Exodus 7–13
Plague after plague afflicted Egypt, but Pharaoh still refused to release the Israelites. And yet God continued to demonstrate His power and give Pharaoh opportunities to accept “that I am the Lord” and “there is none like me in all the earth” (Exodus 7:5; 9:14). Meanwhile, Moses and the Israelites must have watched with awe at these manifestations of God’s power on their behalf. Surely these continued signs confirmed their faith in God and strengthened their willingness to follow God’s prophet. Then, after nine terrible plagues had failed to free the Israelites, it was the tenth plague—the death of the firstborn, including Pharaoh’s firstborn—that finally ended the captivity. This seems fitting because in every case of spiritual captivity, there truly is only one way to escape. It is only the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, the Firstborn—the blood of the Lamb without blemish—that will save us.
Hopefully, your will is never opposed to God’s will as Pharaoh’s was. Still, we all have times when our hearts aren’t as soft as they should be. What stands out to you about Pharaoh’s responses to the plagues in Exodus 7:14–25; 8:5–32; 9:1–26; 10:12–29; 12:29–33? Note the clarification in the Joseph Smith Translation of Exodus 7:3, 13; 9:12.
Why is “hard” a good description of Pharaoh’s heart? Consider what you learn from these verses about having a soft heart: 1 Nephi 2:16; Mosiah 3:19; Alma 24:7–8; 62:41; Ether 12:27. As you read about the consequences of Pharaoh’s hard-heartedness, ponder the condition of your heart. What changes do you feel inspired to make?
The only way for the Israelites to be spared from the tenth plague, described in Exodus 11:4–5, was to follow precisely the instructions the Lord gave to Moses in Exodus 12, a ritual known as the Passover. The Passover teaches us through symbols that just as the Lord delivered the Israelites from bondage in Egypt, He can also deliver us from the bondage of sin. To explore this symbolism in Exodus 12:1–42, you could use a chart like this one:
What else do you find in the instructions and symbols of the Passover that reminds you of Jesus Christ and His Atonement? What do these symbols suggest to you about how to receive the blessings of His Atonement?
The Savior commanded the Israelites to observe the Passover each year to help them remember He had delivered them, even after their captivity became a distant memory. As you read His instructions in Exodus 12:14–17, 24–27; 13:1–16, think about what you are doing to remember God’s blessings for you. How can you preserve that remembrance “throughout your generations”? (see Exodus 12:14, 26–27).
What similarities do you see between the feast of the Passover and the sacrament? What can you do to “always remember” Jesus Christ? (Moroni 4:3; 5:2).
You might also ponder other things the Lord wants you to remember; see, for example, Helaman 5:6–12; Moroni 10:3; Doctrine and Covenants 3:3–5, 10; 18:10; 52:40.
See also Kevin W. Pearson, “Are You Still Willing?,” Liahona, Nov. 2022, 67–69; “Always Remember Him” (video), Gospel Library; “In Memory of the Crucified,” Hymns, no. 190.
How were Pharaoh’s magicians able to imitate some of the miracles performed by Moses and Aaron?
How did later generations continue to remember the Passover?
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The plagues described in Exodus 7–11 showed the Egyptians and the Israelites that the Lord has great power. The Lord will help your children throughout their lives when they have faith in His power. To help them learn from this story, you could give each child a paper divided into 10 sections, and invite them to draw pictures of the plagues described in these verses: Exodus 7:17–18; 8:1–4; 8:16–17; 8:20–22; 9:1–6; 9:8–9; 9:22–23; 10:4–5; 10:21–22; 11:4–7 (see also “The Plagues of Egypt” in Old Testament Stories, 67–69). Read together Exodus 7:5 and 9:14 to explain why the Lord sent the plagues. 2:3The Plagues of Egypt
Share with your children how the Lord has shown you “that there is none like [Him] in all the earth” (Exodus 9:14). Let them share how they know that the Lord is powerful.
To help your children visualize what it means to have a soft heart, it might be fun to show them an object that is hard, such as a rock, and another that is soft and absorbent, such as a sponge. You could also pour water over these objects to demonstrate how easily a soft heart receives the word of the Lord. You could then read together a few verses describing how Pharaoh responded to the plagues sent by the Lord (see Exodus 8:28–32; 9:7). Which of the objects best represents Pharaoh’s heart or attitude? What does it mean to have a soft heart? (see Mosiah 3:19). Elder Christopher H. Kim’s message “Harden Not Your Heart” could also help your children understand the difference between a hard heart and a soft one (Liahona, May 2025, 118–20, especially the fifth paragraph).
You and your children could make a list of some actions that might show when we have a hard heart (for example, using unkind words or being unwilling to share). How can we show the Lord we want to have soft hearts?
The Passover taught the Israelites to look forward to the Savior and His sacrifice for us. As you explore Exodus 12:1–13 together, help your children see connections between the details of the Passover and Jesus Christ’s Atonement (see also “The Passover” in Old Testament Stories, 70–74). For example, how is Jesus like the lamb described in verse 5? 2:54The Passover
Today, we take the sacrament to remember Jesus’s sacrifice. You could show your children a picture of the sacrament and talk about how this ordinance helps us remember Jesus Christ. You might help your children find the word “remember” in the sacrament prayers (see Moroni 4–5). Or sing together a favorite hymn about the sacrament, and help your children notice the peaceful feeling they have when they think about the Savior. How can we seek that feeling when we take the sacrament?