Reading Assignment - Lesson 8: Living Righteously in a Wicked World

Genesis 13–14; 18–19

Study the following scriptures:

• a. Genesis 13. After living in Egypt for a time, Abraham and his family return to Canaan. Abraham settles in Hebron, and his nephew Lot settles near Sodom.
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• b. Genesis 14:1–2, 8–24. Lot is taken captive and is rescued by Abraham (14:1–2, 8–16). Abraham pays tithes to Melchizedek and refuses to accept the spoils of war from the king of Sodom (14:17–24).
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• c. Genesis 18:16–33; 19:1–29. The Lord says that he will destroy Sodom and Gomorrah because of the people’s wickedness (18:16–22). Abraham pleads with the Lord to spare the cities if he can find righteous people living there (18:23–33). Lot and his family are commanded to leave Sodom (19:1–23). The Lord destroys Sodom and Gomorrah (19:24–29).
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• • At first Lot “lived in the cities of the plain,” outside Sodom, but he “pitched his tent toward Sodom” (Genesis 13:12). Later he lived in the city of Sodom itself (Genesis 14:12). What things might we do that are the spiritual equivalent of pitching our tents toward Sodom?
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• • What did Abraham ask when he learned that the Lord was going to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah? (See Genesis 18:23–32.) What do we learn from the fact that the Lord would spare the cities if righteous people could be found in them.

Additional reading: Genesis 12; Joseph Smith Translation, Genesis 14:25–40; 19:9–15.