Lesson 24

Abraham 3

Prepare to Learn

Prepare your mind and heart to be taught by the Holy Ghost. Be sure to eliminate any distractions that may interrupt your learning experience.

Begin your study with prayer.

We may be tempted to choose our actions based on what others think of us. Elder Lynn G. Robbins of the Seventy explained what Jesus Christ did instead of seeking the approval of the crowd. Listen for which direction the Savior faced and what motivated Him when He made His decisions. You can read the text for this video here: “Which Way Do You Face?” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2014, 11.

What can you do to follow the Savior’s example?

Misunderstandings

Answer the following question:

1. How does the world define greatness or success?

True Greatness

We read in Abraham 3 that Abraham had the Urim and Thummim, which is an instrument used by seers to translate languages and receive revelations. Through this instrument the Lord taught Abraham about the greatness of Jesus Christ and the importance of each of God’s children.

As you study Abraham 3, look for the true meaning of greatness.

Abraham’s Vision—Stars

Abraham was shown many stars, including one star named Kolob. Read Abraham 3:2–3, looking for why the Lord called Kolob “the great one” (verse 3).

Quiz 1

1. According to Abraham 3:2–3, why is Kolob considered great?

   1. It has a great name.

   2. It is close to God.

   3. It is near to the earth.

Jesus Christ

From Abraham 3:4–21 we learn that “one revolution,” or one day, on Kolob is equivalent to 1,000 years on Earth (see verse 4). In these verses we also read that the Lord showed Abraham His creations and promised Abraham that his posterity would be as numerous as the stars and sands.

God’s instruction about the stars was also meant to teach about the greatness of Jesus Christ.

Read Abraham 3:19, looking for what Abraham learned about the Lord Jesus Christ in relation to other spirit sons and daughters of God.

How would you summarize what Abraham learned about Jesus Christ?

The Greatest

One lesson we can learn from Abraham 3 is that Jesus Christ is the greatest and most intelligent of all Heavenly Father’s children.

Notice the phrase “more intelligent” in Abraham 3:19. In the scriptures, the word intelligent often refers to the light and truth an individual has received. We gain intelligence, or light and truth, by obeying God’s commandments; thus, the more obedient we are, the greater our intelligence can be. (See D&C 93:28, 36.) Jesus Christ is nearest to and most like Heavenly Father because of the light and truth He has received through His perfect obedience.

How can knowing that Jesus Christ is the most intelligent and obedient of all our Heavenly Father’s children help you exercise faith in Him?

The Council in Heaven

Abraham 3:22–23 is a doctrinal mastery passage. You may want to mark doctrinal mastery passages in a distinctive way so you can locate them more easily. We read in these verses that the Lord taught Abraham about his premortal self while showing him a vision of the Council in Heaven. This council occurred before Abraham was born and before the earth was created. In Abraham 3:22, the word intelligences refers to spirit children of God.

Read Abraham 3:22–23, looking for what Abraham learned about himself from this vision.

Quiz 2

1. According to Abraham 3:22–23, what did Abraham learn about himself?

   1. He was very intelligent before he was born.

   2. He was one of many noble and great spirits in heaven.

   3. He was part of a group of spirits that participated in the Creation.

2. What did Heavenly Father choose Abraham and others to do on earth?

   1. To be a leader

   2. To write scripture

   3. To live a difficult life

3. What truth can we identify from Abraham 3:22–23 about Heavenly Father’s chosen leaders in His kingdom?

   1. Heavenly Father chooses leaders in His kingdom on the earth when He notices individuals doing many good things.

   2. Heavenly Father chooses only those who are old and wise to become leaders in His kingdom on the earth.

   3. Heavenly Father chose His noble and great children before they were born to become leaders in His kingdom on the earth.

One of the Noble and Great Ones

A truth we can identify from Abraham 3:22–23 is that Heavenly Father chose His noble and great children before they were born to become leaders in His kingdom on the earth. You too were chosen, or foreordained, to fulfill certain responsibilities on the earth.

Read the following statement from True to the Faith, which explains foreordination:

“In the premortal spirit world, God appointed certain spirits to fulfill specific missions during their mortal lives. This is called foreordination. …

“The doctrine of foreordination applies to all members of the Church, not just to the Savior and His prophets. … Although you do not remember that time, you surely agreed to fulfill significant tasks in the service of your Father” (True to the Faith: A Gospel Reference [2004], 69, 70).

2. Answer one or both of the following questions:

• How has knowing that you were chosen, or foreordained, in the premortal life to fulfill certain responsibilities here on earth influenced your choices and actions?

• How will this knowledge help you set goals and influence your future choices?

Life on Earth

How would you complete this sentence? “The test of life is …”

Read Abraham 3:24–25, looking for what Abraham learned is the test of life. The word prove in verse 25 means to test.

Now, using what you learned from Abraham 3:24–25, complete the following statement:

The test of life is .

Promised Blessings

The following truth from Abraham 3:24–25 might be similar to what you identified: The test of life is to determine if we will do whatever God commands us. This test began in our premortal life, or our “first estate.” The scriptures refer to our premortal choice to follow Heavenly Father’s plan as keeping our first estate.

We learn from Abraham 3:26 that we must now keep our “second estate” if we want to live with God again. We keep our second estate by accepting and living the gospel of Jesus Christ and obeying the commandments. If we do all that Heavenly Father commands us to do, then we “shall have glory added upon [our] heads for ever and ever.”

What do you think it means to have glory added upon you forever?

Jesus’s Response—“Here Am I”

From Abraham 3:27–28 we learn that both Jesus Christ and Lucifer [or Satan] volunteered when Heavenly Father asked “Whom shall I send?”

Read verses 27–28, looking for how Lucifer reacted when Jesus Christ was chosen.

What potential blessings did Satan and many others lose because of their rebellion?

True Greatness

The following truths were identified in this lesson:

• Jesus Christ is the greatest and most intelligent of all Heavenly Father’s children.

• Heavenly Father chose His noble and great children before they were born to become leaders in His kingdom on the earth.

• The test of life is to determine if we will do whatever God commands us.

3. At the beginning of today’s lesson you were asked to think of some worldly definitions of greatness. Reflecting on what you studied in Abraham 3, what defines true greatness?

Doctrinal Mastery Review: Joshua 24:15

Joshua 24:15 is a doctrinal mastery passage. If you have not marked it in your scriptures in a distinctive way, consider doing so now. This will help you locate it more easily. Read Joshua 24:15 several times to become more familiar with this passage.

This important declaration by Joshua can be summarized in the following sentence: “Choose you this day whom ye will serve … but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”

Consider memorizing this phrase and its scripture reference by writing it down and putting it in a place where you will see it often.

Answer Key

Quiz 1: (1) b

Quiz 2: (1) b; (2) a