Moses 1, Abraham 3 Teaching Activities and Insights

TEACHING ACTIVITIES

LESSON #1 NOTHING OR EVERYTHING: THE TRUTH ABOUT OUR WORTH (MOSES 1:1-11, 27-39)

TRUTH:

I may be small in comparison to God’s creations—but I matter infinitely to Him.

FIRE IN THE BONES:

And this is a guiding principle for me in all my teaching, especially with these most distant of writings from our time. We must look for the most relevant of truths as we teach. So with this lesson, keep in mind that most people don’t wake up worried about ancient history—they wake up wondering if they matter, if they’re enough, and if God actually sees them. Moses 1 answers that question powerfully: in a universe that often feels overwhelming and impersonal, God speaks one-on-one and declares that His greatest work is people. We want our students to leave this lesson believing that they matter infinitely to God.

OBJECT:

For an object lesson, I suggest you bring in something big, but not very significant in worth. Like I might bring in one of those big yoga balls, or you could bring in a big rock, or even a piece of furniture like a chair. Then, also bring in something small but that is of more worth. If you’re married, you could pull out your wedding ring, or a small photograph of a family member.

ICEBREAKER:

Then for the icebreaker, display both objects and first ask: Which is bigger? (Obvious)

But then ask: Which do you think matters more? And then just let them answer freely. But before you transition into the scriptures, you should leave them considering the following question: Can something be small, and still matter more? You’re not going to stop and explain or go into depth on the answer to that question. We just want them going into Moses 1 with that thought in mind.

SEARCH ACTIVITY:

Explain that Moses 1 is the introduction to all scripture, because if you look at how Moses 2 starts, you’ll notice the phrase “In the beginning”. So this chapter is meant to come BEFORE Genesis 1, if we’re comparing the Book of Moses to the Bible. And Moses 1 relates a vision and conversation that Moses has with God on the top of a high mountain. And since this is the introduction of all scripture, we shouldn’t be surprised that its subject matter deals with fundamental truths. Truths about God, about our identity and purpose, and about the adversary. We aren’t going to focus on the role of the adversary in our lives in this lesson, but what we do focus on is what this chapter teaches us about God, and what it teaches us about ourselves.

So for a search activity, have your students work in pairs. They’re either a number 1 or a number 2. 1’s are going to read Moses 1:1-11 looking for what we learn about God from this experience. Number 2’s are going to read those same 11 verses looking for what we learn about ourselves, about people, treating Moses as a kind of representative or symbol of all mankind. Challenge them to find and mark at least three things.

Then this next part is optional, but you can invite them to share the three things they learned with their partner.

But next, invite the class their findings—the things that they felt were most important. List those things on the board as they share but be careful not to editorialize too much on their statements. Just write them up without too much observation. One key point though, if they miss this one, make sure to add it. God calls Moses his son. The truth that we are children of God is an important aspect of the core message of the lesson. And as affirming and critical as that truth is, it still doesn’t keep us from feeling small and insignificant when we consider how MANY children he has.

TEACHER INSIGHT:

After having them look at the board and making that visual comparison between God and man. Ask them to imagine how they might feel if God were to show them everything and everyone he had created. I mean, how do you feel when you’re in a huge crowd, or you consider that there are 8 billion people on this earth right now or that this planet is just a tiny speck of dust, so to speak, in a vast and infinite universe. What was Moses’s conclusion about man after seeing all of that in verse 10? “Now for this cause, I know that man is nothing”.

DISCUSSION QUESTION:

And this is a key moment in the lesson. After reading his conclusion, ask: Is he right? Is man nothing?

And just let that sit with that for a minute. Allow some to share if they’d like but don’t expand on the idea quite yet. Let them react.

TEACHER INSIGHT

Then, it’s time for some summary so that we have enough time to really focus on the main truth of the lesson. You can let them know that God leaves Moses for a time which allows Satan to come in and challenge Moses’s identity. And there’s a wonderful lesson in there about how to defeat the adversary by knowing who you are. If you do get a chance to teach Lesson #2, you can set that up here by saying that you’re going to look at that episode next time. But now, we want to jump ahead to the end of chapter 1 and briefly point out that in verses 27-29, God shows Moses the entire earth again. And “there was not a particle of it which he did not behold,” and “there was not a soul which he beheld not,” and “their numbers were great, even numberless.” Again, imagine how Moses must be feeling here. And then, God really drops a bombshell on him in verse 33. “And worlds without number have I created”. So Moses, this world you’re seeing here is only one of my numberless worlds”. Boy, he must be feeling small.

SEARCH:

Now we’re going to have our students do one more search of their own. On the board, or on the screen display the following phrase.

Compared to all of God’s creation, WE ARE SMALL,

BUT . . . (Moses 1:35, 37, and 39) And challenge them to complete that statement with something they find or learn from those 3 verses.

TEACHER INSIGHT

And they should get it. I do believe they will. I imagine they’ll share things like: but we are numbered to him. But we are his. But he knows us. But we are his work and glory. But one way or another, the following point should be made.

Compared to all of God’s creation, WE ARE SMALL,

But small does not mean insignificant.

Man is not nothing, man is everything.

We are God’s work, we are God’s glory.

And if that was true for Moses as an individual, it’s true for all of us as individuals.

So let’s adjust that statement a little further. Let’s personalize it.

Compared to all of God’s creation, I AM SMALL,

But small does not mean insignificant.

I am not nothing, I am everything to God.

I am His work, I am His glory.

DISCUSSION QUESTION:

Why do you think it’s so important that we understand and believe that truth?

TAKE IT TO HEART QUESTION:

When was a time that you felt “numbered” and “known” by God?

I WILL GO AND DO QUESTION:

What is one small way you can act this week as if you truly matter to God?

Possible Suggestions:

Speak more kindly to myself instead of tearing myself down.

Ask God what He sees in me that I forget.

Do the next right thing, even when I feel insignificant.

Treat someone else like they matter infinitely to God, especially someone who feels overlooked.

TAKEAWAY:

Conclude with the following slide. And you could say something like: When Moses looked out and witnessed all of God’s creations, he felt small, like he was nothing. And maybe you’ve felt that way at times in your life. But against that backdrop, God taught him, and through him, all of us, something that Moses never would have discovered on his own. That People are God’s purpose. And if that’s true… then this includes you and me. I bear witness that God knows you. You are numbered to Him. You are His beloved son or daughter. You matter.

OPTIONAL LESSON ENHANCEMENTS:

So what I’ve just given you is the core or the spine of the lesson that can stand on its own. What follows are some optional ideas or enhancements to the lesson if time, setting, or class needs allow.

VIDEO:

Here’s a video suggestion you might consider. It’s called “You Matter To Him.” It’s not an official Church video but it feels like it and features excerpts from a talk given by Elder Uchtdorf that align perfectly with the TRUTH taught by this lesson.

You Matter To Him

QUOTE:

“God does not look on the outward appearance. I believe that He doesn’t care one bit if we live in a castle or a cottage, if we are handsome or homely, if we are famous or forgotten. Though we are incomplete, God loves us completely. Though we are imperfect, He loves us perfectly.”

Dieter F. Uchtdorf

(“The Love of God,” Liahona, Nov 2009, 21–24)

HANDOUT:

The handout suggestion for this lesson is fairly simple. It can help your students to reflect on and apply the truth you’re teaching. It uses the Take it To Heart and I Will Go and Do questions and gives them a place to actually write their thoughts to those questions. So you hand it out and give your students some time to reflect and write.

LESSON #2 IDENTITY PRECEDES VICTORY: OVERCOMING TEMPTATION BY KNOWING WHO YOU ARE (Moses 1:9-23)

TRUTH:

When I remember who I am and who God is, I can overcome temptation.

FIRE IN THE BONES:

Now I get a fire in the bones for this lesson when I recognize that this story in Moses 1 is our story. It’s the human story. We all face this situation. The situation where Satan tempts us to forget our identity and worth. Most people don’t struggle because they don’t know the commandments, they struggle because they forget who they are. Satan’s most effective tactic has never been temptation alone, but confusion about identity, worth, and authority. This lesson is important because it can help our students know what to DO when confronted with these thoughts.

OBJECT:

For this lesson. Bring in some labels. The kind that are sticky on the back. On one of them write “Child of God”, and on the other write “Child of Man”. And then, also, make enough labels for all of your students. Have “Son of God” labels for your male students, and “Daughter of God” labels for your female students. These you can hand out at the conclusion of the lesson.

ICEBREAKER:

Bring out the two labels and ask: Which label do you think Satan wants us to wear? And Why? Then let your students respond briefly and then say: Today we’re going to watch what happens when Satan tries to relabel Moses in an incredible vision, he has in Moses chapter 1—and how Moses responds.

IF YOU DIDN’T TEACH LESSON #1:

If you didn’t get a chance to teach lesson #1, you might want to offer a quick summary to your class. Explain that in Moses 1, Moses learns that although he is small compared to God’s creations, that Moses is God’s son and that he matters and that he has a work for him to do, a purpose. But then, verse 9:

9 And the presence of God withdrew from Moses, that his glory was not upon Moses; and Moses was left unto himself. And as he was left unto himself, he fell unto the earth.

And that’s our state, isn’t it. We’ve left the glory of God, and here we are on earth, left unto ourselves. But immediately after learning the truth about his identity and worth, guess who shows up to challenge it. Satan. And God’s going to allow it, so that Moses, and all of us, can learn from that experience.

SEARCH ACTIVITY:

Now, invite your students to read Moses 1:12-22 looking for the strategies Moses uses to defeat Satan, because in that example, we’re going to learn how to do the same. Then to offer them a little help, tell them to see if they can find the following four things, plus anything else they discover. But be sure to tell them not to worry about getting these ‘right.’ Just look for patterns in what Moses actually says and does.

• What Moses remembers.

• What Moses compares.

• What Moses does.

• What Moses repeats.

Once they’re done, invite them to share what they found. And as students share, list their ideas and strategies on the board. Be sure that the following four strategies are included on their list:

• Know who you are (I am a son of God, verse 13)

• Know the difference between light and darkness (I can judge between thee and God, verse 15)

• Call upon God for strength (Calling upon God, he received strength, verse 20)

• Be persistent (Moses has to tell Satan to depart 4x before he leaves in verses 18-22)

And be prepared to share and discuss those strategies a bit with your class. The insight video can help you to do that where I give some of my thoughts on those strategies.

DISCUSSION QUESTION:

During that discussion, any time a strategy is shared, just be prepared to ask this one question:

Why do you think that strategy works?

TAKE IT TO HEART QUESTION:

Which of Moses’s strategies have you seen work before in your life?

I WILL GO AND DO QUESTION:

Which of Moses’s strategies do I need most right now—and why?

Suggestions:

• Reflect on my divine identity when tempted

• Add one habit this week that invites God’s light

• Pray immediately when fear or temptation shows up

• Persistently resist temptation even if the struggle doesn’t end right away

TAKEAWAY:

Our takeaway slide focuses on the message that “Identity Precedes Victory.” Moses didn’t defeat Satan because he was perfect or powerful. He overcame because he remembered who he was, trusted God’s light more than Satan’s noise, and refused to stop calling upon God—even when the struggle didn’t end immediately. That same strength is available to us. The battle may continue, but our victory begins the moment we remember who we are, and whose we are.

OPTIONAL LESSON ENHANCEMENTS

VIDEO:

Now there’s a video the church has produced that dramatizes a portion of Moses’s vision here. It’s called “I Am a Son of God”. And it’s really well done and matches well with this lesson because you can see Moses use each of the four strategies against the adversary in it. This could be used to help your students visualize this encounter.

I Am a Son of God

QUOTE:

“Just as our physical muscles cannot be developed or maintained without straining against the law of gravity, so mortal growth requires us to strain against Satan’s temptations and other mortal opposition.”

Dallin H. Oaks

(Conference Report, April 2025 “Divine Helps for Mortality)

HANDOUT:

A handout suggestion for this lesson is the following matching activity. If you feel your students are going to need a little help in recognizing the different strategies that Moses uses against the adversary, this could help to direct them. They read verses 12-22 and decide which verses represent which strategy. Be sure to tell them that not all of the options are going to be used. I’ll briefly go over the answers with you here.

Verse 13 matches with D—Know your divine identity.

Verse 15 matches with C—Know the difference between light and darkness

Verse 20 matches with F—Call upon God for strength. Pray

Verse 16, 18, 20, and 21 matches with A—Be persistent in resisting evil.

GAME:

Finally, if you want to add a GAME element to this lesson, you could use the following quick idea as an optional icebreaker for this lesson. It’s called: Match the Label. On this slide you have 5 different objects on one side and 5 different labels on the other. You could challenge the students to give you the correct 5 letter answer sequence first. And the answer would be:

D, A, E, C, B

Then you can transition to the lesson by asking: What happens when something gets the wrong label? Have some share their response.

Then say: Interesting how a label tells us how something should be treated, even before anything ever happens to it. Today, we’re going to see what happens when Satan tries to put the wrong label on Moses and how Moses responds.

LESSON #3 LESSONS WRITTEN IN THE STARS (ABRAHAM 3)

TRUTH:

As I choose to follow Jesus Christ and His prophets, I grow in light, intelligence, and direction.

FIRE IN THE BONES:

I absolutely love Abraham 3. It’s so fun. But that’s probably because I love symbolism so much. And Abraham 3 is one big symbolic object lesson. And it’s a powerful one. Abraham 3 teaches that light, intelligence, and glory increase as we align our lives with Christ and those He has appointed to lead us. Here we get the chance to help our students see that following Christ and His prophets isn’t about giving up freedom, but about staying connected to THE source of light and wisdom.

OBJECT:

An object you could bring in? A telescope, which may not be something that you have just lying around but perhaps you could borrow one or just display a picture of one.

ICEBREAKER:

But for the icebreaker, you can ask them if they’ve ever had a chance to look through a telescope. And if they have, what was their experience like? Then, show them some images of space-some of the amazing things people have seen with telescopes in the night sky. You might explain that even though the universe feels vast and overwhelming when we look at it, it’s actually governed by precise laws, predictable orbits, and remarkable order. Today, Abraham 3 will show us that God uses that order in the heavens to teach us something powerful about our own lives.

TEACHER INSIGHT:

The first part of this lesson is going to have to be more teacher centered in order to make time for the portion that matters most, and that’s the relevance and application. You’ll need to summarize the Astronomy portion of the chapter: verses 1-17. But I believe you could do that quickly and effectively in about 8-10 minutes of class time. Especially if you have the visuals to accompany that explanation and you’ve watched the insight video for this portion a few times so that you really have it down yourself. And the reason why I suggest this is because it’s these first 17 verses that really set up the meaning of the rest of the chapter. And, I don’t mean to be critical here, but most Church manuals seem to ignore these first 17 verses and jump right into the premortal life doctrines of the second half. Which is ok, but it’s the object lesson here that gives the doctrinal message of verses 18-28 its relevance and its power. So, I suggest you take the time to show them the message of the first half. You don’t have to read everything, but I would probably read at least verses 2-4, and 8-9 to set up the imagery. And you’ll have the slides to help you do that. An area that could probably save you some time, would be to just quickly list the qualities of Kolob and the Governing Ones for them. But the two main points you’re going to want to be sure they understand are:

1. Time increases the closer you get to Kolob and the throne of God.

2. Planets and stars receive light, order, and direction by staying in orbit around a greater source.

HANDOUT:

As an optional handout, you could invite students to fill in a chart that mirrors the visual on the slides as you move through the lesson. This can be a powerful way to help students track the metaphor and see how the meaning unfolds.

That said, this is a lot of information, and having students fill in the entire chart may slow the pace of the lesson more than you want. Because of that, I’m providing two versions of the handout so you can choose what works best for your class.

Option 1: A completely blank version of the chart, for classes that would benefit from filling out the entire diagram together.

Option 2: A partially completed version, with the astronomy portion already filled in. Students can then focus on completing the religion portion of the chart—what the symbols represent and what the metaphor teaches us.

Both options work. Choose the one that best fits your time, your students, and your teaching style. For most classes, I would recommend using the partially completed version so you can spend more time on the meaning and application of the metaphor.

SEARCH ACTIVITY:

Now we’re going to get our students a little more involved. And it’s going to be a back and forth of asking search questions, reading a verse, then allowing them to answer. Let them know that we’re making a shift from astronomy to religion and we want THEM to discover the metaphor. And we start in verse 18. Call on a student to read the verse and invite everyone to look for what replaces PLANETS and TIME going forward in the chapter. What are their symbolic counterparts? And they should answer SPIRITS and INTELLIGENCE. So every planet or star on our chart represents a being, a WHO. And as we look at their unit of time, we are considering their intelligence, knowledge, wisdom.

Now verse 19 is going to tell us WHO the throne of God represents, and WHO Kolob represents. See if they can find them. And the throne of God represents, God. And Kolob is Jesus. Then run through the list of items describing Kolob and see if they match a description of Jesus. Which they do.

Then verses 22-23 are going to reveal who these Governing Ones are. You can also tell them to consider the list of things that we’ve learned about the governing ones already as hints. And they represent the prophets—the noble and great ones chosen before they were born, in that pre-mortal council in heaven, to be rulers, governors, that give guidance and direction to other planets, just like the sun governs and gives direction to our earth as it orbits it. The sun gives the earth its path through time and space, and provides it with light, power, and warmth. So we can label the sun as a prophet. And earth represents who then? Us. You and me. His children.

Now to the major crux of the lesson, which I believe is in verse 25. This is where I think we get to the meat of the message. What this has all been building to. You read verse 24 as the teacher and point out the Jesus is the one among them like unto God, who says “We will make an earth whereon these may dwell”. The “these” in that verse is us. And what’s the point of creating this earth? It’s in 25. Call on someone to read it and invite everyone to look for the answer. It’s to prove us—to see if we will do all things whatsoever the Lord their God shall command them. Will we be obedient? Will we follow the light and intelligence and direction of the governing ones (prophets), Kolob (Jesus Christ), and God.

DISCUSSION QUESTION:

Now take them back to our two main conclusions from our Celestial Object Lesson and ask:

Now that we’ve studied the rest of Abraham 3, what do these symbolic ideas teach us about our relationship with God? And I believe they’ll get it. Intelligence increases the closer I get to God. And our purpose in life, and our challenge, is to learn how to orbit. To do all things whatsoever the Lord our God shall command us. Because as we choose to stay in God’s orbit through obedience to the prophets and Christ, we receive light, intelligence, and direction. So, can we be humble enough to trust the path that God has carved out for us through time and space? Or, will we choose our own path and go our own way? And I like to ask my students that. What would be the result for the earth if it decided it didn’t want to be governed anymore, it didn’t want the direction, and light, and power of the sun anymore. It would get lost. It would die! And so will our intelligence and light if we veer off the path of order and direction given to us through our sun, the prophet, who just happens to be Dallin H. Oaks at the moment. I also like to make the point that if we can just orbit the prophet, then by default, who else will we orbiting? Jesus and God, because the prophets orbit them.

TAKE IT TO HEART QUESTION:

Which leads us to our major “take it to heart” question. Invite them to: “Take a quiet moment and ask yourself: How’s my orbit?”

Then reflect on which of the following you feel would best describe you:

• Close orbit – I’m regularly turning toward Christ and prophetic guidance, even when it’s inconvenient.

• Stable orbit – I’m drifting occasionally in my obedience and desire to follow the prophet.

• Wide orbit – I still believe, but I’m keeping more distance than I probably should.

• Breaking orbit – I’m struggling to stay connected right now.

This is personal. No sharing.

I WILL GO AND DO QUESTION:

Based on where my orbit is right now, what is one small action I can take this week to stay more closely aligned with the prophets and Christ’s path?

Suggestions:

• Listen more carefully to prophetic counsel

• Spend intentional time with the Savior through scripture or prayer

• Remove one habit, distraction, voice, or influence that pulls me off course

• Choose obedience even when I don’t fully understand yet

• Something else?

TAKEAWAY:

Then for the takeaway, show them this slide. It reminds them that Orbit Determines Outcome.

And if you like you could take them to verse 26 with one additional point of truth. Those that learn to orbit have a promise made to them. They shall have glory added upon their heads forever and ever. Now that’s a promise worth orbiting for.

OPTIONAL LESSON ENHANCEMENTS:

VIDEO:

A music video might work well here. If you could Hie to Kolob. There are a number of different versions of this on YouTube that you could choose from. One that I liked in particular is this one from the YouTube channel Der Heliand. I like the visuals that it uses to accompany the music because it matches well with our idea of orbiting or traveling through space under the direction of Kolob, or Christ.

If You Could Hie To Kolob

QUOTE:

“When obedience ceases to be an irritant and becomes our quest, in that moment God will endow us with power.”

Ezra Taft Benson

(Ensign, May 1998, page 82, quoted by Elder Donald L. Staheli)

INSIGHTS

MOSES 1-THE INTRODUCTION TO ALL SCRIPTURE

ICEBREAKER

Now to get into the actual scriptures themselves. I believe I’ve shared this activity with you before, but I believe this is a good place to remind you of an important scripture study skill. I like to do this little activity at the beginning of a study of any of the standard works. There is a habit that I want all of my students to get into, and that is scripture marking. Scripture marking many benefits. A few of the biggest:

So to introduce that idea, I like to do the following icebreaker. With my students, at the beginning of the year I'll sometimes bring out a little treasure box that I have, and I tell them that I have something for them inside it that is going to help them at the final judgment and if they'd be interested in knowing what it is. And then with great fanfare I slowly open the lid to reveal a box full of colored pencils and I pull one of them out and hold it up like it's a precious artifact. And I say this item is going to bless them at the final judgment because the Lord is only going to ask them one question. He'll say, "Can I see your scriptures?", and you'll say, "Ok, here they are". Now if he opens your scriptures and he sees markings all over them, perhaps he'll say "Hmmm, it is apparent that you've spent a lot of time studying my word. And if you've spent a lot of time studying my word, that probably suggests that you've spent a lot of time living my word, then he'll turn to the side and point to the pearly gates of heaven and say, "Come on in, you made it". On the other hand, if you hand him your scriptures and he looks at them and blows the dust off of them, and they look brand new, and the pages are still stuck together, he may leaf through them thoughtfully and say "Hmmm, these look like a really nice set of scriptures, they look almost brand new. I'm afraid it doesn't look like you've spent much time studying my words. And if you haven't spent much time studying my words, there's a really good chance that you haven't spent much time living my words. I'm so sorry. And he'll reach out, pull the cord, the trap door will open, and whoosh, off you slide to purgatory. Now this is all done facetiously, and I suggest you ham it up a bit because I don't really think that's what the judgment is going to be like, BUT I do believe there is a hint of truth in it. I do believe that the way we valued his words in our lives is going to have a bearing on how we'll be judged. And to help them avoid that negative fate, I give them a colored pencil of their own. And I promise them that if they study with a marking pencil your hand, you will get much more out of it. You will find you get more insight and inspiration when you study this way because you are showing the Spirit that you are ready and willing to learn. So I encourage all of you to study the Old Testament this year with a marking pencil in your hand. A number of people have asked me over the years what I like to use to mark my scriptures. And really, any set of colored pencils will do. My favorite marking pencil is this 8 in 1colors mechanical pencil that’s really convenient and fun, but it is kind of expensive. I’ll put links in the video description if anyone is interested in either.

Crayola Colored Pencils: https://amzn.to/3m358Ep

Pentel Mechanical Pencil: https://amzn.to/31XACEX

Now to give you some practice with that skill, we are going to do a marking activity in our very first chapter of the year. Moses chapter 1.

TRANSITION

And what an amazing chapter it is. I will often refer to Moses chapter 1 as the “introduction to all scripture”. If you wanted to start the scriptures from the very beginning, this is where you would go. Because look at Moses chapter 2. What’s the subject matter? The creation. It’s an account of what we find in Genesis chapter 1. In fact, in verse 1 you’ll find the phrase “in the beginning”, which is the way the Bible begins. So Moses chapter 1 was meant to come before Genesis 1, making it the introduction to all scripture. The chapter relates a vision and conversation that Moses has with God. At one point in the vision, God leaves Moses and Satan appears to tempt him. There is a confrontation and, in the end, Moses commands Satan to depart. God then gives Moses another vision of all his creations and teaches him his purpose. When or where this vision takes place, we’re not exactly sure. The final verse tells us that the name of the mountain this vision occurred on “will not be known among the children of men”. So it’s probably not Sinai. But we can surmise that this is pre-Exodus though because verse 26 has God telling Moses that he will yet deliver his people from bondage.

SEARCH

As you study Moses 1, I want you to see Moses as representative of all of us and to look for what God wants us to know about Him, ourselves, Satan, and our purpose in life. So as a marking activity, you can send your students into Moses 1:1-23 and assign them as a number 1, number 2, or number 3. #1’s are going to mark everything they learn about God from those verses. #2’s are going to mark everything they learn about ourselves through Moses. Then #3’s are going to mark everything they learn about defeating Satan and temptation. After you’ve given them enough time to read those verses. Allow them to share what they found. You can always go over anything significant you feel they left out when everyone is done sharing. Let me go over a few of the things they might find. Keep in mind these are just some of the things they may mark. They may find other things I don’t cover here.

First. What do we learn about God?

• :1 He wants to communicate with us. The Words of God which he spake unto Moses. God speaks. He is involved in the life of man.

• :2 He has a body in the form of man. Moses spoke to him “face to face”

• :2 He is glorious. In fact, he is so glorious that according to verse 5 “no man can behold all my glory and afterwards remain in the flesh on the earth”. That’s some serious glory there.

• :3 He is Almighty

• :3 He is Eternal or endless.

• :4 He is the creator

• :6 He will send a Savior to us

• :6 He is the only God

• :6 He is all knowing

And then I love this. The Lord says, behold, this one thing I show unto thee. Moses, I’m just gonna show you one thing here. What is that “one thing”. The entire world and everyone on it. Just that one thing. What could be the Lord’s purpose here? Imagine how you might feel after seeing all of that. You’d probably feel pretty small, wouldn’t you? In fact, that’s exactly how Moses feels after seeing that vision. He comes to a conclusion down in verse 10. He says: “Now for this cause I know that man is nothing, which thing I never had supposed”. Remember, Moses comes from the background of being raised in Egypt. A place that truly manifested the great things that man could do. And I guess that begs the question. Is Moses’s conclusion correct? Is man nothing? Keep that question in mind. In one sense. Yes. That is important for us to keep in mind. That should keep us humble. In the grand scheme of things, the works of man are nothing. Look at what’s left of all the great civilizations of earth’s history. Nothing but ruins. It’s usually quite dangerous to think too much of ourselves. But God is going to teach Moses some more things about man. And by the end, maybe we’ll come to a different conclusion about ourselves.

So, what other things does God want us to know about ourselves through the character of Moses?

• :4 He says to him: “thou art my son”. What did we just learn? We are God’s children. We sing “I am a child of God” and we mean it.

• :6 We have a work to do on this earth-there is purpose to our lives. Life is not meaningless; we have something to accomplish here.

• :9 After Moses is given the vision of all creation something happens.

○ “9 And the presence of God withdrew from Moses, that his glory was not upon Moses; and Moses was left unto himself. And as he was left unto himself, he fell unto the earth.” Now isn’t that the condition of us all in mortality? We do not currently enjoy the full glory of God upon us. We are withdrawn from his presence. We are, in a sense, left to ourselves on this earth.

• :12 And in that state, who comes to us? Well, here comes Satan, tempting him. That’s something we learn about ourselves. We are going to be tempted while on this earth. That’s a part of our mortal test.

• :13 But, we have been created in the similitude of God’s Only Begotten. There is something divine in each one of us.

• :15 And then, remember back in verse 9 where we saw the presence of God withdraw from Moses. Well, that wasn’t 100% accurate. We learn in verse 15 that the Spirit of God had not altogether withdrawn from him. So God doesn’t abandon us completely while on earth. We are not alone; God sends a portion of his spirit to help us and to strengthen us.

Verses 12-23 will help us to know how to conquer Satan and his temptations. See if you can find how Moses does it. What does Moses do to resist temptation and get Satan out of his life? I see at least four strategies he uses.

SUMMARIZE Moses 1:24-42

Now let’s conclude the chapter. Moses is once again shown a vision of the glory of God’s creations. And Moses sees every particle of the earth, and every soul. And this prompts two questions in Moses in verse 30. Tell me, I pray thee, why these things are so, and by what thou madest them?

Now, the first question God is going to deflect for a short time. He’s not prepared to answer Moses yet on the why or the purpose. He says: For mine own purpose have I made these things.

He will however answer Moses’s second question:

32 And by the word of my power, have I created them, which is mine Only Begotten Son, who is full of grace and truth.

33And worlds without number have I created; and I also created them for mine own purpose; and by the Son I created them, which is mine Only Begotten.

I created them by the word of my power. I’ve done it through my Beloved Son—through my Only Begotten.

And as Moses gazes upon all these worlds and all these people, by what God says next, you get a sense of Moses’s reaction to all of this. How he must have been feeling. It must have been overwhelming. The sheer mass and number of God’s creation must have caused Moses’s mind to wonder “How do you keep track of it all? There’s so much.” Perhaps Moses reverts back to his first conclusion. Man is nothing. I’m just a speck in the midst of a sea of creation. How could I matter in light of all that? And maybe you’ve felt that way. When you look up at the night sky and see the universe in all its vastness and immensity. When you find yourself in a large crowd of people. When you feel lonely and forgotten by the rest of the world. Remember what God says here at the end of Moses 1.

“and innumerable are they unto man; but all things are numbered unto me, for they are mine and I know them.”

Yes Moses, you are just one of many. This world upon which you stand is one of many. BUT, I’m talking to you, aren’t I. I am giving you this vision at this time. I know you by name. I have a work for you to do! This is yet another evidence here that we worship a “one by one” God.

We belong to God. We are numbered to him. As impossible at it is for us to comprehend this kind of universal awareness, and presence, and love, it’s there. Have you felt it? I have. I know it’s real.

And now God is ready to answer Moses’ first question. Why do you do this? What is your purpose? And I think you all know what this is leading up to. We’ve been building and building to verse 39 in a type of heavenly crescendo. And what is the climactic revelation? Why does God create so much?

39 For behold, this is my work and my glory, to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man.

Moses, this is what I do. This is my work. I create souls and I create worlds for those souls to live on. And my goal and purpose for every single one of them, is to bring to pass their immortality and their eternal life. I want them to be like me. I want my children to have and experience all that I have. And not only is this my work, it is my glory! I love what I do. I love my job. So, no. Moses, your prior conclusion was wrong. Man is not nothing. Man is everything. And I want you to know that you are a part of that everything. You matter to God.

TRUTH

We are all children of a loving, all knowing, all powerful Heavenly Father and we have a work to do.

Satan will tempt us in this life, but we can defeat him when we remember our divine identity, when we fill our lives with light, when we call upon God for strength and when we are persistent in resisting him.

God’s work and glory is to bring to pass our immortality and eternal life.

LIKEN THE SCRIPTURES

To liken the scriptures ask your students to pick at least one of the following questions to consider, to write about in their study journal, or share with the class.

(Pick one)

CONCLUSION

I just love Moses chapter 1. It’s a powerful introduction to the scriptures and the entire gospel of Jesus Christ. We’ve just learned some of the most fundamental things we need to know about our lives here on earth. We’ve learned who God is, who we are, and who the adversary is, and how to defeat him. I know that God can help you to defeat Satan in this life just as he did Moses, and you can emerge victorious too. Remember God’s purpose for you, he wants to give you immortality, but more importantly, he wants to make you like He is, and give you eternal life. As we study the Old Testament this year, keep the lessons of Moses 1 in mind. We are everything to God! You mean everything to him!

ABRAHAM 3-ASTRONOMY 101, RELIGION 101

ICEBREAKER

As an icebreaker for Abraham 3, I usually like to show my students some images of space and ask them if they ever had a chance to look through a telescope before. Possible object lesson here. If you have a telescope, or have access to one, I might bring it into class and set it up at the front of the room. You can then ask them what kinds of things they’ve been able to see through a telescope. One year I bought my son a telescope for Christmas, and we were fascinated by the craters of the moon, the small red sphere of Mars, and we were even able to see Jupiter surrounding by these tiny little points of light which were its moons. Looking into the depths of space can really be a spellbinding experience.

TRANSITION

Well, God is going to use space as an object lesson to teach both Abraham and all of us some important truths about our lives. This is the grand universal object lesson that the night sky has to teach us. The first 17 verses of Abraham 3 introduce us to the object lesson while the remaining verses teach us the lesson. We could label the first section “Astronomy 101”. And then the second section we’ll label “Religion 101”.

SEARCH

So first, astronomy 101. Without any prior knowledge or study of Abraham 3, it’s really difficult to interpret this on your own without some help. So what I do is give my students the following handout and then we walk through this chapter together and help them label it. If you’re teaching a more mature group of students, you may try allowing them to fill it out on their own first, but it is rather challenging. So we just go through it together reading verses and filling out the chart as we go. I’ll try to model that for you here.

We’ll pick it up in verse 2.

2 And I saw the stars, that they were very great, and that one of them was nearest unto the throne of God; and there were many great ones which were near unto it;

So if we were to diagram this, it would look something like this. First of all right here in the center of our universe we have a place called the Throne of God. It doesn’t say it is a star or a planet, so we’ll just make it look like a giant throne. Certainly, God and his throne are somewhere physically out there in the universe. That is the place where God dwells. So let’s label that the throne of God. But what is right next to the throne of God? One particular great star. And then what are surrounding it? Other great ones. So we can put a number of other smaller stars around that bigger one near the throne of God.

3 And the Lord said unto me: These are the governing ones; and the name of the great one is Kolob, because it is near unto me, for I am the Lord thy God: I have set this one to govern all those which belong to the same order as that upon which thou standest.

So now we can label this great star near the throne of God. It’s called Kolob. The other stars that surround it we can also label. We’ll call them the governing ones. Now you tell me, in terms of stars and planets, what do you think he means by the word “govern” here? These stars are governed by the great star Kolob. What would be the word a modern astronomer would use? Because I would say that in our solar system that the moon is governed by the earth. And the earth is governed by the sun. What does that mean? They orbit the other. The moon orbits the earth, and the earth orbits the sun. They are governed by them. They direct the path the other heavenly body takes through space.

Well, now he’s going to zoom in to our particular solar system and the heavenly bodies that Abraham is most familiar with. You’ve got the Sun, the Moon, and the Earth. We’ll say that the sun is one of those great stars, those “governing ones”. And he’s going to start talking about these heavenly bodies in terms of time. This can get a little confusing so let me walk you through it.

4 And the Lord said unto me, by the Urim and Thummim, that Kolob was after the manner of the Lord, according to its times and seasons in the revolutions thereof; that one revolution was a day unto the Lord, after his manner of reckoning, it being one thousand years according to the time appointed unto that whereon thou standest. This is the reckoning of the Lord's time, according to the reckoning of Kolob.

So what’s the measurement of time for Kolob and the Throne of God as compared to earth? They share the same time. 1000 years. One revolution of Kolob would be 1000 years here on earth.

Now moving on:

5 And the Lord said unto me: The planet which is the lesser light, lesser than that which is to rule the day, even the night, is above or greater than that upon which thou standest in point of reckoning, for it moveth in order more slow;

(So what are we talking about here? What is the lesser light that rules the night? We’re talking about the moon)

this is in order because it standeth above the earth upon which thou standest, therefore the reckoning of its time is not so many as to its number of days, and of months, and of years.

6 And the Lord said unto me: Now, Abraham, these two facts exist, behold thine eyes see it; it is given unto thee to know the times of reckoning, and the set time, yea, the set time of the earth upon which thou standest, and the set time of the greater light which is set to rule the day, (that would be the sun) and the set time of the lesser light which is set to rule the night. (the moon)

7 Now the set time of the lesser light is a longer time as to its reckoning than the reckoning of the time of the earth upon which thou standest.

So the reckoning of time for the sun, the moon, and the earth, is not so many as Kolob. So let me ask you, what are the reckonings of time for each of those?

What is the reckoning or the measurement of time for the sun compared to the earth? One year. One revolution of the earth around the sun is measured as a year.

What is the reckoning of time for the moon? One month. The moon goes through its phases over the course of about one month. That’s where we get the term month.

And what is the reckoning of time for the earth? One day. One revolution of the earth itself is measured as one day.

Now verses 8-9 are going to sum up the main points of this object lesson nicely.

8 And where these two facts exist, there shall be another fact above them, that is, there shall be another planet whose reckoning of time shall be longer still;

9 And thus there shall be the reckoning of the time of one planet above another, until thou come nigh unto Kolob, which Kolob is after the reckoning of the Lord's time; which Kolob is set nigh unto the throne of God, to govern all those planets which belong to the same order as that upon which thou standest.

So we have our lovely visual here. The throne of God which governs with Kolob everything else in the universe. Then you have governing ones, which would suggest that there are others that they are governing, since they are called “governing” ones. And you’ve got sun, moon, and earth out here around one of those governing ones. And their reckoning of time increases the closer you get to Kolob and the throne of God.

Now we could continue with verses 10-17 and you could with your students as well but what we’ve established here is enough to make the point and help us understand the object lesson. Those verses just reiterate what we’ve learned here.

But before we go on, let’s list everything that we can learn about these elements.

First, what do we know about Kolob?

• :2 Nearest to the throne of God

• :3 Near unto me

• :3 Governs all the other stars

• :4 It’s time is same as that of the throne of God

• :16 It is the greatest of all stars, reason why it is great is because it is nearest to God.

(And then we also can get a few more details by reading the description of facsimile #2. Those interesting Egyptian looking pictures that we find in the Book of Abraham. Read the description for figure #1)

• Facsimile #2, fig.1: It is the first creation

• Facsimile #2, fig.1: It is first in government, last pertaining to the measurement of time.

Now what do we know about the governing ones?

• :2 They are also great

• :3 They govern

• :3 They are governed by Kolob

• :10 They are set to give light

• Facsimile #2, fig.5: They borrow their light from Kolob

• Facsimile #2, fig.5: 15 of them

Ok. Now you might be wondering what this has to do with anything. You might be like “What in the world are we talking about here?” Well, this is where it gets really cool, really fun. God is about to reveal the meaning behind the object lesson.

So let’s go to the shift. We are going to shift from Astronomy 101 and go into Religion 101. It happens in verse 18. We’re not going to talk about planets and time anymore. But what?

18 Howbeit that he made the greater star; as, also, if there be two spirits, and one shall be more intelligent than the other, yet these two spirits, notwithstanding one is more intelligent than the other, have no beginning; they existed before, they shall have no end, they shall exist after, for they are gnolaum, or eternal.

OK. So instead of stars and planets, we’re really talking about spirits here or beings.

And instead of time, we’re talking about intelligence.

So put that key somewhere on the page. Planets=Spirits, and Time=intelligence.

19 And the Lord said unto me: These two facts do exist, that there are two spirits, one being more intelligent than the other; there shall be another more intelligent than they; I am the Lord thy God, I am more intelligent than they all.

So now he’s given us the interpretation of some of those spirits. There in the middle. The throne of God represents who? That one’s easy. God, the Father, right? But who is Kolob? A spirit just like God, right next to him? Kolob is Jesus. Does that work? YES! And this is so fun. Just go through the list we just made.

• :2 and :3 Is he nearest to the throne of God? YES

• :3 Does he govern all the other stars? YES

• :4 Is his time (or intelligence) the same as that of the God? YES

• :16 Is he the greatest of all stars, and the reason he is great is because he is the closest to being like God? YES

• Facsimile, fig.1: Was he the first creation? YES. Jesus was the firstborn spirt child of our heavenly parents.

• Facsimile, fig.1: Is he the first in government (the highest in authority) YES. And is he the last pertaining to the measurement of time (or the greatest or longest in terms of intelligence) YES. This is part of the reason one of Christ’s titles is “the first and the last” or in other words “the highest and the greatest”.

Isn’t that cool?

Now verse 21 is going to put an exclamation point on that idea. But as we read it, can you find the “orbit” word. Which word suggests the idea of orbiting or governing?

21 I dwell in the midst of them all; I now, therefore, have come down unto thee to declare unto thee the works which my hands have made, wherein my wisdom excelleth them all, for I rule in the heavens above, and in the earth beneath, in all wisdom and prudence, over all the intelligences thine eyes have seen from the beginning; I came down in the beginning in the midst of all the intelligences thou hast seen.

The word is “rule”. God and Kolob rule or govern over all the universe. The rest of the spirits orbit or are governed by them.

Let’s keep going. Now how about these governing ones? Who are they? Well look at our list again and see if you can guess.

• :2 They are also great

• :3 They govern others

• :3 At the same time that they are governed by Kolob

• :10 They are set to give light to light

• Facsimile, fig.5: They borrow their light from Kolob

• Facsimile, fig. 5: There are 15 of them.

Who are the governing ones? The prophets. Even the number 15 works there. How many prophets do we have on earth with the first presidency and the quorum of the twelve combined? 15.

The sun then would represent one of the prophets. For example. Our “sun” right now is Russell M. Nelson. And let’s say the earth represents us. That makes sense since the earth is where mortals live. And all those other planets out there around the governing ones represent individual souls or beings. I’m not quite sure what to do with the moon here? But perhaps they could represent local leaders. I leave that up to you how you want to interpret that.

And then what do you do with all this talk about time and the closer you get to Kolob the greater the time? What does that teach us? Each planet or star increases in intelligence or light or truth the closer you get to Christ and God. Remember what the Doctrine and Covenants taught us in 93:36? “The glory of God is intelligence, or in other words, light and truth.” So the prophet has more intelligence or light and truth than your average person. And Christ and God have even more. The closer to God, the more the intelligence. So part of the purpose of our lives here as “God’s planets” is to “Hie to Kolob” or increase in intelligence and light and truth—to strive to be like Jesus. How can we do that? By orbiting them.

Now with that as a background maybe these more well-known verses at the end of Abraham 3 will take on new meaning to you.

22 Now the Lord had shown unto me, Abraham, the intelligences that were organized before the world was;(So he’s seeing all of God’s spirit children gathered together in one great council) and among all these there were many of the noble and great ones; (The governing ones. God’s future prophets and leaders)

23 And God saw these souls that they were good, and he stood in the midst of them, (can you see our object lesson being portrayed here. Jesus in the middle and all his prophets surrounding him, just like Kolob in the middle there with all the governing ones surrounding it, and Abraham is one of those governing ones) and he said: These I will make my rulers (my governors); for he stood among those that were spirits, and he saw that they were good; and he said unto me: Abraham, thou art one of them; thou wast chosen before thou wast born.

So Abraham, you are one of my governing ones. You are one of my prophets. You have been sent to this earth to give intelligence, and direction, and light to others. The light that has been given you from Christ.

24 And there stood one among them that was like unto God, (Kolob, right there next to God, Jesus) and he said unto those who were with him: We will go down, for there is space there, and we will take of these materials, and we will make an earth whereon these may dwell;(these other planets, or souls)

25 And we will prove them herewith, to see if they will do all things whatsoever the Lord their God shall command them;

Ahhh, so now we get to the meat of it. What is the purpose of all of this creation? We’re going to create a place, a planet whereon all these beloved intelligences can dwell. And we’re going to prove them—test them. And what’s the big test? Will they do what they’re Lord commands them. In terms of the object lesson? Will they orbit? Are they humble enough, meek enough, wise enough to trust the path that God has carved out for them through time and space? Or, will they choose their own path, choose to go their own way? And think about that for a second. What would be the result of that? What if the earth decided that it didn’t want to follow the path that the sun had laid out for it? What if it said, “I’m done with doing what this old sun wants me to do? I want to make my own path in the universe. I want to do it my way. We’ve been following this old-fashioned orbit for millennia. I want to do something new and exciting. Progressive. I’m sick of feeling controlled by this great governing light.” What would happen to the earth if it said that, and it made its way off on its own course in the solar system? It would get lost. It would die! It might collide with something else and be destroyed. And so will our intelligence and spirit if we veer off the path of light and order given to us through the prophets and Christ. And here’s another cool truth to consider. If the governing ones are governed by Kolob, if the prophets orbit Jesus Christ and God, then if I choose to “orbit” the prophet, who else, by default, am I orbiting? I’m also orbiting Jesus, and God. And what does the Lord promise those who can learn how to orbit?

26 And they who keep their first estate shall be added upon; and they who keep not their first estate shall not have glory in the same kingdom with those who keep their first estate; and they who keep their second estate shall have glory added upon their heads for ever and ever.

TRUTH

So our big truth here from our celestial object lesson. If I can learn to orbit (obey) the prophets, and Christ, and God, then glory will be added upon me forever and ever. I will increase in glory: intelligence, and light, and truth.

LIKEN THE SCRIPTURES

I know that Abraham 3 is usually used as a vehicle to teach us about our pre-mortal existence—which it does, beautifully. But I’m not so sure that’s the major thrust of the chapter. I believe the major message of Abraham 3 is “follow the prophet” and “follow Jesus”. The name of this very study program in the church is “Come, Follow Me”. Can we learn how to orbit? To trust and follow the governing ones? Those noble and great souls chosen by God before the creation of this earth to help give us light? That’s the real question.

And that’s my “Liken the Scriptures” question for you to consider. How’s your orbit? How are you doing at following the prophets and Jesus? Have you listened to their words recently? Have you studied the words of the ancient prophets and the Savior in the scriptures? Do you strive to apply and live their counsel? Do you follow the path that they have carved out for you through time and space?

CONCLUSION

Well, did you realize the night sky had so much to teach us? Think about that the next time you look up at night. When you look out and you see all that order, all that light, all that glory, ask yourself, “Am I traveling through space and time in the way the great star at the center of it all desires that I do? I promise you, that if you will, you will never be lost. You will never travel in darkness. You will never die spiritually. Instead, you will increase in intelligence. You will “hie” or “travel” to Kolob and have glory added upon you forever and ever. That we may all be good planets is my hope and prayer.