Prepare your mind and heart to be taught by the Holy Ghost. You will be ready to learn when your mind is alert and your attention is focused on the learning experience. Do your best to show a willingness to be taught by the Spirit.
Begin your study with prayer.
How has your life been influenced by making and keeping covenants with the Lord? As you watch this video, think about blessings that come in this life and in eternity from keeping covenants.
Exodus 21–23 includes some of the Lord’s laws for the children of Israel. These laws were to help them keep the Ten Commandments and live peaceably with one another. Below you will read three examples of difficult scenarios that are addressed in these chapters.
Quiz 1
1. Match each scenario with the corresponding scripture reference.
A boy borrowed a donkey, and then someone stole the donkey from him. Is the boy financially responsible for the donkey? Does the boy need to compensate the owner of the donkey for the loss?
A woman has been treated very poorly by her neighbors for several years. They often ridicule her and her family. One day she discovers a cow belonging to one of her neighbors wandering by itself in the road. What should the woman do?
Two men became angry at one another and began to fight. One of them was severely injured in the fight and will be confined to bed for several weeks. What responsibility does the other man have toward the injured man?
Notice in Exodus 22:5 that the Lord expected His people to “make restitution” when necessary. To make restitution means to repair the problems caused by your actions.
What principle can we learn from Exodus 21:23–25 and Exodus 22:1–6 about what we need to do when we violate the laws of God and offend others?
Making Restitution
From Exodus 21:23–25 and Exodus 22:1–6, we can learn that if we violate the laws of God and offend others, then He requires us to make restitution.
Sometimes there may be situations in which it might be difficult to make restitution. Can you think of any examples?
President Boyd K. Packer (1924–2015) of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles addressed what we should do in these types of situations.
Image
Boyd K. Packer
“Sometimes you cannot give back what you have taken because you don’t have it to give. If you have caused others to suffer unbearably—defiled someone’s virtue, for example—it is not within your power to give it back.
“… Perhaps the damage was so severe that you cannot fix it no matter how desperately you want to.
“… Fixing that which you broke and you cannot fix is the very purpose of the atonement of Christ.
“When your desire is firm and you are willing to pay the ‘uttermost farthing’ [Matthew 5:25–26], the law of restitution is suspended. Your obligation is transferred to the Lord. He will settle your accounts” (Boyd K. Packer, “The Brilliant Morning of Forgiveness,” Ensign, Nov. 1995, 19–20).
Think about whether there are any situations in your life in which you feel you need to make restitution. Seek the Lord’s help as you do so, and follow any promptings you receive from the Spirit.
At Mount Sinai, the Lord gave the Israelites the opportunity to enter into a covenant with Him. This covenant would prepare the Israelites to return to the Lord’s presence and receive eternal life. The Lord had taught His people about the covenant, instructed them to sanctify themselves, and provided them with laws and commandments. The Israelites had followed the Lord’s instructions and kept His commandments. We must follow similar steps when we enter into a covenant, like baptism.
In Exodus 24:1–4 we read that Moses descended Mount Sinai and taught God’s law to the people, and they committed to obey it. Moses then recorded “all the words of the Lord” (Exodus 24:4).
Read Exodus 24:5–8, looking for what Moses did to help the children of Israel formally enter into a covenant with God.
You may remember that God had commanded His children to participate in the ordinance of animal sacrifice, which taught them about the Atonement of Jesus Christ.
The blood that Moses sprinkled on the altar represented the blood of Jesus Christ, which He shed for us. When Moses sprinkled blood on the people, it symbolized both the blessings of the Atonement of Jesus Christ through the covenant they had made and also the seriousness of those covenants.
What can we learn from this event about the blessings we receive as we make and keep covenants with the Lord?
Blessings from the Savior
From Exodus 24:5–8 we can learn that making and keeping covenants with the Lord helps us qualify to fully receive the blessings of the Atonement of Jesus Christ.
Sister Linda S. Reeves, former counselor in the Relief Society General Presidency, pointed out some of the blessings of the Atonement of Jesus Christ:
Image
Linda S. Reeves
“I testify that Jesus Christ is our Savior and Redeemer. Because of His atoning sacrifice, we can be washed clean weekly as we worthily partake of His sacrament. As we renew and honor our covenants, our burdens can be lightened and we can continually become purified and strengthened so that at the end of our lives we will be counted worthy to receive exaltation and eternal life” (Linda S. Reeves, “Claim the Blessings of Your Covenants,” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2013, 120).
2. Think about what you learned from Sister Reeves. How can the Atonement of Jesus Christ bless your life as you make and keep covenants with the Lord?
You may want to copy your response in your Notes on LDS.org.
In Exodus 24:12–18 we read that Moses went farther up the mountain to receive the law of the covenant, which was written on stone tables by God. Moses spent 40 days on Mount Sinai receiving additional instruction from the Lord. You will learn more about this instruction as you study Exodus 25–31 in an upcoming lesson.
The following truths were identified in this lesson:
If we violate the laws of God and offend others, then He requires us to make restitution.
Making and keeping covenants with the Lord helps us qualify to fully receive the blessings of the Atonement of Jesus Christ.
3. Share one thing you learned from this lesson that you feel is important to remember. You may also want to share your testimony of something you learned.
The Prophet Joseph Smith translated most of the Book of Mormon in 1829. When Joseph Smith was 13 and 14 years old, he wondered which church to join. The number 29 and ages 13 and 14 may help you remember the reference Isaiah 29:13–14.
