Joseph Endured His Trials

This week I chose to do Student Choice Assignment #3 : Genesis 29-30, 35, 37, 39-41

" Joseph Endured His Trials"

a. Read the chapter summaries for Genesis 29-30 and 35. List the birth order of Jacob's 12 sons

     Reuben  (from Leah)

     Simeon  (from Leah)

     Levi  (from Leah)

     Judah (from Leah)

     Dan (from Bilhah)

     Naphtali  (from Bilhah)

     Gad  (from Zilpah)

     Asher  (from Zilpah)

     Isaachar  (from Leah)

     Zebulun  (from Leah)

     Joseph  (from Rachel)

     Benjamin  (from Rachel)

b. Read Genesis 37:1-11 & Institute Manual (pg 93) "What was the coat of many colors?".  Write explanation of possible reasons Joseph's brothers were envious of him. 

   In verse 3, it states "Israel loved Joseph more than all his children".  Right there pretty much sums it up.  Of course they were jealous because their father loved Joseph more and gave him the gift of the coat.  None of the rest of them had received such a gift.  Joseph also had dreams that foretell of future events and the brothers were resentful of the fact that at some future time they would be bowing down to their younger brother.  In addition, the Institute Manual talks about how the coat of many colors was actually just a long coat with long sleeves like the kind wore by those in the upper class and may have signified that Joseph held the birthright.  Reuben being the oldest should have been the one to receive the birthright and if he didn't then it would naturally pass to the next in line which was Simeon.  So basically the brothers thought through a series of other events also, that some of them should be the birthright possessors and not Joseph.

c. List the challenges in Genesis 37 that Joseph faced.  How do you think Joseph felt about his challenges?  How are Joseph's challenges like the ones young people face today?

   I gave this one quite a bit of thought.  First, the challenges Joseph faced were his not being accepted by his brothers.  They envied him and conspired to get rid of him.  He was taken and cast into a pit, then sold into slavery, then sold into slavery in a different land where he knew no one and no one shared his common beliefs or values.  He was alone.  

   I feel like the youth of today face these same types of challenges although they may not think they do.  Many youth feel like if they stand up for their beliefs (like Joseph did when he shared his dreams), then they are likely to be bullied or ridiculed.  This makes them essentially feel alone and like no one understands.  

d.  Read Genesis 39:2-3, 21, 23 and find a phrase that is similar in all four verses.  Then answer the following questions:

   1.What did Joseph do in Genesis 39 that allowed the phrase in v. 2-3 to still be true in vs. 21 & 23?  When do you think Joseph made the commitment to be morally clean?

  2.Give examples from Genesis 40-41 & Institute Manual (pg 95) that illustrate how the Lord remained with Joseph.

   3.Write 2 or 3 paragraphs listing lessons you learn you learn from the life of Joseph.  What can you learn from Joseph about turning bad experiences and circumstances into good ones?

   The phrase that I saw repeated was "the Lord was with Joseph".  

   1.Joseph refused the advances of Potiphar's wife.  I think that Joseph must have made a commitment to be morally clean from an early age because when he was faced with this temptation he didn't even have to think about what to choose...he just chose to go away from  it.  

   2.Even when Joseph was falsely accused of wrongdoing and sent to prison, he was blessed by the Lord.  Sure he was in prison, but he had a position of power and took care of other prisoners.  He could've blamed the Lord for not protecting him from that fate, but he never did.  He just kept carrying on and being righteous.  He helped other prisoners by interpreting their dreams and just bided his time until it was the time when he was released.  

  3.I learned from Joseph that life is hard.  Things happen to us but that doesn't have to define us.  There is a quote that I heard some years ago that I try hard to remember in my everyday life.  I don't know who said it but it goes like this..."Attitude is 10% what happens to us and 90% how we respond to it".  I think that shows exactly how Joseph turned his bad experiences into good ones.  He didn't let what was happening in his life or to his life be how he lived.  He made the best of it and kept on being obedient to the Lord. 

  This is what I need to work on in my life.  So often I get down in the dumps when something doesn't go my way and start to place blame.  I don't want to be like that which is why I try to follow the advice given in the quote I shared, but I will admit that it is hard.  It is a daily choice.

A Contrast in Choices

Genesis 13-14, 19 : A Contrast in Choices

a. Read Genesis 13:10-12; 14:1-12; 19:1

•   Why do you think Lot chose to live where he did?

It says that he looked around and saw that it was "well watered" and would be good fertile area.

•  What do you think it meant that Lot pitched his tent "toward" Sodom?

He faced it in the direction of Sodom.  When I first read it, I thought of King Benjamin's people who pitched their tents towards the temple so they could hear his words and I thought how different and opposite of a choice was Lot making.  I think it shows where his interest lay at that time.

• At first Lot lived outside the city of Sodom with his tent pitched towards it, and then he later lived in the city of Sodom itself.  In what ways today do people "pitch their tents toward Sodom"?

Well I think it is shown how people pitch their tents towards Sodom today by the way they live their lives.  A common saying that describes it well to me is "Being OF the world".  We can live in this world that is full of evil and enticings of the devil, but not be partakers and the problem is that so often we do not disconnect ourselves from the evil...instead we walk the fence and are far closer to it than we should be.

• Explain in writing the sins of Sodom & Gomorrah.  Write list of words from the scriptures and Institute Manual describing how the Lord feels about homosexuality.

Sins of Sodom & Gomorrah: homosexuality, bi-sexuality, masterbation, rejection of those who were poor and in need.

List of words used by Lord to describe His feelings about homosexuality: evil, depraved, abomination, immorality, filthiness, wickedness.

b. Contrast Lot's choices with Abraham's choices (Genesis 13:7-9, 18; 14:13-16, 21-23)

• Where did Abraham choose to live?

Abraham dwelt in the plain of Mamre and built an altar unto God.

• What did he do when he heard Lot had been captured?

He armed his servants and pursued them; they split up and went in at night and smote them and chased them away and brought Lot and his people and goods back.

• What does Genesis 14:22-23 reveal about Abraham's values and commitment to God?

It says that he worshipped and obeyed God first and would not take anything that wasn't his or given to him from God.

• The city of Sodom was known for wealth, worldly pleasures, and great wickedness.  What could Abraham have gained from the King of Sodom?  How does Moroni 10:30 relate to Abraham's actions?

The King offered him wealth and he could have had all that.  Abraham knew that what the King offered him was unclean and evil and he wanted to stay clean, therefore he could not and would not touch or possess it.

• What can I do to be more like Abraham, who did not even desire a "thread" of what the King of Sodom had to offer?

This whole lesson I have read many things about Abraham and learned more about him than I knew before and I feel like to be more like him means I need to be more obedient and closer to God.  That I feel is the secret.  Abraham was so close to God that he heard when God spoke to him and he obeyed without questioning.  If I want to live a life more like his, then I need to cultivate in myself the same traits and habits.  I need to make sure that my tent is pitched towards the Lord and the temple and not towards the modern-day Sodoms that look so enticing.  I need to be more clean and pure and I need to be unwavering in my dedication to the gospel and the commandments.

Whom God Calls, He Qualifies

This week the student choice homework that I have chose to do is Choice #2: Genesis 4-6 & Moses 6-7 "Whom God Calls, He Qualifies"

a. How did the Lord describe the people of Enoch's day?

• hearts have waxed hard
• ears are dull of hearing
• eyes cannot see far off
• have gone astray
• have denied me (God)
• sought their own counsels in the dark
• have not kept the commandments given to Adam
• have devised murder
• have foresworn themselves
• brought upon themselves death

b. Describe how the Lord strengthened and sustained Enoch and how the Lord has done similar things for me (Moses 6:32-39, 47 ; 7:13-18, 69)

• The Lord told Enoch that if he would just open his mouth that "it shall be filled".  He told him that the "Spirit is upon you", that "all they words will I justify", and to me, the most important, that "thou shalt abide in me and I in you".  When Enoch then went among the people and preached repentance unto them, the "earth trembled" because he "spoke the word of the Lord" and there was power in him.  It also said that he [Enoch] "walked with God".  

I sat and pondered this for some time.  I think that Enoch was trying so hard to do what was right and he doubted his abilities to do great things, but with God's help he was able to change the lives of these people.  He was literally strengthened beyond his capacities and given gifts from God to work miracles.  I think of the times in my life when I have been strengthened by the Lord and there ARE similarities.  Not to the degree of what Enoch experienced but to a degree that was amazing to me.  When I served my mission I was so afraid to open my mouth.  I didn't want people to yell at me, or ignore me.  I was afraid that I wouldn't know how to teach or what to say.  I can testify that there were many times when I had no plans of what to say and I had no idea what I was saying, but the Lord was filling my mind with the information I needed and my mouth with the words to say that would touch the heart of the person we were contacting or teaching.  He does loves us and is there to help us!  A few years ago, I was called in with my husband to talk to our Bishop and he was telling me that the YW Pres in our ward was moving and he had prayed and would like to give me a calling and I said "as long as it isn't YW Pres!"  He laughed a little and told me that it was and asked me why I had said that.  I told him that I felt very incapable of teaching and leading the young women of our ward...there were far more capable women that would do a better job.  Long story short....I accepted the call and served for 3 1/2 years and it was amazing!  I loved every second with those beautiful young women!  It wasn't me that led and directed the young women program during that time, it was the Lord.  He blessed me to know the path to go down and the direction and counsel to give to each and every young woman.  He truly strengthened me to be able to fulfill a calling that I had felt sorely incapable of doing.  I am so grateful that the Lord is always there for us and when we utilize his power in our lives, we can do great things!

c. Summarize from the reading what I learned about Enoch and his people

Enoch lived a very long time.  He had many children.  He was called to prophesy unto the people and call them to repentance.  It is written that "when he spoke, people trembled" and could not stand in his presence.  He had great power given to him by God to lead the people.  He spoke face to face with God!  He was commanded to baptize the people and in time of war, he led them.  The Lord "dwelt with this people, and they dwelt in righteousness".  Enoch built a city and called it City of Holiness or Zion.  The Lord spoke to him and told him that "Zion is blessed and the residue of the people are cursed".  Zion (the city of Enoch) was then taken up to Heaven to be with God.

This is absolutely one of my most favorite Bible stories of all time.  I love it.  I love that the people became so righteous and so obedient to God that they were taken up to be with Him.  I loved the whole thought and concept of Zion.  I think that this world would be so different if we could even be 50% of a Zion-like world.

Okay, so bear with me on this....

I have to do these weekly assignments for my Old Testament class and there were different ways we could choose to DO the assignments.  Since I am already a blogger, albeit a HORRIBLE one (for reals...my family blog is soooo behind), I felt like this would be the best way for me to express the things I am learning from my class.


Stay tuned!