Let Us Reason Together
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“Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD.” — Isaiah 1:18
Come, Follow Me · Old Testament 2026 · Week 13

“I Have Remembered My Covenant”

March 23–29, 2026Exodus 1–66 chapters · 153 verses

Generations after Joseph, a new Pharaoh enslaves Israel and orders their baby boys killed. Brave women defy him, and one baby is drawn from the Nile and raised in Pharaoh's house. Years later, a fugitive shepherd named Moses sees a bush that burns without being consumed and hears God's voice: “I have surely seen the affliction of my people … and I am come down to deliver them.”

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    Study guide

    Exodus is the Old Testament's great story of deliverance. These first chapters set up the conflict between Pharaoh and the Lord, and introduce Moses as a type of Christ.

    How to read this week

    • Notice the women. The midwives, Moses's mother, his sister and Pharaoh's daughter all defy Pharaoh's plan (chs. 1–2). Deliverance begins with them.
    • Read Exodus as a story about who God is. Pharaoh asks, “Who is the Lord?” (5:2). The rest of the book answers: the God who sees, hears, remembers and delivers.
    • Look for Christ in Moses. A baby spared from a king's slaughter, a prophet who delivers, a mediator between God and Israel. Compare Matthew 2:13–16 and Deuteronomy 18:15.
    • Use the Joseph Smith Translation. Footnotes for 4:21 and 6:3 clarify Pharaoh's agency and God's name.
    • Don't be surprised by setbacks. Things get worse before they get better (ch. 5). The Lord's timing is part of the lesson.

    Moses's early life

    1. Bondage — A new Pharaoh enslaves Israel (1:8–14)
    2. Birth — Moses hidden and adopted by Pharaoh's daughter (2:1–10)
    3. Age 40 — Moses kills an Egyptian and flees to Midian (2:11–15; Acts 7:23)
    4. Midian — Marries Zipporah; keeps Jethro's flocks (2:16–3:1)
    5. Age 80 — The burning bush and Moses's call (ch. 3; Acts 7:30)
    6. Return — Moses and Aaron confront Pharaoh (chs. 4–5)

    Images and ideas to recognize

    PassageImageWhat it means
    Exod 2:3Ark of bulrushesPreservation by God, like Noah's ark.
    Exod 3:2Bush burning, not consumedGod's presence; His glory that sanctifies rather than destroys.
    Exod 3:5Removing shoesReverence on holy ground.
    Exod 3:14I AMThe eternal, self-existent God; Jehovah.
    Exod 4:2–4Rod become a serpentGod's power over Egypt's symbols of power.
    Exod 6:6Stretched out armGod's power to redeem.

    Restoration connections

    • Moses 1 — Moses's vision on a high mountain, after the burning bush and before the Exodus (Moses 1:17, 25–26).
    • D&C 84:6 — Moses received the priesthood under the hand of Jethro.
    • 1 Nephi 17:23–31 — Nephi uses the Exodus to encourage his brothers.
    • D&C 8:2–3 — The spirit of revelation by which Moses led Israel through the Red Sea.

    Questions for the week

    • The midwives risked their lives to obey God. When has obeying God required courage of you (1:17)?
    • What helps you “turn aside” to notice God's hand in your life (3:3)?
    • Moses felt inadequate. How has the Lord helped you do something you felt unqualified for (3:11–12; 4:10–12)?
    • What does God's promise in 3:7 — “I know their sorrows” — mean to you?
    • When obedience has seemed to make things worse at first, what helped you keep going (5:20–6:9)?

    Conference talks & Church resources

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    Scholarly papers

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