Abraham’s Journey

D&C 132:29“Abraham … hath entered into his exaltation and sitteth upon his throne.”

D&C 132:37“Abraham … Isaac … and Jacob … have entered into their exaltation, according to the promises, and sit upon thrones, and are not angels but are gods.”

Abraham’s Journey

What made the difference?

Abraham 1:1-4

Abraham ... desired greater knowledge, greater righteousness, greater happiness in his life; much more than he found in his father’s household…. He really wanted to be righteous. He had a lapsing father, but his desires overcame the poor example that he had before him.... But what [he] desired then controlled what happened subsequently. No wonder, as President Joseph F. Smith said, “You and I must take great care concerning the education of our desires.”...

Neal A. MaxwellQuorum of the

Twelve("

The Education of Our Desires

," University of Utah Institute of Religion

Devotional, 5 January 1983)

The Education of His Desires

How were Abraham’s desires educated? How did he even know what he ought to want? How was he aware of his possibilities?

A Clue?Abraham 1:28, 31

Book of Jasher Insights?Brief History on the Book of Jasher:

Jewish scholars classify [the book of Jasher] as midrashic haggada—a historical narrative consisting of ancient Jewish legends and lore. It was compiled from rabbinic traditions and was supposedly written in Spain during the thirteenth century A.D….[It is] a non-scriptural apocryphal writing that should be viewed the same way as the books in the Apocrypha [see D&C 91:1-6].

Book of Jasher Insights?Jasher 9:5-6

5 And when Abram came out from the cave, he went to Noah and his son Shem, and he remained with them to learn the instruction of the Lord and his ways, and no man knew where Abram was, and Abram served Noah and Shem his son for a long time.6 And Abram was in Noah's house thirty-nine years, and Abram knew the Lord from three years old, and he went in the ways of the Lord until the day of his death, as Noah and his son Shem had taught him;

Genesis 11:10-26 10 ¶These are the generations of Shem: Shem was an hundred years old, and begat Arphaxad two years after the flood: 11 And Shem lived after he begat Arphaxad five hundred years, and begat sons and daughters. 12 And Arphaxad lived five and thirty years, and begat Salah: 13 And Arphaxad lived after he begat Salah four hundred and three years, and begat sons and daughters. 14 And Salah lived thirty years, and begat Eber: 15 And Salah lived after he begat Eber four hundred and three years, and begat sons and daughters. 16 And Eber lived four and thirty years, and begat Peleg: 17 And Eber lived after he begat Peleg four hundred and thirty years, and begat sons and daughters. 18 And Peleg lived thirty years, and begat Reu: 19 And Peleg lived after he begat Reu two hundred and nine years, and begat sons and daughters. 20 And Reu lived two and thirty years, and begat Serug: 21 And Reu lived after he begat Serug two hundred and seven years, and begat sons and daughters. 22 And Serug lived thirty years, and begat Nahor: 23 And Serug lived after he begat Nahor two hundred years, and begat sons and daughters. 24 And Nahor lived nine and twenty years, and begat Terah: 25 And Nahor lived after he begat Terah an hundred and nineteen years, and begat sons and daughters.

 26 And Terah lived seventy years, and begat Abram, Nahor, and Haran.

If like Abraham of old you desire even greater happiness, then you too must also be desirous of being further instructed in the ways of the Lord and in the grammar of the gospel…. When we have a genuine desire for him to instruct us—as did Abraham—and to tutor us—as did Abraham—then either the onrushing and sometimes crushing events of life or its deceptive ordinariness will be seen realistically and developmentally by us.

Neal A. MaxwellQuorum of the

Twelve("

The Education of Our Desires

," University of Utah Institute of Religion

Devotional, 5 January 1983)

Either way, one will then allow for the divine design and the pattern which is present even when we cannot see it....Abraham, if he had not early on had a deep desire to be instructed in the ways of the Lord, could not have done what he did on Mount Moriah. The one followed the other....

Neal A. MaxwellQuorum of the

Twelve("

The Education of Our Desires

," University of Utah Institute of Religion

Devotional, 5 January 1983)

We cannot of course, you and I, frustrate the overall purposes of God for us, [nor for] mankind generally. But we can surely fail to rise to our personal possibilities because we fail to desire as did Abraham, that which is possible within us. Around us all the time there are people settling for less than they are, for less than they have the possibility to become. And I believe so much of that stems from an intrinsic failure for them to educate their desires.

Neal A. MaxwellQuorum of the

Twelve("

The Education of Our Desires

," University of Utah Institute of Religion

Devotional, 5 January 1983)

“It was conferred upon me …”

“Abraham received the priesthood from Melchizedek, who received it through the lineage of

his fathers, even till Noah.”~D&C 84:14

Abraham says to Melchizedek, “I believe all that thou hast taught me concerning the priesthood and the coming of the Son of Man;” so Melchizedek ordained Abraham and sent him away. Abraham rejoiced, saying, “Now I have a priesthood.”

Joseph SmithPresident

(History of the Church, 5:555)

Abraham vs. the World

The herd instinct is strong in the human animal, and the phrase “Everybody else is doing it” has an insidious attraction.President Thomas S.

Monson(

Dixie State Commencement Address

, May 6, 2011)

“We all know something of the courage it takes for one to stand in opposition to united custom, and general belief. None of us likes to be ridiculed. Few are able to withstand popular opinion even when they know it is wrong, and it is difficult to comprehend the magnificent courage displayed by Abraham in his profound obedience to Jehovah, in the midst of his surroundings. His moral courage, his implicit faith in God, his boldness in raising his voice in opposition to the prevailing wickedness, is almost beyond comparison.”

Joseph Fielding Smith

Quorum of the Twelve(The Way to Perfection,

p.86)

“Let us have the courage to defy the consensus, the courage to stand for principle. Courage, not compromise, brings the smile of God’s approval. Courage becomes a living and an attractive virtue when it is regarded not only as a willingness to die manfully, but as the determination to live decently. A moral coward is one who is afraid to do what he thinks is right because others will disapprove or laugh.”

Thomas S. Monson

First Presidency“Courage Counts,” Ensign, Nov. 1986,

41

Abraham and the Law of Sacrifice

He was willing to lay down his life in sustaining and defending God’s

truth.

The King Concept

Adam and Noah were true Kings & Priests over their own posterity.

From the days of Adam down to the days of Moses, there were no apostles. The Church was under the patriarchal order, and those who directed and presided were patriarchs. It was not until the coming of Jesus Christ that he added the office of apostle to the priesthood.

Joseph Fielding Smith

Quorum of the Twelve(Answers to Gospel Questions, 3:191)

“… seeking earnestly to imitate that order…”

Kings on Thrones

End