Illustration of Moses and Aaron in the court of Pharaoh, by Robert T. Barrett

March 28–April 3

Exodus 7–13

“Remember This Day, in Which Ye Came Out from Egypt”

As you read and ponder Exodus 7–13, record the impressions that come to you. As you do this regularly, your ability to recognize the whisperings of the Holy Ghost will grow.

Record Your Impressions

Plague after plague afflicted Egypt, but Pharaoh still refused to release the Israelites. And yet God continued to demonstrate His power and give Pharaoh opportunities to accept “that I am the Lord” and “there is none like me in all the earth” (Exodus 7:5; 9:14). Meanwhile, Moses and the Israelites must have watched with awe at these manifestations of God’s power in their behalf. Surely these continued signs confirmed their faith in God and strengthened their willingness to follow God’s prophet. Then, after nine terrible plagues had failed to free the Israelites, it was the tenth plague—the death of the firstborn, including Pharaoh’s firstborn—that finally ended the captivity. This seems fitting because in every case of spiritual captivity, there truly is only one way to escape. No matter what else we may have tried in the past, it is with us as it was with the children of Israel. It is only the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, the Firstborn—the blood of the Lamb without blemish—that will save us.

Ideas for Personal Scripture Study

Exodus 7–11

I can choose to soften my heart.

Hopefully your will is never as dramatically opposed to God’s will as Pharaoh’s was. Still, we all have times when our hearts aren’t as soft as they should be, so there is something to learn from Pharaoh’s actions recorded in Exodus 7–10. As you read about the plagues in these chapters, what stands out to you about Pharaoh’s responses? Do you notice any similar tendencies toward hardheartedness in yourself? Ponder what you learn from these chapters about what it means to have a soft heart.

Note that the Joseph Smith Translation of Exodus 7:3, 13; 9:12; 10:1, 20, 27; 11:10 clarifies that the Lord did not harden Pharaoh’s heart—Pharaoh hardened his own heart (see the footnotes for each verse).

What do you learn from the following scriptures about developing a soft heart? 1 Nephi 2:16; Mosiah 3:19; Alma 24:7–8; 62:41; Ether 12:27.

See also Michael T. Ringwood, “An Easiness and Willingness to Believe,” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2009, 100–102.

Exodus 12:1–42

The Passover symbolizes Jesus Christ’s Atonement.

The only way for the Israelites to be spared from the tenth plague, described in Exodus 11:4–5, was to precisely follow the instructions the Lord gave to Moses in Exodus 12, a ritual known as the Passover. The Passover teaches us through symbols that just as the Lord delivered the Israelites from bondage in Egypt, He can also deliver us from the bondage of sin. What do you find in the instructions and symbols of the Passover that remind you of Jesus Christ and His Atonement? What do these symbols and instructions suggest to you about how to receive the blessings of His Atonement? For example, what could putting lamb’s blood on the door posts represent? (verse 7). What does it mean to you to have “your shoes on your feet, and your staff in your hand”? (verse 11).

See also Doctrine and Covenants 89:21.

The sacrament helps us remember our Deliverer, Jesus Christ.

Exodus 12:14–17, 24–27; 13:1–16

The sacrament helps me remember my deliverance through Jesus Christ.

The Savior wanted the Israelites to always remember that He had delivered them, even after their captivity became a distant memory. This is why He commanded them to observe the Passover feast each year. As you read His instructions in Exodus 12:14–17, 24–27; 13:1–16, think about what you are doing to remember God’s blessings to you. How can you preserve that remembrance “throughout your generations”? (see Exodus 12:14, 26–27).

What similarities do you see between the purposes of the feast of the Passover and the sacrament? How does reading about the Passover remind you of the sacrament and bring more meaning to that ordinance? Consider what you can do to “always remember” Jesus Christ (Moroni 4:3; 5:2; see also Luke 22:7–8, 19–20).

You might also ponder other things the Lord wants you to remember; see, for example, Helaman 5:6–12; Moroni 10:3; Doctrine and Covenants 3:3–5, 10; 18:10; 52:40.

See also John 6:54; “Always Remember Him” (video), ChurchofJesusChrist.org; “The Sacrament of the Lord’s Supper,” in Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Howard W. Hunter (2015), 197–206.

Ideas for Family Scripture Study and Home Evening

Exodus 7–12.Perhaps after reading about the plagues the Lord sent to the Egyptians as signs of His power, your family could share ways the Lord is demonstrating His power today.

Exodus 8:28, 32; 9:27–28, 34–35.These verses can be used to start a discussion about the importance of keeping our word. Maybe family members could share experiences when they have seen others doing what they agreed to do.

Exodus 12:1–42.After reading Exodus 12:1–42 together, you could write on pieces of paper things you can do as a family to remember Jesus Christ’s Atonement. Because the lamb’s blood on the door posts (see verse 23) represented the Savior, you could place these papers around a doorway in your home. You could also eat some of the foods from the Passover, such as unleavened bread (crackers or tortillas) or bitter herbs (parsley or horseradish), and discuss how the Passover helps us remember how God delivered His people. For example, the unleavened bread reminded them that there was not time for their bread to rise before they fled from captivity. The bitter herbs reminded them of the bitterness of captivity.

Exodus 12:14, 24–27.Perhaps you could review these verses as a family before your next sacrament meeting. How do these verses relate to the sacrament? How can we more fully make the sacrament a “memorial” of what the Savior has done for us?

For more ideas for teaching children, see this week’s outline in Come, Follow Me—For Primary.

Suggested song: “In Memory of the Crucified,” Hymns, no. 190.

Improving Our Teaching

Share object lessons. Invite family members to find objects that help them understand the principles in the scriptures you are reading. For instance, soft and hard objects could help family members discuss the difference between having a soft heart and a hard heart.

Illustration of a Passover supper, by Brian Call