Joseph Forgives His Brothers Lesson 17 Joseph Forgives

Joseph Forgives His Brothers “Lesson 17: Joseph Forgives His Brothers, ” Primary 6: Old Testament, (1996), 71

I have a quiz on forgiveness for you… • Each of you will get a piece of paper and a pencil. • Write the numbers 1 through 5 down the left side of the paper. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

Answer these questions “yes” or “no” 1. Are you forgiving when you say, “I forgive you, but I will never forget how unkind you have been to me”? 2. Are you forgiving when you are happy that something bad happens to someone you do not like? 3. Are you forgiving when you want to get even with someone who pushed or hit you?

Answer these questions “yes” or “no” 4. Are you forgiving when you stop talking to someone who told lies about you? 5. Are you forgiving when you speak unkindly about the person who does not choose you to be on his or her team? • The correct answer to all the questions is no.

To truly forgive we must: 1. Overcome our angry feelings. 2. Not judge or criticize others. 3. Forget about what was done.

• Can one of you retell how Joseph’s brothers sold him into slavery in Egypt? • This lesson is about how Joseph forgave his brothers for being unkind to him.

Joseph’s Brothers in Egypt • The famine was in other lands, too. People heard about the food in Egypt. • They went to Egypt to buy food. Jacob sent his ten oldest sons to Egypt to buy food.

• Joseph saw his brothers. They did not know him. He did not tell them he was their brother. • When they bowed down to Joseph, his dreams of the grain and the stars came true.

• Why did Jacob send his sons to Egypt to buy corn? • Let’s read Genesis 41: 56– 57; 42: 1– 2 • Which of Jacob’s sons did not go? Why? • Let’s read Genesis 42: 3– 4

• What prophetic dream did Joseph’s brothers fulfill when they bowed down to him? • Let’s read Genesis 37: 7– 8; 42: 6

• Joseph pretended to think that his brothers were spies. He kept Simeon as a hostage so that the others would bring Benjamin to Egypt. • Before the nine brothers left, Joseph had all of the money that they had paid for food hidden inside their sacks of corn.

• Why didn’t Joseph’s brothers recognize him? • Let’s read Genesis 42: 7– 8, 23

• It had been twenty-two years since they had seen Joseph. When they sold him into slavery in Egypt he was seventeen, and now he was a mature man. • They didn’t expect to ever see Joseph again, nor did they expect him to be the second most powerful man in Egypt. • Also, he spoke to them in another language, communicating with them through an interpreter.

• How did Joseph know that his brothers felt guilty about what they had done to him? • Let’s read Genesis 42: 21– 23 • The brothers didn’t know Joseph could understand what they were saying.

• How can we get rid of feelings of guilt? • What did Joseph tell his brothers they needed to do before he would sell grain to them? • Let’s read Genesis 42: 15– 16, 20

• When Israel’s family had eaten all the food that had been brought from Egypt, the nine brothers returned to Egypt with Benjamin. • Joseph invited them to dinner at his house.

• Why didn’t Jacob want Benjamin to go to Egypt? • Let’s read Genesis 42: 36, 38 • Why did Jacob finally agree to let Benjamin go with his brothers? • Let’s read Genesis 43: 1– 4

• How did Joseph feel when he saw his brother Benjamin? • Let’s read Genesis 43: 29– 30 • Why do you think Joseph felt especially close to Benjamin? • Joseph and Benjamin had the same mother.

• What did Joseph do to prevent his brothers from returning to Canaan? • Let’s read Genesis 44: 1– 5, 11– 13 • Why do you think he did that? • What did Judah do that showed he had repented and become a kinder, more caring person? • Let’s read Genesis 43: 8– 9; 44: 31– 34

• It had been Judah’s idea to sell Joseph to the Ishmaelites. • What could you do to be kinder and more caring in your family?

• Joseph told his brothers who he was. They were afraid because they had sold him into slavery. • Joseph said they should not be afraid. God sent him to Egypt to save them from the famine.

• What benefits did Joseph realize had come because of his being sold into Egypt? • Let’s read Genesis 45: 5– 8 • Each time Joseph faced a difficult situation, he had a good attitude, and he turned a bad experience into a positive experience.

• What difficult situations do you face that you could turn into positive experiences?

• Joseph told them to tell his father he was alive. Joseph said all of Jacob’s family should come to Egypt. He would take care of them. • The brothers were happy. They went home. They told Jacob that Joseph was alive. Jacob was very happy.

• Jacob and his sons took their families to Egypt. They were called Israelites. The king of Egypt gave the Israelites land animals. They were happy to be in Egypt. • Before Jacob died, he blessed all of his sons.

• How did Joseph show that he had forgiven his brothers? • Let’s read Genesis 45: 9– 11, 14– 15 • How do you think he felt? • How do you feel when you forgive someone who has been unkind?

I am going to write two categories on the board. . . Forgiving & Unforgiving In this bag. I have some word strips. . . You will take turns taking a word strip out and taping it under the category it belongs Enrichment Activity #1

• How do you feel when someone forgives you? • Why do we all need to learn to forgive others? • Let’s read Matthew 6: 14– 15; D&C 64: 10 • Do you have a any positive experiences you have had with forgiveness to share?

Forgiveness • I need someone who is feeling strong to hold this bag as I put each rock in. • Each rock represents an angry or hurt feeling. • Now I need you to hold the bag for a while. Enrichment Activity #4

Forgiveness • When we keep our angry and hurt feelings, they become burdens to us. • If we can forgive others, our burden will be gone and we will feel better. • People are more important than problems. Enrichment Activity #4

• It is important to forgive others and continue to love and care about them. • Be as forgiving as Joseph was to his brothers. • Share this activity with your families. Discuss with them how keeping angry or hurt feelings is like carrying around a bag of heavy rocks. Enrichment Activity #4

• Let’s use these props to role-play one part of the story of Joseph and his brothers. Enrichment Activity #2

• Let’s read Matthew 6: 14– 15 and discuss its meaning. • If you forgive others, you will feel happier and Heavenly Father will forgive you for your wrongdoings. • Think of someone who has hurt your feelings. • I challenge you to pray for that person and then do something kind for them. Enrichment Activity #3

• In the Olympics the best athletes receive medals for their performances. • Spiritual performance is much more important than athletic performance, and each of us will be blessed by forgiving those who offend us. • I have a medal for each of you for accepting the challenge to return kindness for an unkind deed. The medal is a reminder of what you promised to do. Enrichment Activity #3

Doctrine and Covenants 64: 10 10 I, the Lord, will forgive whom I will forgive, but of you it is required to forgive all men. • When we are full of angry feelings toward others, we cannot have the Holy Ghost to be with us. • Heavenly Father wants us to forgive so we can be free of those angry feelings and enjoy the companionship of the Holy Ghost. • Let’s memorize the scripture. Enrichment Activity #5

Help Me, Dear Father 1. Help me, dear Father, to freely forgive All who may seem unkind to me. Help me each day, Father, I pray; Help me live nearer, nearer to thee. 2. Help me, dear Father, to truly repent, Making things right, and changing my ways. Help me each day, Father, I pray; Help me live nearer, nearer to thee. • Words and music: Frances K. Taylor, 1870– 1952 Added text (verse 2) © 1989 IRI Enrichment Activity #6

• I bear my testimony to you of the importance of forgiving others. • We must be able to forgive in order to be forgiven. • I have felt peace after I was able to forgive.

• Images and clipart are from lds. org, sugardoodle. net and Microsoft Office. Hymn and lesson materialsare from lds. org. The lesson and activities are from the Primary 6 Old Testament manual. The scripture story is from Old Testament Scripture Stories and the June 1990 Friend from lds. org. • No copyrighted materials were knowingly used in this presentation. Please do not use this presentation for commercial use.