Lesson Highlights

• Joseph is sold into slavery by his brothers.
• Joseph refuses to “sin against God.”
• Shechem, Reuben, and Judah commit serious moral sins.

A study of this lesson will help us (1) learn how to make all experiences and circumstances work together for our good and (2) strengthen our commitment to obey the Lord’s standard of sexual morality.

Scripture references for study:  Genesis 34; 37–39
    Note: Underlined scripture references have been hyperlinked to the LDS Scriptures at LDS.org and will open in a new window.

Resource notes: Click on links for expanded information.

Lesson 11 Handout (PDF format)

Introduction

1. WHAT MOVIES, TELEVISION SHOWS, BOOKS, OR MAGAZINES ARE CURRENTLY POPULAR?
• WHAT STANDARDS OF SEXUAL MORALITY ARE PRESENTED BY THESE POPULAR MEDIA ITEMS?
• HOW DO THESE STANDARDS DIFFER FROM THE LORD'S STANDARD AS TAUGHT IN THE SCRIPTURES AND BY CHURCH LEADERS?
2. The moral behavior of society often differs from the moral standards that the Lord has established. While the standards of society can change, the Lord's standards are constant.
• First Presidency Message (President Heber J. Grant, J. Reuben Clark, Jr., David O McKay):  "By virtue of the authority in us vested as the First Presidency of the Church, we warn our people who are offending, of the degradation, the wickedness, the punishment that attend upon unchastity; we urge you to remember the blessings which flow from the living of the clean life; we call upon you to keep, day in and day out, the way of strictest chastity, through which only can God's choice gifts come to you and His spirit abide with you.

    "How glorious is he who lives the chaste life. He walks unfearful in the full glare of the noonday sun, for he is without moral infirmity. He can be reached by no shafts of base calumny, for his armor is without flaw. His virtue cannot be challenged by any just accuser, for he lives above reproach. His cheek is never blotched with shame, for he is without hidden sin. He is honored and respected by all mankind, for he is beyond their censure. He is loved by the Lord, for he stands without blemish. The exaltations of eternities await his coming." (CR, Oct 1942)

Joseph - Sold Into Slavery

1. As you recall from Lesson 10, Jacob went to Padan-Aram in search of a suitable wife. There he married Leah and Rachel, daughters of his mother's brother Laban. He also married their handmaids, Zilpah and Bilhah. These wives bore Jacob twelve sons who became the beginnings of the twelve tribes of Israel. Jacob's name was changed: "Thy name shall be called no more Jacob, but Israel" (Genesis 32:28).
2. Joseph, Eleventh Son of Jacob.
• According to President Joseph Fielding Smith:  "At the present time most of those who are receiving the Gospel are of the tribe of Ephraim [son of Joseph]." (Answers To Gospel Questions, 5:70)
• HOW MANY KNOW THAT THEY ARE OF THE TRIBE OF EPHRAIM?
• President Spencer W. Kimball:  "Whether we recognize it or not, we are connected with our past and we can fashion a better future if we draw upon the inspiration of the past and the lessons of history." (quoted in Studies In Scripture, 3:63)
• Few examples from the past can surpass that of Joseph.
• Joseph was born in Haran, the first child of Jacob's beloved wife Rachel (Genesis 32:22-24).
• Joseph was the youngest of Jacob's eleven boys.
• The 12th son, Benjamin, was born as the family was returning to Canaan (Genesis 35:16-18).
• Rachel also died at this time (Genesis 35:19).
• Joseph spent the remaining years of his youth at Hebron (about 20 miles south of Jerusalem).
• He primarily watched the flocks of sheep and goats.
• Reuben was the firstborn through Leah. He was the automatic heir of the birthright and birthright blessing.
• HOW DID JOSEPH, THE ELEVENTH SON, BECOME THE RECIPIENT OF THE BIRTHRIGHT?
• Reuben lost the birthright as a result of transgression with one of his father's concubines (Genesis 35:22).
• The birthright then fell to the first son of the next wife.
• Joseph was the first son of Rachel, Jacob's second wife.
• The sons of the concubines did not follow next in order because they were handmaids to Leah and Rachel.
• The coat of many colors was a symbol of Jacob's favoritism towards Joseph.
• "Now Israel loved Joseph more than all his children, because he was the son of his old age: and he made him a coat of many colours" (Genesis 37:3).
• Perhaps the coat of many colors was the badge of birthright.
  • Resource Note 1.
• As we know, it compounded the antagonism of Joseph's brothers until they "hated him, and could not speak peaceably unto him" (Genesis 37:4).
• HOW DO WE, OR OUR CHILDREN, REACT WHEN MEMBERS OF OUR FAMILIES OFFEND YOU OR RECEIVE BETTER TREATMENT?
• HOW CAN WE OVERCOME FEELINGS OF JEALOUSY OR ANGER TOWARDS FAMILY MEMBERS OR FRIENDS?
3. Joseph's Dreams.
• Dreams played a central role in the life of Joseph. These dreams were visions of meaning and eternal implications.
• READ GENESIS 37:5-9. Joseph's two dreams.
• These dreams revealed the special relationship Joseph would have with his family and also foreshadowed the eventual mission of his posterity in the eternal salvation of the House of Israel.
• HOW DID JOSEPH'S BROTHERS FEEL ABOUT THESE DREAMS? DID THEY HAVE ANY IDEA THAT THESE DREAMS MIGHT BE FROM THE LORD?
• "And his brethren said to him, Shalt thou indeed reign over us? or shalt thou indeed have dominion over us? And they hated him yet the more for his dreams, and for his words." (Genesis 37:8)
• WHY WERE HIS BRETHREN UNABLE TO ACCEPT HIS DREAMS?
• We know that his brethren had been living wickedly. Joseph had been out tending the flocks with his brethren and returned to his father "their evil report" (Genesis 37:2).
• "...light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved." (John 3:19-20)
• Remember the situation with Nephi and his older brothers. After Nephi had shared the meaning of Lehi's dream they said:  "Thou has declared unto us hard things, more than we are able to bear" (1 Nephi 16:1). Nephi went on to say: "...the guilty taketh the truth to be hard, for it cutteth them to the very center" (v2).
4. Joseph & His Brothers.
• Joseph's brothers went to Shechem to feed the flocks (Genesis 37:12).
• Later, Jacob sent Joseph about forty-five miles to check on his brothers and asked him to return with a report (37:13-14). Arriving in Shechem Joseph learned that his brothers had gone on to Dothan, another twelve miles (37:15-17).
• One wonders if Jacob knew of the intense animosity his other sons held for Joseph. He certainly would not have sent Joseph if he had any idea what they might do.
• WHAT DID JOSEPH'S BROTHERS DO WHEN JOSEPH CAME TO THE FIELDS WHERE THEY WERE FEEDING THE SHEEP?
• "And they said one to another, Behold, this dreamer cometh" (37:19). One can imagine his brothers laughing and joking about this younger brother and his aspirations.
• They were also angry with Joseph because he reported to their father about their evil doings and Joseph had been the one honored by their father with the coat of many colors.
• "And when they saw him afar off, even before he came near unto them, they conspired against him to slay him" (37:18).
• "...let us slay him, and cast him into some pit, and we will say, Some evil beast hath devoured him: and we shall see what will become of his dreams" (37:20).
• Reuben, being the eldest, must have felt more responsibility for his brother. He argued that Joseph must not be killed, but returned to his father.
• WHAT DID THE BROTHERS DO?
• He was stripped of his coat of many colors and thrown into a dry cistern (37:23-24).
• Led by Judah, he and his brothers sold Joseph to a caravan of Ishmeelites headed for Egypt. He was sold for twenty pieces of silver (37:27-28).
• They then tore Joseph's coat into many pieces, covered it with goat's blood, and returned it to Jacob as evidence that a wild beast had "devoured" Joseph (37:31-33).

Joseph Refuses To "Sin Against God"

1. Joseph Sold In Egypt.
• "And the Midianites sold him into Egypt unto Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh's, and captain of the guard" (Genesis 37:36).
  
  
   
• HOW WAS JOSEPH BLESSED AFTER BEING SOLD IN EGYPT?
• Joseph became a servant in the household of Potiphar, "a prosperous man".
• "And his master saw that the Lord was with him, and that the Lord made all that he did to prosper in his hand. And Joseph found grace in his sight, and he served him: and he made him overseer over his house, and all that he had he put into his hand" (Genesis 39:3-4).
• WHY WAS JOSEPH SO BLESSED BY THE LORD?
• "And Joseph was a goodly person" (39:20).
• Joseph was a righteous man and abided by the principles of right living.
• READ GENESIS 39:7-13. Joseph and Potiphar's wife.
• WHAT EXCUSES MIGHT JOSEPH HAVE USED IF HE HAD WANTED TO GIVE IN TO THE ADVANCES OF POTIPHAR'S WIFE?
• WHAT EXCUSES DO PEOPLE OFFER TODAY TO TRY TO JUSTIFY MORAL TRANSGRESSION?
• They say that they are in love. Consider the love story in the movie Titanic.
• They might say that they were overcome by feelings and could not control themselves.
• Everybody is doing it.
• WHY ARE THESE EXCUSES NOT VALID JUSTIFICATIONS?
• As someone once said, "The ten commandments are not the ten suggestions."
• There is no justification or excuse for sin. Sin is still sin.
• WHAT CAN WE LEARN FROM JOSEPH ABOUT RESISTING EVIL?
• Potiphar's wife persisted in asking Joseph to lie with her. He refused her each time. Potiphar trusted Joseph and he did not wish to break that trust or sin against the Lord.
• We must always say no and never even consider the thought.
• Finally, when he was caught in a most difficult situation, when no one would have known, he "left his garment in her hand, and fled, and got him out" (39:12).
• When caught in a difficult situation, just leave and go to a place of safety. Do not hesitate.
• Brother Todd Parker:  "Joseph of Egypt was lured into a tempting situation by Potiphar's wife. She tempted him 'day by day,' but 'he hearkened not unto her, to lie by her, or to be with her.' Joseph knew if he didn't 'pluck himself out' by not even being around her, he might begin to entertain the temptation. When Potiphar's wife attempted to seduce Joseph by clutching him, he 'fled, and got him out. Joseph didn't run because of cowardice, but because he understood the principle: 'Can a man take fire in his bosom, and his clothes not be burned?' (Proverbs 6:27.) One who remains near a tempting situation is probably going to be affected. The only proper course of action is to remove oneself from the situation. Preferably, one would never get into it in the first place.

    "King David provides us with a negative example of this principle. Finding it too hot to sleep one evening, he went for a walk. He noticed his neighbor's wife, Bathsheba, bathing. David did not immediately 'pluck out his eye.' He tarried and let Satan, using curiosity and allurement, trap him. David then invited Bathsheba to see him. This only increased the temptation, and adultery was the result. David then arranged for the murder of Bathsheba's husband. David, a king, a prophet, who killed Goliath with a sling and wrote the beautiful twenty-third psalm, had 'fallen from his exaltation.' Why? Ultimately because 'at the time when kings go forth to battle . . . David tarried still at Jerusalem.' What was David's mistake? He was in the wrong place at the wrong time. Many people, young and old alike, have committed sexual transgressions because of similar circumstances; they were in the wrong place at the wrong time." (Counseling: A Guide To Helping Others, 1:223-224)
• WHAT NEXT HAPPENED TO JOSEPH?
• Potiphar's wife reported that Joseph had attempted to seduce her. As a result Potiphar "took him, and put him into the prison, a place where the king's prisoners were bound: and he was there in the prison" (39:14-20).
• "Because Potphar had great power with the pharaoh and perhaps was even head of the royal executioners, it is remarkable that Joseph was only put into prison and not executed. A slave accused of attempting to rape his master's wife would seem to have deserved the most severe punishment, and yet Joseph was only imprisoned. Could it be that Potiphar, knowing of Joseph's character and his wife's character, suspected the truth and, although he had to take action, chose comparatively lenient punishment? Whatever the case, the hand of the Lord certainly preserved Joseph from what would otherwise have been almost certain death." (Old Testament Student Manual, p95)
• READ GENESIS 39:21-23. Joseph in prison.
• WHAT DOES THIS REVEAL ABOUT JOSEPH?
• Martin Luther King:  "The ultimate measure of man is not where he stands in moments of comfort, but where he stands at times of challenge." (quoted in On Earth As It Is In Heaven, p160)
• WHAT CAN WE LEARN FROM JOSEPH ABOUT TURNING BAD EXPERIENCES AND CIRCUMSTANCES INTO GOOD ONES?
• Hartman Rector Jr:  "[The] ability to turn everything into something good appears to be a godly characteristic. Our Heavenly Father always seems able to do this. Everything, no matter how dire, becomes a victory to the Lord. Joseph, although a slave and wholly undeserving of this fate, nevertheless remained faithful to the Lord and continued to live the commandments and made something very good of his degrading circumstances. People like this cannot be defeated." (Ensign, Jan 1973, p130)
• Robert H. Schuller wrote:
• "A Jew, one of many hiding from Hitler, once knew such a dark time. We know neither his name nor his face, but we know about his faith. For scrawled on the basement walls of a German house are these courageous words:

- I believe in the sun even when it is not shining.
- I believe in love even when I do not feel it.
- I believe in God, even when He is silent."
(Move Ahead With Possibility Thinking, pp174-175)
• "For three years Reverend Martin Neimoller survived the horrors of Dachau--the smells of burning human flesh and the sights of walking dead men. For three years this German pastor who dared to defy Adolf Hitler was kept in solitary confinement in the world's worst concentration camp.

    "'How could you stand it without losing your sanity?' an interviewer asked Pastor Neimoller years later over a Chicago radio station. 'A man doesn't realize how much he can stand until he is put to the test,' Neimoller answered confidently, continuing, 'you can stand far more than you think you can. You are much stronger than you think you are...if God is dwelling in your life'." (Move Ahead With Possibility Thinking, p180)
• "What happens to good people when bad things happen to them? They become better people." (The Be Happy Attitudes, p51)
• One of my favorite quotes:  "Out of every adversity grows an equal or greater opportunity."
2. Joseph - A Man of Integrity
• WHAT IS INTEGRITY?
• President James E. Faust:  "I should like to emphasize three important elements of integrity--dealing justly with oneself, dealing justly with others, and recognizing the law of the harvest." (CR, Apr 1982)
• WHAT IS THE LAW OF THE HARVEST?
• What one sows is what one will reap. That which is sown does not necessarily bear fruit quickly. The tomato seed sown early in the spring will not bear fruit until mid to late summer.
• HOW DID JOSEPH DEMONSTRATE INTEGRITY?
• Dealt justly with himself.
• While in the house of the heathen he was true to the principles which he believed in - as a consequence he was blessed by the Lord.
• Rather than complain to the Lord about the situation he was in, he worked hard at making the best of it.
• Dealt justly with others.
• While in the employ of Potiphar he endeavored to do the best at his job. Because of his integrity he was made overseer of Potiphar's home.
• When seduced by Potiphar's wife, he remained true to Potiphar and himself by not giving in to her desires.
• Understood the law of the harvest.
• No matter what situation Joseph was in, he practiced the Law of the Harvest by always planting righteous seeds - even though the immediate consequences looked dismal. As one studies the story of Joseph, this integrity is evident throughout the experiences of his life.

Shechem, Reuben, & Judah Commit Serious Moral Sins

1. Not all of Joseph's family members and acquaintances were as valiant as Joseph when facing temptation.
• HOW DID SHECHEM, REUBEN, AND JUDAH REACT TO SEXUAL TEMPTATION?
2. Shechem's temptation (Genesis 34):
• Shechem, the son of Hamor the Hivite, was tempted when he saw Dinah, the daughter of Leah, "and lay with her, and defiled her" (v2).
• Only after he had done this did he wish to properly marry her.
• Eventually, some of Dinah's brothers took revenge and killed Shechem.
3. Reuben's temptation:
• "And it came to pass, when Israel dwelt in that land, that Reuben went and lay with Bilhah his father's concubine" (Genesis 35:22).
4. Judah's temptation (Genesis 38):
• Judah forgot the importance of marrying in the covenant and married a Canaanite women,  "And it came to pass at that time, that Judah went down from his brethren, and turned in to a certain Adullamite, whose name was Hirah. And Judah saw there a daughter of a certain Canaanite, whose name was Shuah; and he took her, and went in unto her" (38:1-2).
• This disregard for marrying outside of the covenant led to other sins which included the seduction of his daughter-in-law.
5. When Jacob blessed each of his sons at the end of his life, he referred to Reuben's moral transgression and described Reuben as "unstable as water" (Genesis 49:3-4).
• HOW IS THIS A VALID COMPARISON?
• Consider water:  It runs all over unless it is contained. If it gets too hot, it boils and turns to steam. If it gets cold, it freezes solid. Joseph was more like a rock. A rock is not affected by hot and cold. It stays put. You can depend on a rock. Reuben, being more like water, was undependable. He even defiled one of his father's concubines. Reuben needed to be contained and frozen. (I wouldn't carry this analogy too far)
• Because of this instability, Jacob told Reuben, "thou shalt not excel" (Genesis 49:4).
• WHAT DID REUBEN LOSE BECAUSE OF HIS IMMORALITY?
• Reuben lost the birthright which then fell to Joseph. Consider the blessings that have fallen to Joseph's descendants through the centuries - the domino effect.
6. WHAT ARE THE SPIRITUAL AND TEMPORAL CONSEQUENCES OF SEXUAL SIN TODAY?
• Unrepented sin can keep us from receiving our eternal birthright.
• Like Reuben, we may affect generations of children yet to be born.
• What can it do to our own lives? It can lead to deceit, the destruction of marriages and families, and lead to other sins.
• It may even cost us our life.
• President Spencer W. Kimball:  "May I talk to you just a moment or two about that which is most dear and precious above all things. Can you think what it would be? Would it be bonds, stocks, or diamonds? Would it be herds or flocks? Would it be automobiles and houses? Would it be medals in athletics? This is the greatest blessing, the most dear and precious above all things—above all things. It cannot be purchased with money, but may be enjoyed by all, even those of humble circumstances as well as the affluent, as much by the high school student as by those who have doctors degrees. Even mortal life when placed upon the balance scales weighs less. That of which I speak is chastity and virtue. The lack of it has caused rivers of tears to flow, broken numerous homes, and deprived large numbers of innocent children." (quoted in We Believe)
• Elder Boyd K. Packer:  "The power of creation—or may we say procreation—is not just an incidental part of the plan: it is essential to it. Without it the plan could not proceed. The misuse of it may disrupt the plan." (CR, Apr 1972)
7. Elder Melvin J. Ballard:  "Certainly our teachers were right when they held up an ideal that virtue was as sacred as life itself, and that we had better lose our lives than lose our virtue . . . . Next to the crime of murder itself is the crime of sexual impurity." (CR, Apr 1929)
    

Gospel Doctrine Notebook

1. Joseph, like his great-grandfather Abraham, is a great example and ideal man. He was absolutely true to the principles of righteousness. When sold by his brothers as a slave, he remained faithful and became the chief overseer of his master's possessions. Joseph refused to give into Potipher's wife. Was he tempted? I think not. He ran from the house when she attempted to seduce him. Joseph saw the big picture. He was not about to give up his destiny for the sake of a few moments of temporary pleasure.
   • We need to be like Joseph. We need to be true to the principles we have been taught. We must look at the big picture and remember that adversity is temporary and makes us better people. We need to be constantly vigilant in not allowing our standards to be lowered by the media, associates, or other negative influences. We need to teach our children to be like Joseph and not his brethren.
2. Record your thoughts on the integrity of Joseph and his steadfastness in remaining true to himself, those who depended on him, and his Heavenly Father. Compare his faithfulness to the weakness of his brothers. What does this mean in your life?

Resources Used In This Lesson

• Answers To Gospel Question, Volume 5, by Joseph Fielding Smith.
• Conference Reports (CR).
• Counseling: A Guide To Helping Others edited by R. Lanier Britsch and Terrance D. Olson.
• Ensign.
• Move Ahead With Possibility Thinking by Robert H. Schuller.
• Old Testament Student Manual - Religion 301.
• On Earth As It Is In Heaven by Jeffrey R. & Patricia T. Holland.
• Studies In Scripture, Volume 3, edited by Kent P. Jackson & Robert L. Millet.
• The Be Happy Attitudes by Robert H. Schuller.
• We Believe by Rulon T. Burton.

Next Lesson

Lesson 12:  Genesis 40–45