Week 3 Joseph

What made Joseph so special?

Joseph being the second to last born to Jacob certainly didn't give him any important standing in the family order. He was far from receiving the birthright as a result of his order. Rueben being the oldest was to receive the birthright, but lost it after he defiled his father’s bed. Each succeeding brother would have had reason to believe that the birthright should fall upon them; however, Jacob decided to place the birthright on Joseph.

Joseph was favored of his Father being the son of his beloved Rebekah. Jacobs’s gift of the coat of many colors was a sore spot for his brethren. It is believed that the coat was not important for its colors, but for what its style it may have represented. It is thought to have been a coat that would have signified the birthright as well as nobility. This certainly would have been salt in a wound with his elder brethren. We don't really know from early accounts but we can assume that Joseph would likely have been a

very obedient and diligent child from what we know of him later in his life, another reason for him to have been favored.

The one thing that stands out to me the most is the foreshadowing role of the Savior that Joseph plays. Joseph certainly was obedient and was committed to keeping the commandments. Joseph was also acquainted with grief and hardship early in his life. Most of all he literally was a Savior to Israel by saving them from the famine, by so doing he saved the house of Israel.

So what can we learn and apply from the account of Joseph. Another small takeaway that I found was, despite his hardships, God blessed his and all that his hand touched prospered. This is a blessing that is typical with those that humbly serve the Master and strive to follow him. Not all of life works out the way we would like it to but even our hardships can be turned into blessings that prosper and benefit us in mortality.

Week 2 Who is Melchizedek

Who is The Man Melchizedek?

From the Book of Genesis in the Old Testament we find relatively little information about this man other than he was the King of Salem and that Abraham paid tithes of all he possessed. Who was this man who blessed Abraham? What can we learn about him from his name?

How grateful we ought to be for modern day scripture which can shed light and give more information on this great High Priest. In the days of Abraham the patriarchal order was observed and Abraham would have been next to Melchizedek in the priesthood. We can learn from the Joseph Smith translation that Melchizedek was a man chosen of God from an early age who, “stopped the mouths of lions, quenched the violence of fires”. We also know that he served next to his father and that there were many before and after him, but none greater. From this we can see that he was in the similitude of the Son of God and so righteous was he that his name was chosen to reference the high priesthood to reverence the name of deity whose priesthood it is and is named after.

According to Alma Melchizedek King over the land of Salem and his people were full of all manner of abominations and wickedness. Melchizedek exercised great faith and the office of the high priesthood and preached repentance, because of this his people repented and Melchizedek received the title the prince of peace, another similitude of the Son of God. Many of his people in time were also lifted up to dwell with the people of Enoch. From these we can conclude that Melchizedek was a great and holy High Priest whose righteousness must have been next to God in order that Gods holy priesthood should be called after his name.

Week 1

 Genesis 11:1-9. A Tower to Reach Heaven

 Genesis 11:1-9, Helaman 6:28, and Ether 1:3-4,

• What was the stated purpose of building a tower?

According to Genesis 11:4 the purpose of building the tower was reach unto heaven and to make a name for themselves.
• Why do you think this angered the Lord?

To me the reference to make themselves a name would suggest to me that they seek to honor themselves through there own works rather than honoring God and taking upon them his name and countenance, and doing his work and will to glorify his name rather than their own.

• What did God do to scatter the people?

God used confounding the language of the people so that they could no longer communicate with each other.

• Read Ether 1:33-43 and summarize in writing how the Jaredites from the Book of Mormon fit into this story.

The Brother of Jared went before the Lord at the time of the confounding of the languages of the people and pleaded in behalf of his family and friends that their language would not be confounded, so that they may understand each other. God was merciful to them and didn't confound their language but did scatter them. However, was a huge blessing as he lead them to a promised land far better than the one they were in.

As is typical with Satan’s tactics, he will take a truth and twist it into a counterfeit. Note that the people building the tower of Babel tried to make a name for themselves, while the followers of the Lord willingly take His name upon them. Read Acts 4:12; Mosiah 3:17, 5:7-15; and Doctrine and Covenants 18:21-25, and write two to three paragraphs about how we can receive “a name” (Genesis 11:4) that will truly help us reach heaven.

When we think of a name, the first thing that comes to mind to me is my family name. We are taught to honor our family name and not to do anything to dishonor it. Society takes a lot of stock in a our name, often our character can be associated with our name hopefully in a positive way. I hope that I may live in a way that I may pass on my name and heritage to my children.

However, there is a name I have taken that is far more important than my own name, and that is the name of Christ. I took his name upon me by covenant at baptism. The people at the time of the tower of Babel wanted to make themselves a name by building a tower to heaven. By not humbling themselves and relying upon Christ name they were scattered and confounded. The scriptures are very clear that there is only one way to heaven and that is through the name of Christ. When we take upon us his name we are born again and become his sons and daughters and thereby become heirs to salvation, his salvation.