HOLD ME UP! 🙋
After standing for hours watching the Israelites fight, they gave Moses this to sit on so he wouldn't have to stand the whole time.
What is a Rock! I am sure Moses wishes it had been a Lazy - Boy!
Remember the donkey who fell in a hole? Every shovelful of dirt, he just shook off and stomped down until he walked right out. Rumor has it he was actually a unicorn incognito — party hat on his head where his horn should be. This is his name and the pop star who taught us the technique. 🐴🎉
Who is Taylor Swift? ("Shake It Off"!) 🎤✨
The Red Sea is roughly 190 miles wide at its widest point. If the Israelites walked the entire width at 3 mph, focusing on this Person — not just on positive thinking — can actually make a difference.
Who is Jesus Christ?
According to President Nelson, when we build our foundation on Jesus Christ and learn to do this, we don't have to give in to the anxieties of our day.
What is "draw upon His power"?
This Old Testament prophet stood at the edge of the Red Sea with water in front, Pharaoh's army closing in behind, and sand dunes on either side — and instead of panicking like the people around him, he told them to stop being afraid, stand still, and watch God work.
Who is Moses?
When Aaron and Hur saw that Moses was getting tired and his arms were starting to drop, they didn't just stand there watching — they did this to help him keep going.
What is they held up his arms?
A unicorn's horn is said to purify any water it touches. If a unicorn had been at Marah when the Israelites found the bitter water, it could have dipped its horn in — but instead, Moses threw this into the water to make it sweet.
What is a tree? (or "a branch")
Tradition says around 2 million Israelites left Egypt. If you lined them all up single file, each holding a loaf of manna, the line would stretch over a thousand miles — which is a lot, but still not as long as the amount of time Moses would have spent trying to judge every single one of their disputes by himself without doing this.
What is delegating? (or "getting help" / "counseling with someone")
When Moses was trying to judge every single Israelite by himself from morning to night, Jethro warned that he would "surely" do this.
What is "wear away"? (burn out / wear himself out)
After the Israelites had safely crossed and the Egyptians were destroyed, Exodus 14:31 says the people did this for the first time as a free nation.
What is they "believed the Lord, and his servant Moses"
Moses was on that hill for hours, hands above his head, because of these people.
Who are the Amalekites? (or "Amalek")
Unicorns are mythical creatures that supposedly only appear to the pure in heart. If one had shown up to lead the Israelites through the wilderness, it would have been out of a job — because the Lord was already guiding them with this by day and this by night.
What are a pillar of cloud and a pillar of fire?
The sun sets in the west because of the rotation of the Earth on its axis, which means by the time Moses's arms were getting tired in the battle against Amalek, he really needed these two guys.
Who are Aaron and Hur?
The scripture in Mosiah 4:27 says we shouldn't run faster than this, but we should still be this.
What is "our strength" and "diligent"?
After ten devastating plagues, Pharaoh finally — in frustration and grief — let the Israelites leave his kingdom. But once he realized he was losing all of his free labor, his massive building projects, and the enormous wealth the Israelites had generated for Egypt, he hardened his heart one more time and sent this racing after them in chariots.
What is Pharaoh's army? (the Egyptians / his chariots and horsemen)
When Jethro saw Moses trying to do everything alone, he didn't just tell Moses he was doing it wrong — he gave him an actual plan, suggesting Moses appoint these kinds of helpers to handle smaller matters so Moses could focus on the big ones.
What are capable/trustworthy men (rulers of thousands, hundreds, fifties, and tens)? (We will accept any answer about leaders, judges, or helpers — the point is that Jethro helped Moses build a whole support system, not just vent about the problem.)
Unicorns are famously picky eaters, only dining on moonlight, rainbows, and the dreams of children. If a unicorn had been wandering with the Israelites in the wilderness, it definitely would have turned its sparkly nose up at this flaky, bread-like food that fell from heaven every morning.
What is Manna
Manna fell six days a week for 40 years, which is a LOT of breakfast — but not nearly as consistent as the Savior, who promises to do this for us every single day when we turn to Him.
What is help us / be with us / give us peace? (accept variations — the point is His constant presence)
The lesson taught two practical skills for managing stress. One is examining your expectations, the other is doing this.
What is counseling with someone you trust?
Instead of panicking, Moses told the Israelites to do these three things: stop being afraid, stand still, and see this happen.
What is "the salvation of the Lord"? (or "Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord")
The Aaron-and-Hur story teaches a principle about our modern prophet and leaders. This is what we do in General Conference when we raise our hands — the same thing Aaron and Hur did physically for Moses.
What is sustain them? (we sustain our leaders)
Everyone knows unicorns are incredibly vain — that's why they missed some of history's most crucial moments. They were too busy primping before the Ark, obsessing over their sparkles, and admiring rainbows to help out. Moses, on the other hand, was doing the complete opposite — trying to personally solve every single Israelite's problem from sunrise to sunset — which prompted his father-in-law to give him this one key piece of advice that saved him from total burnout.
What is "delegate" / "appoint others to help judge the people"? (Share the load!)
The average person can only hold their arms straight out for about 2 minutes before fatigue sets in, which is roughly the same amount of time it takes a stressed-out teenager to realize they should probably do this instead of trying to handle everything alone.
What is talk to someone / counsel with someone they trust / turn to the Lord?
The lesson used this weightlifting analogy: trying to lift too much hurts you, never lifting more than you're used to keeps you weak, but doing this builds strength over time.
What is gradually adding a little more weight? (gradually increasing challenge)
Bonus Points! $500 What is the principal of the Gospel that Teaches this concept:
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P_ _ _ _ p _ _ p_ _ p _ _ _ _ p _. )
When Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, the Lord used this to divide the waters and dry the ground.
What is a strong east wind?