Genesis 37-39
[dropcap]P[/dropcap]oor Joseph (not really). The eleventh son of Jacob is hated by his brothers and cast into slavery. However, Joseph not only survives, but prospers as a slave, eventually being put in charge of other prisoners.

Later, however, Joseph faces a trying circumstance, as the wife of his master, Potiphar, attempts to seduce him. Potiphar placed great trust in Joseph, but Joseph did not renege on his values or covenants. He immediately removed himself from the situation. What can we learn about navigating temptation from that? Perhaps it's better to bail entirely instead of taking a "wait and see" approach.

Joseph's great faith will lead him to rule over all of Egypt, but that is a lesson for another time.

Lauren Johnson is with us.

Genesis 24-20
[dropcap]A[/dropcap]braham expresses his concern that Isaac find a worthy wife with whom to enter into the marriage covenant.

Rebekah receives revelation about her unborn twin sons, Jacob and Esau. Esau later sells his birthright to Jacob, like a dork.

Esau later marries out of the covenant, saddening his parents. Jacob, however, is blessed to rule over all nations by Isaac. He later marries Leah and Rachel in the covenant.

Lot to break down here, but the best question is, why such an emphasis on covenants? Why do covenants matter? We've seen modern-day apostles given entire sermons on the power of covenants - not just as something eternal, but as something that actually strengthens you and your relationship with God. Why is that? How have your covenants blessed you?

Geoff's hot wife, Danielle, is with us.

Abraham 1; 5; Genesis 15-17; 21
Abraham suffers much tribulation as a young man, being persecuted and nearly sacrifices by the priests of Pharaoh.

Later in life, Abraham is given seed, first Ishmael through Hagar, and later, in a miracle, Isaac through his first wife, Sarah, setting the stage for a great schism between followers of Isaac and Ishmael in the years to come.

As a test of his obedience, God later commands Abraham to sacrifice Isaac, the man through whom the covenant would continue, the man who would receive the birthright. This must have been excruciating.

So what do we learn about obedience, but more importantly, about faith from these passages? What do we learn about Christ?

Kurt Francom of LeadingLDS is with us!

Genesis 13, 14, 18
Abraham settles in Canaan after living in Egypt, Lot settles near Sodom. Lot is taken captive during battle ans is later rescued by Abraham. Afterward, Abraham pays tithes to Melchizedek and also refuses the spoils of war from the king of Sodom.

Sodom and Gomorrah are pretty nasty places, so the Lord tells Abraham that he intends to destroy the cities, which leads Abraham to plead to spare them if he can find righteous people living there. Lot is the sort-of-righteous guy, and the Lord commands him and his family to leave Sodom.

The most famous passage then ensues, with Lot's wife daring to look back at Sodom, and then becoming a "pillar of salt" (some have argued rock, dust, metaphor, etc.—There are many pillars said to be Lot's wife throughout the Holy Land).

So what do we learn from this? The Old Testament is full of harsh examples about the importance of obedience. What does the experience of Sodom and Gomorrah teach you about hearkening to God's will?

And Bill Doolittle is in the house!

Abraham 1, 2; Genesis 12, 17
Abraham seeks to be righteous and live worthy of the blessings of God. God covenants with Abraham, promising that he will have a numerous posterity who will receive a promised land and the blessings of the priesthood and the gospel.
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In this year’s last lesson, Al and Geoff elaborate on the concept of Zion. What is Zion? Where did Zion come from? How can we be Zion? These questions and more will be answered!

Kurt Francom of LeadingLDS is here to talk about the wonders of the family. But why are families so important to God’s plan?

What do Mormons believe about civic duty? Dustin Homer sits in the studio to discuss how we can get involved in our community, and how important it is for us not to sit on the sidelines. Mormons believe in participating!

Revelation is not restricted solely to the restoration era. Most of this lesson deals with prophetic examples from the 20th and 21st centuries. Also, we talk about the Correlation program, which has its defenders and detractors! Patricia Auxier is with us.

Missionary work! Missionary work! This is the dream! But really, how can we be better member missionaries? It seems a rote topic, but it’s not. Let’s get into it with Dustin Homer.

Dustin Homer joins us for a discussion on temple and family history work. How can you prayerfully improve your efforts in this regard? Why is having a current temple recommend important, regardless of whether or not a temple is near?

D&C 2; 110; 138—What does it actually mean to have the hearts of the children turn to their fathers? What can you do to have a greater desire to participate in family history and temple work?

D&C 38;42;104—Patricia Auxier returns to discuss spiritual and temporal welfare. How do we develop self-reliance? How do we help others with their needs?

Why do we need a prophet? Are prophets perfect? Was Joseph Smith perfect? In this lesson we will get into the ins and outs of latter-day prophets and how they bless our lives. Kurt Francom is with us.

The Saints settle the Salt Lake Valley. How have you been blessed by the sacrifices of these early settlers? Construction commences on the Salt Lake Temple. Dustin Homer is with us and he’s our homie.

D&C 4; 18; 52; 81, 138—Just as Brigham Young sent many to said the Martin and Willie handcart company, the Savior rescues us. But how? What do we learn from these great lessons in Church history? Bill Doolittle is with us

D&C 136—Steve Pierce joins us for a discussion on the Saints’ journey to the Salt Lake Valley. How did the Lord guide Mormons during this period? What lessons were learned?

D&C 107—The death of Joseph Smith results in a major succession crisis, with various parties vying for the mantle to lead the Church. What were the arguments of Sidney Rigdon, Brigham Young, James Strang, and others? Where would you have fallen if you were put in the shoes of the saints of the time?

D&C 135—Events in Illinois culminate in the assassination of Joseph Smith. What did Joseph Smith’s ministry mean to you? What did we learn from his leadership? Kurt Francom of LeadingLDS is with us.

D&C 131; 132—Al Doan joins us for a discussion on the doctrine of eternal marriage. How do we prepare for eternal marriage? How do we make this lesson not stink for the unwed among us? Let’s dive in.