2026 – Old Testament
Show Notes & Transcripts
Latest Episodes
After countless miracles leading to the people of Israel leaving bondage, the Lord continued to bless his people in the wilderness. They received food and water, and deliverance from their enemies. As we study Exodus 14–18 look for how God supports us, as we sustain our faith.
Exodus chapters 7–13 contain the ten plagues of Egypt. Although we won’t likely see frogs, lice, and flies infesting our livelihoods day after day, there is a lot of sorrow and disaster in the world. And it seems to affect both God’s people as well as those who aren’t following Him. But our faith grows as we learn to look for small miracles instead of focusing on the plagues.
Three Years ago Elder Gary E. Stevenson gave all of us a challenge to consider and even change the way we celebrate Easter. How are you doing or what are you doing to make Easter special? This week’s episode will give an Old Testament framing to the greatest true story ever told. And hopefully it will give some creative new ways to celebrate the Easter season.
Life is full of "stinging nettle,” or, those moments of sudden burns and heavy burdens. In Exodus 1–6, the children of Israel are knee-deep in that pain, facing a Pharaoh who has forgotten their history and a bondage that feels never ending. But the desert has a secret: wherever there is a sting, God has already planted the "lamb’s ear," a soothing balm designed to heal the burn. From a tiny basket hidden in the reeds to the radical "I Will" promises of a God who refuses to stay distant, these chapters prove that the Deliverer is always moving before the rescue even seems possible. It is a raw look at how God uses "slow-tongued" people to do His work and a reminder that when life stings, the antidote is already growing nearby.
The life of Joseph is a "shadow" of Jesus Christ. This week, we dig into Genesis 42–50 to uncover the depth, dimension, and "but God" moments that define the House of Israel. We learn about ancient patterns of reconciliation that are preparing us for the Savior’s return today and showing how God is prevailing in your own story.
In a world of curated Instagram feeds and perfect façades, the House of Jacob stands as a startling, ancient "dumpster fire" of family dysfunction. This week, host Tammy Uzelac Hall and guest Lori Denning dive into the messy reality of Genesis 37–41, where favoritism, betrayal, and a literal pit become the unlikely workshop for a prophet’s character. Amidst the chaos, they uncover the transformative power of hesed—a steadfast covenantal love that proves God doesn’t just wait for us at the finish line; He sits with us on the floor of our darkest prisons.
These chapters are filled with stories of how God prevails, even in the most complicated circumstances. This week, we’re digging into Genesis 24–33 to explore the very first occurrence of the name "Israel" in the Bible and how it applies to the beautifully messy lives of Isaac, Rebekah, Jacob, and Esau. We'll discuss how allowing God to prevail in our own lives can turn our tangled heartstrings into a celestial inheritance.
This week, we delve into the final seven trials of Abraham and Sarah. These chapters illustrate ancient patterns of testing, and how trials are meant to refine our character. We learn how God’s promises are fulfilled not in spite of our trials, but through our faithful endurance of them.
Abraham experienced the kind of trials we could only imagine. And time after time he was reminded of future promises, while still having to go through more hard things. We are studying the trials of Abraham found in Genesis 12–17 and Abraham 1–2 today and how we can apply those experiences to persevere in our lives.
In December the Church announced an update in the general handbook concerning translations of the bible. So as our Come, Follow Me year of studying the Old Testament gets into swing we invited a couple of bible scholars to share their thoughts on what we can gain from different translations and how they can help us gain appreciation for the ancient context in which the bible was written. For those that are still a little bit afraid of the Old Testament, let this new guidance help you find scriptures that bring you closer to God.
God makes covenants to His people. Even when the people don’t want to hear His voice. In Genesis 6-11 and Moses 8 we have the stories of people that hear what God has to say and do the exact opposite from the Tower of Babel to the wickedness around Noah. But through it all God makes covenants, and those covenants are promises that we can lean on today even when the world around us seems as chaotic as when the flood rain was starting to come down.
We can learn about what our Zion should look like by modeling after Enoch’s Zion in Moses 7. Even if we might not walk exactly with God in this life, we can strive to be of one heart and one mind with those around us. Zion isn’t just the city we live in or the ward we go to, Zion is a condition of the heart and spirit. And creating a Zion people, starts with us.
Enoch was a prophet, he taught what was good. Music is important in developing and sharing testimonies. Today as we study the story of Enoch and his walk with God in Genesis 5 and Moses 6 we will do it through music. Hopefully these songs can bring you close to your Heavenly Father and bring to life the stories of the scriptures.
In Hebrew, Eden means delightful, luxurious, or dainty. But that does not mean there wasn’t conflict and opposition in Adam and Eve’s first home. We are studying the Fall found in Genesis 3–4 and Moses 4–5 with specific attention to how an understanding of the Hebrew words can shed new light on an age old story.
The first two chapters of Genesis, Abraham, and Moses contain different versions of the creation story. What can we learn from each and why would we need multiple perspectives? This week we are studying the weighty topic of the creation, a topic about which Russell M. Nelson once called members to “stretch our minds” to consider. And that’s exactly what we will do.
Moses 1 contains the greatest superlative we could be given. When Moses is struggling, the doctrine he learned that helped him overcome Satan was knowing that he is a child of God. When we say we are children of a loving Heavenly Father we mean that it is His greatest goal to be with us again. And that knowledge will carry through our whole study of the Old Testament narrative this year.
The Old Testament can be read as a study manual to prepare for the Atonement of Christ. Jesus is everywhere to be found in the Old Testament narrative especially when you read with a keen eye to the original Hebrew. To start our Come, Follow Me study this year we are looking at how translations can give us more insight to covenants and our relationship with Christ.