Adult Lesson Plan: Genesis 12–17;Abraham 1–2

OPENING (2–3 minutes)

Have you ever noticed that Abraham’s story begins with a family problem, not a heroic résumé? The Come, Follow Me introduction doesn’t ease us into Abraham with a polished origin story; it starts with something almost shocking: “Abraham himself came from a troubled family—his father, who had abandoned the true worship of God, tried to have Abraham sacrificed to false gods.” Then comes the turning point: “In spite of this, Abraham’s desire was ‘to be a greater follower of righteousness’ (Abraham 1:2), and the account of his life shows that God honored his desire.” The line that always makes me lean forward is the promise that follows: “Abraham’s life stands as a testimony that no matter what a person’s family history has been, the future can be filled with hope.”

So here’s a question worth sitting with for a moment before we open the text: if God can begin a covenant story in the middle of generational messiness, what does that suggest about the raw material God is willing to work with in us?

SCRIPTURE EXPLORATION (15–20 minutes)

Start in Abraham 1:1–19, with the specific lens Come, Follow Me gives us: “We are all influenced by our families [and] our culture,” Elder Neil L. Andersen taught, “and yet I believe there is a place inside of us that we uniquely and individually control and create. … Eventually, our inner desires are given life and they are seen in our choices and in our actions” (“Educate Your Desires, Elder Andersen Counsels,” ChurchofJesusChrist.org). That framing invites an unusually honest class conversation: Abraham’s environment is real, but so is Abraham’s interior life. As you read, watch for the repeated interplay between desire and action. Come, Follow Me asks the right diagnostic questions: “What did Abraham desire? How were his desires evident in his actions? How did God support his desires?” Then, without moralizing, it turns the mirror toward us: “What are your desires? How are they evident in your actions? How does God support you?”

A good whole-class question here is not “What should we desire?” (which can trigger rehearsed answers) but “What do you notice God responds to first in Abraham’s story—perfection, background, or desire?” Another is, “What message do these verses have for people whose family members do not desire righteousness?” That last question matters because it refuses to let Abraham be merely an ancient hero; it makes him a living witness that God can write a new chapter in a family line.

Then move to Genesis 15:1–6 and the ache that sits quietly behind covenant language: waiting. Come, Follow Me reminds us that “One of Abraham and Sarah’s greatest desires—to have a child—went unfulfilled for many years (see Genesis 15:1–6).” It then asks us to read Hebrews 11:8–13 alongside it and notice how they handled promises that didn’t arrive on their timetable: “How does the Savior help you ‘embrace’ His promises, even if they are ‘afar off’?” That phrase “afar off” is bracingly realistic. It suggests that faith is not pretending the promise is already in your hands; it is choosing to hold to God when the promise is still on the horizon.

Now turn to the covenant passages: Genesis 12:1–3; 13:15–16; 17:1–8, 15–22 and Abraham 2:6–11. Come, Follow Me gives the interpretive key: “Why is it important for you to know about the covenant God made with Abraham? Because God wants to make a similar covenant with you.” Then it anchors the personal connection in scripture: God promised that this covenant would continue in Abraham’s “seed,” and that “as many as receive this Gospel shall be … accounted thy seed” (Abraham 2:10–11). That’s not a sentimental metaphor; it’s covenant adoption language. The manual states it plainly: “In other words, the covenant continues in you—when you are baptized and more completely when you make covenants in the temple (see Galatians 3:26–29; Doctrine and Covenants 132:30–32).” (If discussion drifts into temple specifics, it’s best to keep it reverent and general; this is sacred and personal—please speak with your bishop or refer to the temple recommend questions.)

A final passage for exploration is Genesis 14:18–19 with the Joseph Smith Translation expansion and the portrait of Melchizedek. Come, Follow Me invites the class into a delightful thought experiment: “Imagine you were introducing Melchizedek to someone who didn’t know him. What would you say?” Then it directs us to the sources: Joseph Smith Translation, Genesis 14:26–27, 33–38; Alma 13:13–19; Doctrine and Covenants 107:1–4. The question isn’t trivia; it’s transformation: “What Christlike qualities do you find in these descriptions of Melchizedek? How does your study of Melchizedek’s life affect the way you view the Melchizedek Priesthood?”

DOCTRINAL DISCUSSION (10–15 minutes)

The first doctrine that rises naturally from these chapters is that God works covenant miracles by working first on the level of desire. Elder Andersen’s line is quietly revolutionary: “there is a place inside of us that we uniquely and individually control and create.” That means discipleship is not only about managing behavior; it’s about educating the inner world until “our inner desires are given life and they are seen in our choices and in our actions.” Abraham’s story, as Come, Follow Me frames it, becomes hope for people who feel trapped by inheritance, culture, or family patterns. A question worth asking the class is: When you’ve seen real change in your life, did it begin with willpower, or did it begin with a new desire? And another: What do you think it means that God seems willing to begin a covenant relationship with someone whose life started in spiritual danger and confusion?

The second doctrine is that covenants are not merely contracts; they are God’s chosen way to share His power and purposes with His children across generations. Come, Follow Me presses the point: God’s covenant with Abraham matters because “God wants to make a similar covenant with you.” Then it gives the astonishing mechanism: “as many as receive this Gospel shall be … accounted thy seed” (Abraham 2:10–11). That is a doctrine of belonging. It suggests that in God’s kingdom, family is not only biology; it is covenant. Ask: How does it change the way we see other members of the Church if we take seriously that covenant language makes us “accounted” family? And: If God’s promises to Abraham include being “a blessing” (Genesis 12:2; emphasis added), what does it look like when a covenant person stops thinking of blessings as private property and starts thinking of them as stewardship?

That leads to the third doctrine: covenant life points outward. Come, Follow Me highlights the command embedded in the promise: “Besides promising blessings, God told Abraham to ‘be a blessing’ (Genesis 12:2; emphasis added).” Then it sharpens it with Abraham’s own record: “How will you be a blessing? (see Abraham 2:11).” This is where doctrine becomes deeply relevant. Many adults carry quiet questions like: Is my discipleship doing anything besides keeping me personally afloat? The Abrahamic covenant answers: God intends to make you a channel. A rich discussion question here is: What’s the difference between “I’m trying to be good” and “I’m trying to be a blessing”? How does that shift the emotional tone of religious life?

If time allows, connect that outward covenant identity to Genesis 14 and Abraham’s relationship to wealth and worship. Come, Follow Me asks, “What do you learn about Abraham’s attitude toward wealth from Genesis 14:18–24…? For example, note his response to the king of Sodom in Genesis 14:23. How has obeying the law of tithing affected your view of money?” That question can be handled gently and powerfully by letting people testify of how covenant priorities reorder what “counts” as security.

PRACTICAL APPLICATION (5–7 minutes)

Invite the class to choose one of three real-life pressure points these chapters speak to.

First, family complexity. The introduction’s promise is not abstract: “no matter what a person’s family history has been, the future can be filled with hope.” If someone feels they are “starting behind,” Abraham is proof that God’s call can meet you where you actually are. A practical invitation is to identify one righteous desire you can “uniquely and individually control and create,” and then ask what small action would give that desire “life” this week, in Elder Andersen’s words.

Second, long waiting. Genesis 15 and Hebrews 11 (as Come, Follow Me pairs them) normalize faithful people living with “afar off” promises. For adults carrying unanswered prayers, the application is not to pretend it doesn’t hurt; it is to keep relating to God inside the wait. A question to ponder during the week: What would it look like for me to “embrace” a promise that is still “afar off,” without demanding a deadline?

Third, being “a blessing.” Covenants are not only about what God will do for us; they are about what God can do through us. Consider asking: Who in my circle needs to be “heard” right now? That connects naturally to Genesis 16, where Come, Follow Me notes, “‘Ishmael’ means ‘God hears.’ How has God shown you that He has heard you?” Sometimes the most covenant-shaped thing we do is help someone else feel heard in a world that rushes past them.

CLOSING TESTIMONY & INVITATION (2–3 minutes)

The unifying thread in Genesis 12–17 and Abraham 1–2 is that God builds a future out of desire, covenant, and trust—often while life is still unfinished. I’m grateful the Lord’s work with Abraham begins in difficulty and moves toward promise, because it teaches me that God is not waiting for ideal conditions to begin blessing His children. He honors righteous desires, He binds us to Him through covenants, and He intends that covenant people “be a blessing” (Genesis 12:2).

An invitation to carry into the week is to reread Abraham 2:10–11 slowly and ask one honest question: If God counts covenant disciples as Abraham’s “seed” (Abraham 2:10–11), what kind of person would I become if I truly believed I belong in that family—and that my life is meant to bless others?