Moses 1 and Abraham 3 Study Guide -- "This Is My Work and My Glory"
Key Takeaway
Moses 1 and Abraham 3 restore truths about God's purpose and the premortal existence. This week explores the grand declaration: "This is my work and my glory -- to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man."
Moses 1 and Abraham 3 stand among the most significant Restoration scriptures. They restore what was lost from the biblical record: a direct account of Moses's vision of God and Abraham's witness of the premortal council. Together, these chapters frame the entire purpose of mortal existence.
In Moses 1, God declares to Moses: "This is my work and my glory -- to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man" (Moses 1:39). This single verse defines the purpose of everything that follows in the Old Testament. Every covenant, every commandment, every prophetic call serves this one end. The Hebrew concept of "kavod" (glory) carries weight here -- it means not just splendor, but the weighty, substantial presence of God. His glory is inseparable from His work of saving His children.
Abraham 3 opens the curtain on the premortal existence. Abraham sees the intelligences organized before the world was, and among them "one that was like unto God" who said: "We will go down... and we will make an earth whereon these may dwell" (Abraham 3:24). The council in heaven was not merely theological abstraction -- it was the moment your mortal journey was set in motion.
Study questions for this week: What does it mean that God's work and glory are the same thing? How does knowing about the premortal existence change how you view mortality's challenges? What does Moses 1:10 teach about the difference between God's glory and Satan's lack of it?
Pay attention to the contrast between Moses's experience with God and his encounter with Satan. Moses recognizes the darkness precisely because he has already seen the light. This pattern -- knowing truth so clearly that deception becomes obvious -- runs throughout all of scripture.
Related Study Tools
Etymology Explorer
Study the Hebrew meaning of 'kavod' (glory) and other key terms from Moses 1.
Scripture Connections
See how Moses 1:39 connects to other passages about God's purposes.
Chapter Summaries
Read detailed summaries of Moses 1 and Abraham 3.
AI Scripture Companion
Ask deeper questions about the premortal council and Moses's vision.
Prophet Comparison
Compare Moses's and Abraham's encounters with God side by side.
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