Week 4: January 19–25 - Genesis 3–4; Moses 4–5

Week Overview

Feel the weight when Adam and Eve stepped from Eden's beauty into a world of opposition, pain, and choice. At first, their Fall might seem a tragedy—cast out, facing sorrow and death (Genesis 3:16–19). Yet truths restored in Moses reveal the possibilities: leaving Eden became the necessary first step toward growth, repentance, and "the joy of our redemption" (Moses 5:11). Notice this quiet, powerful detail—not the paradise lost, but the glory gained through facing opposition and trusting the Savior.

Key Scripture Moments

Here's the remarkable moment when Adam and Eve, after the angel's visit, receive God's plan: "And Adam and Eve, his wife, heard the voices of the Lord God, and the Angel commanding them, 'Do not believe Satan, who is the tempter and the enemy of God.' ... And Adam called upon the name of the Lord, and Eve also, his wife, and they heard the voice of the Lord from the way toward the Garden of Eden, speaking unto them" (implied in Moses 5:4–15). They become "glad."

Notice what happens next in Moses 5:9–12: Adam and Eve bless the name of God, seeing that opposition brought knowledge of good, joy in redemption, and progression.

In Moses 4:1–4, witness Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ safeguarding agency: Satan seeks to destroy it, but "the Lord God called upon men by the Holy Ghost everywhere and commanded them that they should repent; And as many as believed in the Son, and repented of their sins, should be saved."

Finally, in Moses 4:13–16, 27, after nakedness exposes vulnerability, "I, the Lord God … clothed them."

Hidden Connections

These moments link to 2 Nephi 2:19–25, where opposition enables agency and choice. See also Mosiah 3:19; Alma 12:21–37; Doctrine and Covenants 29:39–43, illuminating how the Fall's results—pain, toil—affect mortality yet open redemption (Genesis 3:1–7; Moses 4:22–31).

Nakedness and clothing connect to temple symbols (see Revelation 7:9, 13–15; 2 Nephi 9:14; Doctrine and Covenants 109:22–26, 76), as the Lord clothes Adam and Eve.

Sacrifices in Moses 5:4–9, 16–26 echo Abel's willing heart versus Cain's, shaping modern offerings.

Pattern Discovery

Notice this pattern across prophets: Opposition protects agency (Moses 4:1–4; 2 Nephi 2:11–20, 25–30). Satan deceives to blind (Moses 4:4–12; 5:13–33), yet God provides redemption (Moses 5:4–15). Adam and Eve pray amid separation (Moses 5:4, 8), modeling access to Heavenly Father. This repeats: choice leads to growth, as in Lehi's teachings on freedom to choose (2 Nephi 2:27).

Simple Questions

1. Why was the Fall important to God’s plan (Genesis 3; Moses 4)?
2. According to Moses 5:9–12, how did Adam and Eve feel about the Fall? How does this apply to experiences in this world?
3. What results of the Fall appear in Genesis 3:1–7; Moses 4:22–31, and how does God redeem them (Moses 5:4–15)?
4. In Moses 4:1–4, how do Heavenly Father and Jesus protect agency?
5. How does Satan tempt today, as in Moses 4:4–12; 5:13–33?
6. What attitudes toward sacrifice show in Moses 5:4–9, 16–26?

One Big Idea

The Fall marked a necessary step in God’s plan, providing opposition for agency, growth, and redemption. In Eden, Adam and Eve lacked full progression; leaving enabled choices, repentance, and becoming like God, as restored in Moses.

Living It

Face daily opposition by praying as Adam and Eve did (Moses 5:4, 8), drawing near Heavenly Father. Offer sacrifices with a willing heart like Abel (Moses 5:4–9, 16–26), applying to time, service, or repentance today. Choose right amid Satan's deceptions (Moses 4:4–12; 5:13–33), accessing Christ's protecting power.

Faith Builder

Elder Dale G. Renlund taught, “Our Heavenly Father’s goal in parenting is not to have His children do what is right; it is to have His children choose to do what is right and ultimately become like Him” (“Choose You This Day,” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2018, 104). Elder Dale G. Renlund and Sister Ruth Lybbert Renlund explained that a righteous husband “will seek to minister; he will acknowledge error and seek forgiveness; he will be quick to offer praise; he will be considerate of family members’ preferences; he will feel the great weight of responsibility to provide ‘the necessities of life and protection’ for his family; he will treat his wife with the utmost respect and deference. … He will bless his family” (The Melchizedek Priesthood: Understanding the Doctrine, Living the Principles [2018], 23). See also “The Family: A Proclamation to the World” (Gospel Library).

These truths from Moses invite viewing mortality's opposition as the path to redemption's joy through Jesus Christ.