Come, Follow Me 2026: Week 3 (January 12–18)

Genesis 1–2; Moses 2–3; Abraham 4–5
From Chaos to Covenant: God's Creative Power in Us

Doctrinal Foundation

Three inspired accounts—Genesis 1–2, Moses 2–3, and Abraham 4–5—reveal layers of divine purpose in the Creation. From Moses' view, the earth begins “without form, and void” and “empty and desolate” (Genesis 1:2; Abraham 4:2), yet God organizes it into beauty. From God's view, as declared in “By mine Only Begotten I created these things” (Moses 2:1, implied in the accounts), Jesus Christ acts under the Father's direction, transforming chaos into order. From humanity's view, these verses teach that “Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ are Creators, and Their creative work with us is not finished. They can make light shine in dark moments in our lives. They can fill our emptiness with life” (CFM Introduction). Why three perspectives? A mystery emerges: each account highlights distinct facets—sequence in Genesis, spiritual truths in Moses, council in Abraham—inviting deeper understanding of our divine potential as those “created in God’s image, after His likeness” (Genesis 1:26). Another puzzle: How does an unorganized earth become “magnificent,” and what does this mean for personal transformation?

Scripture Deep Dive

Ascend through six key passages, each step unveiling escalating connections.

Step 1: Chaos to Light (Genesis 1:1–5; Moses 2:1–5; Abraham 4:1–5)
God speaks: “Let there be light” (Genesis 1:3; Moses 2:3; Abraham 4:3). This first act resolves the mystery of formlessness, showing divine power organizes darkness.

Step 2: Progressive Order (Genesis 1:6–25; Moses 2:6–25; Abraham 4:6–25)
Periods of creation build: firmament, earth, plants, lights, sea creatures, fowl, beasts. “What does God teach you about it in Genesis 1:1–25; Moses 2:1–25; and Abraham 4:1–25?” (CFM). Pattern: God's word brings life from void.

Step 3: Divine Image (Genesis 1:26–27; Moses 2:26–27; Abraham 4:26–27)
“Let us make man in our image” (Genesis 1:26). Resolution: Humans, male and female, bear God's likeness, countering feelings of worthlessness. “Ponder what it means to be created in God’s ‘image’ or ‘likeness’” (CFM).

Step 4: Sacred Union (Genesis 1:27–28; 2:18–25; Moses 3:18, 21–24; Abraham 5:14–18)
“Adam and Eve were joined together in marriage for time and for all eternity by the power of [the] everlasting priesthood” (Russell M. Nelson, “Lessons from Eve,” Ensign, Nov. 1987, 87). Mystery of companionship resolves in eternal ordinance.

Step 5: Stewardship Command (Genesis 1:28; Moses 2:28; Abraham 4:28)
“Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it” (Genesis 1:28). Adds responsibility: “What do Genesis 1:28; Moses 2:28; and Abraham 4:28 suggest about our responsibility toward God’s creations?” (CFM), enriched by Doctrine and Covenants 59:16–21.

Step 6: Holy Rest (Genesis 2:2–3; Moses 3:2–3; Abraham 5:2–3)
“And he rested on the seventh day, and sanctified it” (Moses 3:2–3). Culmination: Sabbath as “blessed,” linking creation to covenant renewal.

These steps transform understanding: Creation patterns echo in personal sanctification.

Historical Context

In an ancient world of competing creation myths, these accounts collapse time. The earth, once “without form, and void” (Genesis 1:2), mirrors desolate Near Eastern chaos motifs, yet Hebrew revelation declares one God directing the Only Begotten. Moses' vision (Moses 2) adds premortal council insights from Joseph Smith's translation, while Abraham 4–5 evokes Gods' collaborative “Kolob” council (Abraham 3 context). “For an overview of the book of Genesis, see ‘Genesis’ in the Bible Dictionary” (CFM). This backdrop aligns past with present: just as God organized chaos then, He does so amid modern disorder, creating “time collapse moments” where “life seems chaotic” yet holds magnificent potential (CFM Introduction).

Pattern Recognition Web

Cross-references weave dispensational threads. Creation's light-from-darkness recurs in Doctrine and Covenants 101:32–34, where God forms worlds from unorganized matter. Human image ties to Mosiah 3:19 (“natural man is an enemy to God”) and Ether 12:27 (weakness becomes strength), resolving the contradiction: God's image demands improvement, not complacency (CFM). Stewardship echoes Doctrine and Covenants 104:13–18; Sabbath in Doctrine and Covenants 59:9–13. Marriage pattern links 1 Corinthians 11:11. This web spans Moses to modern restoration, showing prophetic continuity.

Discussion Framework

1. What most people miss: Why three Creation accounts instead of one?
2. How does “without form, and void” (Genesis 1:2) describe both earth and personal struggles?
3. From God's view, what role does the Only Begotten play (Moses 2:1 implied)?
4. Resolve: How does “created in God’s image” counter negative self-views (Genesis 1:26–27)?
5. What contradiction arises if image means no need for change? See Mosiah 3:19.
6. How does priesthood marriage elevate Adam and Eve's union (Genesis 2:18–25)?
7. What stewardship surprises from Genesis 1:28 and Doctrine and Covenants 59:16–21?
8. Why sanctify the seventh day amid creation's labor (Moses 3:2–3)?
9. How do these apply to family creativity, like drawing bodies as puzzles (Teaching Children)?
10. What eternal transformation does Creation promise (CFM Introduction)?

Gospel Connections

Principles anchor the Plan of Salvation. Premortal council (Abraham 4) precedes earthly organization, mirroring spirit birth to physical bodies “in God’s image” (Moses 2:26–27). Stewardship (Genesis 1:28) foreshadows accountability in mortality, leading to Sabbath rest as type of exaltation. Marriage ordinance (Abraham 5:14–18) points to eternal families, transforming “empty and desolate” souls into exalted beings (CFM Introduction; “The Family: A Proclamation to the World”).

Teaching Moments

1. Outdoor Search: Take children on a Creation-period hunt outside, discussing Jesus as Creator (Teaching Children; Old Testament Stories, 8–12). Aha: Links hymns like “My Heavenly Father Loves Me.”
2. Mirror Image: Read Moses 2:26–27 while viewing reflections or animal likenesses, sparking reverence for bodies (Teaching Children).
3. Sabbath Role-Play: Draw Sunday activities from Genesis 2:2–3, practicing explanations to friends (Teaching Children). Hidden connection: Shows love through holiness.
4. Puzzle Bodies: Cut drawings into puzzles, discussing sacredness while assembling (Teaching Children; For the Strength of Youth, pages 22–29).

Personal Reflection

• When has chaos in life become light, echoing Genesis 1:3?
• How does knowing “I am created in God’s image” (Genesis 1:27) shift self-treatment?
• What one stewardship act from Genesis 1:28 can start today?
• Recall a Sabbath that felt “blessed” (Moses 3:2–3)—what patterns emerge in spiritual renewal?
  Discover these in your covenant journey.

Prophetic Echoes

Modern voices mirror ancient truths. “Adam and Eve were joined together in marriage for time and for all eternity by the power of [the] everlasting priesthood” (Russell M. Nelson, “Lessons from Eve,” Ensign, Nov. 1987, 87) echoes Genesis 2:18–25. In “God’s Greatest Creation” video, President Russell M. Nelson testifies of the body (CFM), paralleling “created in God’s image” (Moses 2:26–27). See also Gérald Caussé, “Our Earthly Stewardship,” Liahona, Nov. 2022, 57–59, reflecting Genesis 1:28. These align prophetic patterns across dispensations.

These Creation accounts invite recognition of Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ's ongoing work to organize personal chaos into divine likeness.