“Moses 4:1–4: ‘Thy Will Be Done, and the Glory Be Thine Forever,’” Old Testament Seminary Teacher Manual (2026)
“Moses 4:1–4: ‘Thy Will Be Done, and the Glory Be Thine Forever,’” Old Testament Seminary Teacher Manual
Genesis 3–4; Moses 4–5: Lesson 10
Moses 4:1–4
“Thy Will Be Done, and the Glory Be Thine Forever”
In the premortal life, Heavenly Father chose Jesus Christ to be the Savior in His plan. Jesus Christ consistently obeys Heavenly Father’s will, even when it is hard. This lesson can help students desire to follow Jesus Christ’s example of obeying Heavenly Father.
Student preparation: Invite students to think about people they know whose examples inspire them to be more obedient to Heavenly Father. Ask them to come prepared to share.
Possible Learning Activities
Doing Heavenly Father’s will
To begin class, consider sharing a time when a teenager was asked by Heavenly Father to do something difficult. This could be a personal experience or one you’ve heard about. The following story is one example that you could use. Encourage students to think about times when they may have had similar feelings.
Brother M. Joseph Brough, formerly of the Young Men General Presidency, shared the following story about his daughter:
Young people, God requires hard things of you. One 14-year-old young woman participated in competitive basketball. She dreamed of playing high school basketball like her older sister. She then learned that her parents had been called to preside over a mission in Guatemala.
Upon arrival, she discovered that a couple of her classes would be in Spanish, a language she did not yet speak. There was not a single girls’ sports team at her school. She lived on the 14th floor of a building with tight security. And to top it all off, she could not go outside alone for safety reasons.
Her parents listened to her cry herself to sleep every night for months. (“Lift Up Your Head and Rejoice,” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2018, 14)
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If you were in this young woman’s situation, what would have been most difficult for you?
Reflect on the following questions:
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What is a hard thing that God has required or may require of you?
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How willing are you to do this hard thing? Why?
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What do you want to learn or feel in this lesson that could help you be more willing to do what God asks?
As students study Moses 4:1–4, they will learn about Jesus Christ and His willingness to do the hard things Heavenly Father asks. Encourage students to seek the help of the Holy Ghost to know how the Savior’s example can help them with hard things God may ask them to do.
The character of Christ
You may want to explain the information in the following paragraph to help students understand the context of the passage they will be studying today.
We lived in the premortal life with our Heavenly Father. While there, we were taught His plan to help us become like Him. Moses 4:1–4 contains an account of the Council in Heaven when Jesus Christ was chosen to be our Savior. In these verses, we see the character of Jesus Christ and Satan as they each respond to Heavenly Father’s will in different ways.
You might consider making a simple chart like the following on the board to help students clearly see differences between Jesus Christ and Satan.
|
Jesus Christ |
Satan |
|---|---|
Read Moses 4:1–4, looking for what you can learn about the motives and attitudes of Jesus Christ and Satan.
Invite students to write their insights on the board and discuss what they have learned. (Students might mention how many times Satan uses the word “I” and his desire to receive honor. In contrast, they might notice the Savior’s use of the word “thy” and His desire for the glory to be the Father’s. Students might notice how Satan “rebelled against” the Father and “sought to destroy the agency of man.” In contrast, they might point out the Savior’s desire to obey the Father’s will and accept the Father’s plan.)
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What do these verses teach you about the relationship between Jesus Christ and His Father?
One truth that students might identify during the discussion is Jesus Christ humbly obeys our Father in Heaven.
The following accounts about the Savior can help students learn from His example. Help students understand that learning more about the Savior’s obedience to the Father, even when it was hard, can increase our desire to follow His example.
Read the following accounts, looking for Jesus Christ’s constant desire to obey Heavenly Father, even when it was hard.
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Luke 2:49 (as a 12-year-old)
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John 8:28–29 (as an adult)
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Matthew 26:36–39 (in the Garden of Gethsemane)
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3 Nephi 11:10–11 (as a resurrected being)
Discuss with the students what they are learning about Jesus Christ from these examples. Then invite them to share other examples from the Savior’s life when He humbly obeyed the Father’s will.
Invite students to recall the hard thing in their lives they thought about at the beginning of class. To help them connect what they are learning about Jesus Christ to their lives, ask questions like the following:
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What did Jesus Christ say or do that could inspire someone to choose to obey Heavenly Father, even when it is difficult?
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Who do you know who is a good example of obeying Heavenly Father’s will? What have you learned from their example?
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What motivates you to obey Heavenly Father’s will, even when it is hard?
Following Christ’s example
The young woman from the story at the beginning of the lesson is Brother Brough’s daughter. If you shared his daughter’s story, tell students that she valiantly faced the three years her parents served as mission leaders in Guatemala.
Share the following continuation of her story, inviting students to look for Christlike attributes they see in her example. If you shared a different story at the beginning of class, consider sharing a follow-up, such as the story’s conclusion or another experience in the same person’s life. Invite students to look for Christlike attributes in that person.
Brother Brough continued:
At the conclusion of our mission, I asked my daughter if she was going to serve a full-time mission. Her answer was “No, Dad, I have already served.”
I was just fine with that! But about six months later, the Spirit awoke me in the night with this thought: “I have called your daughter to serve a mission.”
My reaction was “Heavenly Father, she has given so much.” I was quickly corrected by the Spirit and came to understand that her missionary service was required of the Lord.
I soon took my daughter to lunch. From across the table, I said, “Ganzie, do you know why we are here?”
She said, “Yes, Dad. You know I have to serve a mission. I do not want to go, but I am going.”
Because she gave her will to Heavenly Father, she served Him with all of her heart, might, mind, and strength. She has taught her father how to do a hard thing. (“Lift Up Your Head and Rejoice,” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2018, 14)
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Think about the verses you read about Jesus Christ today. How did this young woman follow His example?
Asking open-ended questions can help your students discover and apply gospel truths to their personal circumstances. Consider using questions like the following to allow students to express what they learned and how they can apply it to their lives. (For additional training on this, see “Learn the doctrine of Jesus Christ for yourself” in Teacher Development Skills.)
In your study journal, write a response to the following two questions, paying attention to thoughts or impressions from the Spirit:
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What have you learned today about Jesus Christ that can help you obey Heavenly Father, even when He asks you to do hard things?
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What do you feel impressed to do because of what you have learned or felt today?
Testify of Jesus Christ’s example and His ability to help us do what God has asked.