2. Abraham 2:6.
Genesis 17:8; Abraham 2:15.
It is not the same land possessed by the people of Canaan as recorded in Moses 7:6–8.Genesis 15:18–21; 24:1–4; 28:1–2, 8–9; and Joshua 24:11.
3. “The descendants of Abraham, the tribes
of Israel, became the chosen people of the Lord according to the promise. The
Lord honored them, nourished them, watched over them with a jealous care, until
they became a great nation in the land the Lord had given to their fathers.
Notwithstanding this tender care and the instructions and warnings this people
received from time to time through their prophets, they failed to comprehend
the goodness of the Lord and departed from him. Because of their rebellion they
were driven out of their land and eventually were scattered among the nations”
(JFSmith, DS 1:164).
4. “Abraham’s inheritance in Canaan, for
himself and his seed after him, was to be an eternal inheritance, one that
would endure in time and in eternity. This promise is the hope of Israel, the
hope that the meek shall inherit the earth, first during the millennial era and
finally in that same immortal state when the earth becomes a celestial sphere”
(BRMcConkie, DNTC, 2:71).
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5. God's Promise
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Scripture
Reference
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Land
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Abraham 2:6
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Posterity
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Abraham 2:9
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Priesthood
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Abraham 1:18
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Salvation
&exaltation
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Abraham 2:10
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7. Abraham 2:10-
“All who accept the gospel become by adoption members of
the family of Abraham” (JAWidstoe, Evidences and Reconciliations, 399).
“As the Holy Ghost falls
upon one of the literal seed of Abraham, it is calm and serene; and his whole
soul and body are only exercised by the pure spirit of intelligence; while the
effect of the Holy Ghost upon a Gentile, is to purge out the old blood, and
make him actually of the seed of Abraham. That man that has none of the blood
of Abraham (naturally) must have a new creation by the Holy Ghost” (TPJS, 149–50).
8. Abraham 2:11-
Abraham desired the blessings of the fathers—the right to administer in the
Melchizedek Priesthood. He was a rightful heir, and because of his righteousness
he became a high priest in the Melchizedek Priesthood (Abr. 1:2). The Lord promised him that
his posterity would also be rightful heirs of the priesthood. “Being an heir to
the Abrahamic covenant does not make one a ‘chosen person’ per se, but does
signify that such are chosen to responsibly carry the gospel to all the peoples
of the earth. Abraham’s seed have carried out the missionary activity in all
the nations since Abraham’s day. (Matt. 3:9; Abr. 2:9–11)”
(BD, “Abraham, covenant of,” 602).
9. “The responsibility of the seed of
Abraham, which we are, is to be missionaries to ‘bear this ministry and
Priesthood unto all nations’ (Abraham 2:9)”
(ETBenson, Ensign, May 1987, 85).
The same keys of the priesthood given to Abraham have
been restored to the earth in the latter days. 10. On 3 April 1836 a
prophet named Elias appeared to Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery in the newly
dedicated Kirtland Temple and committed to them “the gospel of Abraham, saying
that in us and our seed all generations after us should be blessed” (D&C 110:12). With these keys of the priesthood on earth
once again, a person can receive all of the blessings given to Abraham (D&C 132:29–33).
11. Abraham 2:13-
"Abraham was guided in all his family affairs by the Lord; was conversed
with by angels, and by the Lord; was told where to go, and when to stop; and
prospered exceedingly in all that he put his hand unto; it was because he and
his family obeyed the counsel of the Lord” (TPJS, 251–52).
12. Abraham 2:14.
A Chronology of the Later Years of Abraham’s Life
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Age
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Event
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?
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Abram married Sarai in the land of UR
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?
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Abraham left Ur for the land of Haran
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Abr. 2:3-4
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62
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Abraham and his family left the land of Haran for the
land of Canaan .
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Abr. 2:14
Gen. 12:4 (75)
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?
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Abraham and his family lived in Egypt
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?
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Abraham settled in Hebron (in Canaan) and the Lord
appeared to him again.
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Gen. 13
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?
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Abraham rescued Lot and met with Melchizedek
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Gen. 14
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86
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Ishmael, Abraham’s son by Hagar, was born.
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Gen. 16:16
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99
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The Lord again appeared to Abraham, confirming his
covenant with him.
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Gen. 17:1
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100
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Isaac, Abraham’s son by Sarah, was born.
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Gen. 21:5
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?
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Abraham obeyed the command to offer his son Isaac as a
sacrifice to the Lord; the Abrahamic Covenant was reconfirmed
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Gen. 22
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?
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Sarah, Abraham's wife, died
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Gen. 23
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175
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Abraham died and was buried with Sarah in Hebron
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Gen. 25:7-10
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13. Abraham 2:19.
The scriptures reveal numerous occasions when the Lord spoke or appeared to Abr.
1) A vision of God, an angel, and the voice of the Lord while Abraham lay on
the altar (Abr. 1:15–19).
2) An appearance of the Lord while Abraham prayed in the
land of Haran (Abr. 2:6–11).
3) Another appearance of the Lord in answer to Abraham’s prayer as he entered
the land of Canaan (v. 19).
4) Before Abraham went into Egypt (Abr. 2:22).
5) After he returned from Egypt and settled in the land of Canaan (Gen. 13:14–18). 6) When he prayed for offspring (Gen. 15).
7) When he was 99 (Gen. 17).
8) When he pled for the residents of Sodom (Gen. 18:17–33). 9) Near the time Isaac was born (Gen. 21:12–14). 10) When he was commanded to offer Isaac as a
burnt offering (Gen. 22:1–2).
11. At the offering of Isaac on the mount (Gen. 22:6–19).
12. “Abraham received all things, whatsoever he received, by revelation and
commandment, by my word, saith the Lord, and hath entered into his exaltation
and sitteth upon his throne” (D&C 132:29).
14. Abraham 2:22–25. Facsimile 3 shows that Abraham not only
survived his experience in Egypt, but that he was invited by Pharaoh to sit on
the throne and teach principles of astronomy. The Lord blessed Abraham and
Sarai spiritually, socially, and economically during their time in Egypt (Genesis 12:16–20).
15. Abraham 2:24–25- Sarai was instructed to tell the Egyptians
that she was Abraham’s sister. It was a test of her faith, just as it was
undoubtedly a difficult experience for Abraham. Whatever the Lord commands a
person to do is right and must be obeyed (TPJS, 256). Abraham and
Sarai understood this principle and passed the divine test the Lord had put
before them.
16. “To protect himself, Abraham had told
Pharaoh that Sarah was his sister, which of course she was. Had he divulged
that she was his wife, he might have been slain. But as his sister, Pharaoh was
willing to buy her at a good price” (MEPetersen, Abraham, Friend of God, 69; Genesis 20:12;
see S. Kent Brown, “Biblical
Egypt: Land of Refuge, Land of Bondage,” Ensign, Sept. 1980,
pp. 45, 47).
17. Sarai = “princess” in
Hebrew and “queen” in Akkadian. “The Lord never sends apostles and prophets and
righteous men to minister to his people without placing women of like spiritual
stature at their sides. Adam stands as the great high priest, under Christ, to
rule as a natural patriarch over all men of all ages, but he cannot rule alone;
Eve, his wife, rules at his side, having like caliber and attainments to his
own. Abraham is tested as few men have been when the Lord commands him to offer
Isaac upon the altar (Gen. 22:1–19);
and Sarah struggles with like problems when the Lord directs that she withhold
from the Egyptians her status as Abraham’s wife. … And so it goes, in all
dispensations and at all times when there are holy men there are also holy
women. Neither stands alone before the Lord. The exaltation of the one is
dependent upon that of the other” (DNTC 3:302).
ABRAHAM 3
1. Abraham 3:1-
Urim and thummim come from Hebrew words meaning
“lights” and “perfections.” The title Urim and Thummim was given to
an instrument the Lord prepared to assist man in obtaining revelation and in
translating languages. The earliest use of the Urim and Thummim mentioned in
the scriptures is associated with the brother of Jared (Ether 3:21–28).
2. Joseph Smith was given the Urim and
Thummim that had previously been in the possession of the brother of Jared (D&C 17:1). The Prophet described them as being “two stones
in silver bows—and these stones, fastened to a breastplate, constituted what is
called the Urim and Thummim” (JSH 1:35)
The scriptures reveal that there were more than one Urim
and Thummim. While the prophets of the Book of Mormon were using one set of
stones (Omni 1:20–21; Mosiah 8:13–19; 21:26–28; 28:11–20), the prophets of the Old Testament were using
another (Exodus 28:30; Numbers 27:
21 Dt.33:8; 1 Samuel
28:6; Ezra 2:63).
3. Abraham
3:2–16- “The Lord made known to him the following facts: That Kolob
is the first creation, and is nearest to the celestial, or the residence of
God. It is the first in government, the last pertaining to the measurement of
time. This measurement is according to celestial time. One day in Kolob is
equal to a thousand years according to the measurement of this earth, which by
the Egyptians was called Jah-oh-eh. Oliblish, so called by the Egyptians,
stands next to Kolob in the grand governing creation near the celestial, or
place where God resides. This great star is also a governing star and is equal
to Kolob in its revolutions and in its measuring of time. Other grand governing
stars were also revealed to Abraham” (JFSmith, Man: His Origin and Destiny [1954],
461.)
4. Abraham 3:2–10, 16–17- Abraham learned that, like Kolob, there
were other stars that were “very great,” and that these great stars were
governing stars (Abraham 3:2–3).
The Lord taught Abraham about “the set time of all the stars” (v. 10;
see also vv. 4–9). Abraham also learned that there are other
governing stars located nearer to Kolob and that they rotate more slowly, or
“longer,” than many other stars (but not more slowly than Kolob).
5. Abraham 3:3–4-
The Lord’s teachings about stars and planets helped Abraham understand more
about this earth and its relationship to Kolob. For example, he taught Abraham
that one day on Kolob was equal to one thousand years of time on our earth (Abraham 3:4).
6. Abraham 3:5–7-
“Abraham learned that bodies in space have different periods of revolution and
that they move in their own time frames of reference (Abr. 3:4).
Each planet, or star, operates according to a time base which is set by its
location from a central, governing body. …“
7. Abraham 3:13-
The Lord identified by name several of the planets or stars in His creations.
Speaking of His numerous and marvelous works, the Lord said: “There are many
worlds that have passed away by the word of my power. And there are many that
now stand, and innumerable are they unto man; but all things are numbered unto
me, for they are mine and I know them. …“… The heavens, they are
many, and they cannot be numbered unto man; but they are numbered unto me, for
they are mine” (Moses 1:35, 37).
8. Abraham 3:14.
“The Lord fulfilled His promise to Abraham regarding his posterity, for many
billions of people have been born on this earth who can consider themselves his
children. The promise of great posterity applies to all the faithful. “The
children of Abraham, if they will keep the covenant as they receive it in the
house of the Lord, shall, as Abraham their father, continue on through all
eternity to increase, and there shall be no end to their posterity. In this way
the blessings of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, are extended to them, and they
become partakers to the fullest extent. For there is to be a continuation of
the ‘seeds forever’ among those who receive exaltation in the kingdom of God” (JFSmith,
The Way to Perfection, 96).
9. Abraham learned that wherever there are
two stars one will be greater than the other, and that there are other stars
greater than those two, until Kolob, which is the greatest of all. He learned
that it is not size that makes one star or planet greater than another, but
rather its proximity to Kolob. So it is with the children of God—their
greatness and glory will depend upon their proximity to the Creator, Jesus
Christ, who is “nearest unto the throne of God,” “the great one,” “the first
creation,” and is “set to govern all those which belong to the same order.”
Thus the great star, Kolob, is a symbol of Jesus Christ.
10. Abraham 3:17.
God sees to completion the actual accomplishment of everything that He takes
into His heart. How different this is from the nature of mankind. The Lord
explained: “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my
ways. …“For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways
higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts” (Isaiah 55:8–9).
11. Abraham 3:18–23- Abraham learned that there are varying
degrees of intelligence among Heavenly Father’s spirit children. (Abraham
called the spirit children of our Heavenly Father “spirits” in Abraham 3:18–19, “intelligences” in verse 22, and “souls”
in verse 23.) He learned that God dwelled in the midst of all the spirits
or intelligences and that God “is more intelligent than they all.” (v. 19)
12. Abraham 3:18–23- “God
himself, finding he was in the midst of spirits and glory, because he was more
intelligent, saw proper to institute laws whereby the rest could have a
privilege to advance like himself. The relationship we have with God places us
in a situation to advance in knowledge. He has power to institute laws to
instruct the weaker intelligences, that they may be exalted with Himself, so
that they might have one glory upon another, and all that knowledge, power,
glory, and intelligence, which is requisite in order to save them in the world
of spirits” (Joseph Smith, HC, 6:312).
13. Abraham 3:18–19. “We know they were all innocent in the
beginning; but the right of free agency which was given to them enabled some to
outstrip others, and thus, through the eons of immortal existence, to become
more intelligent, more faithful, for they were free to act for themselves, to
think for themselves, to receive the truth or rebel against it” (Doctrines
of Salvation, 1:59).
14. Abraham 3:18–19- I am dwelling on the immortality of the
spirit of man. Is it logical to say that the intelligence of spirits is
immortal, and yet that it has a beginning? The intelligence of spirits had no
beginning, neither will it have an end. That is good logic” (Joseph Smith, History
of the Church, 6:311).
15. “In origin, man is a son of God. The
spirits of men ‘are begotten sons and daughters unto God’ (D&C 76:24). Through that birth process, self-existing
intelligence was organized into individual spirit beings” (MGRomney, Ensign, Nov.
1978, 14).
16. “Admittedly we do not now understand
all the implications of the words, ‘spirits … have no beginning; they existed
before … for they are … eternal’ (Abraham 3:18).
Yet we surely understand enough to see a loving and redeeming God at work,
striving to help us become as He is—a cause for our deep gratitude and joy,
instead of despair and doubt, and for a willing submission to whatever He
perceives will further that purpose” (NAMaxwell, “Not My Will, But Thine,” 40).
17. Abraham 3:19–21- “Let us not forget that great insight given
us about the premortal world. The ascendancy of Jesus Christ (among all of our
spirit brothers and sisters) is clearly set forth. Of Him it was said that He
is ‘more intelligent than they all.’ (Abraham 3:19.)
… Moreover, what the Lord knows is, fortunately, vastly more—not
just barely more—than the combination of what all mortals
know” (NAMaxwell, All These Things Shall Give Thee Experience [1979],
22).
18. Abraham 3:22–23- Among the spirits or intelligences that
Abraham saw were many “noble and great ones”. God said that these noble and
great spirits were good and that He would make them His rulers. Abraham was one
of the noble and great ones. President Joseph F. Smith also saw in a
vision many of the noble and great spirits “who were chosen in the beginning to
be rulers in the Church of God” (D&C 138:55). Of them he stated: “Even before they were
born, they, with many others, received their first lessons in the world of
spirits and were prepared to come forth in the due time of the Lord to labor in
his vineyard for the salvation of the souls of men” (v. 56).
19. Abraham 3:23–24. “As it was with Abraham, so it was with
Joseph Smith. Each was foreordained [chosen and set apart before mortal birth]
to preside over a great gospel dispensation” (BRMcConkie, A New Witness for
the Articles of Faith, 4).
20. “Every man who has a calling to minister to
the inhabitants of the world was ordained to that very purpose in the Grand Council
of heaven before this world was. I suppose I was ordained to this very office
in that Grand Council” (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, 365).
21. Abraham 3:24–28. Abraham learned additional things about Jesus
Christ. For example, Jesus Christ was the One who created the earth upon which
the spirit children of Heavenly Father would dwell. He was also chosen and sent
to earth to be the Savior (Moses 4:1–4).
22. Abraham 3:24.
“Christ, acting under the direction of the Father, was and is the Creator of
all things. (D.&C. 38:1–4; 76:22–24; John 1:1–3; Col. 1:16–17; Heb. 1:1–3; Moses 1; 2; 3.)
That he was aided in the creation of this earth by ‘many of the noble and
great’ spirit children of the Father is evident from Abraham’s writings. …
Michael or Adam was one of these. Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Moses, Peter, James, and
John, Joseph Smith, and many other ‘noble and great’ ones played a part in the
great creative enterprise” (Doctrinal New Testament Commentary, 3:194).
23. Abraham 3:25-
“The great test of life is
obedience to God” We are not here to test or “prove” God, but to be tested and
proved ourselves. We are on trial, not God. (ETBenson, Ensign, May
1988, 4).
24. “This life is a time of testing. It is
not the reward time. That will come later. We are here being tested. The test
is going on now!” (Rex C. Reeve, Ensign, Nov. 1982, 26).
25. Abraham 3:26-
“Premortality is not a relaxing doctrine.
For each of us, there are choices to be made, incessant and difficult chores to
be done, ironies and adversities to be experienced, time to be well spent,
talents and gifts to be well employed. Just because we were chosen ‘there and
then,’ surely does not mean we can be indifferent ‘here and now.’ …“In
fact, adequacy in the first estate may merely have ensured a stern, second
estate with more duties and no immunities! Additional tutoring and suffering
appears to be the pattern for the Lord’s most apt pupils. (Mosiah 3:19; 1 Peter
4:19.) Our existence, therefore, is a continuum matched by God’s
stretching curriculum. …
“Agreeing to enter this second estate, therefore, was
like agreeing in advance to anesthetic—the anesthetic of forgetfulness. Doctors
do not deanesthetize a patient, in the midst of what was previously authorized,
to ask him, again, if it should be continued. We agreed to come here and to
undergo certain experiences under certain conditions” (NAMaxwell, Ensign, Nov.
1985, 17).
