FLDS Priesthood History for 5th - 8th Grade Students

Taught by Warren Jeffs

Tape # 13 – December 13, 1995

Subject: Israel in Egypt
I hope you understand the lessons from these stories. We are learning these stories of the prophets, not
just to be entertained. We are trying to become like them as they obeyed Heavenly Father. After the prophet
Jacob blessed all his sons - especially Joseph- according to the promises we taught you, the record says he
died. The family and people of Egypt mourned long. He was buried in the same cave that Abraham and Isaac
were buried. Now that the father was gone, Joseph's brothers became very afraid. This is the way it is with
one who has done wrong. They fear.
Joseph lived 110 years, through his third generation. He made the family promise, when they were led
out of Egypt, they would take his body to where his father Jacob was buried. He foresaw that there would be
a great prophet in the latter days, named Joseph, a descendant of himself who would save all the house of
Israel in the last days. We know that prophet as Joseph Smith Jr.
Remember young people, the blood of Ephraim are the obedient. Rebellion or disobedience proves
you are not the blood of Ephraim, the believing blood in this day. I want to remind you what is about to
happen in your lives. You young men will receive the Melchizedek priesthood. By then, you should know
Heavenly Father - both boys and girls. You will be put to the test. You will be taken from your father's
home, many of you, and put to work and put on trial to see if you will stay clean and pure. Even with
the temptations of morals -of girls toward the boys and boys toward the girls. Pray for the power to resist that
temptation. Then you will be allowed to be tried, and if you pass the test of obedience, keeping sweet, then
you will be given great blessings - even the privilege of living celestial and plural marriage, the greatest
law that will exalt you to become Gods and Goddesses.
The family of the Israelites was in Egypt for 400 years. The Pharaoh saw that the Israelites, who lived
plural marriage, were growing in greater numbers than the Egyptians, so he wanted to kill some of the
Israelites, or stop them from having so many children. He brought all the family of Jacob under bondage and
caused them to build great cities, to keep them working. He ordered the women to kill boy babies at birth.
The midwives helped hide the baby boys. In the midst of that great test, the prophet Moses was born among
the tribe of Levi. He was hidden away.
When you come of age, if you prove faithful, will bless you with the blessings of Abraham, Isaac and
Isaac and Jacob - that is through celestial and plural marriage. You have that ahead of you, you must work for
it, live for it, and be prepared to keep that promise. We want to receive promises that our children will be
blessed, but you don't get those promises by doing wrong. The fullness of the gospel is celestial and plural
marriage in the united order and that is done through the prophet sealing you in marriage. You girls, the
greatest thing you can become is a mother in the priesthood. You boys, the greatest thing you can ever
do is to serve the prophet by raising a family to the Lord and doing whatever work He calls you to do.
When you receive the priesthood, you belong to President Jeffs, so live for this, prepare for it.
I remind you, the prophets of old are resurrected, and are Gods. All the world out there will be shut
out of those blessings unless they live the law of Abraham. Young people you are part of the work the Lord
arranged thousands of years ago. You're here at the right time. You are treating these things lightly if you're
hearing these stories and then just forgetting them.
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December 18, 1995
Subject: Moses
I'm anxious for you not to treat this study lightly. Show me that you're learning and wanting to
understand these truths. When the family of Jacob went down into Egypt, they numbered seventy. Four
hundred, thirty years later, they numbered two million. Brigham Young said if all the men ,in Utah, who
came west with him, we would number over 100 million. The numbers would grow very greatly. We would
have outnumbered the people of the world here. He said we would outnumber our enemies.
The house of Israel grew fast because they lived plural marriage. The Egyptians did not. The king
ordered the midwives to kill the baby boys, but couldn't. The mothers started to hide the boys. This is what
the mother of Moses did, for three months, then she put him in a basket and he floated down the Nile River
to Pharaoh's daughter. Her heart was touched and she took the baby and raised him in the king's house, where
he was protected. Moses lived there for 40 years, and during that time, he found out that he was not an
Egyptian, but an Israelite, so he started learning about the ways of his people, yet he was mighty and strong
in Pharaoh’s house. One day he stopped some soldiers from beating the Israelites, and the soldiers were
killed. When Pharaoh found out, Moses had to flee. He traveled to the land of Midian and found the
priesthood prophet named Jethro. While living there, Moses received that priesthood called the apostleship.
Moses became the key holder. He prepared for 40 years and obeyed the priesthood over him.
One day he looked up into the mountain and saw fire from Heaven so went up and came close to this
fire, where the Lord spoke to him. Moses was afraid to look upon God. Remember, you can't just come into
the presence of God, being whatever you want to be, To stand in the Lord's presence, you must be like Him.
Moses had to live and obey the priesthood over him.
When asked His name, God said, "I AM that I AM." We call the Lord Jesus Christ, the great I AM.
That means that there is none greater than this great God Jehovah. Moses went back to Egypt at the age of
80; Today, President Jeffs is 86 years old. He became the prophet nine years ago, close to the age of Moses
when he went back to Egypt. He called the elders of the families of Israel. They had a patriarchal order where
fathers ruled over their sons, grandsons, and great-grandsons. He told them he was sent to deliver them out of
bondage.
Young people the blessings of God come to you only by faith and obedience. When the prophet says a
certain blessing will be given us - for instance, our prophet said this people will be lifted up and protected -
you are doing wrong if you just say, "Oh good, he promised it will happen." No, it will only come to those
who live by faith, who believe his words enough to earn the blessing. When the prophet gives a promise that
a certain thing will happen, that's where we start working our faith. We don't just assume it's going to happen.
We have great promises. The Lord promised us the millennium would start among this people. The
ancient prophets would return and meet this people. We will be lifted up. We will build a great city called
Zion. We will meet the ten tribes. We will build a great temple that our Lord and Savior will come and visit
us in. These are promises that will happen in our time. The big mistake the people have made is, they think
it's just going to happen because the prophet said so. It will happen, but it will happen through the faith of the
people.
The Israelites were a very disobedient people, but they were the chosen family and the Lord promised
to bring them out of Egypt, even if they were disobedient. We'll find in the end of this story, He cursed them,
though he would let their children live. You've heard the prophet say "Keep Sweet - no matter what, keep
Sweet so you can be lifted up." You don't get the blessing because of your name. You must earn it by
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keeping sweet.
How many of you have seen the movie, "The Ten Commandments"? Ok, most of you. I want to tell
you something very strong right now. Never watch a movie about a prophet. Never do it again. It is wrong.
You saw a lie. You saw a naked man in that movie, trying to be a prophet. Now you have to erase that. You
can't think of Moses like that movie showed. Never see a movie like that ever again. Those are the worst kind
of movies. They made fun of the prophet in that movie. They made fun of Heavenly Father. They taught you
many lies in that movie. Don't look at picture books of the prophets, of these old prophets where we don't
know what they look like. Those pictures are lies.
So young people, you have to set that aside and I want you to do it this way... whenever I talk about a
prophet, and especially since you saw that lie - that movie, you need to replace that wrong idea with the truth.
Whenever I talk of Moses or any of the prophets, think of President Jeffs. Don't think of that lie that the
movie showed you. Moses was a man like President Jeffs. He talked like him and taught the people just like
President Jeffs does today. He had the same spirit. Think of our prophet today, and if you can, forget this
movie - it's a lie, it's wrong. There are movies of Joseph Smith, Brigham Young, and other men. Get away
from them, for they will corrupt your mind. They are wrong. I can't be there to make sure you do it, so I hope
you will just believe and stay away from that great evil. Ok.