Abraham’s attempted sacrifice of his son, Isaac, is often seen as the great paradigm for absolute faith and unquestioning obedience. Blind obedience has become the ultimate obedience—whether it is women acquiescing to polygamy, blacks accepting priesthood limitations, gays practicing celibacy, and, most recently, LDS Church members accepting the official account of the Church’s policy change on LGBT parents and their children. This session takes a fresh look at the Abrahamic covenant and argues that it is often misinterpreted and misused, including in Mormonism, to the detriment of many.

Robert A. Rees