Lesson 81

Ruth 1–4

Prepare to Learn

Prepare your mind and heart to learn. Remember that the way you choose to participate in this lesson influences the degree to which you will be taught by the Holy Ghost as you study. Determine now to demonstrate your desire to be taught by the Spirit by actively participating in this lesson.

Begin your study with prayer.

What does it mean to you to be virtuous?

“Virtue is a pattern of thought and behavior based on high moral standards. It includes chastity and [moral] purity” (Young Women Personal Progress [booklet, 2009], 70).

Listen to these young women from different parts of the world as they explain what virtue means to them.

A Scenario

Consider this scenario:

A young woman and her family are members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Unfortunately, she is the only one who still continues to attend Church meetings regularly. Recently it has become more difficult for her to remain faithful because members of her family have criticized her for attending church. She wonders if she should continue.

As you study Ruth 1–2, look for truths that can help you in situations like the one this young woman is in, when you must decide whether you will continue having faith and trust in the Lord.

Read Ruth 1:1–5, looking for what happened to Naomi’s family.

Naomi’s Decision

In ancient Israel, a widow’s sons were typically responsible for providing her with protection, food, and care. If a widow had no living sons or male relatives, she had to provide for herself. This could be very difficult for women who did not have the resources to provide for themselves. Orpah and Ruth were Naomi’s daughters-in-law and were both Moabites. It appears that they had forsaken the worship of idols and instead worshipped the Lord with their husbands and Naomi (see Ruth 1:15).

Read Ruth 1:6–10, looking for what Naomi decided to do and what she told her daughters-in-law to do.

Orpah’s and Ruth’s Decisions

Ruth 1:11–13 records that out of concern for Orpah and Ruth’s future prospects of marriage, Naomi discouraged them from going to Bethlehem with her.

Read Ruth 1:14–18, looking for what Orpah and Ruth each decided to do. Reflect deeply on verse 16. You might even read it aloud to yourself.

How do Ruth’s words show that she trusted in the Lord?

Boaz’s Kindness

Ruth 1:19–22 records that Naomi and Ruth traveled to Bethlehem. When they arrived, Naomi expressed her deep sorrow (see verses 20–21). Since they were extremely poor, they desperately needed to find a way to support themselves.

According to the law of Moses, those who owned fields were not to harvest the crops in the edges of their fields or gather grain that was dropped by the reapers. Instead, they were to allow the poor to glean these crops. To glean means to pick up grain that remains in the field after the crop has been harvested.

Ruth 2:1–12 records that Ruth gleaned in the field of Boaz and that Boaz protected her and provided for some of her needs.

Read Ruth 2:11–12, looking for why Boaz was kind to Ruth.

What truth can we identify from the words of Boaz recorded in verse 12?

Trust in the Lord

Even though Naomi and Ruth endured many difficulties, the Lord was still with them and rewarded them for their goodness. From Ruth 2:12 we can identify the truth that if we choose to trust in the Lord, then He will reward us for our faith.

At the beginning of the lesson, you read a scenario of a young woman who is wondering if she should continue attending her Church meetings when no one else in her family does.

1. Answer the following questions:

• How might this young woman in the scenario show she trusts God, and how might she be rewarded?

• When was a time the Lord rewarded you or someone you know because you or this person chose to trust Him?

“Next Kinsman”

Under the customs and cultural laws of the Israelites, if a husband died childless, it was the duty of the husband’s brother or nearest male relative to marry the widow and raise up children to the dead man’s name (see Deuteronomy 25:5–10; see also Bible Dictionary, “Levirate marriage”). We read in Ruth 2:20 that Naomi called Boaz “one of our next kinsmen.” The term “next kinsman” comes from the Hebrew word go-el, which means “redeemer” and refers to men whose duty it was to marry the widow of their relative.

Redemption is one of the prominent themes of the account of Ruth. Elder D. Todd Christofferson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles taught that “the word redeem means to pay off an obligation or a debt. Redeem can also mean to rescue or set free as by paying a ransom” (“Redemption,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2013, 109).

As you continue studying Ruth 3–4, look for how the redemption of Ruth and Naomi through Boaz is a type, or symbol, of our redemption through Christ.

Ruth’s Marriage Proposal

According to Ruth 3:1–8, Naomi wanted Ruth to marry (the word rest in verse 1 implies marriage). She told Ruth what to do in order to propose marriage to Boaz, and Ruth obeyed her instructions.

Read Ruth 3:9–11, looking for how Boaz reacted to Ruth’s marriage proposal. The phrase “spread therefore thy skirt over thine handmaid” (verse 9) means that Ruth was asking him to take her under his protection and provide for her. This was Ruth’s way of proposing marriage to Boaz.

According to verse 11, what admirable characteristic did Boaz and the people of the city notice about Ruth?

Virtue

We can learn from Ruth 3:11 that if we live virtuously, then we can have faith that the Lord will bless us.

Sister Elaine S. Dalton, who served as the Young Women General President, defined and described virtue.

You can read the text for this video here: “A Return to Virtue,” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2008, 79.

Sister Elaine S. Dalton, who served as the Young Women General President, defined and described virtue.

“Virtue ‘is a pattern of thought and behavior based on high moral standards’ [Preach My Gospel: A Guide to Missionary Service (2004), 118]. It encompasses chastity and moral purity. Virtue begins in the heart and in the mind. It is nurtured in the home. It is the accumulation of thousands of small decisions and actions. Virtue is a word we don’t hear often in today’s society, but the Latin root word virtus means strength. Virtuous women and men possess a quiet dignity and inner strength” (Elaine S. Dalton, “A Return to Virtue,” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2008, 79).

2. What are some “small decisions” you can make that can help you be virtuous?

What Boaz Did

As recorded in Ruth 3:12–4:8, Boaz promised to marry Ruth if he could get permission to do so from a kinsman who was more closely related to Ruth’s deceased husband. Boaz met with the nearest kinsman and received permission to marry Ruth.

Read Ruth 4:9–10, looking for what Boaz did for Ruth and Naomi.

Our Redeemer

What Boaz did for Ruth and Naomi can be compared to what our Redeemer, Jesus Christ, does for us. Ruth, an impoverished and childless widow with no source of support, received mercy and was redeemed by her kinsman Boaz.

Similarly, because we suffer physical and spiritual death, we cannot save ourselves and must rely on our Redeemer, Jesus Christ, who has “purchased [us] with his own blood” (Acts 20:28).

By comparing the story of Ruth and Boaz to ourselves and Jesus Christ, we can learn that if we will come to Jesus Christ, He will Redeem us.

3. Answer the following questions:

• Why do we need a Redeemer?

• What can we do to come to Jesus Christ so that He can redeem us?

• How do you feel about Jesus Christ and the redemption that He offers us?

Family Lineage

According to Ruth 4:13–22, Ruth and Boaz were married and had a son named Obed. Ruth and Boaz are the direct ancestors of King David and of the Redeemer of the world, Jesus Christ.

Important Truths

The following truths were identified in this lesson:

• If we choose to trust in the Lord, then He will reward us for our faith.

• If we live virtuously, then we can have faith that the Lord will bless us.

• If we will come to Jesus Christ, He will redeem us.

In the next few days, find an opportunity to share with someone else your testimony that Jesus Christ is our Redeemer.