God called Moses because He remembered His covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Jesus prophesied that God would gather His people and teach them His gospel because He remembers that covenant. For God to "remember the covenant" means that He will act on behalf of His people, in accordance with the promises He has made.
“I Have Remembered My Covenant”
When the children of Israel prayed for relief as they suffered in slavery, God remembered His covenant with their ancestors. The Book of Mormon testifies that we never need feel isolated or rejected because God will remember His covenants.
Jacob’s Blessings
God didn't just bless Abraham. He also empowered him to bless others. As we serve individuals and families within our sphere of influence, we contribute to God's work of uplifting all of His children, one individual and one family at a time.
The Lord Was With Joseph
Joseph’s name reflects two opposite Hebrew words: “to take away” and “to add.” His story demonstrates how God often brings addition through subtraction. Joseph was taken from his father so he could later save his family. Sometimes God removes blessings so He can give us greater ones.
Inheriting the Covenant, Part 2: Jacob’s Three-Stage Journey
Jacob received Abraham's covenant in stages. In a patriarchal blessing, his father promised posterity and divine advocacy. When he left home, his father added the promise of land. And God Himself provided the crowning blessing: "In thy seed shall all the families of the earth be blessed."
Between Me and Thee and Thy Seed After Thee
The role of Abraham’s offspring in his covenant becomes clearer across multiple revelations in Genesis. Ultimately, God revealed that Abraham’s posterity would inherit not only the promised land but the covenant itself, including its promises and responsibilities.
Enoch and the Savior’s Ministry and Atonement
Enoch saw the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus Christ and connected it to his own sanctification and that of his people. Like subsequent prophets, he saw the Atonement of Jesus Christ as a manifestation of God's love that defied temporal constraints, blessing him and the people he loved millennia before it happened.
“I Am a Child of God”
Identity confers confidence and purpose. Moses declared his identity as a child of God. Mormon identified himself as a disciple of Christ. And Jesus taught the Nephites that they were "children of the covenant." We can draw strength from our connection with God, in spite of our weaknesses and shortcomings.
Four Foundational Strategies
Book of Mormon authors modeled four strategies which can enhance our study of the Old Testament: (1) search for precious things in plain sight, (2) prioritize holistic over selective reading, (3) synthesize themes across the books, and (4) find Christ in the writings of all the prophets.
Contents of the Brass Plates
Eight of the 39 books in the Old Testament were definitely in the brass plates, and another 16 may have been included. For Book of Mormon prophets, the brass plates were an essential part of their identity: connecting them to intergenerational covenants, testifying of the Savior, and bringing them closer to God.