Patriarchal Blessings =D

a.  Read Genesis 48 and describe in writing what was unusual about what Jacob did when blessing Ephraim and Manasseh.  What did Jacob give to Ephraim?

Manasseh was the older brother of Ephraim.  What's unusual about the blessing Jacob gave them was that he blessed Ephraim with his right hand and Manasseh with his left.  Usually it's the older brother who is blessed with the right hand. I'm not completely sure why, but I wonder if it isn't symbolic of striving to be on the right hand of God.  Being on the right hand of God means being righteous.  The sibling, usually the older one, who is blessed with the right hand usually gets the better blessing.  This time, Jacob decided to bless the younger brother, Ephraim, with his right hand, therefore giving him the better blessing.  He blessed Ephraim that he would be greater than Manasseh and his posterity would be a multitude of nations in the earth.

b.  Read Genesis 49:1 and explain in writing when the blessing to these tribes will be realized.

The blessings Jacob gave to the tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh will be realized in the last days.  I think this is already becoming evident.  I've heard that most people on the earth today are in the tribe of Ephraim.  Not everyone, but most people.  People from many different countries throughout the world today are in the tribe of Ephraim, which fulfills the promise that Ephraim's posterity would be a multitude of nations.

c.  In Genesis 49 mark the names of the 12 sons of Israel in your scriptures so you can quickly see where to find each son's blessing.  Then read the Institute Student  Manual commentary for Genesis 49:8-12, "What significant Portion of the Birthright Blessing Was Given to Judah?" (pg. 98), and the commentary for Genesis 49:22-26, "What Is the Significance of Joseph's blessing?" (pg. 98).  Write two paragraphs, one describing the promises to Judah and the other describing the blessings to Joseph.  In what ways do you see those blessings fulfilled today?

Some of the promises made to Judah were that he will be praised and people will bow down to him.  It says in Genesis 49:8 that Judah's, "...hand shall be in the neck of [his] enemies..."  I think this means that the people of Judah will be powerful and have the ability to defeat their enemies.  Genesis 49 also talks about Judah being the judges and lawgivers over the people until Christ comes (verse 10).  Genesis 49:11 cross references Doctrine and Covenants 133:35, which says that Judah, "...shall be sanctified in holiness before the Lord, to dwell in his presence day and night, forever and ever."  Judah was also promised that kings and even Christ would come from his line.

Joseph was also promised that Christ would come from his line.  He was blessed with a large posterity and many lands.  Joseph's posterity would become so numerous that they would need to travel to many more far away lands.

Some of these blessings that I see today are when Judah was promised he would have kings come from his line, he did.  Christ also came from his line.  Judah was promised that people would bow down to his people.  I think this came true when Christ was on the earth; people praised and bowed down to Him, and many still do.  Christ was also able to defeat His enemies.  He is one of the greatest Judges and Lawgivers to have ever lived.  Christ is also, "...sanctified in holiness before the Lord, to dwell in his presence day and night, forever and ever."  We also see today that most people in probably every country and continent are descendants of Joseph through Ephraim.

d.  The blessings given in Genesis 49 are patriarchal blessings.  Explain in writing why you feel we receive patriarchal blessings and the requirements to receive one.  What does your patriarchal blessing mean to you?

I think one of the requirements of receiving your patriarchal blessing is to be ready.  If you aren't ready, you won't get much out of the experience.  I don't think being ready has anything to do with age because some people mature faster than others.  When you're ready, you also have to be temple worthy.  I think you also need to listen to the Spirit as far as when to get it.  You might or might not think you're ready, but the Lord will know if you really are or not.

One of the reasons we receive our patriarchal blessing is to find out our lineage in Israel.  I think we also get it for personal counsel, guidance, blessings, and warnings.  Our patriarchal blessings are often referred to as personal scripture.  When I read my patriarchal blessing, parts of it comfort me and other parts of it make me really excited for what's to come.  It also makes me appreciate who and what I have.

e.  Write what impresses you most about JST, Genesis 50:24-36 (see Institute Student Manual commentary for Genesis 50:24, "The Prophecies of Joseph," pg. 99).  What specific prophecies about Joseph Smith are found in these verses?

In the Joseph Smith translation of Genesis 50, some prophesies are made about Joseph Smith: "Thus saith the Lord God of my fathers unto me, a choice seer will I raise up out of the fruit of thy loins...and he shall bring them to the knowledge of the covenants which I have made with thy fathers; and he shall do whatsoever work I shall command him.  And I will make him great in mine eyes, for he shall do my work; and he shall be great..." (JST Genesis 50:27-29).  It also talks about how God will give him the power to bring forth His word, and in doing so false doctrines will be confounded, there will be no more contentions, and there will be peace because people will know and be able to partake of the same covenants in the latter days as their ancestors did in ancient times.  Those who seek to try to destroy Joseph Smith will be confounded.

I think the part that impresses me the most is in verse 33 when it says, "...I will remember you from generation to generation..."  Sometimes I feel so alone, unloved, and forgotten about by everyone around me, but I'm not, nor have I ever been or ever will be.  The Lord loves me and will never forget me, nor will He forget any of His other children.

~ * Sodom and Gomorrah * ~

a.  Read Genesis 13:10-12; 14:1-12; 19:1 and write your answers to the following questions:

• Why do you think Lot chose to live where he did?
  
  I think he chose to live on the plains of Jordan because he was greedy.  He saw how beautiful and flourishing that land was, and he wanted it.  I think it was also partially out of laziness.  I don't think he wanted to put in the effort it would have taken to make the land of Canaan as beautiful as Jordan already was.  He should have let Abraham choose first which land to take, but he was so focused on what he saw that he didn't want to risk Abraham choosing what he wanted.
  
• What do you think it meant to pitch his tent "toward" Sodom?
  We commonly hear about pitching your tent toward Sodom as a bad thing, and pitching your tent toward the temple as a good thing.  But what do these phrases actually mean?  I think it refers more to your thoughts and your focus than physically pitching your tent or whatever toward a specific place.  Sodom was a city full of wicked people.  When Lot pitched his tent toward Sodom, he woke up, looked out his front door, and saw the people doing bad things every day.  Every night when he went to bed, it was one of the last things he saw, too.  Being exposed to such wickedness that often affects the person being exposed.  Everyone has a breaking point, whether they lash out in retaliation to try to make it stop or give in and join whatever is going on, depending on the personality of the person being exposed to it.  With the level of exposure Lot had to the wickedness in Sodom, it was just a matter of time before he broke and joined in, I think because he had the type of personality that would have a tendency to give in to those temptations.  Seeing that wickedness so often eventually seeped into his thoughts, and what you think about will determine your focus.  Your focus determines where your tent is pitched.  If your thoughts are good, your tent will be pitched toward the temple; if they're bad, it will be pitched toward Sodom.
  
• How does 2 Nephi 28:7-9 pertain to Lot's choice to pitch his tent "toward Sodom?"
  These verses talk about how some people will say that some sin is okay or that you can do whatever you want, and it'll be okay with the Lord.  He will forgive us, so no worries.  It reminds me of the people these days who talk about how it's by grace alone that we are saved and we can do whatever we want, it doesn't matter, because the grace of Christ's atonement will just cover it.  I think Lot had this same mentality.  He thought that watching others sin would be okay because it's not like he was doing it.  But eventually, he got closer and closer to Sodom to the point where he was actually living among them and probably even sinning with them.  He probably thought the same thing that so many people today think, that we can do whatever we want and we will be forgiven and that the grace of God will cover it.
  
• At first Lot lived "in the cities of the plain" outside Sodom, but he "pitched his tent toward Sodom" (Genesis 13:12).  Later he lived in the city of Sodom itself (see Genesis 14:12).  In what ways do people today "pitch their tents toward Sodom?"
  Elder Holland of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles gave a talk in general conference (I don't remember when) where in part of it he talked about how inappropriate thoughts will come knocking, but we don't have to invite them in for tea and entertainment.  I think it really does start with our thoughts.  Thoughts become words and actions, actions become habits, habits become character, and character becomes our destiny, whether it be the Celestial Kingdom or somewhere else.  I think the main way that people pitch their tent toward Sodom is by inviting thoughts into their head and entertaining them.  People get ideas to do something, and if they know it's wrong in some way, they logic it out to make it sound okay in their head.  Our bodies have strong natural urges that can and should be used at the right time, but some people choose not to wait.  Some things might not be very good or nice, but they are easier to do that the right or even good thing.  Some people choose to go with what's easier than what's right.  The right thing isn't always easy, but it's worth it.
  
• Read Genesis 19:2-11; Romans 1:24-27, 31, and the institute student manual commentaries for Genesis 19:4-11, "Why Did Lot Offer His Daughters to the Wicked Sodomites?" (pg. 76) and for Genesis 19:13, "What Was the Wickedness of Sodom and Gomorrah?" (pg. 76).  Explain in writing the sins of Sodom and Gomorrah.  Write a list of words from the scriptures and the Institute Student Manual describing how the Lord feels about homosexuality.
  

  It seems to me that the main sins in both Sodom and Gomorrah were homosexuality, pride, and not helping their fellow men (Old Testament Institute Student Manual pg. 76).  "...for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature.  And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one towards another..." (Romans 1:26-27).  According to the scriptures, the Lord feels that homosexuality is as follows:
  • wicked
  • unclean
  • dishonorable to their bodies
  • not in worship or service of God and His truths (Romans 1:25)
  • a vile affection
  • unnatural
  • unseemly
  • implacable
  • unmerciful
  • without understanding
  • breaks God's covenant with us
  • extremely immoral
  • prideful
  • idle
  • selfish
  • haughty
  • abomination
  • filthy
  • evil and depraved

b.  Contrast Lot's choices with Abraham's by reading Genesis 13:7-9, 18; 14:13-16, 21-23 and responding in writing to the following questions:

• Where did Abraham choose to live?
  Abraham chose to live wherever Lot chose not to.  In Genesis 13:9 Abram said to Lot, "...if thou wilt take the left hand, then I will go to the right; or if thou depart to the right hand, then I will go to the left."  He basically told Lot to choose where he wanted to live and go that way, and then he would go and live in the other direction.
  
• What did he do when he heard that Lot had been captured?
  He gathered his men who had been trained, I'm guessing to fight, and rescued Lot.  He and his men found out where Lot was being held captive, pursued his captors, and, at night, smote them, pursued them more, and eventually got Lot, his people, and his goods back and took them home.
  
• What does Genesis 14:22-23 reveal  about Abraham's values and commitment to God?
  Abraham's values were the same as the Lord's.  His commitment to God was his highest priority.  If the Lord told him to or not to do something, he would follow it perfectly and without question.  The Lord told him not to accept anything from the king of Sodom, and he, knowing there was a really good reason for that commandment, didn't.  He might not have known or understood why the Lord gave the commandments He did, but it didn't seem to matter to him.  He trusted the Lord and had faith that everything would turn out for the better.
  
• The city of Sodom was known for having wealth, abundance of 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?
  Abraham could have become even more rich than he already was, and he could also have lived out the rest of his life very comfortably.  Moroni teaches that we should strive to have good gifts and leave bad ones alone.  If Abraham had accepted gifts from the king of Sodom, the king probably would've expected something in return.  This being said, I don't think that anything Abraham would have received from the king would really have been a good gift, though it probably looked great when the king offered it to him.  Abraham chose to stick with the gifts he knew were good; he chose to keep the commandments of the Lord and therefore chose the gifts of God.
  
• What can you do to be more like Abraham, who did not even desire a "thread" of what the king of Sodom had to offer?
  I think I could be more like Abraham by remembering my covenants more often.  When faced with a tough decision, I think it would be helpful to me to remember the basics of the covenants I made with Heavenly Father.  Some of the choices I'm faced with in my life are whether to follow one commandment or another.  I need to remember that Heavenly Father is there for me, and I don't have to make any decisions alone.  That's kind of hard for me to remember sometimes, but I think it would help me become a better person if I remembered His help being available to me in all things.

~ Cain and Abel ~

a.  Read Genesis 4:1-8 and Moses 5:18-19 and the Old Testament Institute Student Manual commentary for Genesis 4:4-8, "But unto Cain and His Offering He Had Not Respect" (pg. 52).  Write a summary of what Joseph Smith taught about Cain's offering and why God did not accept it.  Give some examples of how offerings from members of the Church can become unacceptable to the Lord today.

Cain was a farmer, and his younger brother Abel raised livestock.  In Genesis 4, we read that Abel brought the type of offering the Lord had commanded; he, "...brought of the firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof..." (Genesis 4:4).  We also read that, "...Cain brought of the fruit of the ground an offering unto the Lord" (Genesis 4:3).  Joseph Smith taught that, "...Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, by which [God] obtained witness that [Abel] was righteous..." (pg. 59 of the Old Testament Institute student manual). God commanded the people of that time to bring Him offerings the way Abel did, offerings that are in similitude of what Christ did for us and was going to do for them.  Any deviation from that standard was unacceptable.

While Cain probably brought the Lord the best fruit he had grown, the Lord asked for the best and first born of his lambs.  I'm not completely sure if Cain had any lambs or where he would've gotten one if he didn't, but such was the commandment.  The Lord didn't accept Cain's fruit because fruit wasn't what the Lord asked for.  'What's the big deal about a perfect, unblemished lamb who was the first born of the flock?' one might ask.  Christ is often referred to as 'the Lamb of God.'  He was God's first born Son in the flesh, and lived His life without blemish or sin.

When the Lord didn't accept Cain's offering, it's wasn't a personal thing.  If Abel or Adam or Eve or anyone else had offered Him fruit, He wouldn't have accepted it from them, either.

Sometimes, we all have our 'Cain moments,' where we attempt to do what the Lord commands and don't do it completely right for whatever reason.  For example, repenting.  The Lord has taught us that when we ask for His forgiveness, we should be truly sorry about whatever wrong thing we did.  If we're not, what will we learn?  What will be our motivation to not do it again?  Another example is prayer.  If we have all the wrong intentions when praying, why should God take us seriously?  They who pray for the praise of men have their reward; those who pray in front of others to get attention and to get people to think they're righteous are already the getting the worldly attention they're seeking.  Also, if we don't pay a full tithe, it will not be accepted by the Lord.  When I am tempted not to tithe, I ask myself, 'Am I giving the Lord 10% or is He giving me 90%?'

b.  Read Genesis 4:8-9.  After Cain killed Abel, the Lord asked him, "Where is Abel thy brother?"  Cain's answer shows his selfishness and contempt toward others, including the Lord.  Read Luke 10:27-37 and write an explanation of how you think the Lord's question to Cain in verse 9 applies to us today.

When the Lord asked Cain, "Where is Abel thy brother?" Cain basically tells the Lord that he doesn't know and that Abel isn't really his problem.  It seems to me like Cain was the kind of person who only looks out for #1.  I'm curious as to how happy people like that are, who only take care of and worry about themselves.  Wouldn't they get lonely?  And how can a lonely person be happy?  I know I've never felt lonely and happy at the same time.  I think the Lord's question to Cain can apply to all of us in the sense that we should also be looking out for and helping each other.  It doesn't have to be this big, extravagant, elaborate thing.  It can just be smiling at someone you walk past on the street or helping someone up and asking if they're alright if you see them fall or helping someone out with their groceries if you see them struggling to carry them.  If through the small and simple things great things are brought to pass, why can't something simple be all someone needs to turn their day around?

c.  Make a list of Cain's sinful acts as recorded in Genesis 4:3-9 and Moses 5: 16-33.

Cain's first problem was that he brought the wrong kind of offering to the Lord.  The Lord specifically explained how to give offerings and what kind of offerings to give, so Cain knew beforehand what would probably happen, that the Lord would probably tell him to go back and try again.  He then became very angry with the Lord for not accepting his offering.  I'm not completely sure why, though.  He knew he hadn't brought the right kind of offering, so I can't help but wonder why it was such a shock to him that the Lord didn't accept it.  When it says in Genesis 4:8 that after all this, "...Cain talked with Abel..." I don't think there was really much talking.  I think Cain was probably telling Abel off and taking his frustration with the Lord out on him, especially since Abel ends up dead at the end of the verse.  It says in Moses 5:26, "...Cain...listened not any more to the voice of the Lord, neither to Abel, his brother, who walked in holiness before the Lord."  Cain chose to completely cut himself off from the words of the Lord, which were the only things that could help him.  He also married a woman who, "...loved Satan more than God" (Moses 5:28).  In Moses 5:29-30, Cain got involved in what are commonly referred to in the Book of Mormon as 'secret combinations.'  Satan came to Cain and had him swear on his life that he wouldn't tell anyone what happened to Abel, and Cain foolishly agreed.  He made a pact with Satan to do his bidding.

d.  Cain had a choice to make after his sacrifice was not accepted by the Lord.  Read Genesis 4:7 and mark in your scriptures what the Lord said to him.  Compare that statement with Joshua 24:15, 2 Nephi 2:27, and Alma 3:26-27.  What does the account of Cain and Abel teach about agency?

 Agency is the ability to choose to do whatever you want however you please.  One can use their agency for good or bad.  Cain is just one example of many of how to not use agency wisely and what the consequences are if you follow the path of disobeying God.  A few scriptures that encourage us to choose God and warn us of possible consequences are Genesis 4:7, Joshua 24:15, 2 Nephi 2:27, and Alma 3:26-27.  There are consequences to all that we do and all choices we make.  Positive or negative consequences are dependent upon whether or not we chose to do something good.  We usually call the positive consequences 'blessings.'  The better choice we make, the greater blessings we will receive.

e.  Read Genesis 4:10-16 and Moses 5:35-41.  Describe, in writing, Cain's punishment for disobeying God and killing his brother.  How did Cain feel about his punishment?  Cross-reference verse 13 with Alma 12:13-15.  Why do you think Cain struggled to accept God's punishment?

When the Lord punished Cain, we see that he fell into a trap that so many people fall into.  Cain, through his pride, blamed others, in this case his brother and Satan, for his bad choices so that he wouldn't have to take responsibility for his actions.  He told the Lord that Satan had tempted him because of Abel's flocks.  Basically it's Satan's fault for tempting him and it's Abel's fault for having what he had.  The problem with this mentality is that it is somewhat faulty.  Yes, Satan tempted him, but Cain still chose to listen and obey.  God also cursed Cain with a mark so that everyone would know what he had done and not to kill him.  He made Cain live with the shame of what he had done, which is sometimes a worse punishment than killing someone to put them out of their misery.

The Lord also cursed the ground, making it hard for Cain to grow anything to eat.  He was constantly moving around from place to place to try to find good soil to grow fruit for himself and his family.  I wonder if he wasn't also being driven out of certain places by other people.  Adam and Eve had a lot of children, who also had a lot of kids, who also had a lot of kids, etc. in the process of multiplying and replenishing the earth.  All of these people needed a place for themselves and their families to live, and I don't think anyone wanted Cain around.  The Lord punished Cain's pride because that was his biggest stumbling block, and that would be hard for anyone to handle.

BYU Idaho =D

I'm not sure if any of you know, but I'm taking an online class through BYU Idaho this semester.  It's Old Testament part 1, which covers the Pearl of Great Price and Genesis through 2 Samuel.  As part of our learning experience, our teacher wants us to write a 10-minutes talk, make a blog entry, create a podcast or power point, teach a friend, OR write a 300-word (minimum) essay (← I like the word 'or' in that sentence :D).  He wants us to do one of these per week.  Since I've been a complete bum and haven't been keeping up with my blog, I have decided that you shall be getting (at least) weekly postings from me about what I am studying in the OT.  I would love your comments and incites about what I post.  :)