1. Lesson 13 – Genesis 12; Abraham 1–2 Preparation for a Covenant

2. Question of the Day Why did the Lord make a covenant with Abraham? Abraham 3:23 Answer #1: “thou wast chosen before thou wast born” Is that it?

3. Answer #2: He had the desire Write down 5 things you desire most in your lives. What were Abraham’s desires? Abraham 1:2 – Blessings of the Fathers – Right to be ordained to administer the same – Possess great knowledge – Be a greater follower of righteousness – Be a father of many nations – Be a prince of peace – To receive instructions – To keep the commandments How do your desires line up with Abraham’s? Who else in the gospel had great desires?

4. Why are desires important?

5. “Desires dictate our priorities, priorities shape our choices, and choices determine our actions. The desires we act on determine our changing, our achieving, and our becoming.” -Dallin H Oaks

6. Acting on Our Desires What made it difficult for Abraham to obtain his desires? Abraham 1:5-7 – Fathers (including actual Father, Terah) turned from their righteousness – “Their hearts were set to do evil” What makes it difficult for us to obtain our righteous desires? Do the people around us always have the same desires as we do?

7. How Do We Overcome? Answer #3: Sacrifice “…it is through the medium of the sacrifice of all earthly things that men do actually know that they are doing the things that are well pleasing in the sight of God. When a man has offered in sacrifice all that he has for the truth’s sake, not even withholding his life, … he does know, most assuredly, that God does and will accept his sacrifice and offering, and that he has not, nor will not seek his face in vain. Under these circumstances, then, he can obtain the faith necessary for him to lay hold on eternal life” – Joseph Smith What happened to Abraham? – Abraham 1:12

8. “and the Lord hearkened and heard” (1:15) http://broadcast.lds.org/visual-resources/old- testament/2011-03-011-deliverance-of- abraham-1000k-eng.mp4 http://broadcast.lds.org/visual-resources/old- testament/2011-03-011-deliverance-of- abraham-1000k-eng.mp4 What happened? (1:15-18) – A vision – Bands were loosed – Wickedness around him destroyed – The Lord will lead him

9. Sacrifice of All Things “Sacrifice is the very essence of religion; it is the keystone of happy home life, the basis of true friendship, the foundation of peaceful community living, of sound relations among people and nations.... “Without sacrifice there is no true worship of God. I become increasingly convinced of that every day. ‘The Father gave his Son, and the Son gave his life,’ and we do not worship unless we give—give of our substance, give of our time, give of our strength, give of our talent, give of our faith, give of our testimonies” (Gordon B. Hinckley, Teachings of Gordon B. Hinckley [1997], 565). President Gordon B. Hinckley Abraham 1

10. Answer #4: The Priesthood Genesis 14:18-20 Sounds like we need a backstory on this Mechizedek fellow… Abraham was ordained with the Priesthood. Which of our covenants require the Priesthood?

11. Back to Our Question… Why did the Lord make a covenant with Abraham? 1.Foreordination 2.Desire 3.Sacrifice 4.Priesthood

12. Notebook Ideas How can you use the example of Abraham to obtain your own righteous desires? Why is it important that the priesthood play a role in every ordinance? What kinds of sacrifices can you make to show the Lord your faith in Him?