Who Am I?

At the beginning of the year, I was fortunate to receive the calling as Gospel Doctrine teacher in my church.  I was even more fortunate to be able to teach from one of the most fascinating books in all of literature; a text I have come to know not only as a fascinating literary/scholarly text, but a sacred, scriptural text.  While getting my degree in English, at BYU, I had the privilege of taking two classes—one of which I completed my senior course in— entitled "The Bible as Literature," which later ignited a passion for studying and learning from the narrative found in the Bible.  

I take teaching very seriously; I put a lot of time and energy into what I teach.  I feel that the things I learn always end up enhancing my testimony more than those I teach, and so I wanted to include these lessons on my blog in hopes of developing an intrigue of the Bible to the readers of this blog.

Lesson #1

This year we will be studying the OT. In addition to the Old Testament, our studies will also include the books of Moses and Abraham from the Pearl of Great Price. These books provide important additions and clarifications to some of the material in the pp replete with stories, morals and doctrine. Within most of the stories in the OT one theme, amongst many, is evident: the clarification of who purpose of their journey and mission).

Today we will be learning from one such character and his relationship to God, namely Moses. And hopefully through Moses' account we will gain insight into our relationship to God, and our purpose and mission here on earth. 


For clarification, as we read through some of the verses in Moses, 
The book of Moses is an extract from the Joseph Smith Translation of the Bible." Also, "Jehovah, not Heavenly Father, appeared to Moses in this vision. Jehovah was the premortal Jesus Christ and the God of the Old Testament. He is one with his Father in purpose and represents him in power and authority. His words are those of the Father, and sometimes, as in Moses 1:6, he speaks in the first person for the Father." (See James E. Talmage, The Articles of Faith, 12th ed. [1924], 470–71.)


GAME: 
2. Select two class members and hand them a bag that contains a few everyday items (see “Preparation,” page 1). Tell the participants that they are going to play a game, but do not give instructions or explain the object of the game. Ask the participants to open the bag and begin playing. They will expect the contents of the bag to explain the game. However, the contents do not provide this information, and the participants will wonder what they are supposed to do.

To understand a game we must understand its object or purpose. Similarly, to understand our lives on earth we must understand the object or purpose of our lives. Moses 1 helps us understand this by answering three important questions:

Who are we?

How can we overcome the influence of the adversary?

What is God’s work and glory?


WHO ARE WE?

Read Moses 1:3
3 And God spake unto Moses, saying: Behold, I am the Lord God aAlmighty, and bEndless is my cname; for I am without beginning of days or end of years; and is not this endless?

4 And, behold, thou art my son; wherefore alook, and I will show thee the bworkmanship of mine chands; but not all, for my dworks are without eend, and also my fwords, for they never cease.

God states who he is: The Lord God, Almighty, Endless. Then he clarifies who Moses is: his son. Think for just a moment about your genetics. What traits, talents, gifts, attributes have been passed on to through your family line? Now take that one step further, if we, like Moses, are Gods sons and daughters, than a portion of His divinity, his capabilities, his powers lay within each of us. This is evident in verse 6, when The Lord says to Moses: 

6 And I have a work for thee, Moses, my son; and thou art in the asimilitude of mine bOnly cBegotten; and mine Only Begotten is and shall be the dSavior, for he is full of egrace and ftruth; but there is gno God beside me, and all things are present with me, for I hknow them all.

What is similitude? 
Cross reference similitude:
Gen 1:26
26 ¶And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.

The account of Moses unequivocally proves that every human being was and is made in the image/similitude of God. 

Moses1:7 And now, behold, this one thing I show unto thee, Moses, my son, for thou art in the world, and now I show it unto thee.

8 And it came to pass that Moses looked, and beheld the aworld upon which he was created; and Moses bbeheld the world and the ends thereof, and all the children of men which are, and which were created; of the same he greatly cmarveled and wondered.

Note the scripture reads "all" not just a "few" 

•What difference can it make in our lives to know that we are children of God, created in the similitude of his Son?

How can this help in our marital relationships, friendships, and as parents to our children? 

HANDOUT
Elder Dallin H. Oaks taught: “Consider the power of the idea taught in our beloved song ‘I Am a Child of God.’ … Here is the answer to one of life’s great questions, ‘Who am I?’ I am a child of God with a spirit lineage to heavenly parents. That parentage defines our eternal potential. That powerful idea is a potent antidepressant. It can strengthen each of us to make righteous choices and to seek the best that is within us. Establish in the mind of a … person the powerful idea that he or she is a child of God, and you have given self-respect and motivation to move against the problems of life” (in Conference Report, Oct. 1995, 31; or Ensign, Nov. 1995, 25).

When I read this I thought of the quote: "you are what you think." 
And, "We reap what we sow." Have you ever planted a watermelon seed only to see it grow into a turnip? No. 

Likewise, only one thought can occupy our minds at one time. Therefore, Negative thoughts beget negative actions, positive thoughts beget positive actions or results. 

I think sometimes we believe we need something physical to happen in order to change unpleasant situations in our life, for example money will make me happy, but it's not the actual money it's the idea, the belief that begets happiness. 

My husband is a firm believer in the power of the human mind and it's capability of changing ones life. After making countless mistakes as a teen he found himself unable to change his allotment in life via physical means due to being confined behind bars for 2 years. The only thing that he had to work with in order to change his life around was his mind. 

MIKES TESTIMONY: studying in jail, reading books, quotes. 

I can testify that he created a habit. To this day he uses the power of positive thinking to be successful in his occupation, to uplift and help our relationship grow, and to nourish a belief system and self esteem in our two boys. 

How grateful I am for this gift of his, because it's not my strength. And how important it is for us to have this as our strength, for as the manual pointed out: 

"In a world where criticism and negative, demeaning comments seem to dominate, we should follow the Lord’s example and say things that help others see themselves as children of God who have dignity and worth." 

I have seen how repetition can influence for good even the youngest of minds. My heart is over joyed when I hear my two year old son repeat verbatim this affirmation his dad whispers in his ear every night:

"You're smart, beautiful, and excellent. Full of love, light, and joy--power, strength, confidence and certainty. Every day in every way, you get better and better. 
Avalanches of abundance flow into your life. You're healthy, wealthy, and wise.
You're honest, true, creative, artistic, wonderful, and kind.
You're a leader not a follower.
You're a creator not a destroyer.
You're a believer not a doubter.
Mom and Dad love you. And Heavenly Father and Jesus love you. 
And you can do anything in this world you put your mind to. Always get back up when you fall and try, try again until you succeed."

It is my hope that this will become so ingrained in Beckahm that it will become apart of his belief system and he will use it to better his life. 

I want to take the thought "you are what you think" one step further and attach eternal significance to it, changing it to read "you become what you know." 

If we truly know we are Children of The Creator of all things, the ruler of every life form that exists on planet earth and beyond, the outcome would naturally be: us living better lives, believing in ourselves more, and nourishing and strengthening the relationships we have with others. 

Let's read: Moses 1:10 because as a child this scripture often confused me: 

10 And it came to pass that it was for the space of many hours before Moses did again receive his natural astrength like unto man; and he said unto himself: Now, for this cause I know that bman is cnothing, which thing I never had supposed.

So we just learned that we are created in Gods image, and now we learn we are nothing? An oxymoron is it not? We'll not quite; how is it that both statements are true? 

We are here in a training facility if you will. We we're put here as mortals coming from a lineage of divinity to be tested and tried to see if in the end we would choose divinity. We will never attain perfection in this life, nor were we ever meant to, hence the need of our reliance upon God--the all perfect Being. It is only through Him that we become perfected. 

2. How can we overcome the influence of the adversary?

Satan confronts Moses; Moses casts him out.

This is one of the most amazing accounts to learn about how to face adversity in our lives so I want to read it in full. And as I read through it, emphasizing some of the text , I want you to not think about Moses rather think about you facing your adversary. 

12 And it came to pass that when Moses had said these words, behold, aSatan came btempting him, saying: Moses, son of man, worship me.

(Wait what did Satan call him? Who did Moses just learn he was?) 

13 And it came to pass that Moses looked upon Satan and said: Who art thou? For behold, I am a ason of God, in the similitude of his Only Begotten; and where is thy bglory, that I should worship thee?

(There was no hesitation in Moses when answering the adversary. He was taught by God, he had faith in that teaching, he embodied it, and it empowered him: I AM a son of God). 

14 For behold, I could not look upon God, except his aglory should come upon me, and I were transfigured before him. But I bcan look upon thee in the natural man. Is it not so, surely?

15 Blessed be the name of my God, for his aSpirit hath not altogether withdrawn from me, or else where is thy glory, for it is darkness unto me? And I can judge between thee and God; for God said unto me: bWorship God, for him only shalt thou cserve.

16 Get thee hence, Satan; deceive me not; for God said unto me: Thou art after the asimilitude of mine Only Begotten. 

(He repeats exactly what God told him, twice...there is power in repetition. What is the one word repeated most in the BOM? REMEMBER. Why do we hear the same things over and over in General Conference? Repetition creates a belief system within us. 

I also love the simple formula in which Moses handles the adversary: Moses stated who he was, he stated who Satan was, and he told him to leave). 

17 And he also gave me commandments when he acalled unto me out of the burning bbush, saying: cCall upon God in the name of mine Only Begotten, and worship me.

18 And again Moses said: I will not cease to call upon God, I have other things to inquire of him: 

(Moses remembers the concept that we are made in Gods image, yet we are nothing. He knows he is imperfect and that he needs Gods assistance. And so he never ceases to call upon God). 

for his aglory has been upon me, wherefore I can judge between him and thee. bDepart hence, Satan.

19 And now, when Moses had said these words, aSatan cried with a loud voice, and ranted upon the earth, and commanded, saying: I am the bOnly Begotten, worship me.

20 And it came to pass that Moses began to afear exceedingly; and as he began to fear, he saw the bitterness of bhell. 

(Note God let Moses face that fear, he didn't take it from him immediately) 

Nevertheless, ccalling upon God, he received dstrength, and he commanded, saying: Depart from me, Satan, for this one God only will I worship, which is the God of eglory.

21 And now Satan began to tremble, and the earth shook; and Moses received strength, and called upon God, saying: In the name of the Only Begotten, adepart hence, bSatan.

22 And it came to pass that Satan cried with a loud voice, with weeping, and wailing, and agnashing of teeth; and he departed hence, even from the presence of Moses, that he beheld him not.

So what are a few lessons we can learn from this account? 

1) It's a lot easier to face a battle when we know who we are and what we stand for. It's pertinent that we instill within ourselves an unwavering belief system; that everything we do derives from the knowledge that we are children of God. 

2) Are trials made any easier because we are children of God? We can answer that by answering the question how many times did Moses have to tell Satan to depart? 4 times. 


1. “Moses was left unto himself” (Moses 1:9)
•There may be times when we are “left unto [ourselves]” as Moses was—times when we do not feel the Spirit strongly or have many trials. 

My family and I were in AZ for the holidays. A couple days before Xmas my sister-in-law received a text that a member in her ward had passed away the night before. This woman was 25 years old, married, had a 2 year old son, and had just given birth two weeks prior to their first girl. My sister-in-law had been at her baby shower 3 weeks prior. I had never met this woman, nor her children, nor her husband, but being a mother of a two year old and a 10month old, the news was devastating to me. I couldn't help but wonder why this had to happen? What her husband must be going through? How her 2 year old boy was dealing with the excitement of Christmas and the confusion of his mother not being present? Of how this newborn little girl would never know her mother. 

What can we learn from Moses 1 to help us deal with times such as these? (Answers could include: Such difficulties may not be due to any wrongdoing on our part; God does not leave us entirely, as shown in verse 15; and we often gain great strength by facing our trials, calling on God, and increasing our faith.)

3) How did Moses receive strength to resist the temptations of Satan? (See Moses 1:18, 20–21.) How did Moses get Satan to leave? How can prayer strengthen us to resist temptation? 

Through first hand experiences I have had, I know that the power of the adversary is comparable to the power of the God (hence the reason we read of Moses fearing Satan). However, I testify that the power of God will always prevail. Whenever I have seen or felt the power of the adversary in my life and have thought to call upon the name of God that power has been relinquished. 

3. God appears again and teaches of his work and glory.

Teach and discuss Moses 1:24–39.

•After Satan departed, Moses again beheld the glory of God and was shown another vision of the earth and its inhabitants (Moses 1:24–28). What two questions did Moses ask when he was shown this vision? (See Moses 1:30.) What answers did God give? (See Moses 1:31–32, 39.)

•Even though God has created worlds and people that are numberless to us, he assured Moses that he knows them all (Moses 1:35). How have you come to feel that Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ know you individually and love you? 

There was a moment not too long ago when I was feeling so down about my capability of being a mother. I remember feeling like a failure in Gods eyes. As I knelt in prayer that night the most beautiful feelings of love, and acceptance washed over me. I started seeing what seemed to be a video player playing images in my mind of all of the wonderful things I'd done as a mother. And then I heard in my these words: "you are a wonderful mother." I knew God knew what I was feeling in that moment, and knew that I needed his love and reassurance to get through it. 

•God’s work and glory is “to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man” (Moses 1:39). What is immortality? Who will receive immortality? What is eternal life? Who will receive eternal life?

HANDOUT: 
Elder James E. Faust said: “There is a distinction between immortality, or eternal existence, and eternal life, which is to have a place in the presence of God. Through the grace of Jesus Christ, immortality comes to all … , just or unjust, righteous or wicked. However, eternal life is ‘the greatest of all the gifts of God’ (D&C 14:7). We obtain this great gift, according to the Lord, ‘if you keep my commandments and endure to the end.’ If we so endure, the promise is, ‘you shall have eternal life’ (D&C 14:7)” (in Conference Report, Oct. 1988, 14; or Ensign, Nov. 1988, 12).

•Why is it important for us to know what God’s work and glory is? What are some specific ways we can assist him in this great work?

HANDOUT:
President Gordon B. Hinckley said: “We are here to assist our Father in His work and His glory, ‘to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man’ (Moses 1:39). Your obligation is as serious in your sphere of responsibility as is my obligation in my sphere. No calling in this church is small or of little consequence. All of us in the pursuit of our duty touch the lives of others. To each of us in our respective responsibilities the Lord has said: … ‘In doing these things thou wilt do the greatest good unto thy fellow beings, and wilt promote the glory of him who is your Lord’ (D&C 81:4)” (in Conference Report, Apr. 1995, 94; or Ensign, May 1995, 71; see also D&C 81:5–6).

Testimony 

I know that I'm a daughter of God. I know each of you are made in the similitude of our Savior. I know that every person outside of this room--all of humanity--come from a divine lineage. 

I believe in the power of positive thinking and it's capability of making a hard world easier to live in. I know through positive thinking we gain eternal perspective and are empowered through that perspective 

I don't necessarily love them, I believe there is purpose in trials. We need to remember that it's not the trial itself but the the way we handle the trial. We need to allow it to elevate us, to strengthen our faith, and to help us grow. It is through trial wherein perfection is achieved. 

We must remember our ultimate example is Jesus Christ. He himself was left to face the greatest form of adversity known to man: atoning for our sins in the garden of Gethsemane. Even though it was hard he never ceased praying, he never gave up on his mission. 

He himself felt Gods distance when he cried out on the cross "Father, where art thou." 

I have a testimony that we may feel alone at times in our lives but we must never cease to call upon God for reliance, strength, and love. He will be there for is, he wants to see us succeed in this life. 

He wants us to know: 

"We are smart, beautiful, and excellent. Full of love, light, and joy--power, strength, confidence and certainty. Every day in every way, we get better and better. 
We are healthy, wealthy, and wise.
We are honest, true, wonderful, and kind.
We are leaders not a followers. 
Creators not a destroyers
Believers not a doubters
Our Heavenly parents love us, and Jesus loves us. 
We can do anything in this world we put our minds to. We must always get back up when we fall and try, try again until we succeed."

My hope and prayer for each of us this new year is for us to believe in these things and be better people because of that belief