Moses 1; Abraham 3
“This Is My Work and My Glory”
January 5 - January 11
scripture
quotes
A Rebuttal to Feelings of Unimportance
<p>Sometimes man’s purpose and very existence are also described in very humble terms. The prophet Moses was raised in what some today might call a privileged background. As recorded in the Pearl of Great Price, the Lord, preparing Moses for his prophetic assignment, gives him an overview of the world and all the children of men which are and were created. Moses’s somewhat surprising reaction was, “Now … I know that man is nothing, which thing I never had supposed.”</p> <p>Subsequently, God, in what amounts to a rebuttal to any feelings of unimportance that Moses may have felt, proclaimed His true purpose: “For behold, this is my work and my glory—to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man.”</p>
Quentin L. Cook, “The Eternal Everyday,” October 2017 General Conference
Our True Identity and Relationship with God
<p>Spiritual security increases because revelation teaches us about our true identity and our relationship with God. From the beginning this was revealed to Adam: “Behold, thou art one in me, a son of God” (Moses 6:68). Then it was revealed to others, such as Moses: “Thou art my son” (Moses 1:4). “Thou art in the similitude of mine Only Begotten; and mine Only Begotten is and shall be the Savior” (Moses 1:6). In our day it has also been revealed to Joseph Smith, Oliver Cowdery, and to many others: “Behold, I say unto you, my son” (D&C 9:1).</p> <p>Knowing who we really are prepares us to use that knowledge to face temptations, to resist them, and then to act righteously. Moses, knowing he was a son of God, as revealed to him, told Satan, “Get thee hence, Satan; deceive me not; for God said unto me: Thou art after the similitude of mine Only Begotten” (Moses 1:16). The result did not wait, as the Lord called him, saying, “Blessed art thou, Moses, for I, the Almighty, have chosen thee, and thou shalt be made stronger than many waters; for they shall obey thy command as if thou wert God” (Moses 1:25). The spiritual security becomes evident as the Lord added, “I am with thee, even unto the end of thy days” (Moses 1:26).</p>
Charles A. Didier, “Spiritual Security,” April 1987 General Conference
A Personal Plan of Salvation
<p>God sent Jesus Christ, His only Son in the flesh, to lay down His life for every one of us. This He did because He loves us and designed a plan for each of us to return home to Him.</p> <p>But this is not a blanket, catchall, hit-or-miss sort of plan. It is personal, set forth by a loving Heavenly Father, who knows our hearts, our names, and what He needs us to do. Why do we believe that? Because we are taught it in the holy scriptures.</p> <p>Moses repeatedly heard Heavenly Father speak the words “Moses, my son.” Abraham learned he was a child of God, chosen for his mission even before he was born. By the hand of God, Esther was placed in a position of influence to save her people. And God trusted a young woman, a servant, to testify of a living prophet so Naaman could be healed.</p> <p>I especially love that good man, short in stature, who climbed a tree to see Jesus. The Savior knew he was there, stopped, looked up into the branches, and spoke these words: “Zacchaeus, … come down” (Luke 19:5). And we cannot forget the 14-year-old who went into a grove of trees and learned how personal the plan really is: “[Joseph,] this is My Beloved Son. Hear Him!” (Joseph Smith—History 1:17).</p> <p>Brothers and sisters, we are the focus of Heavenly Father’s plan and the reason for our Savior’s mission. Each of us, individually, is Their work and Their glory.</p>
Michael T. Ringwood, “For God So Loved Us,” April 2022 General Conference
commentary
Moses 1:1-2
<p>Moses being “caught up” into a high mountain and beholding the glory of God face-to-face evokes a temple setting and context comparable to imagery attested throughout the Hebrew Bible and other ancient sources. Latter-day Saint commentators have written extensively on this chapter, noting its similarity to other ascension texts wherein a prophet ascends into the presence of God and receives a divine commission. The striking parallels between Moses 1 and this body of ancient literature are undeniable. (Consult the bibliography for representative samples of this scholarship.) <em>Saw God face to face</em>. Compare Exodus 33:11; Deuteronomy 34:10. Other prophets so privileged to have beheld the Lord “face to face” include, but are not limited to, Enoch (Moses 7:4), Abraham (Abraham 3:11), Jacob (Genesis 32:30), and Moroni (Ether 12:39).</p>
Pearl of Great Price Study Edition by Stephen O. Smoot
video
Moses's Temple Experience (Moses 1:9-10)
<p>Marianna Richardson, "Come, Follow Me Week 1, Part 1/6 (Dec 27 - Jan 2, Moses 1, Abraham 3)," Book of Mormon Central Video, 2022.</p>
Marianna Richardson
