Genesis 12–17; Abraham 1–2: Lesson 24

Abraham 2:9–11

Our Responsibilities in the Abrahamic Covenant

Visit “Studying the Scriptures” to help prepare yourself spiritually to learn.

Abraham made a covenant with God. As with Abraham, we can help God bring the blessings of the Savior’s gospel to all the families of the earth. This lesson will help you act on the responsibilities the Lord has given to those who have received the gospel and made covenants as the seed of Abraham.

Study the Scriptures

In your notebook, record three words that you think describe you best. In what ways do these identifiers influence your behavior?

Elder David A. Bednar of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles taught the following about our identity:

You may enjoy music, athletics, or be mechanically inclined, and someday you may work in a trade or a profession or in the arts. As important as such activities and occupations can be, they do not define who we are. First and foremost, we are spiritual beings. We are sons [and daughters] of God and the seed of Abraham. (“Becoming a Missionary,” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2005, 47)

The Abrahamic covenant. In Lesson 23: Genesis 12; 17, you learned that Abraham covenanted with God that he would obey God’s commandments. God promised to give Abraham eternally profound blessings. All of God’s children who make and keep covenants with Him can receive the promises made to Abraham. They also covenant to fulfill significant responsibilities.

Abraham 2:9–11 is a doctrinal mastery passage. Consider tagging doctrinal mastery passages with the topic they teach so you can find them easily later. Memorize the reference and key scripture phrase “The Lord promised Abraham that his seed would ‘bear this ministry and Priesthood unto all nations.’” To help you memorize the reference and the key phrase, write the words in a scrambled order. Practice unscrambling them in the correct order.

Study Abraham 2:9–11, marking our responsibilities as the seed of Abraham. You may have discovered that as the seed of Abraham, the Savior has given us a responsibility to bless all the families of the earth with the blessings of His gospel.

You might want to link the following statement to Abraham 2:9–11. President Russell M. Nelson testified:

Ours is the responsibility to help fulfill the Abrahamic covenant. Ours is the seed foreordained and prepared to bless all people of the world. That is why priesthood duty includes missionary work. After some 4,000 years of anticipation and preparation, this is the appointed day when the gospel is to be taken to the kindreds of the earth. This is the time of the promised gathering of Israel. And we get to participate! Isn’t that exciting? (“Covenants,” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2011, 88)

Anytime we do anything that helps anyone—on either side of the veil—to make and keep their covenants with God, we are helping to gather Israel. (“Let God Prevail,” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2020, 92–93)

Take a few minutes to think of some ways the Savior’s gospel can bless families. How might you participate in helping families you know? Think of additional ideas as you complete the activities below.

Review the following study options. Complete one or more.

Option A

How can I prepare myself to participate in the gathering of Abraham’s posterity or the house of Israel?

Select one or more of the following invitations from President Russell M. Nelson. He gave these invitations to help youth prepare to participate in the gathering of Israel:

• Hold a seven-day fast from social media.

• Make a weekly sacrifice of time to the Lord for three weeks.

• Do a thorough life assessment to ensure you are on the covenant path.

• Pray daily that all of God’s children might receive the blessings of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

• Stand out and be different. Study and share the For the Strength of Youth booklet. (Adapted from Russell M. Nelson and Wendy W. Nelson, “Hope of Israel” [worldwide youth devotional, June 3, 2018], Gospel Library)

Option B

How can I help others make and keep covenants?

Think about a person you can help to make or keep covenants with God. It could be a family member, friend, or someone in your ward or branch. What do you feel inspired to do? How can you help them feel that they belong at church?

• Send them a gospel message through a text, a social media message, or a written note.

• Invite them to attend sacrament meeting or an upcoming Church activity with you.

• Share the Book of Mormon or For the Strength of Youth with them.

• Create a message about Jesus Christ that you could share on social media.

Option C

How can I help to gather Israel on the other side of the veil?

President Russell M. Nelson taught:

When we speak of gathering Israel on both sides of the veil, we are referring, of course, to missionary, temple, and family history work. (“Let God Prevail,” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2020, 92)

Use the My Family booklet (2018), available at ChurchofJesusChrist.org, or FamilySearch.org to learn more about family history.

On FamilySearch, you can use the “Ordinances Ready” feature under the “Temple” tab to find family members that need ordinances performed for them. Reserve a few ordinances and make plans to attend the temple to perform the baptism and confirmation. Or you can share the ordinances with another family member or with the temple.

If you are familiar with FamilySearch, you could teach others how to find and learn about their family. Think of someone you could teach. If possible, set up a time to visit with them.

Share Your Thoughts

Lesson Purpose: To help you act on the responsibilities the Lord has given to those who have received the gospel and made covenants as the seed of Abraham.

Share one or more of the following with your teacher or class:

• What you plan to do to keep the Abrahamic covenant.

• Something specific you did to achieve the purpose of this lesson.

• Any questions this lesson raised for you. How will you try to find answers to your questions?