Genesis is a book of beginnings. When Ammon and Aaron taught the gospel to kings who knew very little about God, they “began at the creation of the world, and also the creation of Adam,” (Alma 18:36: Alma 22:12). When Lehi wanted to teach his sons about agency, he began with the first decision ever made, in the Garden of Eden (2 Nephi 2:15-25). When Jesus wanted to connect the Nephites and Lamanites with their covenantal roots, he reminded them of the covenant God made with their ancestor Abraham, which they had inherited from him (3 Nephi 20:25-26). All of those foundational events are recorded in the book of Genesis.
As we study this book, we will focus on foundational events, which lay the groundwork for the writings of subsequent prophets. The first iterations of key doctrinal concepts will provide us with language and paradigms which will appear again and again in scriptural writings.
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