(This is actually by David Bokovoy, whose recalcitrant account won’t let him access the blog.)

With lesson 13, Sunday school students in LDS Gospel Doctrine classes move beyond the inspiring book of Genesis and begin exploration of Exodus, the second book in the Bible.

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Many members of the three Religions of the Book use the Bible as a source of guidance for matters of character formation and decision-making.   Employment of biblical passages for ethical purposes is not without its complications, however.  One such complication occurs in Genesis 38, in the story of Judah’s seduction by his daughter-in-law, Tamar.

Judah’s misconduct is part of a larger picture of good and bad behavior in Jacob’s family.  Reuben’s dalliance with his father’s concubine results in a rebuke (Gen 49:3-4).  Joseph’s fidelity to his employer initially leads to a temporary setback.  (Readers might wonder, however, if Potiphar really believes his wife’s tale since he has Joseph jailed instead of executed.) In the end, Joseph’s incarceration is but a stepping stone to better things (Genesis 39).  These stories cohere reasonably well with contemporary sexual ethics since continence is rewarded and incontinence is punished.  Judah’s tale, however, is a bit more complicated.

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