Journey through the Old Testament

 These chapters recount pivotal moments in the life of Abraham, beginning with the theophany at Mamre, where the Lord appears to Abraham and reaffirms the Abrahamic covenant—a promise of posterity, land, and spiritual blessings. Abraham’s intercession for Sodom (Genesis 18) teaches powerful lessons about compassion, justice, and the Lord’s willingness to spare the righteous. The destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah (Genesis 19) underscores the consequences of unrepentant wickedness while also highlighting God’s mercy in saving Lot and his family. In Genesis 20, Abraham’s interaction with Abimelech reminds us of the importance of truth and trust in divine protection. The birth of Isaac (Genesis 21) fulfills God’s long-promised blessing and symbolizes the miracle of covenant faithfulness. 

In Genesis 12 God summons Abram from the familiar confines of Ur-Kalḫa and Haran to “go forth from your country, your people, and your father’s house” (12:1). The call is accompanied by a remarkable promise: a mighty nation will arise from Abram, he will be blessed, his name will become a source of blessing, and through him all the families of the earth will be redeemed. Abram obeys, taking his wife Sarai, his nephew Lot, and every possession he owns, and he sets out for the land of Canaan, which God designates as an “everlasting possession” (12:7). The journey is marked by cycles of famine, divine rescue, and human frailty—Abram’s sojourn in Egypt (12:10‑20), his rescue of Lot from the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah (14), and the troubling episode at Hebron where he lies about Sarai’s identity (17).

The biblical book of Genesis 6–11 recounts pivotal events in early human history, culminating in the Great Flood and the Tower of Babel. Genesis 6–8 introduces the Nephilim, descendants of the "sons of God" and "daughters of men" (Gen 6:1–4), which scholars often interpret as a union between spiritual beings (possibly angels or other divine figures) and humanity, resulting in a corrupt and violent generation. God, upset by how bad people are, decides to flood the world and save only Noah, his family, and pairs of animals in a huge ark. Post-flood narratives in Genesis 10–11 trace the repopulation of the earth and the infamous Tower of Babel, where humanity’s hubris in building a city to "make a name" for themselves leads God to confuse their languages and disperse them (Gen 11:1–9).

When I first opened Moses 7 in the Pearl of Great Price, I felt like I was stepping into a backstage pass to the very beginning of everything we know. In this short but luminous chapter, the prophet‑author Moses is granted a vision that pulls back the curtain on the pre‑mortal council where God the Father, His Son, and the Holy Ghost convened “in the heavens” to discuss the creation of a world that would become our home. I love how the text paints the scene with a kind of reverent awe: God the Father is described as “the great and the most glorious and the most high” who “was and is and shall be forever,” while His Son, “the only begotten,” is “the Father’s only begotten.” The narrative then moves to the moment when the Father asks His Son to bring forth the world, and the Son, in perfect obedience and love, says, “Let us create.” From there, the “spirit of truth” is organized, the “great and spacious building” is erected, and the “earth” takes shape—each step accompanied by a gentle, almost musical cadence that makes the whole process feel less like a distant myth and more like a lovingly choreographed dance.

Enoch leads Zion with divine presence

The passages from Genesis 3–4 and Moses 4–5 describe the Fall of Adam and Eve and the early experiences of their children, Cain and Abel. In these chapters, Adam and Eve partake of the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil, leading to their expulsion from the Garden of Eden. This act brings physical and spiritual death into the world but also makes possible human growth, agency, and the plan of salvation. 

January 12–18: “In the Beginning God Created the Heaven and the Earth”  Genesis 1-2, Moses 2-3 (Book of Moses), and Abraham 4-5 (Book of Abraham). These texts collectively emphasize God’s eternal plan and humanity’s divine purpose.  Genesis provides the foundational biblical account of creation and Adam and Eve’s fall. The Book of Moses adds details: God created the world through command, governed spirits before Adam’s creation, and made covenants with humans. It highlights premortal existence and God’s role as a personal, involved Creator.

The opening chapter of the Book of Moses is a divine introduction that sets the stage for the entire Restoration narrative. In a theophanic vision, God speaks directly to Moses, revealing the premortal existence of humanity, the creation of the world, and the purpose of our mortal probation. We learn that before arriving on earth, all souls dwelt with God, where they were taught the principles of agency, love, and eternal progression. When God created the earth, He placed Adam and Eve there not as victims of a tragedy but as willing participants in a Plan of Happiness that would enable them to exercise agency, experience growth, and ultimately return to Him.