Welcome to March!
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March, Week 1
Day 1
Primary
1. Read Genesis 18 and Genesis 19:1-26.
2. Three holy messengers came to visit Abraham and Sarah, and repeated the promise that Sarah would have a son. They also told Abraham that God was going to destroy the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah because of the terrible wickedness of the people who lived there. After they left, Abraham was very worried. He prayed, and asked the Lord if he would spare the city if fifty righteous people lived there. Abraham asked for mercy on the people of Sodom, eventually getting a promise that if even ten righteous people were found there, God would spare the city from destruction.
3.The messengers who visited Abraham came to see Lot. For some reason, Lot was living in Sodom with his wife and daughters. I don’t know about you, but I wouldn’t want to live in the same city whose wicked king I was captured by, a city full of wicked people! That seems like it might have been a bad decision on Lot’s part. The angels warned Lot that the city was going to be destroyed.
4. When Lot didn’t leave fast enough, the messengers grabbed Lot, his wife, and his daughters by the hand and dragged them out of the city. They warned Lot and his family not to look back, and told them to run. What happened to Lot’s wife? (Genesis 19:24-26) Probably, Lot’s wife didn’t just look behind her, but instead wanted in her heart to go back to wicked Sodom, and possibly even went back, where she would have been destroyed with everyone else.
5. Listen to “Choose to Serve the Lord.”
Youth
1. Today, read Genesis 15:1-6, Genesis 17:15-21, and Genesis 18:9-14.
2. Abram was over 75 years old when he had his vision. At that time, the closest person Abram had to a child was a servant who was born in his house. The Lord had promised children to Abram in his old age, but Sarai and Abram were still unable to have children. The Lord commanded Abram to marry Sarai’s servant Hagar. Abram was 86 years old when Hagar gave birth to Ishmael. Since Hagar was Sarah’s maid or servant, Ishmael would have legally been considered Abraham and Sarah’s child. In this way, Sarah may have felt that the Lord’s promise of posterity was fulfilled. However, the Lord sent three messengers to visit Abraham and Sarah. Earlier, the Lord told Abraham that Sarah, who was around 90 years old at the time, would have a son Upon hearing the messengers repeat this promise to Abraham, Sarah laughed to herself in disbelief.
3. President Dieter F. Uchtdorf, then of the First Presidency, shared a lesson he learned about God’s promises:
God’s promises are not always fulfilled as quickly as or in the way we might hope; they come according to His timing and in His ways. (“Continue in Patience,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2010, 58)
Day 2
Primary
1. Read Genesis 21.
2. The Lord promised Abraham and Sarah that they would have a son, but Abraham was 100 and Sarah was 90 years old. They might have thought there was no way that this promise could be fulfilled. Read Genesis 21:1-7. What happened? Can we trust the Lord to keep His promises?
3. Listen to the first four verses of “Follow the Prophet.” That is only the first two minutes and forty seconds. These verses talk about Adam, Enoch, Noah, and now Abraham!
Youth
1. Read Genesis 19.
2. In 1986, the space shuttle Challenger took off with seven astronauts on board. Only 73 seconds after launch, the shuttle exploded. All seven astronauts died. An investigation found that the cause of the crash was a small rubber seal called an O-ring. Engineers had warned that the seal could fail in cold weather. However, the outcome seemed unlikely, so decision-makers ignored it. The Challenger space shuttle story is an example of how small things can have big consequences.
3. The Old Testament tells the story of how small decisions affected Abraham and his nephew Lot. When their servants began to argue, the men decided to divide their land and part ways. Where did Lot decide to live?
4. Eventually, Lot and his family moved to and “dwelt in Sodom” (Genesis 14:12; emphasis added). How do you think Lot’s decision about his tent is related to his family eventually moving to Sodom?
5. Elder L. Tom Perry (1922–2015) of the Quorum of Twelve Apostles taught:
Most of the problems that Lot later encountered in his life, and there were several, can be traced back to his early decision to position the door of his tent to look upon Sodom.
Abraham, the father of the faithful, experienced life differently. Certainly there were many challenges, but it was to be a blessed life. We do not know which way Abraham’s tent door faced, but there’s a strong hint in the last verse of the 13th chapter of Genesis. It reports, “Then Abram [or Abraham] removed his tent, and came and dwelt in the plain of Mamre, which is in Hebron, and built there an altar unto the Lord” (Genesis 13:18).
While I do not know, I personally believe the door of Abraham’s tent faced the altar he built unto the Lord. (“The Power of Deliverance, Ensign or Liahona, May 2012, 96–97)
6. What impact do small choices have on our relationship with God? President Thomas S. Monson (1927–2018) taught:
It has been said that the door of history turns on small hinges, and so do people’s lives. The choices we make determine our destiny. (“Choices,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2016, 86)
While Lot’s small choice led to disaster, Abraham’s small choice led to greater happiness.
7. President Jeffrey R. Holland of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles taught the following about Lot’s wife.
Apparently what was wrong with Lot’s wife was that she wasn’t just looking back; in her heart she wanted to go back. …
It is possible that Lot’s wife looked back with resentment toward the Lord for what He was asking her to leave behind. (“Remember Lot’s Wife” [Brigham Young University devotional, Jan. 13, 2009], 2, speeches.byu.edu)
*Day 3
*Primary
1. Read Genesis 22.
2. Watch the video about Abraham and Isaac.
3. Print a copy of the activity page for today. Try and match ways that Abraham’s willingness to sacrifice Isaac was like Heavenly Father’s sacrifice of Jesus Christ.
4. Listen to “He Sent His Son.”
Youth
1. Read Genesis 22.
2. God commanded the prophet Abraham to sacrifice his son Isaac. This commandment tested Abraham’s faith and obedience. Just as Abraham was willing to offer his son, God the Father willingly sent His Son to be the ultimate sacrifice for us.
3. President Dieter F. Uchtdorf, then a member of the First Presidency, described the love Heavenly Father has for His children:
Think of the purest, most all-consuming love you can imagine. Now multiply that love by an infinite amount—that is the measure of God’s love for you.
God does not look on the outward appearance. I believe that He doesn’t care one bit if we live in a castle or a cottage, if we are handsome or homely, if we are famous or forgotten. Though we are incomplete, God loves us completely. Though we are imperfect, He loves us perfectly. Though we may feel lost and without compass, God’s love encompasses us completely. (“The Love of God,” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2009, 22)
4. How can I feel God’s love for me? President Thomas S. Monson (1927–2018) explained:
Your Heavenly Father loves you—each of you. That love never changes. It is not influenced by your appearance, by your possessions, or by the amount of money you have in your bank account. It is not changed by your talents and abilities. It is simply there. It is there for you when you are sad or happy, discouraged or hopeful. God’s love is there for you whether or not you feel you deserve love. It is simply always there. (“We Never Walk Alone,” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2013, 123–24)
***
Day 4
Primary
1. Read Genesis 23.
2. Today is a music day! Listen to these songs.
Youth
1. Read Genesis 23.
2. Let’s think more about Abraham’s sacrifice of Isaac. It can be difficult to understand why the Lord would command Abraham to do something so challenging as sacrificing his son. President George Q. Cannon of the First Presidency said:
“Why did the Lord ask such things of Abraham? Because, knowing what his future would be and that he would be the father of an innumerable posterity, he was determined to test him. God did not do this for His own sake for He knew by His foreknowledge what Abraham would do; but the purpose was to impress upon Abraham a lesson and to enable him to attain unto knowledge that he could not obtain in any other way. That is why God tries all of us. It is not for His own knowledge for He knows all things beforehand. He knows all your lives and everything you will do. But He tries us for our own good that we may know ourselves.”
3.The Lectures on Faith state:
“Let us here observe, that a religion that does not require the sacrifice of all things never has power sufficient to produce the faith necessary unto life and salvation. … It was through this sacrifice, and this only, that God has ordained that men should enjoy eternal life; and it is through the medium of the sacrifice of all earthly things that men do actually know that they are doing the things that are well pleasing in the sight of God.”
4. Brigham Young University Professor Truman G. Madsen wrote about a time when he stood with President Hugh B. Brown of the First Presidency in Hebron, near the tomb of Abraham:
“I [asked President Brown], ‘Why … was Abraham commanded to go to Mount Moriah and offer his only hope of posterity?’
“It was clear that this man, nearly ninety, had thought and prayed and wept over that question before. He finally said, ‘Abraham needed to learn something about Abraham.'”
5. What is something you have been asked to sacrifice to the Lord in your life?
February, Week 4
Day 1
*Primary
1. Read Genesis 24.
2. Abraham was old, and he wanted to help Isaac find a righteous wife before he died. Abraham’s servant showed faith by trusting God’s guidance to find a wife for Isaac. The servant did not know how to find a good wife for Isaac, and so he came up with a plan and prayed about it. He would wait by the well and ask the women that came down for a drink of water. If a woman agreed to give him a drink and then also volunteered to get water for his camels without being asked, he would know he had found the right woman.
3. Almost before the servant was done praying, a woman came out to get water from the well. The servant asked for a drink, and she gave him a drink, then said she would get enough water for all ten of his camels to drink as much as they wanted. A thirsty camel can drink a bathtub full of water each! What kind of person would do that much work without being asked?
4. Print out the activity sheet and find the righteous characteristics that made Rebekah a good choice for a wife.
5. Listen to “Choose to Serve the Lord.”
Youth
1. Read Genesis 24.
2. Today many people make marriage a low priority or even consider it a burden. Abraham had a different perspective – to him, the marriage of his son Isaac was of highest importance. Why do you think it was so important to him? President Russell M. Nelson said,
“A couple in love can choose a marriage of the highest quality or a lesser type that will not endure. Or they can choose neither. … The best choice is a celestial marriage.”
3. Who did Abraham NOT want Isaac to marry? (Genesis 24:1-3) Why do you think that is?
4. Because the Canaanites did not believe in the Lord, no Canaanite woman would have been prepared to receive the responsibilities and blessings of the Abrahamic covenant and eternal marriage. The decision Isaac faced concerning whether or not to marry in the covenant is just like our choice today of whether to receive the marriage sealing ordinance in the temple.
5. The journey from Abraham’s location in the land of Canaan to Mesopotamia where his relatives lived was a distance of approximately 1,200 miles round-trip. It took a lot of time, money, and effort to go find a righteous wife for Isaac.
6. What characteristics did Rebekah have that would make her a a good wife?
Day 2
Primary
1. Read Genesis 25.
2. Because Esau was the oldest child in his family, he was supposed to get special responsibilities and privileges, called a birthright. One day when Esau was hungry, he traded his birthright to his brother, Jacob, for some food. Esau chose to trade something of great value, his birthright, for something of lesser value, some bread and a bowl of soup.
3. Sometimes we have to choose between things that are of great spiritual worth (going to church, keeping the commandments, attending the temple) and things that only give us temporary happiness (food, games, toys, watching tv). Is it hard sometimes to remember what is more important when we are “hungry” for physical things, like Esau was?
4. Watch the video about Jacob and Esau.
5. Listen to “Choose the Right.”
Youth
1. Read Genesis 25.
2. Isaac and his wife Rebekah wanted to have children, but she was barren. (That means she could not get pregnant.) Isaac prayed to the Lord, they were blessed, and Rebekah became pregnant. While she was pregnant, she felt ‘a struggle within her womb’ (fighting in her stomach) and prayed to know what was going on. Read Genesis 25:23 to see what she was told.
3. Read Genesis 25:24-28. Jacob and Esau were fraternal twins, with different appearances, personalities, and skills. See what it says about why Isaac loved Esau and Rebekah loved Jacob.
4. In Abraham’s culture, the oldest son in a family typically received a position of leadership and privilege, called the birthright. This son received a greater inheritance from his parents, along with greater responsibilities for caring for the rest of the family.
5. Pottage is kind of like soup. If Esau was really going to die from hunger, do you think his brother would have given him food without a price? Esau’s birthright included all the blessings of the covenant that Abraham made, to be a great nation with many descendants, to have a special relationship with God. Do you think selling that for some soup was a good idea? He must not have thought it was very important! Esau betrayed his birthright in other ways, like marrying Hittite women (women who did not have the Gospel covenants). He was not willing to do the hard work to find someone he could have an eternal marriage with.
6. Elder Richard G. Scott said,
Think of the long view of life, not just what’s going to happen today or tomorrow. Don’t give up what you most want in life for something you think you want now.
How can this quote help you make decisions in your day to day life?
Day 3
Primary
1. Read Genesis 26.
2. The covenant that God made with Abraham was supposed to continue through many generations, so it would need to be passed down to Isaac, then his son Jacob, and his sons. In this chapter we see that the Lord repeats his promises to Isaac.
3. Listen to “He Sent His Son.”
Youth
1. Read Genesis 26.
2. The covenant God made with Abraham was intended to continue through many generations, so Abraham and Sarah’s legacy of covenant keeping would need to be passed down to Isaac, Jacob, and other faithful women and men among their posterity. What are some of the blessings of the covenant that the Lord promised to Isaac? (Genesis 26:1-5)
3. You may notice that wells and springs and other water sources play important roles in many Old Testament stories. This isn’t surprising, because most of these stories happened in very dry places. As you read in Genesis 26:18-25, 32-33 about Isaac’s wells, ponder what water may symbolize in the scriptures.
4. Read John 4:10-15. What insights do you find about spiritual wells of “living water”? How are you digging spiritual wells in your life? How is the Savior like living water to you? Note that the Philistines had “stopped” the wells. Is there anything in your life that is stopping your wells of living water?
Day 4
Primary
1. Read Genesis 27.
2. When Isaac was old, he prepared to give Esau the birthright blessing, but Rebekah had a plan to help Isaac get it. Isaac was worried that tricking his father for the blessing was a sin, but Rebekah had received revelation and she knew that the blessing should go to Isaac. What was Rebekah’s plan? Did it work? How did Esau feel when he came back from hunting?
4. Watch the video about Jacob and Esau.
5. Listen to the first four verses of “Follow the Prophet.” That is only the first two minutes and forty seconds. These are the verses about Adam, Enoch, Noah, and now Abraham/Isaac/Jacob!
Youth
1. Read Genesis 27.
2. Although Esau had sold his birthright to Jacob, their father, Isaac, still had the responsibility to bestow the birthright blessing on one of his sons. Isaac intended to give the birthright blessing to Esau. However, Rebekah had previously learned by revelation that Jacob was to receive the birthright. (Genesis 25:23) Rebekah instructed Jacob to approach Isaac, who was physically blind, and present himself as though he were Esau so that Jacob could receive the birthright blessing. Jacob reluctantly carried out this plan and received the blessing.
3. After Isaac learned that he had unknowingly bestowed the birthright blessing on Jacob, he could have revoked the blessing and cursed Jacob. However, instead of revoking the birthright blessings from Jacob and bestowing them upon Esau, Isaac confirmed that the birthright blessing was given to the person the Lord intended to have it. (Genesis 27:33) Because the Spirit of the Lord was directing him, Isaac knew that he had given the blessing to the right son.
Day 1
Primary
1. Read Genesis 28.
2. In a dream, Jacob saw a ladder leading up to heaven – a way for him to return to God. The steps on the ladder can represent covenants we make with God, because these covenants help prepare us to return to His presence. Times that we promise to obey God, such as when we are baptized, take the sacrament, or go to the temple, can each be a step on this ladder.
3. Watch the video about Jacob and his family.
4. Listen to “Love One Another.”
Youth
1. Read Genesis 28.
2. Chapters 28 and 32 of Genesis tell of two spiritual experiences that the prophet Jacob had. Both happened in the wilderness but under very different circumstances. In the first experience, Jacob was traveling to his mother’s homeland to find a wife and, along the way, spent the night on a pillow of stones. He may not have expected to find the Lord in such a desolate place, but God revealed Himself to Jacob in a life-changing dream, and Jacob declared, “Surely the Lord is in this place; and I knew it not” (Genesis 28:16). Years later, Jacob found himself in the wilderness again. This time, he was on his way back to Canaan, facing a potentially deadly reunion with his angry brother, Esau. But Jacob knew that when he needed a blessing, he could seek the Lord, even in the wilderness.
3. You may find yourself in your own wilderness seeking a blessing from God. Maybe your wilderness is a difficult family relationship, such as Jacob had. Maybe you feel distant from God or feel that you need a blessing. Sometimes the blessing comes unexpectedly; other times it is preceded by a wrestle. Whatever your need, you can discover that even in your wilderness, “the Lord is in this place.”
4. On his way to Haran to find a wife, Jacob dreamed of a ladder stretching from the earth to heaven, with God standing above it. In the dream, God renewed with Jacob the same covenants He had made with Abraham and Isaac. President Marion G. Romney shared this thought about what the ladder could represent:
Jacob realized that the covenants he made with the Lord there were the rungs on the ladder that he himself would have to climb in order to obtain the promised blessings—blessings that would entitle him to enter heaven and associate with the Lord. … Temples are to us all what Bethel was to Jacob.
5. What other words and phrases in Genesis 28:10–22 suggest to you a connection between Jacob’s experience and temple blessings? As you read these verses, think about the covenants you have made; what impressions come to you?
Day 2
Primary
1. Read Genesis 29 and Genesis 30:1-24.
2. Jacob arrived at his uncle Laban’s house, and worked for him. He worked for his uncle seven years so that he could marry Rachel. Read Genesis 29:20. Romantic!
3. Once his time was up, Jacob asked Laban for his wife, but Laban tricked Jacob and sent Leah instead. Laban told Jacob he could marry Rachel, too, in exchange for seven more years of service. (He didn’t make him wait until the end of the seven years to marry her, though.)
4. When the Lord saw that Rachel was loved more than Leah, he blessed Leah with children and did not send Rachel any. Leah thought that having so many sons would make Jacob love her. Rachel did not have any children, but she had a plan. Rachel had a handmaid, Bilhah, who belonged to her. She gave her to Jacob as a wife, and any children that Bilhah had would belong to Rachel. It worked – Bilhah had two sons. Leah stopped having children for a while and got worried, so she gave her handmaid, Zilpah, to Jacob, and she had two more sons for Leah.
5. Leah’s son Reuben found mandrakes in a field. Rachel wanted them, because she believed they would help her get pregnant. She asked Leah to give them to her. Leah refused – if Rachel began having children, Leah wouldn’t have anything better than her sister. Rachel offered to send Jacob to Leah’s tent for the mandrakes. Leah had another son (over time, two more sons and a daughter) but the mandrakes did not help Rachel get pregnant.
6. After Leah had been given seven children, Rachel was able to have a son. It says that God hearkened (listened) unto Rachel. Rachel was probably praying for a son. She had probably been praying for the whole time – at least seven, perhaps more than ten years – without giving up. Sometimes we have to wait for our blessings, sometimes a very, very long time.
Youth
1. Read Genesis 29 and Genesis 30:1-24.
2. When Jacob arrived in Haran he met Rachel, one of Laban’s daughters. Laban – Jacob’s uncle – welcomed Jacob to stay at his house. Look at Genesis 29:16-20. What did Jacob want? What was he willing to do to get it?
3. After Jacob worked seven years to marry Rachel, Laban tricked him into marrying his older daughter, Leah, instead. Laban justified his actions by claiming that the oldest daughter should be married first. Laban told Jacob he could still marry Rachel after the weeklong wedding feast for Leah, but Jacob would have to agree to work for him another seven years. Jacob agreed to these conditions. (Don’t forget that the Lord approved of Jacob’s plural marriages.)
4. When the Lord saw that Rachel was loved more than Leah, that he blessed Leah with children and did not send Rachel any. Leah thought that having so many sons would make Jacob love her. Read Genesis 30:1 to see how Rachel felt watching her sister have child after child while she had none. She had a plan, however: Rachel had a handmaid, Bilhah, who belonged to her. She gave her to Jacob as a wife, and any children that Bilhah had would belong to Rachel. It worked – Bilhah had two sons. Leah stopped having children for a while and got worried, so she gave her handmaid, Zilpah, to Jacob, and she had two more sons for Leah.
5. Leah’s son Reuben found mandrakes in a field. Rachel wanted them, because she believed they would help her get pregnant. She asked Leah to give them to her. Leah refused – if Rachel began having children, Leah wouldn’t have any advantage over her sister. Rachel offered to send Jacob to Leah’s tent for the mandrakes. Leah had another son (over time, two more sons and a daughter) but the mandrakes did not help Rachel get pregnant.
6. After Leah had been given seven children, Rachel was able to have a son. (Genesis 30:22-24) It says that God hearkened (listened) unto Rachel. Rachel was probably praying for a son. She had probably been praying for the whole time – at least seven, perhaps more than ten years – without giving up. It is important to remember that even though God hears us, in His wisdom He doesn’t always give us exactly what we ask for, or when we ask for it. We have to be patient and trust that God will remember us.
Day 3
Primary
1. Read Genesis 31.
2. The Lord told Jacob it was time to go back home. Do you remember why he left? His brother Esau was angry that Jacob got the birthright blessing. How do you think Jacob felt about going back home?
3. Watch the video about Jacob and his family.
4. Listen to the song, “Help Me, Dear Father.”
Youth
1. Read Genesis 31.
2. Throughout history, the children of Israel attached great significance to their descent from one of the twelve tribes of Israel. Their lineage was an important part of their covenant identity. The Apostle Paul proclaimed that he was “of the tribe of Benjamin.” When Lehi sent his sons to Jerusalem to retrieve the plates of brass, one reason was that the plates contained “a genealogy of his fathers.” Lehi discovered that he was a descendant of Joseph, and his posterity’s understanding of their connection to the house of Israel proved important to them in the years to come.
In the Church today, you may hear about Israel in expressions like “the gathering of Israel.” We sing about the “Redeemer of Israel,” the “Hope of Israel,” and “Ye Elders of Israel.” In these cases, we aren’t talking or singing only about the ancient kingdom of Israel or the modern nation called Israel. Rather, we are referring to those who have been gathered from the nations of the world into the Church of Jesus Christ. We are referring to people who persevere with God, who earnestly seek His blessings, and who, through baptism, have become His covenant people.
Your patriarchal blessing declares your connection to one of the tribes of the house of Israel. That’s more than an interesting piece of family history information. Being a part of the house of Israel means that you have a covenant relationship with Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. It means that you, like Abraham, are meant to “be a blessing” to God’s children. It means, in the words of Peter, that “ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light.” (1 Peter 2:9). It means that you are one who “perseveres with God” as you honor your covenants with Him.
Day 4
Primary
1. Read Genesis 32 and Genesis 33.
2. Do you remember why Esau was angry with Jacob? (Esau sold Jacob his birthright blessing, and Jacob tricked their father Isaac into giving it to him.) After being away for about 20 years, Jacob was going to meet Esau again. How did Jacob feel? What did he to do get help? (He prayed.)
3. Do you ever fight with people in your family? What can we do to heal family relationships and remove anger? What can we learn from Jacob and Esau about forgiveness?
4. Listen to “Give, Said the Little Stream.”
Youth
1. Read Genesis 32 and Genesis 33.
2. As Jacob returned to Canaan, he was “greatly afraid and distressed” about how Esau would receive him (Genesis 32:7). Are there any relationships in your family that need healing?
3. How did Jacob prepare to meet Esau? What stands out to you about Jacob’s prayer found in Genesis 32:9–12? What do you learn about forgiveness from Esau’s example?
March, Week 2
Day 1
Primary
1. Read chapter 37.
2. Jealousy led Joseph’s brothers to make terrible choices. Their wrong choices hurt Joseph and broke their father’s heart. Why is it important to be happy for other people when good things happen to them?
3. Watch the video about Joseph.
4. Listen to “Love One Another.”
Youth
1. Read chapter 37.
2. What does it say in Genesis 37:3-4 about how Joseph’s brothers felt about him?
3. Elder Jeffrey R. Holland of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles taught the following about envy:
Brothers and sisters, there are going to be times in our lives when someone else gets an unexpected blessing or receives some special recognition. May I plead with us not to be hurt—and certainly not to feel envious—when good fortune comes to another person? We are not diminished when someone else is added upon. Furthermore, envy is a mistake that just keeps on giving. Obviously we suffer a little when some misfortune befalls us, but envy requires us to suffer all good fortune that befalls everyone we know! What a bright prospect that is —downing another quart of pickle juice every time anyone around you has a happy moment!
4. Joseph’s brothers envied and hated him. These feelings are counter to the righteous feelings and attitudes that God desires family members to have toward one another. President Ezra Taft Benson taught:
Your most important friendships should be with your own brothers and sisters and with your father and mother. Love your family. Be loyal to them. Have a genuine concern for your brothers and sisters. Help carry their load.
Day 2
Primary
1. Read chapter 39.
2. Joseph was sold as a slave into the house of a man named Potiphar. Potiphar saw that Joseph was good and that he did good work, so he put Joseph in charge of taking care of his house and money. Joseph was also a handsome young man, and when Potiphar’ wife saw this, she wanted him to kiss her. Joseph knew this was not right. One day when there was no one else in the house, Potiphar’s wife tried to make Joseph kiss her. Joseph ran away so fast that he left part of his clothes in her room. Potiphar’s wife was angry. She lied and told Potiphar that Joseph had tried to kiss her, but she shouted and he got scared and ran away so fast that he left part of his clothes behind. Potiphar believed his wife and was angry with Joseph. He sent Joseph to prison.
3. Watch the video about Joseph in Egypt.
4. Genesis 39:9 is a doctrinal mastery scripture!
There is none greater in this house than I; neither hath he kept back any thing from me but thee, because thou art his wife: how then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?
5. Listen to the song of this verse!
Youth
1. Read chapter 39.
2. When you are being tempted, Joseph’s example can give you encouragement and strength. As you read about his experience in Genesis 39, notice things Joseph did to resist temptation. For example:
- He “refused” the advances of Potiphar’s wife (verse 8).
- He recognized that sinning would offend God and others (verses 8–9).
- He “hearkened not” to the temptation, even though it continued “day by day” (verse 10).
- He “left his garment … and fled, and got him out” (verse 12).
3. With Joseph’s example in mind, consider making a plan for avoiding and resisting temptation. What are some temptations you face in your life? How can you avoid them like Joseph?
4. Genesis 39:9 is a doctrinal mastery scripture!
There is none greater in this house than I; neither hath he kept back any thing from me but thee, because thou art his wife: how then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?
5. Listen to the song of this verse!
Day 3
Primary
1. Read chapter 40.
2. One day Pharaoh became angry with his butler and his baker and threw them into prison with Joseph. The baker and the butler each had a dream on the same night. In the morning, they were very disturbed. When Joseph asked why, they told him their dreams, and he told them their meanings. He told the baker that in three days he would be hanged, but he told the butler that in three days he would return to Pharaoh’s house. In three days everything happened like he said. He asked the butler to tell Pharaoh about him, but the butler forgot about him and Joseph stayed in prison.
4. Listen to “Give, Said the Little Stream.”
Youth
1. Read chapter 40.
2. Sometimes bad things happen to good people. Life teaches us that lesson clearly, and so does the life of Joseph, the son of Jacob. He was heir to the covenant God had made with his fathers, but he was hated by his brothers and sold into slavery. He refused to compromise his integrity when approached by Potiphar’s wife and so was cast into prison. It seemed that the more faithful he was, the more hardship he faced. But all this adversity was not a sign of God’s disapproval. In fact, through it all, “the Lord was with him” (Genesis 39:3). Joseph’s life was a manifestation of this important truth: God will not forsake us. “Following the Savior will not remove all of your trials,” President Dieter F. Uchtdorf taught. “However, it will remove the barriers between you and the help your Heavenly Father wants to give you. God will be with you.”
3. Elder David A. Bednar taught, “Revelations are conveyed in a variety of ways, including, for example, dreams, visions, conversations with heavenly messengers, and inspiration.” The Lord used dreams to reveal truths to Joseph, Pharaoh’s chief butler and baker, and later to Pharaoh. The Lord also revealed to Joseph how to interpret these dreams. What can you learn from Genesis 40:5-8 about receiving and understanding revelation from the Lord?
Day 4
Primary
1. Read chapter 41.
2. Pharaoh had a pair of dreams that disturbed him (Genesis 41:1-7). In his first dream, seven fat, healthy cattle came up from the river, followed by seven thin, starving cattle. The seven starving cows ate the seven healthy cows. In his second dream, he dreamed that seven ears of plump, tasty corn came up on one stalk, and after that seven withered, shriveled ears of corn came up. Then, the seven thin ears devoured the seven full ears. He called all the wise men and magicians in the land to tell him what they meant, but no one could. Once all the wise men failed, Pharaoh’s butler remembered Joseph. Pharaoh called Joseph out of prison and Joseph interpreted the dreams with help from God
3.God helped Joseph understand that Pharaoh’s dreams were a warning to prepare for hard times coming in the future. God can warn us of danger, including spiritual danger. God warned Pharaoh to prepare for a time when there wouldn’t be food. Because he listened, all of Egypt was blessed.
4. Watch the video about Joseph in Egypt.
5. Listen to the song, “Help Me, Dear Father.”
Youth
1. Read chapter 41.
2. Two years later, Pharaoh also had some troubling dreams. (Genesis 41:1-7) In his first dream, seven fat, healthy cattle came up from the river, followed by seven thin, starving cattle. The seven starving cows ate the seven healthy cows. In his second dream, he dreamed that seven ears of plump, tasty corn came up on one stalk, and after that seven withered, shriveled ears of corn came up. Then, the seven thin ears devoured the seven full ears. He called all the wise men and magicians in the land to tell him what they meant, but no one could.
3. Once all the wise men failed, Pharaoh’s butler remembered Joseph. Pharaoh called Joseph out of prison and Joseph interpreted the dreams with help from God (Genesis 41:25-36). He said that there would be seven years of plenty (lots of food to harvest) followed by seven years of famine. Joseph suggested that Pharaoh gather extra food for each of the seven years of plenty and save it for the seven years of famine.
4.Pharaoh was so pleased that he put Joseph in charge of it. Joseph became wealthy and powerful, and was given a woman as his wife. He had two sons, Ephraim and Manasseh. The seven years of plenty passed, and famine descended not just on Egypt, but on many lands around. People began to come to Egypt from all around because it was the only place to buy food.
5. What blessings can come to us if we follow the counsel of prophets and inspired leaders to prepare ourselves and our families for the future? If we follow the counsel of the prophets and inspired leaders, then we will be better prepared to face difficulties.
March, Week 3
Day 1
Primary
1. Read Genesis 42 and Genesis 43.
2. There was famine in all the land. Jacob and his family needed food, and so he sent his sons to Egypt to buy some. He sent all of his sons except Benjamin, because Benjamin was the last child he had from Rachel, and his youngest son, and he was afraid something bad would happen to him. Joseph accused them of being spies, and they protested they were not. They told him about their family, their father and younger brother, to try and convince him. Joseph put them in prison for three days, then told them they could go home but must return with their youngest brother to prove that they were who they said they were. He made them leave Simeon behind in Egypt to make sure they would come back, and they left. Joseph had commanded his servant to secretly put the money they had used to pay for their food back into their sacks. When his brothers realized they still had their money, they were afraid. They told their father everything that had happened, and that they needed to take Benjamin to Egypt to get food again and to get Simeon back.
3. When they had eaten all the food from Egypt, they had to go back to get more. Jacob had his sons bring gifts for the Egyptian (Joseph) and had them bring the money from the first time plus money for the second time, in case their money had been returned by accident and they hadn’t paid. He agreed to send Benjamin, and his brothers promised to take care of him and bring him back safely. When they got back to Egypt, Joseph ate with them but still did not tell them who he was.
4. Listen to “Love One Another.”
Youth
1. Read Genesis 42 and Genesis 43.
2. Because of widespread famine, Jacob sent 10 of his sons to Egypt to purchase grain. There they met but did not recognize their brother Joseph. Joseph accused them of being spies, imprisoned Simeon, and sent the others back to Canaan with a charge to return with their brother Benjamin. Because the family needed more grain, Jacob reluctantly agreed to send Benjamin with his brothers to travel back to Egypt.
3. What evidence do you see in Genesis 42:21–23 that Joseph’s brothers were still suffering for what they had done more than 20 years previously when they sold Joseph into slavery and then lied to their father about it? Why do you think Joseph’s brothers would have felt guilt about what they had done to Joseph so many years earlier? The phrase “his blood is required” in verse 22 suggests that Joseph’s brother Reuben realized they would be held accountable for what they had done to Joseph.
4. Elder David A. Bednar said,
All of us have experienced the pain associated with a physical injury or wound. When we are in pain, we typically seek relief and are grateful for the medication and treatments that help to alleviate our suffering. Consider sin as a spiritual wound that causes guilt. … Guilt is to our spirit what pain is to our body – a warning of danger and a protection from additional damage.
5. Guilt can motivate us to repent, seek forgiveness, and avoid future sin.
Day 2
Primary
1. Read Genesis 44 and Genesis 45.
2. What did Joseph say in Genesis 45:4-15 to show love for his brothers? Why was Joseph able to forgive his brothers? What can we learn about forgiving our family from Joseph’s story?
3. Watch the video, “Joseph and the Famine.”
4. Listen to the song, “Help Me, Dear Father.”
Youth
1. Read Genesis 44 and Genesis 45.
2. It had been about 22 years since Joseph was sold into Egypt by his brothers. He had suffered many trials, including being falsely accused and imprisoned. When he finally saw his brothers again, Joseph was the governor of all Egypt, second only to the pharaoh. He could easily have taken revenge on them, and considering what they had done to Joseph, that might seem understandable. And yet Joseph forgave his brothers.
3. Joseph’s older brothers came to Egypt to buy grain during a famine but did not recognize him. Joseph recognized them, and he questioned them about their family under the pretext of accusing them of being a group of spies. By imprisoning Simeon, Joseph forced his other brothers into a situation where they would need to bring his younger brother, Benjamin, to Egypt. When the brothers returned for more grain, they brought Benjamin with them. As his brothers were preparing to return to Canaan the second time, Joseph devised a plan that would prevent them from leaving Egypt and framed Benjamin for theft of a valuable silver cup. In Genesis 44:17, what did Joseph say he would do with Benjamin?
4. What was Judah willing to do so that Benjamin could go free? (He volunteered to take Benjamin’s place as Joseph’s servant.) How does Judah’s behavior in these verses compare with how he and his brothers dealt with Joseph in Genesis 37? How does Judah’s behavior in these verses show that his heart had changed?
5. While we may not know how completely repentant Judah and his brothers were from this account, from Judah’s example we can learn a valuable truth regarding repentance for our own sins. Sincere repentance includes acknowledging our wrongs, turning away from sinful actions, and having our heart changed through the Atonement of Jesus Christ.
Day 3
Primary
1. Read Genesis 46:1-7, Genesis 46:28-34, and Genesis 47.
2. Joseph wisely administered the affairs of Egypt during the famine, saving the lives of the people and gathering great wealth for Pharaoh. Pharaoh invited Joseph’s father, Jacob, and his family to dwell in Egypt in the land of Goshen. When Joseph introduced his father to Pharaoh, Jacob blessed Pharaoh. In the scriptures it says that Jacob’s family included seventy people. They would have suffered very greatly and even starved to death during the famine. Because Joseph was righteous, he was in a position to help save all of those people.
3. Watch the video, “Joseph’s Brothers in Egypt.”
4. Listen to “Give, Said the Little Stream.”
Youth
1. Read Genesis 46:1-7, Genesis 46:28-34, and Genesis 47.
2. Jacob took all of his family and their possessions and traveled to Egypt. On the way, the Lord spoke to Jacob in a vision and told him not to fear settling his family in Egypt because He would be with him and would make of him a great nation. Both Jacob and Joseph had likely thought that they would never see each other again in this life. How might their reunion have strengthened their trust in God and His plan for their lives?
3. Joseph’s life probably went a very different direction than what he had planned, but because of his experiences in Egypt he was in a position to save his father and all of his family from starvation during the famine. God prepared a way for Jacob and his descendants (which we are told total seventy people) to have their lives preserved during a time of trial. Joseph recognized that although his experience in Egypt had been difficult, “God meant it unto good.” (Genesis 50:20)
4. Pharaoh invited Joseph’s father, Jacob, and his family to dwell in Egypt in the land of Goshen. When Joseph introduced his father to Pharaoh, Jacob blessed Pharaoh. Joseph wisely administered the affairs of Egypt during the famine, saving the lives of the people and gathering great wealth for Pharaoh.
Day 4
Primary
1. Read Genesis 48, Genesis 49:28-33, and Genesis 50.
2. Jacob blessed his sons and grandsons. Today we can receive priesthood blessings that give us comfort, healing, guidance, and spiritual strength.
3. After he blessed them, Jacob asked to be buried with Abraham and Isaac, not in Egypt. When Jacob died, his family took him to be buried there. Years later, when Joseph was an old man, he asked to be carried out of Egypt as well. His family put him in a coffin, and they would carry him with them when they were led out of Egypt years later.
Youth
1. Read Genesis 48, Genesis 49:28-33, and Genesis 50.
2. When Jacob was old, Joseph brought his two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim, to visit him. Jacob wanted to bless them. The blessings Jacob desired to give Manasseh and Ephraim were similar to patriarchal blessings because they described Manasseh and Ephraim’s future possibilities. Jacob was the patriarch of his family, which means he was the father or head of his family. As the prophet and presiding priesthood authority, Jacob was authorized to bestow blessings that were similar to what we know today as patriarchal blessings.
3. A patriarchal blessing contains a declaration of the recipient’s lineage in the house of Israel as well as guidance to help direct his or her life according to Heavenly Father’s will. Those who wish to receive a patriarchal blessing must be interviewed by their bishop or branch president and receive a recommend.
4. What happened when Jacob laid his hands on Ephraim and Manasseh’s heads? (Genesis 48:13-14) In Jacob’s day, a patriarch’s right hand usually was to be placed on the firstborn son’s head, symbolizing that the birthright blessing belonged to him. How do you think Jacob knew that Ephraim was to receive the birthright blessing?
5. Patriarchal blessings are given through the inspiration of God, but the promises in a patriarchal blessing are conditional on the recipient’s faithfulness. While serving in the Young Women general presidency, Julie B. Beck explained why an individual’s ancestry in the house of Israel identifies him or her to be of noble birthright:
In your [patriarchal] blessing, you are told about your ancestry in the house of Israel. That’s your family line and your family line is sometimes called a tribe. All of the tribes go back to the great patriarch Abraham. Your lineage is important. It means that you are included in the promises given to Abraham that through him all the nations of the world would be blessed.
March, Week 4
Day 1
Primary
1. Read Exodus 1 and Exodus 2:1-10.
2. Moses was an important prophet in the Old Testament, but he couldn’t have done his work if his mother, his sister, Pharaoh’s daughter, and other faithful women hadn’t protected and cared for him. Because of these and other faithful women, Moses was kept safe and would one day lead the children of Israel to safety.
3. Watch the video about Baby Moses.
4. Listen to “Give, Said the Little Stream.”
Youth
1. Read Exodus 1 and Exodus 2:1-10.
2. The invitation to live in Egypt literally saved Jacob’s family. But after hundreds of years, their descendants were enslaved and terrorized by a new pharaoh “who knew not Joseph” (Exodus 1:8). It would have been natural for the Israelites to wonder why God allowed this to happen to them, His covenant people. Did He remember the covenant He had made with them? Were they still His people? Could He see how much they were suffering?
3. One of the central themes in the book of Exodus is that God has power to free His people from oppression. Sometimes you might wonder, Does God know what I’m going through? Can He hear my pleas for help? The story in Exodus of Israel’s deliverance from Egypt answers such questions clearly: God does not forget His people.
4. Several women played critical roles in God’s plan to raise up Moses as a deliverer for the Israelites. Shiphrah and Puah (Exodus 1:15-20), Jochebed and Miriam (we know from Numbers 26:59 that Jochebed was Moses’s mother and Miriam was his sister) (Exodus 2:2-9) and Pharaoh’s daughter (Exodus 2:5-6, 10) all played a role. What did each of these women do to protect Moses?
Day 2
Primary
1. Read Exodus 2:11-25 and Exodus 3.
2. Moses killed an Egyptian that was beating an Israelite and ran away from Egypt. He found safety in the home of a righteous man and got married. Later Moses saw a bush that was on fire, but the bush did not burn up. The Lord spoke to him from the burning bush and called him to be a prophet and lead the Israelites out of bondage. Moses worried that he would not be able to convince Pharaoh to let the Israelites go, but the Lord promised to help him.
3. Watch the video “Moses the Prophet.”
4. Listen to “Love One Another.”
Youth
1. Read Exodus 2:11-25 and Exodus 3.
2. Moses fled Egypt after killing an Egyptian who was beating an Israelite. He found refuge in the home of a righteous man and married a righteous wife, Zipporah.
3. When Moses approached the burning bush, the Lord told him to remove his shoes as a sign of reverence. How can we show reverence for sacred places? What can we do to make our home a sacred place where the Lord’s Spirit can dwell? How can we show more reverence in other sacred places, like the temple?
4. Today we know Moses as a great prophet and leader. But Moses did not see himself that way when the Lord first called him. “Who am I,” Moses wondered, “that I should go unto Pharaoh?” (Exodus 3:11) The Lord, however, knew who Moses really was – and who he could become. See how he reassured Moses (Exodus 3:12).
Day 3
Primary
1. Read Exodus 4:1-23, Exodus 4:27-31, and Exodus 5.
2. Moses was not a good speaker, but his brother Aaron was. Moses told Aaron what to say and Aaron told the people what he had said. Together, Moses and Aaron went and asked Pharaoh to let the Israelites go three days into the wilderness to worship God.
3. Pharaoh refused and was angry. He said if the Israelites had time to worship God they must not have enough work to do. The Israelites made bricks with mud and straw. Usually the Pharaoh gave them straw to make the bricks with, but after Moses asked him to let them go he stopped giving them straw. They had to go get the straw themselves, but still make the same amount of bricks. They were not able to make enough bricks, and they were punished.
4. How do you think Moses felt when he saw that doing what the Lord told him to had made things worse for the Israelites?
5. Listen to the song, “Help Me, Dear Father.”
Youth
1. Read Exodus 4:1-23, Exodus 4:27-31, and Exodus 5.
2. Moses was not confident that anyone would believe he was sent by God to free the Israelites. The Lord gave him three signs to perform to prove that he had the power of God with him. What were they? (Exodus 4:1-9).
3. Moses also told the Lord that he was not a good speaker. (Exodus 4:10) What was the Lord’s solution to this problem? (Exodus 4:14-16)
4. In Exodus 5 Moses and Aaron asked Pharaoh to allow the Israelites to go into the wilderness for three days to worship God. Pharaoh refused and in fact made the lives of the Israelites even harder, by not supplying them with straw to use in brickmaking but requiring them to make the same amount of bricks as before. Because the people had to collect the straw themselves, they didn’t have enough time to make all the bricks, and they were punished when they failed.
5. How did Moses feel when he saw that following the will of the Lord had made things worse for the Israelites? (Exodus 5:22-23) Have you ever felt like doing the right thing made your life harder? How can we persist in doing God’s will when things get hard?
Day 4
Primary
1. Read Exodus 6.
2. In the Old Testament, Jesus is sometimes called Jehovah. Jesus was the one talking to Moses in this chapter.
3. Jesus promised Moses that the Pharaoh would let the people of Israel go. He said he remembered the covenant he made with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. He promised that he would free the people from bondage. How do you think Moses felt when he heard those promises?
4. Watch the video about the prophet Moses. This video includes something we will be learning about next week, the ten plagues.
Youth
1. Read Exodus 6.
2. Jehovah is one of the names of Jesus Christ and refers to the premortal Savior. The Joseph Smith Translation clarifies that the prophets Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob knew the Lord by this name (see Exodus 6:3, footnote c). Usually, when the phrase “the Lord” appears in the Old Testament, it refers to Jehovah. In Exodus 3:13–15, the title “I AM” is also a reference to Jehovah.
3. According to Exodus 6:4–5, why would the Lord deliver Israel? How might having faith that the Lord remembers and fulfills His covenants have helped Moses and the Israelites at this difficult time?
4. What message did the Lord want Moses to deliver to the discouraged Israelites? (Exodus 6:6-8) The Lord has power to redeem us from our bondage and to lighten or remove our burdens. In this context the word redeem means to free from bondage by paying a ransom.
5. What are some things that can put us in bondage today? (Examples might include ignorance, sin, illegal drugs, alcohol, tobacco, pornography, eating disorders, guilt, or doubt.) In addition to freeing us from bondage, what types of burdens can the Savior lighten or remove from our lives?
Go forward to April!
