Text

Why did they live for so long?

Bruce R. McConkie

Quorum of the Twelve (The Millennial Messiah, p.578) “Disease and plagues were not then as common and horrendous as they are now. The physical bodies of earth's inhabitants had not yet degenerated to the disease ridden, germ-governed shells of their former glory that is now the norm.”

Genesis 1-4; Moses 1-6

Text

Text

Moses 5:6-8

Genesis 1-4; Moses 1-6

Elder Carlos E. Asay

Quorum of the Seventy

(Ensign, Aug 1997, 19) “Prior to their expulsion from the Garden of Eden, Adam and Eve were clad in sacred clothing. [See Moses 4:27; Gen. 3:21] They received this clothing in a context of instruction on the Atonement, sacrifice, repentance, and forgiveness (see Moses 5:5–8). context.

The temple garment given to Latter-day Saints is provided in a similar

Elder Carlos E. Asay

Quorum of the Seventy

(Ensign, Aug 1997, 19) “It is given to remind wearers of the continuing need for repentance, the need to honor binding covenants made in the house of the Lord, and the need to cherish and share virtue in our daily living so that promised blessings may be claimed.”

Genesis 1-4; Moses 1-6

Ezra Taft Benson

Quorum of the Twelve (Ensign, Aug. 1985, pp. 6-10) “To enter into the order of the Son of God is the equivalent today of entering into the fullness of the Melchizedek Priesthood, which is only received in the house of the Lord….

“Adam and his descendants entered into the priesthood order of God. Today we would say they went to the House of the Lord and received their blessings.”

Genesis 1-4; Moses 1-6

Spencer W. Kimball

President (" The Lord's Plan for Men and Women ," Ensign, Oct 1975, 2) “Now, this man and this woman were sealed for eternity, God being the sealer. He gave to Adam his wife, Eve.”

Inside the Garden, Adam and Eve were:  Married for eternity (Gen. 2:25)  Clothed with aprons of fig-leaves (Gen. 3:7)  Clothed in a garment of skins (Gen. 3:21)  Given the Key words of the priesthood (Abraham, facsimile #2, Fig. 3 explanation) Outside the Garden, Adam and Eve were:  Baptized & Confirmed (Moses 6:64-65)  Endowment Completed (Moses 6:67)  Sealed into the Family of God (Moses 6:68)

Ancient Temple Pattern

Text The Fall = Cut off from God’s Presence

Text The Atonement = Regaining God’s Presence

The Presence of God

(Celestial)

Paradisiacal State

(Terrestrial)

Lone and Dreary World

(Telestial)

What’s the Turning Point?

The Offering of a Lamb

Our Only Hope

The Overarching Temple Message:

Through the sacrifice of the Lamb of God we can regain God’s presence and be sealed into His family.

Paradisiacal State

(Terrestrial)

The Presence of God

(Celestial)

Robert D. Hales

Quorum of the Twelve (Return: Four Phases of Our Mortal Journey Home, p. 246-247)

“[E]verything in the temple is founded in the Atonement.”

“The basis for every temple ordinance and covenant—the heart of the plan of salvation— is the Atonement of Jesus Christ.”

Russell M. Nelson

Quorum of the Twelve ("Personal Preparation for Temple Blessings," Ensign, May 2001, 32)

How to Regain God’s Presence

(Recap of Moses 5:5-8; 6:50-68 ) 1. Law of Obedience 2. Law of Sacrifice 3. Law of the Gospel • Believe • • Repent Be baptized • Receive the Holy Ghost 4. Call upon God in the name of the Son 5. Enter into “the Order” of the Son of God • ie. Receive all of the Temple Ordinances

The priesthood blessings come by inheritance. They were passed down from Adam “by lineage” (D&C 107:40-41)

Genesis 11-50

Where’s the Author’s Emphasis?

Genesis 1-11 covers about 2,000 years • • 20 Generations (from Adam to Abraham) 16 pages Genesis 11-50 covers about 300 years • 4 Generations (from Abraham to Joseph) • 61 pages Genesis 11-25 . Abraham’s story.

• 21 pages

Genesis 12-22

God Establishes “the Covenant” with Abraham Abraham 1:17, 19 • • You are my son; I am thy God Genesis 12:2-3, 7; Abr. 2:9-11, 18-19 I will make of thee a great nation • • • • I will bless them that bless thee and curse them that curse thee. In thee and thy seed shall all the families of the earth be blessed with the blessing of the Gospel & Eternal Life I will give the land of Canaan to you and your seed Your posterity will have a right to the priesthood and the priesthood blessings (ordinances & covenants)

Genesis 12-22

God Establishes “the Covenant” with Abraham Genesis 13:14-17 • I will give you & your seed the land of Canaan forever • I will make thy seed in number as the dust of the earth Genesis 15:1-21 (note the JST) • • • You will have seed as numerous as the stars I will give you the land Canaan as an eternal inheritance.

Your posterity will come into this land in four generations Genesis 17:1-14 (note the JST) • • • Thou shalt be a father of many nations.

Kings shall come of thee. God establishes the covenant of circumcision. Genesis 22:16-18 • The covenant is made “sure”

Genesis 24

Why does Covenant Marriage Matter?

Bruce R. McConkie

Quorum of the Twelve ("The Promises Made To The Fathers," in Studies in

Scripture: Vol. Three The

Old Testament, p. 61) “And so I go to the Salt Lake Temple and marry my wife for time and for all eternity, and so begins a new kingdom of God…. And I have been given through that ordinance every promise that Abraham received . It is given on conditional basis. We must be true and faithful and keep the covenant that we make in the temple, but if we are faithful, we will receive the blessings.”

Why does Covenant Marriage Matter?

Bruce R. McConkie

Quorum of the Twelve (A New Witness for the Articles of Faith, p.539) “The crowning blessings of the gospel are received in temples.... It is in these holy houses that faithful couples enter into the ordinance of celestial marriage through which they become parties to the Abrahamic covenant , the covenant of eternal increase, the covenant that in them and in their seed all generations shall be blessed.”

How does Rebekah feel about Motherhood?

Genesis 24:60 Genesis 27:46

Neil L. Andersen

Quorum of the Twelve

(Ensign, Nov. 2011) Quoting from a Mom’s blog: “[Growing] up in this culture, it is very hard to get a biblical perspective on motherhood. … Children rank way below college. Below world travel for sure. Below the ability to go out at night at your leisure. Below honing your body at the gym. Below any job you may have or hope to get.” She then adds: “Motherhood is not a hobby, it is a calling. You do not collect children because you find them cuter than stamps. It is not something to do if you can squeeze the time in. It is what God gave you time for.”

Remember…

“

Abraham

,…

Isaac

,… and

Jacob

… have entered into their exaltation,… and sit upon thrones, and … are gods.” ~D&C 132:37

Elder David A. Bednar

(Ricks College Education Week, June 4, 1998)

“Esau gave up his birthright blessing for a bowl of red bean soup.”

Elder David A. Bednar

(Ricks College Education Week, June 4, 1998) “Would you really want to forfeit the birthright as the seed of Abraham—foreordained in the premortal existence, coming to the earth at this particular time to bless the families of the earth, the most glorious destiny spiritually you could ever hope for? Do you really want to give that up for 20 minutes of messing around? If you understand who we are and why we are here, then that doctrine changes the way we do things.”

Jacob’s ladder

Marion G. Romney

First Presidency ("Temples—The Gates to Heaven," Ensign, Mar. 1971, p. 16) “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.”

Jacob’s Ladder

“Firstborn,” Bible Dictionary, p.675

“In the patriarchal order, the firstborn son is the heir and inherits the leadership of the family upon the death of the father. This is often spoken of in the scriptures as birthright (Gen. 43:33)…. The eldest son received a double portion of his father’s possessions (Deut. 21:17); and after his father’s death, he was responsible for the care of the mother and sisters.”

Who has the Birthright?

Adam …  Abraham ( Abr. 1:3 )  Isaac ( Gen. 17:19-21; 26:2-4 )   Jacob ( Gen. 25:29-34; 28:1-4 ) The House of Israel ( Ex. 4:22 )  Joseph ( Gen. 37:3; 2 Ne. 3:16 )  The tribe of Ephraim ( Jer. 31:9 )

Old Testament Student

Manual, Genesis—2 Samuel, p.93) There is some question as to what Joseph’s coat actually was. The Hebrew word denotes “a long coat with sleeves … i.e. an upper coat reaching to the wrists and ankles, such as noblemen and kings’ daughters wore” (Keil and Delitzsch, Commentary, 1:1:335;…). The coat may have been of different colors, but its significance seems to have been far more than its brightness and beauty.

Old Testament Student

Manual, Genesis—2 Samuel, p.93) One noted scholar suggested that it was “a tunic reaching to the palms of the hands and soles of the feet; … the badge of the birthright which has been forfeited by Reuben and transferred to Joseph”…. If indeed this coat signaled that Joseph held the birthright, … this fact would explain the intense hostility and jealousy the coat provoked among the other sons of Jacob.

Genesis 48:5 6, 13-20

Text

What are Some Duties of the Tribes of Ephraim & Manasseh?

• • • Look in JST Gen. 48:6-11 D&C 133:30-34 ; (p.799 of appendix); Deuteronomy 33:17 (p. 307)

Russell M. Nelson

Quorum of the Twelve (Perfection Pending, 205) “Christ … came from the seed of Abraham through the lineage of Judah. That line was entrusted with responsibility for preparing the world for the first coming of the Lord.

Russell M. Nelson

Quorum of the Twelve (Perfection Pending, 205, 207) “On the other hand, responsibility for preparation of leadership of the world for the Second Coming of the Lord was assigned to the lineage of Joseph, through Ephraim and Manasseh….

“Joseph's was the lineage selected to pioneer the gathering of Israel, the seed to lead throughout the world in blessing all the nations of the earth.”

Russell M. Nelson

Quorum of the Twelve (Ensign, May 1984, 52) “I testify that we are of the house of Israel, specifically of the lineage of Joseph, bearing the birthright and charged with the irrevocable responsibility

to prepare the world for the second coming of the Savior

.”

End