Exodus 20:3-17. The Ten Commandments

Choice 1: Exodus 20:3-17. The Ten Commandments

1. Read Exodus 20:3-17 and make a list of the Ten Commandments. Read Matthew 22:36-40, and identify what the Lord said were the two “great” commandments. Verse 40 states that “all” other commandments are part of these two great commandments. Place each of the Ten Commandments within one of these two great commandments by writing “love God” or “love neighbor” next to each of the commandments on your list.

Love God	Love neighbor
1.     Thou shalt have ano other bgods before me.	5. aHonour thy bfather and thy cmother:
2.     Thou shalt anot make unto thee any bgraven cimage	6. Thou shalt not akill.
3.     Thou shalt not take the aname of the Lord thy God in bvain;	7.  Thou shalt not commit aadultery.
4.     Remember the asabbath day, to keep it bholy.	8.  Thou shalt not asteal.
	9.  Thou shalt not bear afalse witness against thy bneighbour.
** on a deeper sense, I think 5 should also be under “love God” because learning how to truly love our parents. Parents might seem to always be in our case because they care for us. God cares for us a lot. Learning to respect our earthly parents can help us in some degree in understanding God.	10.  Thou shalt not acovet thy neighbour’s house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbour’s bwife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is thy neighbour’s.

2. List three of the commandments from Exodus 20:3-17 that you feel are most commonly neglected by the world. Read the Institute Student Manual commentary for those three commandments (pgs. 127-34). Write a paragraph about what a difference it would make in the world if all of God’s children kept these commandments.
   
   

The first thing that came to my mind was the first commandment. There are many things the world requires of us in able for us to survive. In the process, there is a tendency to get too caught up trying to keep up and forget about the Lord. Although most of what we do is not unrighteous, putting anything before the Lord can become a “false god.”

The second that I thought is pretty prevalent in today’s world is committing adultery. I like what the manual said about man is to reproduce… but we are not “like the animals that are led by mere instincts.” God gave us power to have full control over this procreative power. What the world want God’s children to do is to abuse this power. If we are led to act out of instincts, how different are we from the animals which God appointed man to rule over?

Third is the tenth commandment, thou shall not covet. Coveting means to desire of something not yours. It leads the person not only to lose self-worth but it can also lead to other sins. Like what the manuals indicated, those who coveted a neighbor’s wife ended committing adultery. Those who coveted a neighbor’s treasure, led that person to steal. If a person would be content of what he have and be happy for his neighbors then coveting will not be an issue. I guess there’s a thin like between admiring and desiring what is not yours. Desiring to become better without another person’s expense is a righteous way to better ourselves in my opinion.

Murmuring in the Wilderness

Choice 5: Exodus 15:23-27; 16-17. Murmuring in the Wilderness

• What did the children of Israel murmur about? Identify all the examples you can find.

o   They murmured about the bitter water that they were not able to drink.

o   They murmured about what to eat. They reminisced the days they were in Egypt that they were eating even in captivity. They said that they were brought out to the wilderness by the lord to die of hunger. I thought that what they were trying to say here was, least in captivity, they were eating. 

• How did the Lord respond to their murmuring?

o   The Lord either provided for every need or helped them be self-sufficient by teaching them how to make things happen. He gave them food and helped them turn bitter water to potable water. 

• Why do you think people murmur against God and those He has chosen as His leaders? (See 1 Nephi 16:1-3.)

o   Truth cuts through the heart of the guilty one.

o   Prophets speaks truth and therefore, people who have hard hearts take their word very offensive.

o   People lack enough understanding or willingness to be taught to help them understand the will of the Lord.

• What does murmuring usually lead to?

o   In my opinion, murmuring leads to rebellion.

o   It stirs the hearts of men into anger.

o   It turns man’s heart into a perfect breading ground of Satan’s plans.

• Read 2 Nephi 27:35. Describe in writing what Nephi suggested as an antidote for murmuring.

o   Those who have done wrong will understand or learn the lesson the hard way. Form my experience, I sometimes learn doctrine when I failed to understand and then go through the consequences of my wrong decisions.  

• What counsel would you give to a friend or a family member who murmurs against the commandments of God?

o   I would suggest them to do as what Nephi did. They should “go and do” and trust that the Lord does not commandments to us that we’re not able to bear.

o   In many occasions when I don’t understand certain things, I push myself to do things until I find reason why I should continue or why do I need to do it.

Joseph Endured His Trials

1. Read the chapter summaries for Genesis 29-30, 35. List the birth order of Jacob’s 12 sons.
• Ruben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Dan, Naphtali, Gad, Asher, Issachar, Zebulon, Joseph, Benjamin

2. Read Genesis 37:1-11 and the Institute Student Manual commentary for Genesis 37:3, “What Was the Coat of Many Colors?” (pg. 93). Write an explanation of possible reasons Joseph’s brothers were envious of him.
• The coat of many colors is a “long coat with sleeves…” It reaches to the wrists and ankles worn by noble men and king’s daughters. In this situation, the coat represents the birthright of the firstborn. There were four first born sons who may had feelings they each have claim to their rights.

                                               i.     Ruben: was the firstborn of all the sons but lost his rights. He have not accepted the fact.

                                             ii.     Simeon: he was the second son of Leah and next on line after Ruben lost his right. He would have come after Ruben.

                                            iii.     Judah: he could argue the disqualification of the three sons. First was for Ruben after losing his right. Second was for Simeon and Levi because of the massacre of the Shechemites, which also disqualified the two brothers.

                                            iv.     Dan: his mother Bilhah was considered Rachel’s property, he could claim that he was Rachel’s firstborn after Ruben lost his.

                                             v.     Gad: he was the firstborn of Zilpah and therefore he could easily claim his birthright after Ruben lost his.

                                            vi.     Joseph: his dreams dignified his future leadership, which added to his brothers’ resentment.

3. List the challenges in Genesis 37 that Joseph faced. How do you think Joseph felt about his challenges? How are Joseph’s challenges like the ones young people face today?
• His brothers conspired against Joseph because of his birthright. He was thrown in to a pit, sold him to be a slave in Egypt. His brothers even thought of murdering him. He was accused of wanting to sleep with is boss’s wife after fleeing away. He was sent to prison for a crime he didn’t commit. He later realized that the Lord is working on him. He was “spared” because the Lord needed him to save his family. He did gave his brothers a hard time when they came to ask for provisions, but he eventually forgave them.
• Today, young people are tempted from every direction. Others walk away, other play right along sinning, and others go straight into it. Young or old, we are all tempted to blame God when life gets too hard. Joseph could’ve easily given up but he didn’t. By doing do, he was able to save his family from the famine.

4. Read Genesis 39:2-3, 21, 23 and find a phrase that is similar in all four verses. Then answer the following questions:

·       What did Joseph do in Genesis 39 that allowed the phrase in verses 2-3 to still be true in verses 21, 23? When do you think Joseph made the commitment to be morally clean?

o   I think he made this commitment at a young age. It is a choice. Once he made a choice to make himself clean, nothing else really mattered. He made himself strong and fortified so that when temptation came, he was able to walk away form it.

·       Give examples from Genesis 40-41 and the Institute Student Manual commentary for Genesis 39:21-23; 40:1-23 (pg. 95) that illustrate how the Lord remained with Joseph.

o   He was able to interpret dreams. He was appointed to be in charge of the prisoners. He continued to be righteous, he continued to trust in the Lord that’s why he continued to gain favor in the eyes of the Lord.

·       Write two or three paragraphs listing the lessons you learn from the life of Joseph. What can you learn from Joseph about turning bad experiences and circumstances into good ones?

o   I was searching for the same answers as I began to read the story of Joseph. It was easy for him to give up and blame God because of what happened to him. In today’s world, it is just as easy to give up as to tell a person in deep waters to have faith. We can never really tell what we would do when we ourselves are in the depts of our challenges.

o   It is what it is. Faith is the first principle of the Gospel. It lays the foundation of a person’s sound footing in this life. A person has to act, and faith requires a person to act to find out what’s in store for him. If he doesn’t, he becomes subject to others’ exercise of their own agency leaving him feeling the world is moving without him, and therefore “alone.” There is always a choice that has to be made. Doing nothing is a choice, so as doing something to improve and get out of a rut is a choice. One makes a person move forward, the other makes him rot in his gave of his own making.