorf’s reply surprised Bailey. ‘It was not a straightforward answer, ‘Yes, you should serve now,’ or ‘No, you should serve later,’ which [he] was looking for at the time….It was, ‘You’ll know when to serve when you pray about it.’”

Buck prayed about it for the next three months. He said, ‘When I was ready to accept the Lord’s answer and act on it, I got my answer, which is why I am in Germany today…[My] coaches were shocked and not pleased [at all].’ But the future missionary stood firm on his decision.

Elder Bailey said, ‘I am constantly reminded of what I love to do [in Germany]. Between the billboards and media…I see ski jumping everywhere,…But I have work to do…There is nothing better than helping people come close to our Heavenly Father.’

“When investigators find out [he] loves ski jumping, they offer to drive him to the nearest venue. They are confused when he declines the invitation. [He said] ‘My ward mission leader gave me a newspaper with the [Olympic]ski jumping schedule…I will use it to schedule appointments with investigators when jumping is on and when a member calls and invites me over, I can say we already have an appointment… Everyone has to give up something to go on a mission, but it’s worth it because the Lord gives you a lot more back.’”

Sacrifice brings forth the blessings of heaven. (Deseret News, Mormon Times, March 4, 2010, p. M4)

SCRIPTURE: D&C 101:4-5

4. Therefore, they must needs be chastened and tried, even as Abraham, who was commanded to offer up his only son.
5. For all those who will not endure chastening, but deny me, cannot be sanctified.”

QUOTE #4

President Ezra Taft Benson:

“To press on in noble endeavors, even while surrounded by a cloud of depression, will eventually bring you out on top into the sunshine. Even our master, Jesus the Christ, while facing that supreme test of being temporarily left alone by our Father during the Crucifixion, continued performing His labors for the children of men, and then shortly thereafter He was glorified and received a fullness of joy.

“While you are going through your trial, you can recall your past victories and count the blessings that you do have with a sure hope of greater ones to follow if you are faithful. And you can have that certain knowledge that in due time God will wipe away all tears (Revelations 7:17) and that ‘eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.” (1 Corinthians 2:9) (Teachings of Ezra Taft Benson, p. 396)

Let’s read the council Joseph Smith on why sacrifice is necessary for our salvation.

QUOTE #5

Joseph Smith: “A religion that does not require the sacrifice of all things never has power sufficient to produce the faith necessary unto life and salvation; for, from the first existence of man, the faith necessary unto the enjoyment of life and salvation never could be obtained without the sacrifice of all earthly things. It was through this sacrifice, and this only, that God has ordained that men should enjoy eternal life (Lectures of Faith, 6:7)

As the Lord told the Prophet Joseph Smith regarding his trials, “…Know thou, my son, that all these things shall give thee experience, and shall be for thy good.” (D&C 122:7) Listen to Joseph’s words.

QUOTE #6

Joseph Smith: “I am like a huge, rough stone rolling down from a high mountain; and the only polishing I get is when some corner gets rubbed off by coming in contact with something else, striking with accelerated force…all hell knocking off a corner here and a corner there. Thus I will become a smooth and polished shaft in the quiver of the Almighty.” (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, p. 304)

President Eyring said in our last General Conference, “The message of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ is that we can and must expect to become better as long as we live…None of us is perfect yet. But we can have frequent assurance that we are following along the way. He leads us, and He beckons for us to follow Him.”(Ensign, November 2010, pp 70-72)

Abraham’s willingness to sacrifice Isaac was a similitude of Heavenly Father’s willingness to sacrifice his son (Jacob 4:5).

QUOTE #7

Elder Dallin H. Oaks: “The story…shows the goodness of God in protecting Isaac and in providing a substitute so he would not have to die. Because of our sins and our mortality, we, like Isaac, are condemned to death. When all other hope is gone, our Father in Heaven provides the Lamb of God, and we are saved by his sacrifice.” (Conference Report, October 1992, p 51)

Abraham was commanded to offer up the thing most dear to his heart – his own son. Only through a commitment to sacrifice all that we have, if required to do so, can we manifest to the Lord that our love for Him and His divine cause is perfect.

QUOTE #8

President Thomas S. Monson: “Remember the qualifying statement of the Master: “Behold, the Lord requireth the heart and a willing mind” (D&C 64:34). A latter-day minister advised: ‘until willingness overflows obligation, men fight as conscripts rather than following the flag as patriots. Duty is never worthily performed until it is performed by one who would gladly do more if only he could’.” (Be Your Best Self, p. 59)

QUOTE #9

Joseph Smith: “Remember that all your hopes of deliverance from danger and from death, will rest upon your faithfulness to God; in His cause, you must necessarily serve Him with a perfect heart and a willing mind.” (History of the Church 2:192-93)

Listen to the experience of those in Chile “serving Him with a perfect heart and willing mind.”

EXPERIENCE: Chile East Mission and the Feb. 2010 Earthquake

When they were set apart for their calling, Elder Richard G. Scott told Santiago Chile East Mission President Larry Laycock and his wife, Lisa, to record promptings they receive during the night telling them that “He will speak to you then because that is when you are still enough to hear,” and to keep a notebook by their bed to record those precious promptings.

Sister Laycock writes, “Nearly two-and-one-half weeks ago, I was awakened at around 4:00 a.m. by just such a prompting. I did not hear a voice, but the thought was as clear as if it had been in the form of spoken words: ‘There is going to be an earthquake. Prepare your missionaries.’ I sat up in bed and immediately remembered Elder Scott's counsel. That morning I told Larry what had happened. He immediately set to work organizing our missionaries to prepare for an earthquake.

“In talking with our office missionaries to arrange for them to put together a list of everything we would need to prepare...in both Spanish and English...we discovered that the Lord had also let two of our office missionaries know of the possibility of an earthquake (in the form of dreams) and the need to prepare our mission.

“We set a goal and arranged our schedule so that we could visit every apartment in the mission to check for safety and to review with our missionaries what to do in case of an earth quake. [We] brought specific instructions on what to do, supplied water purification bottles for the missionaries, told them how to create a 36-hour kit for emergencies and how to stay in communication should an earthquake
strike. What a wonderful experience we have had as we have met with them and shared scriptures with them about being spiritually and physically prepared.

“When the earthquake came, we were prepared. We did not experience the panic that many felt. We knew we were prepared. Because of the words of the Lord's chosen Apostle, Elder Scott, we had listened and heeded the quiet, but clear promptings of the Holy Ghost. We were blessed with peace in the midst of chaos.

“We learned an important lesson: our preparation helped us to avoid panic and fear, but the Lord, in His wisdom, allowed us to experience enough discomfort to know that He has all power. He is in charge. We are nothing without Him. We are
dependent upon Him for every breath we take. Only He can save us from death and destruction. He is the way, the truth, and the life. He is our perfect example. If we follow Him, we will be saved through obedience to the laws and ordinances of His Gospel.” (Meridian Magazine, March 4, 2010)

All 171 proselyting missionaries are safe and only one member of the Church died in the earthquake. Again from Joseph Smith: “All your hope of deliverance from danger and death, will rest upon your faithfulness to God.”

President Monson tells us that if we are to pass the tests in life, we must not fear.

Quote #10, President Thomas S. Monson: “Such knowledge will dispel that hidden and insidious enemy who lurks within and limits our capacity, destroys our initiative, and strangles our effectiveness. This enemy of whom I speak is fear: a fear to wholeheartedly accept a calling; a fear to provide direction to others; a fear to lead, to motivate, to inspire. In His wisdom, the Lord provided a formula whereby we might overcome the archvillain of fear. He instructed: ‘If ye are prepared ye shall not fear’ (D&C 38:30).” (Be Your Best Self, pp. 195-96)

CONCLUSION

“[One lesson we can] gain from the story of Abraham is that we need to learn to sacrifice at whatever level of spirituality we are at. To sacrifice one’s son is near the ultimate sacrifice, yet daily there are opportunities to sacrifice and, like Abraham, we need to be willing to do what we know we should. It may be as simple as a kind word to a family member…this is what living by the Spirit means. We will be prompted when opportunities arise and we need to be willing to respond as did Abraham.” (Bob Beardall, Gospel Doctrine Lesson 9, p. 5)

I am grateful for Abraham’s willingness to sacrifice all.

I have a testimony that it is through the sacrifices we make, that we learn about ourselves and our relationship to the Savior.

References:
Gospel Doctrine Class, Old Testament Lesson 9, Bob Beardall,
Maren Hardy Hale, personal experiences
Meridian Magazine, Chile Earthquake, Sister Lisa Laycock, March 4, 2010
Mormon Times, Deseret News, Elder Buck Bailey’s experience, March 4, 2010, p. M4
Scripture References: Abraham 1; Genesis 15-17; 21-22; Doctrine and Covenants 132; 101
Teachings and Commentary on the Old Testament, Ed J. Pinegar and Richard J. Allen, pp. 315-24
Ten Quote references as noted in body of lesson