January 3–9

Genesis 1–2; Moses 2–3; Abraham 4–5

“In the Beginning God Created the Heaven and the Earth”

In order to prepare to teach, first read and ponder Genesis 1–2; Moses 2–3; and Abraham 4–5, and record your spiritual impressions. Come, Follow Me—For Individuals and Families and the ideas below can help you understand and teach the doctrine in these chapters.

Record Your Impressions

Invite Sharing

God repeatedly declared that the things He made during the Creation were “good” (see Moses 2:4, 10, 12, 18, 21, 25, 31). Invite class members to share good things they found as they read the scriptures at home this week. What was good about the things they discovered?

Teach the Doctrine

Genesis 1; Moses 2; Abraham 4

“God created the heaven and the earth.”

• Class members may have noticed similarities and differences among the accounts of the Creation in the books of Genesis, Moses, and Abraham. Encourage class members to share what Joseph Smith’s translation in Moses 2 adds to our understanding of the Creation account in Genesis 1. What additional insights do we gain from Abraham 4? To allow more people to share, you could encourage the class to do this comparison in pairs or small groups. (Some of the verses that have important differences are noted in “Additional Resources.”) How do we benefit from having multiple accounts? What do these accounts suggest about what God wants us to know about the Creation?

• When God created Adam and Eve, He gave them dominion over the earth and His other creations on it (see Genesis 1:28; Moses 2:28; Abraham 4:28). How do Doctrine and Covenants 59:16–21 and 104:13–18 help us better understand what it means to exercise righteous dominion over the earth?

• A few days before class, you might invite class members to bring pictures they have taken or have in their homes that remind them of the beauty of God’s creations. How does learning about the Lord’s creative work affect our feelings about Him, ourselves, and the world? Class members could also share what messages they feel God has for us in these accounts of the Creation in Genesis 1; Moses 2; and Abraham 4. Singing or listening to a song about the Creation, such as “For the Beauty of the Earth” (Hymns, no. 92) could help class members feel gratitude for God’s creations.

  

  Creation, by Joan Hibbert Durtschi

Genesis 1:26–28; Moses 2:26–28; Abraham 4:26–28

We are created in the image of God.

• Why is it important for us to understand that we are created in the image of God? How can you help class members ponder this truth? They could read Genesis 1:26–28; Moses 2:26–28; Abraham 4:26–28; or the second paragraph of “The Family: A Proclamation to the World” (ChurchofJesusChrist.org). How does this truth affect the way we see ourselves, others, and God? Class members could find further insights in hymns such as “O My Father” or “I Am a Child of God” (Hymns, nos. 292, 301).

• In the video “God’s Greatest Creation” (ChurchofJesusChrist.org), President Russell M. Nelson bears testimony of the miraculous human body (see also “Thanks Be to God,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2012, 77–80). Consider sharing this video before reading Genesis 1:26–28; Moses 2:26–28; or Abraham 4:26–28 as a class. How does President Nelson’s testimony deepen our gratitude for the truths in these verses?

Genesis 1:27–28; Moses 3:18, 21–25; Abraham 5:14–19

Marriage between a man and a woman is ordained of God.

• Many views on marriage in the world today diverge from eternal truth. To help your class learn about God’s views on marriage, you might invite them to read Genesis 1:27–28; Moses 3:18, 21–25; or Abraham 5:14–19 and to list on the board the truths they find. They could add to their list truths they find in “The Family: A Proclamation to the World” (ChurchofJesusChrist.org). Why are these truths valuable to us?

Additional Resources

Comparing Creation stories.

Genesis	Moses	Abraham
Genesis Genesis 1:1	Moses Moses 2:1	Abraham Abraham 4:1
Genesis Genesis 1:16	Moses Moses 2:16	Abraham Abraham 4:16
Genesis Genesis 1:26–27	Moses Moses 2:26–27	Abraham Abraham 4:26–27
Genesis Genesis 1:30	Moses Moses 2:30	Abraham Abraham 4:30
Genesis Genesis 2:5	Moses Moses 3:5	Abraham Abraham 4:30
Genesis Genesis 2:5	Moses Moses 3:5	Abraham Abraham 5:5
Genesis Genesis 2:7	Moses Moses 3:7	Abraham Abraham 5:7
Genesis Genesis 2:9	Moses Moses 3:9	Abraham Abraham 5:9
Genesis Genesis 2:17–19	Moses Moses 3:17–19	Abraham Abraham 5:13–14

Improving Our Teaching

Help learners liken the scriptures to themselves. “The same gospel truths that inspired and sustained Abraham, Esther, Lehi, and Joseph Smith can help those you teach face modern challenges” (Teaching in the Savior’s Way, 21). Encourage learners to apply principles they find in the scriptures to their own situations.