“Genesis 12–17; Abraham 1–2,” Old Testament Institute Teacher Manual (2026)
Abraham on the Plains of Mamre, by Grant Romney Clawson
Genesis 12–17; Abraham 1–2
Abraham sought the Lord and desired to be a follower of righteousness. The Lord miraculously delivered him from being sacrificed to false gods. He covenanted to give Abraham land, posterity, and the blessings of the priesthood. The posterity of Abraham would have the responsibility to bless all the nations of the earth with the Savior’s gospel. This covenant is known as the Abrahamic covenant. As members of the Savior’s Church, we can receive the blessings and responsibilities of the Abrahamic covenant.
Additional Resources
Scripture Helps: Old Testament, “Genesis 12–17; Abraham 1–2”
Note: The “Introduction to the Course” provides guidance on how to use the standard lesson elements that follow.
Encouraging Personal Study
Before class, consider sending students one or more of the following messages or some of your own:
-
Despite his difficult upbringing, Abraham sought after God. As you study Abraham 1:1–19, think about how you can more fully seek the Lord.
-
What do you know about the Abrahamic covenant? As you read Abraham 2, think about what this covenant has to do with you.
-
Who do you know that is a peacemaker? What have you learned from their example? Ponder these questions as you study Genesis 13:1–12.
-
As you study Hagar’s experience in Genesis 16, think about times when God has shown you that He loves you and is aware of you.
Questions and Sharing
Provide time for students to ask questions and share insights and truths they discovered in their personal study of Genesis 12–17 and Abraham 1–2.
Learning Activity Options
Multiple learning options are provided for you and your students. Prayerfully choose which option or options will be most meaningful for your class. You could also seek input from your students.
Improving Our Teaching and Learning
Help learners seek, recognize, and act on personal revelation. Help your students recognize and act on personal revelation they receive from the Holy Ghost. One way you can do this is through the questions you ask, such as “What thoughts or impressions did you have as you studied these verses?” or “What has the Holy Ghost prompted you to do today?” To learn more, see “The Savior Helped Others Seek, Recognize, and Act on Personal Revelation” (Teaching in the Savior’s Way, 18).
How can I more earnestly seek the Lord?
Consider sharing the following statement by Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf:
Jesus taught, “Seek, and ye shall find” [Matthew 7:7].
I believe this simple phrase is not only a spiritual promise; it is a statement of fact. …
We rarely find something we are not looking for. (“A Higher Joy,” Liahona, May 2024, 68)
-
How can our lives become shaped by what we seek after? (Consider asking students to share some examples that illustrate this.)
Explain that the scriptures contain many teachings about what the Lord wants us to seek and what He wants us to avoid seeking. Consider displaying the following instructions and scripture passages.
Using a scale from 1 (not at all) to 5 (very much), evaluate how closely you feel each of the following scripture passages reflects your daily choices:
-
“Before ye seek for riches, seek ye for the kingdom of God” (Jacob 2:18).
-
“Thou shalt lay aside the things of this world, and seek for the things of a better” (Doctrine and Covenants 25:10).
-
“Ye have sought … for that which ye could not obtain; and ye have sought for happiness in doing iniquity” (Helaman 13:38).
-
“Draw near unto me and I will draw near unto you; seek me diligently and ye shall find me” (Doctrine and Covenants 88:63).
Explain that we can learn important lessons about seeking the Lord from the account in the book of Abraham. (If students are unfamiliar with the book of Abraham, consider reading together “Abraham 3. What is the book of Abraham?” in Scripture Helps: Old Testament.)
Invite students to study Abraham 1:1–7, looking for what Abraham sought after and the obstacles he faced. To help students share what they learned, consider asking questions like the following:
-
Why did Abraham need to “obtain another place of residence?”
-
What did Abraham specifically seek out and desire to have in his life?
Invite students to study either Abraham 1:15–20 or Abraham 2:8–13, looking for how Abraham was blessed for seeking after the Lord and His blessings. (It may be helpful to point out that Abraham 2:8–13 describes an experience Abraham had later in his life.)
After students have finished studying, invite them to discuss the following questions with a partner who studied the other set of verses:
-
How did the Lord bless Abraham in the verses you studied? What do these blessings reveal about the Lord’s character?
-
What did you learn or feel from this account that could help young adults today?
Invite a few students to share what they learned during their discussion with their partner. Students could identify a truth like the following: If we earnestly seek the Lord, we will find Him. Consider inviting students to mark Abraham’s words in Abraham 2:12 that reflect this truth.
-
What are some examples of how we can earnestly seek the Lord? (As part of this discussion, consider showing the video “Nourish Your Own Faith” [2:08].)
2:7 -
What advice would you give to someone who does not currently feel much desire to seek the Lord?
Consider inviting students to share an experience when they earnestly sought the Lord and how they found Him.
To help students apply what they have learned, you could display the following questions and give students time to record their responses.
-
What have you learned or felt today about seeking the Lord that you want to remember?
-
What is a goal you could set to help you more fully seek the Lord? How will you make sure that you act on what you feel prompted to do?
You could invite a few students to share their responses with the class if they are not too personal. Testify of the truths you discussed today.
What does the Abrahamic covenant have to do with me?
Consider displaying the image of Abraham found at the beginning of this lesson. Invite a student to read the following statement by President Russell M. Nelson:
To us the honored name of Abraham is important. It is mentioned in more verses of scriptures of the Restoration than in all verses of the Bible. Abraham is linked to all members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. (“The Gathering of Scattered Israel,” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2006, 80)
-
How is Abraham linked to all members of the Church? (If needed, point out that we speak of Abraham when referring to the Abrahamic covenant. Students could study Abraham 1:1–7, 15–19 to learn about the circumstances that led to God making His covenant with Abraham.)
Invite students to make a copy of the following table. They could complete the table as they study Abraham 2:6–11. You could also have them study “Genesis 12:1–3; Abraham 2:6–11. What is the covenant God made with Abraham?” in Scripture Helps: Old Testament.
|
What were God’s promises to Abraham? |
What do these promises have to do with me? |
|---|---|
What were God’s promises to Abraham? | What do these promises have to do with me? |
What were God’s promises to Abraham? | What do these promises have to do with me? |
What were God’s promises to Abraham? | What do these promises have to do with me? |
Students could summarize what they learned about the Abrahamic covenant with a partner. You could also ask questions like these:
-
What do these promises teach you about the attributes of Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ?
-
What do these verses teach about your responsibilities as a member of the Church today? (Using their own words, students could identify a truth like the following: As the seed of Abraham, we have the responsibility to bring the blessings of the gospel to all people.)
-
What are some ways you can fulfill your responsibilities associated with the Abrahamic covenant? (The following statement by President Russell M. Nelson could help with this discussion.)
The Lord has commanded that we spread the gospel and share the covenant. That is why we have missionaries. He wishes for every one of His children to have the opportunity to choose the Savior’s gospel and embark upon the covenant path. God wants to connect all people to the covenant He made anciently with Abraham.
Thus, missionary work is an essential part of the great gathering of Israel. That gathering is the most important work taking place on earth today. Nothing else compares in magnitude. Nothing else compares in importance. The Lord’s missionaries—His disciples—are engaged in the greatest challenge, the greatest cause, the greatest work on earth today.
But there is even more—much more. There is a huge need to spread the gospel to people on the other side of the veil. God wants everyone, on both sides of the veil, to enjoy the blessings of His covenant. (“The Everlasting Covenant,” Liahona, Oct. 2022, 9)
Consider inviting students to share experiences they have had participating with the Lord in the gathering of Israel. Encourage them to share how the Lord blessed them or others through these efforts. You could also share your own experiences.
Give students time to create a plan to fulfill their responsibility to gather Israel and share the blessings of the gospel with others. Encourage them to record their plan. You could follow up with students about their progress in a future lesson.
How can I be a peacemaker?
Invite students to think of a time when they disagreed with someone in person or online. Display the following self-evaluation, and invite students to silently assess whether they tend to be peacemakers during difficult conversations.
Answer the following questions using a scale of 1 (not true at all) to 5 (very true).
When I disagree with someone …
-
I am motivated by wanting to prove that I am right.
-
I seek to listen and understand where the other person is coming from.
-
I often tell the other person why they need to change.
-
I seek to compromise with the other person so we both have a good outcome.
Point out that after living in Egypt for a time, Abram (later called Abraham) and his family returned to the land of Caanan. Invite students to study Genesis 13:1–12 and identify why strife began among Abram’s people.
-
What stands out to you about Abram’s response to the conflict with Lot? (see verses 8–11).
Share the following statement by Elder Quentin L. Cook:
To have peaceful relationships, the lesson is clear: we should be willing to compromise and eliminate strife with respect to matters that do not involve righteousness. As King Benjamin taught, “Ye will not have a mind to injure one another, but to live peaceably” [Mosiah 4:13]. But on conduct relating to righteousness and doctrinal imperatives, we need to remain firm and steadfast. (“Personal Peace in Challenging Times,” Liahona, Nov. 2021, 91)
Invite students to share a truth they learn from Genesis 13 and from Elder Cook’s statement. Students could identify a truth like this: We can be peacemakers by being willing to compromise on matters that do not involve righteousness.
-
What can make it hard to be a peacemaker?
-
What can you do to be more of a peacemaker with the people around you?
It may be helpful to point out that being a peacemaker does not mean avoiding conflict at all costs, and it does not mean we should allow others to take advantage of us or harm us. To help students better understand how they can follow the Savior’s example of being a peacemaker, consider watching “Blessed Are the Peacemakers” (2:17) or “Peacemakers in Contentious Times” (2:42). Alternatively, you could give students time to study portions of President Russell M. Nelson’s talk “Peacemakers Needed” (Liahona, May 2023, 98–101). Students could share what they discover with a partner or together as a class.
Consider inviting a few students to share their answers to one or both of the following questions with a partner or small group:
-
What positive results have you seen as you made efforts to be a peacemaker?
-
How have you been blessed by the efforts of others to be peacemakers?
To conclude, consider displaying the following questions. Give students time to record their responses:
-
What are some situations in your life in which you could be a better peacemaker?
-
What is something you will begin doing today to be a peacemaker?
How can I know that God is aware of me?
Consider writing words like the following on the board: lonely, abandoned, invisible, misunderstood, ignored. Encourage students to think of the last time they experienced one of these feelings.
Invite them to study the experiences of Hagar and Sarai in Genesis 16 and consider how they can turn to the Lord for help when they feel lonely or unseen.
Explain that although Abram and Sarai (whose names were later changed by God to Abraham and Sarah) were promised by God that they would have a large posterity, Sarai reached old age without being able to have children. Sarai gave her handmaid Hagar to Abram as a plural wife to help fulfill the Lord’s promises of posterity. It may be helpful to point out that God commanded Abram and Sarai to do this (see Doctrine and Covenants 132:34; Genesis 16:1–3; See also “Genesis 16:1–3. Why did Sarai give Hagar to Abram as a wife?” in Scripture Helps: Old Testament).
Invite students to read Genesis 16:4–6 together, looking for what happened between Hagar and Sarai.
-
How might you have felt if you were in Hagar’s position? What about Sarai’s?
Invite students to study Genesis 16:7–16, looking for what happened after Hagar’s departure.
-
What do you learn about God from Hagar’s experience? (It may be helpful to point out that Ishmael’s name means “God hears” [see Genesis 16:11, footnote a], and that the name Beer-lahai-roi, mentioned in Genesis 16:14, means “The well of him who liveth and seeth me [see Genesis 16:14, footnote b].)
Students may identify a truth like this: The Lord hears and sees us in our trials and will help us through them.
-
What are some ways God shows that He sees and hears us?
Consider sharing the following statement by Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf:
You are not alone on this journey. Your Heavenly Father knows you. Even when no one else hears you, He hears you. When you rejoice in righteousness, He rejoices with you. When you are beset with trial, He grieves with you. (“Your Wonderful Journey Home,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2013, 127–28)
Invite students to reflect on times when they felt that God was aware of them and knew what they were going through. You could ask a few students to share experiences that are not too personal with the class.
You could conclude the learning activity by testifying that God sees and hears all His children in their trials and will bless them.