“Assess Your Learning 2: Genesis 12–50; Abraham 1–2,” Old Testament Seminary Teacher Manual (2026)
“Assess Your Learning 2: Genesis 12–50; Abraham 1–2,” Old Testament Seminary Teacher Manual
Genesis 42–50: Lesson 37
Assess Your Learning 2
Reflecting on and assessing our spiritual learning can help us draw closer to Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. This lesson is intended to help students reflect on the goals they have set and the growth they have experienced during their study of Genesis 12–50 and Abraham 1–2.
Student preparation: Invite students to come ready to share ways they have grown spiritually from their study of the Old Testament and the Pearl of Great Price this year. You might suggest that they review their study journals or notes in their scriptures to help them notice their growth and learning.
Possible Learning Activities
Your class’s study of Abraham 1–2 and Genesis 12–50 may have focused on different outcomes than the outcomes assessed in this lesson. If so, adapt the activities to assess the growth students experienced from the outcomes your class focused on.
In this lesson, students will have the opportunity to assess their progress in the following three areas:
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Explain the importance of eternal marriage in Heavenly Father’s plan. (Note: This activity is based on teachings from Lesson 9: “Genesis 1:28–2:25” and Lesson 29: “Genesis 24.”)
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Feel an increased desire to make and keep covenants with God. (Note: This activity is based on teachings from Lesson 23: “Genesis 12, 17” and Lesson 31: “Genesis 28.”)
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Participate in the gathering of Israel. (Note: This activity is based on teachings from Lesson 24: “Abraham 2:9–11.”)
Becoming more like Jesus Christ
Identifying how they are growing spiritually can help students in their efforts to become disciples of Jesus Christ. To help them do this, consider displaying the following images. Alternatively, students could draw a picture of two trees in their study journals: a young tree and a mature tree.
Imagine that these are pictures of the same tree taken a few years apart from each other. In your study journals, list any evidence you see that the tree is growing.
Students could work in partnerships or small groups to share their lists and to answer the following questions.
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How can we compare these images of a tree to our spiritual growth to become more like Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ?
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What are some ways we can recognize how we are growing spiritually and becoming more like Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ?
Explain that we can identify spiritual growth by reviewing what we have learned about Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ and how it has helped us improve our relationship with Them.
Invite students to take a few minutes to review what they have learned and applied from their seminary experience this year. They could do this by looking through their scriptures and notes.
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What are you learning in seminary that is helping you grow spiritually and become more like Jesus Christ?
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What evidence of spiritual growth have you noticed in your life?
Explain the importance of eternal marriage in Heavenly Father’s plan
This exercise can help students explain the importance of eternal marriage in Heavenly Father’s plan. Invite students to turn to the image they may have drawn in Lesson 29: “Genesis 24.” Give students time to review what they learned about marriage in Lesson 9: “Genesis 1:28–2:25” and Lesson 29: “Genesis 24.”
Students could review any notes or insights they recorded in their study journals. They could also review the following verses and anything they may have marked in them:
Doctrine and Covenants 49:15–17
Doctrine and Covenants 131:1–4
To help students explain their understanding of eternal marriage, share a scenario like the following. You can adjust the scenario to meet the needs of your students.
Today at school, you were talking about future plans with some friends. You mentioned marriage as one of your plans. One of your friends asked: “It seems like you have a lot of potential for a career. Why do you want to get married?”
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Using what you have learned about eternal marriage in Heavenly Father’s plan, how would you respond to your friend?
Students might take a few minutes to plan their responses. Encourage students to find a few scriptures they have studied in the Old Testament or other places. Ask them to share those scriptures as part of their explanations.
Consider placing students in partnerships. Invite each student to practice explaining what they would say to their friend.
Feel an increased desire to make and keep covenants with God
Students may have drawn a picture of Jacob’s dream as part of Lesson 31: “Genesis 28.” They could refer to their pictures as part of their review of covenants. You could also display the following image. Invite students to recall what they remember from the event depicted about making and keeping covenants (see also Lesson 23: “Genesis 12, 17”). If helpful, students could review Genesis 28:10–21.
You might want to remind students that Jacob made covenants with God after leaving his parents’ home and starting life on his own. As part of Lesson 31:Genesis 28, students reflected on the opportunity they will have to make covenants with God in the temple. Students may have written answers in their study journals to the following questions:
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What promised blessings have you experienced from striving to keep your covenants with God or by serving in the temple?
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What situations might you face in the future where you would benefit from the care and protection God promises to people who make covenants with Him?
If relevant, invite students to review the answers they recorded. After sufficient time, provide students with paper and envelopes for the following activity.
Using what you have learned about making and keeping covenants with God, write a letter to yourself that you could open at the end of high school. Write about why you feel it is important to make and keep covenants with God in the temple and throughout your life. Include how making covenants with God can increase your access to His guidance, care, and protection.
Participate in the gathering of Israel
In Lesson 24: “Abraham 2:9–11,” students may have made a plan to participate in the gathering of Israel. If so, give students time to review their plans. Their plans may have included ways to share the gospel, to help others make or keep covenants with the Lord, or to bless others through temple and family history work. Students who haven’t yet created a plan can use the following visual to begin making one.
You may have made plans to participate in the gathering of Israel. Reflect on these plans by filling out the following graphic in your study journal.
Invite a few willing students to share what experiences they have had acting on their plans and how those experiences have affected them. Ask students to share how participating in the gathering of Israel has influenced their feelings for Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ.
Invite students to continue to seek the help of the Holy Ghost to know ways they can participate in the gathering of Israel. Encourage students who may not have acted on a plan to begin now. Testify of the blessings the Lord will give them and others as they carry out their plans.