Come, Follow Me
Old Testament Lesson 12:
March 14–20
“God Meant It unto Good”
Genesis 42–50
Reading the scriptures invites the Spirit. Listen for His promptings as you read, even if they don’t seem directly related to what you’re reading.
Genesis 42: Jacob sends his sons to buy grain in Egypt—They bow before Joseph—He makes harsh accusations against them, imprisons Simeon, and sends them back for Benjamin.
Genesis 43: Jacob is persuaded to send Benjamin to Egypt—Joseph’s brothers show respect to him—They all eat and drink together.
Genesis 44: Joseph arranges to stop the return of his brothers to Canaan—Judah offers himself in place of Benjamin for their father’s sake.
Genesis 45: Joseph makes himself known to his brothers—They rejoice together—Pharaoh invites Jacob and his family to dwell in Egypt and eat the fat of the land.
Genesis 46: The Lord sends Jacob and his family of seventy souls to Egypt—The descendants of Jacob are named—Joseph meets Jacob.
Genesis 47: The Israelites settle in Goshen—Jacob blesses Pharaoh—Joseph sells grain to the Egyptians—Pharaoh receives the Egyptians’ cattle and lands—Jacob desires to be buried with his fathers in Canaan.
Genesis 48: Jacob tells of the appearance of God to him in Luz—He adopts Ephraim and Manasseh as his own children—Jacob blesses Joseph—He puts Ephraim before Manasseh—The seed of Ephraim will become a multitude of nations—The children of Israel will come again into the land of their fathers.
Genesis 49: Jacob blesses his sons and their seed—Reuben, Simeon, and Levi are chastened—Judah will rule until Shiloh (Christ) comes—Joseph is a fruitful bough by a well—His branches (the Nephites and Lamanites) will run over the wall—The Shepherd and Stone of Israel (Christ) will bless Joseph temporally and spiritually—Jacob chooses to be buried with his fathers in Canaan—He yields up the ghost and is gathered to his people.
Genesis 50: Jacob’s body is embalmed—Joseph buries him in Canaan—Joseph comforts his brothers—The children of Israel multiply—Joseph promises that God will bring Israel out of Egypt into Canaan—Joseph dies in Egypt and is embalmed.
Resources on ChurchofJesusChrist.org
- Come, Follow Me—For Individuals and Families (lesson materials at ChurchofJesusChrist.org)
- Come, Follow Me—For Sunday School (lesson materials at ChurchofJesusChrist.org)
- Come, Follow Me—For Primary (lesson materials at ChurchofJesusChrist.org)
- “How Firm a Foundation,” Hymns, no. 85.
- Similarities between Joseph of Egypt and Jesus Christ, Liahona – Come, Follow Me: Old Testament
Additional Material on ChurchofJesusChrist.org
- Chapter 14: Joseph’s Brothers in Egypt
- Old Testament Seminary Student Material: Lesson 41: Genesis 44–46
- Old Testament Seminary Student Material: Lesson 42: Genesis 47–49
- Old Testament Seminary Student Material: Lesson 44: Genesis 50
- Old Testament Study Guide for Home-Study Seminary Students: Unit 8: Day 2, Genesis 42–46
- Old Testament Study Guide for Home-Study Seminary Students: Unit 8: Day 3, Genesis 47–49
- Old Testament Study Guide for Home-Study Seminary Students: Unit 8: Day 4, Genesis 50
- Old Testament Institute Student Manual Genesis-2 Samuel: Genesis 37–50: Joseph: The Power of Preparation
Resources on Interpreter Foundation
- Come, Follow Me Study and Teaching Helps — Lesson 12: Genesis 42–50, Jonn Claybaugh
- Audio Roundtable: Come, Follow Me Old Testament Lesson 12 (Genesis 42–50)
Additional Posts & Roundtables on the Interpreter Foundation Website
- KnoWhy OTL12B — What Can We Learn About Patriarchal Blessings from a Congolese Patriarch?, Jeffrey M. Bradshaw, April 5, 2018
- KnoWhy OTL12A — How Should We Understand the Rich Symbolism in Jacob’s Blessings of Judah and Joseph?, Jeffrey M. Bradshaw, March 19, 2018
- KnoWhy OTL11A — Why Are the Stories of Joseph and Judah Intertwined?, Jeffrey M. Bradshaw, March 12, 2018
Articles in Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship
- Joseph Knew First: Moses, the Egyptian Son, Nathan J. Arp, May 10, 2019
- “Thou Art the Fruit of My Loins”: The Interrelated Symbolism and Meanings of the Names Joseph and Ephraim in Ancient Scripture, Matthew L. Bowen and Loren Blake Spendlove, April 13, 2018
- Jacob’s Protector, Matthew L. Bowen, November 15, 2017
- The Brass Plates Version of Genesis, Noel B. Reynolds, October 15, 2019
- Sorting Out the Sources in Scripture, Jeffrey M. Bradshaw, April 4, 2014
- The Case for the Documentary Hypothesis, Historical Criticism, and the Latter-day Saints, Colby J. Townsend, April 4, 2014
Resources on Other Sites
- Come, Follow Me Week 12 – Genesis 42–50, FAIR
- Book & Chapter Guide: Genesis 42, Bible Central
- Book & Chapter Guide: Genesis 43, Bible Central
- Book & Chapter Guide: Genesis 44, Bible Central
- Book & Chapter Guide: Genesis 45, Bible Central
- Book & Chapter Guide: Genesis 46, Bible Central
- Book & Chapter Guide: Genesis 47, Bible Central
- Book & Chapter Guide: Genesis 48, Bible Central
- Book & Chapter Guide: Genesis 49, Bible Central
- Book & Chapter Guide: Genesis 50, Bible Central
- Mar 14–Mar 20 (Genesis 42–50) Come Follow Me Insights with Taylor and Tyler, Book of Mormon Central
- How Joseph of Egypt Symbolizes Christ (Week 12, Part 1/7) Genesis 42–50 | Mar 14 – Mar 20, Book of Mormon Central
- Joseph’s Two Tests of Repentance (Week 12, Part 2/7) Genesis 42–50 | Mar 14 – Mar 20, Book of Mormon Central
- Joseph Shows Mercy to His Brothers (Week 12, Part 3/7) Genesis 42–50 | Mar 14 – Mar 20, Book of Mormon Central
- Joseph Invites Jacob to Egypt (Week 12, Part 4/7) Genesis 42–50 | Mar 14 – Mar 20, Book of Mormon Central
- What Archaeology Suggests About Joseph in Egypt (Week 12, Part 5/7) Genesis 42–50 | Mar 14 – Mar 20, Book of Mormon Central
- Explaining Israel’s Blessings to His Sons (Week 12, Part 6/7) Genesis 42–50 | Mar 14 – Mar 20, Book of Mormon Central
- How Joseph’s Trials Can Help Us (Week 12, Part 7/7) Genesis 42–50 | Mar 14 – Mar 20, Book of Mormon Central
- Come Follow Me – Genesis 42-50: “Joseph & His Brothers”, Unshaken
- We See How the Lord Works in Joseph of Egypt’s Life–Come Follow Me–Old Testament Podcast #12, Genesis 42-50, Meridian Magazine
- God Meant It Unto Good—Come, Follow Me for Sunday School, Genesis 42-50, Meridian Magazine
- March 14–20, 2022 Come, Follow Me Songs, Music for Latter-day Life
- Genesis 42-50 – “God Meant It unto Good”, BYU Studies
Additional Material on Book of Mormon Central
- How Lehi Likened the Scriptures to Himself, Book of Mormon Central KnoWhy #418, March 22, 2018
BYU Religious Education Old Testament Roundtables
BYU Studies Recommended Reading
- Joseph as a Type of Christ in Syriac Literature, Kristian S. Heal, BYU Studies, Vol. 41, no. 1
- Origin of the Welfare Plan of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, by Leonard J. Arrington, Wayne K. Hinton, BYU Studies, Vol. 5, no. 2
- Why Bad Things Happen at All: A Search for Clarity among the Problems of Evil, John S. Welch, BYU Studies, Vol. 42, no. 2