God Meant It Unto Good – Genesis 42-50

Gathered in this post are resources to help you teach your family not only the stories of the people in the Old Testament but also the doctrine and principles found in the study block for the Come, Follow Me reading of Genesis 42-50. There are resources for children, youth, and adults. Every resource linked to is free! Most links are to church websites or websites approved for further gospel study. Choose on thing a day to do with your family or a couple to do for family home evening. Enjoy!

Everyone

Video – Reflections – When trials and tests come, how do you react? Do you become selfish and scared, or do you face the challenges with patience, faith, and love for others? How you react could change your life and the lives of those around you, for better or worse. (4:21 minutes)

Video – What Family Means to Me – Jaeden Vaifanua is an LDS youth from Utah, who likes to sing and play basketball, and she loves her family. In her song, “What Family Means to Me,” she sings about the importance of family, and some of the things they like to do together. She says family is more than an idea or a status, it’s about the memories you make with each other. There are so many kinds of families, and whether you have a family with two parents, live in a single-parent home, or live with grandparents or people you aren’t even related to, family is different for everyone. As long as we are living the gospel, our families will last forever! (3:09 minutes)

Video – The Power of the Priesthood in the Family: Fathers Can Use the Priesthood to Bless Their Families – A quote from President Howard W. Hunter reminds us that nothing is more important than the salvation of families through the priesthood. (2:01 minutes)

Video – The Goal: A Story of Faith, Friendship and Forgiveness – This humorous video depicts the spiritual journey two friends go through as they struggle to forgive each other in their quest to follow the covenant path. (7:27 minutes)

Primary Children

Activity – Joseph – Old Testament Scripture Figures

Video – Joseph and the Famine – Old Testament Stories

Video – Joseph’s Brothers in Egypt – Old Testament Scripture Reader

I can show love to my family. Genesis 45:4-15

Activity – I Love My Family – Coloring page

Activity – Families Are Fantastic! – Find a few different names for family members in this word search.

Activity/Story – Kylie’s Parents – Kylie has traits in common with her earthly and Heavenly parents. Includes a simple matching activity.

Activity/Story – A Soft Answer – A girl learns to reply with kindness to her younger sister. Includes “soft-answer reminders” that children can color and cut out.

Story – A Perfect Match – Larissa learns that families do not have to look like each other to be real families.

Story – Daddy’s Sunshine – A girl helps her father feel better after a hard day at work.

Priesthood blessings help me. Genesis 48:8-9

Activity – The 12 Tribes of Israel – Color and trace

Activity – Ready for Blessings – Circle the pictures that show good things to do during a blessing.

Activity – Time for a Blessing – Look at the pictures and discuss why these children received priesthood blessings.

Activity – The Priesthood Helps People – The priesthood is God’s power to serve and bless people through ordinances and blessings. In these pictures, draw yourself into the scene.

Activity/Story – Dana’s Blessing – A girl receives a blessing before a major operation. Includes two activities about priesthood blessings.

Story – A Baptism Blessing – Trevor is afraid to be baptized because he doesn’t like going underwater so he asks his dad and grandpa for a blessing.

Story – Sacred Priesthood Blessings – James E. Faust explains how priesthood blessings strengthen us.

Story – The Primary Talk – Dennis is scared to give a talk in Primary because he stutters. His father gives him a blessing that he’ll be able to say what he needs to say.

I can forgive. Forgiveness brings peace. Genesis 42-44; 45:1-15; 50:15-21

Activity – I Can Forgive – Color and find the differences in the pictures.

Activity – Following Jesus – Three challenges that help us choose to forgive.

Activity – Joseph Forgives HIs Brothers – Coloring page

Lesson – Joseph Forgives His Brothers – Old Testament Primary Manual

Story – Jehovah Blesses Joseph’s Family – A retelling of the story of Joseph of Egypt and his family.

Story – Joseph Forgives His Brothers – A retelling for young children about Joseph of Egypt and how he forgave his brothers.

Story – A Better Way – Tom learns to forgive his brother after he is angry with him.

Story – Forgive – Gordon B. Hinckley shares how a false accusation, which was dropped, ruined a man’s life because he never forgave his accusers. The Lord can help us forgive others.

Story – Peace in Forgiving – Boyd K. Packer shares a story about a man who learned to forgive the doctor who was responsible for his wife’s death.

Story – An Experiment in Forgiving – Jared forgives his little sister after she ruins his science project.

Heavenly Father sent Jesus Christ to save me. Genesis 45:5-11

Activity – Blessings from Jesus – Match the cards to finish each sentence about Jesus.

Activity/Article – Bringing Primary Home: Jesus Christ is our Savior – A short lesson about Jesus Christ, as well as a matching activity about prophets testifying of the Savior.

Article – Jehovah and the Wonderful Plan of Our Heavenly Father – A description of pre-earth life and how Jesus Christ volunteered to be the Savior.

Story – Jesus Loves Me – A simple telling about Jesus and His place in Heavenly Father’s plan.

Heavenly Father prepared Joseph Smith to be a prophet in our day. JST Genesis 50:27-33

Activity – Joseph Smith Saw and Testified of Jesus Christ – Coloring page

Activity/Article – Jesus Christ Restored the Fulness of the Gospel through Joseph Smith – A description of the Restoration with a scripture journal prompt and story-wheel craft.

Activity/Article – Sharing Time: Joseph Smith—Prophet of the Restoration – Use these visual aids to create a diorama of the First Vision.

Article – Joseph, The Seer – Neal A. Maxwell testifies of the Prophet Joseph Smith.

Sunday School – Youth and Adults

Video – Joseph’s Two Tests of Repentance – When Joseph’s brothers arrived in Egypt during a famine, Joseph did not immediately reveal himself to them. Instead, Joseph tested his brothers two times when they came down to Egypt in Genesis 42–45, so that Joseph could discern if they had really changed. In each of these tests, he re-created the situation where his brothers sold him into Egypt, so that Joseph could see how they would react. Book of Mormon Central (6:01 minutes)

Video – Joseph Invites Jacob to Egypt – Book of Mormon Central (7:15 minutes)

Video – What Archeology Suggest About Joseph in Egypt – Book of Mormon Central (4:30 minutes)

“God sent me before you to preserve you.” Genesis 45:1-8; 50:20

Article – Answers to Prayer – The Father is aware of us, knows our needs, and will help us perfectly.

Forgiveness brings healing. Forgiveness brings peace. Genesis 45; 50:15-21

Article – Even As Christ Forgives You, So Also Do Ye – We can all receive unspeakable peace and partnering with our Savior as we learn to freely forgive those who have trespassed against us.

Article – Forgiveness Will Change Bitterness to Love – Forgiveness means that problems of the past no longer dictate our destinies, and we can focus on the future with God’s love in our hearts.

Video – Joseph Shows Mercy to His Brothers – Book of Mormon Central (5:47 minutes)

Video – Forgiveness: My Burden was Made Light – Forgiveness and the power of Jesus Christ enable a man to survive losing his wife and several children in a car accident—and allow the offending driver to begin rebuilding his own life. (8:24 minutes)

What does the symbolism in Jacob’s blessings mean? Genesis 49

Article – How Should We Understand the Rich Symbolism in Jacob’s Blessings of Judah and Joseph? – Some of the most significant prophecies in scripture regarding the posterity of Jacob are found in the blessings of Judah and Joseph in Genesis 49. However much of the poetry in the blessings is difficult to understand. How should we understand the rich symbolism of these verses?

Article – A Message to Judah from Joseph – An address by Ezra Taft Benson to Mormons, Non-Mormons, and Jews at the Jubilee Auditorium, Calgary, Alberta, Canada, May 2, 1976

Video – Explaining Israel’s Blessings to His Sons – Book of Mormon Central (4:20 minutes)

“A seer shall the Lord my God raise up.” Genesis 50:20-25; JST Genesis 50:24-38

Article – Fulfillment of Prophecy – The prophecies that have been fulfilled by the Restoration of the fulness of the gospel of Jesus Christ are many.

Article – A Choice Seer Will I Raise Up – Because Joseph was a prophet, we have more than a window into heaven—the very doorway to the eternities is open to us.

Video – Preparation of Mormon Prophet – Joseph Smith: Tutored by Heaven – Joseph Smith was taught by God the Father, Jesus Christ, and other heavenly messengers the gospel that he was to share with the world. (3:38 minutes)

Video – A Choice Seer Will I Raise Up: Prophet of the Restoration – Youth share their testimonies of the Restoration and how it has impacted their lives. (4:42 minutes)

The works of Joseph, Moses, and Joseph Smith testify of the mission of Jesus Christ. Genesis 45:5-11; JST Genesis 50:24-38

Article – Similarities of Joseph of Egypt and Jesus Christ – Insights into the Old Testament

Video – How Joseph of Egypt Symbolizes Christ – Book of Mormon Central (9:47 minutes)

God can help us find meaning in our trials. Genesis 50:19-21

Article – Trust in the Lord – It is hard to understand why our exercise of deep and sincere faith from an obedient life does not bring the desired result.

Video – Finding the Incredible: What Cancer and Trials Can Teach Us – Daniel and Melanie Hedlund found out Daniel had cancer in December 2007, three weeks after being married. (5:33 minutes)

Video – Why am I Here? – The funny thing about purpose is that you never know when you’re going to find yours. (4:10 minutes)

Video – Trust in the Lord – 2022 Youth Theme – Official Music Video (4:10 minutes)

Video – How Joseph’s Trials Can Help Us – Book of Mormon Central (5:33 minutes)

Adults

Article – Genesis 37-50: Joseph: The Power of Preparation – Old Testament Institute Manual

Article – Remnants Gathered, Covenants Fulfilled – BYU Religious Studies Center

Article – Egypt in the Bible – BYU Religious Studies Center

Podcast – Audio Roundtable: Genesis 42-50 – from The Interpreter Foundation

Podcast – Follow Him: Genesis 42-50 part 1 (video link) – How does generational conflict affect the decision to sell Joseph into slavery? Dr. Michael Wilcox returns to discuss reconciliation, familial conflict, forgiveness, and God’s redemption. Find the audio to the episode here.

Podcast – Follow Him: Genesis 42-50 part 2 (video link) – Dr. Michael Wilcox develops the ideas that forgiveness frees our futures, how God teaches us to be merciful, and how the Lord can take every tragedy and create triumph. Find the audio to the episode here.

Video – Discussions on the Old Testament: Joseph – Remember the grueling trials and boundless achievements Joseph experienced under the watchful guidance of the Lord. BYUtv (27:29 minutes)

Video – Come Follow Up: Genesis 42-50 – Come Follow Up host Ben Lomu meets with Old Testament scholar Patrick Mason, as well as special guests Dianne Nielsen and Stevan Lars Nielsen, to discuss Jacob’s final blessing, as well as the miracle of healing through forgiveness. Also discussed are the shared responsibilities of husband and wife, and how the priesthood can bless marriages and families. BYUtv (55:15 minutes)

Video – Come Follow Me Insights: Genesis 42-50 – How much would it take to forgive a group of people who tried to kill you? Continue with the story of Joseph in Egypt as Taylor and Tyler continue deeper into the miraculous story of forgiveness and miracles. (1:04:42 minutes)