January 5-11: Moses 1

“This is My Work and My Glory”

Mark Hedengren (American, born 1980)
"God's plan of happiness" written outside a subway stop (2010)
Photograph, dimensions variable
In The Mormons (2010) (Red Finch, publisher)
Used with permission of the artist

In our day, the idea of personal identity is a constant part of how we communicate with others. We describe ourselves in many ways. These include our everyday interests as well as the deepest parts of who we are. As members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, we believe we are spiritually related to our Heavenly Father in a literal way. We sing, “I am a child of God,” and we mean it. This belief shapes how we see ourselves and how we understand the world around us.

But how do people in the world understand their identity in relation to eternity? President Russell M. Nelson taught an important truth about this question in a worldwide devotional for young adults. He said, “If the Lord were speaking to you directly, the first thing He would make sure you understand is your true identity” (“Choices for Eternity,” May 2022).

In 2010, photographer Mark Hedengren published a remarkable book titled The Mormons. The book does not focus on Church programs or organization. Instead, it documents Church members around the world. Scholar Terryl Givens described the book this way: “This is an engaging, lyrical sampling of Mormon life. Hedengren brings an artist’s sensibility to his portrait of an increasingly international church.”

One photograph in the book is especially meaningful. It reflects both our doctrine and our sense of eternal identity. The scene takes place in a public park in New York City. Near a subway entrance, missionaries have used large pieces of brightly colored chalk, like the kind children use on playgrounds. On the concrete, they have drawn a bold image showing the pre-earth life, mortal life, the spirit world, and what comes after. They titled this map of eternity, drawn where thousands of people would walk by and see it, “God’s Plan of Happiness.”

Gospel Questions
1. The dark presence of Satan appears in our reading over the next few weeks. What do you do to resist the influence of temptation? Do you have strategy that helps you?

2. Where were you born? The answer to that question affects many things about your life. Now, consider your premortal life: how does the understanding of those origins color your identity?

3. "I am a child of God." What an extraordinary, simple truth! By extension, your neighbor, your co-worker, your friend, and even your enemy is a child of God, too. Does that alter the way you commit to treat them?

For Children and Youth
Hi. Primary songs teach eternal principles. You know Janeen Jacobs Brady's song, "I Lived in Heaven." It starts like this:

I lived in heaven a long time ago, it is true;
Lived there and loved there with people I know. So did you.
Then Heav’nly Father presented a beautiful plan,
All about earth and eternal salvation for man.

1. Even though you can't remember heaven, what do you think it is like?