Seminaries and Institutes
Genesis 5; Moses 6–7

“Genesis 5; Moses 6–7,” Old Testament Seminary Teacher Resource Manual (2003), 33–36

“Genesis 5; Moses 6–7,” Old Testament Seminary Teacher Resource Manual, 33–36

Genesis 5; Moses 6–7

Introduction

Moses 6–7 contains scripture restored by the Prophet Joseph Smith. These chapters change 4 verses and add 126 new verses to Genesis 5. These additions give us greater understanding about Adam and his posterity. A significant contribution of these chapters is knowledge about Enoch, his ministry (which includes additional teachings from Adam about how to overcome the Fall), and the city of Zion. From the account of Enoch we not only learn doctrines and principles that can help us overcome sin and return to live again with God, but we read about a group of people who applied those principles, established a righteous society, and were taken into the presence of God.

Some Important Gospel Principles to Look For

Suggestions for Teaching

Old Testament Video presentation 8, “First Principles and Ordinances” (11:58), can be used in teaching Genesis 5; Moses 6–7. Presentation 12, “Scripture Symbolism” (10:52) can be used in teaching Genesis 5; Moses 6–7, or you may want to use it while teaching Exodus 11–13 (see Old Testament Video Guide for teaching suggestions).

Moses 6:1–25, 45–46. Family history work is sacred and important. It includes seeking the names and histories of our ancestors and leaving our own record to our posterity. It culminates in temple work.

(25–30 minutes)

Show students a completed pedigree chart and family group record (preferably one of your own). Explain what they are and, if you can, share a story about one of the people on the chart, telling why you are glad to be related to that person. Obtain blank copies of pedigree charts and family group records for students to begin filling out in class. Invite them to finish completing their forms at home as part of keeping a personal and family history.

Have students silently read Moses 6:5–25, 45–46. Have them tell what kind of information was recorded in Adam’s family records and what the information was used for. Ask: How could our own family records be used in similar ways? Help students understand what should be in personal and family histories and records:

  • Elder Bruce R. McConkie, who was a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, wrote that Adam’s book of remembrance, written by the spirit of inspiration, included “their faith and works, their righteousness and devotion, their revelations and visions, and their adherence to the revealed plan of salvation” (Mormon Doctrine, 100).

  • Adam’s writings, and the writings of those after him, helped future generations know their ancestors and their teachings and priesthood ordinances (see Moses 6:45–46; Abraham 1:31).

  • The writings were also used to teach reading and writing (see Moses 6:6).

  • The scriptures indicate that a “book of remembrance” will contain a list of people who lived true and faithful to the Lord (see Malachi 3:16–17; D&C 85:9–11).

Church leaders encourage us to follow Adam’s example in keeping personal and family histories. President Spencer W. Kimball taught:

“Those who keep a book of remembrance are more likely to keep the Lord in remembrance in their daily lives. Journals are a way of counting our blessings and of leaving an inventory of these blessings for our posterity” (in Conference Report, Apr. 1978, 117; or Ensign, May 1978, 77).

The Church encourages members to keep family records and to do the temple work for their kindred dead (see Dallin H. Oaks, “Family History: ‘In Wisdom and Order,’” Ensign, June 1989, pp. 6–8). You may want to share the statement by President Kimball found in activity B for Genesis 5; Moses 6 in the student study guide (p. 16).

Have individual students or groups study and report on what the following scriptures teach about the importance of written records:

Encourage students to keep accurate personal and family histories.

Moses 6:26–47; 7:1–21. The calling of Enoch as a prophet can help us understand why the Lord calls prophets, the spiritual insight He gives them, and how He gives His servants strength and power in their weakness if they are willing and obedient.

(35–40 minutes)

Ask students why the Lord calls prophets. Accept the various answers they might give, but also direct them to look in their scriptures and use the Topical Guide or Bible Dictionary. Doctrine and Covenants 1:12–23 gives some excellent reasons that you may want to specifically suggest they look at and discuss.

A study of Enoch’s call helps answer the question of why the Lord calls prophets. Write the following questions on the board, leaving space to write the answers underneath each one:

  • Why did the Lord call Enoch?

  • How did Enoch feel about his calling?

  • What did the Lord promise him?

  • How did the people respond to Enoch?

Have students read Moses 6:26–38 and write down answers to the questions. As you discuss what the students found, you may want to specifically draw attention to the following considerations:

  • Words and phrases that describe the people in the land (see Moses 6:27–29). Discuss the meaning of the following phrases: “their hearts have waxed hard,” “their ears are dull of hearing,” “their eyes cannot see afar off,” “sought their own counsels in the dark,” “they have foresworn themselves.” In what ways do these phrases describe people in our day?

  • A seer is literally a “see-er.” Ask: How does sending a seer relate to problems the Lord said the people had? (see Moses 6:27–29). Have students read Moses 6:35–46; 7:2–12 and tell what Enoch saw, what the Lord told him about what he saw, and what Enoch did with that understanding. Ask: What was the significance of Enoch putting the dirt of this world on his eyes and then washing it off before he could see the vision? (see Moses 6:35–36; see also D&C 5:24).

Read Doctrine and Covenants 21:1–2, 4–6 and discuss what the Lord said about modern prophets, their role, and the promises we receive if we accept their prophetic vision. Remind them that because the prophets are seers, they see things we cannot. The counsel they give us may be for reasons we cannot see right now, such as some of the standards that may trouble the youth because they cannot understand, or see, their purpose.

The story of Enoch is an excellent example of what can happen when people put their trust in the Lord and obey His counsel. Have students search the following points:

Ask students how the story of Enoch is an example of the Lord’s promise in Ether 12:27. Have students compare Moses 6:27–29, 37–38 with Moses 7:16–21 and discuss the dramatic changes people made in their lives. Assure students that the Lord can help us change our natures just as He did Enoch and his people.

Moses 6:50–68. To be saved in the kingdom of God, we must be “born again” through the Atonement of Jesus Christ.

(35–40 minutes)

Ask students the following questions:

  • If you have had the experience of moving to a new area, what were some of the challenges you faced?

  • What could be some benefits of moving to a new place? (Meeting new people, gaining an understanding of different cultures and lifestyles, having the chance to start life over in a place where nobody knows you.)

  • What would the benefits be of having the chance to start over?

Have them read Moses 6:59 and identify what the Lord said we must do to receive His greatest blessings. Read verses 50–58 to better understand what it means to be born again and discuss how baptism is similar to birth. Have students read Mosiah 5:2 and Alma 5:14 and identify how being born again includes more than the ordinance of baptism.

Have students read Moses 6:60. Write justified and sanctified on the board. Ask students if they have heard those words before and if they know what they mean.

President Joseph Fielding Smith explained:

“Every child that comes into this world is carried in water, is born of water, and of blood, and of the spirit. So when we are born into the kingdom of God, we must be born in the same way. By baptism, we are born of the water. Through the shedding of the blood of Christ, we are cleansed and sanctified; and we are justified, through the Spirit of God, for baptism is not complete without the baptism of the Holy Ghost. You see the parallel between birth into the world and birth into the kingdom of God” (Doctrines of Salvation, 2:324–25).

The following statements may help students better understand justification and sanctification and their role in spiritual rebirth. You could reproduce them and have students read them to the class.

Elder Bruce R. McConkie wrote:

“Justification is the placing of a divine seal of approval upon the course of conduct pursued by righteous people. It is the approval of the Holy Spirit of the lives being lived by members of the Church. It is a divine ratification of the way of life of the true saints. It is being sealed by the Holy Spirit of Promise” (A New Witness for the Articles of Faith [1985], 102).

Elder McConkie also explained:

“To be sanctified is to be clean; it is a state of purity and spotlessness in which no taint of sin is found. Only those who die as to sin and are born again to righteousness, becoming thus new creatures of the Holy Ghost, are numbered with the sanctified. …

“… In the lives of most of us, sanctification is an ongoing process, and we obtain that glorious status by degrees as we overcome the world and become saints in deed as well as in name” (A New Witness for the Articles of Faith, 265–66).

President Joseph Fielding Smith stated:

“Eternal life is the reward a man shall receive who is obedient to all the laws and covenants of the gospel, and who has, because of his faithfulness, been sanctified through the blood of Jesus Christ. He who receives this great gift shall be like Jesus Christ” (Doctrines of Salvation, 2:217).

Help students understand that justification and sanctification are processes that require our faith and effort to receive and maintain. Tell them that as they strive to come unto Christ by keeping their baptismal covenants, heeding the promptings of the Holy Ghost, and repenting, they will be justified and sanctified.

Have students read Moses 6:62 and identify through what power the plan of salvation is made available to us. Ask them what role ordinances, such as baptism, play in the plan of salvation. Have them read Moses 6:64–68 and identify the ordinances of salvation that Adam received.

Ask students if being baptized and receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost is all that must be done for our salvation. Read together 2 Nephi 31:17–21. Identify and discuss what Nephi said we must do after getting on the path. You may want to conclude with Moses 6:68, where we learn that each of Adam’s posterity can become one with God, as Adam did, through the doctrines and principles you have discussed.

Moses 7:18 (Scripture Mastery). When a group of people fully live the principles of the gospel, they can create an ideal society where the Lord can dwell with them. The Lord calls these people and communities “Zion.”

(25–30 minutes)

The examples of Enoch and his people provide helpful instruction for Latter-day Saints seeking to follow the Lord’s commandments and establish a Zion-like society (see D&C 6:6). Have students read Moses 7:18 and identify the three phrases the Lord used to describe Zion:

  • “One heart and one mind” (unity)

  • “Dwelt in righteousness”

  • “No poor among them”

Write them on the board and have students underline them in their scriptures. Understanding these conditions can help prepare us to establish them in our lives.

“One heart and one mind.” Have students read 4 Nephi 1:15 and identify the source of unity. Share the following statement by President Ezra Taft Benson:

“When we put God first, all other things fall into their proper place or drop out of our lives. Our love of the Lord will govern the claims for our affection, the demands on our time, the interests we pursue, and the order of our priorities” (in Conference Report, Apr. 1988, 3; or Ensign, May 1988, 4).

“Dwelt in righteousness.” Zion can only be established through righteousness. To be righteous literally means to “be right with God.” This occurs through the process taught by Enoch in Moses 6:57–61.

“No poor among them.” Have students read Matthew 22:36–40 and find the second great commandment. Ask them how we can show our love for our neighbor. Have them read Jacob 2:18–19 and identify the Lord’s purpose for our gaining riches. Explain that when people are united in righteousness they overcome selfish and greedy appetites and passions. Their greatest desire is to help the Lord bring true happiness to all people. Taking care of the poor is simply applying our commitment to keeping the second great commandment, to love our neighbor as ourselves.

Ask students how Church members have the opportunity every month to help care for the poor. Explain that fasting and giving a generous fast offering helps us overcome worldliness and draw closer to the Spirit. With our monthly fast, members are counseled to donate at least the value of the missed meals for the benefit of the poor and needy. Those who are able should give more than the value of the meals. President Spencer W. Kimball said:

“I think we should be very generous and give, instead of the amount we saved by our two meals of fasting, perhaps much, much more—ten times more where we are in a position to do it” (in Conference Report, Apr. 1974, 184).

Share the following counsel with students to help them understand other ways in which the poor may be helped:

“There are many other ways in which we can show compassion for the poor and needy. We can minister to them using our time, talents, spiritual and emotional support, and prayers of faith. …

“When we have love in our hearts, we do not need to be told all the ways in which we should care for the poor and needy. …

“If we begin to reach out to those who are less fortunate, we will become more conscious of their needs. We will become more compassionate and eager to relieve the suffering of those around us. We will be guided by the Spirit of the Lord to know whom to serve and how to best meet their needs” (A Leader’s Guide to Welfare: Providing in the Lord’s Way [1990], 9).

You could also use the statement by President Spencer W. Kimball regarding what is needed to establish Zion in the “Understanding the Scriptures” section for Genesis 5; Moses 7 in the student study guide (p. 17). You may want to discuss these statements with your students.

Moses 7:23–67. Wickedness will continue on the earth until the Savior’s Second Coming. Enoch also lived during a time of great wickedness.

(10–15 minutes)

Study Moses 7:23–67 as a class and help students understand how agency, wickedness, the Flood, the Atonement and Resurrection of Jesus Christ, the Restoration of the gospel, and the Second Coming fit into Heavenly Father’s plan of salvation for His children. Have students do activities B, C, and D for Genesis 5; Moses 7 in their student study guides (p. 18).

Moses 5–7. Although we are born into a fallen world and are spiritually cut off from God because of sin, through the Atonement of Jesus Christ and our obedience to the laws and ordinances of the gospel we can be born again into God’s kingdom, establish Zion, and live again in His presence.

(35–40 minutes)

Set up your classroom as described in the teaching suggestion for Moses 5:1–12 (p. 30). Have students read Moses 6:48–49, 55 and identify consequences of the Fall that we all experience.

Have students read Moses 5:5 and tell what commandments the Lord gave Adam and Eve when He cast them out of the Garden of Eden. Read Moses 5:6–9 and discuss what Adam learned about being redeemed from the Fall and returning to live with God. Tell students that we learn more of what was taught to Adam in the teachings of Enoch in Moses 6.

It is important for students to understand that the Atonement of Jesus Christ overcomes all of the consequences of the Fall of Adam. Our separation from God (represented in the setup of the classroom), however, came as a result of our personal fall, because of our own sins. (To help illustrate the role of the Atonement, you could follow the instructions in the teaching suggestion for Moses 5:1–12). Read together Moses 6:53–57 and discuss the Fall of Adam and how it relates to the individual fall of each accountable person.

We learn from Moses 5:6–9 that Jesus Christ’s Atonement provides the way for us to return to God’s presence. If we want to live with Him eternally we must repent of our sins and keep the commandments. Have students read Moses 6:52, 57–60 and make a list of what the Lord said we must do to receive all of the blessings of the Atonement. You could use six large strips of paper and write one of the following requirements on each:

  • Believe in Christ

  • Repent

  • Be baptized in the name of Christ

  • Receive the gift of the Holy Ghost

  • Follow the guidance of the Spirit

  • Endure to the end

Lay the strips across the opening in the tape that represents the Atonement, which leads into the side of the classroom representing the presence of the Lord. Or, you may want to simply label the area “Be Born Again” (see the teaching suggestion for Moses 6:50–68).

To help show the change in the people of Enoch’s day after they listened to and obeyed his teachings, read and compare Moses 6:27–29 with Moses 7:11–21. The contrast in the people’s natures illustrates the power of applying gospel principles in our lives and being born again. (You could use information in the teaching suggestion for Moses 7:18 and briefly talk about Zion at this time.)

Connect Adam’s experience when he offered the sacrifice with the teachings he received about baptism by helping students understand that both ordinances represent the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ and the blessings that come because of it. We are still baptized today, but we do not perform animal sacrifices as Adam did. Ask students what ordinance we have to remind us of the Atonement and what the Savior did for us. Encourage them to make the sacrament a more spiritual experience in helping them truly become born again by remembering the importance of baptism as they renew their baptismal covenants each week.

To help bring together what you have taught about the Fall, the Atonement of Jesus Christ, and spiritual rebirth, share what President David O. McKay learned while he was sleeping one night during his travels as a young Apostle. He saw a beautiful city, and a multitude of people dressed in white were approaching it. He saw the Savior leading them.

“The city, I understood, was his. It was the City Eternal; and the people following him were to abide there in peace and eternal happiness.

“But who were they?

“As if the Savior read my thoughts, he answered by pointing to a semicircle that then appeared above them, and on which were written in gold the words:

“These Are They Who Have Overcome the World—Who Have Truly Been Born Again!” (Cherished Experiences from the Writings of President David O. McKay, comp. Clare Middlemiss [1976], 60).