Lesson 12: Fruitful in the Land of My Affliction

Jacob's Ladder
While Jacob was traveling from Canaan to the land of his kindred, he stopped to rest for the night and had a remarkable dream of a ladder that reached up into heaven (Genesis 28:10–19; see the fourth additional teaching idea in lesson 10). Jacob named this place Bethel, which means “house of God” (Genesis 28:19; see footnote 19a). What place has the same name today? (The temple, which is called the house of the Lord.) 

Elder Marion G. Romney said of this dream: “Jacob realized that the covenants he made with the Lord … were the rungs on the ladder that he himself would have to climb in order to obtain the promised blessings—blessings that would entitle him to enter heaven and associate with the Lord” (“Temples—The Gates to Heaven,” Ensign, Mar. 1971, 16).


Lesson 12: Fruitful in the Land of My Affliction
To help class members understand that if we are faithful and obedient, God will consecrate our afflictions for our good.

From Lesson 11:
Elder Hartman Rector Jr. explained: “[The] ability to turn everything into something good appears to be a godly characteristic. Our Heavenly Father always seems able to do this. Everything, no matter how dire, becomes a victory to the Lord. Joseph, although a slave and wholly undeserving of this fate, nevertheless remained faithful to the Lord and continued to live the commandments and made something very good of his degrading circumstances. People like this cannot be defeated” (in Conference Report, Oct. 1972, 170; or Ensign, Jan. 1973, 130).

Ask class members to imagine that they have died and entered the spirit world and are now reviewing their experiences in mortality. Explain that you will ask four questions to help them think about how adversity has shaped their lives. After asking all four questions, invite class members to comment on whichever questions they want.

• • What were some of the trials you faced in mortal life?
  
• • What lessons have you learned from life’s trials?
  
• • If you could live your life over, what would you change about the way you dealt with your trials?
  
• • How could you have taken better advantage of life’s experiences?
  

Explain that this lesson is about Joseph, son of Jacob, and how he was faithful and obedient even during great trials.

1. Joseph interprets the dreams of the butler, the baker, and Pharaoh. Pharaoh makes Joseph ruler over all Egypt.

God lets us know what is coming through prophets and will give us personal revelation as needed and sought. 

2. Joseph makes himself known to his brothers and forgives them.

Additional:
1. The great latter-day Joseph
2. Preparing for famine
3. Joseph’s sons


Posters:

Genesis

40 - 45

“Fruitful in the Land of My Affliction”

If we are faithful and obedient,

God will consecrate our afflictions for our good.

Fleeing from evil

Faithful

while

Facing Trials

Forgiving

Giving God the Credit
 

See http://lds.org/ldsorg/v/index.jsp?hideNav=1&locale=0&sourceId=66f10e46d0bdb010VgnVCM1000004d82620a____&vgnextoid=f318118dd536c010VgnVCM1000004d82620aRCRD   Joseph, Example of Excellence

Lesson 11: How Can I Do This Great Wickedness?

Lesson 11: How Can I Do This Great Wickedness?

1. Joseph is sold into slavery by his brothers.

2. Joseph refuses to “sin against God.”

3. Shechem, Reuben, and Judah commit serious moral sins.

1. Bethel—the house of God
2. Jacob and Esau are reunited
3. Concubines in Old Testament times

Lesson 10: Birthright Blessings: Marriage in the Covenant

Lesson 10: Birthright Blessings: Marriage in the Covenant

Andrew Skinner:
"As members of the Church we are the seed of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob and the inheritors of the Abrahamic covenant. What is the Abrahamic covenant to the righteous if it is not candidacy for exaltation? As with Jacob, the task of turning candidacy into reality is up to us. Let us wrestle for our blessings that we are promised as we continue to worship in the temples of the Lord."


Purpose: To strengthen class members’ desires to live worthy of their birthright blessings and of eternal marriage.

Do not trade eternal blessings for temporary pleasure or satisfaction.

1. Abraham emphasizes the importance of marriage in the covenant (eternal marriage).

2. Esau sells his birthright to Jacob.

3. Jacob marries Leah and Rachel in the covenant, and through him the Abrahamic covenant continues.

Supplemental:
Isaac and Rebekah
Right Marriage Begins with Right Dating
Revelation given to women
Jacob's vision of the ladder

From Elder Bruce R. McConkie's talk --
Bruce R. McConkie, “Mothers in Israel and Daughters of Zion,” New Era, May 1978, 35

May I now take our common ancestor, Rebekah, as a pattern for what her daughters in the Church today can do. Rebekah was barren until Isaac entreated the Lord on her behalf, and then she conceived. Then Jacob and Esau, while yet in her womb, struggled together. She was troubled and asked, “Why am I thus?” The scripture says, “She went to inquire of the Lord. And the Lord said unto her, Two nations are in thy womb,” and he then described them. (Gen. 25:21–23.)
Our purpose in telling this story is to show that when Rebekah was troubled and needed divine guidance, she herself took the matter up with the Lord, and he spoke to her in reply. The Lord gives revelation to women who pray to him in faith.
When Jacob and Esau had grown to maturity, the greatest concern of their parents was the matter of whom they should marry. The record says that Esau “took to wife Judith the daughter of Beeri the Hittite, and Bashemath the daughter of Elon the Hittite: Which were a grief of mind unto Isaac and to Rebekah.” (Gen. 26:34–35.) What this means is that Esau married out of the Church; Esau did not enter the Lord’s system of celestial marriage, and his marriage brought great sorrow to his parents.
Rebekah had great anxiety as to whom Jacob would marry. She was fearful that he too might depart from the teachings of his parents and marry someone who was not eligible to receive the blessings of eternal marriage.
And so the scripture says, “And Rebekah said to Isaac, I am weary of my life because of the daughters of Heth: if Jacob take a wife of the daughters of Heth, such as these which are of the daughters of the land, what good shall my life do me?” (Gen. 27:46.)
That is to say, Rebekah thought her whole life would be wasted if Jacob married out of the Church. She knew he could not enter the gate leading to exaltation unless he was married in the new and everlasting covenant of marriage, and so she brought the matter to Jacob’s attention. This is a great object lesson. The mother was greatly concerned about the marriage of her son, and she prevailed upon the father to do something about it. She was acting as a guide and a light to Jacob as my wife often does to me.
And so the account says, “And Isaac called Jacob, and blessed him, and charged him, and said unto him, Thou shalt not take a wife of the daughters of Canaan.” (Gen. 28:1.)
How many of us have received blessings, patriarchal blessings, in which we are told to marry in the temple or to be married for time and all eternity? So it was with Jacob. Isaac blessed him and gave him a command that meant, “Thou shalt not marry out of the Church.”
Now, when we are a minority part of the population, it is sometimes difficult to find a marriage companion in the Church. We have to go to great lengths to associate with faithful Latter-day Saints, to associate with good, clean people who are worthy to have a temple recommend.
And so Isaac not only said, “Thou shalt not take a wife of the daughters of Canaan,” he also said: “Arise, go to Padanaram, to the house of Bethuel thy mother’s father; and take thee a wife from thence of the daughters of Laban thy mother’s brother.
“And God Almighty bless thee, and make thee fruitful, and multiply thee, that thou mayest be a multitude of people;
“And give thee the blessing of Abraham, to thee, and to thy seed with thee.” (Gen. 28:1–4.)
That is to say, if Jacob married in the Church and was true and faithful, he would be blessed with eternal increase, with a continuation of the family unit in eternity, as his grandfather Abraham had been blessed before him. That he was obedient and faithful we learn from latter-day revelation that tells us that Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob each entered the new and everlasting covenant of marriage, each “did none other things than that which they were commanded,” and each “have entered into their exaltation, according to the promises, and sit upon thrones, and are not angels but are gods.” (D&C 132:37.)
What we say for Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob we say also for Sarah, Rebekah, and Rachel, the wives who stood at their sides and who with them were true and faithful in all things. Men are not saved alone, and women do not gain an eternal fullness except in and through the continuation of the family unit in eternity. Salvation is a family affair.
The revelation on marriage says that “if a man marry a wife” in “the new and everlasting covenant,” and they are then faithful and true in all things, “they”—meaning the man and the woman—“shall pass by the angels, and the gods, which are set there, to their exaltation and glory in all things, … which glory shall be a fulness and a continuation of the seeds forever and ever. Then shall they be gods.” (D&C 132:19–20.) That is, the man and his wife together and not either one of them alone, shall be exalted. They shall have eternal life; they shall fill the full measure of their creation; they shall inherit, receive, and possess all things.
What a marvelous example Rebekah has set for all the women of the Church. Not only did she pray and get personal revelation when she needed it, but she so influenced her husband and her son that they did what was necessary so that Jacob married in the Church and, with his beloved Rachel, gained eternal life as a result.

Cynthia Hallen
Cynthia L. Hallen, “Rebekah,” Ensign, Jan 2002, 39

Abraham’s servant had prayed for a maiden who would bring a dowry of kindness to the Abrahamic family (see Gen. 24:14). At the well he met a personification of Christlike charity and consideration. She was not only a dutiful daughter who diligently performed the daily work of retrieving water for family and their livestock, she was also willing to perform this arduous task for a stranger (see Gen. 24:18–20). She did not know she was serving a man who would lead her to her future husband, yet upon his request she extended both water and generous hospitality, saying, “We have both straw and provender [food for animals] enough, and room to lodge in” (Gen. 24:23–25). She served selflessly, reminding us that one of the best presents each partner can bring to the wedding altar is the gift of charity.

David H. Madsen, “Jacob and Esau,” Ensign, Jan 2002, 42

When Isaac became about 130 years old, and his sons more than 70, 1 the time was right for the bestowal of the birthright blessing. 


So at about age 77 (see note 1), Jacob and Esau parted, a separation that lasted about 20 years (see Gen. 31:41).

Andrew C. Skinner, “Jacob: Keeper of Covenants,” Ensign, Mar 1998, 51

Esau became a cunning hunter, while Jacob is described in the Hebrew text as an ‘ish tam, a man “whole, complete, perfect” (Gen. 25:27, footnote b). The implication is that Esau was concerned about one pursuit to the exclusion of other important considerations.

“When Jacob traveled from Beersheba toward Haran, he had a dream in which he saw himself on the earth at the foot of a ladder that reached to heaven where the Lord stood above it. He beheld angels ascending and descending thereon, and Jacob realized that the covenants he made with the Lord there were the rungs on the ladder that he himself would have to climb in order to obtain the promised blessings—blessings that would entitle him to enter heaven and associate with the Lord. …

-- window in the Celestial Room of the Timpanogos Temple 

Thus the events described in chapter 32 of Genesis report the culmination of a process begun 20 years before at Bethel, when Jacob became a candidate for exaltation by vowing to live according to the Abrahamic covenant. At Bethel, Jacob had a templelike experience. Then Jacob had proved himself at every danger and under every circumstance. The Prophet Joseph Smith said: “When the Lord has thoroughly proved [someone], and finds that the man is determined to serve Him at all hazards, then the man will find his calling and election made sure, then it will be his privilege to receive the other Comforter … [and] have the personage of Jesus Christ to attend him, or appear unto him from time to time, and even He will manifest the Father unto him, and they will take up their abode with him, … and the Lord will teach him face to face, and he may have a perfect knowledge of the mysteries of the Kingdom of God; and this is the state and place the ancient Saints arrived at when they had such glorious visions.” 7
Surely this describes Jacob. The crisis at the river Jabbok pushed him to the limits of his faith. It caused him to wrestle for a blessing, just as Enos, Zacharias, and others would do. Jacob’s wrestle resulted—referring back to President Brigham Young’s thought—in the Lord’s bursting the veil to reveal His glory. Indeed, the story of Jacob’s wrestle discloses the ultimate blessing that can be given. Years later, as he was blessing the sons of Joseph, long after his tearful reconciliation with Esau (see Gen. 33:1–4), the aged Jacob referred to events on the night of his wrestle when he mentioned “the Angel which redeemed me from all evil” (Gen. 48:16). . . .


Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob desired, sought for, wrestled for, and craved the presence of God. They prayed for it, worked for it, and lived for it. In the Old Testament we find a powerful, personal record of their success, and the Doctrine and Covenants tells us that these patriarchs “have entered into their exaltation, according to the promises, and sit upon thrones, and are not angels but are gods” (D&C 132:37).
As members of the Church we are the seed of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob and the inheritors of the Abrahamic covenant. What is the Abrahamic covenant to the righteous if it is not candidacy for exaltation? As with Jacob, the task of turning candidacy into reality is up to us. Let us wrestle for our blessings that we are promised as we continue to worship in the temples of the Lord.

Edward J. Brandt, “Journeys and Events in the Lives of Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph,” Ensign, Jun 1973, 56–59

Edward J. Brandt, “Understanding the Old Testament: Keys to Resolving Difficult Questions,” Ensign, Sep 1980, 27 

Another example of so-called favoritism is that Jacob appears to have stolen the birthright from his brother, Esau—that he received it unjustly through deceit and trickery. But what does the scriptural record say concerning this matter? The record indicates that Esau not only sold his birthright, but “despised” it (Gen. 25:34), and that he further disqualified himself for these blessings by marrying nonbelievers “which were a grief of mind unto Isaac and Rebekah” (Gen. 26:35).
When the time came for Isaac to bless his two sons, Rebekah, who learned through a revelation she had received that Jacob was to rule over his brother (see Gen. 25:23), went against the cultural tradition and helped Jacob, the younger son, receive the blessing. When Esau came to claim his blessing, Isaac realized that the important rights of priesthood presidency did, in fact, belong to faithful Jacob, not to unworthy Esau: “Yea,” said Isaac, “and he shall be blessed” (Gen. 27:33). If the prophet-patriarch had acted improperly, he had the priesthood right to revoke Jacob’s blessing. But he didn’t do so, knowing that he had done the will of the Lord. Perceiving that Esau’s concern was for the loss of the temporal gain instead of spiritual blessings, Isaac promised him prosperity, but he also reaffirmed the blessing of Jacob (see Gen. 27:37–40)

Judy Stephan Smith, “Scriptural Giants: Rebekah,” Friend, Jun 1985, 48

Sarah and Isaac

  

Melchizedek Blesses Abram, by Walter Rane.     Abraham and Isaac, by William Whitaker. What laws governed the inheritance of birthright in the Old Testament? Daniel H. Ludlow, “Question and Answer,” Tambuli, Sept. 1981, 32–34

Lesson 9: God Will Provide Himself a Lamb

Lesson 9: God Will Provide Himself a Lamb

1 Abraham is nearly sacrificed by the false priests of Pharaoh.

2. Abraham has children through Hagar and Sarah.

3. God commands Abraham to sacrifice Isaac.

Additional:
1. Learning from trials

2. Building a strong relationship with God

Scriptures for Lesson 8

Scriptures for O.T. Lesson 8
Dividing the Land
Genesis 13
1 And Abram went up out of Egypt, he, and his wife, and all that he had, and Lot with him, into the south.
2 And Abram was very arich in cattle, in silver, and in gold.
________

5 ¶ And Lot also, which went with Abram, had flocks, and herds, and tents.
6 And the land was not able to bear them, that they might dwell together: for their substance was great, so that they could not dwell together.
7 And there was a strife between the herdmen of Abram’s cattle and the herdmen of Lot’s cattle: and the aCanaanite and the Perizzite dwelled then in the land.
_____

8 And Abram said unto Lot, Let there be no astrife, I pray thee, between me and thee, and between my herdmen and thy herdmen; for we be bbrethren.
9 Is not the whole land before thee? separate thyself, I pray thee, from me: if thou wilt take the left hand, then I will go to the right; or if thou depart to the right hand, then I will go to the left.
_______

10 And Lot lifted up his eyes, and beheld all the plain of Jordan, that it was well watered every where, before the Lord destroyed aSodom and Gomorrah, even as the garden of the Lord, like the land of Egypt, as thou comest unto bZoar.
11 Then Lot chose him all the plain of Jordan; and Lot journeyed east: and they separated themselves the one from the other.
12 Abram dwelled in the land of Canaan, and aLot dwelled in the cities of the plain, and pitched his tent toward Sodom.
13 But the men of aSodom were bwicked and sinners before the Lord exceedingly.
________
1 Tim. 6:
10 For the alove of bmoney is the root of all evil: which while some ccoveted after, they have derred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many esorrowss the root.
_______
Lot’s Choice
Genesis 13
12 Abram dwelled in the land of Canaan, and aLot dwelled in the cities of the plain, and pitched his tent toward Sodom.

Mosiah 2:
6 And they pitched their tents round about the temple, every man having his atent with the door thereof towards the temple, that thereby they might remain in their tents and hear the words which king Benjamin should speak unto them;

Rescuing Lot
Genesis 14:
13 ¶ And there came one that had escaped, and told Abram the aHebrew; for he dwelt bin the plain of Mamre the Amorite, brother of Eshcol, and brother of Aner: and these were confederate with Abram.
14 And when Abram heard that his brother was taken captive, ahe armed his trained servants, bborn in his own house, three hundred and eighteen, and pursued them unto Dan.
15 And he divided himself against them, he and his servants, by night, and smote them, and pursued them unto Hobah, which is on the aleft hand of Damascus.
16 And he brought back all the goods, and also brought again his abrother Lot, and his goods, and the women also, and the people.

Paying Tithes
Genesis 14:
18 And aMelchizedek king of bSalem brought forth cbread and wine: dand he was the epriest of the most high God.

Footnote : d JST Gen. 14: 17 . . . and he brake bread and blest it; and he blest the wine, he being the priest of the most high God
JST Genesis 14: page 798 just before maps
36 And this Melchizedek, having thus established righteousness, was called the king of heaven by his people, or, in other words, the King of peace.
37 And he lifted up his voice, and he blessed Abram, being the high priest, and the keeper of the storehouse of God;
38 Him whom God had appointed to receive tithes for the poor.
39 Wherefore, Abram paid unto him tithes of all that he had, of all the riches which he possessed, which God had given him more than that which he had need.
40 And it came to pass, that God blessed Abram, and gave unto him riches, and honor, and lands for an everlasting possession; according to the covenant which he had made, and according to the blessing wherewith Melchizedek had blessed him.
(D&C 84: 14 Which aAbraham received the priesthood from bMelchizedek, who received it through the lineage of his fathers, even till cNoah;)

Refusing Spoils of War
Genesis 14:
21 And the king of Sodom said unto Abram, Give me the persons, and take the agoods to thyself.
22 And Abram said to the king of Sodom, I have lift up mine hand unto the Lord, the most high God, the possessor of heaven and earth,
23 That I will not take from a thread even to a shoelatchet, and that I will not take any thing that is thine, lest thou shouldest say, I have made Abram arich:
24 Save only that which the young men have eaten, and the portion of the men which went with me, Aner, Eshcol, and Mamre; let them take their aportion.

2 Nephi 28:
20 For behold, at that day shall he arage in the bhearts of the children of men, and stir them up to anger against that which is good.
21 And others will he apacify, and lull them away into carnal bsecurity, that they will say: All is well in Zion; yea, Zion prospereth, all is well—and thus the cdevil dcheateth their souls, and leadeth them away carefully down to hell.

Bargaining with the Lord
Genesis 18:20-21
20 And the Lord said, Because the acry of Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and because their bsin is very grievous;
21 I will go down now, and see whether they have done altogether according to the cry of it, which is come unto me; and if not, I will aknow.

Ezekiel 16:
49 Behold, this was the iniquity of thy sister aSodom, bpride, fulness of bread, and abundance of cidleness was in her and in her daughters, neither did she strengthen the hand of the poor and needy.
50 And they were haughty, and committed aabomination before me: therefore I took them baway cas I saw good.

Lot’s Lot
Genesis 19:
15 And when the morning arose, then the aangels hastened bLot, saying, Arise, take thy wife, and thy two daughters, which are here; lest thou be consumed in the iniquity of the city.
16 And while he lingered, the men laid hold upon his hand, and upon the hand of his wife, and upon the hand of his two daughters; the Lord being amerciful unto him: and they brought him forth, and set him without the city.

17 ¶ And it came to pass, when they had brought them forth abroad, that he said, Escape for thy life; alook not behind thee, neither stay thou in all the plain; escape to the bmountain, lest thou be consumed.

Luke 9: 62
62 And Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the aplough, and blooking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.

Luke 17:29-32
29 But the same day that Lot went out of aSodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed them all.
30 Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man is revealed.
31 In that day, he which shall be upon the housetop, and his stuff in the house, let him not come down to take it away: and he that is in the field, let him likewise not return back.
32 Remember aLot’s wife.

D&C 133: 14-15
14 Go ye aout from among the nations, even from bBabylon, from the midst of cwickedness, which is spiritual Babylon.
15 But verily, thus saith the Lord, let not your flight be in ahaste, but let all things be prepared before you; and he that goeth, let him bnot look back lest sudden destruction shall come upon him.

Genesis 19:29
29 ¶ And it came to pass, when God destroyed the cities of the plain, that God remembered Abraham, and sent Lot out of the midst of the overthrow, when he overthrew the cities in the which Lot dwelt.

 
President Spencer W. Kimball said: “Our world is now much the same as it was in the days of the Nephite prophet who said: ‘… if it were not for the prayers of the righteous … ye would even now be visited with utter destruction. …’ (Al. 10:22.) Of course, there are many many upright and faithful who live all the commandments and whose lives and prayers keep the world from destruction” (in Conference Report, Apr. 1971, 7; or Ensign, June 1971, 16).




The following statement is from Elder M. Russell Ballard:
“In the Church, we often state the couplet, ‘Be in the world but not of the world.’ As we observe television shows that make profanity, violence, and infidelity commonplace and even glamorous, we often wish we could lock out the world in some way and isolate our families from it all. …
“Perhaps we should state the couplet previously mentioned as two separate admonitions. First, ‘Be in the world.’ Be involved; be informed. Try to be understanding and tolerant and to appreciate diversity. Make meaningful contributions to society through service and involvement. Second, ‘Be not of the world.’ Do not follow wrong paths or bend to accommodate or accept what is not right. …
“Members of the Church need to influence more than we are influenced. We should work to stem the tide of sin and evil instead of passively being swept along by it. We each need to help solve the problem rather than avoid or ignore it” (in Conference Report, Apr. 1989, 100–101; or Ensign, May 1989, 80).

Lesson Plan for Lesson 8: Living Righteously in a Wicked World

Lesson Plan for Lesson 8: Living Righteously in a Wicked World

Purpose:  To strengthen each class member’s resolve to hold fast to righteous standards during times of increasing wickedness.
 Review of the blessings of the Abrahamic covenant --- Posterity, Property, Priesthood

If you want to have what Abraham has, you need to do what Abraham did. 

We'll talk about these events that reveal why the Lord would pick Abraham to be the father of his chosen people.
What Abraham Did
Living Righteously in a Wicked World

1. Dividing the land with Lot
2. Rescuing Lot
3. Paying tithes
4. Refusing spoils of war
5. Bargaining with the Lord over the destruction of the wicked cities


Lesson Sequence:
Briefly review Abraham's travels: He is led by the Lord.  He is obedient to what the Lord asks him to do. From Ur of Chaldea at mouth of Euphrates River moves
nothwest to Haran -- named after his dead brother --  father to Lot and Sarah -- his father Terah joins them and dies there  -- Abraham does missionary work and gathers many souls there  ( Genesis 12:5 and Abraham 2:15) who go with him when he is
called to Canaan -- famine in Canaan -- goes to Egypt and then returns to Canaan from Egypt -- where our studies for today begin.  (if questions about Egypt Abraham 2:22-25)

1. Dividing the land with Lot
Read Scriptures
Genesis  13:1-2  rich
Genesis 13: 5-7  why he and Lot have to part ways
Genesis 13: 8-9 Abraham's solution
Genesis 13: 10-13  Lot's choice and Abraham's response
1 Timothy 6:10 

How can we follow Abraham's example when we have conflicts with family members or others?

More on Lot's choice
At first he lived "in the cities of the plain outside Sodom", but he
Genesis 13:12  pitched his tent toward Sodom  (later moved there)
Mosiah 2:6 (compare)

2. Rescuing Lot
kings, city states -- war -- Lot, his family and goods are captured and taken away by the enemy
Read Scriptures
Genesis 14:13-16  Abraham ("General Abraham" goes to rescue him with his 318 soldiers)

3. Paying tithes  painting at BYU MOA -- Abraham dressed as a soldier surprized me.
Genesis 14:18  (Footnote JST Genesis 14:17) Melchezideck
JST Genesis 14:36 - 40     near map section page 798   (D&C 84:14  -- Abraham receive the Priesthood from Melchezidek)

4. Refusing spoils of war
Genesis 14:21-24  (covenant,
What might be considered a thread of immorality or a thread of dishonesty?
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=123891739&sc=fb&cc=fp

2 Nephi 28: 20, 21

 How do we sometimes compromise in the amount of unrighteousness we are willing to accept?
We can be destroyed by seemingly small sins as well as by great ones. 
Compare reactions to Melchezidek and king of Sodom


5. Bargaining with the Lord over the destruction of the wicked cities
 Genesis 18:20-21
What was their wickedness? grievous sexual sins and
Ezekiel 16: 49-30
New video on lds.com -- "Charity, an Example of the Believers"

Mormon 8:
37 For behold, ye do love money, and your substance, and your fine apparel, and the adorning of your churches, more than ye love the poor and the needy, the sick and the afflicted.

What did Abraham ask of the Lord? (Tell Genesis 18: 23-32)
What can we learn from the fact that the Lord was willing to spare the city if righteous people could be found in them?

Lot's lot
Three angels/messengers come to Sodom to warn Lot and his family to flee
Lot goes to warn his sons-in-law, but they don't believe him
Genesis 19: 15 - 16  The angels tell him to hurry, he doesn't, they take them by the hand to get them out
Genesis 19: 17 What counsel do the angels give Lot and his family after they left the city?
How do we sometimes look back?

This is what Vivian mentioned today as we talked about love of riches, etc.:

Excerpt:
Once they reach peaks of power and fame, their innate confidence often translates into a willingness to take risks. Powerful men become "legends in their own minds," as Goodstein says, imbued with the sense that they can get away with anything they want because of who they are.

"He [felt he] was entitled to seek out and obtain what he craved, instantly." That's something historian Robert Dallek wrote in his biography of John F. Kennedy, but Dallek could have just as easily been describing any man who feels that flings should count among the spoils of success.

"I convinced myself that normal rules don't apply," Woods said during his public mea culpa Friday. "I felt that I was entitled."
   

Coventants

"We have made covenants so to do solemn, sacred, holy covenants, pledging ourselves before gods and angels. We are under covenant to live the law of obedience. We are under covenant to live the law of sacrifice. We are under covenant to live the law of consecration. It is our privilege to consecrate our time, talents, and means to build up his kingdom. We are called upon to sacrifice, in one degree or another, for the furtherance of his work. Obedience is essential to salvation; so, also, is service; and so, also, are consecration and sacrifice."
--Bruce R. McConkie, "Obedience, Consecration, and Sacrifice", Ensign, May 1975, 50

Joshua and Inheriting Land

Why is so much space given to the dividing up of the land among the tribes?

Notes on Abraham -- Lesson 8

Abram was 99 years old when his name is changed to Abraham.

The Example of Abraham -- Pres. Kimball

President Kimball on the example of Abraham 
selections from the talk -- 

"The elect of God! A moment’s reflection ought to convince us that no sacrifice would be too great if a man and woman and their family could qualify to be the elect of God! These promises of great blessings are conditional, however; I know of none that are not—even the resurrection, for each of us had to qualify in the premortal existence to receive the blessing of an immortal body.
All blessings, then, are conditional upon faithfulness. One is ordained to the priesthood with a conditional promise; one is married and sealed in the temple on condition of his faithfulness. And so far as I know there is nothing—no blessing in the world—that anyone can receive except through faithfulness." . . .

"Even though his family had “turned from their righteousness” (Abr. 1:5) and followed the ways of idolatry, Abraham recognized the blessings in store for the faithful and sought earnestly to obey the commandments of God. He thereby qualified himself for godhood through obedience by doing “none other things than that which [he was] commanded.” (D&C 132:37.) Abraham’s obedience, and therefore his blessing, was such that the Lord himself was referred to throughout the scriptures as “the God of Abraham, and of Isaac, and of Jacob.” (See, for example, Ex. 3:6, where the Lord so names himself.)" . .  .


There are many examples of Abraham’s obedience to the Lord’s will. In Genesis we learn that God commanded Abraham to circumcise every male in his household. Upon receiving that commandment, Abraham did not say, “Yes, I will obey the Lord, but first I must move my sheep to another pasture, and mend my tents. I should be able to obey by the end of the week, or by the first of next week, at the latest.” But instead of so procrastinating his obedience, Abraham went out and complied “in the selfsame day.” (Gen. 17:26.)
A similar, but even more impressive, example is Abraham’s obedience to God’s command that he sacrifice his only son, Isaac. Abraham could have put this abhorrent task aside or even chosen to ignore the commandment entirely, but instead he arose early the next morning and began the journey to the appointed place.
How often do Church members arise early in the morning to do the will of the Lord? How often do we say, “Yes, I will have home evening with my family, but the children are so young now; I will start when they are older”? How often do we say, “Yes, I will obey the commandment to store food and to help others, but just now I have neither the time nor the money to spare; I will obey later”? Oh, foolish people! While we procrastinate, the harvest will be over and we will not be saved. Now is the time to follow Abraham’s example; now is the time to repent; now is the time for prompt obedience to God’s will.
Abraham is a model for us in other important ways. For example, Abraham’s faithfulness in all things qualified him to receive revelation for his family; indeed, he often spoke with the Lord “face to face.” (Abr. 3:11.) The blessing of revelation is one that all should seek for. Righteous men and women find that they have the spirit of revelation to direct their families and to aid them in their other responsibilities. But, like Abraham, we must seek to qualify for such revelation by  1.  setting our lives in order and by 2. becoming acquainted with the Lord through frequent and regular conversations with him.  . . .

Such peace comes only through integrity. When we make a covenant or agreement with God, we must keep it at whatever cost. Let us not be like the student who agrees to live by certain standards of conduct and who then breaks his oath and tries to see how long he can get away with his deceit. Let us not be like the missionary who agrees to serve the Lord for two years, then wastes his time with laziness and rationalization. Let us not be like the Church member who partakes of the sacrament in the morning, then defiles the Sabbath that afternoon by cleaning the house or by watching television or by choosing an afternoon of sleep over an afternoon of service. Instead, let us have integrity like Abraham did, observing with all soberness the solemn contracts we have made with God. . . . 


Act now, before it is too late. Now is the time to chart the course of action you will follow tomorrow and next week and next year. Now is the time to commit yourself to be as Abraham, to follow the Lord, to refuse to procrastinate, to repent of those sins you have committed, to begin to keep those commandments you have been failing to live. Determine now to attend priesthood and sacrament meetings every Sabbath, pay your tithing faithfully, sustain in very deed the General Authorities of the Church, support the programs of the Church, visit the temple often (or whenever possible when one is not near), give service in the organizations, and keep your actions constructive, your attitudes wholesome.

Remember that Abraham sought for his appointment to the priesthood. He did not wait for God to come to him; he sought diligently through prayer and obedient living to learn the will of God. Here then, is the challenge the Lord gives every returned missionary, every single man and woman, every father and mother in the Church: “Go ye, therefore, and do the works of Abraham.” (D&C 132:32.)
As we follow Abraham’s example, we will grow from grace to grace, we will find greater happiness and peace and rest, we will find favor with God and with man. As we follow his example, we will confirm upon ourselves and our families joy and fulfillment in this life and for all eternity.

The Abrahamic Covenant

from the Doctrines of the Gospel Manual:  http://www.ldsces.org/inst_manuals/doc-gosp/manualindex.asp  Chapter 21

B. God reestablished His covenant with Israel in mortality.
■ “Abraham first received the gospel by baptism (which is the covenant of salvation); then he had conferred upon him the higher priesthood, and he entered into celestial marriage (which is the covenant of exaltation), gaining assurance thereby that he would have eternal increase; finally he received a promise that all of these blessings would be offered to all of his mortal posterity. (Abra. 2:6–11; D. & C. 132:29–50.) Included in the divine promises to Abraham was the assurance that Christ would come through his lineage, and the assurance that Abraham’s posterity would receive certain choice, promised lands as an eternal inheritance. (Abra. 2; Gen. 17; 22:15–18; Gal. 3.)
“All of these promises lumped together are called the Abrahamic covenant” (Bruce R. McConkie, Mormon Doctrine, 13).
■ “When the Lord called Abraham out of Ur, the land of his fathers, he made certain covenants with him because of his faithfulness. One promise was that through him and his seed after him all nations of the earth should be blessed. This blessing is accomplished in several ways.
“1. Through Jesus Christ who came through the lineage of Abraham;
“2. Through the priesthood which was conferred upon Abraham and his descendants;
“3. Through the scattering of Israel among all nations by which the blood of Israel was sprinkled among the nations, and thus the nations partake of the leaven of righteousness, on condition of their repentance, and are entitled to the promises made to the children of Abraham; and
“4. In the fact that the Lord covenanted with Abraham that after his time all who embraced the gospel should be called by his name, or, should be numbered among his seed, and should receive the Holy Ghost” (Joseph Fielding Smith, Doctrines of Salvation, 3:246).
■ “The essence of the covenant thus made with Abraham was the ancient, everlasting one, that those who are obedient to God’s law shall inherit the blessings of the Lord. Because Jesus the Christ replaced the lesser law of Israel by the higher one, we now speak, for the sake of distinction, of the ‘new and everlasting covenant.’ The word ‘new’ seems to have a sense of ‘restored,’ as in the words of the Lord to the Prophet Joseph Smith, ‘. . . this is a new and everlasting covenant, even that which was from the beginning’ [D&C 22:1].
“This covenant with Abraham was also a call to leadership. Therefore, it has been interpreted to mean that Abraham and his descendants were chosen to conserve in purity and to advance on earth the eternal plan for human salvation. Consequently, the seed of Abraham are often spoken of as the chosen or covenant people” (John A. Widtsoe, “Why Are We Called a Covenant People?” Improvement Era, June 1945, 349; see also “A Covenant People,” New Era, Feb. 1976, 45).
■ “Nor is this covenant confined to mortal life. It extends beyond the grave and into the celestial kingdom. The children of Abraham, if they will keep the covenant as they receive it in the house of the Lord, shall, as Abraham their father, continue on through all eternity to increase, and there shall be no end to their posterity. In this way the blessings of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, are extended to them, and they become partakers to the fullest extent. For there is to be a continuation of the ‘seeds forever’ among those who receive exaltation in the kingdom of God. This is the promise, and there shall come through Abraham kings and priests and rulers, not only on this earth but in the heavens, and so shall it be worlds without end” (Joseph Fielding Smith, The Way to Perfection, 96).
C. Covenant Israel today means anyone who covenants to accept and live the gospel.

Of Abraham and Stars

 Saturday - February 17, 2007 10:28 PM

Mom, I thought you (and Orville and Grandpa, and everyone else who I
share this with) might be interested in knowing that our dinner-fireside
tonight was with a Brother Wilson (can't remember his first name), who
is the project manager for the Spitzer Telescope (one of the "four"
which include Hubble, Chandra, and another one) at JPL (Jet Propulsion
Laboratory - division of NASA's unmanned space program in Pasadena,
Calif.). He was part of the team which sent the 1976 Viking out that
eventually landed on Mars. His wife explained how they and the families
of the scientists were invited to an auditorium to view the first
downloaded images of Viking, and the first pictures of another planet's
surface, and how mind-boggling and spiritual that was and felt. They
were the FiRST in the world to see those pictures of Mars, and now they
are the first seeing what I explain below. Someone in our ward knows him
and/or his wife and he was invited to come. There were a LOT of people
there. It was NEAT, to say the least....

Find MUCH INFO AT:
http://www.spitzer.caltech.edu/Media/mediaimages/index.shtml

Also See attachment for a neat picture of "The Hunter"

1. He explained to us how Spitzer works with infrared light, not like
Hubble which shows us pictures which we can see visually
2. He and his team have had to "sell" the telescope to NASA and he
showed us how he convinced them by using Orion and the tip of its sword.
Apparently, Hubble could only 'see" darkness there, but with infrared
they were able to see many (tens, hundreds, or thousands, I can't
remember now) of stars never before known to exist. Spitzer (launched in
2003) has shown NASA millions of stars which Hubble showed as being
"dark" or "black' spots when they download its images - those very spots
have thousands (probably more) of stars (maybe that was galaxies, I
can't remember!) which have only been detected through infrared rays.
3. He showed us pictures (with his laptop and a projector) that most
people have never seen and said they were exclusives! They were just
plain amazing. He caused them to have animation, and it was a visual
feast. He would constantly compare visuals from Hubble with those of
Spitzer and show how much more they were able to see that they had
thought wasn't even there. He mentioned there is NO wasted or unused
space in the universe. It is in a constant creative state....
4. Highlight: besides the pictures, he discussed how with Spitzer
they've discovered dust rings around more than half of the new stars
they're discovering. Those "rings" are composed of hydrocarbons,
arsenic, carbon dioxide, etc., key elements in the composition of
PLANETS.
5. They (or another branch of NASA) will be sending in 2008 and 2012
telescopes much bigger than Spritzer with a much greater capacity!!
These will be able to "peek" into the star matter and "debris" to find
the planets or objects that are there.
6. He said much more.... He mentioned that in the Andromeda Nebula
Spritzer showed that there appeared to be a disturbance in one or two of
its "rings" (like those of the Milky Way). Apparently, another MUCH
SMALLER GALAXY HAD COLLIDED WITH IT AND AS THE TWO GALAXIES COLLIDED
CLUSTERS OF STARS WERE BEING CREATED. The scientists could not explain
whether that is a usual phenomenon or not, but they are currently
studying this.

A little info about Spritzer(americanscientist.org): The Spritzer Space
Telescope, NASA's newest orbiting eye, used its unique ability to see
through gas and dust to spy evidence of the youngest planet ever
observed, a doozy of a first discovery. Astronomers believe the gaseous
planet Spritzer saw may be less than one million years old, meaning
"star and planet formation is a very active process in our galaxy," said
lead researcher Edward Churchwell of the University of Wisconsin.

Launched in August, Spritzer follows Earth in orbit around the Sun,
lagging some 5.4 million miles behind. Supercold tools allow it to
reveal the faint infrared heat put out by objects otherwise obscured by
bands of dust and gas.

Spritzer peered into two separate regions rich with young stars and
found in both conditions ripe for the formation of young planets. Within
the constellation Taurus, Spritzer studied the one-million-year-old star
CoKu Tau 4 and found a void in the space dust surrounding it. Because of
the sharpness of the hole in the dust, astronomers believe it to have
been swept clear by a young planet. Elsewhere in Taurus, Spritzer found
evidence of icy water, methanol and carbon dioxide coating the particles
of dust in the planet-forming bands surrounding young stars.

I hope this sounds as interesting to you as it WAS to us. We really
enjoyed the fireside and that this couple took the time to fly out here
and share their thoughts and work with us.


He mentioned the book of Abraham and the "worlds without number" and as innumerable as the sands of the sea....
He discussed Elder Maxwell's Nov. 2003 Ensign article:
Elder Maxwell:
The volume of resulting revelations and translations is enormous, underscoring the words “choice seer.” But it isn’t just the sheer volume of what Joseph received which is now being shared with mankind; it is also the existence of “stunners” in the midst of such abundance.

Through multiple revelations and translations, for example, came a description of a universe far, far exceeding the astrophysics of the 1830s, a cosmos containing “worlds without number” and advising us further that the “inhabitants thereof are begotten sons and daughters [of] God” (Moses 1:33; D&C 76:24).

Anciently, the vastness of Abraham’s eventual posterity was compared to the sand of the sea, a staggering promise (see Gen. 22:17). The Restoration’s revelations and translations accommodate a vast universe; thus it is no surprise to us that scientists’ latest estimate of the number of stars in the universe is approximately 70 sextillion—“more stars in the sky,” scientists say, “than there are grains of sand in every beach and desert on Earth” (Allison M. Heinrichs, “The Stellar Census: 70 Sextillion,” Los Angeles Times, 26 July 2003; see also Carl Sagan, Cosmos [1980], 196).

**Brother Wilson concluded that even though the Lord understands and knows all of these things, he knows each of us (teeny tiny us!) by name and is intimately interested in us! What a testimony....

So interesting!!

Love, Wayne

Lesson 8: Living Righteously in a Wicked World

Lesson 8: Living Righteously in a Wicked World

Mosiah 13:33
  33 For behold, did not Moses prophesy unto them concerning the coming of the Messiah, and that God should redeem his people? Yea, and even ^aall the prophets who have prophesied ever since the world began—have they not spoken more or less concerning these things?

“And it came to pass, that Abram looked forth and saw the days of the Son of Man, and was glad, and his soul found rest, and he believed in the Lord; and the Lord counted it unto him for righteousness.” (JST, Genesis 15:9–12.)

(5-6) Genesis 13:1–13. Abraham Was Very Rich

The scriptures warn of the dangers of wealth so often that occasionally some people assume that wealth in and of itself is evil and that all wealthy people are automatically wicked. Without question, the temptation to set one’s heart upon the things of the world is one to which many people succumb. But Paul taught that the “love of money is the root of all evil,” not the money itself (1 Timothy 6:10; emphasis added).
Abraham provides an example of one who had great wealth (see Genesis 13:2) and yet was a man of great faith and righteousness. The incident between him and Lot provides an excellent insight into Abraham’s Christlike nature. By all rights Lot should have insisted that Abraham choose first. Lot had been nurtured and protected by Abraham, and Abraham was the patriarch of the clan. Abraham could have taken his rights and given Lot what was left. Instead, his concern was only that “there be no strife” between them, so he gave Lot first choice (v. 8; see also vv. 9–10). Lot seems to have chosen the best land—the well-watered plains of Jordan—and yet there is not a trace of resentment in Abraham. In fact, in the next few chapters is recorded Abraham’s intervention to save Lot’s life. Here was a man for whom principles came first and material things second. It is not surprising that the Lord should renew the ancient covenant with him and make him father of the faithful.

(6-2) Genesis 18:1–2. Who Visited with Abraham?

“We are not justified in teaching that our Heavenly Father, with other heavenly persons, came down, dusty and weary, and ate with Abraham. This is not taught in the 18th chapter of Genesis. The first verse of that chapter should read as follows: ‘And the Lord appeared unto him in the plains of Mamre.’ That is a complete thought. The second part of this paragraph has nothing to do with the Lord’s appearing to Abraham . . . : ‘And he sat in the tent door in the heat of the day; and he lifted up his eyes and looked, and, lo, three men stood by him.’ These three men were mortals. They had bodies and were able to eat, to bathe, and sit and rest from their weariness. Not one of these three was the Lord.” (Smith, Doctrines of Salvation, 1:16.)
In the Joseph Smith Translation, Genesis 18:23 states definitely that “the angels . . . were holy men, and were sent forth after the order of God.”

(6-4) Genesis 18:16–33. The Power of a Righteous Life

It is not uncommon to hear a person say, “Can one person really make a difference?” The answer is a definite yes. Alma told the people of Ammonihah that “if it were not for the prayers of the righteous, who are now in the land, that ye would even now be visited with utter destruction” (Alma 10:22). He then warned them, “If ye will cast out the righteous from among you then will not the Lord stay his hand” (Alma 10:23). Like the people of Sodom and Gomorrah, the people of Ammonihah refused to repent or recognize that the few righteous among them were their only protection, so they killed them and cast them out (see Alma 14:9–11; 15:1). Therefore, a short time later the entire city was destroyed (see Alma 16:1–3, 9–10). The Lord also indicated that the United States would bring judgments upon itself for driving out the Saints (see D&C 136:34–36).

(6-8) Genesis 19:26. Lot’s Wife and the Pillar of Salt

The account of Lot’s wife being turned into a pillar of salt has puzzled many commentators. Was this event a literal thing, or was it figurative? There are two indications in the scriptures that the phrase “looked back” was an idiomatic way of saying “she turned back” or “returned to Sodom.” When warning the disciples of the destruction which was going to come upon Jerusalem, the Savior warned them to flee without delay, not even going into the house to get their possessions. Jesus said, “And he that is in the field, let him likewise not return back. Remember Lot’s wife” (Luke 17:31–32; emphasis added). He then admonished them that he who seeks to save his life will lose it, and he who loses his life will find it. Elder Bruce R. McConkie paraphrased those verses in these words:
“Look not back to Sodom and the wealth and luxury you are leaving. Stay not in the burning house, in the hope of salvaging your treasures, lest the flame destroy you; but flee, flee to the mountains.
“Seek temporal things and lose eternal life; sacrifice the things of this life and gain eternal life.” (Doctrinal New Testament Commentary, 1:645.)
The implication is that Lot’s wife started back to Sodom, perhaps to save some possessions, and was caught in the destruction.
In the Doctrine and Covenants is a scripture that uses the same terminology as Genesis 19:26. After warning the Saints to flee spiritual Babylon, which is wickedness, the Lord says, “He that goeth, let him not look back lest sudden destruction shall come upon him” (D&C 133:15; emphasis added). Again, the implication is that of a return to wickedness.
Most scholars agree that the most probable site of Sodom is now covered by the southern part of the Dead Sea, a body of water with a high salt content. If Lot’s wife returned to Sodom, she would have been caught in the destruction. Her becoming a pillar of salt could be a figurative way of expressing this outcome.
But whatever it was that happened to Lot’s wife, it is clear that she perished.

(6-13) Genesis 23:1–2. The Greatness of Sarah

It is often noted that Abraham is the father of the faithful and a tremendous example of faith and righteousness. Yet Sarah stood by his side throughout his life, not often in the limelight, but always as a great example of womanhood, faith, and righteousness. The Doctrine and Covenants speaks of the righteous as being the seed of Abraham (see D&C 84:34), but Peter also suggested that righteous women can be called the daughters of Sarah (see 1 Peter 3:1–6, especially v. 6).


Gospel Doctrine Teacher's Manual Lesson Materials 

http://www.ldsces.org/inst_manuals/pgp/manualindex.asp  Pearl of Great Price Manual on Abraham

http://www.ldsces.org/inst_manuals/doc-gosp/manualindex.asp  The Foreordination of Covenant Israel and Their Responsibilities

http://www.ldsces.org/inst_manuals/ot-in-1/manualindex.asp

Primary Lesson Abraham and Lot

Talk by Elder Faust: "What's in it for Me?"

Seminary lesson on Abraham

President Kimball on the example of Abraham 

The Flood -- Questions, Lesson 6

What was Noah teaching the people?

Principle: Work (hard work)

Why clean and unclean animals?  Yes, seven of each that would be food and sacrifice, but why were some clean and some unclean?

_____
Noah's day: Marrying, Giving in Marriage, etc.      Our Day: Marrying, Giving in Marriage, etc.
Noah's day:  The Gospel is taught                         Our Day: The Gospel is taught
Warnings are given.
Some heed the warnings though they are called foolish.
Others do not.
Many perish in a flood (of water)  (of filth)
Family comes through.

___________________________________

What was the world like at the time of Noah?
(Enoch's City translated not so long before.) 2900 B.C. ?
Flood 2500 B.C.?
What was being taught?

From Wayne 2007 - 

The Jaredite Barges

"An important clue is the statement in Ether 6:7 that Jared's boats were built on the same pattern as Noah's ark. . . . [But] the Bible is not the only ancient record that tells about the ark. . . . There are various versions of the Flood story floating about, all of which tell some of the story."³³
"The oldest accounts of the ark of Noah, the Sumerian ones, describe it as a 'magur boat,' peaked at the ends, completely covered but for a door, without sails, and completely covered by the waters from time to time, as men and animals rode safe within."³⁴
"The remarkable thing about Jared's boats was their illumination. . . . The Rabbis tell of a mysterious Zohar that illuminated the ark, but for further instruction we must go to much older sources: the Pyrophilus is traced back to the Jalakanta stone of India, which shines in the dark and enables its owner to pass unharmed beneath the waters; this in turn has been traced back through classical and Oriental sources to the Gilgamesh Epic, where Alexander's wonderful Pyrophilus stone turns up as the Plant of Life in the possession of the Babylonian Noah."³⁵

The Flood -- Purpose and Principles, Lesson 6

Purpose

To help class members desire to live worthily and avoid the evils of the world.

Principles:
We need to listen to and obey the Lord. (in the small things as well as the large -- plaque)
We can become heirs of rightnessness.
We need to follow and focus on Jesus Christ.
   This included being willing to work.


Listening, Obedience, becoming heirs of righteousness, focusing on Jesus Christ,
Moses 8:24 ^aBelieve and repent of your sins and be ^bbaptized in the name of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, even as our fathers, and ye shall receive the Holy Ghost, that ye may have all things made ^cmanifest;

Satan is real and seeks to make us miserable 

Brother Ladd: According to the Book of Mormon, the devil “seeketh that all men might be miserable like unto himself” (2 Ne. 2:27).
_____________________________________________

Hebrews 11:7
 7 By faith ^aNoah, being ^bwarned of God of things not seen as yet, ^cmoved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house; by the which he condemned the world, and became heir of the ^drighteousness which is by faith. 

7a
Gen. 6: 22.

  22 Thus ^adid ^bNoah; according to all that God ^ccommanded him, so did he. 

Commentary:  We have been warned of things not seen as yet.  Are we preparing?  Are we becoming heirs of righteousness? 

I wonder about "moved with fear." According  to a footnote in the Bible, the Greek word meant "being cautious, reverent."

As we become heirs, we open the way for our children to become heirs
What does it mean to be an heir of righteousness?
Psalm 36

  6 Thy ^arighteousness is like the great mountains; thy judgments are a great deep: O Lord, thou preservest man and beast.

  7 How excellent is thy lovingkindness, O God! therefore the children of men put their ^atrust under the shadow of thy wings.

Proverbs 10
  2 ^aTreasures of wickedness profit nothing: but ^brighteousness delivereth from death.

Proverbs 12
  28 In the way of ^arighteousness is life; and in the pathway thereof there is no death.

Proverbs 21
  21 He that followeth after ^arighteousness and mercy findeth ^blife, righteousness, and honour.

Isaiah 45
create ^bevil: I the Lord do all these things.

  8 Drop down, ye heavens, from above, and let the skies pour down ^arighteousness: let the earth open, and let ^bthem bring forth ^csalvation, and let righteousness spring up together; I the Lord have created it.
  (Contrast with the flood and its destruction when the skies poured down and the earth opened up.)

Jeremiah 23

  6 In his days Judah shall be saved, and Israel shall dwell ^asafely: and this is his name whereby he shall be called, THE LORD OUR ^bRIGHTEOUSNESS. 

Jeremiah 33

  15 ¶ In those days, and at that time, will I cause the ^aBranch of righteousness to grow up unto ^bDavid; and he shall ^cexecute judgment and righteousness in the ^dland.

 Matthew 6 -- See Nephi 13:33
  33 ^aBut ^bseek ye first the ^ckingdom of God, and his ^drighteousness; and all these ^ethings shall be ^fadded unto you.

How do we show thanks to the Lord?  

The Flood and Babel 

	The Flood	The Tower of Babel
Satan is real and seeks to make us miserable	2 Ne. 2:27	2 Ne. 2:27
We need to listen to and obey the Lord.	Gen. 6: 22.
We and our children can become heirs of righteousness.	Hebrews 11:7 Jeremiah 23:6  Lord of Righteousness   Jeremiah 33:15 branch of righteousness Enoch receives the promise of the Lord that Noah will come through his lineage -- his children will become heirs. . .
We need to follow and focus on Jesus Christ.
We should show gratitude to the Lord.