3 In the Beginning God Created the Heaven and the Earth
In the Beginning God Created the Heaven andthe Earth
The earth is full and beautiful with all of God’s creations.
The grandeur is something to be grateful for. God organized something beautiful
for us His children.
Prior though,
Genesis
1:2 2 And the earth was without form, and void;
and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And
the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.
Abraham
4:2 2 And the earth, after it was formed, was empty and
desolate, because they had not formed anything but the earth;
and darkness reigned upon the face of the deep, and the Spirit of the
Gods was brooding upon the face of the waters.
Do you ever stand all amazed?
God can make all things new and beautiful. Do you trust in
His timing? God’s work is not yet done, not for any of us. How have you felt
God’s light shine for you, even in very dark times in your life. Do you have
faith to allow Him to help you become what He intends you to be?
We are created in God’s image, after His likeness. We have
bodies, minds, hearts, souls; and the power is given unto us to be agents. We
can choose to follow Jesus and become like our Father in Heaven, as Jesus has
done. “We have the potential to become like Him: exalted, glorified, heavenly.”
“By mine Only Begotten I created these things.”
Genesis
1:1–25; Moses
2:1–25; Abraham
4:1–25
Because Moses and Abraham had faith and a desire to know
more about the creation and the purpose for it, God answered their questions
and gave them knowledge. We are beneficiaries of the revelation they received.
What does that mean for you? Think about that. It means you can also know for
yourself. God answers prayers.
What does God teach you about it in Genesis
1:1–25; Moses
2:1–25; and Abraham
4:1–25?
What do these passages teach you about Heavenly Father,
Jesus Christ, the world, and yourself?
All
Creatures of Our God and King”
Take more time outside to walk, reflect, and enjoy the
beauties of God’s creations.
What are we doing to prepare for more revelation from the
Lord? Do we want it?
Doctrine
and Covenants 101:32–34 32 Yea, verily I say unto you, in
that day when the Lord shall come, he shall reveal all
things—
33 Things which have passed, and hidden
things which no man knew, things of the earth, by which it was made,
and the purpose and the end thereof—
34 Things most precious, things that are above,
and things that are beneath, things that are in the earth, and upon the earth,
and in heaven.
I am created in the image of God.
Genesis
1:26–27; Moses
2:26–27; Abraham
4:26–27
There is so much meaning and promise in being created in the
image of God, His Sons and His daughters. The pattern in families is for
children to learn and grown under the tutelage of loving parents, so they too
can be happy, healthy, responsible adults. That pattern was in place in our
heavenly home, in the world of Spirits. We were taught the plan of salvation,
and that through faith in Jesus Christ and adherence to the commandments and
through keeping our covenants, we could return to our Heavenly Parents and
become like them. That is not fantastical; that is virtuous, real, and
fantastic!
Do you realize that you are a beloved son or daughter of
God? Do you recognize that in the people all around you? When we covenant to
always remember Jesus, we need to remember His gospel, to love the Lord with
everything we have, and to love our neighbor as ourselves. That means we need
to remember to love ourselves and everyone else.
Genesis
1:26–27 27 So God created man in his own image,
in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.
Moses
2:26–27 27 And I, God, created man in mine own image, in
the image of mine Only Begotten created I him; male and female created I them.
Abraham
4:26–27 27 So the Gods went down to organize man in
their own image, in the image of the Gods to form they him, male and
female to form they them.
“Because I know I am created in God’s image, I choose to…”
What goal will you incorporate into your life to show
Heavenly Father you value the gift of having a body?
Video: God’s Greatest Creation: https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/video/self-reliance-videos/finding-strength-in-the-lord-emotional-resiliance/2013-10-017-gods-greatest-creation-8000k?lang=eng
“How does Heavenly Father want me to feel about my body?”
Being created in the image of God does not mean he approves
of everything we do. He has expectation for us to follow that actually
safeguard us and help us obtain blessings. This is much the same as living in a
family here on earth. We have responsibilities, both to ourselves and to our
other family members. Promised blessings have always been predicated upon our
obedience and meeting the requirements to attain them.
That doesn’t mean God loves any of us less. He sends his sunshine and his rain
for everyone. Just like your earthly parents (though imperfectly compared to
God) will feed and clothe all their children, they will trust those that follow
rules and help out in the home more. God has made it clear in scriptures that the
outcome of eternal rewards will be different for us, depending upon our faith
in Jesus Christ, our actions (and attitudes), and the desires of our hearts.
Being created in God’s image doesn’t mean he wants us to stay in an infantile
state. He wants us to learn and grow, and choose to become like Him. He won’t
force us to, because that would never work.
Your
Body: A Magnificent Gift to Cherish
Marriage between a man and a woman is ordained of God.
Genesis
1:27–28; 2:18–25;
Moses
3:18, 21–24; Abraham
5:14–18
“Adam and Eve were joined together in marriage for time and
for all eternity by the power of [the] everlasting priesthood” (Russell M.
Nelson).
Genesis
1:27–28 28 And God blessed them, and God said unto them,
Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth,
and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over
the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.
2:18–25
23 And Adam said, This is now bone of my bones,
and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she
was taken out of Man.
24 Therefore shall a man leave
his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto
his wife: and they shall be one flesh.
Moses
3:18, 21–25 2 And the rib which I, the Lord God, had taken from
man, made I a woman, and brought her unto the man.
23 And Adam said: This I know now is
bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called Woman,
because she was taken out of man.
24 Therefore shall a man leave his father and
his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife;
and they shall be one flesh.
Abraham
5:14–19 7 And Adam said: This was bone of my bones,
and flesh of my flesh; now she shall be called Woman, because she was
taken out of man;
18 Therefore shall a man leave his father and
his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife, and they shall
be one flesh.
How can you treat marriage with the sacredness God meant for
it?
1 Corinthians
11:11 11 Nevertheless neither is the man without the
woman, neither the woman without the man, in the Lord.
The
Family: A Proclamation to the World
I am responsible for caring for God’s creations.
Genesis
1:28; Moses
2:28; Abraham
4:28
We are stewards over this magnificent world Father created
for us.
Genesis
1:28 28 And God blessed them, and God said unto them,
Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth,
and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over
the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.
Also found in Moses
2:28, Abraham
4:28
Doctrine
and Covenants 59:16–21 …20 And it pleaseth God that he hath
given all these things unto man; for unto this end were they made to be used,
with judgment, not to excess, neither by extortion.
21 And in nothing doth man offend God,
or against none is his wrath kindled, save those who confess
not his hand in all things, and obey not his commandments.
104:13–18
3 For it is expedient that I, the Lord, should make every
man accountable, as a steward over earthly blessings, which I
have made and prepared for my creatures.
14 I, the Lord, stretched out the heavens,
and built the earth, my very handiwork; and all things therein
are mine.
15 And it is my purpose to provide for my
saints, for all things are mine.
16 But it must needs be done in mine
own way; and behold this is the way that I, the Lord, have decreed to
provide for my saints, that the poor shall be exalted, in that the
rich are made low.
17 For the earth is full, and there is
enough and to spare; yea, I prepared all things, and have given unto the
children of men to be agents unto themselves.
18 Therefore, if any man shall take of
the abundance which I have made, and impart not his portion,
according to the law of my gospel, unto the poor and the
needy, he shall, with the wicked, lift up his eyes in hell, being in
torment.
God blessed and sanctified the Sabbath day.
Genesis
2:2–3; Moses
3:2–3; Abraham
5:2–3
God created the Sabbath day for us, and He asks for us to
keep it holy.
How has the Sabbath blessed you?
Genesis
2:2–3 3 And God blessed the seventh day,
and sanctified it: because that in it he had rested from
all his work which God created and made.
Also in Moses
3:2–3
Abraham
5:2–3 2 And the Gods said among themselves: On the seventh time
we will end our work, which we have counseled; and we will rest on
the seventh time from all our work which we have counseled.
3 And the Gods concluded upon the seventh time,
because that on the seventh time they would rest from all
their works which they (the Gods) counseled among themselves to form;
and sanctified it. And thus were their decisions at the time that
they counseled among themselves to form the heavens and the earth.
Doctrine
and Covenants 59:9–13
Video: The Sabbath is a Delight: https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/media/video/2015-04-0570-highlight-the-sabbath-is-a-delight?lang=eng
The Sabbath was made for man and not man for the Sabbath. It
is a gift from Him to us.
- How
long did the Creation take?
- What
is the Church’s position on evolution?
- Was
Eve really created from Adam’s rib?
For Kids:
Jesus created the earth.
Genesis
1:1–25; Moses
2:1–25; Abraham
4:1–25
How do you feel about this beautiful world knowing that
Jesus created it for you?
Help
children express their creativity. “When you invite children to draw, build, color,
or write something related to a gospel principle, you help them better
understand the principle and you give them a tangible reminder of what they
have learned” (Teaching in the Savior’s Way, 32).
I was created in God’s image.
Genesis
1:26–27; Moses
2:26–27; Abraham
4:26–27
Read Moses
2:26–27 as children take turns looking in a mirror. 27 And I,
God, created man in mine own image, in the image of mine Only Begotten
created I him; male and female created I them.
Children here on earth are in the likeness of their parents,
too. And baby animals are in the likeness of their parents.
Why do you think it’s important to know that you are created
in the image of your Heavenly Parents?
Knowing that we look like Deity, how should we care for our
bodies?
The Sabbath day is holy.
Genesis
2:2–3; Moses
3:2–3; Abraham
5:2–3
What did God do on the seventh day?
Moses
3:2–3 2 And on the seventh day I, God, ended my work, and all things which I had
made; and I rested on
the seventh day from all my work, and all things which I had
made were finished, and I,
God, saw that they were good;
3 And I, God, blessed the seventh day,
and sanctified it; because that in it I had rested from all my work which
I, God, had created and made.
Do we set aside the labors of our week to find rest in the
Lord?
What things do you choose to do on Sunday to honor the Lord?
Genesis
2:2–3 3 And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it:
because that in it he had rested from all his work which God created
and made.
We can show our love for Heavenly Father by keeping the
Sabbath Day holy.
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