Moses 1; Abraham 3: Lesson 4

Moses 1:1–11

“I Have a Work for Thee … My Son”

On a high mountain, Moses “saw God face to face and talked with Him” (Moses 1:2). God told Moses, “Thou art my son” (Moses 1:4) and “I have a work for thee” (Moses 1:6). The purpose of this lesson is to help students feel that they are children of God and He has a work for them to do.

Student preparation: Invite students to ponder or write what they believe their purpose is in life.

Possible Learning Activities

Something for you to do

Write on the board, “ (Your name), I have something I want you to do.” Ask students how they feel when someone tells them they have something they want them to do. Consider asking the following questions.

• Do you feel differently depending on who asks? Why or why not?

• How would you feel if it was God that was saying it to you? Why?

  Invite students to answer the following questions in their scripture journals.

• Do you believe that God has a work for you in this life? Why or why not?

• How well do you feel you know what God wants you to do?

• What do you think you would have to know about God and yourself for that work to be motivating?

As students study Moses 1 in this lesson, invite them to seek help through the Holy Ghost to know more about themselves, God, and what He wants them to do in this life.

The example of Moses

Invite students to find the book of Moses in the Pearl of Great Price. Explain that God revealed the Book of Moses through the Prophet Joseph Smith as he worked on the inspired translation of Genesis 1 through Genesis 6:13. It contains the words God commanded Moses to record (Moses 1:40).

Consider displaying a picture of Moses such as the following.

• What do you know about Moses and his life?

  If needed, explain that before the Lord performed miracles through Moses to lead his people out of slavery, Moses was born an Israelite (a member of God’s covenant people) but was adopted by a royal Egyptian family. Eventually he had to flee from Egypt to a new land to preserve his life, leaving the only family he had known.

• If you were in Moses’s situation, what thoughts might you have about the purpose for your life?

Some time after Moses had fled Egypt, the Savior appeared to Moses “face to face” (Moses 1:2). Jesus Christ, being one with Heavenly Father, spoke to Moses as if He were God the Father. Therefore, we can read these verses to better understand both the Father and the Son. Moses learned much about Heavenly Father and His relationship to Him that led him to do an important work. To help students discover what Moses learned, draw the following chart on the board. In this activity, students could copy the chart in their study journals or complete it as a class on the board.

Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ	Moses

Read Moses 1:1–11, imagining what it would be like to have this experience. On the chart, write what the verses teach about Heavenly Father, Jesus Christ, and Moses.

An alternative way to study these verses is to show the video “I Am a Son of God” from time code 0:00 to 2:49. After the video, you could invite students to read the verses, looking for important statements or details that were not in the video.

Invite students to share what they found in the scriptures as they completed the chart and why it may be important or meaningful to them. If needed, ask the following questions.

• What stood out to you about Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ? Why?

  As students share, look for ways to emphasize the greatness of God. You might ask students to point out phrases that highlight His power.

• What did God tell Moses in verses 4, 6–7 that also applies to you?

  Students might identify a truth like: We are children of God and He has a work for us to do. Consider inviting students to record this truth in their scriptures or mark phrases that teach it.

• How does knowing the greatness of God make being His child more meaningful?

• How might understanding that we are children of God help us understand our purpose or purposes in this life?

Note: It may be useful to know that, in the next lesson on Moses 1:12–26, students will study how Moses’s understanding of his identity as a son of God gave him power to resist Satan’s temptation. Also, the lesson on Genesis 1:26–27 in the following week will help students feel the importance of their identity and potential as sons and daughters of heavenly parents.

The work God has for us

To help students to ponder how God has an important work for each of his children, consider doing the following activity.

Draw three stick figures in your study journal. Learn about the work God had for the individuals in the following examples and label the stick figures. Then write the answers to the following questions next to or below each figure.

1. Moses. Look up “Moses” in the Bible Dictionary or Guide to the Scriptures.

2. Girish (a man born and raised in Nepal who found the gospel and eventually moved to Utah). Read the following or watch “I Have a Work for Thee” (10:25) from time code 0:18 to 1:12.

Years later, when more than 1,500 refugees from camps in Nepal were relocated to Utah, Girish felt inspired to help. With native-language fluency and cultural understanding, Girish served as an interpreter, teacher, and mentor. … A Nepali-speaking branch was organized, and Girish later served as its branch president. He was also instrumental in translating the Book of Mormon into Nepali. (John C. Pingree Jr., “I Have a Work for Thee,” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2017, 32)

1. A discouraged sister. Read the following.

One day, a discouraged sister pleaded, “Lord, what is my personal ministry?” He answered, “Notice others.” … Since then, she has found joy in noticing those who are regularly forgotten, and God has worked through her to bless many. (John C. Pingree Jr., “I Have a Work for Thee,” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2017, 33)

You could substitute the story of Girish or the discouraged sister with another modern-day example you know.

It may be useful to display the following questions on the board.

• What did the individual do to help others and bring them to Jesus Christ?

• Why might a loving God want them to do this work?

• How were they uniquely prepared to help? Or how did they help in a unique or personal way?

As students share what they found, look for ways to make clear that not all work the Lord wants us to do is big or grand, but it is always significant to the Lord and to those of His children we serve. The specific tasks and responsibilities the Lord may give us will help us take part in His work of salvation and exaltation (see Moses 1:39). There may also be tasks He wants to focus on now, but He may ask us to focus on something different in the future.

A work for you

Draw an additional stick figure and write your name below it.

Elder John C. Pingree Jr. of the Seventy testified:

To Moses, God declared, “I have a work for thee” (Moses 1:6). Have you ever wondered if Heavenly Father has a work for you? Are there important things He has prepared you—and specifically you—to accomplish? I testify the answer is yes! (“I Have a Work for Thee,” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2017, 32)

Consider inviting students to say a silent prayer and seek revelation from the Lord as they answer some or all of the following questions around the stick figure of themselves. It may be helpful to explain that students may not receive complete answers to these questions in class. Invite them to continue to ponder and pray about them.

• What am I already doing that may be part of God’s work for me in this life?

• What has God already revealed to me about what He wants me to do? (This could include priesthood blessings, callings, patriarchal blessings, and other moments of revelation.)

• How might God want me personally to do His work in my family? in my ward or branch?

• How might God want me to prepare to help others now or in the future?

If not too personal, invite students to share impressions or feelings they had as they studied today. Consider sharing your testimony and feelings about the principles in this lesson.

Additional Resources

Who is speaking to Moses in Moses 1: Heavenly Father or Jesus Christ?

President Joseph Fielding Smith (1876–1972) stated:

In all of the scriptures, where God is mentioned and where he has appeared, it was Jehovah who talked with Abraham, with Noah, Enoch, Moses and all the prophets. …

In giving revelations our Savior speaks at times for himself; at other times for the Father, and in the Father’s name, as though he were the Father, and yet it is Jesus Christ, our Redeemer who gives the message. (Doctrines of Salvation, comp. Bruce R. McConkie, 3 vols. [1954–56], 1:27–28)

Why is it important to know we are children of God?

President Russell M. Nelson taught:

My dear friends, you are literally spirit children of God. …

I fear that you may have heard this truth so often that it sounds more like a slogan than divine truth. And yet, the way you think about who you really are affects almost every decision you will ever make. (“Choices for Eternity” [worldwide devotional for young adults, May 15, 2022], broadcasts.ChurchofJesusChrist.org)

Moses 1:10. What is meant by “man is nothing”?

Moses learned that, compared to God, “man is nothing” (Moses 1:10). King Benjamin also counseled us to “always retain in remembrance, the greatness of God, and your own nothingness” (Mosiah 4:11).

President Dieter F. Uchtdorf, while serving in the First Presidency, taught:

This is a paradox of man: compared to God, man is nothing; yet we are everything to God. …

Brothers and sisters, the most powerful Being in the universe is the Father of your spirit. He knows you. He loves you with a perfect love. …

God sees you not only as a mortal being on a small planet who lives for a brief season—He sees you as His child. He sees you as the being you are capable and designed to become. He wants you to know that you matter to Him. (“You Matter to Him,” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2011, 20, 22)

Supplemental Learning Activities

An alternative beginning

For an alternative beginning, ask students to share how they think most youth would feel about the following statements and why.

• I am confident in who I am.

• I know my purpose in life.

Invite students to share why feeling confident and knowing their purpose can be difficult. Encourage students to ponder how they personally feel and seek the help of the Lord to answer these questions as they study this lesson.

“I have a work for thee” (Moses 1:6)

For an alternative way of helping students ponder what work God has for them to do, consider inviting them to substitute their name for Moses in verse 6. If you would like, you could also invite them to read Joseph Smith—History 1:33, looking for the same truth for Joseph Smith and substituting their name there as well. You might point out that Joseph did not learn what his work would be at this time, but the Lord revealed it to him little by little.

Share with them the following quote from President Russell M. Nelson.

Because there is a grand plan of salvation authored by Heavenly Father, does it not stand to reason that you also have a divine destiny?

Make no mistake about it: Your potential is divine. With your diligent seeking, God will give you glimpses of who you may become. (“Choices for Eternity” [worldwide devotional for young adults, May 15, 2022])

An additional example of doing God’s work:

If you would like to share an additional example of doing God’s work, or substitute it for one in the lesson, consider sharing the story of Priscilla Sampson-Davis in Ghana (“So That They Too Could Join in Singing,” Global Histories, Ghana).