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Exodus 19-20, 24, 31-34 Teaching Activities and Insights


TEACHING ACTIVITIES

 

LESSON #1 A PECULIAR PEOPLE (Exodus 19-20)

 

TRUTH:

Living God’s commandments makes me different—and that’s a good thing.

 

FIRE IN THE BONES:

This can be a very impactful lesson, especially for youth, who are still trying to figure out who they are and where they belong. They’re feeling the pull to fit in, not to stand out. With this lesson we get to introduce a different way of seeing themselves—to help them understand that being different isn’t a social liability but a spiritual distinction. If you can create a few moments where a student quietly thinks, “Maybe being different isn’t something that I need to hide,” then you will have really done something significant. We want them to feel that obedience to God’s commandments is freedom and a part of who they are. And that gives me a fire in the bones.

 

OBJECT:

For an object lesson, bring in a treasure chest. It’s a great visual to help students understand the true meaning of the word “peculiar” in Exodus 19— not weird or unusual, but something special, set apart, and deeply valued. And I’ll put a link in the video description to an inexpensive treasure box that you could purchase on Amazon.

Link to purchase treasure chest: https://amzn.to/4bXqwEn

 

ICEBREAKER:

For the icebreaker, I like the “You might be a member of the Church if . . .” statements.  It does a good job of creating interest and transitioning your students to the scriptures. 

So you just go through each of the statements, let them laugh a little at them, and then transition to the scriptures by making the point that after looking at that list, a person that was unfamiliar with the Church might conclude that members are a bit strange or odd. In fact, people might accuse you of being Exodus 19:5. Invite them to take a look at that verse and ask which word people might be tempted to use to describe us. And that word is peculiar.

 

But then we want to help them to understand the meaning behind that word by showing the Bible Dictionary definition. It doesn’t mean unusual, but special, or valued by God. We are to be a special treasure to him. And according to that verse, what is it that really sets us apart, and makes us different. The fact that we obey his voice and keep our covenants. Be sure to make the point that it’s the commandments we keep, the covenants we make, the standards that we live that really set us apart.  That’s what makes us different, special, and precious. It’s a good thing that we think differently from the rest of the world, and more importantly, that we ACT differently than the rest of the world.

 

So if it’s obedience to the commandments that makes us peculiar, how well do we know those commandments? And now, for the rest of the lesson, we move into a discussion of the 10 commandments. But like I said in the insight video, you could do an entire lesson on each of the 10 commandments. We won’t have time to do that here. Instead, we’re hoping to give them a more personalized experience with the commandments and allow the spirit to highlight what they most need to hear from them.

 

SEARCH ACTIVITY:

So to do that, I really love the stations activity that I suggest in the insight video. Not only does it do a good job of providing them with an overview of the 10 commandments, but it’s good variety—a bit of a different teaching approach than usual. So to do this, if you have desks, put them into rows of four and tape each activity to those desks. They’re instructed not to write on the paper itself but only on their own personal worksheet that you’ll give everyone at the beginning of the class.  And while they study, I’ll usually play some soft, instrumental church music. If you don’t have desks, you could just set up chairs in rows of five and place each activity on each chair. Then, you give them 5-8 minutes to do each one. Each activity gives your students a chance to think about and apply the content found in Exodus chapter 20. And you may not have time to do all of them, and that’s ok. In fact, depending on how much time you have, you may decide to eliminate one of the stations altogether, and provide only 3 stations even to do.

 

I’m not going to walk you through each of the stations here, you could watch the insight video for the details, but basically the four stations consist of:

 

Station 1, which is a marking activity where your students go in and put a box around the verses that contain the 10 commandments, and then they read through them, marking what the find significant, and searching for at least one thing that most stands out to them.

 

Station 2 invites our student to re-word the 10 commandments as positive statements—as “Thou shalt’s” instead of “Thou shalt not’s”.

 

Station 3 Now, I’ve removed the original station #3 with the For the Strength of Youth pamphlet activity this time around since the new pamphlet doesn’t quite match up as well like the old pamphlet did. So this year, I only have 4 stations, which is probably a good thing since realistically, you probably wouldn’t have time to have them do 5 different activities in an average class period. So the new station #3 contains a sheet with a number of great quotes regarding the 10 commandments and invites your students to pick their favorite and to explain why.

 

Then Station 4 takes our students to Deuteronomy 4-6 where Moses gives additional insight into the 10 commandments. It’s a study guide that has our students looking for the Lord’s promised blessings for keeping the 10 commandments.

 

I WILL GO AND DO:

Then perhaps at the conclusion of the activity, you may just want to invite them to do one last thing as they leave:

 

Which commandment do I feel prompted to focus on right now to show that I belong to God, even if it makes me stand out a little?

 

TAKEAWAY:

The takeaway slide emphasizes the idea that keeping the commandments makes us different. It states “Peculiar to the world. Precious to God,” with the accompanying subtitle: “As I keep His commandments, I become His treasure.” Then conclude your lesson by re-emphasizing the truth that being different from the world is a very good thing. Remind them that if  the world thinks we’re strange, then we’re probably doing something right. It is no sign of admiration to be well-adjusted to a fundamentally sick society.  Testify that when we seek to live the commandments of God, we become his peculiar treasure, and that knowledge will bring us peace, confidence, and a sense of who we really are.

 

OPTIONAL LESSON ENHANCEMENTS:

 

VIDEO:

A suggested video to accompany this lesson—this one called “Obedience to the 10 Commandments”. It features a message from Elder L. Tom Perry regarding the importance of keeping ALL of the commandments, not just the few that are still socially acceptable. 

 

QUOTE:

For the quote: President Gordon B. Hinckley:

“We're different. Of course, we're different from the world. If the world continues to go the way it is now going, we will become even more peculiar. We will stand for truth. We will stand for right. We will stand for honesty. We will stand for virtue. We will stand for personal cleanliness. We will be more and more a peculiar people.”

Gordon B. Hinckley 

(Miami Florida Fireside, November 17, 1996.)  

 

To contrast with President Hinckley’s quote on obedience and what we stand for, you could also share Ted Turner’s quote on his opinion about the 10 commandments. It always sparks a good discussion, so I’ll include that here as well as an option:

 

"We’re living with outdated rules. The rules we’re living under are the Ten Commandments, and I bet nobody here even pays much attention to them because they’re too old. When Moses went up on the mountain, there were no nuclear weapons, there was no poverty. Today, the Ten Commandments wouldn’t go over. Nobody around likes to be commanded. Commandments are out!" “If you're only going to have 10 rules, I don't know if prohibiting adultery should be one of them.” 

 

LESSON #2 WORTH THE WAIT! THE GOLDEN CALF CHOICE (Exodus 32)

 

TRUTH:

Sin=short-term pleasure, long-term penalty.

Obedience=short-term effort, long-term reward.

 

FIRE IN THE BONES:

For the fire in the bones, I find a lot of relevance in the sin vs obedience question. We’ve all felt it. The natural man tugging at us with the promise of short-term reward, while our soul begs us to just wait and trust God’s assurances. Help your students to see their own version of the golden calf story and instill a desire in them to choose differently than the children of Israel did. Speak with confidence about the goodness of God’s timing and help them to see that obedience, even when it’s hard or delayed, always leads somewhere better.

 

OBJECT:

For an object lesson, try bringing in some “Now and Later” candy. As you hand them out, ask your students, “Which do you usually choose—now or later?” Then explain that those two words really capture what this lesson is all about. The Israelites chose “now.” The invitation for us is to trust God enough to choose “later,” believing that what He has in store is always better.

 

ICEBREAKER:

For the Icebreaker, Ask your students to answer the “What is your favorite” style questions, followed up with whether they feel they are worth the wait.  Then make the point that when we really love something and you understand it’s value; the wait is always worth it.

 

Then transition to the scriptures by explaining that the children of Israel are waiting for something as they are encamped near Mt. Sinai. What is it that they are waiting for? Exodus 24:18 or Exodus 32:1 holds the answer. They are waiting for Moses. He’s gone up Mt. Sinai to talk to God and receive instructions from him. And the Bible tells us that he is gone for 40 days and 40 nights—a long time.

 

SEARCH ACTIVITY:

Now send them in to Exodus 32:1-8 to discover what the Children of Israel decide to do while they are waiting for Moses with the challenge to pick one phrase that best captures the nature of their decision. Some of the phrases that might come up: “they have made them a molten calf, and have worshipped it”. OR they decide to “Up, [and] make [them] gods.” They “eat and drink and rise up to play”. “They corrupt themselves.” Or “They have turned aside quickly out of the way which I [God] commanded them.”

 

This is the Golden Calf story, and it has a lot to teach us about sin and its consequences.

 

TEACHER INSIGHT:

After that initial introduction to the story, I encourage you to explain the Delay of Obedience principle. Teach them that there is a great contrast between the timing of God’s blessings and the pleasures of sin because both obedience and sin offer rewards. If sin didn’t offer anything, nobody would do it, right? But when do they come?

 

DISCUSSION QUESTION:

So ask: When does sin typically reward us and when does obedience? Just let them share.  Almost immediately. That’s the funny thing about sin. It makes you feel good right then. During that discussion, you could show the following chart to make the point that sin often offers a quick and easy reward, while obedience can often be hard in the short term, but offers greater rewards in the long run.

 

Then let them weigh in on a few examples of that principle. What’s the short term and long-term effects of the following choices:

 

Drugs and alcohol. Makes you feel good in the short term, but leads to addiction in the long.

Then do the same with the following.  Stealing. Paying tithing. Lying. Daily scripture study.

 

Then the question for the righteous becomes, How will I deal with the delay? Can we maintain our faith and virtue during that delay? Or will we quickly turn aside and corrupt ourselves?

 

THE RESULTS:

Now the lesson turns to the results of the Children of Israel’s decision. And this is a place where you could save some time and summarize as a teacher.  Show them the negative consequences of the people’s decision in verses 19-20, 27-28, 33, and 35. Walk them quickly through those verses to reiterate your point that the pleasures of sin are short-lived while the negativity of the long-term consequences far outweigh any benefit they provide.

 

THE SOLUTION:

Where you really want them to spend some time is on the solution to sin. What can we do when we HAVE sinned? Because we’ll all probably make some “Golden Calf” decisions in our lives. This is where you can give them the “Solution to Sin” handout and invite them to look for what the following verses teach us about overcoming our mistakes.

 

32:26

32:29

32:30-32

 

For my thoughts on those verses you can watch the insight video. But in short, the solutions to sin are

 

1.Choose a side and stick with it.

2.Consecrate yourself to the Lord or Repent.

3.Rely on the Atonement of Jesus Christ.

 

TAKE IT TO HEART:

Can you think of a time when a blessing came late but was worth the wait?

Please share.

 

I WILL GO AND DO:

Where in my life am I most tempted to choose “now” instead of “later,” and what’s my plan to act differently this week in that situation?

 

TAKEAWAY:

The takeaway slide reminds our students that the blessings of obedience are “Worth the Wait” and our subtitle explains that “The easy choice NOW isn’t always the best choice for LATER.”  Remind them how back at the beginning of the lessons we discussed things that we felt were worth the wait. We don’t mind waiting for something when we know it’s going to be good. That’s how God works too. His answers, His blessings, His promises don’t always come right away, but they always come. Testify that when we choose to trust Him and to choose “later” instead of “now,” that we avoid a lot of regret and instead find peace, strength, and real happiness that lasts.

 

OPTIONAL LESSON ENHANCEMENTS:

 

VIDEO:

A video you could show here would be the following animated summary of the story called “Moses on Mt. Sinai”.  It does an excellent job of giving your students the basic context of the story so that you can spend more time focused on what it teaches rather than the circumstances surrounding it.

 

QUOTE:

“We ought not to think of God’s plan as a cosmic vending machine where we (1) select a desired blessing, (2) insert the required sum of good works, and (3) the order is promptly delivered”.

D. Todd Christofferson

(Conference Report, April 2022)

 

LESSON #3 PRINCIPLE HUNT (Exodus 24, 31-34)

 

GAME:

For this final lesson, we’re going to take a slightly different approach. Rather than walking through a single central truth in depth, this lesson is designed to introduce our students to a wider range of powerful principles that are found throughout these chapters. There’s a lot of good stuff in there, and this activity allows you to touch on, at least briefly, a large number of truths and ideas. When you’re teaching the same group consistently, a little variety can go a long way in increasing engagement and participation, and this “Principle Hunt” format helps shift more of the discovery onto the students themselves. Their role is to search, discuss, and identify truth, rather than just listen. To begin, divide your class into small teams of about four students. Provide each student with the handout that contains a list of possible principles. Then, display or read aloud a scripture reference, and have the teams work together to determine which principle matches that passage. Each team writes their answer (the corresponding letter) on a small whiteboard or paper and raises it when ready. The first correct answer earns a point, but teams only get one guess per round before others have a chance, which encourages thoughtful discussion rather than random guessing. You can even add a simple physical challenge for bonus points to keep the energy up. One of my favorite variations on that idea is to play a game I call trashketball. And for that, all you need is a trash can, some masking tape, and a ball of some sort. And even if you don’t have a ball, you could always just crumple up some pieces of paper. But the way you set this up is to place a trashcan against a wall and then tape three pieces of masking tape on the floor at varying distances from the trashcan. Then with a marker, on the piece of tape closest to the trashcan, I would write 1 point. On the second further away, I would write 2 points. Then on the third piece, farthest away, I would write 3 points. And you know, sometimes, just for fun, I might even put a fourth piece of tape, really far away, like almost impossible to make it, and write 10 points on it.  But when a team answers a question correctly, not only do they get a point for the correct answer, but they also get a chance to send someone up to make a trashketball shot to earn extra points. Also, about every 3 or 4 questions, I’ll do a shooting round only. Where, there is no scripture question, but every team gets a chance to take a shot and earn points. Team with the most points at the end of the game, wins. Simple, but effective. And, of course, while you’re playing, you can always take a minute or two to have a short discussion or give some brief commentary on why those principles are important for us to understand. And if you’d like some additional commentary and deeper teaching insights on these verses, you can always refer to the companion insight video where I explore many of these principles in more detail. As a way of inviting more personal application into this activity, you could then pass out the following handout that invites students to choose one of the principles from the activity that stood out most to hem and to answer a question that can help them to reflect on how it that principle could apply personally to them. And that right there can be a fun and unique lesson experience to shake things up a bit from how you usually teach. Now granted, an activity like this probably isn’t going to lend itself to deep understanding or even reverence, but I find that when I do a lesson like this every now and then , my students are more willing to go deeper the next time. 


INSIGHTS

 

PROPHET PRINCIPLES

So last week we discussed some of the things that will help us to survive the wilderness of mortality. Remember that the entire story of the Exodus is a metaphor for life.  Just like the temple ceremony helps us to understand our role and destiny symbolically through the story of Adam and Eve, the story of the Exodus does something similar.  Can you recognize the lessons so far? So, once you have gained faith in coming to know the one true God (the plagues), repented (leaving Egypt or the slavery of sin behind), been baptized (passing through the Red Sea) and received the Gift of the Holy Ghost (following the pillar of fire, which we haven’t discussed in detail yet, but we will) then comes the long and arduous journey of crossing the wilderness. After following those initial first principles and ordinances of the gospel, we must get down to the business of putting one faithful footstep in front of the other and enduring to the end, no matter how long and hard the journey may be. We’ve also discussed some of the things that will help sustain us on our journey. We will need to feast on the bread of heaven (manna, or the word of God), and drink from the Rock (the love of Jesus Christ and his gospel).  But there is something or someone else that God has sent to help us along on our journey that we haven’t discussed yet. We must follow the Lord’s living prophet. The children of Israel did not have to figure out the way to travel alone. They had a leader. A mouthpiece for God to give them the necessary guidance and help they needed to make that journey. Chapter 17, 18, and 19 contain principles that will help us understand a prophet’s role in leading God’s people. The truths we discuss here could also apply to all church leadership positions. I’d like to spend the most amount of time on this first principle from Exodus 17 and then move a little more quickly through the remaining six.

 

A PECULIAR PEOPLE

 

There’s a verse in chapter 19 that I feel acts as a great segue into a discussion about the Ten Commandments in chapter 20.

 

ICEBREAKER

Some of you might be familiar with the comedian Jeff Foxworthy and a bit that he does called, “You might be a redneck” and then he comes up with little sayings and scenarios that humorously describe rednecks.

Well, for an icebreaker, I like to do something similar but for members of the Church. So here are some of my favorites: (and I didn’t make these up by the way)

 

You may be a member of the Church if . . .

•       You think it's rude to call or come to someone's home unannounced on Monday night

•       You "Bless this food to nourish and strengthen" your body before eating doughnuts.

•       You know how to pronounce and spell Mahonri Moriancumer.

•       All your dishes have your name written on them with masking tape and at least one of your salad bowls is at a neighbor's house

•       You know what  CTR, PPI, YSA, GA, FSY, ZL, DL, AP, and BYU all stand for.

•       You have more wheat stored in your basement than most third world countries

•       You arrive to an activity an hour late and are the first person there

•       You have an aunt or uncle that is younger than you.

 

After looking at that list, a person unfamiliar with the Church might conclude that members of the Church are a bit strange, weird, or odd. Maybe you’ve even been called one of those adjectives before because of what you believe or what you do. In fact, people might even accuse you of being Exodus 19:5. Ever had that one thrown at you? You members of the Church of Jesus Christ are so Exodus 19:5.  What do I mean? Take a look at that verse and find the word that people might be tempted to use to describe us.

 

5 Now therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people: for all the earth is mine:

 

Did you catch the word? Peculiar. Ever been called peculiar by someone because of what you believe and how you act? Now most people wouldn’t take that as a compliment, but we should. It’s actually quite an honor to be considered peculiar by the world and more importantly by God.

 

To understand why, we need to go to the Bible Dictionary for some help. Look up the word “peculiar” there and what does it say?

 

“One’s very own, exclusive, or special; not used in the Bible as odd or eccentric. The Hebrew word segullah, which is translated “peculiar” in Deut. 14:2 and 26:18, is translated “special” in Deut. 7:6. (Bible Dictionary)

 

So it doesn’t mean strange or bizarre at all. It means special, or precious—something of great value.

 

And what is it that will give us that special value? What makes us peculiar? Look at verse 5 again and see if you can find what it is that is going to set us apart. It’s not that God loves us more, or we’re better than anyone else, or our souls are of more worth than others. But what makes us a special treasure to God?

 

5 Now therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people: for all the earth is mine:

 

Then continuing on:

 

6 And ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation.

 

What makes us a peculiar treasure? A kingdom of priests and a holy nation. The fact that we obey the voice of God and keep our covenants with him. 

 

And isn’t that true? Isn’t that the thing that really sets us apart as members of Christ’s church? It’s the commandments we keep, the covenants we make, the standards we live that really sets us apart.  That’s what makes us different, special, and precious.

 

If someone chooses to live the Word of Wisdom, doesn’t drink alcohol, or even tea or coffee, might they be considered peculiar by the rest of the world? Probably.

Are those who live the law of chastity and commit to sexual purity before marriage going to be considered an oddity in our current loosely moraled world? More than likely.

Is someone who refuses to use foul language, dress immodestly, or shop on the Sabbath going to stand out?  Most definitely.

 

And the world may mock that person, sneer at them, persecute them, or dismiss them as eccentric. But how will God see them? He treasures them. They are special to him. They are segullah. And personally, I’d much rather be treasured by God, than by the world.

 

President Gordon B. Hinckley once said:

“We're different. Of course, we're different from the world. If the world continues to go the way it is now going, we will become even more peculiar. We will stand for truth. We will stand for right. We will stand for honesty. We will stand for virtue. We will stand for personal cleanliness. We will be more and more a peculiar people.”

Gordon B. Hinckley 

(Miami Florida Fireside, November 17, 1996.)  

 

This is such an important truth, especially for young people, to grasp, because the pressure to conform to the ways and the beliefs of the world is such a strong one. It’s not easy or comfortable to go against the grain. So the next time somebody calls us peculiar because of the way we live and the commandments we keep, we can just look back at them with a smile and say, “Why thank you very much. I appreciate the compliment.”  If the world thinks your strange, then you’re probably doing something right. It is no a sign of admiration to be well-adjusted to a fundamentally sick society.

 

THE TEN COMMANDMENTS

Well, if we are to become a peculiar treasure to God, then, as verse 5 taught us, we’ve got to obey his voice and keep his covenant. In Exodus chapter 20, the children of Israel are going to hear that voice at Mt. Sinai and receive that covenant. We know that covenant by its more familiar name: the Ten Commandments.

 

ICEBREAKER

For an icebreaker to this section of the lesson, challenge your students to name each of the 10 commandments and extra credit if they can name them in order. Can you do it?

 

1.     Thou shalt have no other gods before Me

2.     Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven images

3.     Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord your God in vain

4.     Keep the Sabbath day holy

5.     Honor your father and your mother

6.     Thou shalt not kill

7.     Thou shalt not commit adultery

8.     Thou shalt not steal

9.     Thou shalt no bear false witness or lie

10.  Thou shalt not covet

 

OR, here’s another possible idea. I sometimes like to read to my students the following statement made by Ted Turner, media mogul and founder of CNN. He had some interesting things to say about the Ten Commandments and I want you to imagine how you think you would respond to this statement if he were sitting here in our classroom and made the following comment:

 

"We’re living with outdated rules. The rules we’re living under are the Ten Commandments, and I bet nobody here even pays much attention to them because they’re too old. When Moses went up on the mountain, there were no nuclear weapons, there was no poverty. Today, the Ten Commandments wouldn’t go over. Nobody around likes to be commanded. Commandments are out!" “If you're only going to have 10 rules, I don't know if prohibiting adultery should be one of them.” 

 

It's also interesting to note that Ted Turner then came up with his own version of the ten commandments but  called them the “Ten Voluntary Initiatives” instead. They included, Have no more than two children, and support the United Nations.

 

And you know, I’m not so sure how I would respond to him other than to stand there with my eyes wide open and my jaw on the floor. I mean, how can you deny the importance and efficacy of these simple yet fundamental rules for moral conduct and good living and perhaps the most significant contribution to religious thought of the entire Old Testament. Personally, I believe that every major civilization and culture can be thanked and credited for giving the world certain gifts. A few examples: The Mesopotamians gave us agriculture, the Egyptians monumental architecture, the Romans gave us law, the Chinese, paper and gunpowder, the English, great literature, the Germans, the printing press and music, the Greeks, almost everything else: theater, sports, democracy, mathematics, philosophy. But what about the Hebrews or the Jews? What was their major contribution to the world?  Well, they simply gave us our moral, ethical, spiritual, or religious compass. You choose which word you prefer. They gave the world the laws that govern the best way to live. That code of ethics is most effectively summed up in what we call the ten commandments. And regardless of what Ted Turner thinks, is there any doubt in your mind how different and better our world would be if everyone just lived these ten basic laws. They are self-evident, universal, and, I would argue, essential for successful societies and lives. This is the gift of the Jews—wrapped in divine love from Jehovah on Mt. Sinai. Exodus 20 is that gift. 

 

SEARCH

Now the challenge with teaching Exodus 20 is that each and every commandment is a lesson in and of itself. You could spend an entire day teaching each commandment as its own principle, digging deep into why it’s important, and how to apply it to our lives. I mean, just think about it, you could have a lesson on honesty, sexual purity, sabbath-day observance, gratitude, respect for parents, and on and on. You just don’t have time to do that in one class period I’m afraid—or even two or three. So something that I like to do with the ten commandments is provide my students with a more personalized experience with them.  One way to do this is with a “Stations” type lesson. What I’ve done is put together  5different study activities that the members of your class can rotate between every 5-8 minutes or so. They’re designed in a way that they can be done in any order.  And what I like about this kind of activity is that it gives each individual in your class a chance to ponder and apply the scriptures on their own while providing some variety as they move from one station to the next. How you set this up depends on the size of your class. I’ll put my desks in rows of four or five and tape each activity to those desks. They’re instructed not to write on the paper itself but only on their own personal worksheet that you’ll give everyone at the beginning of the class.  And while they study, I’ll usually play some soft, instrumental church music.

 

Allow me to walk you through each of these activities to give you a sense of how each one works.

 

STATION #1

Is more of a marking activity. So first it instructs them to

Take a colored pencil and put a box around verses 3-17.

Write “The Ten Commandments” at the top of page 109.

Study verses 3-17 carefully and mark anything that stands out to you.

What is at least one thing you learned while studying this time?

 

STATION #2

State each of the 10 commandments as a positive, as “Thou shalt’s” rather than “Thou shalt not’s” and let’s name them “The Ten Freedoms!”.  How would you word them?

 

And here’s how I would word them:

1.     Thou shalt make God and his gospel the #1 priority in your life.

2.     Thou shalt worship God through prayer, obedience, and gratitude.

3.     Thou shalt speak God’s name with respect and reverence.

4.     Thou shalt observe the Sabbath Day as a holy and restful day, focused on the things of God.

5.     Thou shalt respect and show love for your parents.

6.     Thou shalt respect all forms of life as being sacred and of great worth in the sight of God.

7.     Thou shalt cherish and show loyalty to your spouse.

8.     Thou shalt respect the property of others.

9.     Thou shalt be honest in all you do and say.

10.  Thou shalt be grateful and content with what God has blessed you with.

 

Pick one of your statements and describe how following that particular instruction has provided you with more freedom and blessing in your life. 

 

STATION #3

Choose a statement from the ten commandments below that you feel most applies to you.

1.     I need to make God and his gospel more of a priority in my life

2.     I need to offer more sincere prayers

3.     I need to be more careful with my language

4.     I need to show more respect for the Sabbath Day

5.     I need to be more respectful of my parents

6.     I need to be nicer to other people

7.     I need to commit to sexual purity in all forms

8.     I need to respect the property of others more

9.     I need to be more honest

10.  I need to be more grateful and content with what I have

 

Once you’ve chosen your statement, read the suggested chapter below from the For the Strength of Youth pamphlet that coincides with your commandment. And by the way, I don’t think that reading chapters from the For the strength of Youth pamphlet is only an activity reserved for the youth. These are not just standards for young people! I feel that adults should study and be just as familiar with its contents as the youth of the church. There is no age limit for standards. Each chapter in that powerful little pamphlet gives a simple, yet forceful explanation of God’s standards and expectations regarding each of these principles. So here are the suggested chapters for each commandment:

 

1.     Agency and Accountability

2.     Go forward with Faith

3.     Language

4.     Sabbath Day Observance

5.     Family

6.     Friends

7.     Sexual Purity

8.     Honesty and Integrity

9.     Honesty and Integrity

10.  Gratitude

 

The final question for this station: What counsel from the “For the Strength of Youth” pamphlet stood out most to you?

 

STATION #4

 

Which of the following quotes regarding the Ten Commandments is your favorite and why?

 

QUOTE #1

Teach of faith to keep all the commandments of God, knowing that they are given to bless His children and bring them joy.  Warn them that they will encounter people who pick which commandments they will keep and ignore others that they choose to break. I call this the cafeteria approach to obedience. This practice of picking and choosing will not work. It will lead to misery. To prepare to meet God, one keeps all of His commandments. It takes faith to obey them, and keeping His commandments will strengthen that faith.

Russell M. Nelson (President of the Church, 2018-present)

CR April 2011

 

QUOTE #2

“Also evolving at a rapid rate has been the moral compass of society. Behaviors which once were considered inappropriate and immoral are now not only tolerated but also viewed by ever so many as acceptable…

Although the world has changed, the laws of God remain constant. They have not changed; they will not change. The Ten Commandments are just that—commandments. They are not suggestions. They are every bit as requisite today as they were when God gave them to the children of Israel.”

Thomas S. Monson (President of the Church, 2008-2018)

CR Oct 2011

 

QUOTE #3

"We cannot break the Ten Commandments. We can only break ourselves against them—or else, by keeping them, rise through them to the fullness of freedom under God. God means us to be free. With divine daring, He gave us the power of choice." 

Cecil B. Demille  (Director of the movie “The Ten Commandments”)

 

QUOTE #4

“…we can choose to see commandments as limitations. We may feel at times that God’s laws restrict our personal freedom, take from us our agency, and limit our growth. But as we seek for greater understanding, as we allow our Father to teach us, we will begin to see that His laws are a manifestation of His love for us and obedience to His laws is an expression of our love for Him.”

Carole M. Stephens

(First Counselor in the General Relief Society Presidency from 2012-2017)

Conference Report, October 2015

 

QUOTE #5

“If ye love me, keep my commandments.”

Jesus Christ (Savior and Redeemer of all)

John 14:15

 

QUOTE #6

In my judgment, four of the Ten Commandments are taken as seriously today as ever. As a culture, we disdain and condemn murder, stealing, and lying, and we still believe in the responsibility of children to their parents.

But as a larger society, we routinely dismiss the other six commandments:

  • If worldly priorities are any indication, we certainly have “other gods” we put before the true God.

  • We make idols of celebrities, of lifestyles, of wealth, and yes, sometimes of graven images or objects.

  • We use the name of God in all kinds of profane ways, including our exclamations and our swearing.

  • We use the Sabbath day for our biggest games, our most serious recreation, our heaviest shopping, and virtually everything else but worship.

  • We treat sexual relations outside marriage as recreation and entertainment.

  • And coveting has become a far too common way of life.

L. Tom Perry

(Conference Report, April 2013)

 

STATION #5

Place the following cross reference somewhere in the margins of Exodus 20: Deuteronomy 4-6 and then turn to those chapters in your Bible (you’ll find them on pages 258-265).

 

Now the reason I send them to Deuteronomy is because it’s the book that contains the final sermons of Moses given just before he died. In one of those sermons Moses repeats the Ten Commandments and offers additional insight and promises about them. 

 

So our first question here:

Choose a colored pencil to represent God’s promises for keeping the commandments.

Find and mark the #1 promise God makes to those who keep his commandments according to Deuteronomy 4:40, 5:16, 5:29, 5:33, 6:3, and 6:18?

 

The repeated promise in each of those verses? That it may go well with thee. That’s the big promise of keeping the commandments. God assures us that as long as we keep his commandments, it will go well with us. Righteousness always was happiness. God guarantees blessings and help as we heed and obey his words. Obedience brings goodness.

 

In that same color, find and mark another frequent promise that God makes to those who keep his commandments in Deuteronomy 4:40, 5:16, 5:33 and 6:2

 

And what’s that promise there?  That thou mayest prolong thy days upon the earth. We find that promise in the fifth commandment as well which says: “12 Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee.” Now I don’t think that means that you are guaranteed to live a long life as long as you respect and obey your parents. Many have died young that did respect their parents. I believe the “thy” in that sentence is collective rather than individual. Thy days as a people, as a nation, as a civilization will be long upon the land. It’s when communities begin to forget these fundamental laws, that they begin to fall apart. The Ten Commandments represent the basic laws of successful societies.

 

What additional promises do you see in the following verses? Mark them as well.

4:31he won’t forsake you, he won’t destroy you, he won’t forget his covenant with you

5:10 mercy

6:3  increase mightily

6:3/6:18 A land that floweth with milk and honey, Possess the good land

 

Now look back over all the promises that you marked. Can you think of a time when obedience to a commandment brought you one of those blessings?

 

Then one final question:

Why does God give us the commandments according to 6:24 and 7:8?

6:24 For our good always that he might preserve us

7:8 Because the Lord loved us

 

This is an insight that I know I’ve shared a number of times before, but I feel it’s worth repeating. I personally don’t really like the word commandment that much. That’s a word that I would change in the gospel if I could because I don’t think it really captures the spirit of commandments. Because it’s the word “command” that seems to stand out in that word. But what would I call them to really communicate the essence of a commandment? I would call them “happy-ments”. Or “divine help-ments”. Or “divine guidance-ments”. Or “how to live a blessed and meaningful life so that Satan doesn’t deceive you and make you miserable-ments”. The commandments are an expression of God’s love and concern for our well-being. They are given for our good always. They preserve us and help us to be happy and prosperous. 

 

Now when your students have completed each of the station rotations, if you still have some time remaining in class, you can ask them to share what they felt was the most important thing that they learned, felt, or experienced as they did the activity. That can be a nice way of wrapping up the lesson.

 

TRUTH

The overall truth that I would want to emphasize here then? If I strive to obey the commandments, then things will go well with me, and I will be treasured by God.

 

CONCLUSION

Well as I said before, I believe that the Ten Commandments stand as the greatest gift the Jewish people ever gave us. These ten statements spoken from the trembling heights of Mt. Sinai still reverberate in the hearts of millions down through the ages. As Gordon B. Hinckley noted, the closer we get to the Second Coming, the more and more we will stand out as a people because of our commitment to living those laws. One of my favorite verses of scripture concerning commandments is found in Doctrine and Covenants 59:4 which reads:

4 And they shall also be crowned with blessings from above, yea, and with commandments not a few, and with revelations in their time—they that are faithful and diligent before me.  I love that. One of God’s greatest blessings He can bestow on his children is commandments. And what’s the reward for living those commandments? More commandments! Commandments not a few! And how do we react? We say “Yay! Give us more! We love your commandments. They have only brought goodness and happiness into our lives. So why wouldn’t we welcome them? May our commitment to God’s commandments define us as a people. May they set us apart as his special treasure and may we live our lives as a kingdom of priests and a holy nation that honors and values these sacred instructions from Sinai. 

 

A STUDY IN SIN or HOLY COW!

 

ICEBREAKER

For an Icebreaker here, I’m going to put some pictures up on the screen and ask you a couple of questions.  What is your favorite place to go on vacation?

Then. Is it worth the wait of the drive or the plane flight to get there?

What is your favorite food from your favorite restaurant?

Then. Is it worth the wait of the time it takes for it to be prepared?

What’s your favorite tv show or movie franchise?

Is it worth the wait of the time between seasons?

What’s your favorite theme park ride?

Is it worth the wait of the time in line to ride it?

 

Now, it’s my guess that you probably answered yes to each of those follow up questions. Because, when you love something, when you know it has value, when you know it’s going to make you happy, the wait, as hard as it is sometimes to endure, always turns out to be worth it.

 

TRANSITION

Today, as we continue our study of the Exodus of the Children of Israel, we’re going to encounter them in a state of waiting. What were they waiting for and for how long according to Exodus 24:18 and 32:1?

And what were they waiting for, or better yet, who were they waiting for? Moses. 32:1 tells us that “the people saw that Moses DELAYED to come down out of the mount”.  And what’s happening here is that Moses had gone up into Mount Sinai to receive a deeper understanding of God’s laws. And how long did they need to wait for him?  At least 40 days and 40 nights. Which actually is more of a biblical expression meaning “a long time” and perhaps not literally 40 days and 40 nights, but I would imagine, around a month or so.

 

So picture this. They’re down there waiting, and waiting, and waiting. Now if they had known exactly how long Moses was going to be. If they had been told beforehand, that would be different. But they don’t know. The timing of the wait is undefined. So they’re left to guess and patiently wait for further instruction from the Lord.  Now sadly, they apparently get tired of waiting and do something instead. Please read Exodus 32:1-8 and I want you to pick just one phrase that you feel best describes what they decide to do rather than wait.

 

So take a moment to go ahead and read that.

 

A couple of phrases that could be shared.  Maybe you decided to go the more direct route and picked the phrase that says, “they have made them a molten calf, and have worshipped it”.  On the other hand, maybe you chose a more generalized description of what they do. They decide to “Up, [and] make [them] gods.” They “eat and drink and rise up to play”. They corrupt themselves. Or maybe you noticed they, “They have turned aside quickly out of the way which I [God] commanded them.

 

And that’s really sad, isn’t it? Especially considering all that they’ve seen and experienced up to this point. And consider this.  You may remember that after God gives the people the ten commandments back in Exodus 20, that there was one particular commandment that he repeats to them. Any guess at which one it was?  Of all the ten, which do you think God would want to reiterate to these people.  Make your guess then check your answer in Exodus 20:23. What was it?

 

23 Ye shall not make with me gods of silver, neither shall ye make unto you gods of gold.

 

It was almost as if the Lord knew what was coming or something. Fascinating. But they forget. They seem to forget all the miracles, all the signs, all the manifestations of God’s power in their lives and they quickly turn aside. Exodus chapter 32, to me, is a great study of sin and how it works. Perhaps we can learn from their mistakes rather than making them ourselves.

 

THE DELAY OF OBEDIENCE

One of the principles of sin taught here is what I would call the “Delay of Obedience” principle. If you wish to avoid the consequences of sin, be aware of the delay of obedience. There is an interesting contrast between the timing of God’s blessings and the pleasures of sin. Now both obedience and sin offer rewards. When do they come? When does sin reward us? Almost immediately. That’s the funny thing about sin. It makes you feel good right then. If I steal something, I get it right then. If I give into lust, I’m satisfied right then. If I lose my temper, I get that release right then. If I lie, I get away with it, right then. But what about obedience?  When do its rewards typically come? There is often a delay to obedience. Sometimes it takes to time to see the rewards.  The blessings often come in the long run. If I study my scriptures every day, it may take some time before I start to see the increased faith, and deepened gospel understanding. If I honor the law of chastity throughout all my youth, it may not be until I am getting married that I realize the great blessing that has been. If I pay my tithing consistently, it may be some time before I notice the overall outpouring of the windows of heaven in my life. But the blessings are assured.

 

Let’s use nutrition as an example. Eating the donut, or the fast food, or the bag of candy bars rewards you right then, but what are the long-term consequences? The stomachaches, the cavities, the poor health, the weight gain. Over time, all the collective consequences make for an inferior  future.  In the long run, the consequences are far worse than the fleeting initial rewards. On the other hand, initially, it’s not easy to control the cravings, or to exercise, or to lift the weight, but in the long run, the good health, the increased ability, the self-contentment is worth it and makes your life far easier and better.

 

It's the same with sin and obedience. Sin is easy in the short term, but hard in the long. Obedience is often hard in the short-term but easy in the long. I guess the question we have to ask ourselves is which of those scenarios we prefer? I don’t know about you, but the long term is what seems critical in my mind. The blessings are worth the wait? BUT, are we sometimes like the children of Israel in these things? How do we deal with the delay? Can we maintain our faith and virtue during that delay? Or will we quickly turn aside and corrupt ourselves?

 

When our prayers seem unanswered?

When we pray for healing, but the disease continues to ravage?

When we pray for employment, but the rejections keep rolling in?

When we pray for a confirmation of the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon or some other aspect of the gospel, but heaven seems to remain silent?

OR, what about promised blessings that don’t seem to be coming?

When we pay our tithing, but we still continue to struggle financially?

When we strive earnestly to change, but our addiction continues to hamper us?

When we are seeking repentance, but the feelings of forgiveness haven’t come yet?

When we hope and pray for a covenant spouse and marriage, but no options seem to present themselves?

 

Can we stay faithful even in these situations. We do believe in a God of miracles, and answers, and blessings, but we also believe in a delaying God. He is not a God of immediate gratification. As Elder Christofferson said in his most recent general conference address, “We ought not to think of God’s plan as a cosmic vending machine where we (1) select a desired blessing, (2) insert the required sum of good works, and (3) the order is promptly delivered”.  (Conference Report, April 2022)

 

Rather, we can do as Doctrine and Covenants 98:2 counsels and “wait patiently upon the Lord”. The children of Israel here are the opposite of Abraham and Sarah waiting for their promised child. They are the opposite of the believing Nephites of Zarahemla at the time of the sign of Christ’s birth. They are the opposite of Joseph of Egypt waiting for years before he is freed from slavery and prison.

 

UP, MAKE US GODS

Now what’s the temptation when God delays? Sometimes, we make golden calves for ourselves. We make our own gods. And what’s the reason for that? Why is it so tempting to make your own god? It almost seems silly to us now, doesn’t it? Worshipping a thing that was made by the hands of man. But what’ the reason behind that? People want to worship their own gods. Why? Because when you make your own gods. What else do you get to make? You get to make your own rules. My god says make as much money as you can. My god says, be selfish. My god says to party. My god says there are no rules for chastity. Eat, drink, and be merry for tomorrow we die. Nowadays, most people just skip the step of actually carving out a statue to worship, and jump right to step 2 of making their own rules, but the effect is the same.

 

It reminds me of Doctrine and Covenants 1:16

 

16 They seek not the Lord to establish his righteousness, but every man walketh in his own way, and after the image of his own god, whose image is in the likeness of the world, and whose substance is that of an idol, which waxeth old and shall perish in Babylon, even Babylon the great, which shall fall.

 

Their idol may not be made of stone or wood, but it has the image of the world in it, and they walk after their own way, their own rules, their own laws.

 

THE RESULTS

Now as I said before, the pleasures of sin are fleeting. Their party doesn’t last for long. Eventually, Moses comes back. And what happens?  And this part of the story sets up my Dad joke. Who was the first person to break all the commandments?  It was Moses! In verse 19. And he broke them all at once!

 

Why do you think he does this? Good discussion question

Out of anger

To get their attention

To show them what they had done, broken the covenant

To show them they weren’t ready for the law

Other:___________________

 

What are the consequences of their decision to make the golden calf? I see a few here

What’s the consequence in verse 20?

20 And he took the calf which they had made, and burnt it in the fire, and ground it to powder, and strawed it upon the water, and made the children of Israel drink of it.

This is so interesting. Moses grinds the calf into powder, throws it into the water and makes them drink it.  Why do you think he’s doing that? What’s the message there?

Perhaps it was his way of rubbing their noses in their sins. You want a golden calf, well then, you’re going to get it. Also, how do you think that would have tasted? Pretty gross? Bitter? Unpleasant?  Well, so are the consequences of sin. Like we spoke about earlier. The worshipping and partying may be fun for a time, but eventually, we’ll have to drink it all in, as repulsive as it is. Sin is never pleasant forever. Also, this would have rendered the gold from the calf unretrievable. It was defiled. It could henceforth not be used in the building of the temple.

 

What’s the consequence in verse 27-28?

27 And he said unto them, Thus saith the Lord God of Israel, Put every man his sword by his side, and go in and out from gate to gate throughout the camp, and slay every man his brother, and every man his companion, and every man his neighbour.

28 And the children of Levi did according to the word of Moses: and there fell of the people that day about three thousand men.

 

Yikes. So this was a bit more of a serious consequence. Some lost their lives that day.  Now I don’t know, but I doubt the killing was random and senseless. Many had partaken in the revelry, but perhaps these were those  who had been the ringleaders? Those that were unrepentant? Those that had been the most hardhearted? Not all sin is created equal. Some are more serious than others. I think God recognizes this, and those who acted more wickedly, received the harsher consequence. And certainly, when we sin seriously, something does die within us. Spiritual death occurs as we separate ourselves more distantly from God and his righteousness.

 

What’s the consequence in verse 33?

33 And the Lord said unto Moses, Whosoever hath sinned against me, him will I blot out of my book.

There are a number of books out there where you might find your name written.  A yearbook, a directory, a book you’ve authored? But there is one book more important than any other that you want to find your name in. The Lord’s book. The book of life is what it’s referred to in Revelation. But when we sin against God and worship golden calves, our names may be blotted out. Not erased, not whited out, but blotted out.

 

What’s the consequence in verse 35?

35 And the Lord plagued the people, because they made the calf, which Aaron made.

Sin brings plagues. It brings penalties, and costs and forfeitures. There is verse that I failed to share in an earlier lesson but relates well here.

 

Exodus 15:26

26 And said, If thou wilt diligently hearken to the voice of the Lord thy God, and wilt do that which is right in his sight, and wilt give ear to his commandments, and keep all his statutes, I will put none of these diseases upon thee, which I have brought upon the Egyptians: for I am the Lord that healeth thee.

 

Obedience is the best inoculation we can receive. Diligent hearkening will protect us from the plagues of sin.

 

TRUTH

I think we could sum up one of the key messages of this chapter by saying:

Sin=short-term pleasure, long-term penalty.

Obedience=short-term toil, long-term reward.

 

CONCLUSION

Or in other words-endure the delays. Wait for Moses! . . . before building a golden calf.  Trust in the Lord’s assurances and wait patiently in obedience until the promised blessing appears.  They will come! Moses will come back. It’s assured, even if you don’t know when. Like a good meal, your favorite show, or that beloved theme park ride, it’s worth the wait!!!

 

LIKEN THE SCRIPTURES

Can you think of a time when a blessing came late but was worth the wait? Please share.

 

THE SOLUTION TO SIN

Moving on. The question now becomes, but what if you have sinned. You’ve made a golden calf and been caught bowing down to it.  Now what? Are we doomed? Is there any hope?  I’m happy to tell you that, yes, there is hope! The scriptures never present a problem without the solution being nearby. Let’s find the solutions to sin. You could approach this is a short handout activity as well. Can you find any solutions to sin in the following verses:

 

32:26

32:29

32:30-32

 

Solution #1 in verse 26

26 Then Moses stood in the gate of the camp, and said, Who is on the Lord's side? let him come unto me. And all the sons of Levi gathered themselves together unto him.

 

Solution? Pick a side and stick with it. We find similar encounters like this all over the scriptures. God and his prophets sometimes get to the point where they draw a line in the sand and say: Whose side are you on? Pick one! Joshua says it in Joshua 24:15 “Choose you this day whom ye will serve”. Jesus taught it in the sermon on the mount in Matthew 6:24, “No man can serve two masters.”  Elijah challenges the Israelites of his time in 1 Kings 18:21, “How long halt ye between two opinions? If the Lord be God, follow him: but if Baal, then follow him.” John makes that point in Revelation 3:15-16, “I would that thou wert cold or hot. So then because thou art lukewarm, . . . I will spue thee out of my mouth.”  Part of the solution to our golden calves is to make a decision and stick with it. Don’t try to serve Jehovah and the world at the same time. Don’t act one way on Sunday, but another the rest of the week.

 

Solution #2

29 For Moses had said, Consecrate yourselves today to the Lord, even every man upon his son, and upon his brother; that he may bestow upon you a blessing this day.

 

The solution. Consecrate yourself to the Lord. I think that’s another way of saying: repent.  We can decide now to worship the golden calf no longer and consecrate ourselves to God instead—to dedicate our will and agency to the Lord with a broken heart and a contrite spirit. This indicates a change of heart and an abandonment of sin. Repentance is the solution to sin.  And if we are willing to do this, there is a blessing God will bestow upon you this day. Which leads us to Solution #3

 

Solution #3

These next verses are beautiful and contrast nicely with the angry Moses of verse 19 casting the tablets to the ground.

 

30 And it came to pass on the morrow, that Moses said unto the people, Ye have sinned a great sin: and now I will go up unto the Lord; peradventure I shall make an atonement for your sin.

31 And Moses returned unto the Lord, and said, Oh, this people have sinned a great sin, and have made them gods of gold.

32 Yet now, if thou wilt forgive their sin--; and if not, blot me, I pray thee, out of thy book which thou hast written.

 

A beautiful plea from a prophet for his people. He loves them. Even after they have committed this grievous sin. Even after they’ve complained and murmured and backtracked so many times before. Even though they don’t really deserve it.  Moses is willing to give his own salvation on their behalf. He’s willing to make a personal atonement for the sins of his people. Sound like anyone else we know?  Yes. Moses is a type of Christ in this thing. Even when we have corrupted ourselves, even when we’ve made us other gods. Even when we’ve risen up to play. Even when we’ve turned aside quickly out of the way. Our Savior loves us enough to give us a chance to change and pleads our cause before God (see D&C 45:3-5). This is Moses as advocate, mediator, or intercessor for his people and gives us a sense of what Christ will do for those who choose the Lord’s side and consecrate themselves unto Him even after they’ve built a golden calf or two. Just because we’ve sinned doesn’t mean we are hopeless.  There is someone out there who still loves us, as unworthy and quick to turn out of the way as we are. He makes an atonement for our sins and save us from being blotted out of the Lord’s book of life.

 

LIKEN THE SCRIPTURES

Are there any golden calves you need to destroy?

Are you willing to turn to the power of the atonement?

 

CONCLUSION

This is yet another episode that demonstrates God’s patience and longsuffering. Just as he asks us to be patient with his timing, I believe that he is also patient with ours. There is no one more merciful, more gracious, and more forgiving than our Lord Jesus Christ. Even though we may have to drink the bitter consequences of our poor choices at times, our Moses is ever ready to take upon himself the justice for our mistakes. I pray we can choose a side, consecrate ourselves unto the Lord and his righteousness, and rely on the atonement and sacrifice of our Savior Jesus Christ.

 

THE COURAGE OF TRUE LEADERSHIP

 

There’s  one more aspect of this chapter that I want to examine with you, and it revolves around Aaron. Aaron’s role in this whole thing is a bit baffling to me. I mean, of all people, he knew better than this.  But it almost seems like he’s the instigator of much of it. He doesn’t seem to put up much of a fight when the people ask that he “make them Gods”.  Actually, as soon as they ask him, he seems to jump right in whole heartedly and encourages them. How do we explain this? Maybe there’s more to the story than we have recorded here.

Verse 1 tells us that the people gathered themselves together around Aaron. Was this intimidation? How much pressure are they putting on him? Is there a threat implied in the request? We don’t know, but perhaps.

 

The value in this episode is that Aaron here is going to teach us an important lesson in leadership. It illustrates a common conundrum for leaders, “What do I do when the people I lead desire something that is not right? What do I do when they put pressure on me to allow them to act in ways that are wrong, unwise, or contrary to God’s will?”  Maybe you’ve been in that position as a leader, or a teacher, or a parent, and you know that pressure and how difficult it can be to manage. We all want to be loved, respected, and honored as leaders. But sometimes those you lead ask for things they shouldn’t or that are not best for them. What should a leader do in those cases. Short answer: A leader needs to have courage. They need to demonstrate leadership. Because the led can always place the blame for any fallout on those placed in authority over them. They can call out, “The buck stops with him!”.  That’s why they come to Aaron in the first place. If they can convince Aaron to give into their demands, then they can always point the finger at him and say, “But he said it was all right!” That’s the conundrum leaders often find themselves in. As a teacher, my students will sometimes put pressure on me to not have a lesson, or to just play games, or let them talk, or play on their phones instead of studying the scriptures. And they plead and cajole and complain, and as a teacher, you want to be liked, so the pressure to give in to their desires is great. That’s the kind of situation where you need to have the courage of true leadership.  Show them real love and keep to your expectations. The same goes for parents. The same goes for church leaders. The same goes for employers.

 

I like something that John Quincy Adams once said when his constituents were putting pressure on him to oppose something that he knew to be the best course of action for the nation.  In that situation, he decided to go against the wishes of his party and electors and was quoted as saying: "highly as I reverenced the authority of my constituents . . . I would have defended their interests against their inclinations, and incurred every possible addition to their resentment, to save them from the vassalage of their own delusions."

 

Sometimes we too need to resist the requests of those we lead to protect them from the “vassalage of their own delusions.” Leaders will often be called upon to make unpopular decisions for the benefit of the people. 

What parent would be so naïve and foolish as to allow their children to have or do whatever they wanted with no guidance or boundaries. What teacher would be so unwise as to let their students dictate the course and direction of every lesson. What leader would be so reckless as to allow those they lead to rule by intimidation? Leaders need courage. Aaron needed courage. He needed the counsel given in Exodus 23:2 Thou shalt not follow a multitude to do evil.

 

And when confronted with his poor decisions, Aaron reacts as many of us do. He gives excuses instead of owning the problem.  He blames the people. They were the ones that came to me and said, “Make us gods”.  He blames it on human nature, or the natural man when he pleas, “thou knowest the people, that they are set on mischief”. I mean that’s just the way these people Moses, you know that.  And don’t you just love his explanation of where the golden calf came from in verse 24.

 

24 And I said unto them, Whosoever hath any gold, let them break it off. So they gave it me: then I cast it into the fire, and there came out this calf.

 

It just happens. Notice he doesn’t say, “I made this calf”, but “there came out this calf”. I mean yeah Moses, I threw these earrings and bracelets in there, and then poof, you know, this calf just came out. It’s like the boys playing baseball too close to the house, and they break the window.  Oh, We were just playing and then, the ball just flew through the window. We don’t know how it happened.  Or the unmarried couple who get into moral trouble, who say, “It just happened”. No, you put yourself into tempting circumstances, you disregarded God’s standards, and when the moment of temptation came, you weren’t strong enough to resist it. It didn’t just happen. So, Aaron, this calf didn’t just make itself. Sin is never an accident. Rather, hopefully we can be more like Adam and Eve after the fall, or Joseph Smith after he lost the 116 pages, or like Alma the Younger coming to terms with the mistakes of his youth. We confess. We take ownership. We recognize the sin and our part in its occurrence. That’s the only way the healing process can begin.

 

Still, some may wonder why Aaron isn’t in more trouble here.  I mean, he doesn’t get killed with the 3000.  In the end, Aaron doesn’t even seem to get a slap on the wrist. Why isn’t he in more trouble here?  Well, apparently, he was. We do get this additional detail to the story in Deuteronomy 9:20.

 

20 And the Lord was very angry with Aaron to have destroyed him: and I prayed for Aaron also the same time.

 

So it sounds like the Lord was going to destroy Aaron, but Moses intervenes and prays for him too. The fact that he is pardoned here does seem to suggest that there may be more to the story than meets the eye.

 

But I believe the lesson for leaders here is an important one. When courage is needed, compromise will never work.

 

ICEBREAKER

Now in my mind, Exodus 32 is probably the most interesting chapter of this week’s scripture block and where I would spend the majority of my time. But the remaining chapters do have some great principles to teach us as well.  To cover those, I suggest an activity.  Sometimes I like to cover a large block of scriptures with an activity I call a Principle Hunt.  And what you do is I have a large list of possible principles taught by these chapters and a number of principles that are not taught in these chapters. Each of your students will be provided with the following handout with all those principles in a large list. You then divide your class into teams of four.  Then, you will display or shout out a verse or set of verses for your students to study.  Their task is to identify  the letter of the principle that matches the provided scripture reference. The team that correctly identifies the match first, wins the point. But they only get one guess. Once they’ve guessed a letter, every other team will have an opportunity to guess before they would get another chance. That discourages students from just randomly writing down letters without actually studying. Now the way I typically have them communicate their answer is, I give each team a small white board and an erasable marker. They write their answer on it and raise it up into the air. That way I just look for the white board that goes up first. If you don’t have whiteboards, you could always provide them with pieces of paper to write down the answers. But I’ve found that the whiteboards work particularly well. They can come in handy for a lot of activities so it may be worth it to invest in some. You can also pair this activity up with some kind of physical challenge as well. The team that identifies the correct answer also gets a chance to earn an extra point by say, making a basket by throwing a ball into the trash can, or making a golf putt, or shooting a Nerf gun at a target, or any number of different challenges. Be creative. So here’s the list of possible principles. I’d like to walk you through each one and maybe provide just a little bit of commentary for each.

 

PRINCIPLE HUNT

A.    God knows us by name

B.    As long as we are giving with the right attitude, it doesn't matter if it's a lot or a little.

C.     Prophets reflect the glory and light of God

D.    Sin separates us from the presence of God

E.     The Lord blesses individuals with specific talents that can allow us to glorify him and accomplish his work

F.     If I pray in faith, God will hear and answer my prayers.

G.    If I keep the Sabbath day holy, I will be rested and refreshed

H.    When we have the Spirit of God with us, we will find peace and rest

I.      Paying tithing will open the windows of heaven to us.

J.      If I make and keep my covenants, the blood of the lamb [the atonement of Christ] can bless and sanctify me

K.     Sin causes us to lose blessings and privileges

L.     We should not take God’s command to keep the Sabbath Day holy lightly

M.   The Lord is very merciful and forgiving, yet perfectly just and fair at the same time

N.    The name of Christ is sacred and should be spoken with respect and reverence.

O.    Prophets teach the commandments given to them by God

P.     God speaks to man. God has a body of flesh and bone.

 

ANSWERS

Ok, let’s go through each of the answers and allow me to provide just a little bit of commentary on each.

 

Exodus 24:6-8

Match: J

If I make and keep my covenants, the blood of the lamb [the atonement of Christ] can bless and sanctify me

 

At this point in the narrative, the Israelites are committing to obey and keep the commandments of God.  And at that point, Moses does something quite compelling. He sprinkles them with the blood of a lamb. Now that sounds morbid but we have to keep in mind that slaughtering animals and working around blood would have been very commonplace and an everyday kind of practice for these people. Nowadays, if we want meat, all we have to do is order a hamburger from the fast-food joint or pick some up from the store nicely pre-cut and shrink wrapped in plastic. We are so far removed from the process that my own children didn’t even realize for years that meat actually came from animals. I think they figured that chicken nuggets and bacon just grew out of the ground. That’s not how it used to be. Everybody would have been very familiar with the process of raising, slaughtering, and preparing animals to eat. They would have been around blood all the time and wouldn’t have been put off by it. Blood represented life. Blood was a symbol of sacrifice. Remember the Passover. It was the blood of the lamb that protected and blessed them. The same idea applies here. When Moses sprinkles them with that blood, he is communicating that now, just like with the Passover, they are protected from the powers of darkness and evil. And what had they done that gave them this power? They had made a covenant-a promise of obedience. When we make that kind of commitment, we too are protected and blessed. And it’s the blood of the lamb, the atonement, that makes that possible.

 

Exodus 24:12

Match: O

Prophets teach the commandments given to them by God

This is a simple yet critical principle. God gives the law to Moses, who in turn teaches them to the people. This is one of the ways God communicates truth to his children. Yes, God can teach each of us personally through the power of the Spirit. But recognizing that voice isn’t always easy and takes time and experience to develop. So God gives us another way of receiving truth. He gives us the easily recognizable and physically audible voice of living prophets. Their messages are unmistakable. God continues to work in this way. Just a few weeks ago, we were taught the laws and words of God through the avenue of living prophets.

 

Exodus 31:3-6

Match: E

The Lord blesses individuals with specific talents that allow them to glorify him and accomplish his work

I really like this little principle. Every one of us has been given gifts, talents, or skills that the Lord can call on to accomplish his work. Sometimes those gifts are creative or artistic in nature. With Bezaleel, God gave him skill in metalwork and jewelry. That’s a skill that I think most of us would probably not usually deem a spiritual gift. But look what verse 3 says. The Lord says, “And I have filled him with the spirit of God, in wisdom, and in understanding, and in knowledge, and in all manner of workmanship”.  This was a gift from God, borne of the Spirit. That special creative gift made it possible for Bezaleel to glorify God by making beautiful objects of art for the tabernacle. This truth still applies to us. In God’s kingdom here on earth, we are all called upon to build up and glorify Zion through the gifts we’ve been given. Some are called upon to build it up through their leadership talents, or teaching talents, or giving blessings, or faith, or healing.  Still, others are called upon to glorify God through their musical talents, artistic skill, architecture, sculpture, dance, metalwork, painting, and more.  God is the source of those gifts and abilities. He can fill us with that wisdom and knowledge and understanding. This makes me think of a specific bit of counsel given to me in my patriarchal blessing. After informing me that I have been blessed with a natural gift of appreciating the beauties of this earth, I’m counseled to develop an appreciation for the beautiful objects of art created by the hand and mind of my fellowman, and promised that this appreciation will reflect the love of my Heavenly Father and be a source of good for many. I have a deep respect for those that have been blessed with that creative and artistic spirit. It has enriched my life and faith in many ways.

 

Exodus 31:14-15

Match: L

We should not take God’s command to keep the Sabbath Day holy lightly

Yes. Look how seriously he gives this command.

14 Ye shall keep the sabbath therefore; for it is holy unto you: every one that defileth it shall surely be put to death: for whosoever doeth any work therein, that soul shall be cut off from among his people.

15 Six days may work be done; but in the seventh is the sabbath of rest, holy to the Lord: whosoever doeth any work in the sabbath day, he shall surely be put to death.

So woah. That’s a pretty serious consequence. Now today, we’re not going to be running around killing those that fail to show up at church or we catch working a shift. The children of Israel needed very strict laws to keep them in line. But, the message is clear. Keeping the Sabbath day holy is a serious commandment and should be treated as such. Sadly, this commandment has been all but forgotten in our society. The sabbath is much like any other day now and most of the activities we do as a society on that day are not done in the Spirit of worshipping God. The consequence for this is not sudden death, but truly, I do feel that when that commandment is neglected, we do suffer. Many die a slow spiritual death as they distance themselves more and more from their maker. Our bodies and spirits and faith need the Sabbath day to remain close to God and spiritually nourished. Which leads us to our next principle.

 

Exodus 31:16-17

Match: G

If I keep the Sabbath day holy, I will be rested and refreshed

Those are two of the greatest blessings the Sabbath can provide us with. Rest and refreshment. If God needed rest after creating the world, then so must we.  It is good to rest from our labors. It is good to rest from the cares and concerns of the world that occupy our time and attention the rest of the week. This is refreshing. It reminds me of the story of the two lumberjacks who decided to have a contest to see who could cut the most wood in a day. The one sawed continuously throughout the day without stopping. The other, at certain points could be heard to stop sawing throughout the day.  At the end of the day, the one who had taken those pauses had actually accomplished more. What was the secret? How was that possible? He had been taking those breaks to sharpen his saw. I think the Sabbath has a similar effect on our lives. The rest, refreshment and sharpening of our spiritual saw will help us in all areas of our life the rest of the week. So, is the rest we enjoy on the Sabbath day a necessity or a luxury? I’ll let you decide.

 

Exodus 33:10-11

Match: P

God speaks to man.  God has a body of flesh and bone

In these verses, love the way that the relationship between God and his prophet is described. He speaks to Moses face to face as a man speaketh to his friend. What a lovely sentiment. The relationship almost sounds, dare I say, casual. Like God just comes down and talks with Moses—like an informal meeting between friends. As if he says, “Hey Moses, how’s it going?” “Oh, Lord, it’s been ok, some of the people have been murmuring again but I’m working with them.” “Oh really, well let me give you some advice on that.” And you know back and forth, talking and revealing and working together. God sees man as his friend. We do not believe in a distant, uncaring, or detached kind of God. He is very much involved with our lives. In fact, we are his work and his glory. We also see in this verse that God speaks with Moses face to face. A bit of a doctrinal truth revealed here. God has a face. A body.  We have been created in his image.  

 

Exodus 33:14

Match: H

When we have the Spirit of God with us, we can find peace and rest.

God’s presence brings peace. When his presence goes with us, we are provided with rest. Sadly, many of us have become so busy and overworked and overwhelmed with information that we are quite a stressed-out people.

About 33 percent of people report feeling extreme stress

77 percent of people experience stress that affects their physical health

73 percent of people have stress that impacts their mental health

48 percent of people have trouble sleeping because of stress

Is there anything that can help us to reduce that stress and anxiety? I believe there is something that is far more effective than pills, productivity, planning, meditation, or even exercise? The Spirit of God! Having the presence of God in your life can bring you rest. It can help you to keep the proper perspective on things, fill your heart with a calming gratitude, and bless you with strength to endure with confidence and serenity.

 

Exodus 33:17

Match: A

God knows us by name

This is a companion truth to the verse we just looked at in verse 11. Not only are we considered friends of God, but he also knows us by name. As a teacher, I have at least 150 different students each year. Sometimes it takes me a while to get all their names down, but I eventually do. The sad thing is, that once the year is over and I get a new set of students, all the previous names seem to get offloaded to make room for the new batch. This makes for some embarrassing moments when I inevitably run into former students. But they remember me! So it’s really awkward when they’re like, “Brother Wilcox, it’s so good to see you! How have you been?” and I have to respond with a “Heyyy, youuu.  Individual. Dah, Give me the first letter.” Well I don’t think it’s going to be like that with God or Jesus Christ. God knows us all by name, as his beloved children. The promise in this verse does not only apply to Moses or God’s prophets. We are not just a nameless mass to Him. I believe he knows each of us by name. At some point in the future, I believe that all righteous people will have a chance to meet the Savior one by one, like the Nephites did at Bountiful. When that moment comes, I’m sure that Christ isn’t going to stare at us with a quizzical look and say, “Oh, give me the first letter.”  No. I believe He will look at us with great familiarity and, without a moment’s hesitation, repeat our names as if he had just spoken with us the day before. As a man speaketh unto his friend.

 

Exodus 33:20 JST

Match: D

Sin separates us from the presence of God

Ah, the verse quoted so often in defiance of the First Vision. Yet, the Joseph Smith Translation helps to clarify this confusing verse. It says:

 

20 And he said unto Moses, Thou canst not see my face at this time, lest mine anger be kindled against thee also, and I destroy thee, and thy people; for there shall no man among them see me at this time, and live, for they are exceeding sinful. And no sinful man hath at any time, neither shall there be any sinful man at any time, that shall see my face and live.

23 And I will take away mine hand, and thou shalt see my back parts, but my face shall not be seen, as at other times; for I am angry with my people Israel.

 

Really, the sentiment of that passage is that the sinful cannot see God or Jehovah. It is sin that separates us from his presence. There are plenty of passages in the scriptures that describe man seeing Jehovah and living.

 

Exodus 34:1-2 JST

Match: K

Sin causes us to lose blessings and privileges

We’ve got to go the JST for some help on this one. There we learn something interesting about the stone tablets Moses received the second time he goes up to Sinai. There was a difference between the two sets.  

 

1 And the Lord said unto Moses, Hew thee two other tables of stone, like unto the first, and I will write upon them also, the words of the law, according as they were written at the first on the tables which thou brakest; but it shall not be according to the first, for I will take away the priesthood out of their midst; therefore my holy order, and the ordinances thereof, shall not go before them; for my presence shall not go up in their midst, lest I destroy them.

2 But I will give unto them the law as at the first, but it shall be after the law of a carnal commandment; for I have sworn in my wrath, that they shall not enter into my presence, into my rest, in the days of their pilgrimage. Therefore do as I have commanded thee, and be ready in the morning, and come up in the morning unto mount Sinai, and present thyself there to me, in the top of the mount.

 

So, because of the episode with the golden calf, God removed their opportunity to receive the power and the ordinances of the higher or Melchizedek priesthood. They weren’t ready for them. And perhaps we could view that more as an act of mercy than punishment. Higher power means higher accountability which could lead to higher condemnation. God works with us according to where we are—or the milk before meat principle. The law of Moses operated on a system of carnal commandments and the principles of the preparatory gospel—obedience and sacrifice. But there is still a sobering principle there. Sin can cause us to lose privileges and power. Through sin we may lose our privilege to attend the temple. Through sin we may not be able to wield priesthood power. Through sin we may lose the companionship of the Spirit. Sin does indeed bring loss.

 

Exodus 34:6-7

Match: M

The Lord is very merciful and forgiving, yet perfectly just and fair at the same time

This verse represents the dual nature of God and the divine balance in his character. Although, I like that it begins by describing his merciful side. And that side is emphasized as well. Look how many different ways he says it. He’s merciful, gracious, longsuffering, abundant in goodness and truth, keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity, and transgression and sin.  And then a description of the balance. He is a God “that will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers.  God is not only merciful, but just too. He’s the perfect balance between the two. Depending on who and where we are at on our spiritual journey, we may need one or the other of those messages. To the person that is more casual in their obedience or too easily dismisses sin, they may need to remember that God in no means will clear the guilty. He will not justify the “and if it so be that we are guilty, God shall beat us with a few stripes, and at last we will be saved in the Kingdom of God” attitude. On the other hand, to the person laboring under the burden of perfectionism, or self-doubt, they may need to be frequently reminded of the “God is merciful and abundant in goodness” message. I believe the Spirit can help us to know which to apply and when. 

 

Exodus 34:29, 35

Match: C

Prophets reflect the glory and light of God

Yet another passage describing the role and calling of a prophet. After speaking with God, Moses’ face would shine or radiate the light of God that he had experienced. So much so, that he had to wear a veil after speaking with God. And what a great visual lesson for the people. The prophets reflect the glory of God. They are a divine mirror of light. The words and examples of the living prophets provide our lives with a divine light that can cut through any darkness. The same light and truth that shines in heaven, shines in the faces of God’s chosen prophets.

 

LIKEN THE SCRIPTURES

Now we never want a lesson to just be a game with no application. We’re always looking for opportunities to liken the scriptures. So as a way of capping off the Principle Hunt activity, have your students select one of the principles that they just studied. Which one do they connect with most or find the most intriguing. For each of those principles, I have a personal application question for them to ponder. You could even encourage them to write down their thoughts and feelings in a journal or on a piece of paper. Here are the questions:

 

Exodus 24:6-8 If I make and keep my covenants, the blood of the lamb [the atonement of Christ] can bless and sanctify me

Why do you think the Lord wants us to make covenants? What is that most helps you to keep them?

Exodus 24:12 Prophets teach the commandments given to them by God

            What message from the most recent General Conference has impacted you most?

Exodus 31:3-6 The Lord blesses individuals with specific talents that can allow us to glorify him and accomplish his work

            What gifts do you feel God has given you to help build up his kingdom?

Exodus 31:14-15 We should not take God’s command to keep the Sabbath Day holy lightly

            Is there anything you feel you could do to more carefully keep the Sabbath Day holy?

Exodus 31:16-17 If I keep the Sabbath day holy, I will be rested and refreshed

            What do you do on the Sabbath that helps to refresh your Spirit?

Exodus 33:10-11 God speaks to man. God has a body of flesh and bone.

            When have you experienced an answer to prayer? What happened?

Exodus 33:14 When we have the Spirit of God with us, we will find peace and rest

            What truths or commandments of the gospel bring you peace?

Exodus 33:17  God knows us by name

            What experiences have you had in your life that have showed you that God knows who you are?

Exodus 33:20 JST Sin separates us from the presence of God

            Do you need to repent? Will you?

Exodus 34:1-2 JST Sin causes us to lose blessings and privileges

            Do you need to repent? Will you?

Exodus 34:6-7 The Lord is very merciful and forgiving, yet perfectly just and fair at the same time

            Which of the two sides of God’s character do you feel you most need to focus on right now?

Exodus 34:29, 35 Prophets reflect the glory and light of God

            How has your life been blessed by living prophets?

 

Well I hope those principles have blessed or helped in you some way. I know we didn’t go into great depth on each or find some unifying theme throughout them like usual, but remember, when consistently teaching the same group of people over time, it’s beneficial to change things up a bit now and then. Variety can go far in creating participation and enjoyment in your class.

 

 


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