Scholarship, context and study plans for Come, Follow Me
“Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD.” — Isaiah 1:18
Come, Follow Me · Old Testament 2026 · Week 3
“In the Beginning God Created the Heaven and the Earth”
January 12–18, 2026Genesis 1–2; Moses 2–3; Abraham 4–56 chapters · 164 verses
Three accounts of the same Creation. Genesis gives the majestic overview, Moses adds that Christ was the Creator and that all things were created spiritually first, and Abraham describes a council of Gods who organize the earth and watch until it obeys. Each ends with man and woman created in God's image and the Sabbath made holy.
Chapter
Also read in
The text shown is the King James Version, the Church's preferred English Bible for classes and meetings. The General Handbook lists the ESV and NRSV as helpful translations for ages 14 and up. They are copyrighted, so they open on their publishers' sites. Highlighted verses have a study note with links to compare that verse.
Study guide
Reading the three Creation accounts side by side shows what each adds. They're less about how the earth was made than about who made it and why.
How to read this week
Read for meaning, not mechanics. The accounts answer who created the earth, why, and what it means for us. They don't try to answer every scientific question.
Compare the three accounts. Genesis: God's majesty. Moses: Christ as Creator, and spiritual creation before physical. Abraham: a council of Gods who organize and watch.
Notice the pattern in Genesis 1. Days 1–3 form realms (light, sky and sea, land); days 4–6 fill them (sun and stars, birds and fish, animals and people). Day 7 is holy.
Read Genesis 2 as a close-up. Chapter 1 is the wide view; chapter 2 zooms in on Adam, Eve and the garden. They complement each other.
Follow the thread to the temple. Creation, a garden in God's presence, a sacred tree, and man and woman joined together are all temple themes.
The days (or periods) of Creation
Day 1 — Light divided from darkness (Gen 1:3–5)
Day 2 — The firmament divides the waters (1:6–8)
Day 3 — Dry land, seas and plants (1:9–13)
Day 4 — Sun, moon and stars (1:14–19)
Day 5 — Sea creatures and birds (1:20–23)
Day 6 — Animals, then man and woman in God's image (1:24–31)
Day 7 — God rests and sanctifies the Sabbath (2:1–3)
Images and ideas to recognize
Passage
Image
What it means
Gen 1:2
The deep and darkness
Chaos before God brings order.
Gen 1:3
Light
God's first act; Christ is the light of the world (John 8:12).
Gen 1:26–27
The image of God
Humans reflect God, body and spirit.
Gen 2:2–3
The seventh day
Holy time set apart from the beginning.
Gen 2:7
Dust and breath
We are earthly and divine at once.
Gen 2:9
Tree of life
Eternal life in God's presence; compare Lehi's dream (1 Nephi 8).
Gen 2:9, 17
Tree of knowledge of good and evil
A real choice that makes agency possible.
Gen 2:21–24
One flesh
Marriage as a partnership established by God.
Restoration connections
Moses 3:5 — Spiritual creation before physical creation.
D&C 77:2; 29:31–34 — All things were created spiritually first.
D&C 59:16–20 — The earth's good things are made for our benefit and joy, to be used with judgment.
The Family: A Proclamation to the World — Marriage between a man and a woman is ordained of God.
Questions for the week
What does it mean to you that Jesus Christ created the earth (Moses 2:1)?
How does being created in God's image change how you see your body and other people?
What does stewardship over the earth look like in your daily life (Genesis 1:28)?
God “watched … until they obeyed” (Abraham 4:18). How has He been patient with you?
How can you make the Sabbath feel more like the holy day God made it (Genesis 2:3)?
Conference talks & Church resources
Talks the Church's lesson points to this week, plus other Church resources that teach from these chapters.
Scholarly papers
Faithful scholarship from BYU and related publishers, tagged with the chapters each one discusses.
Podcasts & video
Come, Follow Me shows and episodes covering this week's reading.