Lesson 6

Moses 1:1–23

Prepare to Learn

Prepare your mind and heart to learn. Take time to ponder the truths you identify. Praying and thinking deeply about these truths will allow the Holy Ghost to teach you how to become more like Jesus Christ.

Begin your study with prayer.

What can help us see people as they truly are?

President Henry B. Eyring of the First Presidency related an experience in which he was helped to recognize the greatness within his young son. You can read the text for this video here: “My Peace I Leave with You,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2017, 17–18.

A Question to Answer—Who Are You?

We all have individual qualities or traits that make us different from other people. When you are invited to introduce yourself, what are some words you use to describe yourself?

1. Write a sentence or two describing who you are.

As you study Moses 1 today, look for what is important to understand about yourself.

The Book of Moses

Today’s lesson comes from Moses 1:1–23. The book of Moses was received as part of the Joseph Smith Translation of the Old Testament. The Joseph Smith Translation includes inspired revisions and restored truths. For example, Moses 1 contains a record of experiences from Moses’s life that are not found in the book of Exodus. It is also important to know that in Moses 1, Jesus Christ speaks on behalf of Heavenly Father. The authority to speak on behalf of Heavenly Father is referred to as divine investiture of authority.

What do you know about Moses?

Moses’s Encounter with God

Moses was an Israelite (a member of God’s covenant people) by birth, but he was adopted by a royal Egyptian family. Eventually he had to flee from Egypt and leave those who raised him.

We read in Moses 1:1–2 that Moses spoke face to face with God on a mountaintop. Read Moses 1:3–6, looking for what Moses learned about God and about himself. Consider marking what you find in your scriptures.

What did Moses learn about himself that can help us understand who we are?

Your True Identity

From what Moses learned about himself as recorded in Moses 1:3–6, we can understand that we are children of Heavenly Father. President Dieter F. Uchtdorf, while serving in the First Presidency, taught how your life can change when you know this truth.

From what Moses learned about himself as recorded in Moses 1:3–6, we can understand that we are children of Heavenly Father. President Dieter F. Uchtdorf, while serving in the First Presidency, taught how your life can change when you know this truth.

“You are something divine—more beautiful and glorious than you can possibly imagine. This knowledge changes everything. It changes your present. It can change your future. And it can change the world. …

“Because of the revealed word of a merciful God, … you have felt the eternal glory of that divine Spirit within you. You are no ordinary beings, my beloved young friends all around the world. You are glorious and eternal. …

“It is my prayer and blessing that when you look at your reflection, you will be able to see beyond imperfections and self-doubts and recognize who you truly are: glorious sons and daughters of Almighty God” (Dieter F. Uchtdorf, “The Reflection in the Water” [Church Educational System devotional for young adults, Nov. 1, 2009], lds.org/media-library).

2. Answer these two questions:

• What does it mean to you to know that you are a child of Heavenly Father?

• How might remembering that you are a child of God help you make choices to become more like Him each day?

Moses in the Presence of God

As part of the truths Moses was taught, God showed Moses “the world upon which he was created” and all its inhabitants (see Moses 1:7–8).

Read Moses 1:9–11, looking for what Moses noticed after the presence of God left him.

Satan’s Attempt to Deceive Moses

To understand Moses 1:11, you need to know that Moses had to be transfigured in order to stand as a mortal in the presence of God. Transfiguration is a temporary change “in appearance and nature” that must take place so a mortal “can endure the physical presence and glory of heavenly beings” (see Guide to the Scriptures, “Transfiguration,” scriptures.lds.org).

After Moses’s spiritual experience of being in the presence of God, Satan appeared to him. Satan wanted Moses to worship him and tried to make Moses forget that he was a son of God (see Moses 1:12).

Read Moses 1:13–15, looking for what Moses learned from his previous vision that helped him withstand Satan’s attempt to deceive him.

From Moses’s response, what principle can we learn about what to do when Satan tries to deceive us?

Our Previous Spiritual Experiences

One truth we can learn from Moses 1:13–15 is that we can resist Satan’s deceptions as we remember our previous spiritual experiences and trust what we learned from them.

Elder Jeffrey R. Holland of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles describes ways that Satan tries to deceive us. What counsel does Elder Holland provide for us to remember when we experience fear or doubt?

“In moments of fear or doubt or troubling times, hold the ground you have already won, even if that ground is limited. … When those moments come and issues surface, the resolution of which is not immediately forthcoming, hold fast to what you already know and stand strong until additional knowledge comes. … The size of your faith or the degree of your knowledge is not the issue—it is the integrity you demonstrate toward the faith you do have and the truth you already know” (Jeffrey R. Holland, “Lord, I Believe,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2013, 93–94).

What do you think it means to demonstrate integrity toward the truth you already know?

Important Knowledge—How to Discern

We can identify another principle from Moses 1:15. Take a moment to review verse 15, looking for how Moses was able to discern between God and Satan.

Quiz 1

1. What does Moses’s experience teach us about discerning between good and evil?

   1. When we make many mistakes, eventually we learn how to discern between good and evil.

   2. When we always do what is right, we won’t need to know how to discern between good and evil.

   3. When we have the Spirit with us, we are better able to discern between good and evil.

The Power of Discernment and Having the Spirit with Us

A principle we can identify from Moses 1:15 is that when we have the Spirit with us, we are better able to discern between good and evil.

We read in Moses 1:16–18 that Moses remembered receiving a commandment from God while on Mount Sinai. Moses was to worship God and pray to Him in the name of His Son.

Read Moses 1:19–22, looking for what Moses received when he called upon God and what this allowed him to do. Consider marking what you find in your scriptures.

What principle can we identify from these verses?

The Strength to Overcome

One principle we can learn from Moses 1:19–22 is that when we are faithful and call upon God, we will receive strength to overcome Satan’s influence.

3. Answer one or both of the following questions:

• How can praying help you to recognize and resist Satan’s temptations? (For help in answering this question, see Alma 37:35–37.)

• When have you received strength through prayer to overcome Satan’s influence?

Identified Truths

The following truths were identified in this lesson:

• We are children of Heavenly Father.

• We can resist Satan’s deceptions as we remember our previous spiritual experiences and trust what we have learned from them.

• When we have the Spirit with us, we are better able to discern between good and evil.

• When we are faithful and call upon God, we will receive strength to overcome Satan’s influence.

What can you do to remember that you are a child of God and that you should pray to Heavenly Father? Consider specific ways that you can apply what you learned today. Be sure to quickly obey any promptings you may receive.

Answer Key

Quiz 1: (1) c

Reference for Quiz 1

(1) Moses 1:15.