Genesis 6–11; Moses 8: Lesson 19

Moses 8

Following the Savior in a Wicked World

The Lord called Noah to be a prophet at a time when the people were described as “being only evil continually” (Moses 8:22). Even amid so much wickedness, Noah and his sons chose to follow Jesus Christ. This lesson can help students better follow the Savior despite living in a wicked world.

Student preparation: Invite students to think about challenges or difficulties they face in following Jesus Christ in the world today. Ask them to come to class prepared to share what has helped them overcome the world and follow Jesus Christ.

Possible Learning Activities

Living in, but not of, the world

Begin class by showing students a bucket of water and a small dry object.

• Is it possible for an object to remain dry if it’s placed in a bucket of water? How?

  After students have had an opportunity to share their thoughts, place the object in a plastic bag or a sealed container, and place it in the bucket of water.

• How might this object lesson relate to our efforts to remain righteous in a wicked world?

To help students evaluate their current ability to live righteously in a wicked world, consider displaying the following statements. Invite students to ponder how true each statement is for them.

It’s hard for me to resist the enticements of the world and follow Jesus Christ.

I know where I can turn for help to remain faithful in a wicked world.

I spend time daily seeking to learn more about and to follow Jesus Christ.

Remind students that the Holy Ghost will show us what we should do (see 2 Nephi 32:5). Invite students to seek inspiration to know what they can do to remain righteous in an increasingly wicked world.

A wicked world

When the Lord took Enoch and his city into heaven (see Moses 7:69), Enoch’s righteous son, Methuselah, remained on the earth (see Moses 8:2). Methuselah’s grandson, Noah, and Noah’s three sons “walked with God” (Moses 8:27), while most people who remained on the earth chose wickedness.

Display the following instructions and chart on the board. Invite students to draw the chart in their study journals. Students could complete the chart in small groups.

Read Moses 8:12–22, 28–29, looking for the spiritual condition of the people in Noah’s day.

Then identify similarities between the spiritual conditions in Noah’s day and conditions we see in our day.

Spiritual Condition of Many in Noah’s Day	Similarities between Noah’s Day and Our Day

Invite groups to share what they found with other groups. Encourage students to add what their classmates share to their own charts.

If students need help, you could point out similarities like the following:

1. Like Noah’s granddaughters, some people today forfeit blessings God offers them through eternal, covenant marriage (see verses 12–15).

2. Some people today also fight against the prophet and reject his counsel (see verses 18–20).

Review Moses 8:16–17 to see what the Lord told Noah would happen if the people didn’t repent.

• How much time did the Lord give the people to repent?

• What can that teach us about the nature of God?

Following the Savior in a wicked world

To help students feel hope that they can follow the Savior in a wicked world, consider inviting a student to read the following statement.

President Russell M. Nelson shared how overcoming this fallen world is possible:

Because Jesus Christ overcame this fallen world, and because He atoned for each of us, you too can overcome this sin-saturated, self-centered, and often exhausting world. (“Overcome the World and Find Rest,” Liahona, Nov. 2022, 96)

• What would you use from President Nelson’s statement to help someone who feels overwhelmed by the wickedness around them?

Consider writing the following incomplete statement of truth on the board. Invite students to begin thinking about different ways they could complete it.

I can choose to follow the Savior in a wicked world by …

To help students discover ways they can follow the Savior in a wicked world, provide them with instructions below and copies of the accompanying handout. Students could work in groups. They could study the resources together, or group members could select different scripture passages and statements to study separately and then come together to discuss.

Choosing from the following resources, make a list in your study journal of things we can do to follow Jesus Christ despite the wickedness and temptations around us.

After groups have had sufficient time to study and create lists, consider having each group write on the board one thing they found to complete the statement of truth. For example, from Moses 8:13, 23–24, students might find listening to the Lord and His prophets, believing in Jesus Christ, repenting, and making covenants with God.

A few students could share why the things they wrote were significant to them.

Consider showing the video “Sharing Your Light” (2:56), available at ChurchofJesusChrist.org. In this video, a young woman follows the Savior despite the choices of others around her.

Pausing and reflecting on students’ unique backgrounds can invite a Christlike spirit of discernment, love, and empathy into your interactions with them. For example, based on their life experiences, some students may respond to the following questions differently than you would. Seek to understand their point of view, react with love and empathy, and compliment their efforts to follow the Savior. (For additional training on increasing your understanding of students’ unique circumstances, see “Seek to know them—understand their circumstances, needs, and strengths” in Teacher Development Skills.)

Ponder what you have done to help you overcome the wickedness around you. These actions might be the small and simple things you do regularly, goals you’ve worked on in the Children and Youth program, or other experiences.

• What have you done to help you better follow the Savior and overcome the wickedness around you?

• Were there any obstacles you faced in your efforts? If so, what did you do or could you do to overcome those obstacles? What advice would you have for others?

My plan to follow Jesus Christ

Help students think of ways they can follow Jesus Christ. You could do this by inviting them to respond to the following questions. You might encourage students to write their answers somewhere they will see them often or to share their plan with trusted friends, family members, or Church leaders. These suggestions can remind students what they’ve learned and want to do.

1. What have you felt inspired to do today?

2. How will following these impressions increase your ability to follow the Savior and overcome the world?

Consider concluding with student testimonies about what they have learned and felt today and about how following the Savior can help them overcome the world. You might also share your testimony.

Additional Resources

Moses 8:18. What can “giants on the earth” mean?

The Hebrew name for “giants” in Genesis 6:4 and Moses 8:18 is Nephilim, which comes from the verb naphal, meaning “to fall.” Therefore, these may have been people who had apostatized or fallen away from the true religion.

Moses 8:25. What does “it repented Noah, and his heart was pained” mean?

This verse is an important and inspired correction to Genesis 6:6, which reads, “And it repented the Lord that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart.” The Hebrew word used here, and translated repented in the Bible, is nacham (naw-kham), which means “to sigh,” “to be sorry,” or “to pity.”

How can letting others know what I believe help me live righteously in a wicked world?

Elder Peter F. Meurs of the Seventy shared:

In my experience, a key to survival in a wicked world is letting our friends and work associates know what we believe. I have been protected and defended many times by friends who know I am a Latter-day Saint and know what I stand for. (“Living Righteously in a Wicked World,” Ensign, Feb. 2018, 51)

How does God view my sincere repentance?

Elder Dale G. Renlund of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles explained:

When we discover that we are off the path, we can stay off, or because of the Atonement of Jesus Christ, we can choose to reverse our steps and get back on. …

No matter how long we have been off the path or how far away we have wandered, the moment we decide to change, God helps us return. From God’s perspective, through sincere repentance and pressing forward with a steadfastness in Christ, once back on the path, it will be as if we were never off. The Savior pays for our sins and frees us from the looming decrease in happiness and blessings. (“Choose You This Day,” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2018, 106)

Supplemental Learning Activities

Following the Savior

Students could search through some of the sections of For the Strength of Youth: A Guide for Making Choices to identify principles that can guide them to choose Jesus Christ. You could use this as an additional study idea along with the handout in the lesson.

The Lord fulfills His covenants

To help students see an example of how the Lord fulfills His covenants with His children, students could read Moses 7:50–52, looking for what the Lord promised (see verse 52). As needed, explain that the Lord took the city of Enoch to heaven because of the people’s righteousness (see Moses 7:69). Then you could read Moses 8:1–2 to see how the Lord fulfilled His promise. (The Lord did not take into heaven a righteous man named Methuselah so that Noah could be born as part of Enoch’s posterity.)

You could invite students to share how they have seen the Lord fulfill His promises to them in their lives. You might also invite students to read Doctrine and Covenants 1:38 and link it to Moses 8:1–2.

Video option

Consider sharing the video “Dare to Stand Alone” (4:20) to help students see examples of individuals following Jesus Christ in the world today.