Lesson 35

Genesis 31–32

Prepare to Learn

Prepare your mind and heart to learn. The Holy Ghost can teach and inspire you as you approach your study with prayer and a desire to learn.

Begin your study with prayer.

Think of a time in your life when you felt the Savior’s guidance while you were experiencing a trial or challenge.

In this video, President Henry B. Eyring of the First Presidency testifies of Jesus Christ. He teaches that the Savior knows us and will help us overcome difficulties. What will the Savior say to us when we put our trust in Him?

The Lord’s Help to Do Difficult Things

Choose the statement that best describes how you believe the Lord helps us when He asks us to do difficult things.

When you strive to obey a command from the Lord, He will:

1. Change the command so it will be simple and easy for you to accomplish.

2. Bless your efforts by providing a way for you to fulfill the command, even if it is difficult.

3. Intervene and do all the work for you.

4. Require you to do it entirely on your own without any help.

1. Please explain the statement you selected and why you chose it.

The Lord’s Command

There are many ways the Lord can bless us as we strive to obey His commandments. As you study Genesis 31–32, look for truths that teach us how the Lord can help us when He asks us to do difficult things.

We read in Genesis 31:1–3 that the Lord commanded Jacob to “return unto the land of [his] fathers” (verse 3), or Canaan. This command may have been difficult for Jacob because Esau was in Canaan. When Esau and Jacob were living in Canaan years before, Esau had wanted to kill Jacob.

The Lord knew that the command to return home would not be easy for Jacob to fulfill. Read verse 3, looking for a principle we can learn from the Lord’s promise to Jacob.

The Lord’s Promise

We can identify the following principle from the Lord’s words to Jacob recorded in Genesis 31:3: The Lord will be with us when we do what He asks.

2. How can believing this principle help us do what the Lord asks, even when it is difficult?

Jacob and His Family

The account in Genesis 31:4–29 explains that Jacob and his family were obedient to the Lord’s command. They began their journey to the land of Canaan while Laban was away shearing his sheep. As they left, Rachel took some of Laban’s “images” (verse 19). The word images could refer to household idols. Some believe that the images represent Rachel’s dowry, or the gifts a bride brings to her husband when they are married. We do not know why Rachel took the images or why Laban later referred to them as “my gods” (verse 30). When Laban returned home, he learned of Jacob’s departure and discovered that his images were missing. He pursued Jacob and his family and, after seven days, overtook them. The Lord protected Jacob by appearing to Laban in a dream and warning him to “speak not to Jacob either good or bad” (verse 24).

As recorded in Genesis 31:30–42, Laban searched Jacob’s camp for his images but did not find them because Rachel had hid them under the cushion she used to sit on a camel. After Laban finished searching for the images, Jacob recounted how Laban had mistreated him numerous times during the preceding 20 years.

The remaining account in Genesis 31:43–55 explains that Jacob and Laban made a covenant that they would not harm each other. Laban then returned to his own land.

An Important Lesson

Imagine that you have a serious problem and you ask one of your trusted friends for advice. The friend listens carefully to the problem and then says, “Pray about it.”

While it is always important to pray, we can learn an important lesson from what Jacob did after he prayed about the possibility of Esau seeking revenge against him.

Read Genesis 32:1–5, looking for what Jacob did while on his journey back to his homeland.

Why do you think Jacob sent messengers to Esau?

Jacob’s Prayer

According to Genesis 32:6–8, Jacob learned from his messengers that Esau was coming with 400 men. This report made Jacob “greatly afraid and distressed” (verse 7). Fearing for his life and for his family’s safety, Jacob prayed to God.

Read Genesis 32:9–12, looking for what stands out to you about Jacob’s prayer.

Jacob’s Example

Think about how Jacob’s prayer illustrates his faith in this principle: The Lord will be with us when we do what He asks.

After praying for God’s help, Jacob instructed his servants to divide nearly 600 of his animals into many groups and deliver them, one group at a time, to Esau as gifts (see Genesis 32:13–18).

Based on Jacob’s example, what else should we do besides praying for help when we face difficulties?

Our Efforts to Do What We Can

Jacob’s example teaches us the following principle: When we face difficulties, we should earnestly pray for help and then do what we can to overcome them.

3. Answer these questions:

• How can praying help us know what we can do to overcome our challenges?

• Why is it important that, after we pray, we also do what we can to overcome our challenges?

The Lord’s Help to Overcome Challenges

Think about a challenge you are currently facing.

Pray for help and do what you can to overcome the difficulty. The Lord can help you by inspiring you to know what to do in order to overcome this challenge.

• What can you do, after praying for help, to overcome your challenge?

You may want to write your response in your study journal or in your Notes on LDS.org.

Jacob’s Wrestle

The word wrestle can refer to more than the physical sport. Wrestling may be a good way to describe what we must do as we seek blessings from the Lord. Look for important principles as you study Jacob’s experience recorded in Genesis 32:22–32.

We read in Genesis 32:22–23 that the night before Jacob was to meet Esau, he sent his family ahead across the river Jabbok. Jacob knew that he had to face his brother the following day, and he was likely feeling worried about the outcome and may have wanted to be alone.

Read Genesis 32:24–26, looking for what happened to Jacob the night before he was to meet Esau.

Jacob’s Earnest Request—“Except Thou Bless Me”

You may want to mark the phrase “I will not let thee go, except thou bless me” in Genesis 32:26. Jacob may have been seeking an assurance from the Lord that he and his family would be safe from Esau. Although we do not know exactly what was occurring here, we do know that Jacob wrestled all night for a blessing that he eventually received. This experience represents the great effort Jacob put forth as he sought a blessing from the Lord.

What principle can we learn from Jacob’s example about obtaining blessings from the Lord?

Great Effort

One principle we can identify from Jacob’s example is that at times, we may need to put forth great effort as we seek the Lord’s help and blessings.

Read Genesis 32:27–30, looking for the blessings Jacob received after he put forth great effort to seek the Lord’s help.

Israel

We read in Genesis 32:28 that the Lord changed Jacob’s name to Israel, which means “one who prevails with God” (Bible Dictionary, “Israel”).

Jacob’s descendants are known as members of the house of Israel. As we are true to the covenants we make with God, we qualify for and receive the fulness of the blessings that God promised Abraham and his descendants.

From this account, we can identify this principle: We will prevail with God as we make and keep sacred covenants.

To “prevail” with God means in this context that as we persist in earnest prayer, we can receive assurance that Heavenly Father will grant us the blessings we have sought for.

Truths Identified—Now What Will You Do?

The following truths were identified in this lesson:

• The Lord will be with us when we do what He asks.

• When we face difficulties, we should earnestly pray for help and then do what we can to overcome them.

• At times, we may need to put forth great effort as we seek the Lord’s help and blessings.

• We will prevail with God as we make and keep sacred covenants.

Take a few minutes to consider how you can apply these principles in your life.

Doctrinal Mastery Review

Let’s review a doctrinal mastery passage.

Read Abraham 3:22–23, and then take the quiz.

Quiz 1

1. God showed Abraham only “the intelligences that were organized” after the creation.

   1. True

   2. False

2. God prepared Abraham in the premortal world so he could do great things here on the earth.

   1. True

   2. False

3. There were only a few people whom God called His “noble and great ones.”

   1. True

   2. False

4. You lived in the presence of God as one of His spirit children before you were born.

   1. True

   2. False

Answer Key

Quiz 1: (1) b; (2) a; (3) b; (4) a