“March 20–26. Genesis 1–2; Moses 2–3; Abraham 4–5: The Creation,” Come, Follow Me: Living, Learning, and Teaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ, for Sunday School (2017)
“March 20–26. Genesis 1–2; Moses 2–3; Abraham 4–5,” Come, Follow Me for Sunday School
March 20–26
Genesis 1–2; Moses 2–3; Abraham 4–5
The Creation
In order to prepare your lesson, first read and ponder Genesis 1–2; Moses 2–3; and Abraham 4–5, and record your spiritual impressions. Come, Follow Me for individuals and families and the ideas below can help you understand and teach the doctrine in these chapters. As you study, think about the people you teach and how you can help them understand the truths taught in these scriptures.
Improving Our Teaching
Help learners liken the scriptures to themselves. The same gospel principles that inspired Adam and Eve, Abraham, Esther, and Job can help those you teach face modern-day challenges. Encourage learners to apply these principles to their own situations. (See 1 Nephi 19:23; Teaching in the Savior’s Way, 21.)
Invite Sharing
Invite class members to share their insights and discoveries. As you do, remember to keep the discussion focused on the doctrine and the scriptures. You might ask class members to share their favorite verses from this week’s reading and why those verses are meaningful to them.
Teach the Doctrine
Genesis 1:1–25; Moses 2:1–25; Abraham 4:1–25
Under the direction of Heavenly Father, Jesus Christ created the earth.
-
Members of your class may already be familiar with these verses. Consider inviting them to share what they learned about the Creation as they read. You could also show pictures of God’s beautiful creations while a class member reads Doctrine and Covenants 59:18–20—or invite class members ahead of time to share pictures they have taken or have in their homes. Invite class members to share what creations they are particularly grateful for.
-
Class members may have noticed differences between the accounts of the Creation in Genesis and Moses. Encourage them to share what Joseph Smith’s translation (in Moses) adds to our understanding of the Creation. To allow more people to share, you could divide the class into pairs and ask one person to read the account in Genesis while the other person follows along in Moses and notes any significant differences. Some of the verses that have important differences are noted in “Additional Resources for Genesis 1–2; Moses 2–3; Abraham 4–5.”
-
Youth might enjoy creating posters that represent each day of the Creation. Each youth could create a picture of what happened on one day. The youth may encounter ideas concerning the origin of the earth that are inconsistent with the scriptural account. What does the Lord want them to know about the Creation? Why is it important for the youth to understand the Lord’s messages in the scriptural account of the Creation? It may be helpful to share Doctrine and Covenants 101:32–34 as part of this discussion.
-
When God created Adam and Eve, He gave them dominion over the earth and the creatures on it. How do Doctrine and Covenants 59:16–21; 104:13–18 help us better understand what it means to exercise righteous dominion over the earth?
Genesis 1:26–30; Moses 2:26–30
We are created in the image of God.
-
Why is it important for your class members to understand that they were created in the image of God? How can you help them ponder this truth? You could read Moses 2:26–30 and Genesis 1:26–30 as a class and invite class members to share how this truth affects the way they see themselves, others, and God. They could find further insights in hymns such as “O My Father” or “I Am a Child of God” (Hymns, nos. 292, 301).
-
In the video “God’s Greatest Creation” (LDS.org), President Russell M. Nelson bears testimony of the amazing attributes of the human body (see also “Thanks Be to God,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2012, 77–80). How does this video deepen our gratitude for the truths in Genesis 1:26–30 and Moses 2:26–30?
2:48
Genesis 1:27–28; Moses 3:18, 21–25; Abraham 5:14–19
Marriage between a man and a woman is ordained of God.
-
Increasingly, the world’s views on marriage diverge from eternal truth. To help your class learn about God’s views on marriage, you might invite them to read the verses above and list on the board the truths they find. Which of these truths are reinforced in the proclamation on the family? How is this different from the way the world views marriage? Invite class members to role-play how they would explain our beliefs about marriage to someone who believes differently (see also “Additional Resources for Genesis 1–2; Moses 2–3; Abraham 4–5”).
-
Invite class members to share any helpful insights they found about strengthening marriage from these verses. What words and phrases teach about the ideal that God wants us to strive for in marriage? This could be a good opportunity for some married couples to share what they do to be a “help meet” to one another or to “cleave” to each other. For more information about this doctrine, see this week’s study outline in Come, Follow Me for individuals and families.
Encourage Learning at Home
Class members may know that the Fall brought sin and death into the world and separated Adam and Eve from God’s presence. Challenge class members to look for the blessings and opportunities that the Fall made possible for Adam and Eve as they study Genesis 3–4 and Moses 4–5 this week.
Additional Resources for Genesis 1–2; Moses 2–3; Abraham 4–5
Major differences between Genesis 1–2 and Moses 2–3
Marriage is central to God’s plan.
“We encourage all to bear in mind our Heavenly Father’s purposes in creating the earth and providing for our mortal birth and experience here as His children. [See Genesis 1:27–28; 2:24.] … Marriage between a man and a woman was instituted by God and is central to His plan for His children and for the well-being of society. … God expects us to uphold and keep His commandments regardless of divergent opinions or trends in society. His law of chastity is clear: sexual relations are proper only between a man and a woman who are legally and lawfully wedded as husband and wife” (“Church Instructs Leaders on Same-Sex Marriage,” Jan. 10, 2014, mormonnewsroom.org).
The following points may be helpful in explaining why the Lord’s prophets warn against anything that is contrary to marriage between a man and a woman:
-
Family is an eternal concept—we are all part of God’s family, and His plan is that men and women be married and sealed so that we can live as families for eternity (see Genesis 2:18, 21–25; 1 Corinthians 11:11).
-
As part of God’s plan, husbands and wives are commanded to multiply and replenish the earth (see Genesis 1:28) and nurture their children in righteousness.
-
The ultimate purpose of God’s plan is exaltation in God’s presence, where faithful husbands and wives may have eternal increase and eternal joy (see D&C 132:19–21). There is no other way to exaltation (see D&C 131:1–4).
-
The Lord expects us to treat with love and compassion those who advocate or participate in something other than God’s plan for marriage (such as cohabitation or same-sex marriage). True compassion includes doing our best to lovingly and patiently invite them to follow God’s plan, which is the only plan of happiness. To embrace or endorse alternatives to God’s plan is actually more harmful than helpful.
Music about the Creation
Singing or playing a recording of the song “For the Beauty of the Earth” (Hymns, no. 92) could help class members feel gratitude for the beauty of God’s creations.