Moses 1; Abraham 3: Lesson 6

Moses 1:27–42

“This Is My Work and My Glory”

Under the direction of Heavenly Father, Jesus Christ has created worlds without number. Heavenly Father’s greatest creations are His spirit sons and daughters. This lesson can help students feel gratitude for Heavenly Father and His work to bring immortality and eternal life to all His children.

Student preparation: Invite students to reflect on the vastness of Heavenly Father’s creations and the love Heavenly Father has for each of them. One way they could do this is to look at the sky on a clear night and think about how Heavenly Father feels about them among the many stars, planets, and galaxies He has created.

Possible Learning Activities

Begotten sons and daughters of God

Consider bringing a small container of sand and a small container of water to class. Ask a student to come to the front of the class and put his or her finger into the container of water and then dip the moistened finger into the container of sand. Alternatively, you could show students the following picture. Then ask students to estimate how many grains of sand are in this person’s hands.

Read Moses 1:27–29, looking for what Moses compared to sand upon the seashore and why.

• What stands out to you from this vision?

To help students appreciate the vastness of God’s creations, consider showing “This Is My Work and Glory,” available at ChurchofJesusChrist.org, from time code 0:53 to 1:31.

To help students contemplate themselves in God’s creations and to prepare their minds to be taught by the Holy Ghost, invite them to complete the following self-assessment.

Answer the following questions in your study journal:

• Why did God create the universe?

• Why did God create us?

• How do I feel about God and what He does for me?

Invite students to add to their answers throughout the lesson. Remind them that recording their thoughts in a study journal can help invite the influence of the Holy Ghost into their learning.

Heavenly Father’s work and glory

Read Moses 1:30, looking for and marking two questions Moses had as he beheld the earth and God’s begotten sons and daughters.

Moses 1:39 is a doctrinal mastery passage. Consider inviting students to mark doctrinal mastery passages in a distinctive way so they can locate them easily.

Read Moses 1:31–33, 39, looking for how the Lord answered Moses’s questions.

• What truths can we learn from God’s responses in these verses?

Among the truths students may find, help them identify God’s work and glory is to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of His children.

To learn what students understand about immortality and eternal life, you might ask them to share how they would define them. If useful, students could search “Immortality” and “Eternal Life” in Guide to the Scriptures or Topics and Questions on ChurchofJesusChrist.org. Alternatively, you could share the following definition:

Immortality means to live forever as a resurrected being. “Eternal life, or exaltation, is to become like God and live in His presence eternally as families” (General Handbook: Serving in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1.1, Gospel Library).

• How can the truth found in Moses 1:39 help you understand why God created the earth?

President Dieter F. Uchtdorf, then of the First Presidency, explained the purpose of God’s creations.

While we may look at the vast expanse of the universe and say, “What is man in comparison to the glory of creation?” God Himself said we are the reason He created the universe! His work and glory—the purpose for this magnificent universe—is to save and exalt mankind. In other words, the vast expanse of eternity, the glories and mysteries of infinite space and time are all built for the benefit of ordinary mortals like you and me. Our Heavenly Father created the universe that we might reach our potential as His sons and daughters. (“You Matter to Him,” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2011, 20)

• What does this statement help you understand about Heavenly Father?

• What does this statement help you understand about yourself?

Heavenly Father helps us receive immortality and eternal life

Consider placing students in small groups for the following activity. You could give each group a piece of paper and invite students to write the following questions at the top of their paper. Students could then write their responses under the questions. If possible, you might invite students to find a scripture that testifies of some or all of their answers.

• What have Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ done to bring to pass our immortality?

• What have They done and continue to do to help us obtain eternal life?

To help students learn for themselves, give them enough time to respond to the previous questions. Then ask them to add to their list by reading John 3:16 and the following statement by President Dieter F. Uchtdorf.

President Dieter F. Uchtdorf, the of the First Presidency, shared additional ways Heavenly Father brings to pass our immortality and eternal life.

[Heavenly Father] has given us the gospel and the Church of Jesus Christ. He has given us the plan of redemption, the plan of salvation, even the plan of happiness. …

• He has given us the priceless gift of the Holy Ghost. …

• He has given us 24/7 access to Him through prayers of faith and supplications of real intent.

• He has given us modern-day apostles and prophets, who reveal the word of God in our day. …

• He has restored His Church. …

• He has given us the holy scriptures—His written word to us.

• He has given myriad tools of modern technology to help us in our walk of discipleship. …

Why has our Heavenly Father given us so much help? Because He loves us. And because, as He said of Himself, “This is my work and my glory—to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man” (Moses 1:39). (“Our Father, Our Mentor,” Ensign, June 2016, 5)

Invite students to select a few of the ways that are most meaningful to them as they respond to the following questions.

• How can these help us progress toward eternal life?

• How have some of these ways helped you become more like Heavenly Father?

Invite various students to share one way they chose and their answers to the questions above. Look for ways to thank and validate them for their answers. If students do not naturally focus on the Savior, refer to John 3:16 and Mosiah 4:2, and ask students to share how the Savior helps them progress and become more like Heavenly Father.

Appreciation for Heavenly Father

To help students feel a greater appreciation for Heavenly Father and His work to bring to pass their immortality and eternal life, invite them to seek the Lord’s help as they respond to the following questions in their study journals. Alternatively, students could make a journal entry expressing their appreciation to Heavenly Father for what He does for them.

• What have you learned or felt today that you want to remember?

• How do you feel about Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ and what They do to help you return to Them?

Memorize

You may want to help students memorize the doctrinal mastery reference and key scripture phrase during this lesson and review them in future lessons. The key scripture phrase is “This is my work and my glory—to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man.” Ideas for memorization activities are in the appendix materials under “Doctrinal Mastery Review Activities.”

Additional Resources

How does The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints help bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man?

Sister Reyna I. Aburto, formerly of the Relief Society General Presidency, explained:

From the beginning, God has sought to gather and organize His children “to bring to pass [our] immortality and eternal life” (Moses 1:39). With that purpose in mind, He has instructed us to build places of worship where we receive knowledge and the ordinances of salvation and exaltation; make and keep covenants that bind us to Jesus Christ; are endowed with “the power of godliness” (Doctrine and Covenants 84:20); and gather together often to remember Jesus and strengthen each other in Him. The Church organization and its buildings exist for our spiritual benefit. (“We Are The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints,” Liahona, May 2022, 11)

How can I know Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ love me?

President Henry B. Eyring of the First Presidency shared:

Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ know and love you. They want you to return to Them and become like Them. Your success is Their success. You have felt that love confirmed by the Holy Ghost when you have read or heard these words: “For behold, this is my work and my glory—to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man.” (“Tested, Proved, and Polished,” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2020, 97)

Supplemental Learning Activities

Alternative beginning

To help students think about Heavenly Father and His work, you could invite students to make a list of things people do that they admire. This could include jobs, hobbies, roles, and so on. Students could discuss how these things could bring these adults joy.

You could then ask the following questions:

• What do you know about the work Heavenly Father does?

• What do you think brings Him joy in His work? (See 3 Nephi 17:20–21; Doctrine and Covenants 18:11–13.)

Students could then ponder their answers to the following:

• How well do I understand what Heavenly Father has done for me?

• How well do I recognize and show gratitude for what Heavenly Father does for me in my life?

Joseph Smith restored truths that were lost

To help students identify the important role of Joseph Smith in the Restoration of the gospel, they could read Moses 1:40–41. They could identify what the Lord asked Moses to do (write the truths in a book, the Bible), what happened to what he wrote (truths taken out of the Bible; see 1 Nephi 13:24–28; Moses 1:23), and how the Lord provided a way for those truths to come forth to us in our day (through Joseph Smith and the Book of Mormon [see 2 Nephi 3:6–15; Moses 1:41]).

Media options

“A Great Work.” The third verse of this song references the Lord’s work and glory as well as the youth’s connection to it.

“What is the Purpose and Meaning of Life? Now You Know.” You could watch from time code 0:23 to 0:58 to teach students about the connection between Moses 1:39 and Heavenly Father’s plan of salvation.

“Earthly Father, Heavenly Father” (3:59). This video helps students understand what we can learn about Heavenly Father through the eyes of earthly fathers.