Institute
Lesson 4: Genesis 4–11

“Lesson 4: Genesis 4–11,” Old Testament Instructor’s Guide, Religion 301–2 (1994), 7–8

“Genesis 4–11,” Old Testament Instructor’s Guide, 7–8

4

Genesis 4–11

Scripture Content Outline

Supplementary Study Sources

  1. Genesis 4:1–15. The Effects of the Fall Were Manifest in the Family of Adam

    1. Adam and Eve began to have children (see Genesis 4:1–2; Moses 5:1–17).

    2. Cain rebelled against the Lord and murdered Abel (see Genesis 4:3–8; Moses 5:18–31).

    3. The Lord told Cain of his punishment (see Genesis 4:9–15; Moses 5:32–41).

Religion 301 student manual, 4-1 through 4-5.

Helaman 6:21–30. How did both Cain and the Nephites learn about secret combinations? (see also Ether 8:14–25).

Hebrews 11:4. Why was Abel’s offering “more excellent” than Cain’s?

TPJS, pp. 58–59, 169. Why did the Lord reject Cain’s offering? Did Cain hold the priesthood? (See also Joseph Fielding Smith, The Way to Perfection, p. 98.)

DBY, p. 104. Why did Cain kill Abel? (see also 1 John 3:11–12; Smith, Way to Perfection, pp. 100–101).

DS, 1:49; 2:280. Cain became a son of perdition.

  1. Genesis 4:16–5:32; 11:10–32. Both Good and Evil Were Perpetuated in Adam’s Posterity

    1. Wickedness flourished among Cain’s posterity (see Genesis 4:16–24; Moses 5:42–57).

    2. Righteous patriarchs were raised up in the lineage of Seth (see Genesis 4:25–26; 5; 11:10–32; Moses 6:1–25; 8:1–12).

    3. Enoch established the city of Zion, which was translated (see Genesis 5:21–24; Moses 6:26–7:21, 68–69).

Religion 301 student manual, 4-6 through 4-7; 4-24 through 4-27.

Moses 6:26–29, 37–38; 7:7–21. What was the condition of the people when Enoch went forth to establish Zion?

Moses 7:62–64. What relationship will the latter-day Zion have to Enoch’s Zion? How will that relationship be brought about?

Hebrews 11:5. What brought about Enoch’s translation?

4 Nephi 1:1–18. What conditions prevailed among the Nephites that are typical of a Zion society?

D&C 45:11–14. When will Enoch’s city return?

D&C 107:48–49. Important events in Enoch’s life are outlined.

TPJS, pp. 158–60, 231.What have all prophets sought for that we should also seek for?

TPJS, pp. 169–71, 191. The mission of Enoch and the doctrine of translation are discussed.

Spencer W. Kimball, in CR, Apr. 1978, pp. 119–21. The building of Zion through sacrifice and consecration is discussed.

Bruce R. McConkie, Ensign, May 1977, pp. 115–18. The establishment of Zion in our day is discussed.

  1. Genesis 6–10. The Wicked Were Destroyed by a Flood in the Days of Noah and Only a Remnant of Mankind Was Preserved

    1. Wickedness prevailed on the earth (see Genesis 6:1–7, 11–13; Moses 8:20–22, 28–30).

    2. The Lord preserved mankind through Noah but destroyed the wicked by a flood (see Genesis 6:8–9:7; Moses 7:42–43; JST, Genesis 6:18–20; 7:1, 20; 8:21–22; 9:10–14).

    3. The Lord established his covenant with Noah (see Genesis 9:8–17; see also JST, Genesis 9:15–25).

    4. The lineages of mankind were perpetuated through Noah’s family (see Genesis 9:18–10:32; JST, Genesis 9:26; 10:21).

Religion 301 student manual, 4-8 through 4-22.

Moses 8:16, 19–20, 23–24. What did Noah preach?

Moses 8:18, 21, 26. How was Noah’s preaching received?

Joseph Smith—Matthew 1:41–43. How does Noah’s day compare with ours?

TPJS, p. 251. How did Noah get the design for the ark?

MF, p. 248. What does the fate of the people of Noah’s day show about the dangers of procrastinating repentance?

  1. Genesis 11:1–9. The Nations Resulted from the People Being Scattered throughout the Earth from the Tower of Babel

    1. The people attempted to build a tower to reach heaven (see Genesis 11:1–4).

    2. The languages of the people were confounded, and the people were scattered over all the earth (see Genesis 11:5–9; JST, Genesis 11:5–6).

Religion 301 student manual, 4-21; 4-23.

Genesis 11:4–6. What motive did the people have in building a city and a tower?

Ether 1:5, 33. What was the origin of the Jaredites? In which time period did they originate?

Some Suggestions for Presentation

You are not expected to teach everything in the scripture content outline. Select those concepts that you feel will be the most helpful to your students.

The Conflict between Righteousness and Wickedness (Sections A–C)

This lesson covers almost two thousand years of the earth’s history. Because of the length of the time period covered, it might be well to use this lesson to give an overview of the whole era. The events of this period dramatically illustrate the war between good and evil upon the earth. Indeed, the “war in heaven” (Revelation 12:7) has continued upon the earth. Review Moses 5:5–15. As soon as Adam and Eve taught the gospel to their children, Satan spread lies among them and turned many toward evil, even before Cain and Abel were born (see Moses 5:16–17). Show that the conflict between good and evil continued.

Contrasts

Reference

Abel

Cain

Genesis 4:1–8; Moses 5:16–33

Seth’s posterity

Cain’s posterity

Genesis 4:16–26; Moses 5:42–6:23

Enoch and his city

People of the world in Enoch’s time

Genesis 5:21–24; Moses 6:26–47; 7:5–21

The righteous caught up into Zion

Nations of the earth after Enoch was translated

Moses 7:22–27

Noah and his family

People of the world destroyed by the Flood

Genesis 6:1–13; 7:1; Moses 8:13–30

The family of Jared

Nimrod and the people who built the tower of Babel

Genesis 11:1–9; Ether 1:33–43

Read with the students the Lord’s statements about the last days (see Matthew 24:36–39; or Joseph Smith-Matthew 1:41–43). Using Genesis 6:1–4, 11–13 and Moses 8:14–30, compare conditions in Noah’s day with those in our day (use specific examples from news broadcasts, newspapers, magazines, and so on). Read Elder Spencer W. Kimball’s statement about the foolishness of the people in Noah’s time (see The Miracle of Forgiveness, p. 248), and discuss the implications for us. Testify of the preparation that will be necessary for us to endure times of tribulation. Use the following statement by Elder Ezra Taft Benson as one example of the preparation required: “The revelation to store food may be as essential to our temporal salvation today as boarding the ark was to the people in the days of Noah” (in Conference Report, Oct. 1973, p. 91). If we may preserve our physical lives by following the counsel of the prophets, how much more important is it to save ourselves from spiritual death by following the counsel of the prophets?

Establishing Zion (Section B)

Develop the following points:

  1. Adam and all the holy prophets sought to prepare their people to see God.

  2. Enoch and his people established Zion during a period of extreme wickedness.

  3. Prophets in the last dispensation have the same goal of establishing Zion (see Religion 301 student manual, 4-27).

  4. Our charge today is to overcome the wickedness of the world and become a people able to live the laws of Zion (see Spencer W. Kimball, in Conference Report, Apr. 1978, pp. 121–24).

Discuss the establishment of Zion by Enoch and the establishment of a latter-day Zion in our dispensation before the coming of Christ. This latter-day Zion will be united with Enoch’s Zion and will be the Lord’s abode during the Millennium (see Moses 7:62–65). Point out that the Zion of Enoch’s time was established in a day of great wickedness such as will also be the case in our time. Transparency 4 illustrates the parallels between our dispensation and the dispensation of Enoch.

Discuss what will be required of the Saints to establish the latter-day Zion. Use President Spencer W. Kimball’s talk given in the welfare session of general conference on 1 April 1978 (in Conference Report, Apr. 1978, pp. 119–24).