1. Thesis Statement
1.1. Lessons Learned
1.1.1. Sacrifice
1.1.1.1. Ask to Sacrifice his son
1.1.1.2. Had to leave Lot with his land and take the baren land.
1.1.1.2.1. When Abraham went out of Egypt, his nephew Lot went with him to Bethel. Both Abraham and Lot had flocks and herds and tents, “and the land was not able to bear them, that they might dwell together: for their substance was great, so that they could not dwell together.” 12 After some friction between the herdmen of Abraham and Lot, Abraham made a proposal to Lot: “Let there be no strife, I pray thee, between me and thee, and between my herdmen and thy herdmen; for we be brethren. “… If thou wilt take the left hand, then I will go to the right; or if thou depart to the right hand, then I will go to the left.” 13 Lot saw “what was in it for him” as he looked over the fruitful plain of Jordan and chose to take the land which was close to the worldly place of Sodom. 14 Abraham was content to take his flocks to live in the more barren land of Canaan, yet he accumulated even more wealth there. "What’s in It for Me?" President James E. Faust
1.1.2. Obedience
1.1.2.1. In everything he did.
1.1.2.2. There are many examples of Abraham’s obedience to the Lord’s will. In Genesis we learn that God commanded Abraham to circumcise every male in his household. Upon receiving that commandment, Abraham did not say, “Yes, I will obey the Lord, but first I must move my sheep to another pasture, and mend my tents. I should be able to obey by the end of the week, or by the first of next week, at the latest.” But instead of so procrastinating his obedience, Abraham went out and complied “in the selfsame day.” (Gen. 17:26.) A similar, but even more impressive, example is Abraham’s obedience to God’s command that he sacrifice his only son, Isaac. Abraham could have put this abhorrent task aside or even chosen to ignore the commandment entirely, but instead he arose early the next morning and began the journey to the appointed place. How often do Church members arise early in the morning to do the will of the Lord? How often do we say, “Yes, I will have home evening with my family, but the children are so young now; I will start when they are older”? How often do we say, “Yes, I will obey the commandment to store food and to help others, but just now I have neither the time nor the money to spare; I will obey later”? Oh, foolish people! While we procrastinate, the harvest will be over and we will not be saved. Now is the time to follow Abraham’s example; now is the time to repent; now is the time for prompt obedience to God’s will. Spencer
1.1.3. Desire knowledge
1.2. Connection to my Salvation
1.2.1. Plan of Salvation
1.2.1.1. Family and Personal Revelation
1.2.1.1.1. Abraham is a model for us in other important ways. For example, Abraham’s faithfulness in all things qualified him to receive revelation for his family; indeed, he often spoke with the Lord “face to face.” (Abr. 3:11.) The blessing of revelation is one that all should seek for. Righteous men and women find that they have the spirit of revelation to direct their families and to aid them in their other responsibilities. But, like Abraham, we must seek to qualify for such revelation by setting our lives in order and by becoming acquainted with the Lord through frequent and regular conversations with him. Abraham’s desire to do God’s will in all things led him to preside over his family in righteousness. Despite all his other responsibilities, he knew that if he failed to teach and exemplify the gospel to his children he would have failed to fulfill the most important stewardship he had received. Abraham’s instruction and example in his home led the Lord to say of him: “For I know him, that he will command his children and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of the Lord, to do justice and judgment.” (Gen. 18:19.) KIMBALL
1.2.1.1.2. As we follow Abraham’s example, we will grow from grace to grace, we will find greater happiness and peace and rest, we will find favor with God and with man. As we follow his example, we will confirm upon ourselves and our families joy and fulfillment in this life and for all eternity Spencer
1.2.2. Abrahamic Covenant
1.2.2.1. Missionary Work
1.2.2.1.1. As we are told in the pamphlet Father, Consider Your Ways: Just as the Lord called his servant Abraham to serve as a missionary 4,000 years ago, so is he calling the Saints today. We must all be missionaries and prepare our sons to be fulltime missionaries. Those who have made even a slight effort to share the gospel can testify of the joy they find through sharing it with their earthly brothers and sisters. Our efforts to spread the gospel have been feeble; we must do more. Like Abraham, we must declare the gospel to the world, not stopping with a vocal declaration, but living the gospel so others can see the truth. Spencer Kimball
1.2.2.1.2. “Who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had, and bought it” (Matt. 13:45–46). You and I know the gospel of Jesus Christ is the pearl of great price. Each of those little grains of sand are Abraham’s children. They need to be cultured to become pearls. They need the right friend, a responsibility to help them grow in service, and nourishment with charity to retain them to truly become pearls of great worth in our Father’s kingdom. President Hinckley said: “Be friendly. You have to make a friend before you make a convert. Conversion follows friendship. The opportunity to teach follows friendship” (Teachings of Gordon B. Hinckley [1997], 375). Do we invite our friends to come to church with us? Do we go with the missionaries as they teach the discussions to our friends? Do we invite them to be taught in our homes? Do we visit them between the discussions? Are we doing what the Savior would have us do? Do we even open our mouths? The Lord said: “But with some I am not well pleased, for they will not open their mouths, but they hide the talent which I have given unto them, because of the fear of man. Wo unto such, for mine anger is kindled against them. "Pearls from the Sand" Elder E Ray Bateman
1.2.2.2. Eternal Marriage
1.2.2.2.1. Your life is committed to keeping the commandments of God, preparing yourself to receive the Melchizedek Priesthood, receiving an endowment of power in the sacred temple, serving a full-time mission, and passing these blessings on to your posterity by being sealed in the temple to a worthy companion. Abraham’s covenant with God is also your covenant with God. You could do nothing worse than to break that commitment. "In Abraham’s Footsteps" By Elder F. Melvin Hammond
1.2.2.3. Baptism for the Dead
1.2.2.3.1. It is significant that every person who is born into the Church and everyone who receives the gospel by conversion becomes the literal seed of Abraham. All who are baptized are born again into the family of Christ and accept the covenant established through Father Abraham. We are a part of this family. The believing blood flows through our veins. Elder F. Melvin Hammond
1.2.2.4. Conversion
1.2.3. Patriarchal lineage for the Priesthood
1.2.3.1. We commemorate the restoration of the Melchizedek Priesthood, called “the Holy Priesthood after the Order of the Son of God” (D&C 107:3), once more this month. It is an event of supreme importance to man in this dispensation, for the priesthood is the power and authority of God delegated to man on earth to act in all things pertaining to the salvation of men. It is the means whereby the Lord acts through men to save souls. Without this priesthood power, men are lost. Only through this power does man “hold the keys of all the spiritual blessings of the church,” enabling him to receive “the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, to have the heavens opened” unto him (see D&C 107:18–19), enabling him to enter the new and everlasting covenant of marriage and to have his wife and children bound to him in an everlasting tie, enabling him to become a patriarch to his posterity forever, and enabling him to receive a fullness of the blessings of the Lord. My dear brothers and sisters, reflect for a moment on the vast magnitude of the blessings promised to those who are valiant in their priesthood callings: “For whoso is faithful unto the obtaining these two priesthoods of which I have spoken, and the magnifying their calling, are sanctified by the Spirit unto the renewing of their bodies. “They become the sons of Moses and of Aaron and the seed of Abraham, and the church and kingdom, and the elect of God.” Spencer
1.2.3.2. The covenant of priesthood and duty to God is a part of our heritage. Every young man who receives the Aaronic Priesthood and goes on to receive the Melchizedek Priesthood also becomes a son of Moses and of Aaron (see D&C 84:34). To be the son of someone implies that you will follow his righteous example—that you carry his name with proper dignity and respect. It also means that the blessings he receives from Heavenly Father may become yours as well. The greatest promise is that the priesthood entitles us to receive the Father and the Son into our lives. Therefore, “all that my Father hath,” said the Savior, “shall be given unto him” (D&C 84:38). All of this means that you have a family duty to perform. Your life is committed to keeping the commandments of God, preparing yourself to receive the Melchizedek Priesthood, receiving an endowment of power in the sacred temple, serving a full-time mission, and passing these blessings on to your posterity by being sealed in the temple to a worthy companion. Abraham’s covenant with God is also your covenant with God. You could do nothing worse than to break that commitment. "In Abraham’s Footsteps" By Elder F. Melvin Hammond
2. Quotes
2.1. Every young man who receives the Aaronic Priesthood and goes on to receive the Melchizedek Priesthood also becomes a son of Moses and of Aaron (see D&C 84:34). To be the son of someone implies that you will follow his righteous example—that you carry his name with proper dignity and respect. It also means that the blessings he receives from Heavenly Father may become yours as well. The greatest promise is that the priesthood entitles us to receive the Father and the Son into our lives. Therefore, “all that my Father hath,” said the Savior, “shall be given unto him” (D&C 84:38). All of this means that you have a family duty to perform. Your life is committed to keeping the commandments of God, preparing yourself to receive the Melchizedek Priesthood, receiving an endowment of power in the sacred temple, serving a full-time mission, and passing these blessings on to your posterity by being sealed in the temple to a worthy companion. Abraham’s covenant with God is also your covenant with God. You could do nothing worse than to break that commitment. "In Abraham’s Footsteps" By Elder F. Melvin Hammond
2.2. In other words, heirship to the eternal blessings promised to Abraham hinges on individual righteousness. It is not one’s pedigree but one’s obedience to the doctrine of Christ that qualifies him eternally as Abraham’s seed. "Of Compasses and Covenants" By Elder Lance B. Wickman
2.3. Our very identity as holders of the priesthood and the seed of Abraham is in large measure defined by the responsibility to proclaim the gospel. We are the seed of Abraham. One of the primary reasons we receive a patriarchal blessing is to help us more fully understand who we are as the posterity of Abraham and to recognize the responsibility that rests upon us. We were foreordained in the premortal existence and born into mortality to fulfill the covenant and promise God made to Abraham. We are here upon the earth at this time to magnify the priesthood and to preach the gospel. That is who we are, and that is why we are here—today and always. You may enjoy music, athletics, or be mechanically inclined, and someday you may work in a trade or a profession or in the arts. As important as such activities and occupations can be, they do not define who we are. First and foremost, we are spiritual beings. We are sons of God and the seed of Abraham: - "Becoming a Missionary" Elder David A. Bednar
2.4. This partial fulfillment of prophecy has led many earnest people, believers in the Bible, to examine historical data, with a view of tracing the course of Israelitish blood among the nations. The British-Israel movement is foremost in the search. An impressive mass of information has been and is being gathered by them. If their findings are correct, which show the location on earth of the preponderance of Israelitish blood, then the restored gospel has been accepted most readily in the nations where the blood of Abraham is most dominant—among the British and North Europeans. Unfortunately, many persons have become too enthusiastic and have been tempted to bend their findings to their desires, and to other matters than those contained in the covenant. Others, unacquainted with the gospel and its course on earth, have made a near religion of the search. "Classic Discourses from the General Authorities: A Covenant People" by Elder John A. Widtsoe
2.5. We are married in the temple—and so receive the blessings of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob as promised by Elias—because of the sealing power restored by Elijah. Once we have received these blessings for ourselves and our posterity, we seek to make them available to our ancestors who died without a knowledge of the gospel and who would have received them with all their hearts had they lived when such blessings were available to them. The divine decree is: Save thyself and thy kindred. "A New Commandment: Save Thyself and Thy Kindred!" By Bruce R. McConkie
2.6. In other words, heirship to the eternal blessings promised to Abraham hinges on individual righteousness. It is not one’s pedigree but one’s obedience to the doctrine of Christ that qualifies him eternally as Abraham’s seed. "Of Compasses and Covenants" By Elder Lance B. Wickman
2.7. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has been restored in these latter days to fulfill ancient promises of the Lord. It is part of the “restitution of all things.” 39 Committed children of the covenant remain steadfast, even in the midst of adversity. We shall “be chastened and tried, even as Abraham, who was commanded to offer up his only son.” 40 Yet we are strengthened by this promise of the Lord: “Ye are lawful heirs, according to the flesh, and have been hid from the world with Christ in God— “Therefore your life and the priesthood have remained, and must needs remain through you and your lineage until the restoration of all things. … “Therefore, blessed are ye if ye continue in my goodness, a light unto the Gentiles, and through this priesthood, a savior unto my people Israel." "Children of the Covenant" Elder Russell M. Nelson
2.8. “Who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had, and bought it” (Matt. 13:45–46). You and I know the gospel of Jesus Christ is the pearl of great price. Each of those little grains of sand are Abraham’s children. They need to be cultured to become pearls. They need the right friend, a responsibility to help them grow in service, and nourishment with charity to retain them to truly become pearls of great worth in our Father’s kingdom. President Hinckley said: “Be friendly. You have to make a friend before you make a convert. Conversion follows friendship. The opportunity to teach follows friendship” (Teachings of Gordon B. Hinckley [1997], 375). Do we invite our friends to come to church with us? Do we go with the missionaries as they teach the discussions to our friends? Do we invite them to be taught in our homes? Do we visit them between the discussions? Are we doing what the Savior would have us do? Do we even open our mouths? The Lord said: “But with some I am not well pleased, for they will not open their mouths, but they hide the talent which I have given unto them, because of the fear of man. Wo unto such, for mine anger is kindled against them. "Pearls from the Sand" Elder E Ray Bateman
2.9. Instead, let us have integrity like Abraham did, observing with all soberness the solemn contracts we have made with God. I testify to you that we can become as Abraham, who now, as a result of his valiance, “hath entered into his exaltation and sitteth upon his throne.” (D&C 132:29.) Is such exaltation a blessing reserved only for General Authorities, or stake presidents, or quorum presidents, or bishops? It is not. It is a blessing reserved for all who will prepare themselves by forsaking their sins, by truly receiving the Holy Ghost into their lives, and by following the example Abraham has set. If members of the Church could only have such integrity, such obedience, such revelation, such faith, such service as Abraham had! If parents would seek the blessings Abraham sought, they could also receive such revelation, covenants, promises, and eternal rewards as Abraham received. Remember that Abraham sought for his appointment to the priesthood. He did not wait for God to come to him; he sought diligently through prayer and obedient living to learn the will of God. Here then, is the challenge the Lord gives every returned missionary, every single man and woman, every father and mother in the Church: “Go ye, therefore, and do the works of Abraham.” (D&C 132:32.) . "First Presidency Message" The Example of Abraham By President Spencer W. Kimball
3. How can it impact our behaviors and attitudes
3.1. I wake up and read my scriptures and pray everyday now.
3.2. There is no break from righteousness.
3.2.1. We must experience the peace of repentance and forgiveness and then proclaim that peace to the world. Abraham, ever a model of righteousness, sought peace among his brethren. Abraham said to Lot, “Let there be no strife, I pray thee, between me and thee … for we be brethren.” (Gen. 13:8.) Once we have found peace within ourselves, we must share it by being long-suffering, gentle, and meek and by having the pure love of Christ for all we meet. Such peace comes only through integrity. When we make a covenant or agreement with God, we must keep it at whatever cost. Let us not be like the student who agrees to live by certain standards of conduct and who then breaks his oath and tries to see how long he can get away with his deceit. Let us not be like the missionary who agrees to serve the Lord for two years, then wastes his time with laziness and rationalization. Let us not be like the Church member who partakes of the sacrament in the morning, then defiles the Sabbath that afternoon by cleaning the house or by watching television or by choosing an afternoon of sleep over an afternoon of service. Spencer