Aaronic Priesthood

Manual 1

Published by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

© 1983, 1992, 2002 by Intellectual Reserve, Inc.
All rights reserved
Printed in the United States of America

English approval: 2/02
Translation approval: xx/xx
Translation of Aaronic Priesthood Manual 1
Language
34820 xxx

Comments and Suggestions

Your comments and suggestions about this manual would be appreciated. Please submit them to:

Curriculum Planning

50 E. North Temple St., Rm. 2424

Salt Lake City, UT 84150-0024

USA

E-mail: cur-development@ldschurch.org

Please list your name, address, ward, and stake. Be sure to give the title of the manual. Then offer your comments and suggestions about the manual’s strengths and areas of potential improvement.

To the Adviser

These lessons are intended to help young men learn about the gospel and help make Aaronic Priesthood meetings enjoyable and meaningful to them. You may use this manual to teach individual quorums of priests, teachers, and deacons; or you may use it to teach a group of all three quorums. By prayerfully preparing each lesson, you can help the young men learn how to magnify their callings in the Aaronic Priesthood and truly become sons of God (see D&C 84:26–42 and John 1:12–13).

This manual contains fifty lessons—more than you will be able to teach during the year. Prayerfully select lessons that will meet the needs of the young men you teach. Some lessons may be more appropriate for priests, while others may be more appropriate for deacons and teachers.

Keys to Successful Teaching

Focus on the Savior. You are teaching young men to be disciples of Christ. It is not enough merely to teach them a priesthood duty or a true principle; they need to understand that this is what the Master wants them to do as his disciples, out of their faith in him and love for him.

Seek the Spirit. Ask for Heavenly Father’s help as you prepare and present these lessons. The Lord promised, “The Spirit shall be given unto you by the prayer of faith; and if ye receive not the Spirit ye shall not teach” (D&C 42:14). The Spirit will be strongest when you are testifying of Christ, teaching discipleship, and teaching and testifying from your own experience as his disciple.

Involve the quorum president. The Aaronic Priesthood quorum president is to teach the members of his quorum the duties of their office (see D&C 107:85–87). The quorum president, with your assistance, should help decide which lessons should be given and in what sequence. The quorum secretary should keep a record, perhaps on a calendar, to avoid repeating lessons.

Love the young men. Develop a genuine love for each young man you teach. Show your love in all you do both in and out of the classroom. Get to know each member of the quorum, his interests, and his challenges.

Be prepared. Read each lesson at least two or three weeks before presenting it. If you delay preparing these lessons until the Saturday before giving them, your class will be much less effective. Note especially the “Preparation” section at the beginning of each lesson.

When appropriate, use the pamphlet For the Strength of Youth (36550) to enhance your lessons. Help the young men become familiar with the standards in the pamphlet. Encourage the young men to read it often and keep the standards explained in it.

Where stories are included, read them several times while preparing the lesson so you will understand them and be able to present them well.

Additional Suggestions

Use the scriptures. Encourage the young men to bring their scriptures to priesthood meeting each week. Have marking pencils available for them to use during each lesson.

Encourage quorum discussion. Invite the young men to respond freely and to ask questions. Recognize each young man’s contribution so he will want to participate in the future.

Adapt the lessons to your circumstances. Use teaching methods that interest the young men. Watch for events and experiences in the lives of the young men or in the lives of people with whom they are familiar that will help make your lessons relevant to the young men. Occasionally, you may need to adapt the stories and examples to fit your cultural circumstances.

You may find that some of the lessons contain too much material to teach in one class period. In these cases, choose materials that are needed most by the young men or use more than one meeting to present the lesson.

Use the pictures included in the manual. Keep the pictures at the back of this manual intact with the manual. Do not tear them out. Use them with the appropriate lessons. The meetinghouse library may contain pictures that you can use to enhance scripture stories. Pictures in the manual that are available from the meetinghouse library are followed by their item number. See your meetinghouse librarian for assistance.

Use chalk and the chalkboard. Before each class consider how you can best use the chalkboard to enhance your lesson. When using the chalkboard, write only the key words from longer statements.

Give challenges and follow up on them. Conclude each lesson with a specific challenge. Follow up with the young men and encourage them to meet the challenge. Invite them to report on their successes in meeting challenges.

Use available Church magazines. The New Era contains many outstanding stories and articles written for youth. The Liahona, which is the Church’s international magazine, also has a section of material for youth. In addition, the general conference issues of the Ensign and Liahona are useful in teaching youth (see lesson 50 in this manual for suggestions about how to organize lessons from general conference addresses). The conference issues of the Ensign and Liahona, along with the May and November issues of the New Era, also contain a resource guide for use with this manual. The guide includes references to Church magazine articles and other materials that can be used to update and enrich each lesson.

Use the handouts. Handouts are located at the end of some lessons to help the young men learn and remember the principles of the gospel. When appropriate make copies of the handouts to use with each lesson.

Use the following resources to help you improve as a teacher:

“Gospel Teaching and Leadership,” section 16 of the Church Handbook of Instructions, Book 2 (35209 or 35903)

Teaching, No Greater Call, 1999 edition (36123)

Teaching Guidebook (34595)

Presidency Visits to Primary Class

The deacons quorum presidency has a responsibility to help prepare other young men to receive the priesthood. Encourage the presidency to make one or two short presentations to the Primary class these younger boys attend. These presentations should:

Give the deacons quorum presidency the experience of instructing younger boys.

Help younger boys who are preparing to receive the priesthood realize the duties and blessings of the Aaronic Priesthood. The quorum presidency should also emphasize the joy and satisfaction that come through service and the importance of being a good example.

Help the younger boys realize that they will be welcome in the quorum.

You and the deacons quorum presidency should meet with the Primary teacher to plan the presentations before the presidency gives them. Visits to Primary classes should be coordinated with the Primary president. The deacons quorum presidency might give presentations similar to the two suggested on page vii.

“A Deacon Serves Others”

The deacons quorum presidency might prepare a brief presentation that explains how deacons serve others by performing their priesthood duties and share the joy and satisfaction that come through this service. The quorum presidency could explain how passing the sacrament and gathering fast offerings blesses the lives of ward members; they could also report on specific service projects.

“Be an Example”

The deacons quorum presidency might prepare a brief presentation about the importance of being a good example as a priesthood bearer who represents Jesus Christ. They could explain the importance of setting a good example in dress and conduct, particularly when passing the sacrament and gathering fast offerings.

Lesson 1

The Priesthood

Objective

Each young man will understand the great power and privilege he has been given in being able to act in the name of God.

Preparation

Materials needed:

Scriptures for each young man.

Paper and pencil for each young man.

Pencils for marking scriptures.

Bottle or container of aspirin tablets.

You may want to make a poster of the definition of the priesthood by President Spencer W. Kimball below.

Suggested Lesson Development

Priesthood Power and Authority

Chalkboard and writing activity

Write the following on the chalkboard: The priesthood is . . .

Give each young man a piece of paper and a pencil. Instruct the young men to write on their paper a short definition of priesthood. When all are finished, collect the papers and have the president of the quorum read each one aloud. Then summarize the statements, most of which will likely point out that the priesthood is the power to act in God’s name.

Ask everyone in the quorum who has this power to stand up. Help the young men realize that Heavenly Father has shared his great power with each of them.

Quotation and poster

Read the following statement by President Spencer W. Kimball: “The priesthood is the power and authority of God delegated to man on earth to act in all things pertaining to the salvation of men. It is the means whereby the Lord acts through men to save souls. Without this priesthood power, men are lost” (“The Example of Abraham,” Ensign, June 1975, p. 3).

Discussion

What does it mean to delegate? (To give one’s authority to another.)

Refer again to the above question.

What two things does the Lord delegate to his servants when he gives them the priesthood? (The power and authority to act for him.)

Story and discussion

Tell the following story; have the young men listen to identify what is wrong.

Ronald Jones is the bishop of one of the wards in our town. He is also my uncle, my father’s only living brother. He and my father are very close. Last Sunday Uncle Ron was seriously injured in an automobile accident. He knew he would be unable to take care of his Church duties, but my father, an elder in our ward, assured him that he would take care of everything. On Sunday morning, my father appeared at my uncle’s ward and called the meeting to order on time.

What is wrong in this story?

Allow the young men to respond until someone points out that a man cannot just assume on his own that he will act as a bishop. Explain that even though the bishop’s brother had the priesthood, he had not been given the keys nor had he been set apart to perform the duties of a bishop in his brother’s ward. He must be given these keys and be ordained in order to have this authority.

Who has the right to take charge in the absence of the bishop? (His first counselor.)

Scripture, quotation, and discussion

How does a man receive this power and authority?

Have a young man read Hebrews 5:4 while the others follow in their scriptures. Emphasize that a man must be called of God and ordained by the laying on of hands. Have the young men mark this scripture.

Have a young man read the following remark by Orson Pratt:

“The Priesthood of God is the great supreme, legal authority that governs the inhabitants of all redeemed and glorified worlds. In it is included all power to create worlds. . . . It is that power that formed the minerals, the vegetables, and the animals in all their infinite [many] varieties” (Orson Pratt, Masterful Discourses and Writings of Orson Pratt, compiled by N. B. Lundwall [Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1962], p. 316).

How does Orson Pratt describe the power and authority of the priesthood? (The power by which God creates and governs all things.)

Chalkboard, scripture, and discussion

Have the young men discuss ways they would like to change or add to the definitions they have written.

Complete the statement on the chalkboard by writing: The power and authority given to man to act for God. The power by which God creates and governs all things.

Have the young men discuss the difference between priesthood authority and priesthood power. Help them to understand that they can receive the authority by the laying on of hands, but the power comes from righteous living.

Have a young man read Doctrine and Covenants 121:36 while the others follow.

How do we obtain the power of the priesthood? (Through righteous living.)

Quotation and discussion

Have a young man read Bishop H. Burke Peterson’s explanation of these two terms:

“There is a difference between priesthood authority and priesthood power. . . . All of us who hold the priesthood have the authority to act for the Lord, but the effectiveness of our authority—or if you please, the power that comes through that authority—depends on the pattern of our lives; it depends on our righteousness” (in Conference Report, Apr. 1976, p. 50; or Ensign, May 1976, p. 33).

How do we receive the authority to act for the Lord? (By the laying on of hands; by being ordained.)

Honoring the Priesthood—a Sacred Privilege

Object lesson

Tape an aspirin tablet to the lapel of your coat or to your shirt collar. The young men will no doubt wonder what you are doing. Tell them your doctor told you to take an aspirin every four hours, but because you don’t like the taste, you decided to wear it instead. Someone will probably point out that it will not do you any good unless you swallow it. This will give you the opportunity to explain that the only way you can benefit from something is to use it properly and that many priesthood bearers are neither receiving nor enjoying the blessings and power of the priesthood for this reason. They may know its value but are not willing to live the way they should to receive its blessings and exercise its power.

Help the young men understand that the more fully they obey the commandments, the more power they will have and the greater their desire to serve will be. The more they serve, the better they will understand their great privilege of bearing and honoring the priesthood.

Quotation and discussion

Explain that Elder James E. Talmage, who was a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, wrote about his ordination to the priesthood and the feelings he had as he tried to honor it. Have a member of the quorum read Elder Talmage’s remarks aloud.

“As soon as I had been ordained, a feeling came to me such as I have never been able to fully describe. It seemed scarcely possible, that I, a little boy, could be so honored of God as to be called to the priesthood. . . . I felt strong in the thought that I belonged to the Lord, and that he would assist me in whatever was required of me.

“The effect of my ordination (as a deacon) entered into all the affairs of my boyish life. I am afraid that sometimes I forgot what I was, but I have ever been thankful that oft-times I did remember, and the recollection always served to make me better. When at play on the school grounds, and perhaps tempted to take unfair advantage in the game, when in the midst of a dispute with a playmate, I would remember, and the thought would be effective as though spoken aloud—’I am a deacon; and it is not right that a deacon should act this way.’ On examination days, when it seemed easy for me to copy some other boy’s work . . . I would say in my mind, ‘It would be more wicked for me to do that than it is for them, because I am a deacon.’

“The sense of the great honor of my ordination made all service welcome.”

How did Elder Talmage feel about being a deacon in the priesthood? (He strongly felt that he belonged to the Lord and that the Lord would assist him; in times of temptation he would remind himself of how a deacon should act.)

Let the young men discuss the feelings they had when they were ordained to the priesthood. Have them share any experiences they may have had similar to those expressed by Elder Talmage.

Have another member of the quorum finish reading Elder Talmage’s remarks.

“The impression made upon my mind when I was made a deacon has never faded. The feeling that I was called to the special service of the Lord, as a bearer of the priesthood, has been a source of strength to me through all the years. When later I was ordained to higher offices in the Church, the same assurance has come to me, on every occasion,—that I was in truth endowed with power from heaven, and that the Lord demanded of me that I honor his authority. I have been ordained in turn a teacher, an elder, a high priest, and lastly an apostle of the Lord Jesus Christ, and with every ordination there has come to me a new and soul-thrilling feeling which I first knew when I was called to be a deacon in the service of the Lord” (Incidents from the Lives of Our Church Leaders [deacons instruction manual, 1914], pp. 135–36).

If you took your calling as seriously as Elder Talmage did his, how would you act at home? at church? at school?

Point out that understanding that they are called to the special service of the Lord as bearers of the priesthood can be a source of strength to members of the quorum, as it was to Elder Talmage.

Quotation and discussion

To be worthy priesthood holders, we must live righteously. President Harold B. Lee made the following statement:

“We must say, ‘Because I am a holder of the priesthood of the living God, I am a representative of our Heavenly Father and hold the priesthood by which He can work through me; I can’t stoop to do some of the things that I might have done otherwise because of my fellowship with the priesthood of God. . . .’

“And that is what the holders of the priesthood must say to themselves: ‘We can’t be holders of the priesthood and be like other men. We must be different, because priesthood means a fellowship in the royal household of the kingdom of God’” (in Conference Report, Oct. 1973, p. 115; or Ensign, Jan. 1974, p. 97).

How should we as priesthood bearers be different from other men?

As the young men discuss this question, write their answers on the chalkboard.

Conclusion

Testimony

Bear testimony that members of the quorum have the true priesthood of God. Testify that they will receive many great blessings from the Lord if they honor this priesthood every day of their lives, use it properly, and do more than is required of them.

Impress upon the young men that receiving the Aaronic Priesthood is not as difficult as living worthy to use their priesthood power. This takes constant effort and work.

Challenge

Challenge each young man to accept all the opportunities to serve that his priesthood leaders may give him. In addition, challenge each one to express gratitude for his priesthood to his Heavenly Father before the next quorum meeting.

Lesson 2

The Calling of a Deacon

Objective

Each young man will understand the duties of a deacon in the Aaronic Priesthood and will desire to magnify his calling as an Aaronic Priesthood holder.

Preparation

Materials needed:

Scriptures for each young man.

Pencils for marking scriptures.

Prepare a diagram of a football or soccer play, showing the position and movement of each player.

Suggested Lesson Development

Duties of a Deacon

Situation and discussion

Present the following situation:

A policeman is walking down the street at night. He hears a loud crash and looks over just in time to see a man smashing the large glass window of a jewelry store. The man begins filling a large sack with valuable rings, watches, and gems.

What would you expect the policeman to do in this situation? (To arrest the man.) Why? (Because it is the policeman’s duty to help maintain law and order.)

How would you define duty? (A responsibility that one has, an obligation, or something a person should do.)

Explain that just as a policeman has specific duties to perform as an officer of the law, a deacon also has specific duties and responsibilities as a holder of the Aaronic Priesthood.

Scripture and discussion

Have a young man read Doctrine and Covenants 107:13–14. Suggest that the quorum members underline this scripture.

What are two of the great purposes of the Aaronic Priesthood? (To administer the “outward ordinances” of the Church and to prepare young men to receive the Melchizedek Priesthood.)

What is an “outward” ordinance? (Outward ordinances refer to basically temporal or physical ordinances, such as blessing and passing the sacrament and baptizing.)

Explain that this lesson will discuss how a deacon’s responsibilities fulfill the purposes of the Aaronic Priesthood. Although the majority of the deacon’s duties are temporal, these temporal duties help prepare young men to perform spiritual ordinances of the Melchizedek Priesthood, such as administering to the sick and bestowing the gift of the Holy Ghost. Each Aaronic Priesthood holder, whether a priest, teacher, or deacon, should understand the duties of a deacon to be able to magnify his calling.

Chalkboard and discussion

Write the following on the chalkboard: Duties of a Deacon.

What are the duties of a deacon?

Gather fast offerings.

Pass the sacrament.

Serve as the bishop’s messenger.

Care for the grounds and physical facilities of the church.

Assist in service projects or welfare assignments as assigned by the bishop.

Watch over the Church and act as standing ministers (see D&C 84:111).

Be involved in missionary and reactivation efforts (see D&C 20:58–59).

Assist teachers in all their duties as needed (see D&C 20:53, 57).

Give talks in Church meetings.

Read the list and discuss the importance and value of each act of service in building God’s kingdom.

Quotation

Have a young man read the following remarks by President Spencer W. Kimball, who considered it a great honor to perform his duties as a deacon:

“I remember when I was a deacon. . . . I thought it was a great honor to be a deacon. My father was always considerate of my responsibilities and always permitted me to take the buggy and horse to gather fast offerings. My responsibility included that part of the town in which I lived, but it was quite a long walk to the homes, and a sack of flour or a bottle of fruit or vegetables or bread became quite heavy as it accumulated. So the buggy was very comfortable and functional. We have changed to cash in later days, but it was commodities in my day. It was a very great honor to do this service for my Heavenly Father; and though times have changed, when money is given generally instead of commodities, it is still a great honor to perform this service” (in Conference Report, Apr. 1975, p. 117; or Ensign, May 1975, p. 79).

Ask the young men to think about each of the following questions without responding aloud.

Thought questions

Do you consider it an honor to fulfill your priesthood duties and responsibilities?

When you pass the sacrament, do you make sure you are dressed appropriately and are reverent and dignified?

What understanding could make gathering fast offerings an enjoyable duty?

Working as a Team in Accepting Responsibility

Diagram and discussion

Hold up the football- or soccer-play diagram so that all members of the quorum can see it. Allow them to study it for a moment.

What is this diagram that I am holding up?

What is it used for? (To tell each player what his assignment for that particular play is.)

What will probably happen if one of the players does not perform his assigned duty? (The play will most likely not be successful; each player has an important assignment that must be performed in order for the play to work.)

Explain that all teams must have proper organization in order to be successful. Whether it is a football team or a priesthood quorum, each member has specific duties and responsibilities. Some of the duties of a deacon require a team effort with other priesthood offices.

What would happen if the deacons in a ward would not pass the sacrament? (They would fail to fulfill their responsibilities; therefore, other priesthood holders would have to be called upon to perform the deacons’ responsibilities.)

Quotation and discussion

Have a young man read what Elder David B. Haight of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles told about his responsibilities as a deacon.

“I remember so clearly being ordained a deacon. A new world opened up for me. I was now living on a higher plane. As I would hear people say, ‘You hold the priesthood,’ it was not easy to fully comprehend. But with humble teachers, we began to understand that as deacons we had been given blessings and authority to do sacred things.

“As quorum officers we accounted for all of our members and would see that they were all at church. We enjoyed being together. We chopped wood for the elderly and the widows, filled the coal bins at church, cleaned the meetinghouse every Saturday afternoon, swept the steps, raked the gravel yard, saw that the sacrament trays and . . . sacrament cloths were clean and fresh, and had real pride in the appearance of our little meetinghouse” (in Conference Report, Apr. 1981, p. 58; or Ensign, May 1981, p. 42).

What duties might young men do today that would help them magnify their callings as Elder Haight did? (Clean the sacrament trays, pick up old printed programs or papers in the chapel before or after sacrament meeting, pick up trash around the church grounds, weed the church grounds, perform service projects, and help others.)

Quotation

Explain that Bishop H. Burke Peterson of the Presiding Bishopric stressed the importance of performing priesthood duties. Read the following quotation:

“The priesthood we hold as young men and older men is the authority to perform our duties in the same way the Savior would if he had our individual responsibility” (in Conference Report, Oct. 1974, p. 99; or Ensign, Nov. 1974, p. 70).

Express your feelings about this statement and encourage the young men to express themselves. You might also ask the bishopric for specific ideas to help the quorum plan a service project within the ward.

Conclusion

Testimony

Testify that as we magnify our callings as Aaronic Priesthood holders and perform the duties and responsibilities that are expected of us, we will notice a change. We will have a good feeling in knowing that we are serving others, including the Savior. Holding the Aaronic Priesthood is no small thing. Much is expected of someone who holds the Aaronic Priesthood.

Challenge

Challenge quorum members to remember that they are serving the Savior when fulfilling their priesthood duties and to perform their duties to the best of their ability with the dignity and reverence that the Savior would want them to show. Explain that as the young men fulfill their priesthood duties worthily, they are performing Christlike service. Remind them that they are entitled to great blessings associated with the priesthood. However, these blessings are received only as they magnify their calling by performing their duties and responsibilities.

Lesson 3

Administering the Sacrament

Objective

Each young man will become more reverent and spiritual when administering the sacrament and will better understand its sacred nature.

Preparation

Materials needed:

Scriptures for each young man.

Picture 1, Last Supper (62174); and picture 2, Baptismal Font (62031).

Pencils for marking scriptures.

Two sacrament trays: one for bread, one for water.

Invite the bishop or one of his counselors to discuss with the young men the importance of administering the sacrament reverently.

Suggested Lesson Development

The Importance of the Sacrament

Picture and discussion

Display the picture of a baptismal font, and have a sacrament tray for both the bread and water on the table at the beginning of the class period.

What do the sacrament and baptism have in common? (When we are baptized, we make a covenant or promise. Each time we partake of the sacrament, we renew that covenant.)

Scripture and discussion

To help the young men remember the promises they made at baptism, have a member of the quorum read Mosiah 18:10 as the others follow along in their scriptures.

What promise do we make at baptism? (To serve the Lord and keep his commandments.)

What does the Lord promise us in return? (We can have his Spirit with us.)

Remind the young men that each time we partake of the sacrament, we promise the Lord again that we will remember him and keep his commandments so that his Spirit may be with us.

Scripture, chalkboard, and discussion

Have a young man read Moroni 4:3 and Moroni 5:2. Have the young men mark these passages in their scriptures.

How should we renew our covenants when we partake of the sacrament?

List on the chalkboard:

Baptism—We make a covenant

Sacrament—We renew a covenant

The Meaning of the Sacrament

Object lesson

Refer to the sacrament trays.

What are these trays used for?

Accept the young men’s responses. Emphasize that they are used in fulfilling our priesthood assignment to pass the sacrament. Indicate in the discussion that even though the trays are used in the passing of the sacrament, they do not have any particular meaning by themselves.

What do these trays need to have meaning? (Bread and water.)

Scripture and discussion

Have someone read 1 Corinthians 11:23–25 while the others follow and mark their scriptures.

What does the bread represent?

Make sure the young men understand that the bread represents the Savior’s body, which he sacrificed for us.

Discussion

What does the water represent?

In the discussion, emphasize that the water represents the Savior’s blood. Discuss or explain in detail this great suffering as Luke describes it (see Luke 22:39–46). Emphasize that Jesus suffered for our sins.

Explain that because Jesus suffered for our sins in the Garden of Gethsemane, he made it possible for us to be forgiven. He provided a way for us to repent and to correct our wrongdoings.

Briefly discuss the Crucifixion and the Resurrection. Explain that a marvelous event had taken place. Jesus, who had died, was alive. His spirit had reunited with his body. He looked the same, yet he was different. His body had been changed. Jesus would never die again, but would live forever. This was the first time that anyone on this earth had been resurrected. Jesus’ resurrection made it possible for all the people who have ever lived upon the earth or who ever will live upon the earth to live again after they die. Jesus gave us this very precious gift and opportunity.

Point out that the sacrament is as sacred today as when it was first administered.

Bear your testimony of the importance of the sacrament in your life.

Jesus Passed the Sacrament

Picture and discussion

Show the picture of the Last Supper.

Explain that before this meeting, the Savior knew that his great suffering and sacrifice were but a few hours away, so he gathered around him the Apostles who had served with him for the three years of his ministry. He wanted to share these last moments with them.

Scripture and discussion

Have a young man read Luke 22:19–20 while the others follow along and mark their scriptures.

What did the Savior do at this meeting? (He introduced the sacrament.)

Emphasize to the young men that this picture depicts the first time the sacrament was passed. Emphasize also that Jesus himself prepared, blessed, and passed the sacrament.

Help the young men to realize that the Savior has given those who hold the priesthood the privilege of acting in his behalf in preparing, blessing, and passing these sacred emblems of bread and water.

Quotation

Have a quorum member read what Bishop John H. Vandenberg, who was a Presiding Bishop of the Church, said about this responsibility.

“You young men who bear this responsibility, do you administer, prepare, and pass the sacrament with the thought in mind that you are literally performing the same functions as the Savior did? And does this thought assist you deacons in keeping reverent throughout sacrament meeting, and in passing the sacrament with dignity and respect?” (Improvement Era, Nov. 1967, p. 15).

How does it make you feel to know that you are actually performing the same ordinance that the Savior performed?

As the young men discuss this, emphasize again the great, sacred privilege and honor they have to serve the Lord by passing the sacrament.

Passing the Sacrament Respectfully

Have the bishop or one of his counselors conduct this part of the lesson, if possible. You may want to have the bishopric give this part as a separate lesson on a subsequent Sunday.

Chalkboard and discussion

What can you do to make the sacrament a more sacred experience?

Help every young man to see that by properly passing the sacrament, he can help people remember Christ’s suffering and renew their covenants with Heavenly Father. List on the chalkboard the young men’s specific suggestions for making sacrament meeting more spiritual and meaningful to all who attend.

Think about the Savior and his sacrifice.

Listen carefully to the sacrament prayers.

Think deeply concerning the meaning of the sacrament. Sing the sacrament hymn and think of the words. Listen to the sacrament prayers. Review scriptures.

Conduct yourself with dignity and reverence.

Dress properly, as defined by your local priesthood leaders.

Always have clean hands when passing the sacrament.

Do not have candy or gum in your mouth.

Do not talk, whisper, or giggle.

Learn how to pass the sacrament properly.

Remember you are acting for Christ.

Think of uplifting things, such as the sacrament prayers, words to a sacrament hymn, scriptures, and teachings of the Savior, even though you may be busy passing the sacrament.

Story

Read the following story about one young man who helped to make passing the sacrament a more sacred experience (you may substitute an appropriate personal story):

Bob served the sacrament bread to Brother Moore and watched as the tray was passed along the row. At the other end, James hooked two fingers under the handle and swung it over Sister Martin’s head to start it on the next row. Bob was bothered by the casual way that James handled the sacrament, but reasoned that James was a new deacon. What’s more, he had never had a Grandpa Peterson.

When the sacrament was over, Bob walked down the aisle to join his family. It was always hard for him to return, look down the bench, and not see Grandpa Peterson. It had been six months since Grandpa had died, but Bob still expected to find that familiar face next to Grandma’s in the place Grandpa had occupied every Sunday for as long as Bob could remember. Even though the row was nearly full, it always seemed nearly empty to Bob without Grandpa.

Everything seemed different now that Grandpa was gone. Bob thought about the time just after he was ordained a deacon that he and Grandpa had pulled the dead leaves out of the flower bed. They had been talking about special moments all afternoon when Grandpa got on the subject of the Savior and his gifts to us. Then Grandpa stopped raking, stood up straight, and said, “Bob, when you pass the sacrament, I want you to always remember what the articles represent that you are carrying. Don’t just hang the tray there at the end of your fingers, but hold it up. Carry it with pride and honor.”

Bob’s mind drifted back to the here and now of the chapel. The bishop had just finished bearing his testimony and was inviting the congregation to do the same. Suddenly Bob had a tremendous desire to help James and the other deacons who had never known Grandpa Peterson to understand the importance of their calling.

Even though he had not borne his testimony for several years, he walked to the front with confidence as he had seen his grandfather do so many times before. Arriving at the podium, he spoke into the microphone:

“I would especially like to bear my testimony today to the new deacons so that they can know how important the work they are doing is.” Bob then went on to explain to them the talk his grandfather had shared with him. “Remember what that sacrament represents,” he finished. “Hold that tray up. Carry it with pride and honor.”

Bob then returned to his seat, and this time the row seemed a little less empty than before.

“Remember, carry it with pride and honor.”

Conclusion

Conclude by reminding the young men that it is not only their responsibility to pass the sacrament, but also to teach by their example the meaning of the sacrament. Remind the young men that the younger boys preparing for the priesthood are watching them.

Challenge and testimony

Challenge the young men to strive to radiate the proper spirit so that others who see them might be reminded of the Savior’s great sacrifice. Bear your testimony of the importance of participating worthily and reverently in the ordinance of the sacrament.

It may be appropriate to arrange a time to take the young men into the chapel and instruct them in properly passing the sacrament.

Make a specific challenge for the young men to help them pass the sacrament more appropriately. Challenge each young man to make a specific goal to make the sacrament more meaningful to himself.

Lesson 4

Gathering Fast Offerings

Objective

Each young man will serve the Lord as he recognizes the needs of the poor and helps to ease their burden by willingly gathering fast offerings.

Preparation

Materials needed: pencils for marking scriptures.

Study the story about John.

Prepare a copy of the handout “Basic Guidelines for Gathering Fast Offerings” for each young man (see page 14).

Ask a young man to come prepared to tell the story of the Good Samaritan, found in Luke 10:30–37, in his own words.

Suggested Lesson Development

Empathy for the Needy

Discussion

What is the longest period of time you have gone without food? How did you feel?

In what ways do you think a person who is always hungry may act differently than someone who has enough to eat?

Story and discussion

Explain that problems such as hunger exist in many places. Have the young men listen as you tell the following story about a young man named John and his family (or you may substitute an appropriate personal story).

John was an active member of his deacons quorum. Each month he gathered fast offerings without thinking much about it; he had always believed that the deacons had to gather fast offerings becaused no one else wanted to do it.

John’s father was injured in a serious automobile accident and was unable to work for a period of two and a half months. Because of this, John’s parents did not have enough money to buy food and clothing and pay other bills they needed to pay each month.

John knew his mother and father were worried. It was difficult for them not to show their concern. As a result, John and the other children were also worried.

How would you feel if this happened to your fathers?

Knowing John’s family was having some financial difficulties, the bishop and the Relief Society president came to visit John’s parents. After they left, John noted a big change in the attitude of his mother and father. They seemed much more relaxed and became more cheerful. The children noted this change of attitude and stopped worrying as much. Family activities soon returned to normal.

John’s father was skilled with tools. As soon as he started to recover and get around, he took his tool case to the meetinghouse for short periods of time and made minor repairs and improvements that were needed. As he gained strength, he would work longer until he was strong enough to go back to his regular job.

While his father was unable to work, John noted the arrival of food and clothing from the bishop’s storehouse. Funds were provided to help pay the rent and to pay the gas, electricity, and medical bills.

Where did the bishop get the money to take care of John’s family? (From fast offerings.)

How do you think John felt toward all those ward members who had given their money for fast offerings?

How do you think John’s family felt about his quorum’s efforts to gather fast offerings?

Gathering Fast Offerings

Adviser presentation

Explain that the Savior taught that those who are his true disciples will care for the needy and feed the hungry. Because we have the priesthood, we should act as the Savior’s disciples and do the things he would do if he were here.

One responsibility that we have as priesthood holders is to gather fast offerings to help provide for those in need. By fulfilling our assignment to gather fast offerings, we demonstrate to the Lord that we are his disciples and that we love our neighbors.

Scripture story

Ask the young men to listen to what the Savior said about helping those in need. Have the assigned young man tell the story of the Good Samaritan in his own words.

What did the Good Samaritan do for the wounded Jew?

What is Christ teaching us in this parable?

How does gathering fast offerings help us care for the needy?

How should we act when we receive an assignment to gather fast offerings?

Story

Tell the following story about a young man who gathered fast offerings several years ago. Have the young men listen to see if they can find examples of how he and his family felt about this calling.

A Wagonful of Fast Offerings

“Less than ten minutes after I was ordained a deacon, I was assigned a Church job.

“‘Next Saturday you will go with Fred Edwards to gather fast offerings. Meet Fred at Brother Pehrson’s at ten in the morning. If you tend to your job and don’t play around too much, you should be finished by noon.’

“. . . I ran home excitedly and told my mother of the assignment. . . .”

What was the young man’s attitude when he received the assignment?

“It seemed like a long time between Monday and Saturday. Part of the time I was excitedly waiting, and part of the time I was a bit afraid. I hoped the members wouldn’t think I was begging when I asked for the fast offerings.

“Fast offerings (and tithing) were often given in kind at that time. That meant they donated eggs, butter, flour, loaves of bread, vegetables, or anything else that the Church members grew or made or produced. . . .

“Although it was only three blocks to Brother Pehrson’s house and I didn’t have to be there until ten o’clock on that Saturday, mother wakened me at seven. First I had to take a bath, usually reserved for later on that day. Then she made me shine my shoes, but she wouldn’t let me put them on, or my new overalls, until I was ready to leave. With my clean, starched white shirt, my new stiff overalls, and my tight Sunday shoes, I thought I was ready to leave. But no. She made me wear a tie!

“‘. . . Be sure you are polite. Say “please” when you ask for the fast offerings and “thanks” when they give them to you. . . . If Sister Schultz is home, ask her if there is anything you can do to help her. . . .’”

How do you think the young man’s mother felt about fast offerings?

“Our first home was Brother John Anderson’s, just a block from Brother Pehrson’s. . . . Sister Anderson answered our knock.

“‘Well, well, we have a new deacon, haven’t we?’ she said, as she took the measure from Fred. ‘How is your family, Chris? And how is yours, Fred?’

“Before we could answer, she went into the house, then returned with the measure full of flour.

“Fred took out the notebook and pencil and wrote: ‘Sister John Anderson, two pounds of flour.’

“We were now at the front gate of Ed Peterson’s. In answer to my knock and query, Sister Peterson handed me a lumpy cloth sack.

“‘Here’s a dozen eggs. . . .’

“Next on our list was the John Jacobsens. They were newlyweds. . . .

“‘It’s a loaf of bread I just baked,’ she said. I could feel the warmth of the bread through the sack. . . .

“Next on our list was George Peterson and then Jorgen Olsen. They both gave us some flour.

“Our last place was the home of Sister Sena Schultz. . . . ‘Come right in, boys. I certainly have something for you, but before I get it would you do me a small favor?’

“‘Sure, I guess so. What is it?’

“‘One of my pet lambs got out of its pen and I can’t seem to get it back by myself. Now, Fred, if you will get over in that northeast corner of the lot and you, Chris, get over on the other side, between us we can shoo it back in the pen.’

“Fred and I began waving our arms and shouting. Sister Schultz kept waving her apron and yelling, ‘Shoo! Shoo!’

“The lamb must have thought we wanted to play. It ran from side to side in the lot, and once in awhile it would jump high in the air arching its tail. It must have taken us a half hour to get that lamb cornered and pushed back in its pen.

“‘Oh, thank you, boys. . . .’

“‘Oh, wait a minute. I’m forgetting something.’ And she reached into her apron pocket and brought out an envelope that had been folded and refolded and then wrapped twice across with string. On the outside was written, ‘Ten cents fast offering from Sena Schultz.’

“‘She always has something for us to do,’ said Fred, as we walked back to Brother Pehrson’s house.

“Brother Pehrson checked our record. ‘Let’s see, eight pounds of flour, one dozen eggs, a loaf of fresh bread, and thirty-five cents in money. . . . I am sure some needy persons will be very grateful to you for gathering this’” (Chris Jensen, “A Wagonful of Fast Offerings,” Ensign, July 1978, pp. 34–36).

Discussion

What did Chris do to show that he had a positive attitude toward fast offerings? What things might we do to have a good attitude about collecting fast offerings?

Handout

Pass out copies of the guidelines handout to the young men and review and discuss the guidelines together.

Basic Guidelines for Gathering Fast Offerings

Have a pleasant attitude. When you fulfill this assignment from the bishop, you are acting as an agent of the Lord.

Dress neatly, as prescribed by your bishop.

Greet the person answering the door: “Good morning, Sister Jones.”

Introduce yourself in a respectful and cheerful manner.

State your purpose, such as, “The bishop (or branch president) sent me to receive your fast offering.”

Hand the fast offering envelope to the member; he or she will place the fast offering in the envelope, record the amount on the donation slip, put the slip in the envelope, keep the copy of the slip as a receipt, and return the envelope to you.

Return your envelopes to the person designated by the bishopric.

Discuss with the young men any other guidelines that might be applicable.

Role play

Ask one young man to take the role of an Aaronic Priesthood holder gathering fast offerings. Another young man will represent the person approached. Ask them to demonstrate the proper way to talk to the person answering the door in the following situations:

A child answers the door instead of an adult. (Ask for the child’s mother or father.)

The member is negative or angry. (Be courteous.)

New converts want to know how much to contribute. (A minimum guideline would be the price of two meals, but we have been counseled by the Church to be generous.)

Explain that there may be some families in the ward whose only contact with the Church is the home teacher or the young man who gathers fast offerings. Such families may judge the entire Church by the attitude of the young man who gathers fast offerings. By gathering fast offerings, young men give these families an opportunity to serve their Heavenly Father.

Aaronic Priesthood holders are authorized representatives of the Lord. By completing their assignments, young men help fulfill the Lord’s plan for the poor and needy. Faithful Aaronic Priesthood holders become partners with the bishop in giving every family in the ward an opportunity to share in the work of the Lord.

Conclusion

Testimony and challenge

Bear testimony that by gathering fast offerings the young men are helping Heavenly Father and Jesus care for the poor and needy. Challenge the young men to take this responsibility seriously and to fulfill it with dignity to the best of their ability.

Lesson 5

Faith in Jesus Christ

Objective

Each young man will more fully recognize that faith in Jesus Christ is vital to an Aaronic Priesthood holder and that it can have significant effects in his life.

Preparation

Materials needed:

Scriptures for each young man.

A few hymnbooks.

(Optional) Obtain or prepare a tape recording of the hymn “I Know That My Redeemer Lives” (Hymns, no. 136).

Assign a young man to relate the account of David and Goliath from 1 Samuel 17.

Suggested Lesson Development

First Principle of the Gospel: Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ

Story

Read the following story:

Ellen awoke suddenly and sensed that something was wrong. The house was still. She listened in the silence and tried to discover what the danger could be. Within minutes, she knew what it was, and she screamed it, shattering the midnight quiet. “Smoke! Mom! Rob! Tracy! I smell smoke!” She made her way to the bedroom door and reached for the brass knob. It was hot to her touch. Thick smoke seeped under the doorsill. It curled into her nostrils and lungs, stinging, suffocating. Flames seared the other side of the closed door. She was trapped.

She groped her way to the small window on the far side of the room. Now she could hear the high-pitched shriek of fire engines in the distance. “Hurry . . . oh, please hurry,” she half sobbed. Fear for her own life left her for a moment as she thought of her family—Mom, little Tracy, and Rob—wonderful Rob, who had been both older brother and father to Ellen since Dad’s accident. Had they awakened in time to escape, or were they also sealed behind a wall of heat and flames?

She reached for the smooth, familiar pull of the attic window and felt the cool night air touch her face reassuringly. She could hear the frightened voices of onlookers below. Ellen leaned out the little window as far as she dared. “Help! Help me, please!”

“Look! There’s a girl up there in that high window!” a woman shouted. The screaming fire engines pulled into the drive. Ellen heard a man’s voice, “Hey you! . . . Up there! We’ve spread a net. You’ve got to jump into it. Jump straight down. The roof’s going to collapse any minute!” Ellen froze on the ledge. “Jump!” the man’s voice called again, urgently.

She heard a neighbor shout to the fireman, “The girl is blind! She can’t see where to jump.” Suddenly, Ellen heard Rob’s voice.

“Ellen . . . it’s me, Rob. I’m right below your window. Jump, Ellen. I’m here. I’ll catch you. Jump!”

Ellen took a deep breath and released her grip on the ledge. “I’m coming, Rob,” she whispered, as she leaped from the small attic window.

Chalkboard and discussion

What one word describes what this story is about? (Faith.)

Write the word Faith at the top left of the chalkboard.

As far as Ellen was concerned, what differences were there between the fireman and Rob? (She knew her brother and had faith in him.)

Recitation

Have the young men repeat the fourth article of faith:

“We believe that the first principles and ordinances of the Gospel are: first, Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ; second, Repentance; third, Baptism by immersion for the remission of sins; fourth, Laying on of hands for the gift of the Holy Ghost” (Articles of Faith 1:4).

Next to the word Faith on the chalkboard, add the phrase in the Lord Jesus Christ.

Why is it so important to have faith in Jesus Christ? (Only through faith can we repent of our sins and become like Christ.)

Explain that all of us have sinned, but Jesus Christ suffered for our sins, that we might be made pure. Only by showing faith in Jesus Christ through obedience and repentance can we receive forgiveness for our sins and return to our Heavenly Father’s presence.

Scripture story and discussion

Have a young man tell in his own words the story of David and Goliath (see 1 Samuel 17).

Have the young men read 1 Samuel 17:26.

Why was David surprised that Goliath was challenging Israel? (Because of David’s faith that the army of Israel was the army of the living God.)

Have the young men read 1 Samuel 17:28–29.

What was David’s response when his older brother Eliab became angry with him for leaving his sheep to go fight Goliath? (“Is there not a cause?”)

Have the young men read 1 Samuel 17:36–37, 40, 46–49.

Express your feelings about David, who showed great faith in the Lord in accepting Goliath’s challenge. Although David was a young man, he met and successfully conquered Goliath.

Do we have any challenges that appear like Goliaths to us in our lives?

Remind the young men of challenges like resisting peer pressure, successfully completing difficult school subjects, reading and understanding the meaning of some of the scriptures, learning a new sport, learning a new craft or skill, completing a large book, and not taking lightly our priesthood responsibilities.

Explain that each of us will meet obstacles in our lives. If we have the same confidence and faith that David had, the results will likely be similar.

Quotation

Read what President Spencer W. Kimball said regarding faith:

“You will meet Goliaths who threaten you. Whether your Goliath is a town bully or is the temptation to steal or to destroy or the temptation to rob or the desire to curse and swear; if your Goliath is the desire to wantonly destroy or the temptation to lust and to sin, or the urge to avoid activity, whatever is your Goliath, he can be slain. But remember, to be the victor, one must follow the path that David followed:

“‘David behaved himself wisely in all his ways; and the Lord was with him’ (1 Samuel 18:14)” (in Conference Report, Oct. 1974, p. 116; or Ensign, Nov. 1974, p. 82).

Discussion

What can we do to overcome the Goliaths that we have in our lives?

Allow the young men time to discuss their ideas. Emphasize the following ideas: seeking help and support from family, friends, and Church leaders; studying the problem thoroughly and praying for a confirmation of a decision; studying the scriptures for guidance and inspiration; and praying and fasting.

Jesus Christ Blesses Those Who Have Faith in Him

Story and discussion

Explain that the following story, told by Bishop H. Burke Peterson of the Presiding Bishopric, is a true example of the power of faith in Jesus Christ:

“Some years ago I was a bishop of a ward in the United States. We had a group of young people in our ward who were fine examples of what Latter-day Saints ought to be. They got acquainted with a young teenage girl who was not a member of the Church. This teenage girl was deaf, but she had learned to read lips with her eyes, and if you stood in front of her and spoke to her, she could tell what you were saying by reading your lips. She also had an illness of her heart. She was unable to engage in any athletics with the other girls. The Mormon boys and girls were friendly to her and considerate of her and understanding. She liked the way they treated her. She liked their example. Soon she was invited to listen to the missionaries give the lessons. As they concluded the lessons, she believed what she had been taught and asked her parents if she could be baptized. They also had heard the lessons, but they didn’t accept the truth as she did. They did give their permission for her to be baptized, however.

“One Saturday afternoon we gathered at the baptismal font as this young deaf girl entered into the water. After the baptism she was to be confirmed a member of the Church. The elders asked me if I would like to stand in the circle. I did. I knew she wouldn’t be able to hear the confirmation and blessing from the elder because she couldn’t see his lips, so I listened very attentively to the blessing of the elder as he confirmed her a member of the Church. I wanted to tell her what he said after it was over.

“The blessing was given by the elder. I could hardly believe my ears when I heard what he said, for he said some things that I would not believe possible. He had full faith that the Lord would grant the blessings he had given.

“After the confirmation and blessing I invited the young lady to come into my office. She sat down in front of me as I was prepared now to tell her of the blessing that the elder had just given her. I said, ‘Nancy, I would like to tell you of the blessing that the elder gave you.’ She looked at me and said, ‘Bishop Peterson, I heard the blessing.’ From that time on Nancy Fuller could hear. She was no longer deaf. From that time on she could play volleyball and play softball and play tennis because her heart had also been healed” (in Conference Report, Korea Area Conference 1975, p. 25).

What power enabled Nancy Fuller to be healed? (The power of the priesthood along with her faith and the elder’s faith.)

How can we strengthen our faith in Jesus Christ?

List the young men’s responses on the chalkboard.

Conclusion

Testimony

You may wish to conclude the lesson by bearing personal witness to the power that faith in Jesus Christ can have in the life of each young man. Testify that only through faith in Jesus Christ can we meet the challenges of life and return to our Heavenly Father.

Tape recording

Ask the young men to think about the Savior as they listen to the recording of the hymn “I Know That My Redeemer Lives.” You may also distribute hymnbooks and let them follow along with the words, or they may enjoy singing this hymn or reciting its words. Challenge them to memorize the entire hymn.

Lesson 6

The Holy Ghost

Objective

Each young man will develop a closer companionship with the Holy Ghost and will learn to benefit from his promptings.

Preparation

Materials needed:

Scriptures for each young man.

Two pencils and two sheets of paper.

One electric light bulb.

Write each of the following scriptures on a separate piece of paper. Fold the papers and put them all in a container. Do not include the statement following each scripture reference. These statements are for you as the adviser; write them on the chalkboard during the lesson as you discuss each scripture.

1 Nephi 10:17. (The Holy Ghost is the power by which visions are seen.)

1 Nephi 10:19. (He unfolds mysteries.)

1 Nephi 10:22. (He gives authority to bear witness of the truth.)

2 Nephi 31:12. (We receive the gift of the Holy Ghost after we are baptized.)

2 Nephi 32:5. (He shows us all things we should do.)

2 Nephi 32:8. (He teaches us to pray.)

Alma 5:46. (He testifies of the truth.)

Helaman 5:45–47. (He gives feelings of peace.)

Moroni 8:26. (He is a comforter.)

Moroni 10:5. (He teaches the truth of all things.)

Moroni 10:8. (He gives gifts of the Spirit.)

Suggested Lesson Development

Functions of the Holy Ghost

Scripture chase

Divide the young men into two groups and give each group a pencil and a sheet of paper. Let each group alternate in drawing a folded paper from the container until all the papers with the references are divided equally between the groups. At a given signal, have each group begin looking up their references. As they locate and read the scriptures, they are to determine who the scriptures are referring to and write a few key words beneath each reference stating what this person does. When both groups have finished, continue with the lesson.

To whom are these scriptures referring? (The Holy Ghost.)

Chalkboard and discussion

Write the words Holy Ghost at the top of the chalkboard. Write each scripture reference on the chalkboard and have the two groups state what each scripture says concerning the Holy Ghost. Write each statement by the reference it refers to.

Obtaining the Companionship of the Holy Ghost

Story

Read the following story:

In the monthly fast and testimony meeting, Andrew had witnessed the confirmation of his younger brother, Brian, as a member of the Church. The words of the confirmation prayer, “Receive the Holy Ghost,” had been particularly impressive to Brian. After the service, however, he confided in Andrew that he really didn’t think he had received the Holy Ghost since he did not feel any different after being confirmed than he had before.

Quotation and discussion

If you were Andrew, how would you explain receiving the Holy Ghost to your brother?

Let the young men discuss this question. Then read the following quotation by President Marion G. Romney:

“Every one of us who are members of the Church has had hands laid upon our heads, and we have been given, as far as ordinance can give it, the gift of the Holy Ghost. But, as I remember, when I was confirmed, the Holy Ghost was not directed to come to me; I was directed to ‘Receive the Holy Ghost.’ If I receive the Holy Ghost and follow his guidance, I will be among those who are protected and carried through these troubled times” (in Conference Report, Oct. 1961, p. 60).

Explain that when we are confirmed members of the Church, we receive the gift of the Holy Ghost, but not necessarily the companionship of the Holy Ghost.

What is the difference between the gift of the Holy Ghost and the companionship of the Holy Ghost?

Object lesson

How do we obtain the companionship of the Holy Ghost?

Hand a young man an electric light bulb and ask him to make it glow.

What must we do to make an electric light bulb glow?

Have the young men discuss the necessary requirements for enjoying electric light in their homes. Bring out the following points:

Have confidence that electricity will work before having it installed.

Have the house wired and prepared to receive electricity.

Have money to pay the cost of the electricity used.

Connect the wiring in the house with the main power line.

Have a properly working lamp plugged into an electrical outlet.

Put the bulb into the socket and turn the switch that will allow the electricity to light up the bulb.

What similarities are there between using electricity in the home and obtaining the companionship of the Holy Ghost?

Desire the companionship of the Holy Ghost.

Learn more about the Holy Ghost.

Sincerely request through prayer the guidance of the Holy Ghost.

Live worthy of this holy companionship.

Listening to and Benefiting from the Holy Ghost

Thought questions

Point out to the young men that recognizing the influence of the Holy Ghost is sometimes difficult. Ask the following thought questions, but do not have the young men answer aloud.

How does the Holy Ghost give guidance?

How can we recognize the influence of the Holy Ghost?

How can we know that we are being guided by the Holy Ghost?

If we make a right decision, how will we know?

If we make a wrong decision, how will we know?

Scripture and discussion

Explain that there are many different ways that the Holy Ghost can give guidance. Oliver Cowdery, the Prophet Joseph Smith’s scribe in translating the Book of Mormon, was given some helpful guidelines.

Ask a young man to read Doctrine and Covenants 9:7–9 while the others mark these verses in their scriptures.

When we desire an answer to a problem from the Lord, what does this scripture tell us we should do? (Study the problem out in our mind and make a decision. Then pray and ask if our decision is right.)

How will we know whether we have made the right decision? (We will have a burning in our bosom if we made the right decision. We will have a stupor of thought if we made the wrong decision.)

Quotation

Tell the young men that the following statement by Elder Marion G. Romney further explains how we may be guided by the Spirit:

“Now, my brothers and sisters, we need to seek [the] Spirit. We need to realize that it is a real guide. The Lord has given us several tests by which we may know when we have that Spirit. . . .

“Now, I tell you that you can make every decision in your life correctly if you can learn to follow the guidance of the Holy Spirit. This you can do if you will discipline yourself to yield your own feelings to the promptings of the Spirit. Study your problems and prayerfully make a decision. Then take that decision and say to him, in a simple, honest supplication, ‘Father, I want to make the right decision. I want to do the right thing. This is what I think I should do; let me know if it is the right course.’ Doing this, you can get the burning in your bosom, if your decision is right. If you do not get the burning, then change your decision and submit a new one. . . . I know what it is to have this burning witness. I know also that there are other manifestations of guidance by the Spirit” (in Conference Report, Oct. 1961, pp. 60–61).

Remind the young men that all righteous decisions must be made with the help of our Father in Heaven. Even the Savior never did or said anything that was not the will of his Father (see John 5:30).

Conclusion

Adviser presentation

Emphasize that the gift of the Holy Ghost is a great blessing given to those who have been confirmed members of the Church. If we live worthy of his companionship, he will help us to complete our missions here on earth successfully. He will do this by guiding us, protecting us, comforting us, and helping us to come to Christ.

Story

Read or relate the following story of how the Holy Ghost helped Elder Bruce R. McConkie of the Council of the Twelve Apostles:

“One of my earliest childhood recollections is of riding a horse through an apple orchard. The horse was tame and well broken, and I felt at home in the saddle.

“But one day something frightened my [horse], and he bolted through the orchard. I was swept from the saddle by the overhanging limbs, and one leg slipped down through the stirrup. I desperately hung to an almost broken leather strap that a cowboy uses to tie a lariat to his saddle. My weight should have broken the strap, but somehow it held for the moment. Another lunge or two of the stampeding horse would have broken the strap or wrenched it from my hands and left me to be dragged to injury or death with my foot entangled in the stirrup.

“Suddenly the horse stopped, and I became aware that someone was holding the bridle tightly and attempting to calm the quivering animal. Almost immediately I was snatched up into the arms of my father.

“What had happened? What had brought my father to my rescue in the split second before I slipped beneath the hoofs of my panic-driven horse?

“My father had been sitting in the house reading the newspaper when the Spirit whispered to him, ‘Run out into the orchard!’

“Without a moment’s hesitation, not waiting to learn why or for what reason, my father ran. Finding himself in the orchard without knowing why he was there, he saw the galloping horse and thought, I must stop this horse.

“He did so and found me. And that is how I was saved from serious injury or possible death” (“Hearken to the Spirit,” Friend, Sept. 1972, p. 10).

Discussion

How did the Holy Ghost help Elder McConkie? (The Holy Ghost told his father where to go and how to rescue him.)

Tell the young men of times when you have been led by the Spirit and allow them to do so as well.

Explain that many people may not feel they have had such experiences, but they likely have not learned to recognize when they are being inspired and led by the Holy Ghost.

Testimony and challenge

Bear your testimony of the importance of being worthy to receive inspiration from the Holy Ghost and of being willing to listen and follow his promptings.

Challenge the young men to listen and respond to the promptings of the Holy Ghost in their daily lives.

Lesson 7

“A Mighty Change of Heart”

Objective

Each young man will realize that through faith in Jesus Christ, he can find the power to master and improve himself.

Preparation

Materials needed:

Scriptures for each young man.

Several ropes or long strings.

Pencil and paper for each young man.

If available, a copy of For the Strength of Youth for each young man.

Review the standards given in For the Strength of Youth.

Suggested Lesson Development

The Lord Will Strengthen Us as We Overcome Our Weaknesses

Demonstration

Invite a young man who has a good self-image and a positive attitude to come to the front of the group. Explain that he represents a young man who has begun to develop some bad habits. As you mention such habits as lying, procrastination, cheating, laziness, and profanity, place the ropes or strings over his shoulders, around his neck, and elsewhere on his body. Tie several knots in the rope to represent the binding effects of bad habits. After placing several ropes on the young man, discuss the following questions:

What effect do bad habits have on our lives?

How can we break these habits?

Help the young men understand that we can overcome bad habits by developing self-mastery with the Lord’s help.

Quotations

Tell the young men that the following two quotations can help us understand the importance of developing self-control:

“Self-discipline . . . is doing something that needs to be done whether or not you find it convenient. Self-discipline is usually motivated by our convictions, our internal hopes, and our desires” (Robert L. Simpson, “Your 1975 Game Plan,” Speeches of the Year, 1975 [Provo: Brigham Young University Press, 1976], p. 321).

President Spencer W. Kimball quotes an unknown author as follows:

“‘The height of a man’s success is gauged by his self-mastery; the depth of his failure by his self-abandonment. . . . He who cannot establish a dominion over himself will have no dominion over others. He who masters himself shall be king’” (The Miracle of Forgiveness [Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1969], p. 176).

Choices Have Consequences

Story and discussion

Read or tell the following story. Ask the young men to think of ways to compare it to their own lives.

“A group of young men once found the abandoned frame of an old truck in the hills overlooking their town. Upon close inspection they discovered all four tires and the steering mechanism to be in fairly good condition. Enthusiastically they pushed it up a slight incline near a grassy meadow and jumped aboard. The old wreck coasted to the other end of the meadow and came to a gentle stop.

“After a series of trials on mild inclines, one of the boys suggested trying it out on the street leading to town. Two of the group insisted that it wasn’t safe and left, but the other six eagerly pitched in and maneuvered the rickety conveyance onto a nearby road. By pushing it, they were able to pick up quite a bit of speed before they threw themselves across its creaking cross members. They soon came to a place where the road tilted downward, and they didn’t have to push any more. As the wreck began picking up speed one of the boys jumped off, exclaiming that anyone would have to be crazy to take that kind of risk.

“The remaining passengers jeered at him and laughed that anyone could be frightened of such innocent fun—that is, all but one of them jeered. He was becoming nervous as he watched pavement whizzing by beneath him. Finally, without a word, he leaped off the back. Rolling over and over, he finally came to a stop, badly bruised, but relieved to be freed from the wild conveyance and glad to be in one piece.

“As the vehicle’s velocity increased, the four remaining boys became very nervous. Because there were no brakes, the relic was rapidly becoming difficult to control. One boy leaped from the back and attempted to alight running, but fell forward and broke an arm. Another tried to jump free, but fell beneath the wheel, suffering serious injuries.

“Soon the vehicle reached such a fast speed that it became almost impossible to steer. At that point the two remaining boys could only hang on desperately and hope for the best. The ride came to an abrupt stop when the old truck frame left the road and slammed into a huge tree. One boy was killed; the other boy was crippled for life” (Teachers Study Course Series A [Aaronic Priesthood manual, 1976], pp. 29–30).

At what point did the boys have complete control of their actions?

At what point was the situation completely out of control?

Why do people who are doing things that might have disastrous consequences try to persuade others to go along with them?

Which takes more courage, to participate in a dangerous activity, or to refuse to go along with the group?

How might this story be compared to the choices and consequences we face in our lives?

Point out that when the boys first came upon the abandoned wreck, they had complete control of the situation. As they permitted the vehicle to pick up speed, there was less and less they could do to stop it safely. Finally, those who remained in the vehicle lost all control over the outcome of their adventure.

Explain that like Satan, who wants us to be as miserable as he is, people on the path to disaster frequently want to take others with them. It often takes much more courage to resist their pressure than to accompany them in their foolish activities.

Chalkboard and discussion

Write on the chalkboard the terms physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual. Discuss how these terms apply to the young men’s lives. Ask the young men to name some goals they would like to set to develop more self-discipline. You may need to give a few examples to begin their thinking. Write the young men’s contributions on the chalkboard under the appropriate category. Your finished chalkboard might look something like this:

Physical

Go to bed earlier

Get up earlier

Work and exercise

Obey the Word of Wisdom

Spiritual

Obey the commandments

Read the scriptures regularly

Fast sincerely

Attend Church meetings

Pray regularly and sincerely

Pay a full tithe

Emotional

Control my temper

Be kind to others

Mental

Do homework on time

Read good books

Think only clean thoughts

Explain that during their lives, the young men will have choices to make in all of these areas; the self-discipline they develop will help them to make proper decisions.

What are some of the ways we can discipline ourselves?

Explain to the young men that it is not enough to break our bad habits; we must repent. Emphasize that we need the Lord’s help to repent of our sins and break bad habits. Share the following statement from President Ezra Taft Benson:

“If we truly seek to put away sin, we must first look to Him who is the Author of our salvation [Jesus Christ]. . . .

“When King Benjamin finished his remarkable address in the land of Zarahemla, the people [said], ‘The Spirit of the Lord Omnipotent . . . has wrought a mighty change in us, or in our hearts, . . . that we have no more disposition to do evil, but to do good continually.’ (Mosiah 5:2.)

“When we have undergone this mighty change, which is brought about only through faith in Jesus Christ and through the operation of the Spirit upon us, it is as though we have become a new person . . . [We] have no more disposition to return to [our] old ways” (“A Mighty Change of Heart,” Ensign, Oct. 1989, pp. 2–5).

Conclusion

Activity and challenge

Pass out a pencil and a sheet of paper to each young man. Challenge each young man to list three long-range goals he would like to achieve that require self-discipline. These goals may include career ambitions (such as becoming a good teacher or a carpenter) and goals from the four areas you have discussed; for example, a young man may wish to focus on obtaining a college or vocational education, serving a mission, being married in the temple, or developing a better disposition. Ask each young man to list one or two specific things he could do each day to help himself meet these goals. Ask him to note every night whether he has done the specific things he has listed for that particular goal. For example, if the young man has chosen temple marriage or spiritual improvement as his long-range goal, he may list “do something nice for someone” and “read scriptures for ten minutes” as his two daily goals. Each day as he meets these goals he should check them off.

Encourage the young men to review the standards outlined in For the Strength of Youth. Challenge the young men to follow these standards each day.

Lesson 8

“Honour Thy Father”

Objective

Each young man will show love, honor, and support for his father as the presiding authority in the home.

Preparation

Materials needed:

Scriptures for each young man.

Pencils for marking scriptures.

A delicious looking piece of fruit.

Prepare a poster with the following statement by President Hugh B. Brown:

“Fatherhood is next to Godhood, and therefore it takes a lifetime to become a good father” (“Each Must Live with Himself,” Improvement Era, Dec. 1963, p. 1095).

One week before giving the lesson, contact the father of each young man (or mother if there is no father in the home). Ask each father or mother to write a short letter of tribute to his or her son, mentioning specific things the son does or has done to honor and help his father or mother. If the young man has no father or mother, ask a relative or guardian to relate how this young man’s actions have honored someone in his life.

Suggested Lesson Development

A Father Is a Patriarch

Role play

Have the young men role-play the following situations. Allow a few minutes for each group to discuss their parts.

Episode 1: Choose three or four young men to role-play a family council where no one is the leader and each member argues for his own idea concerning a family activity. Each family member disagrees with the other suggestions and wants only his idea.

After the role play, ask the following question:

Why couldn’t they make a decision?

Episode 2: Choose three or four young men to demonstrate an exemplary family council where the father leads, each member’s ideas are considered, and all participate in reaching a decision.

After the role play, discuss the following question:

What made it possible for this family to make a decision?

Poster

Display the poster of the statement by President Hugh B. Brown (see preparation). Explain that much of the success in becoming a good father depends on the love and support he receives from his family.

Chalkboard and discussion

Write the word Patriarch on the chalkboard, and ask the young men to explain what the word means to them. The young men may refer to the stake patriarch in their answers. Explain that in Old Testament times a patriarch was the one chosen by the Lord to lead and preside over a family. You may point out that Adam, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob were all referred to as patriarchs.

Explain that as the leader of a family, a patriarch has the right and responsibility to receive revelation for his family.

Quotation

Read the following quotation to help the young men further understand a father’s important role.

“In reality, each family is a dominion within itself. Father heads that government. In the beginning it was the only government on the earth and was passed down from Adam to his descendants. Properly organized in the Church, the father is the patriarch of an eternal family unit. Heaven, to us, will be simply an extension of an ideal home. As the presiding priesthood officer, the father fills an irreplaceable role” (A. Theodore Tuttle, in Conference Report, Oct. 1973, p. 86; or Ensign, Jan. 1974, p. 66).

Our Righteous Actions Honor Our Fathers

Scripture and discussion

Have a young man read Exodus 20:12.

What does it mean to honor your father?

Try to draw from the young men the idea that honoring one’s father includes living in a way that will bring him honor. Because a patriarch leads and presides over all his descendants, we should honor our fathers, grandfathers, and all of our ancestors. As we honor our fathers, we honor our Heavenly Father also.

Scripture and object lesson

Have a young man read Matthew 7:17–20. Suggest that the young men mark these verses in their Bibles. Hold up the fruit and discuss the following questions.

What can we tell about the tree that bore this good fruit?

Do you think the tree was poorly cared for or diseased? Why or why not?

How does the fruit reflect the kind of tree it came from?

How does what you are reflect upon your parents and family?

How could you show others that you come from a good home?

Explain that by our actions we either honor or dishonor our parents and families. Righteous actions honor our families.

Story

President David O. McKay once told of the great trust a young man had in his father and the way he showed his love and appreciation.

“A party of English botanists spent their vacation in the Swiss Alps collecting specimens of rare flowers. One morning they saw a peculiar flower, which grew in a small, green valley at the foot of a sheer precipice some several hundred feet high. During the latter part of their climb a small boy had attached himself to the party and had watched with interest the proceedings. One of the party turned to the boy and said, ‘Young man, if you will let us tie a rope around your waist and lower you over this cliff so that you can dig up one of those plants for us, and let us pull you back up, without harming the plant, we will give you five pounds.’

“The boy looked dazed for an instant then ran off, apparently frightened at the prospect of being lowered over the cliff by a rope, but within a short time he returned bringing with him an old man, bent and gray, with hands gnarled and calloused by hard labor. Upon reaching the party of botanists the boy turned to the man who had made the offer and said: ‘Sir, this is my dad. I’ll go down in the valley if you’ll let my dad hold the rope!’” (Melchizedek Priesthood Lessons, 1965, p. 86).

Chalkboard and discussion

At the top of the chalkboard write: How to Honor Our Fathers.

In what ways can young men honor their fathers?

Write the young men’s suggestions on the chalkboard under “How to Honor Our Fathers.” Their suggestions may include going to him for help and advice, following his advice, speaking to him and about him with respect, praying for him, asking for a blessing when problems or difficult questions arise, being his friend, doing things for him, and living a righteous life.

Discuss these ideas. Encourage the young men to tell how they have shown honor and respect to their fathers.

Honor Your Father in Heaven

Quotation

Read the following statement from Bishop Robert D. Hales.

“As a young man, I had an opportunity to serve in the U.S. Air Force as a jet-fighter pilot. Each unit in our squadron had a motto that would inspire its efforts. Our unit motto—displayed on the side of our aircraft—was ‘Return with Honor.’ This motto was a constant reminder to us of our determination to return to our home base with honor only after having expended all of our efforts to successfully complete every aspect of our mission.

“This same motto, ‘Return with Honor,’ can be applied to each of us in our eternal plan of progression. Having lived with our Heavenly Father and having come to earth life, we must have determination to return with honor to our heavenly home.”

How do we return to our Heavenly Father with honor?

“Just as aircraft pilots must obey certain rules in order to avoid disaster, there are laws, ordinances, and covenants we must understand and obey as we go through this earthly life—this preparatory period—if we are to reach our goal of eternal life” (in Conference Report, Apr. 1990, pp. 51–52; or Ensign, May 1990, p. 39).

Conclusion

Letters

Distribute the letters to the young men. Explain that their fathers (or mothers) wrote the letters and encourage the young men to read their letters privately. Suggest that the young men express their love and appreciation to their fathers during the week either verbally or by writing a letter to them. Challenge the young men to strive to be good examples in their home and to honor their fathers at all times. Each young man needs to understand that his own future fatherhood is a sacred blessing for which he must prepare.

Lesson 9

Respect for Mothers and Their Divine Role

Objective

Each young man will strengthen his relationship with his mother and respect her.

Preparation

Materials needed:

Scriptures for each young man.

Pencils for marking scriptures.

Pencil, paper, and envelope for each young man.

Before class, write the following questions on the chalkboard:

Who placed her life in jeopardy that you might come into this life?

Who has shown great love for you after your birth?

How can we best show appreciation for those who sacrifice so much for us?

Contact the mother of each young man in the quorum and ask her to relate at least one thing her son does to strengthen their mother-son relationship. Put all the mothers’ responses on a poster. If any of the young men does not have a mother, ask a relative or guardian to relate one way the young man helps at home.

Suggested Lesson Development

Mothers Are Important in God’s Plan

Chalkboard and discussion

Draw the attention of the young men to the questions on the chalkboard (see “Preparation”). Read all three questions aloud.

What one word answers the first two questions? (Mother.)

Tell the young men that you are going to leave the questions on the chalkboard so everyone can think about them during the lesson.

Explain that even though we all love and appreciate our mothers, we often take them for granted. Sometimes we don’t realize how much our mothers do for us until we have been away from them or away from home.

Story

Camping out had been an exciting experience for all the young men in one ward. The first few days they all said they were glad to be away from home. However, as the end of the camp drew near, they began to look forward to going home. As they gathered at their last meeting, the adviser asked the young men to share some thoughts they had about their mothers during the week at camp.

Ask the young men to present the following comments given by the young men on that final evening at camp.

“Do you know how my mother used the money she received for her birthday? It was supposed to be for a new dress, but instead, she used it for my new sleeping bag so that I could come to camp. Every time I crawl into that sleeping bag, I remember the sacrifice Mother made for me. She is always making sacrifices for me.”

“We all have to take our turn doing dishes at our house. Before I always thought of it as just a job that I had to get over with. When it was my turn at camp for dishes, I suddenly missed my mom. I realized that when I did them at home, she was always right there helping me so that we could use the time to talk. I really missed sharing my day’s activities and problems with her. It’s nice to know you have someone who will always listen when you need to talk.”

“I sat on a big rock and watched several squirrels scratching around, running back and forth. That reminded me of when I was little. I was always trying to catch insects or wild animals. My mom taught me that we should let them live free, as they were meant to, and not harm or frighten them by trying to catch them and cage them up. She loves animals and is always telling us that they are Heavenly Father’s creations, and that we should regard all life reverently.”

“You guys are probably really glad my mom taught me how to cook. Otherwise, you would have been very disappointed last night when we were all so hungry and it was my turn to cook. She says when I go on my mission, I’m going to be glad I learned a few things about cooking. I don’t have to wait—I’m glad right now.”

“Last Sunday my sister had her baby blessed in fast and testimony meeting. When she bore her testimony, she said she had never really appreciated our mother until she had her own child. Now she realizes a mother’s time, money, effort, and thoughts are for her children. When I saw that little baby, I thought about how I started out just like that and how much my mom had to do for me just to get me up to this point. Watching my sister take care of her baby really helped me appreciate my mom.”

Chalkboard and discussion

(Use good judgment and consideration if any of the young men do not have mothers in their home.) Ask the young men to help make a list of the contributions their mothers make to them and their family. Write on the chalkboard as many things as the young men can think of in two or three minutes. You will not have time to make a complete list of everything, but include enough things that they can see how many acts of service and love mothers perform every day that we all take for granted. To get the young men started, you might have them imagine they are just getting up in the morning; then have them go through a typical day, picking out their mothers’ contributions.

Conclude from the list that we should give our mothers our love and gratitude, as well as our honor and respect.

Quotation

Read and discuss the following statement by President David O. McKay:

“Motherhood is the one thing in all the world which most truly exemplifies the God-given virtues of creating and sacrificing. . . . The mother who, in compliance with eternal law, brings into the world an immortal spirit occupies first rank in the realm of creation” (Gospel Ideals [Salt Lake City: Improvement Era, 1953], p. 456).

Scripture

Read John 15:13. Have the young men underline this scripture.

Point out that we honor soldiers returning from battlefields for being willing to risk their lives for us, yet every mother who gives birth shows her willingness to lay down her life for that child. We do not always show the honor and express the gratitude we should to our mothers. Not only do they go through the pain and danger of birth that we might be born, but they also sacrifice their time and talents throughout their lives to raise us.

We Can Strengthen Our Relationship with Our Mothers

Scripture and discussion

Draw the young men’s attention to the last question on the chalkboard. Do not ask for an answer at this time. Point out that Christ set the example for us. When he was on the cross, one of his last thoughts was for the welfare of his mother.

Have a young man read John 19:25–27.

Even though Jesus was suffering, he was so concerned for his mother that he asked John to take care of her.

What can you do to show your concern and appreciation for your mother?

Poster

Encourage each young man to contribute at least one idea. Explain that one thing that makes mothers happy is to have close, loving relationships with their sons. Show the young men the poster you have prepared. Tell them you interviewed their mothers and these are some of the things that the mothers felt strengthened their relationship with their sons. Discuss the ideas presented.

Quotation

President David O. McKay said, speaking of mothers, “If you tell her in a letter of your appreciation and love, she will shed tears of happiness” (“The True Mother,” Instructor, May 1960, p. 142).

Activity

Distribute pencils, paper, and an envelope to each young man. Ask each young man to write a note of love and appreciation to his mother. Each young man may want to include a few commitments to show greater respect for his mother and improve his relationship with her.

Conclusion

Suggest to the young men that as much as words of thanks and little acts of appreciation mean to our mothers, one of the best ways we can really thank them is by honoring our priesthood and growing up to be the honest, faithful individuals they would like us to be.

Challenge

Explain that each young man is like a monument to his mother. He may honor his mother or dishonor her by the way he lives. Challenge each young man to honor his mother by living a righteous life.

Lesson 10

Family Unity

Objective

Each young man will understand that he has an important place in his earthly family.

Preparation

Materials needed:

Scriptures for each young man.

Picture 3, Children Saying Goodnight to Parents; picture 4, Family Prayer; picture 5, Mary, Joseph, and Jesus (62495).

A pitcher of water and a drinking glass.

Prepare a simple jigsaw puzzle. Use a simple children’s puzzle, or make one of your own.

Suggested Lesson Development

The Family Holds an Important Place in Our Heavenly Father’s Plan

Pictures and discussion

Without telling the class what the lesson is about, show the pictures of the families.

What do each of these pictures have in common? (All scenes represent families.)

Refer to the pictures of the families and point to the picture of Joseph, Mary, and Jesus.

Why was Jesus sent into a family?

How did his family help him?

Scripture, chalkboard, and discussion

Have a young man read Luke 2:52 while the others follow in their scriptures.

What words in this scripture are used to represent the areas in which Jesus developed? (Wisdom, stature, favor with God and man.)

Prepare the chalkboard as shown:

Wisdom | Favor with God
Stature | Favor with Man

Explain that just as the Savior was sent into a family, we have been sent to a family to help us grow, mature, and develop in these same areas.

What is meant by wisdom? (Good judgment that comes from experience in making right decisions.)

How does your family help you increase in wisdom?

List the young men’s responses on the chalkboard under “Wisdom.”

You may want to share a brief experience you have had with your family that helped you grow in wisdom.

Quotation

Explain that President N. Eldon Tanner of the First Presidency told how he learned to become a responsible and dependable person as follows:

“Speaking of being dependable in every way, I had an experience when I was a boy that gave me a great lift and a great understanding of dependability. My father was going away on Church business and he said to my brother and me, ‘I wish you’d do this and this while I’m away.’ We thought he’d be gone most of the afternoon. We were living on a farm, and we saw some calves in the corral that we thought we’d like to ride and then do the work after.

“Father came home earlier than we had anticipated, and he called me over to him and he said, ‘My boy, I thought I could depend on you.’ . . . As I thought it over, I determined I would never give anyone a reason to say, ‘I thought I could depend on Eldon Tanner,’ and then as I went to bed that night and prayed to the Lord, I determined and promised him that I would try to live so that he would never have reason to say, ‘I thought I could depend on you’” (in Conference Report, Paris France Area Conference 1976, p. 25).

Chalkboard and discussion

What is meant by stature? (Physical development and growth. It can also mean becoming a respected person in the neighborhood.)

How does your family help you grow in stature and develop physically? (By providing shelter, medical attention, and food, and by encouraging you to develop skills and talents.)

As the young men answer, list their responses on the chalkboard under “Stature.”

What do you think it means to grow “in favor with God”? (God approves of our actions and is pleased with us.)

What are some ways your family can help you to grow in favor with God? (By teaching us how to live gospel principles, by having regular family home evenings and family prayer, by studying the scriptures and attending church with us, and by helping us prepare talks for church.)

List the young men’s responses on the chalkboard under “Favor with God.”

Ask the young men to share any experiences they may have had when a family member helped them become closer to the Lord. You may want to share an experience of your own.

What does it mean to increase in favor with man? (To learn to get along well with others.)

What characteristics can your family teach you that can help you get along well with others?

List the young men’s responses on the chalkboard under “Favor with Man.” Some responses might be sharing, consideration, respect, cooperation, dependability, love, responsibility, tolerance, and patience.

Our Family Influences Us, and We Influence Our Families

Object lesson

Place a pitcher of water and a drinking glass on the table. Explain that the pitcher represents our family and the glass represents us. The water represents the help our family gives us. Our families can help fill us with the physical, mental, and spiritual things we need.

Turn the glass upside down.

What will happen if we try to fill an upside-down drinking glass?

How are we sometimes like an upside-down drinking glass? (We won’t accept the help our families give us.)

Turn the drinking glass right side up and fill it with water. Explain that when we accept the help our families give us, it is like filling the glass with water.

How does your family help you?

Refer to the chart on the chalkboard.

Are there any other ways your family helps you?

After the young men respond, pour the glass of water back into the pitcher.

How do you help your family?

List the responses on the right side of the chalkboard.

Explain that each young man is only one person, yet he has the power to influence many. Our families are our closest contacts. Although we love our families more than we love anyone else, we sometimes show them the least love and respect. They feel our daily moods and are influenced by our actions. Our moods may reflect their moods, and their moods will often reflect ours. Because of this, we need to be continually aware of how we are influencing others and try always to have a positive, happy influence.

Story

The following story shows how we can influence our families for good.

“We are most fortunate to have in our home a handsome seventeen-year-old son named John. He has always been a wonderful child to live with, but about a year ago we began to notice that he was even more special than usual. He became our peacemaker. Whenever there was a problem in the house, it was his quiet, calm approach that soon brought peace to our household again. Whenever someone was having a hard day or had had a disappointment, we would find John talking to him quietly in a corner and encouraging him until the sad heart was lifted up again. Several times members of the family shared with me notes he had written to them, telling them that he loved them and thought they were special.

“Finally, I went to him and told him we had noticed and appreciated his influence in the family and asked him if there was a reason for the wonderful attitude he had shown to all of us. I shall never forget his answer. He said, ‘I have been reading the scriptures every day and they have changed my life.’ Indeed they had changed his life and, in doing so, had changed the life and spirit of our entire family.”

Chalkboard

In what ways had John helped his family? List the young men’s responses on the chalkboard under “Favor with Man.”

Each Aaronic Priesthood Holder Has an Important Place in His Family

Puzzle and discussion

Give two or three of the young men a simple puzzle with a piece missing, and ask them to assemble it. When they ask about the missing piece, supply it for them. When they have finished, gather all the puzzle pieces before continuing.

Why was the missing piece of the puzzle important to the rest of the puzzle?

Would it make any difference which puzzle piece was missing? (All of the pieces are necessary to complete the puzzle.)

How might the puzzle and missing piece relate to families?

Even though we may have many members in our family, why do we still feel incomplete when one member is missing?

Help the group understand that each person has a special place in his family and a unique contribution to make.

Explain that a mother once commented that each child held a special place in her heart and in her family that no other person or family member could hold. When that child was gone, she said, she felt an emptiness or void until the child returned. Such is the case with each of us, both in our earthly families and in our heavenly family. There will always be a special place just for us; when we are gone, we will be missed, and there will be an emptiness until we return. Our Heavenly Father misses us when we are gone from his presence and wants each of us to return to his heavenly family just as our earthly parents do. He has blessed us with families in mortality to help us develop those qualities we need to return to him.

Story

The following story illustrates how families feel about each individual family member.

“As we traveled home from our vacation, our station wagon was loaded with suitcases and people. Grandma and Grandpa had joined us that year, so there were eight in the car. When we stopped for gas, the children piled out of the car to stretch their legs and run around. When Steve came back to get into the car, I noticed his bare feet were covered with oil and grease, so I handed him his shoes and stockings and told him to go wash his feet and put on his shoes, and then he could get into the back where he so liked to be.

“In the meantime, we gassed the car and pulled over to an adjacent quick-foods stand where we bought lemonade to drink with our lunch. Then we set off toward home.

“In about a half hour, as lunchtime approached, I began passing out sandwiches. ‘Stevie,’ I called to the back of the station wagon, ‘what kind of sandwich do you want?’

“I couldn’t hear his answer over the many voices, so I repeated my question a little louder. No response came. And then the children began shouting, ‘Stevie isn’t here. He’s not in the car. We left him way back there at the gas station.’

“It was true. Stevie was not with us. I felt a cold chill come over me and my whole body racked with anxiety to the point that I almost became physically ill. My little Steve was back there all alone at the station scared and wondering why we had left him.

“We could not cross the freeway immediately, so we kept traveling away from our little, lost boy until my husband spotted a turn-around area. Now headed in the right direction, we could hardly control our speed as we hurried back toward the gas station.

“Those forty-five minutes seemed like forty-five hours. All sorts of thoughts rushed through my mind. What if the highway patrol picked him up and tried to catch us! Here we were on our way back. They’d never find us. What if someone else picked him up! Was he hysterically sobbing and scared to death? We were each trying to comfort the others. Brothers and sisters were whimpering and frightened for him. Grandma was on the edge of her seat. Dad was driving as fast as he safely could. Grandpa was urging him on. At the same time, he was trying to keep me reassured that we’d soon be there and all would be well.

“As we drove into the station, there stood Stevie holding tightly to the hand of a kind man who had waited there with him all that time. The man had been comforting him and reassuring him that his family would soon be back for him. Stevie wasn’t crying, but he looked upset and scared. We screeched to a stop and I threw open my door. He ran and jumped into my arms. As we both began to sob, our mingled tears seemed to wash away our agony and fear. There were tears of joy on every cheek in the car. The reunion was something none of us will forget. To be back together, all of us as one family, was an indescribable joy. While one of us was lost, every thought, every heartbeat, and every prayer was for him; only when he was found were we one again.”

Conclusion

Testimony

Bear witness to the young men of the importance of families and the importance of each individual member. You may desire to express your feelings about your own family.

Challenge

Challenge each young man to take one quality from those listed on the chalkboard and strive to improve in that particular area of his life during the coming week.

Lesson 11

“As I Have Loved You, Love One Another”

Objective

Each young man will treat others with kindness and respect.

Preparation

Materials needed:

Scriptures for each young man.

Pencils for marking scriptures.

Prepare a copy of John 13:34–35 for everyone in the class.

Review the counsel about friends given on pages 12–13 of For the Strength of Youth.

Suggested Lesson Development

We Should Treat Others Kindly

Story

Share the following story with the young men:

“Andy was a sweet, amusing little guy whom everyone liked but heckled just because that was the way one treated Andy Drake. He took the kidding well and always smiled back with those great big eyes which seemed to say, ‘Thank you, thank you, thank you,’ with each sweeping blink. When any of us . . . needed to vent our frustrations, Andy was our whipping boy, yet he seemed grateful to pay this special price for membership in our group. . . .

“. . . It’s plain now that our attitude was that it was our right for the rest of us to belong to the group but that Andy was there by our sufferance. We all really liked Andy, though, until that day—until that very moment.

“‘He’s different! We don’t want him, do we?’ Which one of us said it? . . . I can’t honestly say that I remember who said it, who spoke those words that brought out the savagery lying dormant in all of us. It doesn’t matter, because the fervor with which we all took up the cry revealed us. . . .

“This weekend was to be like so many others the group had enjoyed together. After school on Friday, we would meet at one of our homes—this time mine—for a campout in the nearby woods. Our mothers, who did most of the preparations for these [outings], always fixed an extra sack for Andy, who joined us after chores.

“. . . The others told me that since it was my party I should be the one to let Andy know that he wasn’t invited—I, who had long believed that Andy secretly thought a little more of me than the others because when he looked at me, he was very much like a pup trying to reveal all his loyalty with [his] eyes. I enjoyed that.

“I can still see Andy as he came toward us down the long, dark tunnel of trees which leaked only enough of the late evening light to kaleidoscope changing designs on his old sweat shirt. He was on his old, rusty bike, a girl’s model, with garden hose wired to the rims for tires. He appeared happier than I had ever seen him, this little guy who had been an adult all his life and who was finding in the group his first chance to relax and have a little fun.

“He waved to me as I stood in the camp clearing. I ignored his greeting. He climbed off his bike and trotted over to me, full of conversation. The others, well-concealed inside the tent, were completely quiet, but I could almost hear them listening.

“Why won’t he get serious? Can’t he see that I am not returning his gaiety? Can’t he see by now that his babblings aren’t reaching me? Then suddenly he did see; his innocent countenance opened ever more, leaving him totally vulnerable. His whole demeanor said, ‘It’s going to be very bad, isn’t it? Let’s have it.’ Undoubtedly well-practiced in facing disappointments, he didn’t even brace for the blow.

“Incredulously I heard myself say, ‘Andy, we don’t want you.’ Hauntingly vivid still is the stunning quickness with which two huge tears sprang into his eyes and just stayed there—vivid because I have had a million maddening reruns of the scene in my mind. This way he looked at me—frozen for an eternal moment—what was it? It wasn’t hate. Was it shock, unbelief, or—was it pity for me?

“Finally, a fleet little tremor broke across his lips, and he turned away without protest. . . .

“And then it was unanimous. No vote taken, no word spoken, but we all knew. We knew that we had done something horribly, cruelly wrong. We had destroyed an individual made in the image of God with the only weapon against which he had no defense—rejection” (Ben F. Burton, from Today’s Education, the Journal of the National Education Association, January 1967; used by permission).

Discussion

How do you think Andy must have felt? (Sad, worthless, lonely, discouraged, hopeless.)

How do you think the other boys felt? (Guilty, ashamed, mean, selfish, sad.)

How might this rejection affect Andy?

Scripture and discussion

When the Savior was on the earth, he showed us how to treat others. When we are in doubt about how to act towards another person—friend, enemy, or stranger—what guide can we follow?

To find the answer, ask the young men to turn to John 13:34–35 and read it silently.

What does Jesus tell us to do?

Explain that if we truly love the Savior, we will love one another. We can show this love by treating everyone kindly. If we say we love Jesus Christ but do not love others, we are not his true disciples.

If the other boys in the story had been kind to Andy, how might the story have ended?

Have you ever been in a situation similar to Andy’s and had someone treat you kindly? How did it make you feel?

If there is someone in the class who is not active, perhaps partly because he is different and is not well accepted by his peers, this may be an excellent time to discuss the situation. Ask the young men to commit themselves to follow Jesus’ teaching and reach out to less-active young men.

Young Men Who Are Kind Gain the Respect and Love of Others

Thought questions

Tell the young men to answer the following questions silently. Emphasize that the young men must be honest with themselves.

How do you feel when someone compliments you on the things you do?

What makes you feel worthwhile?

Do you want others to appreciate you sincerely?

Do you want others to recognize you as being someone of worth?

Discussion

How can a young man receive the love and respect he desires? (Those who are consistently kind to others gain the love and respect of others—and they feel good about themselves.)

Case studies and discussion

Present the following case studies:

Case Study 1

Tim had his own group of friends—Jeff, Chad, Matt, and Dave. They were always doing things together at school and at church. Of course there was an occasional disagreement, but it would quickly be resolved, and the boys would all be friends again. That is, until Bill moved into the ward. Tim noticed Bill the first Sunday he was there and said hello to him. But the rest of the boys were not as quick to befriend Bill. They just did not want him to be part of their group. Gradually, Bill became more and more friendly with Tim. Tim became aware that the rest of the boys were having less and less to do with him. He realized that it was because he had been trying to make Bill feel welcome.

If you were Tim or Bill, how would you feel?

What would the Savior want you to do? Why?

Case Study 2

Rob played his best, but still his team lost the game—not by much, but they did lose. As the boys on Rob’s team were talking to each other after the game, Rob heard one of them say, “If Paul hadn’t been on our team, we would have won. Paul’s so clumsy he trips over his own feet.” Rob looked around to see if Paul had heard the remark. Paul was gathering up the game equipment nearby, and Rob really didn’t know if Paul heard the criticism or not.

If Paul had heard the remarks, what might his reaction be? How would he feel?

How could these hurt feelings be avoided?

How can one unkind act lead to another?

Discussion

Ask the young men to suggest several ways they could treat others more kindly at home, school, or church. You may want to share a relevant personal experience in which someone was kind to you by helping you through an embarrassing or difficult situation by being considerate.

Invite the young men to share relevant experiences if they wish.

Explain that we never outgrow our need to follow the Savior’s example in loving one another, no matter how important we may think we are. We should always treat others with kindness and respect.

Story and discussion

Share the following story of the kindness a prophet of God showed to a traveling companion:

“From the very start of our journey, I was moved by President Kimball and Sister Kimball’s concern for the others traveling with them. When my wife and I boarded the airplane in Salt Lake City, we took seats to the side and in back of President Kimball. A few minutes after the plane took off and the seat belt sign was turned off, President Kimball turned around and said to us, ‘Are you comfortable?’ I was there to serve him and the others traveling with him, and yet he showed this concern for us. Throughout the entire trip this great, kind, friendly man was always interested in the welfare of the people around him. We felt so comfortable traveling with him because of his warmth and graciousness” (James O. Mason, “Traveling with a Missionary Prophet,” New Era, Oct. 1977, p. 6).

Is kindness to others a habit that can be learned? How?

Kindness to Others Shows Our Love for the Savior

Quotation and discussion

Explain the following situation:

For a youth conference, several young men were asked to take part in planning and giving a workshop called “The Worth of Service.” It was based on the theme “The little things.” They decided they must really live the message in order to give it to others, so for several months before the conference, they tried to give service by doing little things—for their families, neighbors, friends, bishop, and others. One of the young men on the committee bore the following testimony.

“I was used to praying each day, ‘Father, help me to have a good day.’ One day I decided that that was a rather selfish way of praying. I felt impressed that I would like to do something for Heavenly Father, so rather than asking, ‘Help me to have a good day,’ I asked Heavenly Father, ‘How can I help thee to have a good day today? What can I do for thee today? How can I make thee happy today?’

“And then the words came into my mind so clearly and so beautifully. ‘If you want to make me happy today, go out and find someone who needs you and do something for him. If you want to make me happy today, obey my commandments.’

“Making Heavenly Father happy is simply doing just that—serving his children and living his commandments.”

How does treating others with kindness and respect show love for our Father in Heaven?

Scripture and discussion

Have the young men turn to Doctrine and Covenants 42:38. Have the young men mark this scripture in their Doctrine and Covenants.

Give each young man a copy of John 13:34–35.

How can remembering these scriptures help us in our relationships with other people?

Conclusion

Challenge

Ask the young men to think about acts of kindness in light of these two scriptures and to be kind whenever the opportunity arises. Remind them that the best opportunities might come up at home with members of their own family or with people they presently don’t know very well or like very much.

Review the counsel given about friends on pages 12–13 of For the Strength of Youth. Challenge the young men to put this counsel into practice and find ways they can be kinder to other people during the coming week. Have the young men report their actions at the beginning of the next quorum meeting.

Lesson 12

Following the Living Prophet

Objective

Each young man will resolve to learn and follow the counsel of God’s ordained prophet.

Preparation

Materials needed:

Scriptures for each young man.

A picture of the living prophet.

(Optional) A key lock or combination lock.

Obtain a copy of a recent general conference address by the living prophet. Study it and prepare to share specific items of instruction that the living prophet has given that would be particularly meaningful to the class members.

Assign a young man to read Amos 3:7 and comment briefly on what the scripture means to him.

Suggested Lesson Development

Introduction

Optional object lesson

Have some or all of the young men try to open the lock without the right key or combination. Then ask why no one could open it. The young men will probably indicate that unless they have the right key or combination, they cannot open the lock. Explain that the prophet’s inspired instructions are like the key or combination. They reveal or unlock the will of the Lord to us. The prophet helps us learn the way to salvation and eternal life.

Quotations

As the servant of the Lord, the prophet receives “light and truth and revelation from him . . . to proclaim his truth” and to “give counsel and direction to the Saints and to the world” (Joseph Fielding Smith, in Conference Report, Apr. 1972, pp. 12–13; or Ensign, July 1972, p. 27).

Elder David B. Haight of the Council of the Twelve Apostles emphasized the way in which the prophet guides us as follows: “His voice becomes the voice of God to reveal new programs, new truths, new solutions. . . . He must be bold enough to speak truth even against popular clamor. . . . He must be certain of his divine appointment, of his celestial ordination, and of his authority to call to service, to ordain, to pass keys which fit eternal locks” (“Come, Listen to a Prophet’s Voice,” in Speeches of the Year, 1976 [Provo: Brigham Young University Press, 1977], p. 291).

The Lord Reveals His Will through His Prophet

Scripture report and discussion

Have the young men turn to Amos 3:7. Invite the assigned young man to read Amos 3:7 and give his comments on the scripture.

Read and discuss Doctrine and Covenants 1:38.

Whose voice is the same as the Lord’s voice?

Explain that these and other scriptures tell us that the Lord has always spoken through his prophets and that he will continue to do so. In 1829 the Lord told Joseph Smith, “This generation shall have my word through you” (D&C 5:10). When the Church was organized in 1830, Joseph Smith received another revelation in which he was told he would be called “a seer, . . . a prophet, an apostle of Jesus Christ, an elder of the church through the will of God the Father” (D&C 21:1). This passage describes the responsibility of all of the prophets who have led the Church from its organization to the present. The Lord emphatically stated that the inspired words of his ordained leaders are his words:

“And whatsoever they shall speak when moved upon by the Holy Ghost . . . shall be the will of the Lord, shall be the mind of the Lord, shall be the word of the Lord, shall be the voice of the Lord, and the power of God unto salvation” (D&C 68:4).

Quotation and discussion

Explain that the Lord sends his prophets because he loves us and wants us to return to him. A prophet teaches us how to follow Christ and return to his presence. President N. Eldon Tanner of the First Presidency testified: “I have had the great privilege of being with four Presidents of this church and of seeing how the Lord works through them. One cannot doubt when he sees them that they are prophets of God, leading us in the paths of truth and righteousness and helping us to prepare ourselves . . . for eternal life” (in Conference Report, Oct. 1980, p. 5; or Ensign, Nov. 1980, p. 6).

Why is it important for each of us to know personally that the will of the Lord is made known through his ordained leaders?

We Are Blessed When We Follow the Living Prophet

Picture presentation

Display a picture of the living prophet. Point out that we have been specifically directed to follow the living prophet’s inspired counsel.

Explain that the living prophet receives instruction from the Lord for the members of the Church at this time. Because each generation lives under different conditions, the Lord guides his Church in each generation through the living prophet.

Quotation

“In this, the dispensation of the fulness of times, we have all the essentials of every other dispensation plus things that have been revealed that have never been revealed in other dispensations. . . .

“Yes, we believe in a living prophet, seer, and revelator. . . . We are not dependent only upon the revelations given in the past . . . but we have a mouthpiece to whom God does reveal and is revealing His mind and will” (Harold B. Lee, Stand Ye in Holy Places [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1975], pp. 161, 164).

Explain that the living prophet’s inspired leadership helps Church members meet challenges, fulfill their responsibilities, and reap the blessings that come from obeying the Lord.

Chalkboard activity

Write Prophet’s Instructions at the top left of the chalkboard and Promises and Blessings on the top right of the chalkboard.

Using a message from the prophet, help the young men appreciate the prophet’s concern for them by sharing the message and extracting specific instructions and particular promises and blessings. Have the young men supply the items for the lists as they listen to the prophet’s counsel.

Point out that we may not see an immediate reason for following the prophet’s advice. For example, over 150 years ago the Lord revealed through the Prophet Joseph Smith that tobacco, coffee, and tea are harmful to our bodies. At that time, people thought those items were harmless, and they were amazed by this revelation. Only recently modern science has confirmed the truths that a prophet revealed so many years ago. The many Saints who have followed the Prophet and obeyed the Word of Wisdom have been blessed spiritually and physically for their obedience. Likewise, if we obey our prophet’s counsel, we will be blessed.

Conclusion

Quotation and discussion

Sister Elaine A. Cannon, who has devoted much of her life to guiding and teaching young people, bore this witness of the living prophet: “Now, as he speaks to us . . . it is as if the Lord Jesus Christ himself were addressing us. . . . Christ made this very clear when he said to others of his children a time ago, ‘Blessed are ye if ye shall give heed unto the words of these . . . whom I have chosen from among you to minister unto you’ (3 Nephi 12:1). . . . Your course should become clear, your priorities ought to be known to you. . . . Personal opinions vary. Eternal principles never do. When the prophet speaks . . . the debate is over” (“If We Want to Go Up, We Have to Go On,” New Era, Jan.–Feb. 1979, pp. 40–41).

What did Sister Cannon mean when she said that when the prophet speaks, the debate is over?

Why is this so important to us?

Testimony and challenge

Bear testimony of the blessing of having a living prophet. Challenge each young man to choose one of the instructions from the prophet’s message discussed in the lesson and live it more fully each day. Furthermore, challenge quorum members to listen more carefully to the prophet’s future advice and to use it in making everyday decisions.

Lesson 13

Every Member Is a Missionary

Objective

Each young man will understand why every member is a missionary.

Preparation

Materials needed:

Scriptures for each young man.

Pencils for marking scriptures.

Prepare slips of paper with the following scriptures to be read during the lesson: Matthew 24:14; 28:19–20; Mark 16:15; Doctrine and Covenants 90:11; and Doctrine and Covenants 133:37.

(Optional) Prepare wordstrips and a handout for each young man that state, “Someone is waiting for you.”

Assign a young man in advance to tell the story about Mike (see lesson).

Suggested Lesson Development

All of God’s Children Must Hear the Gospel

Scripture, chalkboard, and discussion

Write on the chalkboard: Who is to receive the gospel? Explain that the scriptures answer this question. Give five young men a slip of paper with a scripture reference to look up. Ask them to read their scripture aloud and then tell who should be taught the gospel. Answers are in parentheses below. Write their answers on the chalkboard. Encourage the young men to mark parts of these passages.

Who is to receive the gospel?
Matthew 24:14 | (All the world.)
Matthew 28:19–20 | (All nations.)
Mark 16:15 | (Every creature.)
Doctrine and Covenants 90:11 | (Every man in his own language.)
Doctrine and Covenants 133:37 | (Every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people.)

Ask a young man to read Doctrine and Covenants 18:10.

Why is it so important that everyone have a chance to hear the gospel?

Quotation

“Do we realize that every man is in the image of God and is a son of God, and every woman his daughter? No matter where they may be, they are his children, and he loves them and desires their salvation. Surely as members of this Church we cannot sit idly by. We cannot receive the beneficent favor of our Heavenly Father that is bestowed upon us, the knowledge of eternal life, and selfishly retain it, thinking that we may be blessed thereby. It is not what we receive that enriches our lives, it is what we give” (George Albert Smith, in Conference Report, Apr. 1935, p. 46).

Each Member of the Church Has a Responsibility to Share the Gospel

Wordstrip and discussion

Display the wordstrip or write on the chalkboard Someone is waiting for you. Ask the young men what this phrase means to them.

Story and discussion

Sister Petra G. de Hernandez of Monterrey, Mexico, tells how the message of the missionaries changed her life:

“Nineteen years ago my husband died in an automobile accident. It was then that I felt the need to find God, so that he could help me with my family. My youngest daughter was eleven months old.

“One night, in the midst of my desperation, . . . I prayed to the Lord as if I were talking to another person. I asked him to show me the path to take in life. I told him that I knew he existed, but I didn’t know where. I asked him to show me how or where to find him. I did it with such faith and desire to find the truth that I shall never forget that prayer.

“The answer to my prayer was not long in coming. One morning two young missionaries knocked on my door and said they were from the Mormon Church and that they brought me a very important message. I had heard about the Mormons, but I had not been the least interested in them. I let them come in and they began the first lesson. As I received the first lesson, I felt that what they were saying was true. . . . I told them I wanted to be baptized with my family. . . .

“Since the day we accepted the gospel our lives have changed completely. I was now sure that God hears our prayers. . . . I can say with assurance that we are a united family due to the gospel and to those two missionaries who knocked on my door fifteen years ago.

“I will always be grateful to them both for having knocked on my door, and I know there are people who are grateful that my children have been the missionaries who knocked on their doors to bring them the gospel” (Leon R. Hartshorn, comp., Inspirational Missionary Stories [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1977], pp. 123, 125).

Who might be waiting for you to share the gospel? (A neighbor, teacher, relative, friend.)

Help the young men understand that each of us can change others’ lives and help them come to Christ by introducing them to the gospel. Many people in the world are looking for the truth but do not know where to find it. If we do not help them, they may never hear the message of the gospel.

Quotation

“Someone might also ask, ‘Should every young [man], should every father and mother, should every member of the Church serve a mission?’ Again, the Lord has given the answer: Yes, every man, woman, and child—every young person and every little boy and girl—should serve a mission. This does not mean that they must serve abroad or even be formally called and set apart as full-time missionaries. But it does mean that each of us is responsible to bear witness of the gospel truths that we have been given. We all have relatives, neighbors, friends, and fellow workmen, and it is our responsibility to pass the truths of the gospel on to them, by example as well as by precept” (Spencer W. Kimball, “It Becometh Every Man,” Ensign, Oct. 1977, p. 3).

Scripture and discussion

Have a young man read Doctrine and Covenants 50:13–14 while the others mark it in their scriptures.

What were each of us ordained to do? (Preach the gospel.)

Have another young man read Doctrine and Covenants 88:81. Suggest that the young men mark this verse.

What does it mean to “warn your neighbor”?

There Are Many Ways to Share the Gospel

Discussion

What are some ways to introduce the gospel to your “neighbors”? (By setting a good example, friendshipping, inviting them to Church activities and special family home evenings, introducing them to Church magazines, asking if they would like to know about the Church.)

Give the young men the chance to relate personal experiences they or their families have already had in sharing the gospel.

Story

Ask the young men to listen to what a young man named Mike wrote about his conversion. Have the assigned young man tell the following story.

“Another semester of school in Houston, Texas, had begun, with me, a junior, taking sophomore biology. I was surrounded by a group of girls who talked nonstop. I didn’t think I’d survive.

“I noticed the main talker always seemed excited and happy and had a glow about her. That night I leafed through the yearbook until I found her picture and learned her name, Donna.

“One day while Donna was reading a letter, I glanced over her shoulder and saw the word Mormon. . . . I had never met a Mormon, so I thought it would be interesting to talk to Donna.

“I had barely managed to mention the word Mormon before Donna started talking. I’d never seen anyone so excited about religion.

“I really didn’t believe a word she said, but I was curious. During the week she brought me several pamphlets and a Book of Mormon. . . . I promised to go to church with her that Sunday.

“Later, while at work one afternoon, I got a phone call from the missionaries. I thought up an excuse to stall them. At the end of the week I got another call. I thought up another excuse. The weeks passed, but the missionaries didn’t give up. Finally I told Donna I didn’t think my parents would let them in.

“Undaunted, she went to work and found a house where I could begin my discussion. I told my parents. They didn’t object. . . .

“After four months of investigation I received my answer from the Lord. I knew I had found the only true church.

“My parents were surprised, but they told me that I was old enough to know what I was doing. . . .

“On Friday, May 28, 1976, I was baptized and confirmed. . . . It was the most glorious day in my life.

“Donna has played such a great role in helping me become a Latter-day Saint, but there’s something I didn’t tell you about her. With all her missionary work, her strong testimony, and her love for the Church, she’s still a nonmember, waiting for her parents’ permission to join” (Mike Corbin, “Every Nonmember a Missionary,” New Era, Oct. 1977, p. 41).

Discussion

If a nonmember can be that excited to teach the gospel to her neighbor, how should we, who have the blessings of membership, act?

What methods did Donna use to share the gospel? (Her example, her enthusiasm, Church pamphlets, the Book of Mormon, full-time missionaries.)

Explain that everyone is entitled to hear the message we have about the restored Church of Jesus Christ. Someone is waiting for you. If you do not share your love and testimony, that someone may never know the joy of the gospel.

Quotation

Read the following quotation from President Spencer W. Kimball:

“There is a spiritual adventure in doing missionary work, in giving referrals, in accompanying the missionaries as they give the discussions. It is exciting and rewarding. The hours, the effort, the wondering, all are worth it when even one soul expresses repentance and faith and a desire to be baptized” (“It Becometh Every Man,” p. 7).

Conclusion

Challenge and handout

Give each young man a handout that states, “Someone is waiting for you.” Challenge them to find that someone within the next month by actively using the methods you have discussed. Follow up the challenge by having each young man report to the quorum president and you after one month.

Lesson 14

Serving Others

Objective

Each young man will express his love for others by serving them.

Preparation

Materials needed: scriptures for each young man.

Prepare a poster of King Benjamin’s message in Mosiah 2:17.

Prepare a handout with the phrase Do It! printed on it for each young man.

Review the counsel about service given on page 38 of For the Strength of Youth.

Note to the adviser

Consider giving this lesson to encourage the young men to plan a service project. You could plan a brainstorming session to choose a project for the class members.

Suggested Lesson Development

True Service Is an Opportunity, Not a Burden

Story

Read the following story:

“The sudden jerk about knee height on my pant leg told me I was in trouble. Caught in a power take-off shaft that powered a hammering hay baler, I scarcely had time to realize what had happened when I was pulled in tight against the machine and thrown around it. . . .

“Completely overpowered by the strength and persistence of the machine, I found myself defenseless as it twisted my ankle until the heavy work shoe shredded loose. I hardly remember being thrown by my foot across the menacing shaft, eventually landing on the short alfalfa stubbed ground.

“Fortunately, my shoe had torn loose, and though my ankle was dangling disjointed on the end of my leg, I was free of the still spinning machine.

“I limped to the nearest fence post and clung to it. As a truck rounded the curve and headed down the road not far away, I waved frantically, and the driver, my neighbor, saw me and stopped.

“I was conscious throughout the painful, ten-mile ride to the hospital. . . .

“The operations that followed, the plaster casts, and the awkward crutches are but a few of the memories of that tragic experience. However, the greater memory is not one of pain and hardship, but rather one of gratitude to the young men in an LDS priests quorum whose service in a moment of misfortune was remarkable.

“Recognizing that I wouldn’t be able to return to my carpentry job of building a house, the priests quorum, whom I serve with as an adviser . . . , responded with the ambition of youth, determined that they could provide the manpower to complete the house-building project if someone with experience would offer the direction. . . .

“And so, with some help from Bishop Stanton Barrett, who is also a building contractor, a spirited quorum of priests, armed with hammers and saws, undertook to finish the framing of a 1,200-square-foot home.

“‘As fast as the bishop laid it out, we’d nail it together,’ Michael [one of the organizers of the project] stated in explaining afterwards how the group succeeded in framing the complete house, from foundation to roof trusses, in only two days. . . .

“The owners of the home in progress, Mr. and Mrs. Bob Findlay, helped out too. ‘Bob was in there working with the rest of us, and his wife brought us lunch. That kept a hungry crew going,’ Michael said. ‘Sure, there were a few bruises and some thumbnails got whacked, but there was just a special spirit there despite the hard work. . . .

“Bishop Barrett suggested one reason for the success of the undertaking when he said, ‘The young men were working not because their adviser had planned a service project for them but because they had planned one for him . . . and that made all the difference.’

“As the last nail went into the roof late Saturday, the physical work was done, but the surprise in announcing their accomplishment was still to come.

“An unusually quiet quorum of teenage boys greeted me as I met with them the first Sunday after being released from the hospital. A shy and somewhat out-of-character member of the quorum stepped forward and said, ‘We’ve got something for you . . . because we wanted to help.’ He handed me a homemade, booklike get-well card consisting of a set of photographs that documented their construction work. The room was silent as they anxiously watched me thumb through the pictures.

“In the powerful moments of silence that followed, my mind went back to the many times before, when, in the same classroom, I had unconvincingly talked from the lesson manual on the subject of service. Suddenly we were experiencing that joy which before was only a subject of discussion. The lesson that day wasn’t expressed in words.

“Finally, I broke the silence by saying, ‘Now you know the real joys of service—but let’s leave the hay baler out of the next project!’” (Paul Willie, “A Service Project with a Special Meaning,” New Era, May 1976, pp. 16, 18).

Discussion

What made this service project different from many less-successful projects of this kind?

To help answer this question, ask a class member to read Doctrine and Covenants 58:27.

According to this scripture, what should we do of our own free will?

What is the difference between serving because we have to and serving because we want to?

Service Is Any Act That Uplifts, Encourages, or Helps Another Person

Poster

Display the poster on which you have printed the words from Mosiah 2:17. Underline the word service in both places it appears.

Ask the young men to define service. Use their ideas and formulate on the chalkboard a definition similar to the following:

“Service is any act that uplifts, encourages, enlightens, or helps another person.”

Story

Relate the following story about a man who was uplifted and encouraged at a difficult time in his life because of the service of a young man.

“After sacrament meeting the bishop called me into his office for a talk. Here it comes, I thought, I’m going to be the new teachers quorum president, I’ll bet. I was filled with pride and excitement. Wow, is the ward ever going to heap handshakes on me. Mom will be so proud!

“I sat in the big chair across from the bishop. He was a pleasant man, smiling as always, but I felt that even so, this conversation was going to be an important one.

“‘Steve, we have an assignment for you,’ he said. My heart raced!

“‘This is a special “good neighbor” assignment. We’re concerned about Hasty McFarlan. He’s a pretty sad old man, you know. He needs someone to befriend him. He’s not a member of the Church, but God’s love reaches to all people, and we as members of his church have the responsibility to show it. Maybe I should say we have the privilege of showing that love.’

“I guess I must have looked stunned.

“‘You know Hasty, don’t you, Steve?’ asked the bishop.

“My memory jumped back a couple of weeks to when some friends and I had made fun of the old man by singing jingles and shouting the jokes we had made up about him.

“‘Yes, I know him,’ I said, choking down my disappointment and guilt. ‘He’s the old hermit who lives outside of town.’

“‘Right,’ said the bishop. ‘I would like you to go out and visit him two or three times a week.’

“‘Okay,’ was the only answer I could manage. The bishop must have detected my crestfallenness, because he leaned forward in his chair and looked at me carefully.

“‘Now, if this assignment will be too much, don’t be afraid to say so.’

“I sighed. ‘Oh, I’ll do it, sir,’ I said.

“‘Good,’ said the bishop with a smile, and before I could catch my breath, he went on. ‘You can chop wood for the fire and get him food, blankets—whatever he needs to help him feel wanted. Be a friend. Your father is aware of the assignment, and he told me he would help you. Your Heavenly Father will be prompting you, too.’

“‘Yes sir,’ I said.

“. . . On the long hike to his cabin after school that first afternoon, it seemed to me that every pine along the trail whispered Hasty’s loneliness. . . .

“. . . Most of the kids and even some of the townspeople had the habit of making unkind remarks or doing something ‘clever’ whenever Hasty was around. Would he remember me as one of the tricksters? By the time I reached the cabin, I was genuinely frightened.

“I knocked. No answer. I knocked again. I knew he had to be in there. Where else could he go?

“‘Hasty, are you there?’

“Hearing a rustling, I poked my head in as far as I dared and peeked around the door. It was cold in Hasty’s cabin and very dark. I could just make out the figure of a man on the bed. He was all slouched down. . . . He looked like he was slouching because there was no reason to do anything else. I noticed that the soiled, mildewed blanket he was sitting on was more hole than blanket. . . .

“‘Hasty, is there anything I can do for you?’ I managed to blurt out.

“I told him my name and that the bishop from the LDS Church had sent me to see how he was doing and to help out. He said nothing. . . .

“‘Hasty, your fire is out.’ No reply. ‘Can I chop some wood?’ No reply.

“I went outside, found an axe and some stacked stumps, and began chopping kindling. With every strike of the axe my brain pounded. What am I doing out here? Why me? Why?

“‘Quit grumbling,’ a voice inside me said. ‘The old man is cold and lonely, and you can help him.’

“I got a fire going and tried to talk to him, but after a few minutes I decided he wasn’t really listening. He needed a new blanket, so I told him I would get a thick, clean comfortable one, and the next day I did. After that I came every other day. Slowly, over the next several weeks, he began talking.

“One day after we had talked some he said, ‘Boy, why do you come? I’m sure a kid your age can find better things to do than visit a sick old varmint like me. But I’m glad you come.’ And then he smiled.

“At Thanksgiving I invited Hasty to our house for dinner. He didn’t come, but our family took part of the dinner to him. There were tears in his eyes as he tried to thank us.

“I discovered as our visits continued that Hasty had been a sheepherder. Once he had had a wife and children, but they had gotten a terrible fever and died of it.

“Feeling in his grief that his life had been shattered, Hasty wandered the country as a vagabond. A diseased growth on the side of his face made one eye blind. And the teasing and practical joking had begun.

“But to me the old man didn’t seem as ugly and frightening anymore. In fact, after school I hurried to his cabin to help him and to listen to his stories.

“When Christmas arrived, we invited him to dinner once again. This time he came, and what’s more, he came in a suit, all cleaned and handsome. He looked great. A smile curved his lips. Hasty was happy because we showed him he was needed.

“As we finished dinner, the old man bowed his head for a second, and then raised it and said, ‘You people sure are wonderful. My life has been a shambles for a long time, but the love you’ve shown is making me a different person. I’m very grateful.’

“As he said that, I could feel a little fire in my chest getting big. It felt good” (Terry Dale, “Hasty,” New Era, Jan.–Feb. 1981, pp. 10–11).

Discussion

How would Hasty’s life have been different if Steve, his bishop, and his family had not taken an interest in him?

Do you know someone you could make happier by serving in some way?

Poster and discussion

Have a young man read the poster of Mosiah 2:17.

Whom does this scripture say we should help?

Why is an act of service to someone an act of service to God?

Help the young men understand that Heavenly Father loves all of his children and appreciates everything we do to help them.

Explain that sometimes we think that for our service to be worthwhile, it must be some large and impressive service. However, small acts of service are important, too. Often, small but deliberate deeds can bring tremendous blessings both to us and to those we serve.

How can we serve others every day? You may wish to list the young men’s suggestions on the chalkboard.

Scripture

Have the young men turn to Matthew 7:21 and ask them to read the scripture to themselves.

According to this verse, what is the key to being of service? (The young men should discover the word doeth.)

Adviser presentation and handout

Tell the young men that President Spencer W. Kimball always kept on his desk a small plaque that read simply, “Do it!”

Why do you think the prophet of the Lord would put this slogan on his desk? Distribute the Do It! handouts.

Conclusion

Challenge

Review the counsel about service given on page 38 of For the Strength of Youth. Challenge each Aaronic Priesthood holder to look for specific ways he can serve others.

Promise the young men that as they serve the Lord by serving others, not only will they make others happy, but they will be happier, feel more satisfied with life, and forget many of their own problems. Encourage each young man to help or encourage someone each day and to record both the act and his feelings about it in his journal.

Allow time for the young men to choose a class service project. Select a project, and obtain the bishop’s approval. Have the quorum presidency organize and plan the project. The young men may consider giving service regularly through an organized charity, such as a homeless shelter.

Follow-up

Before next week’s lesson, you may want to take a few minutes to let the young men tell about the service they have given during the week.

Lesson 15

Unity and Brotherhood in the Priesthood

Objective

Each young man will discover that there is great strength in developing unity and brotherhood as holders of the Aaronic Priesthood.

Preparation

Materials needed: scriptures for each young man.

Obtain a three- to six-foot length of rope and several strands from another piece of rope (one strand for each young man).

Study Psalm 133:1; Doctrine and Covenants 38:24; and Doctrine and Covenants 51:9.

Suggested Lesson Development

Priesthood Holders Should Help Each Other Feel Welcome

Story and discussion

Have the young men listen to the following story of a soldier who asked his superior officer if he might go out into a dangerous area between the trenches to bring in a seriously wounded comrade.

“‘You can go,’ said the officer, ‘but it’s not worth it. Your friend is probably killed, and you will throw your own life away.’ But the man went. Somehow, he managed to get to his friend, hoist him onto his shoulder, and bring him back to the trenches. The two of them tumbled together and lay in the bottom of a trench. The officer looked very tenderly on the would-be rescuer, and then said, ‘I told you it wouldn’t be worth it. Your friend is dead, and you are wounded.’

“‘It was worth it though, sir.’

“‘How do you mean “worth it”? I tell you, your friend is dead.’

“‘Yes, sir,’ the boy answered, ‘but it was worth it, because when I got to him he said, “I knew you’d come”’” (A Story to Tell, comp. General Board of the Primary Association and Deseret Sunday School Union Board [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1945], p. 28).

Why do you think it was worth it to the young soldier?

In what ways can priesthood holders show this kind of loyalty to one another?

Story and discussion

Relate the following story:

Tom and Bill had both just moved to a large city. The Aaronic Priesthood quorums from their new ward were having a swimming party at the beach. Brother Johnson had just signaled that it was time to eat, so most of the young men were hurrying toward the fire. Tom and Bill, who were new in the ward, were swimming out beyond the breakers. They were out away from the main group because the young men in the ward seemed too busy to make them feel welcome. Neither of them had lived in a large city before, and each felt lost among so many strangers.

“Let’s get out and eat,” said Bill.

“Go ahead,” said Tom. “It’s the first time I’ve ever gone swimming in the ocean, and I’m having too much fun to stop now.”

“Well, I’m hungry, so I’m going to eat,” said Bill, “but you’d better come on out soon.” As Bill waded from the water, he thought he heard a strange cry. “It was probably just someone at the campfire, or maybe a seagull,” Bill thought to himself.

Brother Johnson handed Bill his dinner as he walked up to the group. “Where’s Tom? Isn’t he with you?”

“No,” responded Bill. “He wanted to swim a while longer.”

Hesitating only long enough to alert the rest of the young men to the danger that Tom might be in, Brother Johnson ran toward the water. He saw a hand waving desperately above the water about fifty yards away. As Brother Johnson dived into the water, he became aware of four or five other rescuers swimming at his side. With the assistance of the young men, Brother Johnson was able to return Tom safely to the shore and to the other anxiously awaiting young men.

How could this potential tragedy have been avoided? (By someone making friends with Tom and remaining with him. The young men in the quorum could have been more involved in making Tom and Bill feel welcome.)

Do you know of any experiences when someone has been left out of a group?

Have you ever been left out yourself?

How do you feel when you have been left out, and no one seems to want to be your friend?

This may be a good time to discuss any less-active young men who are commonly left out for some reason. Help the young men understand their responsibility to help all Aaronic Priesthood holders feel welcome.

Scripture and discussion

Have a young man read 1 Peter 3:8 while the other young men follow in their scriptures.

What does it mean to be of one mind? (To be unified in doing righteous things.)

In what way was Bill and Tom’s quorum not of one mind? (They did not include Tom or Bill in the group.)

Thought questions

Ask the following questions, and have the young men silently consider how they would respond to each question:

Are we of one mind?

Do we have compassion for each other?

Are we courteous?

Do we show genuine concern?

Personal experience

Share with the young men a personal experience in which you felt alone. Tell the young men how the experience affected you and how it was resolved. If possible, the example should show how a quorum or quorum member was instrumental in helping you feel a part of the group.

Showing Love and Brotherhood for Each Other

Object lesson

Give each of the young men a strand of rope that you have taken from a larger piece of rope. Ask each one to break his strand by pulling on both ends of it (the strands should be thin enough for all to succeed). Now ask the young men to bring their broken strands to the front of the room and lay them next to each other. Show a length of strong rope and ask two young men to pull on opposite ends of the rope to try to break it. After a short time of trying, have them be seated.

Why were you able to break the strands and not the rope? (The rope has more strands and is interwoven.)

Compare the rope to the quorum. Help the young men realize that when they unite together, the quorum becomes strong. When they are not of one mind, the quorum is weak, like the individual strands of the rope.

Chalkboard activity

What can we do to increase the brotherhood and unity of our quorum?

As the young men discuss their ideas, write their responses on the chalkboard. Suggestions might include doing service projects as a quorum; playing team athletics together; having a testimony meeting; working together to reactivate a member of the quorum; performing priesthood responsibilities together; and doing recreational, spiritual, or educational activities as a quorum.

Scripture and discussion

Have a young man read Doctrine and Covenants 38:24 while the other young men follow in their scriptures.

How are we all brothers? (We are all children of our Heavenly Father and brethren in the priesthood.)

What does it mean to esteem our brother as ourself? (To watch out for him, help him.)

Scripture

Have a young man read John 10:17–18.

Tell the young men that our Savior loved us so much that he laid down his life for us. Indeed, he performed his greatest act of love and sacrifice as he atoned for our sins. Emphasize that one of the best ways we can show gratitude for his love is to show love for the members of our quorum.

Conclusion

Adviser presentation

Explain that young men can serve the Lord in their priesthood callings by being friendly, helpful, and interested in each other. We should respect one another’s privacy and personal feelings, but we should also remember not to do anything that would make a fellow priesthood holder feel alone or unwanted.

As the story about Tom and Bill illustrated, we need each other. A young man nearly drowned because he was on his own without support from his group. Less-active young men can “drown” spiritually for the same reason. There is safety in companionship. We are all brothers and should treat each other with kindness.

Challenge

Review the counsel about friends given on pages 12–13 of For the Strength of Youth. Challenge the young men to take at least one action during the week to build quorum brotherhood. They may perform the action either as a quorum or as individuals. If the young men perform the action individually, talk with them privately during the next week to have them report their success. If they choose a quorum activity, devote a few minutes of quorum instruction time the following Sunday to discussing the success of the activity.

Testimonies

Share your testimony with the young men about the importance of priesthood brotherhood. Allow those young men who would also like to bear their testimonies to do so.

Lesson 16

Charity

Objective

Each young man will seek to develop and express charity.

Preparation

Materials needed:

Scriptures for each young man.

Tape or other materials for posting wordstrips.

Prepare the following wordstrips:

“Charity is the pure love of Christ.”

“Charity suffereth long, and is kind.”

“Charity envieth not.”

“Charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up.”

Charity “doth not behave itself unseemly.”

Charity “seeketh not her own.”

Charity “is not easily provoked.”

Charity “thinketh no evil.”

Charity “rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth.”

Suggested Lesson Development

Charity Is the Pure Love of Christ

Discussion

What does the word charity mean to you?

Let the young men discuss this question. Emphasize that charity is another word for love.

Story and discussion

Have the young men listen to see if anyone in the following story showed charity:

Craig was a new member of the quorum. He was excited about participating with the rest of the quorum on a camping trip to a lake. It was to be his first camp with the quorum. His family was not active in the Church, and the other boys hadn’t accepted him as they had other members of the group.

When the young men were deciding which car to go in, Craig got last choice. No one wanted to sit by him. When they arrived at camp, he was left in a tent by himself. No one wanted to be his buddy for the swimming events. When work assignments were given, Craig was given more than his share.

He didn’t seem happy during the week they were at the camp. He spent time by himself, and at the end of the camp he seemed glad it was time to go home.

Why do you think Craig was left out of the group activities?

Was anyone charitable in this story?

If this happened in your quorum, what could you do to show charity for a new member?

Scriptures and discussion

Have a young man read Moroni 7:47–48.

What is the reward for those who show charity?

The Apostle Paul wrote a letter to the early Saints in Corinth, advising them to examine their actions to see if they had charity. Have a young man read 1 Corinthians 13:1–2 aloud while the others follow along in their scriptures.

What do you think Paul meant by becoming “as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal”? (If we speak or act insincerely, without the honest intent of the heart, the words or actions are hollow and merely noise.)

Why might we be considered as “sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal” if we give without the proper attitude?

According to verse two, having charity is more important than what other powerful gift?

How did Moroni define charity? (The pure love of Christ. Reread Moroni 7:47 if necessary.)

Wordstrip and discussion

Post wordstrip a: “Charity is the pure love of Christ.”

Why do you think charity is called “the pure love of Christ” rather than just “love”? (Charity is more than giving, even more than giving with feeling. It is loving in the way that Christ loves and being willing to give even your life in the service of others if necessary.)

Explain that Christ healed, preached, administered to the sick, and gave his life not out of duty or a need to use his power, but out of love. He said, “A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another” (John 13:34).

Scripture and discussion

The Savior said, “Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love” (Jeremiah 31:3).

The Apostle John tells us the responsibility we have because of Jesus’ love for us. Have a young man read John 15:12.

What is this responsibility?

We Become More Charitable by Overcoming Unfavorable Characteristics

Scriptures, wordstrips, and discussion

Explain that Christ showed us by example how to demonstrate charity. We have been challenged to develop charity in our own lives so that we can become more like him, but sometimes we do things that prevent us from doing so.

To learn further characteristics of charity, have a young man read 1 Corinthians 13:4.

Post wordstrip b: “Charity suffereth long, and is kind.”

What would be another way to say “suffereth long”? (Is patient.)

How does suffering long and being kind enable us to love others in spite of their faults?

Explain that Christ’s love is not based on how we look or act. His love is unconditional. He loves us in spite of our faults.

Post wordstrip c: “Charity envieth not.”

Tell the young men the following situation. When Dave, a popular boy, made the basketball team, Jim said: “He wasn’t that good. He only made it because the coach likes him.”

What might Jim be feeling? (Jealousy or envy.)

How do we show envy?

Do sarcasm and biting remarks sometimes indicate envy? Why and how?

What might Jim do to overcome his feelings of envy?

Explain that a charitable person is happy when someone else is successful.

Post wordstrip d: “Charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up.”

What does it mean to vaunt oneself? (To boast, brag, or act vainly.)

Present the following situation. When report cards were passed out, Mike said: “I don’t even need to look at mine! My grades are always the highest in the class.”

Why do you think Mike boasted about his grades?

What is uncharitable about acting vain or boasting?

What could you do if you were tempted to boast?

To further explain charity, have a young man read 1 Corinthians 13:5. Have the young man reading the scripture insert the words “An Aaronic Priesthood holder who has charity . . .” at the beginning of the verse.

Post wordstrip e: Charity “doth not behave itself unseemly.”

What is unseemly behavior? (To behave in an improper or unbecoming manner.)

Why is behaving in this way uncharitable?

Post wordstrip f: Charity “seeketh not her own.”

What is another way for saying “seeketh not her own”? (Is not selfish.)

Explain that becoming completely unselfish like Jesus is a goal we should each work at daily.

Elder Marion D. Hanks said, “God loves every one of his children, . . . but God needs instruments of his love. He needs those who can carry his love and make it meaningful and personal in the lives of others” (“Gifts You Can’t Wrap,” New Era, Dec. 1972, p. 18).

What can you do to carry Heavenly Father’s love to other people?

How can this help you overcome selfishness?

Post wordstrip g: Charity “is not easily provoked.”

What does it mean to be provoked? (To become angry, upset, lose one’s temper.)

Present the following situation in your own words. Todd’s younger brother liked Todd’s bike very much. One day he borrowed the bike without asking. When Todd found out, he immediately flew into a rage without giving his brother a chance to explain.

How can being easily provoked harm us and the other people involved?

Post wordstrip h: Charity “thinketh no evil.”

What are some examples of “thinking evil”? (Vulgar, impure, disrespectful, or unkind thoughts.)

How does thinking evil influence your behavior?

Have a young man read 1 Corinthians 13:6. Have the young man reading the scripture insert the words “An Aaronic Priesthood holder who has charity . . .” at the beginning of the verse.

Post wordstrip i: Charity “rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth.”

What does it mean to not rejoice in iniquity?

How do some people rejoice in iniquity?

Why is truth so important in our lives?

Story

Have the young men listen to an account of how one young man showed charity to a friend.

“Because of varying standards of life and the after effects of a war, there are many underprivileged children in Tae Whan’s homeland, Korea. Many live with only the barest of necessities, their parents giving all to get them through school. But Tae Whan is fortunate. The Kim family is better off than most families.

“One morning Tae Whan asked his mother, ‘Mom, will you fix me another lunch today?’ Mrs. Kim prepared another lunch, thinking that her son was growing so fast that he needed a little something extra to eat. Every day afterwards she would prepare an extra lunch for him to take.

“One day Dr. Kim received a telephone call at work from a close friend.

“‘Hello, Dr. Kim. How is your family doing nowadays?’

“‘Why . . . they’re great!’ replied Dr. Kim cheerfully.

“The two friends talked back and forth until Mr. Lee blurted out, ‘Are you sure your family isn’t having any problems lately?’

“Pausing, Dr. Kim answered quizzically, ‘Why? What’s wrong?’

“‘Dr. Kim, I saw Tae Whan down on the corner peddling newspapers the other day.’

“‘You what? Are you sure?’

“‘I’m positive! I was just concerned about your family’s welfare and wanted to check with you.’

“Dr. Kim sat that afternoon in the office puzzled, wondering why Tae Whan would do such a thing and not mention a word to anyone. That night after dinner, Dr. Kim quietly waited for the opportunity to talk to his son. Finally he said, ‘Tae Whan, could I speak to you for a minute?’

“‘Why sure, Dad.’

“‘Son, I got a call today from Mr. Lee. He said he saw you downtown selling papers the other day. Is that true?’

“Tae Whan answered sheepishly, ‘Yes, Dad, but I did it to help a classmate. He didn’t have a lunch so I’ve been giving my extra one to him. And for every paper we sell, we earn 40 won (8¢).’

“‘Son, why are you doing this? You should have asked me first.’

“‘But, Dad, every time I help my friend, I feel I’m becoming more like the Good Samaritan. Besides that, I want to help my classmates who aren’t as fortunate as I. It’s not that big of a thing I am doing. I read about it in my seminary manual and felt it was the thing I ought to do.’

“Tae Whan knows the meaning of the Savior’s commandment: ‘Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbour as thyself.’ (Luke 10:27.)” (“Profiting for Others,” New Era, June 1979, p. 50).

Do you know someone you could do something for as Tae Whan did for his friend?

Conclusion

Scripture and discussion

Explain that we can also develop charity in our lives as we eliminate insincerity, selfishness, impatience, envy, vanity, improper behavior, anger, gossip, and deceit.

By following the example of Jesus Christ, we will become more charitable.

Read Moroni 7:47–48 again and ask the young men to listen for what they can do to develop charity.

What does this scripture tell us to do?

What promises are given to those who live charitable lives?

Challenge

Challenge the young men to choose someone in their family or among their acquaintances toward whom they could show charity. Encourage them to pray and to seek the help of Heavenly Father in developing the pure love of Christ. You may want to plan a quorum activity where the young men could give charitable service to someone in the ward.

Lesson 17

Personal Journals

Objective

Each young man will understand the importance of keeping a personal journal.

Preparation

Materials needed:

Scriptures for each young man.

Paper and pencil for each young man.

Come prepared to relate a personal experience (see the beginning of the lesson).

Prepare a copy of the handout “Hints for Keeping a Journal” for each young man (see page 58).

During the week, ask two or three young men to come prepared to share an experience or journal entry about themselves.

Note to the adviser

Before attempting to help young men appreciate the value of journal keeping, you must first understand its importance. Seek the Spirit to help you feel the value of this lesson and to gain inspiration as to how to present it. If you have not already done so, take time this week to write in your own journal and share your feelings about this experience with the young men.

Suggested Lesson Development

Each of Us Should Keep a Journal

Adviser presentation

Tell the young men of an interesting or spiritual experience you have had. Tell it as interestingly as possible, and then tell them how and why you hurried to write it in your journal. If you did not keep a journal at the time, tell them why you wish you had been able to preserve it. Or you could read an entry from one of your ancestors’ journals that the class might enjoy. Express how grateful you are that this experience was written down so that you and others could know that ancestor better.

Invite the assigned young men to share their experiences or journal entries.

How many of you keep a personal journal?

Scriptures and discussion

Have a young man read Moses 6:5–6.

Why do you think that since the beginning of mankind we have been commanded to keep records?

Let the young men respond; then tell them that King Benjamin gave one very important reason to his son.

Have a young man read Mosiah 1:4–5.

What reason did King Benjamin give for keeping accurate records about our dealings with the Lord?

Quotation

Explain that President Spencer W. Kimball challenged everyone to keep a journal:

“Get a notebook, my young folks, a journal that will last through all time, and maybe the angels may quote from it for eternity. Begin today and write in it your goings and comings, your deepest thoughts, your achievements and your failures, your associations and your triumphs, your impressions and your testimonies” (“The Angels May Quote from It,” New Era, Oct. 1975, p. 5).

Record Keeping Is an Important Principle

Story

“I can remember as a child wanting to know what my mother was really like. . . . I wanted a mother so much.

“I had had a mother, of course, Mary Black Rawlins, but she had died when I was only nine weeks old, and she was only twenty-six. When my father came home from work one afternoon, he found her lying on the kitchen floor, a victim of heart failure. Those who knew Mother best found it too painful to talk about her, so I never found out much about her.

“Then, when I was seventeen, my father’s mother came to visit me. She told me that my mother had known about her heart condition when she had married. She had known that if she had a baby she would probably die. But my mother, undaunted and determined, felt strongly that she should have a baby. She decided that I, the child born to her, was worth life itself. When I learned that, the love I had for my mother swelled, for I knew that she had loved me too, loved me enough to willingly give her life for me.

“It was then that my father brought to me a journal that my mother had written. She had kept it each day for one short year of her life. I had now in my hands one year of my mother’s life. She had been a school teacher in Wyoming that year, and through her own words she became for me a real person at last. She cried, she struggled, she laughed, she grumbled, she learned of her heart condition, and I . . . I shared it all with her!

“That record, that precious, loved record—it’s all I have of her. What if she had not kept it?” (“For Your Remembrance: A Presentation on Record Keeping” [audiovisual presentation, 1975 MIA June Conference]).

Discussion

What important reasons for keeping a journal are brought out in this story?

Who might read your journal?

How might it benefit them?

Explain that journals are a special way of sharing our lives with our children and grandchildren.

Each Aaronic Priesthood Holder Should Keep a Personal Journal

Adviser presentation

Explain that we all tend to think that the things we have done or are doing now are not interesting enough to record. But in future years—whether to us as we grow older, to our children, or to our grandchildren—those things may be exciting glimpses into our life and our world. With each new generation come new ideas, new spiritual experiences, and new opportunities for growth and development.

Suggest to the young men that a personal journal is an ever-growing record of who we are, where we are going, and what we are accomplishing. Our journals are an excellent place for us to record our goals and our daily attempts to become more like the person the Lord would have us be.

Readings, chalkboard, and discussion

Ask several young men to read aloud, and then paraphrase, the following suggestions on journal keeping. Summarize the ideas on the chalkboard.

What kind of journal should I use? Select a journal in which you can record your daily activities. It might be an inexpensive, expandable looseleaf or a hardbound diary. The main requirements are good quality paper and a protective cover. You could also use a computer.

How often should I write in my journal? Your own personality, interests, and time will determine how often you will write in your journal. You need not catch up on all past events each time you make an entry. Record highlights or notes from past happenings; then continue with the present. The more often you write, the more accurate your record will be. Some write daily, others two or three times a week. Set a goal and work toward it.

What should I record? (Ask a young man to reread the statement by President Kimball.)

How can I be creative in my journal keeping? Perhaps you could occasionally list your tastes in clothes or food or reading, your present religious feelings, your problems, your opinions about school or government, or the current state of your finances. You might want to add sketches, designs, photographs, or poems to your entries.

Activity

Tell the young men they are going to have an opportunity to write something to include in their journals. For those who have already been keeping a journal, they may include this as an entry when they get home. Give each young man a piece of paper and a pencil. Ask them to write their experiences of the previous day, making sure to include their feelings about whatever they did. If there isn’t time to finish the assignment in class, encourage them to finish at home. Remind them that a journal should be a place where they record the significant events and feelings of their lives.

Conclusion

Challenge

Challenge the young men to continue writing in their journals either daily or weekly. Then periodically check with them over the next several months and encourage them often.

Handout

Give each young man a copy of the following handout, which he may want to put inside the cover of his journal for reference.

What are some helpful hints to remember when keeping a journal?

Optional Activity: Finding Your Ancestors with FamilySearch™

Objective

The adviser will explain what FamilySearch™ is, how it can help the young men identify their ancestors, and what they can do to help make it more useful.

This activity will take the young men to a site where FamilySearch is available.

Preparation

In preparation, determine where the activity will be held. Depending on local circumstances, this could be at the family history center, the stake center, a local meetinghouse, or a member’s home. If possible, select a location that has more than one FamilySearch workstation so that more than one young man can be working at a time. You may want to ask the ward family history consultant to help with this part of the lesson.

Note: If the quorum is very large, it may be wise to divide it into smaller groups.

Plan additional alternate activities for the trip. While some young men are using FamilySearch, the others could learn about family record extraction and then participate in an extraction project. This should be coordinated with the ward family record extraction director. Other activities might include instruction about temples or games that help the young men focus their attention on their ancestors.

Before the activity, assign the young men to work with their parents to fill out a pedigree chart as completely as possible.

Identifying Our Ancestors through Family History Work

Adviser presentation

Tell the young men that we search after our ancestors to give them the same opportunities to be sealed within the family of God that we receive here in this life. These saving ordinances (baptism, priesthood ordination, the endowment, and sealings) allow us to enter the celestial kingdom if we are worthy.

FamilySearch is a computer system that enables you to find information about your ancestors. When you type an ancestor’s name into the computer, FamilySearch scans quickly through millions of names in its computer files, finding names that match. It guides you from the names to full screens of information, such as dates and places of birth, marriage, and death; and names of parents, children, and spouses.

The information in FamilySearch comes from such sources as family genealogies, church records, and government records.

FamilySearch consists of several files of information. The file that will be most helpful to you is Ancestral File. This file contains family history information contributed by members of the Church and others throughout the world. It contains the names of millions of persons linked in family groups and pedigrees.

Note: You can illustrate to the young men the importance of contributing their family history information by holding up a “book of remembrance” full of pedigree charts and family group records. You can explain that the information in the book is very valuable, but in this printed format it is useful to only a few people. However, when this information is converted to a computer format (using the Personal Ancestral File computer program), it can be included in Ancestral File, where many others would benefit from it.

Also point out that Ancestral File is not complete. It has much information, but there is much more that could be added—including the information the young men may have about their own ancestors.

Ancestral File also includes the names and addresses of the people who have contributed information to it. This way the young men may be able to discover relatives they have never met.

To further help the young men understand the significance of FamilySearch, explain that without the computer they would have to look through rolls of microfilm and pages of books to find information about their ancestors. For many who have done this, it has taken a great deal of work. The computer makes it possible to search the same information in just minutes.

Computer activity

Have the young men practice using FamilySearch to find information about their ancestors. Help them call up names on their pedigree charts. If there is nothing about their ancestors in Ancestral File, remind them that they can do a great service by seeing that information about their ancestors is contributed to the file.

As the young men use FamilySearch, they should print out information they find. In Ancestral File, they could print out a pedigree chart.

After all the young men have had a chance to use FamilySearch, review what they have accomplished. Challenge them to continue to find information about their ancestors and to contribute information to Ancestral File.

Follow-Up Activity

Service activity

Some members of the ward may have large collections of family history information in printed format (Books of Remembrance). The young men could perform valuable service by computerizing the information and helping members contribute it to Ancestral File. For the young men to be able to do this, a sufficient number of personal computers with Personal Ancestral File would need to be available. Ward family history consultants could help you organize such a service project.

Lesson 18

The Word of Wisdom

Objective

Each young man will live the Word of Wisdom and understand how it can bless him both spiritually and physically.

Preparation

Materials needed:

Scriptures for each young man.

Pencils for marking scriptures.

Assign two young men to read or tell the stories in the last part of the lesson. Encourage them to be well prepared.

If it is available, consider showing “Addiction versus Freedom,” on Family Home Evening Video Supplement 2 (53277).

Suggested Lesson Development

Introduction

Scripture and discussion

What does the phrase “Word of Wisdom” mean to you?

Where do we find the Word of Wisdom? (Doctrine and Covenants 89.)

Why do you think the Lord gave us the Word of Wisdom?

Why do you feel the Lord is concerned with your physical well-being, as one of his sons?

What does the Word of Wisdom tell us to avoid?

Write the young men’s answers on the chalkboard.

Have the young men turn to Doctrine and Covenants 89 and search for more guidelines.

What are possible consequences for those who disobey the Word of Wisdom?

As the young men respond, summarize their remarks in a chart on the chalkboard similar to the following:

Avoid | Possible Consequences
Alcoholic beverages | Addiction | Loss of health, home, family, job, money
| Release of inhibitions | Lost virtue, venereal disease, unwanted pregnancy
| Drunken driving | Accidents, injury, death
| Malnutrition | Heart disease, liver disease, damage to unborn children
Tobacco | Nicotine addiction | Cancer, emphysema, poor circulation, heart disease, damage to unborn children
Tea and coffee | Addiction | Poor health, contributes to heart disease

Explain that much is said about drug abuse, yet many fail to realize that tobacco, alcohol, tea, and coffee all contain dangerous drugs. Because of their widespread use, tea, coffee, alcohol, and tobacco are the most common substances that lead to drug addiction.

Quotations and discussion

Explain that although section 89 of the Doctrine and Covenants says nothing about marijuana, cocaine, or other such dangerous drugs, Church leaders have since warned us of the dangers of these drugs.

Explain that President Spencer W. Kimball gave the following advice:

“We hope our people will eliminate from their lives all kinds of drugs so far as possible. Too many depend on drugs as tranquilizers and sleep helps, which is not always necessary.

“Certainly numerous young people have been damaged or destroyed by the use of marijuana and other deadly drugs. We deplore such” (in Conference Report, Oct. 1974, p. 6; or Ensign, Nov. 1974, p. 6).

Briefly discuss the dangers involved in this kind of drug abuse. You may wish to mention that drug abuse often results in addiction and damage to bodies and minds.

If time permits, you might tell of someone you know whose life has been affected by abuse of dangerous substances, without giving names. Emphasize that the Lord has given us the Word of Wisdom to help us take care of our bodies and avoid the sorrow that comes with substance abuse.

Living the Word of Wisdom Brings Great Physical and Spiritual Blessings

Scripture and discussion

Explain that the Lord has promised great blessings to all his children who live the Word of Wisdom and take good care of their bodies. To discover what blessings are promised, have a young man read Doctrine and Covenants 89:18–21 while the others follow along in their scriptures. Encourage them to mark this scripture.

What blessings are promised to those who keep the Word of Wisdom and live the commandments?

Story

Read the following story, which tells how a young man learned of the blessings we receive when we keep the Word of Wisdom.

“I wasn’t quite 12 years old, but I worked right alongside my father in the grain harvest over 60 years ago. He cut and I bundled the grain . . . ; it was exhausting labor, day after day.

“One Saturday, we began [working] at daylight and stopped about 8:30 that night. I was so tired I wanted to lie down and sleep without even waiting for supper.

“My father looked at me and said gently, ‘Lee, the patch of grain I cut today was very green. If we wait until Monday . . . , the kernels will be shrunken. We must do it tonight. There’s a bright moon outside. Do you think you can help me?’

“I fought back the tears and nodded.

“My father said, ‘Okay, we’ll have a bite of supper, I’ll [feed] the hogs, and then we’ll [stack] the grain.’

“We soon finished our bread and milk, but I was still so tired that I could hardly raise my head. As my father went out to feed the pigs, I sat at the table, thinking bitterly, ‘I’ve never smoked or drank; I’ve always obeyed the Word of Wisdom. The Doctrine and Covenants says that if you obey the Word of Wisdom you will run and not be weary and walk and not faint. And now I’m so tired I can hardly raise my head.’ My mouth twitched as I fought to keep back the tears of exhaustion.

“It is impossible to describe what happened, but it seemed as though a beautiful shaft of white light entered my body, filling every fiber of my being. I got up when Father came back, and we went out to the fields.

“My father was a very fast worker, but he couldn’t keep up with me that night, even though he worked as fast as he could. I ran for stray bundles, and tossed them, many heavier than I was, from [pile to pile]. I’ll never forget the astonishment in my father’s eyes.

“It was 30 years before I told him what had happened, but he still remembered the night. I’ll never forget it” (Leo W. Spencer, “To Run and Not Be Weary,” Ensign, Mar. 1974, p. 45).

Quotation and discussion

We generally think of obedience to the Word of Wisdom as having physical benefits only.

How might the Word of Wisdom bless you spiritually?

Read the following statement by Elder Boyd K. Packer:

“I have come to know . . . that a fundamental purpose of the Word of Wisdom has to do with revelation.

“From the time you are very little we teach you to avoid tea, coffee, liquor, tobacco, narcotics, and anything else that disturbs your health.

“And you know that we get very worried when we find one of you tampering with those things.

“If someone ‘under the influence’ can hardly listen to plain talk, how can they respond to spiritual promptings that touch their most delicate feelings?

“As valuable as the Word of Wisdom is as a law of health, it may be much more valuable to you spiritually than it is physically.

“Even if you keep the Word of Wisdom, there are some things that can happen to you physically, but those things don’t generally damage you spiritually” (in Conference Report, Oct. 1979, pp. 28–29; or Ensign, Nov. 1979, p. 20).

What does it mean to have “hidden treasures” of knowledge? (This could mean that we will have the Holy Ghost to guide and inspire us toward knowledge, truth, and testimony.)

What other spiritual blessings might we receive if we obey the Word of Wisdom?

By Living the Word of Wisdom We Can Set a Good Example

Story

Have the assigned young man read or tell the following story:

“Won’t you come in and get warm while you are waiting?” The speaker, Tatsui Sato, was the only one in the village of Narumi, Japan, who spoke English. Through his shop window he had watched the American soldiers, their breaths showing frosty in the air, as they stamped their feet on the hard ground to keep warm. Although the three soldiers had looked surprised, they readily accepted the invitation of the small, dignified Japanese gentleman.

Once inside, the Americans thanked their host as they rubbed their hands together over the meager coals in the little hibachi. As a token of hospitality, Tatsui Sato presented each visitor with a steaming cup of his best tea. “Thank you, but we do not drink tea or use other stimulants,” one of the soldiers said. “Our Church teaches us that our bodies are a very sacred gift from God and that we should take special care of our health.”

“This is a very strange teaching,” said Sato San. “I have never heard of such a belief although I have studied the Bible.”

The soldiers then explained about God’s revelation called the “Word of Wisdom.” They offered to return to tell this quiet, scholarly man more about their beliefs.

As promised, the soldiers did return and began to hold study classes with the Sato family. Tatsui Sato read the Book of Mormon they brought him from cover to cover, and then reread, studied, and prayed.

By the time the summer rains came to Narumi, Tatsui Sato and his wife Chiyo were convinced the book was true. Their lives had changed since the Latter-day Saint servicemen had first declined to drink their tea and had told of their beliefs.

The Sato family’s baptisms were the first baptisms of local Saints in Japan in over twenty years and the beginning of a new era for the Church in Japan. Brother Sato became the official interpreter and translator for the Japanese Mission. He translated all of the scriptures, many manuals and tracts, and the temple ceremony into Japanese. He and his wife did genealogical research, compiling many Japanese names, including the royal families, to make possible their temple work. When the temple was built in Japan, Brother and Sister Sato were there for the dedication, and Brother Sato became a sealer in the temple. Through the efforts of this one man, the lives of thousands of Japanese people have been changed (adapted from Harrison T. Price, “A Cup of Tea,” Improvement Era, Mar. 1962, pp. 160–61, 184, 186).

Discussion

Discuss the consequences of the servicemen’s observing the Word of Wisdom.

How might this story have been different if the soldiers had just drunk their tea and departed?

Story

Have the assigned young man read or tell the following story:

“A young man who was stationed in Teheran, the capital of Iran, . . . was a member of our Church. While he was there he decided to make the best use of his time and learn the Farsi language. He thought the best way of doing this would be to work with little children and have them teach him Farsi as he taught them English. . . . So he found a very intelligent young pair of children, a young boy and a young girl, and through an interpreter . . . he said he would teach them English on the condition that they would teach him Farsi. They were overjoyed at this opportunity and so it started. . . . It was only a very short time until they were able to communicate with one another. He didn’t have any teaching materials, but he did have his Service-man’s Principles of the Gospel with him and his Book of Mormon, so he began to read with them out of these English books. In the course of his teaching, he taught them about the Word of Wisdom and about a whole host of things that we do and believe in our Church. One day they invited him to come and meet their uncle. . . . He took the little girl on his shoulders and boy by the hand and went over to the uncle’s home laughing and chatting all the way. When they got there, the uncle received him with outstretched arms. He was very, very hospitable to him and they had a wonderful time. Then finally the man got up and went over to his bookcase, opened the door, and reached in, and there was a beautiful silver tray, a silver decanter, and some very tiny cups made of silver. He brought the tray and set it down before them on that beautiful bronze table, and then he very carefully removed the cork from the decanter, and poured beautiful cherry-red wine into those little silver cups. . . . [The young man] thought to himself, ‘What shall I do? I don’t believe in this thing, but after all, he has been so hospitable to me, and he has explained that this is a custom in his country. I don’t want to offend him in any way, so I will do it.’ And that is exactly what he did. As the tray reached him, he took this tiny silver cup no bigger than a thimble and toasted the man’s health and drank it down. The conversation dragged immediately. A silence spread throughout the room. He became uncertain and he quickly broke off the conversation, took the little girl on his shoulders and the little boy by the hand and went outside on their way home. On their way, the little girl started to cry. He said, ‘Honey, why are you crying?’ She could not answer a word through her sobs, but the little boy said, ‘Joe, why did you do it? Why did you do it?’ And he said, ‘Why did I do what?’ And he said, ‘Why did you take that drink?’ ‘Well,’ he said, ‘It was just a little thimble-ful.’ ‘Well,’ the boy said, ‘That doesn’t make any difference. Uncle said you would do it. We told him all about the Word of Wisdom, and he said, “Those Americans talk about a lot of things, but they don’t believe them.” We told him that you really did, but you didn’t.’ Well, the [young man] said as soon as that happened, he would have given his right arm if he could only recall the action that he had done, because he knew what damage he had done to the lives of those little children. They never came back. He had lost his valuable contact and perhaps an opportunity to spread the gospel among influential people in that land” (Theodore M. Burton, Tickling the Tiger, Brigham Young University Speeches of the Year [Provo, 17 Jan. 1961], pp. 7–9).

Discussion

What was the consequence of this young man’s actions?

How might this story have been different if the young man had refused the wine?

Do you think that tiny cup of wine “no bigger than a thimble” hurt the young man physically?

Help the young men to understand that a small amount of anything harmful is not good for us physically. Alcoholics would never have become alcoholics if they had not taken a first drink.

Did it hurt him spiritually?

Conclusion

Testimony

Impress upon the young men that the Lord gave us the Word of Wisdom because he loves us and wants us to find the joy that comes only from being physically and spiritually clean. As we live the Word of Wisdom, the Lord will fulfill his promise to bless us both physically and spiritually.

Bear your testimony of the Word of Wisdom and how important it is that priesthood bearers obey it completely.

Challenge

Review the counsel about physical health given on pages 36–37 of For the Strength of Youth. Challenge the young men to study the Word of Wisdom to gain a better understanding of it. Challenge them further to pray for a firm conviction of its truthfulness as a commandment of the Lord and to live according to its principles throughout their lives.

Lesson 19

Overcoming Temptation

Objective

Each young man will understand that he can overcome temptation.

Preparation

Materials needed:

Scriptures for each young man.

Pencils for marking scriptures.

Suggested Lesson Development

Recognizing and Resisting Temptation

Story and discussion

Explain that a man was interviewing new drivers for his transportation company. The route was very dangerous and went along several steep cliffs through a mountain pass. The interviewer asked each man how close he could safely drive near the edge of the cliff. The first man responded, “I could drive within six inches of the edge.” The second man responded, “I could drive within two inches of the edge.” The third man responded, “I would stay as far away from the edge of the cliff as I possibly could.”

Who do you think was given the job? (The third man.)

Although the first two men may have had great driving skills, why do you suppose the third man was given the job? (He realized that he should stay as far away from trouble as possible.)

Explain that this lesson is about temptation and the reason Heavenly Father allows us to experience it in this earth life.

Scripture, chalkboard, and discussion

Have a young man read James 1:12–14.

What do we learn from this scripture?

We are blessed when we endure temptation.

God does not tempt us.

Every person is tempted.

Draw a vertical line down the middle of the chalkboard. Label one side Good, and the other side Evil. Place two dots, both on the good side of the dividing line—one very close to the line, and the other quite far away.

Suppose these two dots represent two different individuals. Which one is more likely to remain “good”? (The one farthest away from the line.)

Why? (Just as the driver who was hired was wise to stay far from the edge of the cliffs, the further we stay away from temptation, the less likely we are to give in to it.)

Quotation

Have a young man read the following statement by President George Albert Smith about avoiding temptation.

“My grandfather used to say to his family, ‘There is a line of demarcation, well defined, between the Lord’s territory and the devil’s. If you will stay on the Lord’s side of the line, you will be under his influence and will have no desire to do wrong; but if you cross to the devil’s side of the line one inch, you are in the tempter’s power, and if he is successful, you will not be able to think or even reason properly, because you will have lost the Spirit of the Lord.’

“When I have been tempted sometimes to do a certain thing, I have asked myself, ‘Which side of the line am I on?’ If I determined to be on the safe side, the Lord’s side, I would do the right thing every time. So when temptation comes, think prayerfully about your problem, and the influence of the Spirit of the Lord will enable you to decide wisely. There is safety for us only on the Lord’s side of the line” (in Spencer W. Kimball, The Miracle of Forgiveness [Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1969], p. 232).

Scripture and discussion

Why do you think the Lord allows us to be tempted? (We would not be able to use our agency to make choices and grow if we did not have temptation.)

Have a young man read Doctrine and Covenants 29:39.

Is it possible for Satan to tempt us so greatly that we cannot resist?

Have the young men discuss this question.

Have someone read 1 Corinthians 10:13, which explains that we will not be tempted beyond our power to resist and that the Lord will always provide a way out if we are looking for it. Suggest that the young men mark this verse.

Explain that this scripture does not mean that the Lord will help us resist any situation we may create for ourselves. We must do our part to avoid temptation. Share the following example: suppose a group of friends wants you to go to a movie that will cause you to think unclean thoughts.

Can you go to such a movie and still expect to have the Lord help you keep your thoughts clean?

How should you handle this situation with your friends?

Avoiding and Overcoming Temptation

Chalkboard and discussion

What are some different kinds of temptations that young men face?

List the young men’s responses on the chalkboard. The list may include some of the following ideas:

Unclean thoughts

Dishonesty or cheating

Swearing and vulgar language

Drugs, smoking, or drinking

Suggestive movies and videos

How can you overcome temptation?

Quotation, scriptures, and discussion

Encourage the young men to give their ideas about overcoming temptation. Discuss each idea, giving specific suggestions for overcoming or preventing temptation. You may want to use some of the following ideas, but you should encourage the young men to give their ideas first.

Unclean thoughts: Elder Boyd K. Packer suggested that if we will memorize a hymn or song and review the words in our mind when unclean thoughts creep into our minds, those thoughts will slip away.

Dishonesty or cheating: Elder James E. Talmage told how he resisted temptation to be dishonest as a deacon as follows: “The effect of my ordination (as a deacon) entered into all the affairs of my boyish life. . . . When at play on the school grounds, and perhaps tempted to take unfair advantage in the game, . . . I would remember, . . . ‘I am a deacon; and it is not right that a deacon should act this way.’ On examination days, when it seemed easy for me to copy some other boy’s work, . . . I would say in my mind ‘It would be more wicked for me to do that than it is for them, because I am a deacon’” (Incidents from the Lives of Our Church Leaders [deacons manual, 1914], p. 136).

Swearing or vulgarity: The following example may help us understand what swearing or vulgar language can do to one’s conversation. Suppose you were at a piano concert. The musician had played beautifully for nearly ten minutes and then suddenly played incorrect notes for several minutes, then reverted back to his original beautiful music. Although the majority of the concert was beautiful, which part would you remember the most? Our speech can be beautiful and clean. Don’t spoil it by swearing!

Drugs, smoking, and drinking: The Lord has given us the Word of Wisdom (see D&C 89) to help us be strong and healthy. Have a young man read 1 Corinthians 3:16–17 aloud. Emphasize that our bodies are temples, and we should not defile them.

Unclean movies: When a movie or TV program seems questionable, think about whether you would feel comfortable having your bishop or priesthood leader see you enter the theater. If you would not feel comfortable, then you probably should not go.

Let your conscience and the Holy Ghost help you make decisions (see Moroni 7:16–19).

Avoid the appearance of evil. Don’t see how close you can get to sin. Nephi prayed that he would shake at the very appearance of sin (see 2 Nephi 4:31).

When you are making a decision, ask yourself, “What would Jesus do?”

Make decisions before a situation arises so that you will not have to make the decision under pressure.

Pray for strength to resist temptation and remember that with the Lord’s help, you can overcome all temptation.

Quotation

Explain that President Spencer W. Kimball counseled us to beware of Satan’s great influence. He said: “Satan tells us that black is white. He lies to us; therefore, we must be prepared to make a bold stand before Satan. . . . We need the whole armor of God that we may withstand” (“The Blessings and Responsibilities of Womanhood,” Ensign, Mar. 1976, p. 71).

Conclusion

Bear testimony of the joy and spiritual growth that come from resisting temptation.

Challenge

Have each young man think of two temptations he needs to work on. Then have each think of ways he can overcome these particular temptations. Challenge the young men to be especially aware of resisting these two temptations during the coming week.

Lesson 20

Proper Use of Agency

Objective

Each young man will use his agency to grow spiritually and follow the Savior.

Preparation

Materials needed:

Scriptures for each young man.

A few hymnbooks.

Pencils for marking scriptures.

Prepare a warning sign as a chart or on the chalkboard:

Danger—Whirlpool

No Swimming Allowed!

On a chart or the chalkboard write the following quotation:

“Choose you this day whom ye will serve; . . . but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord” (Joshua 24:15).

Decide how you want to use the hymn “Choose the Right” (Hymns, no. 239) at the end of the lesson.

If it is available, consider showing “The Consequences of Our Choices (‘The Pump’),” on Family Home Evening Video Supplement (53276).

Suggested Lesson Development

Agency Allows Us to Make Choices and Experience Consequences

Object lesson

Display the warning sign. Discuss the following questions:

What kind of a sign is this?

What is the value of such a sign?

How does it restrict our freedom?

What might happen if we ignore it?

What benefits come to us if we obey the sign?

Discussion

Explain that when we see such a warning sign we might think that our freedom is being restricted. But we still have several choices.

What are some choices we have in this situation? (We are free to swim somewhere else or to walk along the beach and pick up seashells. We can watch the sunset. We are free to go home. We are also free to ignore the sign and swim in the dangerous spot.)

Explain that once the whirlpool has us in its grasp and we are pulled under the water, we have very few choices.

What choices would we have? (We can call for help, but we may drown.)

Explain that “even though we are free to choose our course of action, we are not free to choose the consequences of our actions. The consequences, whether good or bad, follow as a natural result of any choice we make. . . . If we touch a hot flame, for example, we are burned” (Gospel Principles [Salt Lake City: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1992], pp. 23–24).

Scripture and discussion

Have the young men discuss what agency means to them. Help them understand that agency is the ability and freedom to choose good or evil.

Have the young men read, discuss, and mark Helaman 14:30–31.

Quotation

President David O. McKay said:

“Next to the bestowal of life itself, the right to direct that life is God’s greatest gift to man. . . . Freedom of choice is more to be treasured than any possession earth can give” (in Conference Report, Apr. 1950, p. 32).

Explain that our eternal progression depends on how we use our agency. To become like our Father in Heaven and return to his presence, we must learn to have faith in Jesus Christ and make right choices. That is one of the reasons we came to earth.

Scriptures and discussion

Read 2 Nephi 2:27 and Abraham 3:24–26. The young men may want to mark parts of these verses.

How will we be proven?

What blessings await those who choose to obey the commandments of God?

The Spiritual Quality of Our Future Life Depends upon Our Choices

Scripture stories and discussion

Explain that the scriptures give us examples of great men and the difficult choices they made. Explain that Moses grew up living a life of luxury as the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, even though he was the son of Hebrew parents. Moses could have lived all his life in luxury. Instead Moses chose to stand up for the rights of the Hebrew slaves.

Why do you think Moses made this decision?

What were the consequences of Moses’ decision? (He had to flee into the wilderness; he was chosen by God to be a prophet; he was able to be an instrument in God’s hands to free the Hebrew slaves from Egyptian bondage; he led the Israelites in the wilderness for many years; he gained eternal salvation in the celestial kingdom.)

Relate the account of three young Jewish men—Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego—who had charge of some of the affairs in Babylon. King Nebuchadnezzar had a gold idol made for his people to worship. Nebuchadnezzar made a decree and commanded that when the people heard a particular sound of music from several instruments, they were all to bow down and worship the golden image. Anyone who refused to bow down would be thrown into a fiery furnace. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego knew that the golden image was not God. They also knew that one of the Ten Commandments forbade them to worship false gods. Therefore, they refused to bow and worship Nebuchadnezzar’s golden image. The three young men were taken into custody. They were given a choice. They were to either bow down and worship the golden image or be thrown into a fiery furnace. These three young men made their decision. They told the king, “Be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up” (Daniel 3:18). Nebuchadnezzar was furious. He had his servants heat the furnace hotter than it had ever been heated. He had Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego tied up and cast into the furnace. It was so hot it killed the men who threw them in. Nebuchadnezzar was astonished to see the three young men and a fourth person walking around in the furnace unharmed. The fourth person was evidently an angel. The king went near the furnace and called them out. The three young men came out. They were completely unharmed. Their hair was not even singed nor did their clothes smell of smoke or fire. Nebuchadnezzar praised the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. The king made another decree that anyone speaking against the God of the young men would be put to death. The three young men received a promotion by the king. (See Daniel 3.)

If you had been in the place of these three young men, why would it have been a difficult decision not to bow to the golden idol?

How might they have rationalized and decided it would be all right to bow to the idol?

Why do you think they refused to bow down?

Explain that Joshua was Moses’ successor. As the leader of the children of Israel, Joshua gathered his people around him and spoke of the choices they could make. Read Joshua 24:15 and display the chart with this verse printed on it.

Discuss with the young men how the choices they make in the following situations (or similar ones of your choice) might affect their present and future life.

Cheating on a school examination.

Shoplifting.

Praying daily.

Paying tithing.

Present the following example:

“Two young men who are elders in the Church work for the same company. They are invited by their boss to go waterskiing on Sunday. Both love waterskiing, and both want to improve their standing with the boss. Both have responsibilities at church on Sunday. One says, ‘I will be happy to go with you.’ The other says, ‘I would be excited about going with you some Saturday, but I don’t feel good about going on Sunday’” (Family Home Evening [manual, 1979–80], p. 13).

How might each young man’s choice influence his business life? His spiritual life? His family?

Quotation and discussion

Elder Mark E. Petersen said:

“This life is a time for choosing. Our decisions affect not only our own lives but also the lives of others. Choosing is difficult, because everything is a matter of choice” (“This Life Is a Time for Choosing,” Improvement Era, Feb. 1967, p. 6).

Tell the young men that because choosing can be difficult, our Father in Heaven has offered to help us.

What things has Heavenly Father given us to help us choose the right? (Scriptures, parents, prayer, inspiration from the Holy Ghost.)

Explain that if we seriously study our decisions, live to be worthy of the Spirit, and seek assistance, Heavenly Father will guide us, and the spiritual quality of our life will improve.

Quotation

Read the following quotation from President Ezra Taft Benson:

“Men and women who turn their lives over to God will discover that He can make a lot more out of their lives than they can. He will deepen their joys, expand their vision, quicken their minds, strengthen their muscles, lift their spirits, multiply their blessings, increase their opportunities, comfort their souls, raise up friends, and pour out peace. Whoever will lose his life in the service of God will find eternal life” (The Teachings of Ezra Taft Benson [Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1988], p. 361).

Story

Have the class think about the choices that a young Latter-day Saint had to make in the following story.

John, a teenage boy, was walking to sacrament meeting one Sunday when some of his friends drove up and asked him to go for a ride with them. The warm, sunny day and the opportunity for a ride with his friends enticed him. He did not want to go to his meetings, though his parents were expecting him to be there. The boys promised they would be back before the meetings were over. They tried to convince him that his parents would never have to know.

Discussion

Let the young men discuss what John’s choices were and what the consequences of each might be.

Some possible questions are:

How would John’s decision affect his friendship with those who invited him to go for a ride?

How could he honor the Sabbath day?

How might his decision influence his relationship with his parents?

How could his decision affect his spiritual growth?

What would you do if you were John? Why?

Explain that since we will suffer or enjoy the consequences of our choices, we should always consider the outcome of each decision and choose the right.

Conclusion

Quotation

Read the following statement by Elder Boyd K. Packer:

“We come into mortal life to receive a body and to be tested, to learn to choose.

“The choice of life is not between fame and obscurity, nor is the choice between wealth and poverty. The choice is between good and evil, and that is a very different matter indeed.

“When we finally understand this lesson, thereafter our happiness will not be determined by material things. We may be happy without them or successful in spite of them. . . .

“Our lives are made up of thousands of everyday choices. Over the years these little choices will be bundled together and show clearly what we value.

“The crucial test of life, I repeat, does not center in the choice between fame and obscurity, nor between wealth and poverty. The greatest decision of life is between good and evil” (in Conference Report, Oct. 1980, pp. 28–29; or Ensign, Nov. 1980, p. 21).

Scripture

Read again the scripture on the chart: “Choose you this day whom ye will serve; . . . but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord” (Joshua 24:15).

Hymn

Have the class or an individual sing “Choose the Right” (Hymns, no. 239), or have one of the young men read the words as a poem.

Lesson 21

Pure Thoughts: Clean Language

Objective

Each young man will more fully realize the importance of having pure thoughts and using uplifting language.

Preparation

Materials needed:

Scriptures for each young man.

A small piece of white or light-colored cloth for each young man.

A damp cloth for cleaning up after the object lesson.

A pencil for each young man.

Prepare a copy of the handout “Bible Exercise” for each young man (see page 75), or write the quiz on a large poster for the young men to do as a group.

Prepare a small bowl of crushed berries, juice, or something similar that will color a small piece of light-colored cloth.

Prepare the following as a poster: “Our mind, like the dyer’s hand, is colored by what it holds.”

Review the counsel about language given on pages 22–23 of For the Strength of Youth.

Note to the adviser

Pure thoughts are a prerequisite to clean actions. The images and language in today’s media can be a powerfully destructive influence in the lives of young men. Aaronic Priesthood leaders can be a powerful influence in leading young men to choose pure and righteous lives.

Suggested Lesson Development

We Reveal Ourselves by the Language We Use

Chalkboard and discussion

Write the following statement on the chalkboard:

“Language is the dress of thought; every time you talk your mind is on parade” (author unknown, Richard Evans’ Quote Book, comp. Richard L. Evans [Salt Lake City: Publishers Press, 1971], p. 194).

What does this statement mean? (When we speak, others can often tell what we think about and what kind of person we are. We should constantly try to think good thoughts and use clean speech.)

Activity

Distribute the previously prepared copies of the “Bible Exercise” and pencils to the young men, or display the large poster quiz you have prepared. Either do this exercise as a class and fill in the blanks together, or allow each young man to work individually. Ask the young men to use James 3:2–13 to fill in the blanks. The purpose of this exercise is to help the young men understand the chapter, not to compel them to find a precise word.

Bible Exercise

If a man can control the words he speaks, he is also able to control his whole body. (verse 2)

A horse’s body can be controlled by a small bit in its mouth. (verse 3)

Large ships at sea, though driven by fierce winds, can be guided in any direction by a very small helm. (verse 4)

Our tongue is compared to the horse’s bit and the ship’s helm because it affects our whole body. (verses 5–6)

Man has been able to tame animals of all kinds, but the thing he has the hardest time taming is his own tongue. (verses 7–8)

Some people use their tongues to bless God, and to curse man, who is made in the image of God. (verse 9)

Both blessings and cursings should not come out of the same mouth. (verse 10)

Both sweet and bitter water do not come from the same fountain. (verse 11)

If we are wise, we can show it by our good conversation. (verse 13)

Spend a few minutes discussing the importance of the message contained in this chapter. Suggest that the young men mark these verses.

Thought questions

Have the young men picture in their minds a member of the Church whom they greatly respect and admire—someone they would like to pattern their lives after—as you ask the following thought questions:

How does this person speak?

What effect does his or her speech have on others?

Would you feel the same about that person if he or she used filthy and profane language?

Explain that as we think about the person we admire, we can decide now what kind of person we want to be and then act as if we were that person. By doing this, we will become like that ideal.

What does your language reveal about you?

Do you try to think and speak as a son of God?

Clean Thoughts Precede Clean Language

Object lesson and poster

Display the bowl of juice (or other similar liquid). Invite the young men to dye a small piece of cloth with the juice, being careful not to get any of the juice on their clothes. When they have done so, ask them to look at their hands. They will probably have gotten some of the juice on their hands. Provide damp cloths so they can clean their hands.

Display the poster that says, “Our mind, like the dyer’s hand, is colored by what it holds.”

Ask the young men to think about this statement as they respond to the following questions:

Why might it be harmful to think about how easy stealing seems even if you do not steal?

Why might it be harmful to think angry and unkind thoughts about someone, even if you never tell anyone else your thoughts?

Reread the quotation on the poster.

Could thinking this way stain your mind?

Quotation and discussion

Read the following statement:

“A noble and Godlike character is . . . the natural result of continued effort in right thinking” (James Allen, As a Man Thinketh [New York: Thomas Y. Crowell Company, n.d.], pp. 7–8).

Emphasize that it takes a great deal of effort to control our thoughts. But if we are to become true disciples of Christ, we must make every effort to keep our thoughts pure.

What are some things that influence our thoughts and speech? (Friends, movies, magazines, jokes, jealousy, selfishness.)

Discuss how each of these influences our lives for good or bad.

We Need to Practice Controlling Our Thoughts

Chalkboard and discussion

What are some ways we can control our thoughts?

Let the young men respond. Record their responses on the chalkboard. Include the following ideas:

Pray earnestly to our Father in Heaven to help us govern our thoughts and speech.

Think about the Savior and pattern our lives after his so that our thoughts and speech will be clean and dignified.

Pick a favorite hymn and use it to replace a bad thought.

Choose friends who will have a good influence on our thoughts and speech.

Visualize our mind as a television screen. When an evil thought enters, mentally change channels and think of something uplifting.

Pick a favorite scripture that has a special meaning. Memorize it. When the temptation to think evil enters our mind, quote the scripture over and over until the thought leaves.

Conclusion

Testimony and challenge

Review the counsel about language given on pages 22–23 of For the Strength of Youth. Bear testimony of the importance of controlling our thoughts and speech. Express confidence in the young men’s ability to control their minds. Challenge them to select a way to control their thoughts that will work best for them and practice using it during the coming week.

Lesson 22

Covenants Guide Our Actions

Objective

Each young man will strive to fulfill the covenants he has made and use them to guide his actions along the path to eternal life.

Preparation

Materials needed:

Scriptures for each young man.

Pencils for marking scriptures.

Write the following scripture references on slips of paper: 1 Nephi 11:21–22; 1 Nephi 12:16; 1 Nephi 11:25; 1 Nephi 12:17; 1 Nephi 11:36; and 2 Nephi 31:18.

Practice drawing the chalkboard illustration of Lehi’s dream (see page 77).

Ask a young man who is a good reader to be prepared to read Lehi’s dream: 1 Nephi 8:2, 5–13, 19–28.

Study the account of Lehi’s dream found in 1 Nephi 8. You may also want to read some of the cross-references.

This lesson provides the basic scripture references for teaching young men to make and keep covenants with the Lord. You may want to add video or audio helps that are available in your area. An excellent choice would be “Baptism—A Promise to Follow Jesus” on Family Home Evening Video Supplement (53276).

Suggested Lesson Development

Introduction

Scripture and discussion

What is the greatest gift Heavenly Father has to give us?

Have a young man read Doctrine and Covenants 14:7 to find the answer to this question. Suggest that the young men mark this verse.

Explain that about six hundred years before the birth of Jesus Christ, Lehi had a marvelous dream that tells us how to obtain eternal life.

Chalkboard and discussion

Have the assigned young man read 1 Nephi 8:2, 5–13, 19–28. As he reads, develop the following chalkboard illustration. Encourage the young men to mark important passages.

The tree

The river of water

The iron rod

The strait and narrow path

The mists of darkness

The great and spacious building

Many people—some on the path, some not

Scripture and discussion

To find out what each part of Lehi’s dream represents, pass out the following scripture references. Have each young man look up his scripture and be prepared to tell what that part of Lehi’s dream represents.

1 Nephi 11:21–22 (The tree and fruit represent the love of God or eternal life.)

1 Nephi 12:16 (The river represents the depths of hell.)

The first half of 1 Nephi 11:25 (The rod of iron is the word of God.)

2 Nephi 31:18 (The strait and narrow path is the way to eternal life.)

1 Nephi 12:17 (The mists of darkness are the temptations of the devil.)

The first sentence of 1 Nephi 11:36 (The great and spacious building is the pride and vanity of the world.)

Each Young Man Has Made Sacred Covenants

Scripture, chalkboard, and discussion

As disciples of Christ we have tremendous responsibilities as well as great potential. As we have discussed, Lehi saw a strait and narrow path that represents the process of becoming like Heavenly Father and gaining eternal life.

To read about how we follow the path that leads to the tree of life, have a young man read 2 Nephi 31:17–18.

How does a person get on the strait and narrow path? (By repenting and being baptized.)

Explain that when we are baptized, we enter into a covenant with Heavenly Father. He promises us that if we do certain things we will partake of the fruit of the tree and receive eternal life.

To help the young men learn about the promises we have made that will help us stay on the path to eternal life, have them read Moroni 4:3 and Mosiah 18:8–10.

What did we promise to do when we were baptized? List the following points on the chalkboard: (1) to take the name of Jesus Christ upon us, (2) to always remember Jesus Christ, (3) to keep the commandments, (4) to bear others’ burdens, (5) to mourn with others, (6) to give comfort, (7) to stand as a witness for God.

Discuss the meaning of each of these promises, helping the young men to understand how they can fulfill them. Emphasize that in all of these covenants we have promised to put Christ and his teachings at the center of our lives.

If we keep these promises, what does Heavenly Father promise to give us? (His Spirit—the Holy Ghost.)

How will the Holy Ghost help us achieve eternal life? (The Holy Ghost will guide us and help us stay on the strait and narrow path.)

Additional Covenants Are Essential for Eternal Life

Discussion

Explain that as we grow older, we are given the opportunity to make additional covenants that are essential to receiving exaltation.

What are these other covenants? (Receiving the Melchizedek Priesthood, receiving our temple endowment, and being married in the temple.)

Every covenant or promise we make to the Lord will help us stay on the strait and narrow path so we may become like Heavenly Father and attain eternal life.

Scripture and discussion

To find out what the Lord says about covenants, have a young man read Doctrine and Covenants 82:10.

What does the word bound mean?

When is the Lord not bound to keep his part of the covenant?

How long is the Lord bound to give us his promised blessings?

What must we do to receive the blessings of eternal life? (Keep the Lord’s commandments.)

Conclusion

Scripture

Have the young men read Psalm 89:34. Emphasize that we must have that same resolve to keep our covenants. Explain that even though we are not perfect, we must honestly try to keep our promises to the Lord at all times.

Challenge

Express confidence in the ability of the young men to be true to their covenants. Explain that one of their greatest challenges is to always remember that they are the sons of God and have the potential of becoming like him.

Challenge the young men to ask Heavenly Father to help them better understand the covenants they made at baptism and to commit themselves to live worthy of making future covenants as they advance in the priesthood and receive their endowments in the temple.

Lesson 23

Pray for Guidance

Objective

Each young man will learn how to seek and recognize the guidance of his Heavenly Father.

Preparation

Materials needed:

Scriptures for each young man.

Pencils for marking scriptures.

At least one week before this lesson, ask two young men to read through the role play between Andy and Matt two or three times and to be prepared to present it during the lesson.

If it is available, show “The First Vision,” on the videocassette Moments from Church History (53145). If it is not available, review Joseph Smith—History 1:5–20.

Suggested Lesson Development

The Lord Has Told Us How to Receive Guidance

Discussion

What are some difficult decisions young men your age may have to make?

What are some of the decisions you have to make in a normal day’s activities?

Encourage all the young men to make suggestions.

Scriptures, chalkboard, and discussion

Have the young men locate the following verses in their scriptures. Call on a different young man to read each verse aloud. As each verse is read, ask the other young men to listen and prepare to tell what the scripture means. Write key words or phrases on the chalkboard to the right of each scripture. The young men may want to mark phrases that are important to them.

Doctrine and Covenants 112:10—“Be thou humble” to receive answers to prayers.

1 Nephi 17:45—“He hath spoken . . . in a still small voice, but ye were past feeling [and] could not feel his words.”

Revelation 3:20—“I stand at the door, and knock.”

Moroni 10:3–5—“By the power of the Holy Ghost.”

Doctrine and Covenants 9:7–9—“Study it out in your mind; then you must ask me if it be right.”

How do these scriptures help us know how to pray for guidance in making right decisions?

Emphasize that Heavenly Father loves us and knows that our lives will be happier and more productive if we follow his guidance. If we pray to Heavenly Father, he will help us to know if our decisions are right. He will bless us with this knowledge through the power of the Holy Ghost.

We Must Learn to Listen and Recognize Answers to Our Prayers

Videocassette

Show “The First Vision,” on the videocassette Moments from Church History, if it is available. If the video is not available, tell the story of Joseph Smith’s first vision in your own words. Explain to the young men that God hears and answers prayers. They may not receive a visit from heavenly messengers, but if they listen carefully for the voice of the Spirit, they will know when their prayers are answered.

Discussion

Which scripture from the list is illustrated in Joseph Smith’s experience? (D&C 112:10.)

Underline this reference on the chalkboard.

Quotation

How can you know when God has answered your prayers?

Tell the young men that Bishop H. Burke Peterson gave this important advice about seeking answers to prayers:

“Listening is an essential part of praying. Answers from the Lord come quietly—ever so quietly. In fact, few hear his answers audibly with their ears. We must be listening so carefully or we will never recognize them. Most answers from the Lord are felt in our heart as a warm comfortable expression, or they may come as thoughts to our mind. They come to those who are prepared and who are patient” (in Conference Report, Oct. 1973, p. 13; or Ensign, Jan. 1974, p. 19).

Role play

Have the assigned young men present the following dramatization. They are talking to each other on the telephone.

Andy: (talking quite rapidly) Matt, you know that camping trip our quorum is planning for next month? Well, Dad said I could go if I get my math grade up! Isn’t that great? At first he just said no. Now I have to start getting the stuff together that I’ll need to take on the trip. Tell me what I have to have.

Matt: Well, you’ll need . . .

Andy: (interrupting) And of course I have to get a good grade on the big math test tomorrow, and I still haven’t figured out how to do that problem you did today on the board. Could you tell me how you worked it?

Matt: Oh, sure, all you have to do is . . .

Andy: (interrupting) Hey! Did you see that ball game after school? Wasn’t that great? That goal I scored won the game. I played the best game I’ve ever played, don’t you think? I wish I could be a better defender, though. What do you think I ought to do to stop the other team from going past me and scoring? Am I doing something wrong?

Matt: I really think you could defend better if . . .

Andy: (interrupting) I gotta go. Mom wants me to clean up my room before dinner. Thanks for your help. See you tomorrow. Bye. (hangs up)

Matt: (looks bewildered and sighs) Good-bye, Andy.

Discussion

What was the main problem in the communication between Andy and Matt?

Can you see any similarities between that conversation and your prayers?

Explain that the Holy Ghost will help us to hear the Lord’s answers if we will listen with our hearts and minds. We should learn to listen during and after the prayer. Not all answers come immediately, but occasionally they will. Sometimes the answer will come a long while after the prayer has been said. Some answers come through others who touch our lives in some way. We must remember to make ourselves worthy to receive the answer from our Heavenly Father.

Which scripture on the list illustrates that we sometimes do not listen for the voice or feel the impressions Heavenly Father sends to us? (1 Nephi 17:45.)

Underline the reference on the chalkboard.

Story

Assure the young men that the Lord always hears and answers sincere prayers. We must learn to listen. Relate the following experience of a Danish convert to illustrate this point.

Arne Jacobsen, a Danish man, was investigating the Church. He explained what he did when he found the Book of Mormon hard to understand:

“I recalled that the missionaries had counseled us that when we read the scriptures we should pray and ask God for understanding. After doing that, I read and understood the Book of Mormon. Moroni 10:3–5 especially made a wonderful impression on me.

“Because I felt I had not lived a good life, I was fearful that God would not answer my prayer regarding the truth of the Book of Mormon. However, one Saturday evening I knelt down and promised the Lord that if he would answer me, I would serve him the rest of my days. Very quietly I received the words, ‘The Book of Mormon is true. It is my word. Joseph Smith was a true prophet of God. My church is built upon prophets and Apostles.’ The joy I experienced cannot be expressed sufficiently in words.

“I was baptized and a few months later baptized my beloved wife and two oldest boys. Now we are a happy Latter-day Saint family of eight members” (Arne Jacobsen, “Three Well-Behaved Young Men,” Ensign, July 1974, p. 40).

What scriptures on our list does this story illustrate? (Revelation 3:20 and Moroni 10:3–5.)

Emphasize that as we pray for guidance or “stand at the door, and knock,” the Lord will hear and answer our prayers if we listen for the promptings of the still, small voice.

Scripture

Explain that the decisions a young man makes at this time in his life are important. God will help us if we seek him sincerely and learn to recognize his answers.

Reread Doctrine and Covenants 9:7–9 for specific guidelines that we should follow when making a decision.

Quotation

Explain that President Marion G. Romney told how he used the following guidelines from the Doctrine and Covenants to solve his problems:

“When confronted with a problem I prayerfully weigh in my mind alternative solutions and come to a conclusion as to which of them is best. Then in prayer I submit to the Lord my problem, tell him I desire to make the right choice, what is, in my judgment, the right course. Then I ask him if I have made the right decision to give me the burning in my bosom that He promised Oliver Cowdery. When enlightenment and peace come into my mind, I know the Lord is saying yes. If I have a ‘stupor of thought,’ I know he is saying no, and I try again, following the same procedure.

“In conclusion, I repeat: I know when and how the Lord answers my prayers by the way I feel” (from “Q and A,” New Era, Oct. 1975, p. 35).

Explanation

Stress that a “stupor of thought” is as much an answer to a prayerful request as a “burning in the bosom” is. Help the young men to see that the Lord will usually answer an honest request in one of these ways.

Conclusion

Testimonies

Allow the young men to share experiences they have had with receiving answers to prayer.

Share any experiences you may have had with prayer that will be uplifting to the young men in your class.

Challenge

Challenge the young men to pray for guidance in their lives as they try to become like Heavenly Father.

Lesson 24

Christ-Centered Repentance

Objective

Each young man will apply the principle of repentance in his daily life.

Preparation

Materials needed:

Scriptures for each young man.

Pencils for marking scriptures.

Write the following phrases on wordstrips:

Recognize our sins

Feel sorrow for our sins

Have faith in the atonement of Jesus Christ

Confess our sins

Abandon our sins

Make restitution for our sins

Keep His commandments and endure to the end

Review Alma 36:6–26 (Alma’s conversion).

If it is available, show “The Gift of Repentance,” on Family Home Evening Video Supplement (53276).

Review the counsel about repentance given on pages 29–30 of For the Strength of Youth.

Suggested Lesson Development

Introduction

Show the video presentation “The Gift of Repentance” (found on the Family Home Evening Video Supplement), if it is available.

Discussion

Write on the chalkboard: Repentance is . . .

Ask the young men to think of words or phrases that could help to define repentance. Write their responses on the chalkboard. Possible responses include a process, a commandment, a change of heart, improving one’s life, and feeling sorrow for our sins.

Repentance Is a Process

Scriptures, wordstrips, and discussion

Point out that repentance is a process that brings us closer to our Father in Heaven. Tell the young men that they are going to read about how Alma went through the process of repentance.

Ask a young man to read Alma 36:6–16.

How did Alma feel about the sins he had committed?

How should we feel about our sins?

Tell the young men that before we can repent, we must recognize that we are sinning. Then we must feel sorry that we have disobeyed God’s commandments. Post the first two wordstrips.

What kinds of things might we do wrong in our day-to-day living?

Help the young men to see that major transgressions such as murder, adultery, or theft are not the only sins that require us to repent. We also need to repent of small things we do every day. Such things as dishonest actions, losing our tempers, showing disrespect to our parents, gossiping, or failing to follow through on an assignment all weaken our characters and keep us from enjoying the companionship of the Holy Ghost and becoming like our Heavenly Father.

Ask a young man to read Alma 36:17–19. Post the wordstrip “Have faith in the atonement of Jesus Christ.”

What thought saved Alma from the torment of remembering his sins?

How do you feel when you think about the atonement of Jesus Christ?

Quotation and discussion

President Ezra Taft Benson has explained that if we truly want to repent, we must demonstrate faith in Jesus Christ:

“Repentance means more than simply a reformation of behavior. Many men and women in the world demonstrate great willpower and self-discipline in overcoming bad habits and the weaknesses of the flesh. Yet at the same time they give no thought to the Master, sometimes even openly rejecting Him. Such changes of behavior, even if in a positive direction, do not constitute true repentance.

“Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ is the foundation upon which sincere and meaningful repentance must be built. If we truly seek to put away sin, we must first look to Him who is the Author of our salvation” (“A Mighty Change of Heart,” Ensign, Oct. 1989, p. 2).

Scriptures and discussion

Explain that Alma confessed his sinful state to the Lord. Post the wordstrip “Confess our sins.”

To whom must we confess our sins?

After the young men have expressed their ideas, point out that we should confess to the person we have wronged. We must also confess to the Lord. In addition, the seriousness of the transgression may require that we go to the bishop. Remind the young men that the bishop is there to help and not to condemn. Bishops always keep such information confidential.

What kinds of sins must we confess to our bishop?

Elder Marion G. Romney explained, “Where one’s transgressions are of such a nature as would, unrepented of, put in jeopardy his right to membership or fellowship in the Church of Jesus Christ, full and effective confession would . . . require confession . . . to his bishop” (in Conference Report, Oct. 1955, p. 1251, italics added).

Such sins include sexual transgressions and any major violation of the law.

Ask a young man to read Alma 36:20–23.

How did Alma feel after he had confessed his sins?

How do you think Alma would have felt if, after feeling the Lord’s forgiveness, he had returned to his sinful ways?

Make sure the young men understand that repentance is not a quick or easy process. Like Alma, we will feel pain and suffering as we repent. We may be required to go through a long process of repentance before we receive the Lord’s forgiveness.

Put up the wordstrip, “Abandon our sins.” Ask the young men what it means to abandon our sins. Help the young men understand that a truly repentant person will not repeat his sin.

Put up the wordstrip “Make restitution for our sins.”

Explain that the word restitution means to make right the wrong that was done.

Have a young man read Alma 36:24–26.

How did Alma make restitution for his sins? (He preached the gospel to try to help people feel the joy he felt.)

Remind the quorum that there are some offenses that simply cannot be completely undone, as described in the following verse:

“Boys flying kites haul in their white-winged birds—

You can’t do that when you are flying words.

Thoughts unexpressed sometimes fall back dead,

But God himself can’t kill them once they are said.”

(Will Carlton)

Explain that swearing, gossiping, lying, and bearing false witness fall in this category. But many offenses can be repaired.

Quotation

Elder William J. Critchlow Jr., who was an Assistant to the Council of the Twelve Apostles many years ago, said the following:

“Three boys about to receive scouting awards were apprehended breaking street lights. And were they sorry for being caught. Later, but before they accepted their awards, they recognized their acts as unbecoming Eagle Scouts; and with true feelings of remorse they went to the company to relate other similar transgressions and offered to make restitution by paying for the lights” (“Spelling Repentance with Seven Big R’s,” Instructor, Mar. 1966, p. 93).

Story

Another example is told of a young man who had received a mission call. In preparing himself to serve that mission, he desired to wipe the slate clean of all his past misdeeds. Thinking back on an incident that had happened years before when he had cheated on an exam, he was filled with remorse and desired to make restitution as much as possible. Writing to that teacher of long ago, he confessed his sin and asked her forgiveness. He felt he could then go forth and serve the Lord with a clear conscience.

Put up the final wordstrip, “Keep His commandments and endure to the end.”

Explain that if we have faith in Jesus Christ, we can overcome our sins and receive the guidance and support of the Lord throughout our lives.

Scripture and discussion

Ask a young man to read Alma 36:27–28.

In whom did Alma place his trust and faith?

How did Alma’s faith help him endure trials throughout his life?

Point out that this step is perhaps the hardest. It means that to prove our sincerity we must be on guard every day so that we do not fall back into old habits. To earn God’s forgiveness we should go the extra mile, not only forsaking our sins, but doing good wherever we can. President David O. McKay said, “Happiness is righteousness” (as quoted by William J. Critchlow Jr., Instructor, Mar. 1966, p. 93).

The great prophet Lehi said, “If there be no righteousness there be no happiness” (2 Nephi 2:13).

Repentance Includes Forgiving Yourself

Scripture and discussion

What do you think is Satan’s greatest tool to keep us from repenting?

You may get a variety of answers. All of the answers might be acceptable, but for the purpose of this discussion, look for “discouragement.”

Explain that feelings of guilt can be a healthy sign; they remind us that we have sinned and need to repent. But feeling guilty after we have genuinely repented will make us become discouraged, leaving us vulnerable to temptation again.

Read and discuss Doctrine and Covenants 58:42.

Explain that if the young men continue to feel guilty after they have repented, they should ask themselves these questions:

Have I completed all the steps of repentance?

Have I asked Heavenly Father to forgive me?

Have I allowed the Lord to take my burden by trusting him?

Am I doing all that I can to keep the commandments?

Conclusion

Testimony

Bear testimony that Heavenly Father knows and loves each of us. He knows what we do, and he knows what is in our hearts. Our sins bring great sorrow to him and unhappiness to us. It is never too late to repent and start over, no matter how bad we may think we are. None of us is so good that we cannot improve in some way. When the Lord said, “Come unto me,” he was speaking to everyone.

Challenge

Review the counsel about repentance on pages 29–30 of For the Strength of Youth. Encourage the young men to take an inventory of their daily lives. For example, what do they need to improve on or to repent of? As an exercise to get them started, ask them to silently ask themselves the following question:

“What can I do to more fully enjoy the companionship of the Holy Ghost?”

Let them ponder the answers that come to them without making any comment.

Lesson 25

Forgiveness

Objective

Each young man will live in greater harmony with those around him as he forgives and seeks forgiveness.

Preparation

Materials needed:

Scriptures for each young man.

Picture 1, The Last Supper.

Pencils for marking scriptures.

Pencil for each young man.

Make a copy of the handout “Am I a Forgiving Person?” for each class member (see page 89).

Assign a young man to come prepared to relate the account of the unmerciful servant (see Matthew 18:23–35).

Read the story of Joseph who was sold into Egypt (see Genesis 37, 39–46). Study Matthew 18:23–35 and Luke 23:33–34.

Suggested Lesson Development

The Scriptures Provide Examples of Forgiveness

Activity

Conduct the activity “Who Am I?” by having a young man read aloud the clues below. As soon as someone thinks he has discovered the identity of the person being described, he should raise his hand. However, the reader should continue until the list is complete or until all the young men have raised their hands.

Who Am I?

I was falsely accused and sent to prison (see Genesis 39:11–20).

Later I was released from prison and given a high position of leadership in a foreign land (see Genesis 41:37–43).

For many years I was separated from my family (see Genesis 37:28; 39:1–2, 20; 41:1, 14; 46–48).

I interpreted the dreams of a butler, a baker, and a ruler (see Genesis 40–41).

Because of famine, my family left their homeland and moved to where I was living. Therefore, I was able to help them (see Genesis 45–46).

When I was a boy, my father gave me a beautiful coat (see Genesis 37:3).

Although my brothers sold me to slave traders, I forgave them; we had a joyful reunion in Egypt and lived happily for many years (see Genesis 45–46).

Who am I? (Joseph, the son of Jacob, who was sold into Egypt.)

Discussion

Help the young men relate the complete story.

What principle does this story illustrate? (Forgiveness.)

What made the happy reunion possible? (Joseph was willing to forgive earlier offenses.)

Scripture and discussion

Read Luke 23:33–34, and discuss with the young men this great account of forgiveness.

We Must Learn to Be Forgiving

Thought questions

Write the word Forgiveness at the top of the chalkboard.

Have the young men think about the following questions. They should not share their responses with the other young men.

Have you ever wanted to be forgiven for a wrong you committed against someone else?

How did you feel before you were forgiven?

How did you feel after you had been forgiven?

Scripture story

Ask the assigned young man to relate the parable of the unmerciful servant (see Matthew 18:23–35).

What do you think Jesus is trying to teach us with this parable?

Scripture, quotation, and discussion

Have a young man read Matthew 18:35.

Explain that in modern amounts, the first debt of ten thousand talents is equal to over nine million dollars, whereas the second debt of a hundred pence is equivalent to about fifteen dollars (see James E. Talmage, Jesus the Christ, 3rd ed. [Salt Lake City: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1916], pp. 394, 396–97).

What message for our own lives did the Savior teach in this parable?

Scripture search

Write the following scriptures on the chalkboard and ask the young men to find them: Matthew 6:14–15 and Doctrine and Covenants 64:9–10. Have a young man read each one. The young men may want to mark parts of these verses.

Explain to the young men that Jesus Christ suffered and died for our sins. When we sincerely repent, he forgives us. We are not required to suffer for other people’s sins, but we have been commanded to “forgive all men.” By forgiving others as Jesus forgives us, we learn to be more like him.

Quiz

Give each young man a pencil and a copy of “Am I a Forgiving Person?” (see page 89). Explain that this is a short quiz about forgiving. All the questions should be answered honestly with a simple yes or no. Remind the class that this is a personal activity; they should not share their answers with the class.

Do you ever say, “Well, I will forgive, but I can never forget”?

Are you ever secretly happy when something unfortunate happens to someone you don’t like?

Do you ever wish you could get even with someone for something he has done to you?

Is there anyone you avoid or to whom you refuse to speak?

When you get angry with someone, do you sulk and take a few days to get over it?

Do you ever talk unkindly to others about someone you think has offended you?

Is there someone in your own immediate family whom you resent just a little for something he or she has done?

When you get in arguments with your brothers or sisters, do you bring up things they have done before that made you angry?

Have the young men think about those questions to which they had to answer yes. Explain that forgiving is not easy; it is one of our greatest challenges and a test of our real love for others.

Story and discussion

Tell the young men to listen to the following story for the key to forgiveness.

“Mark was a lively, noisy boy. Sometimes he felt that things were too quiet around his house, so he would try to start something. One night he felt like talking with his sister Susan. She was a year ahead of Mark in school, and she usually had a lot of homework. When she wasn’t busy, she would laugh and talk with Mark, but this evening she was very busy. She was feeling many pressures because she had homework in every class. She told Mark of her work and tried to get him to leave her alone, but there was no one else around to talk to; so Mark continued pestering her, talking and laughing. He had practiced saying each word backwards so that it sounded like a foreign language. He was proud of this trick and wanted to show Susan how talented he was by singing backwards the words to one of their favorite songs.

“Finally, Susan burst into tears and cried at Mark, ‘Can’t you understand? I have to study. I don’t have time to talk now, or to listen to you talk. I’ve tried to tell you how it is. Can’t you leave me alone?’ She piled up her books angrily and ran into her room, slamming the door behind her.

“Almost immediately she came out of her room and apologized to Mark for not putting herself in his place. She said, ‘When I finish my homework, I want to hear you sing that song. You practice on it for a while longer, and do it for me later.’

“And Mark said easily, ‘That’s okay. I’m sorry I bothered you. I didn’t realize how much you had to do. I have some guys to call anyway. I’ll go do that’” (Love Makes Our House a Home [Family Home Evening manual, 1974], pp. 141–42).

Why did Mark and Susan get mad at each other?

How were they able to forgive each other? (They each tried to understand the other’s position.)

Story and discussion

Display the picture of the Last Supper (picture 1 at the back of the manual) and share the following story of Leonardo da Vinci:

“Though Leonardo da Vinci lived many years ago (born 1452), he remains famous throughout the world for his masterful paintings. One of his most famous works is ‘The Last Supper,’ which has been hailed as the ‘most perfect composition in the history of painting of all ages.’

“According to one account, da Vinci became quite angry with one of his friends during the painting of ‘The Last Supper.’ When he returned to the painting, he was unable to work on the character-filled faces of Christ and His apostles.

“At last he sought out the man whom he had wronged and asked his forgiveness. Only when he had put his own life in tune with the spirit he knew his subjects must radiate was he able to continue his work” (Arthur S. Anderson, “They Taught Forgiveness,” Instructor, June 1959, p. 190).

After briefly discussing the experience of Leonardo da Vinci, ask the following two questions:

What does this story tell us about our ability to enjoy our Heavenly Father’s Spirit?

How can the spirit of forgiveness help us in our families?

Conclusion

Challenge

Ask the young men to turn their papers over and write down one thing they would be willing to do during the coming week that would help them to forgive and increase their love for a friend or a member of their family. Challenge the young men to develop the spirit of forgiveness in all their associations, especially with members of their own families. Express your testimony concerning this beautiful gospel principle.

Lesson 26

Do Good on the Sabbath

Objective

Each young man will understand the purpose of the Sabbath day and will desire to receive the blessings that come from observing it properly.

Preparation

Materials needed:

Scriptures for each young man.

A handkerchief or piece of rope with a knot tied in it.

A pencil for each young man.

Prepare a copy of the handout “Appropriate Sunday Activities” for each young man (see page 94).

Review the counsel about Sunday behavior on pages 32–33 of For the Strength of Youth.

Suggested Lesson Development

“It Is Lawful to Do Well on the Sabbath”

Activity

Have the young men imagine that they are living at the time of the Savior, and explain that they are going to see who keeps the Sabbath day holy according to the laws at that time in history.

Allow each young man to attempt to untie a knot in the handkerchief or rope. If a young man unties the knot with both hands, tell him he doesn’t keep the Sabbath day holy, but do not explain why. If he unties it with one hand only, tell him he keeps the Sabbath holy. Be sure not to tell the young men how you are determining whether they are keeping the Sabbath holy until they all have attempted to untie a knot.

After each young man has a turn, explain that during the time the Savior lived on the earth there were many man-made laws and rules about what could and could not be done on the Sabbath day. A knot that could be untied with one hand could be undone, but using two hands to untie a knot was considered breaking the Sabbath. Persons with broken bones or dislocated joints had to wait until the Sabbath was over before their injury could be cared for. If a building collapsed and someone was buried in the ruins, it was legal to dig for them and take them out if they were alive, but if they were dead they had to be left where they were until the Sabbath was over (see James E. Talmage, Jesus the Christ, 3rd ed. [Salt Lake City: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1916], pp. 215–16; see also Cunningham Geikie, The Life and Words of Christ [London: Longmans, Green, and Company, 1903], pp. 406–17).

Scripture story

Explain that one Sabbath day Jesus entered a synagogue and saw in the congregation a man whose right hand was withered. In the crowd was a group of Pharisees, the same group of men who had created the laws we have just discussed. These men were trying to have Jesus arrested for breaking the law. They watched him carefully, trying to find a way to trap him. They asked the Savior, “Is it lawful to heal on the sabbath days?”

What do you think the Savior said?

Allow the young men to respond; then continue the story.

The Savior replied with a question: “What man shall there be among you, that shall have one sheep, and if it fall into a pit on the sabbath day, will he not lay hold on it, and lift it out? How much then is a man better than a sheep? . . .

“Wherefore it is lawful to do well on the sabbath days” (see Talmage, Jesus the Christ, pp. 214–15; see also Matthew 12:10–13; Mark 3:1–6; and Luke 6:6–8).

Scripture and discussion

Often we, like the Pharisees, see keeping the Sabbath day holy as just a set of things we can’t do on Sunday. Explain that just as the Savior told the Pharisees that we should do good deeds on the Sabbath, he also spoke to modern prophets concerning the Sabbath.

Have a young man read Doctrine and Covenants 59:9–10.

How can we keep ourselves “unspotted from the world”?

Quotation

Share the following statement by Elder Bruce R. McConkie:

“This day . . . is called the Sabbath, from the Hebrew shabbath meaning day of rest. The rest, though important, is incidental to the true keeping of the Sabbath. What is more important is that the Sabbath is an holy day—a day of worship, one in which men turn their whole souls to the Lord, renew their covenants with him, and feed their souls upon the things of the Spirit. . . .

“And the matter of Sabbath observance remains to this day as one of the great tests which divides the righteous from the worldly and wicked.

“Sunday being the Lord’s Day, it is a day on which men should do the Lord’s work, and do it exclusively. There should be no unnecessary work of a temporal nature, no recreation, no unnecessary travel, no joy riding, and the like. The Sabbath is a day for affirmative spiritual worship” (Mormon Doctrine, 2nd ed. [Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1966], pp. 658–59).

We Are Blessed for Keeping the Sabbath Day Holy

Story

“When I was a boy we lived on a small Utah farm where money was scarce and work abundant. During those early growing-up years the summers seemed especially difficult to me and filled with endless drudgery. . . .

“The one saving balm, the one pleasant oasis in the midst of all the summer labor was the Sabbath. We all knew that Sunday was the Lord’s day. The weeds, the hay lying in the field, and the unharvested grain would all wait until Monday.

“Stopping work on the Sabbath was not always as easy as hanging up a hoe and not returning to the cornfield. There were complications. The summers were the only real opportunities to harvest financial security. If a farmer did not prosper during those short summer months, the long winters were lean and difficult. The crops had to succeed, and more often than not the key to this modest prosperity was water—water that was scarce in Utah, water that seldom came in the form of rain, water that had to be stored meticulously during the winter and spring and rationed carefully throughout the hot, dry summer weeks.

“Each farm was dependent upon the irrigation ditch. The ditch, with its life-giving water, was all that stood between the farmer and disaster. Irrigation was imperative, and at times that posed a real Sabbath dilemma. Some years a farmer’s turn fell on Monday, some years on Tuesday, some years on another day of the week. And sometimes the turn fell on Sunday. The farmer had no choice.

“Like everyone else, Father’s turn came on Sunday some years. I remember those years well because I was always impressed by my father’s determination to keep the Sabbath day holy. I don’t suppose the Lord would have condemned him for irrigating his farm on Sunday. He knew father’s heart, and He knew the circumstances under which he and the other farmers labored. However, father wanted to avoid even that Sabbath labor. He was convinced that were the Lord to make out those watering schedules for the farmers, no turn would ever fall on His Sabbath. I never heard Father verbalize his resolve not to trespass on the Lord’s holy day but his life reflected it.

“When father’s turn fell on Sunday, he did all he could to avoid Sabbath irrigation. Friday and Saturday he would watch at the irrigation ditch for any run-off water from the farmers up the line. He squeezed every available drop from the ditch, and by Sunday the farm was irrigated. I don’t remember that he ever had been forced to work on the Lord’s day. This meant more work for him, but father was willing to make the sacrifice if it would allow him to rest on the Sabbath.

“Everything always seemed to work out. As I observed him through the years, his dedication and resolve were a testimony to me that the Lord blesses those who strive to keep his commandments.

“Then one year came a special trial of his faith. The scorching summer heat seemed to come early that year, portending a drought. The days passed slowly, the sun baking everything—the lawn, the garden, and the fields wilting under the burning rays. Of all the years to have a Sunday water turn! The farm needed water, water that had not come down the irrigation ditch as runoff on Friday and Saturday; consequently, the farm was dry on Sunday.

“One Sunday morning, my mother approached my father with great concern. ‘Joseph,’ she said, ‘I think you’d better turn the water down from the ditch, at least on the lawn and garden. They’re burning up.’

“And they were. Everything was burning up without water. There was no alternative. The farm had to have water, and if father let his irrigation turn slip by, there would be no water until the following Sunday. The farm would never go another week.

“And so, before getting dressed for his Sunday meetings, father left the house, carrying his shovel over his shoulder. It must have been terribly disappointing for him to trudge up the hill that morning. All these years he had worked to avoid this very labor, and now he was caught. We were sure the Lord would not condemn him, and yet, Father wanted very much to find another way.

“He reached the irrigation ditch and put the canvas dam in place, but before doing anything else, still bending over the ditch, he paused and contemplated. What was he to do? He pondered the Lord’s injunction to keep the Sabbath holy. Did he really believe that, not merely with his lips but with his life?

“While he was deep in thought, he received a poignantly powerful communication, one he would never forget: ‘Pull out your dam. Put up your shovel and tools. I will take care of things for you. It may not be early in the day, but I will take care of it. As for the summer, leave it to me. I will provide.’

“Father straightened up. There was no one around. He looked heavenward. The sky was clear and blue, no clouds in sight. A dry breeze was blowing, promising a stifling, suffocating day.

“With the broiling sun intense and the earth parched and powdery dry, father pulled out the canvas dam, left the ditch, and returned to the house. He had been told. He knew that. He didn’t know how he would be taken care of, but he knew he had been promised. He dressed and went to his Sunday meetings, leaving his farm to the power he had trusted all his life.

“When they returned home from their meetings, the sky was still clear, the air hot, the farm wilting beneath the sweltering sun. With no visible sign of relief, mother, still greatly concerned about the garden, again spoke to father, who had not mentioned to her the experience he had had that morning. ‘It surely doesn’t look much like rain,’ she said. ‘What are you going to do about the garden?’

“For the second time that day father climbed the hill to the irrigation ditch, saddened by his situation. Reluctantly he placed the dam into the ditch, but then he paused, amazed by his own faltering conviction. ‘Where is your faith?’ he asked himself. . . .

“Filled with a new resolve, he pulled the dam from the ditch and went down the mountain, determined never again to make that Sabbath trek to the canal.

“Coming down the hill, he lifted his eyes to the sky and saw clouds beginning to gather. Within an hour the rain was coming down in torrents. The dry earth soaked up the needed moisture, and the lawn, the garden, and the fields were refreshed.

“That rain was a miracle, but it was only a beginning. Summer was just commencing. The sweltering months of July and August lay ahead. But father had no worries; he had been promised by Him who had given the law and who would provide the way for its compliance.

“The following week a neighbor asked father if he would trade a portion of his Sunday water turn for a portion of a Saturday one. Father was delighted. During that short time on Saturday he was able to water the lawn and garden. Still, there was no possible way to irrigate the farm’s acres of corn, barley, and hay during those few short hours on Saturday. But the Lord blessed him in another way. Periodically throughout the summer, just when rain was needed most, clouds gathered, the rains came, and the crops were watered.

“So sure was my father that the Lord would watch over him that not once during the summer did he clean a ditch or furrow out the corn. This was hot, dry Utah, where the farmer’s whole existence was dependent upon those irrigation ditches, but this summer the ditches on father’s farm were never used. Never before had father gone an entire summer without irrigating his farm, but this summer was different. This summer was the Lord’s summer, and he was providing.

“By the end of the summer father had harvested three bumper crops of hay, a bounteous yield of barley, and a lush crop of silage corn. The windows of heaven had truly opened, and the Lord had indeed provided” (Alma J. Yates, “The Unforgettable Summer,” Ensign, Aug. 1982, pp. 57–58).

Discussion

What struggles did the farmer in this story have in keeping the Sabbath holy?

How did the Lord bless this man?

Why is it important to keep the Sabbath day holy?

Point out that all blessings we receive for keeping the Sabbath holy might not be as dramatic as those received by this farmer, but they can be just as important and meaningful to us if we have the faith to keep this commandment.

Keeping the Sabbath Day Holy

Quotation and discussion

Explain that sometimes we are not exactly sure what activities are appropriate on the Sabbath. The best way to know if an activity is in keeping with the Sabbath is to use the gift of the Holy Ghost in deciding what is right. Also we should follow the counsel of our leaders.

Read the following quotation from Elder Russell M. Nelson:

“I plead with you to do more than passively follow lists of dos and don’ts compiled by others. Generate your own policies, and live by them. Follow the standard of the Lord, who centuries ago said: ‘My sabbaths ye shall keep: for it is a sign between me and you throughout your generations; that ye may know that I am the Lord that doth sanctify you.’ . . .

“Questions regarding appropriate behavior on the Sabbath are easily resolved when you study [the] scriptures and then determine what sign you choose to give to God of your regard for him” (“Standards of the Lord’s Standard-bearers,” Ensign, Aug. 1991, p. 10).

Conclusion

Quiz

Review the counsel about Sunday behavior given on pages 32–33 of For the Strength of Youth. Give a copy of “Appropriate Sunday Activities” and a pencil to each young man, and explain the procedure for completing the quiz. Allow sufficient time to complete it; then correct it. Be sure to emphasize that each answer is yes. All activities listed here would be appropriate for the Sabbath. Discuss these activities and have the young men keep the sheet to refer to in the future. Remind them that the Savior did not approve of the rules the people had in his day because they often prohibited people from doing good on the Sabbath. Stress that this list contains only some suggestions and that each young man should strive to keep the Sabbath day holy so the Holy Ghost may be with him. If he does this, he will truly be blessed.

Challenge

Suggest that the young men record their feelings in their journals at the end of each Sabbath day for the next four or five weeks. They should analyze their activities for that day and write their feelings about those activities. An honest effort in this assignment will help the young men to develop a closer relationship with their families and the Lord.

Lesson 27

Reverence

Objective

Each young man will have more respect for sacred things.

Preparation

Materials needed:

(Optional) Picture 6, Jesus Christ; picture 7, a meetinghouse; picture 8, a loving family; picture 9, the scriptures; and pictures 10, 11, and 12, temples.

A pencil for each young man.

Prepare nine wordstrips with the following written on them:

Reverence in our prayers

Reverence in meetinghouses and temples

Reverence in sacrament meeting and in the classroom

Reverence in our homes

Reverence in our speech

Reverence for our family and friends

Reverence and respect for our leaders

Reverence for our bodies

Reverence toward nature

Make a copy of “My Reverence Scorecard” for each young man (see page 98).

Suggested Lesson Development

Reverence Is Respect for Sacred Things

Chalkboard and discussion

Write on the chalkboard: Reverence is . . .

How would you complete this statement?

After the young men share their ideas, complete the statement on the chalkboard to read: Reverence is respect for sacred things.

Emphasize that reverence is a feeling or attitude of deep love and awe for something sacred.

For what or whom do we feel reverence? Listen to the young men’s answers without being critical.

Optional picture display

Display the pictures of sacred things to help the young men be aware of some areas of God’s kingdom that deserve reverent consideration. You may display them as a group or as you mention each of them during the discussion.

Quotation

Read the following statement by President Joseph Fielding Smith:

“Reverence is a sacred principle. It is a principle of the gospel. We show reverence to our Father in Heaven, to the Lord Jesus Christ. We would not be boisterous in his presence. If he happened to be in this meeting, I am sure we would all go in quietly and take our places. Why cannot we think, when we enter the place of worship, that he is there?” (Joseph Fielding Smith, Seek Ye Earnestly [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1970], p. 117).

Discussion

What might you have done differently as you came into class today if you had expected Jesus Christ to be here?

How do you think Heavenly Father feels when we fail to show respect and reverence for him and his buildings?

We Can Show Reverence by Our Attitudes and Actions

Chalkboard, wordstrips, and discussion

Write on the chalkboard: We need to show reverence.

Distribute the nine wordstrips to the young men. Group the class if you have more members than wordstrips.

Give the young men a minute or two to think about how they can show reverence in the area mentioned on their wordstrip. Have the young men share their ideas. Allow the other young men to share additional thoughts they may have on the subject. Use the time carefully so the class can briefly discuss each topic. Add any thoughts you have, or use the following information as needed.

Call on the young man with the first wordstrip.

Quotation

(1) Reverence in our prayers (see also Alma 46:13)

“In our rush these days, many of us hardly have time enough to pray. And many do not pray at all. But when we do—must we do it in a hurry? Put yourself in the Lord’s position, as one who would listen to a prayer. Would you pay much attention to a few hastily uttered words spoken by some person who offered his prayer so fast that he could hardly give it expression? If [you were a parent] and your own child hurried into your presence, and breathlessly asked a favor and then rushed out to other interests, would you be impressed?” (Mark E. Petersen, Your Faith and You [Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1953], pp. 14–15).

Call on the young man with the second wordstrip.

(2) Reverence in meetinghouses and temples (see also Doctrine and Covenants 109:21)

Adviser presentation

Explain that meetinghouses and temples are dedicated to the Lord. While in them, we pray for his Spirit to be with us. Listening to the speakers, singing the hymns, and saying “Amen” at the close of prayers show reverence. Coming on time, quietly taking our places, and staying until after the closing prayer are all ways to be reverent.

The Prophet Joseph Smith stated: “It is an insult to a meeting for persons to leave just before its close. . . . No gentlemen will go out of meeting just at closing” (History of the Church, 5:338–39).

Explain that they should treat all books, fixtures, and rooms in Church buildings with care and respect. Mistreating or writing in hymnbooks or on walls or furniture is irreverent.

Call on the young man with the third wordstrip.

(3) Reverence in sacrament meeting and in the classroom (see also Hebrews 12:28)

Explain that coming dressed appropriately with a sincere desire to listen and learn shows a reverent attitude. How we dress affects the way we act. When we are clean and dressed neatly, we act our best. Bothering others while a speaker is speaking or during a lesson is distracting and rude. The Spirit of the Lord will not remain when we do this. We also should set an example of reverence while we are administering the sacrament. After the sacrament we should return quietly to sit with our families.

Call on the young man with the fourth wordstrip.

(4) Reverence in our homes (see also Psalm 89:7)

Explain that homes should be a “heaven on earth.” Cleanliness and order show love and respect for our homes. Gratitude for shelter and food show reverence. Respecting the possessions and privacy of other family members is important.

Call on the young man with the fifth wordstrip.

(5) Reverence in our speech (see also Doctrine and Covenants 107:4)

Explain that loud voices and crude speech are neither pleasant nor reverent. Choosing proper words, avoiding profanity and vulgar speech, and speaking calmly with a respectful tone of voice show respect to the listener.

Story

The following incident happened to President Spencer W. Kimball in a Salt Lake City hospital after an operation on his throat. He was being wheeled on a table back to his room after surgery.

“Still drugged, Spencer sensed his table stop by an elevator and heard the orderly, angry at something, profaning the Lord’s name. Half-conscious, he pleaded with labored sounds: ‘Please don’t say that. I love Him more than anything in this world. Please.’ An absolute silence. Then the orderly answered softly: ‘I shouldn’t have said that. I’m sorry’” (Edward L. Kimball and Andrew E. Kimball Jr., Spencer W. Kimball [Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1977], p. 264).

Call on the young man with the sixth wordstrip.

(6) Reverence for our family and friends (see also Exodus 20:12)

Explain that some people think they are being funny or clever by saying cutting and mean things to family members and friends. Remind the young men that all people are created in the image of our Heavenly Father. They are his children and deserve love and respect. Stopping ourselves from saying unkind remarks that may come to our minds shows a proper attitude. Stopping to weigh our thoughts helps us realize there is “a time to keep silence, and a time to speak” (see Ecclesiastes 3:7).

Call on the young man with the seventh wordstrip.

(7) Reverence and respect for our leaders (see also D&C 84:35–38)

Heavenly Father chooses the authorities and leaders of the Church to lead and teach us. Because these leaders are chosen by God, we should show them respect.

Chalkboard and discussion

Call on the young men to list Church leadership positions on the chalkboard. These should include bishop, stake president, prophet, apostle, seventy, and quorum president.

Call on the young man with the eighth wordstrip.

(8) Reverence for our bodies (see also 1 Corinthians 3:16–17)

Explain that we are all very important. We are children of God, and we are here for definite and important purposes. Our body is an important, wonderful creation, and we should treat it with respect. We must be careful that we treat it with reverence, for it is sacred. What we read, see, and hear is as important as what we eat in keeping our body clean.

Call on the young man with the ninth wordstrip.

(9) Reverence toward nature

Scripture and discussion

Call on someone to read Doctrine and Covenants 59:18–20 as the others follow in their scriptures.

For what purposes did Heavenly Father create the plants, trees, and animals?

Explain that if we have a reverent attitude toward these creations, we will be sad when they are destroyed or marred. Those who write names on rocks or carve on trees destroy nature’s beauty and enjoyment for others.

Conclusion

Activity

Give each young man a scorecard and a pencil. Explain that he is to read each statement and put a score on the appropriate line. This will be a personal evaluation. He should answer each statement by how he actually performs, not how he thinks he should perform. Have each young man add up his own score and give himself a rating.

Challenge

Encourage each young man to choose one or more areas to work on during the coming week that will help him develop more reverence in his attitudes and actions. Suggest that each young man set his highest priority for improvement in the areas where he gave himself the lowest scores.

Lesson 28

Respect for Womanhood

Objective

Each young man will have greater respect for women.

Preparation

Materials needed: a pencil for each young man.

Prepare a small statement for each class member:

“I will show greater respect for women.”

“I will respect and protect young women.”

Suggested Lesson Development

Introduction

Story

Read or tell the following story in your own words:

“Hey, Moose!” Jim shouted, laughing. Cathy just turned and walked away. Jim didn’t notice the pain in Cathy’s eyes as she fought back tears. He was just having a little harmless fun. A few weeks earlier he had heard Cathy’s little brother, David, jokingly call her “Moose,” his nickname for her. David liked to tease Cathy about the time a moose had scared her on a family vacation. Jim had heard the nickname but not the story.

Soon Jim called Cathy “Moose” every time he saw her. His friends, picking up on the joke, began thinking of ways they could compare her with a moose. In Sunday School, the young men in the class would taunt Cathy with the name when the teacher wasn’t watching. Although Cathy was once an active participant in the class, she began sitting quietly in the back, avoiding contact with anyone else in the class. Within a few months, Cathy stopped coming to Church activities. She told her parents that she would never go back to a place where she felt so unwelcome.

How could these young men have helped Cathy instead of hurting her?

We Should Respect All Women

Discussion

Explain that a young man who holds God’s priesthood should respect and honor all women.

Who are the women in your life whom you love and respect?

How have they blessed your life?

How can you show respect for them?

Adviser presentation

Explain that one of the most uplifting and rewarding experiences a young man can enjoy is having complete harmony with his mother and sisters. It is refreshing to see a brother and sister who are genuinely concerned and love each other. Emphasize that the most important relationship a man has is with his wife. A young man who has learned to respect and appreciate his sisters and other young women is preparing himself for an even more rewarding experience with his wife. Young men should always be considerate of their mothers and sisters—helping, sharing, cooperating, and seeking opportunities to show love and appreciation for them.

Emphasize that young men should show great courtesy and respect for all women.

How old should girls be before they receive the same consideration as women?

Point out that young men should always treat girls as they would like their mothers and sisters to be treated and that a young man who holds God’s priesthood should respect and honor girls of any age.

Situations and discussion

Relate the following situations. Ask the young men to discuss what priesthood holders should do in each case to show respect and appreciation for women. Have the young men give possible conclusions to each situation.

Sister Hainsworth was called by the bishopric to teach a Sunday School course. Although she was well prepared on the first day, it was obvious that she was inexperienced and nervous. One of the Aaronic Priesthood holders in the class . . .

A group of boys were playing in the school gymnasium during the noon hour. As the play was getting a little rough and out of hand, Mrs. Rawlins, who was on supervision duty, blew the whistle and asked the boys to abide by the rules. A quorum member . . .

As Jenny, a young woman in the ward, was walking down the sidewalk on the way home from school, she dropped her books. A group of twelve- and thirteen-year-old young men were standing nearby. One of them was a priesthood holder. He . . .

Place a different young man in each of the following situations.

You are the brother of the girl who was trying to pick up her books. All your friends laughed when your sister dropped her books and no one offered to help. What would you do?

In your presence, one of your friends says disrespectful things about a girl. What should you do?

A little boy is arguing and fighting with a little girl. What should you do?

We Can Learn from the Example of Christlike Men

Discussion

How can we learn respect for womanhood?

After the young men respond, point out that one of the best ways is to follow the example of great men.

Story

Tell the following story about President Spencer W. Kimball, a disciple of Christ who showed respect for women:

“[There is] a story about a woman who was in O’Hare Airport in Chicago during a big snowstorm. Planes had been confused in their schedules and thousands of people were stranded. Her money had run out, she had a two-year-old child, and the child was hungry and dirty. The woman was two or three months pregnant and had been told not to hold this child because it might have an adverse effect on her physically. So the child was on the floor of the airport. The woman was in one line after another trying to buy a ticket to a Michigan point. People were criticizing her because she would reach forward with her foot to push the child up in the line as the line moved along, because she couldn’t pick the child up.

“She was in anguish when a man approached her with a kindly smile on his face. He said, ‘Young lady, it appears to me that you need help.’ He took the dirty, little two-year-old child in his arms and loved it, patted it on the back, gave it a stick of chewing gum. Then he went to the people in the line and he told them about the woman—how she had to get a flight out to Michigan. They agreed, under the influence of his spirit, to let her go ahead of them. He took her to the flight and got her started on her way. As she boarded the plane, the woman thought to herself, ‘What a wonderful man, and I don’t even know his name.’ But a few days later, in a newspaper, [she recognized the man when] she saw a picture of President Spencer W. Kimball.

“Now that’s a simple story, but how many would do it? Jesus would do it, and a representative of Jesus on earth did do it” (Norman Vincent Peale, “Remarks at President Kimball’s Eighty-fifth Birthday Dinner, 28 March 1980,” Ensign, May 1980, p. 109).

Scripture stories

Use one or more of the following scripture stories to illustrate the profound effect women have had on the Lord’s work throughout history:

Moses 5:11 (Eve was the mother of all living beings.)

Judges 4 and 5 (Deborah led the armies of Israel to victory over the Canaanites.)

The book of Ruth (Ruth was the great-grandmother of David.)

1 Samuel 1 (Hannah was the mother of Samuel the Prophet.)

Luke 1 and 2 (Mary was the mother of Jesus, and Elisabeth was the mother of John the Baptist.)

Conclusion

Discussion

Tell one or two examples of how you learned respect for womanhood from your family.

Encourage members of the class to share examples of how they have learned respect for womanhood from their own families.

Handout and challenge

Give each young man a pencil and the small handout you prepared (see “Preparation”). Have them write on the back of the handout two or three specific things they might do to show greater respect for women. Have them set a goal to accomplish this during the coming week. Encourage the class members to place their goals where they will be reminded of their responsibility often.

Lesson 29

The Eternal Family

Objective

Each young man will recognize the need to help his family become an eternal family.

Preparation

Materials needed:

Scriptures for each young man.

A copy of the song “I Am a Child of God” (Hymns, no. 301).

A pencil and paper for each young man.

Pencils for marking scriptures.

Cut out three large paper circles and write one of the following on each circle:

Life before Birth as a Family

Earth Life as a Family

Life in the Celestial Kingdom as a Family

Suggested Lesson Development

Life before Birth as a Family

Scripture and discussion

Put up the circle “Life before Birth as a Family” at the top left side of the chalkboard.

Where did we live before we were born?

To help the young men respond, have them read aloud and discuss the following scriptures: Acts 17:28–29, Hebrews 12:9, and Doctrine and Covenants 76:24. Suggest that each young man mark these scriptures. They may also want to cross-reference them.

Who is the father of our spirits? (We are sons and daughters of God, his spirit children. He is the father of our spirits.)

As the young men respond, write their answers on the chalkboard under the circle “Life before Birth as a Family.” Emphasize that God the Father is the father of our spirits and is our Father in Heaven. We lived with him before we were born and were taught by him before coming to earth.

Quotation and discussion

Have a young man read the following statement by Brigham Young explaining our relationship with our Father in Heaven:

“I want to tell you, each and every one of you, that you are well acquainted with God our Heavenly Father . . . , for there is not a soul of you but what has lived in his house and dwelt with him year after year; and yet you are seeking to become acquainted with him, when the fact is, you have merely forgotten what you did know.

“There is not a person here to-day but what is a son or a daughter of that Being” (Discourses of Brigham Young, sel. John A. Widtsoe [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1954], p. 50).

Besides your earthly parents, who are you a son of? (Heavenly Father.)

Emphasize the importance of always remembering that they are sons of God.

What do you think it was like to live with Heavenly Father?

Quotation

Read the following statement by President Harold B. Lee explaining who we are:

“You are all the sons and daughters of God. Your spirits were created and lived as organized intelligences before the world was. You have been blessed to have a physical body because of your obedience to certain commandments in that premortal state. You are now born into a family to which you have come, into the nations through which you have come. . . .

“I would charge you to say again and again to yourselves, as the Primary organization has taught the children to sing ‘I am a [son or daughter] of God’ and by so doing, begin today to live closer to those ideals which will make your life happier and more fruitful because of an awakened realization of who you are” (in Conference Report, Oct. 1973, pp. 7, 10; or Ensign, Jan. 1974, pp. 5–6).

Activity

Give each young man a small piece of paper and a pencil. Have them write the following: “I must never forget that I am a son of God.” Suggest that they use it as a bookmark when they read the scriptures.

Discussion

We can grow to be like our earthly parents, but what does it mean to be like our heavenly parents? (To live the way our heavenly parents want us to and do what they would do.)

Why is it important to know that you are a son of God? (Realizing it can give you the strength you need to follow God and become like him.)

How can this knowledge help us in our families? (It should help us remember that our brothers and sisters are children of God. It can help us treat each family member better as we work to help our family return to our Heavenly Father.)

Earth Life as a Family

Discussion

At the top center of the chalkboard put up the circle “Earth Life as a Family.”

Why did we leave our Heavenly Father to come to earth? (So we could gain a body, learn new things, develop faith in Jesus Christ, and through our faith become worthy of returning to live with Heavenly Father.)

Have a young man recite the words to the song “I Am a Child of God.” If no one can repeat the words from memory, have a young man read them.

Why do you think Heavenly Father organized us in families? (To help us learn and grow.)

Quotation and discussion

Have a young man read the following quotation:

“I have but one thought in my heart for the young [people] of the Church, and that is that they be happy. I know of no other place than home where true happiness can be found in this life. It is possible to make home a bit of heaven; indeed, I picture heaven to be a continuation of the ideal home” (David O. McKay, “Temple Marriage,” Improvement Era, Oct. 1948, p. 618).

What can you do to make your home more ideal? (Live the gospel, help family members live it, be kind to brothers and sisters, obey parents.)

Discussion

What must you do on earth to become part of an eternal family?

List their answers on the chalkboard under the circle “Earth Life as a Family.” The young men’s answers should include:

Believe that we can be an eternal family.

Have faith in Jesus Christ.

Repent of all wrongdoings.

Be baptized in the true Church.

Receive the Holy Ghost.

Receive and honor the priesthood.

Be sealed in the temple with our family.

Obey the Lord’s commandments.

Adviser presentation

Explain that as we live with our families here on earth, each of us should strive daily to obey and follow Christ. We should help other family members. Earth life is a very short time compared to eternity, but what we do during this short time largely determines what we will be doing throughout eternity.

Life in the Celestial Kingdom as a Family

Scripture and discussion

At the top right side of the chalkboard put up the circle entitled “Life in the Celestial Kingdom as a Family.”

What do you think the celestial kingdom will be like?

Explain that Joseph Smith asked this also, and the Lord gave him a vision. Have the young men find Joseph Smith’s vision of the celestial kingdom in Doctrine and Covenants 137:4–5, and mark this scripture. Have one of the young men read verse 4.

Where is the most beautiful place you have ever been?

Emphasize that the celestial kingdom will be more glorious and beautiful than any place on earth.

Have another young man read verse 5.

Whom did Joseph Smith see? (He saw his brother Alvin and his parents.)

Help the young men understand how happy Joseph must have been to see that his parents and his brother would be together in the celestial kingdom. He knew that if they lived worthily, they could be a family forever in the celestial kingdom.

Explain that each young man can have the opportunity to live in a family in the celestial kingdom with our Father in Heaven.

Conclusion

Testimony

Bear your testimony that Heavenly Father lives and loves each young man and that each of them is a literal son of Heavenly Father. Explain that as we have faith in Jesus Christ and follow him, he will help us return to Heavenly Father with our families. Testify that we can live as exalted families in Heavenly Father’s presence in the world to come.

Challenge

Remind the young men of their papers on which they have written, “I must never forget that I am a son of God.”

Challenge each young man to always remember he is a son of God and to work during the coming week on overcoming some specific problem that will help him and his family become closer to Heavenly Father.

Lesson 30

The Plan of Salvation

Objective

To help each young man understand that our Father in Heaven has a plan that will help us return to live with him.

Preparation

Materials needed:

Scriptures for each young man.

Pencils for marking scriptures.

Road map.

Prepare signs and arrows to post in the following order:

Pre-earth Life

Birth

Earth Life

Death

Spirit World

Resurrection and Judgment

Celestial Kingdom

Suggested Lesson Development

Introduction

Story

Read or tell the following story about Bishop H. Burke Peterson.

“My parents and grandparents were born and raised in Utah. However, my mother and father began their married life in Phoenix, Arizona. That is where my three brothers and I were raised. Almost every summer my father and mother would take all of us to Utah to get out of the Arizona heat and also to enjoy the association with our cousins and other relatives.

“. . . When I was old enough to work on a full-time basis, I had desires to go from Phoenix to Utah alone and spend the summer there working and earning money. This was to be during the summer vacation. One spring before school was out I asked my father if I could go to Salt Lake City to work and then return to Phoenix at the end of the summer to be with my family and begin school again. After thinking it over, my parents decided it would be fine. When school was out in May, Dad took me with him to the Continental Bus depot and, since I had no money of my own as yet, bought me a ticket to Salt Lake City. I was somewhat taken back when I found out that he had purchased for me a one-way ticket instead of a round trip. He said he would take the responsibility to see that I arrived in Salt Lake City but it would be up to me to do what was necessary while I was there to purchase the ticket for a return home to Phoenix at the end of the summer. As you can imagine, I was most anxious to come back home after my work experience as I had burning in my memory the happy experiences we had always enjoyed in our home. I enjoyed the association with and loved my three brothers and was most happy and comfortable being with my parents.

“When I arrived in Salt Lake City I immediately set about to find work. This I was able to accomplish, and as soon as my first paycheck was given to me, guess what I did. First I paid my tithing, and then I took the rest of the money to the bus depot downtown in Salt Lake City and purchased a return trip ticket to Phoenix. I wanted to be sure that when summer was over there would be nothing to stand in the way of my returning home. I loved my home very much. For the rest of the summer I was particularly mindful of taking good care of myself and doing everything necessary to insure my return home to Phoenix. More than anything else I wanted to enjoy again the experience of being with my family” (“Return Trip Ticket Home,” New Era, Apr. 1974, p. 5).

How did young Burke Peterson prepare himself so that he could return home? (He worked hard and earned enough money to buy a return ticket. He took good care of himself so he could return home.)

Adviser presentation

Explain that we all had a similar experience before we came to this earth. Our Father in Heaven explained to us about the earth that he had prepared. He taught us what would be expected of us if we chose to come here. He let us know that if we wanted to come to earth, he would ensure our mortal birth. Similar to Bishop Peterson’s boyhood experience, Heavenly Father provided each of us with a one-way ticket. Whether or not we return again to him depends upon what we do while we are here.

Map and discussion

Show the road map.

What is this? (A road map.)

Why do we use a map when we go on a journey? (It helps us reach our destination and return home without getting lost.)

Explain that life is like a journey. Heavenly Father knew we would need directions to find the way. Because of his great love for us, he gave us a plan that we can compare to a road map. If we follow this plan and have faith in Jesus Christ, we will return home to live with him.

Where can we learn about Heavenly Father’s plan? (From the prophets and scriptures.)

Display the scriptures.

How are the prophets and scriptures like a road map? (They give directions. They show us how we can get from one place to another.)

Pre-earth Life (Before Birth)

Scripture and discussion

Display the sign “Pre-earth Life.”

Have a young man read Abraham 3:22–28 while the others follow in their scriptures.

What does this scripture tell us about our pre-earth life?

As the young men respond, discuss the following points:

We lived with our Father in Heaven as his spirit children. This is known as our first estate.

We learned about Heavenly Father’s plan.

We wanted to go to earth, our second estate.

We wanted to prove ourselves worthy to return to him.

We chose to follow Jesus Christ instead of Satan.

What do you think our lives would be like if we had rejected Heavenly Father’s plan?

Help the young men realize that if we had rejected Heavenly Father’s plan, we would have failed to keep our first estate and would have become followers of Satan.

Have the young men mark these scriptures.

Tell them that since we chose to follow Christ, we were given the opportunity to leave our heavenly home and come to earth to live.

Post the arrow marked “Birth” and the sign marked “Earth Life.”

Earth Life (Mortality)

Discussion

How is earth life different from pre-earth life?

Bring out the following points:

We now have physical bodies (bodies of flesh and bone) in addition to our spirit bodies.

We are no longer in the presence of our Heavenly Father.

How is earth life similar to pre-earth life? Bring out the following points:

We are still free to choose to follow the Savior or Satan.

We can return to live with Heavenly Father if we continue to follow his teachings and have faith in Jesus Christ.

Scripture and discussion

Have the young men read again Abraham 3:25.

According to this scripture, why is earth life so important? (We are being tested to see if we will obey the Lord’s commandments.)

If we obey the commandments, what will happen?

Emphasize that this is the way we obtain our return ticket home to our Heavenly Father.

Spirit World (Life after Death)

Discussion

Post the arrow marked “Death.”

According to Heavenly Father’s plan, what happens to us when we die? (Our spirit bodies leave our physical bodies.)

What happens to our physical bodies? (They remain here on earth.)

What happens to our spirit bodies? (They go to the spirit world.)

Post the sign marked “Spirit World.”

Explain that we have the same spirit bodies now that we had before we were born on earth. We can think and act as we did then.

Scripture and discussion

To find out what will happen in the spirit world, have a young man read Alma 40:12 while the others follow along in their scriptures.

Who does Alma say will be happy? (The righteous, or those who have kept Heavenly Father’s commandments.)

What is the name of the place where righteous spirits go? (Paradise.)

Have the young men mark this scripture.

Read and discuss what happens to the spirits of the wicked according to Alma 40:13–14. Help the young men understand that whether people are happy or miserable in the spirit world depends upon what they do here on earth.

Have the young men mark this scripture.

Home with Heavenly Father

Scripture and discussion

Explain that after the spirit world comes the resurrection. Our spirit bodies and physical bodies will come together again, never to be separated.

Have a young man read 2 Corinthians 5:10.

What happens after we are resurrected? (We stand before the judgment seat of Christ to be judged.)

Post the sign marked “Resurrection and Judgment.”

Help the young men understand that at the judgment, Jesus will tell us if we have qualified to return to Heavenly Father. His decision will be based on how faithfully we have followed him in our second estate.

Explain that we cannot now fully understand how wonderful it will be to live with Heavenly Father forever.

Have a young man read 1 Corinthians 2:9 as the others follow along. Explain that the joy we will have if we return to live with Heavenly Father is greater than any happiness we can know on earth.

Have the young men mark this scripture.

Post the sign marked “Celestial Kingdom.”

Conclusion

Quotation

Read the following statement by Bishop H. Burke Peterson, which summarizes Heavenly Father’s plan and how we can return to our heavenly home.

“He [Heavenly Father] told us his hope was that we would do everything necessary to insure our return trip. When we were born on this earth, a veil was drawn that blotted out our memory of our previous existence, and thus we cannot remember what a completely happy experience that family relationship was. We are, therefore, being taught to live by faith. We are being taught to be obedient and develop the faith necessary to keep the commandments and live in a manner that will entitle us to that wonderful experience of an association with our heavenly brothers and sisters and parents again.

“In order to help us do the things that are right while we are having this earth-life experience (mortal), our Heavenly Father has organized his church on the earth. His church makes available to us all the teachings and ordinances that are necessary for those who wish to return again to him. If we will listen to our leaders and do the things they ask us to do, we can be assured of having enough purchasing power for a return ticket to our heavenly home when our work experience here is over” (“Return Trip Ticket Home,” p. 5).

Testimony

Bear testimony that becoming like Heavenly Father and living with him is worth all our efforts to obey the commandments.

Lesson 31

Continue in Prayer and Fasting

Objective

Each young man will desire to fast with greater purpose.

Preparation

Materials needed:

Scriptures for each young man.

A screw and a screwdriver.

Pencils for marking scriptures.

Suggested Lesson Development

Fasting Is a Tool the Lord Has Given Us

Object lesson

Display a screw. Discuss with the young men how useful a screw is by itself.

What is needed to make this screw useful? (A screwdriver.)

Show the screwdriver and point out that in order for both items to be useful, they must be used together.

Story

Explain that we also have spiritual tools to help us. Ask the young men to listen to the following story and to identify the spiritual tools used by the people in the story.

“While I was serving as a stake mission president at one time, the missionaries were meeting with a very good man who was not a member of the Church but who was married to a fine Latter-day Saint sister. This good brother wanted to join the Church, but he was addicted to tobacco. He had tried to quit many times but he said he couldn’t; he was just too weak.

“There were six stake missionaries who had met with him over a considerable period of time but who were unable to help him develop the strength to quit smoking. Finally, under the influence of the Spirit, we asked him if we could fast with him that he might overcome this weakness. He considered the offer and agreed to our proposal. We asked him then if he would carry out the fast for two days. He agreed, so the fast went forth. Six stake missionaries, the smoking brother, and his wife fasted.

“At the completion of the fast, we all met in his home and knelt with him in his living room, each praying in turn. The prayers were essentially the same; they were, that the Lord would take from this brother his desire to smoke. He was the last to pray and then he arose and announced, ‘I have no desire to smoke.’ He hasn’t smoked unto this day. Since that time he has served in the bishopric of his ward and . . . in a stake [Young Men’s presidency]. He is today a stalwart in the faith, a real servant of the Lord. The Lord literally took from him his weakness and made him a tower of strength instead” (Hartman Rector Jr., in Conference Report, Apr. 1970, pp. 140–41; or Improvement Era, June 1970, p. 103).

What are the spiritual tools used in this story? (Fasting and prayer.)

Explain that fasting is a tool to develop self-discipline, as the convert in the preceding story did. However, it can also be used for many other reasons.

Sincere Prayer Should Accompany Fasting

Discussion

What is the difference between fasting and just not eating?

How can we receive the greatest benefits from fasting?

Explain that in order to receive the greatest benefits from fasting, we should pray sincerely as we fast. Many great things have taken place because righteous people fasted and prayed in faith.

Scripture and discussion

What examples in the scriptures do we have of people fasting and praying?

Have the young men share examples from the scriptures of people fasting and praying. After briefly discussing the young men’s responses, have the class turn to Alma 17. Explain that Alma the Younger had been journeying in the land of Gideon when, to his great joy and astonishment, he met the sons of Mosiah as they traveled toward the land of Zarahemla. Have a young man read Alma 17:1–4. The young men may want to mark parts of this scripture.

Refer to Alma 17:4 and discuss what the sons of Mosiah had been doing during the fourteen years since their last meeting with Alma.

Explain that in the next few verses the sons of Mosiah report their activities to Alma. Have another young man read Alma 17:9–10.

What preparations did the sons of Mosiah make in order to be successful missionaries? (They fasted and prayed much.)

Why did they fast and pray? (So the Spirit would be with them.)

Story

Explain that in 1850, Lorenzo Snow had an experience much like that of the sons of Mosiah. He was laboring in Italy as a missionary, trying to open that country to the gospel of Jesus Christ.

“He was somewhat shy and self-conscious, but spiritually, he was a giant. One family who had befriended him had a critically ill child. In fact, Elder Snow realized that only through sincere fasting, mighty prayer, unswerving faith, and through the power of the priesthood could that three-year-old child be saved. He knew how much the healing of this boy would mean to the people in this small Italian village.

“Climbing with his companion to a place of seclusion on the foothills of the Alps just above the village, in the spirit of fasting and prayer, he earnestly petitioned and pleaded with the Lord for six long, anxious hours for the privilege of using divine power to heal that little boy. Finally, the answer came; the reply was yes, he would be granted the privilege.

“As a humble servant of the Lord, he walked down the mountainside with perfect faith that the dying child’s life would be spared. The boy was then given a blessing and a promise that he would live. A few hours later when Elder Snow and his companion returned to the home, they found that the child was greatly improved and was well on the way to recovery. Elder Snow realized that his fasting and prayer had reached the throne of a benevolent Heavenly Father. He remarked to the grateful parents: ‘The God of heaven has done this for you’ (See Eliza R. Snow, Biography of Lorenzo Snow, pp. 128–29)” (Henry D. Taylor, in Conference Report, Oct. 1974, pp. 18–19; or Ensign, Nov. 1974, p. 15).

Discussion

Why do we know that President Snow’s prayer was sincere?

Why do you feel the Lord would counsel us to pray as we fast?

What benefits might fasting add to prayer?

As the young men respond to the questions, bring out the following points:

As we turn from worldly things, we can concentrate on spiritual matters. If we eliminate worldly things from our lives, fasting will have a greater spiritual effect.

Fasting can make us feel more humble and more dependent upon our Heavenly Father.

Heavenly Father is pleased when his children show their faith through fasting and prayer.

Fasting and Prayer Bring Great Blessings

Adviser presentation

Explain that God worked great miracles through the sons of Mosiah and Lorenzo Snow because they sought his help through fasting and prayer. Fasting and prayer can also help each of us as we seek to know and do the Lord’s will. We, like the righteous men in these examples, can fast for special blessings.

Stories

Relate the following experiences.

Story One

A small ward in Warrensburg, Missouri, spent many years meeting in the base chapel at Whiteman Air Force Base. Because they wanted to have their own chapel to meet in, the bishop called for contributions to the ward building fund. Thousands of dollars were collected, and the bishopric set out to acquire the land to build the chapel on. Every place they went, the land was not available. For months the bishopric searched unsuccessfully for land.

Knowing that a special blessing was needed, the bishop asked every ward member eight years of age and older to fast and pray on a particular Sunday. Early the next Monday morning, a local physician, who was not a member of the Church, went to see a member of the bishopric at his work. “George,” he said, “I hear your church needs some land.”

The doctor drove him to a beautiful piece of land that was the perfect size and location for the chapel. Not only did he find a suitable piece of land for the new church, he gave the ward the land free of charge. Indeed the Lord had blessed the Warrensburg Ward! The funds already collected for the land could now be applied to the building costs. Today a beautiful chapel stands on that piece of land, and it is a constant reminder of the great blessings that come through fasting and prayer.

Story Two

A deacon living in a small ward felt very much out of place coming to priesthood meeting by himself. The priests, although only two in number, met and decided to fast and pray for more deacons to come into their small ward so that the one deacon in the quorum wouldn’t be so alone.

The events that followed resulted from that effort. In October, two deacon-age young men were baptized; in November, two more were baptized; and in December and January, two deacons moved into the ward, making a quorum of seven. The priests quorum also received new members. Two priest-age young men were baptized in January. These young men now have a testimony that fasting accompanied by prayer really works, and they have developed a new love and strength by applying this gospel principle in their lives.

Discussion

Help the young men apply this principle to their own lives by discussing the following questions:

What are some special blessings you might fast to receive?

How can fasting help you solve your problems?

How might fasting help you make decisions?

How could fasting help you overcome temptations?

What temptations might you fast to overcome?

Do you feel you would have more self-discipline through fasting? Why or why not?

How can fasting help you feel better physically?

Why would fasting help you to be closer to your Heavenly Father?

Quotation

“This law of the fast can also be a kind of schoolmaster. If we can learn to live it effectively, it will help us to keep every other law better because of the power and faith that will be generated in us as a natural consequence of our living this important law!” (Sterling W. Sill, “The Law of the Fast,” Ensign, July 1974, p. 11).

Conclusion

Testimony

Testify of the power that prayer and fasting can have in our lives. Share your knowledge that the Lord loves each young man and holds for each a special place in his kingdom.

Challenge

Challenge the young men to fast the next fast day for a special reason—to help them accomplish something in their lives or to help someone else.

Lesson 32

Tithing

Objective

Each young man will realize that paying tithing shows his love for the Lord and that by so doing he will be blessed and will be helping to build the kingdom of God.

Preparation

Materials needed:

Scriptures for each young man.

Two pencils and two pieces of paper.

Pencils for marking scriptures.

A week before giving this lesson, ask the young men to discuss with their parents the blessings of paying tithing. Ask them to be prepared to share those discussions with the class.

Review the counsel about tithing on pages 34–35 of For the Strength of Youth.

Suggested Lesson Development

All Things Belong to the Lord

Group activity

Divide the young men into two groups. Tell them they have three minutes to discuss the question, “What blessings have I received from the Lord?” Give a young man in each group a pencil and piece of paper and assign him to record his group’s ideas.

After the time is completed, have each assigned young man report his group’s ideas to the class.

Do we have anything the Lord has not given to us? (No.)

Scripture and discussion

Have a young man read Doctrine and Covenants 104:14–15 while the others follow in their scriptures. Suggest they mark these verses.

According to this scripture, what belongs to the Lord? (Everything.)

If you were given a large business, ranch, farm, or other large gift, would you be willing to give a small part back to the giver? Why?

How much of the Lord’s gifts to us does he command that we return to him? (A tenth, which is a tithe.)

Discussion

Explain that tithing is an eternal law. Whenever the Lord has established his Church on the earth, he has made the law of tithing a part of it. Emphasize that obedience to the law of tithing is essential to our salvation and exaltation.

Why do you think the Lord always requires tithing from his Church members? (For their individual blessings and growth and for the growth of the Church.)

Blessings from Paying Tithing

Scripture and discussion

How does tithing benefit us?

After discussing this question, have a young man read Malachi 3:10–12. Suggest the class members mark these verses.

What did the Lord promise tithe payers in this scripture? (He would open the windows of heaven and pour out a blessing on them.)

What blessings come to those who willingly pay an honest tithe?

Give the young men ample time to respond. You might bring out that one of the greatest benefits of paying an honest tithe is the feeling of peace and love that results. True joy comes from showing love for our Heavenly Father.

Stories

To help the young men understand the blessings tithe payers may receive, relate the following incidents.

Story One

“John Fetzer was baptized when he was a young man of college age. When he was confirmed a member of the Church, he was told he should live up to the principles of the gospel, including the payment of tithing. He was shocked to learn what tithing meant. He was working to earn money for another year at school. He had barely enough. What was he to do? He prayed and studied and finally decided to pay his tithing, even though it left him short of money to see him through that school year. He was studying to become an architect, and one day he was assigned to make a drawing. This drawing won a cash prize. Mr. Fetzer was elated. He remembered what the Lord had said about blessing those who paid their tithing. It was a testimony to him. Since that time he has always paid the Lord his tenth as soon as he receives his income and has always been abundantly blessed” (The Epic of the Latter-day Saints [Sunday School Course Nine teacher’s manual, 1971], p. 183).

What decision did Brother Fetzer have to make? (Whether to pay tithing or keep money for school.)

How was he blessed for paying tithing? (He won a cash prize that helped him complete his education and share his talents with others.)

Story Two

Explain that President Joseph F. Smith told the following story about his mother.

“I recollect most vividly a circumstance that occurred in the days of my childhood. My mother was a widow, with a large family to provide for. One spring when we opened our potato pits, she had her boys get a load of the best potatoes and she took them to the tithing office; potatoes were scarce that season. I was a little boy at the time, and drove the team. When we drove up to the steps of the tithing office, ready to unload the potatoes, one of the clerks came out and said to my mother, ‘Widow Smith, it’s a shame that you should have to pay tithing. . . .’ He chided my mother for paying her tithing, called her anything but wise and prudent; and said there were others who were strong and able to work that were supported from the tithing office. My mother turned upon him and said: ‘. . . You ought to be ashamed of yourself. Would you deny me a blessing? If I did not pay my tithing, I should expect the Lord to withhold his blessings from me. I pay my tithing, not only because it is a law of God, but because I expect a blessing by doing it. By keeping this and other laws, I expect to prosper, and to be able to provide for my family.’ . . . She prospered because she obeyed the laws of God. She had abundance to sustain her family. We never lacked as much as many others did. . . . That widow was entitled to the privileges of the house of God. No ordinance of the gospel could be denied her, for she was obedient to the laws of God” (Gospel Doctrine, 5th ed. [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1939], pp. 228–29).

How was Sister Smith blessed? (She had plenty to provide for her family even though she was a widow, and she received the blessings of the temple.)

Explain that many of the blessings we receive come daily and are more common. We probably receive many blessings that we do not notice.

Testimony sharing

Have the young men share their discussions with their families about tithing and invite any who wish to share their testimonies of blessings received through paying tithing to do so.

Quotation

Read the following statement by President Joseph F. Smith:

“By this principle (tithing) the loyalty of the people of this Church shall be put to the test. . . . There is a great deal of importance connected with this principle, for by it it shall be known whether we are faithful or unfaithful. In this respect it is as essential as faith in God, as repentance of sin, . . . or as the laying on of hands for the gift of the Holy Ghost” (Gospel Doctrine, 5th ed. [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1939], p. 225).

Emphasize that the one principle we should always remember in connection with the law of tithing is that we pay tithing because we love the Lord and have faith in him, not just because we have money or need blessings.

Helping God’s Kingdom Grow

Scripture and discussion

Have the young men read Doctrine and Covenants 119:2–4.

According to this scripture, what is tithing to be used for? (Building temples, helping build Zion, for the work of the priesthood.)

How do Church leaders carry out the Lord’s purposes through tithing?

Their responses should include building and maintaining temples and other Church buildings, supporting missionary work, and providing Church education (seminaries and institutes).

Situation

Have the young men imagine that they are in a sacrament meeting, and the bishop announces that the Church no longer requires its members to pay tithing. They get excited and start to plan what they will buy with their extra money. They may even feel this is going to solve all their financial problems.

As the months go by, however, they begin to realize that the new policy has implications that they had not counted on. The population of the ward has greatly increased, and the meetinghouse is no longer adequate; furthermore, the building and the surrounding grounds are getting shabby. But there is no money to renovate and remodel.

Have them suppose that they have older brothers who have planned for years to go on a mission, but now that it is time to go, the missions are closed down. There is no money to operate mission offices or to rent or build chapels.

Have them imagine further that they have brothers or sisters who have looked forward to going to seminary, but now the seminaries are closed, as well as all institutes and Church colleges. There is no money to build and maintain the buildings or to pay the teachers.

Many of their family members would be unhappy. They could not do their family history genealogical work because the research centers would be closed, and the temples would open only occasionally.

Explain that they would not be able to find out the Church plans for correcting these problems because the General Authorities would not visit stake conferences any more. They might begin to wonder what is going to happen to this vital, growing Church that is the kingdom of God on earth.

Discussion

What keeps this from actually happening? (Paying our tithing.)

Who is benefited when we pay our tithing? (We are. The Lord lets us decide how we are going to use nine-tenths of our increase. The other tenth we are to give to him, and he, through our Church leaders, uses it for our advantage.)

Conclusion

Testimony

Bear your testimony of the blessings that have come to you through paying your tithing.

Scripture and challenge

Have the young men reread Malachi 3:10–12.

Review the counsel about tithing on pages 34–35 of For the Strength of Youth. Challenge each young man to pay a full and honest tithing to show his love for the Lord. Emphasize that tithing is a commandment; as we faithfully obey the Lord’s commandments, he will bless us.

Lesson 33

Scripture Study

Objective

Each young man will realize that the scriptures will benefit his life as he studies them daily.

Preparation

Materials needed:

Scriptures for each young man.

Map of a local area.

Prepare the following list on a chart or on the chalkboard:

Commandment

Testimony

Witness

Happiness

Answers

Missionary Work

Cover these by taping a paper strip over each one.

(Optional) Prepare a scripture-reading chart for each young man to mark each day he reads.

Suggested Lesson Development

The Scriptures Help Guide Us

Discussion

Ask the young men to imagine themselves in the following situation. You and your family have gone to spend a few days in the mountains. The area is new to you, and you decide to go for a hike before dinner. As you are walking, you spot a squirrel and begin to follow it. You haven’t paid attention to which direction you are going and suddenly realize that you are lost. The sun has dropped behind the mountains, and it is quickly becoming cold and dark.

What might help you in such a situation? (A map or a compass.)

Display a road map and select two locations, a starting point and an ending point. Have a young man explain the route he would take to reach the desired destination. Explain that as a map provides us with written directions to find our way from one place to another, the scriptures can help us return to our Heavenly Father.

What is scripture? (The LDS Bible Dictionary explains that “the word scripture means a writing, and is used to denote a writing recognized by the Church as sacred and inspired.”)

Scripture, chalkboard, and discussion

After a brief discussion, have a young man read Doctrine and Covenants 68:4. Then write the following definition on the chalkboard: When the Lord’s ordained and appointed servants speak or write under the influence of the Holy Ghost, their words become scripture.

What are the scriptures that we use today? (The standard works: the Bible [King James Version], the Book of Mormon, the Doctrine and Covenants, and the Pearl of Great Price.)

List the standard works on the chalkboard.

Should we consider anything other than the standard works as scripture?

Emphasize that the inspired words of our living prophets are also scripture. Write Words of the Living Prophets on the chalkboard next to the list of standard works.

Studying the Scriptures Can Greatly Bless Our Lives

Chart and discussion

Why should we study the scriptures?

Explain that the list you have prepared includes several reasons why we should study the scriptures (see “Preparation”). Display the chart with each item covered. Uncover the items one at a time as each is discussed.

Uncover the first line of the chart: “1. Commandment.”

Explain that we have been reminded by a prophet to study the scriptures. Have a young man read the following statement by President Spencer W. Kimball regarding scripture study:

“I feel strongly that we must all . . . return to the scriptures . . . and let them work mightily within us, impelling us to an unwavering determination to serve the Lord. . . .

“We must study the scriptures according to the Lord’s commandment (see 3 Ne. 23:1–5); and we must let them govern our lives and the lives of our children. . . .

“So I ask all to begin now to study the scriptures in earnest, if you have not already done so” (“How Rare a Possession—the Scriptures!” Ensign, Sept. 1976, p. 5).

Uncover the second line of the chart: “2. Testimony.”

Explain that the scriptures can help us gain a testimony of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Have one of the young men read the following story by Elder Marion G. Romney:

“I remember reading it [the Book of Mormon] with one of my lads when he was very young. On one occasion I lay in the lower bunk and he in the upper bunk. We were each reading aloud alternate paragraphs of those last three marvelous chapters of Second Nephi. I heard his voice breaking and thought he had a cold, but we went on to the end of the three chapters. As we finished he said to me, ‘Daddy, do you ever cry when you read the Book of Mormon?’

“‘Yes, Son,’ I answered. ‘Sometimes the Spirit of the Lord so witnesses to my soul that the Book of Mormon is true that I do cry.’

“‘Well,’ he said, ‘that is what happened to me tonight’” (“The Book of Mormon,” Improvement Era, May 1949, p. 330).

Explain that a firm testimony of the gospel of Jesus Christ will help us commit ourselves to following him.

Uncover the third line of the chart: “3. Witness.”

Explain that the scriptures testify that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. The purpose of the Book of Mormon is to be a second witness of Christ and to help convince people that Jesus is the Christ.

Have a young man read the second paragraph of the title page of the Book of Mormon as the others follow in their scriptures.

Uncover the fourth line of the chart: “4. Happiness.”

Explain that the scriptures can be a source of spiritual joy and happiness. For example, Nephi felt great joy in reading the scriptures. Have a young man read 2 Nephi 4:15.

Uncover the fifth line of the chart: “5. Answers.”

Explain that the scriptures can be a companion to prayer in finding answers to specific problems and questions. Ask them to think about what Joseph Smith did when he was about their age.

What had Joseph been doing that prompted him to go into the grove of trees to pray about which church to join? (He was reading the scriptures.)

What answers did he find because he had been praying and studying the scriptures? (He found out that the true church was not on the earth. He also learned of the true nature of God.)

Uncover the sixth line of the chart: “6. Missionary Work.”

Explain that the scriptures are essential in missionary work for teaching people about the true gospel of Christ.

Have one of the young men read Doctrine and Covenants 42:12 while the others follow in their scriptures.

Daily Scripture Study

Chalkboard and discussion

Draw a circle on the chalkboard that can be divided into sections like a pie. As the class responds to the following questions, fill in a section of the pie representing the amount of time that the young men decide upon for sleeping, school, eating, and other activities. Your chalkboard should look something like this:

Sleeping: 8 hours

School: 6 hours

Eating: 2 hours

Other: 8 hours

How many hours do you spend sleeping at night?

How many hours do you spend in school?

How many hours do you spend eating every day?

How do you spend the remaining hours of each day?

They may suggest such things as doing chores, doing homework, playing, and watching television.

Adviser presentation and thought questions

Could you find a few minutes each day for scripture study?

Explain that we spend the majority of our time each day with school, work, play, and other activities, but often we spend too little time doing things that specifically help us return to our Heavenly Father.

Would you be willing to spend a few minutes each day listening to the voice of the Lord?

Explain that most people would give anything to hear the Lord speak with them; however, they will not spend a few minutes each day reading the scriptures to learn what the Lord has said to them.

Scripture and discussion

Have one of the young men read Doctrine and Covenants 18:34–36.

Whose voice do we hear when we read the scriptures? (The voice of the Lord.)

Quotation

President Ezra Taft Benson said: “Young men, the Book of Mormon will change your life. It will fortify you against the evils of our day. . . . A young man who knows and loves the Book of Mormon, . . . who has an abiding testimony of its truthfulness, and who applies its teachings will be able to stand against the wiles of the devil and will be a mighty tool in the hands of the Lord” (in Conference Report, Apr. 1986, p. 56; or Ensign, May 1986, p. 43).

Conclusion

Adviser presentation and quotation

Suggest that since we are all busy with many activities, one way to accomplish a goal—such as reading the scriptures—is to set aside a particular time each day for that purpose. Discuss with the young men methods that may motivate them to study the scriptures. These methods may include using a chart, following a reading schedule, and having a contest with others. Emphasize that real joy will come into their lives as they catch the spirit of reading the scriptures. The scriptures will become exciting and meaningful in their lives. Have one of the young men read Parley P. Pratt’s description of his feelings when he first started reading the Book of Mormon.

“I opened it with eagerness, and read its title page. I then read the testimony of several witnesses in relation to the manner of its being found and translated. After this I commenced its contents by course. I read all day; eating was a burden, I had no desire for food; sleep was a burden when the night came, for I preferred reading to sleep.

“As I read, the spirit of the Lord was upon me, and I knew and comprehended that the book was true. . . . My joy was now full. . . . I soon determined to see the young man who had been the instrument of its discovery and translation” (Autobiography of Parley P. Pratt, ed. Parley P. Pratt Jr. [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1975], p. 37).

Challenge and optional handout

Challenge the young men to read the scriptures for a few minutes each day during the coming week. Testify that the scriptures will strengthen their love for Heavenly Father, Jesus Christ, and the gospel as they spend time studying the important messages found in the scriptures. Tell them you will follow up next Sunday to see how many of them have read each day during the week. You may want to give a chart to each young man to mark each day after he reads.

Lesson 34

Obedience

Objective

Each young man will understand that he can show love for Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ by obeying the commandments.

Preparation

Scriptures for each young man.

Pencils for marking scriptures.

A few hymnbooks (or write the words of “We Thank Thee, O God, for a Prophet,” hymn no. 19, on a poster or on the chalkboard).

Suggested Lesson Development

Obedience Is a Basic Principle of the Gospel

Story

Have the young men listen to the story of how one young man displayed the principle of obedience.

“A young boy was playing baseball with his friends when his mother’s voice came loud and clear, calling, ‘Charlie, Charlie!’ He instantly threw down his bat, picked up his jacket and cap, and started for home.

“‘Don’t go yet; finish the game!’ cried the other players.

“‘I must go right this minute. I told my mother I would come when she called,’ was Charlie’s response.

“‘Pretend you didn’t hear,’ said the boys.

“‘But I did hear,’ said Charlie.

“‘She won’t know you did.’

“‘But I know it, and I’ve got to go.’

“One of the boys finally said, ‘Oh, let him go. You can’t change his mind. He’s tied to his mother’s apron string. He’s such a baby he runs the minute she calls.’

“As he ran off, Charlie called back, ‘I don’t call it babyish to keep one’s word to his mother. I call it manly, and the boy who doesn’t keep his word to her will never keep it to anyone else’” (N. Eldon Tanner, in Conference Report, Oct. 1977, p. 65; or Ensign, Nov. 1977, pp. 43–44).

Chalkboard and discussion

Write obedience on the chalkboard.

What does obedience mean?

Let the young men answer the question; help them understand that to obey is to do what one is told or to comply with authority or law. Obedience is one of the most important and basic laws of God.

Scriptures and discussion

Have the young men take turns reading the following scriptures as the others follow along and mark their scriptures.

Discuss what each scripture has to do with obedience. You may want to summarize these points on the chalkboard.

Abraham 3:24–25 (We were sent to earth to see if we would obey.)

John 14:15 (If we love the Savior, we will keep his commandments.)

1 Nephi 3:7 (The Lord will prepare a way for us to obey his commandments.)

Doctrine and Covenants 82:10 (The Lord will do his part if we obey.)

Doctrine and Covenants 130:20–21 (All blessings are based on obedience to particular laws.)

Matthew 7:21 (Only those who obey will live with Heavenly Father.)

Have a young man quote the third article of faith: “We believe that through the Atonement of Christ, all mankind may be saved, by obedience to the laws and ordinances of the Gospel.”

Testify that obedience is a basic principle of the gospel. If we have faith in Jesus Christ, we will keep his commandments and become like him. Only by being obedient can we return to our Heavenly Father’s presence.

Great Men Are Obedient

Quotation

Men of God have always placed great emphasis on obedience. Share the following quotation with the class:

“When President N. Eldon Tanner returned from presiding over the European missions, he was asked what, in his opinion, was the most important attribute of a successful individual or missionary. After a short pause, pondering the implication of such a question, he spoke one word: ‘obedience’” (Ted E. Brewerton, in Conference Report, Apr. 1981, p. 92; or Ensign, May 1981, p. 68).

Chalkboard activity

As you write a name on the chalkboard, have the young men explain how they think that particular individual showed obedience.

Write Adam on the chalkboard.

Explain that Adam built an altar and offered sacrifices to God. An angel appeared and asked him why he was offering sacrifices. He answered, “I know not, save the Lord commanded me.” (See Moses 5:5–6.)

Write Lehi on the chalkboard.

Explain that Lehi showed great faith by obeying the Lord’s commandment to leave his home and riches in Jerusalem. As a result Lehi endured much hardship. He was rewarded for his obedience by avoiding destruction in Jerusalem and was led to a beautiful land of promise.

Write Joseph Smith on the chalkboard.

Explain that Joseph Smith read that if he asked in faith, God would teach him the truth. Joseph obediently prayed for wisdom from God. He was blessed to learn the truth about God and to become a prophet.

Write Jesus Christ on the chalkboard.

Explain that when Jesus was thirty years of age, he left his home in Galilee to find John the Baptist in Jordan. When he found him, Jesus asked John to baptize him because he knew that John had the authority to baptize. John knew that the Savior was a sinless man who needed no repentance and said to him, “I have need to be baptized of thee, and comest thou to me?”

The Savior knew that baptism was for the forgiveness of sins and that he had committed none. But he also knew that baptism is an ordinance required of all mankind. Jesus said, “Suffer it to be so now: for thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness.” (See Matthew 3:13–15.)

We Can All Be Obedient

Discussion

Explain that the previous examples were of prophets and the Savior. Emphasize, however, that we do not have to be prophets to be obedient. We all can and should be obedient. Like the prophets, we show our love for the Savior by being obedient.

If the prophet tells us to do something, how should we respond?

As the young men discuss this, point out that we should always follow the counsel of the prophet. When our Church leaders give us counsel, it is as if the Savior were giving us counsel himself.

Quotation and discussion

“To obey means to follow and to accept direction. Our prophet today has given us a direction to ‘lengthen our stride,’ to extend ourselves, to stretch forward and to seek goals which require extra effort to achieve. If we are obedient to this direction, we will find ourselves achieving things we never thought were possible. I was impressed by the remarks of Elder A. Theodore Tuttle of the First Council of the Seventy, when he asked a young man if he was preparing to go on a mission. The young man replied, ‘I don’t want to go on a mission.’ Elder Tuttle’s response was, ‘What does that matter? The Lord wants you to go.’ This is a perfect example of how the law of obedience should be exercised” (Keith Brian Rutledge, in Conference Report, Melbourne Australia Area Conference 1976, p. 18).

What do you think Elder Tuttle meant when he said, “What does that matter?” (We should do what the Lord wants us to do regardless of what we want to do.)

Story

Have the young men listen to the following examples of how members of the Church were blessed because they were obedient.

“In the Brazil Sao Paulo South Mission there was an Elder Malheiros who entered into the field not being able to read or write very proficiently. He was even a little fearful of giving a prayer in public. But this young man . . . became one of the greatest missionaries imaginable. [His mission] president asked him toward the end of his mission how he had turned into such a dynamic, very successful missionary. (He had baptized more than two hundred people and had baptized every week for fifty-two consecutive weeks.) In a very humble manner Elder Malheiros answered, ‘Well, president, I never doubted you. You said one could baptize every week, so I knew I could baptize every week. I never doubted. It was not always easy, but I tried to obey’” (Ted E. Brewerton, in Conference Report, Apr. 1981, p. 93; or Ensign, May 1981, p. 69).

How was Elder Malheiros blessed? (He overcame his fear and baptized many people.)

If Elder Malheiros had not obeyed his mission president, in what ways might his mission have been different?

Story

“Why is Floriano Oliveira, a member of the high council in a stake in Brazil, so successful as a missionary? Because he obeyed the Lord’s counsel to open his mouth and share the gospel. One day as he was driving through the congested traffic of Sao Paulo he took his eyes off the road for but a second and crashed into the car in front of him. He jumped out of the vehicle, hurried up to the car he had hit, opened the door and said, ‘I am so sorry I hit you. It was all my fault. I accept the full blame and will pay the total costs. I had no intention to do this, so please forgive me. Yet if I hadn’t hit you, you wouldn’t have received this message I have for you, the message that you have waited for all your life.’ He then explained the restoration of the gospel to this man, who was a medical doctor, and the man joined the Church two weeks later” (Ted E. Brewerton, in Conference Report, Apr. 1981, p. 93; or Ensign, May 1981, p. 69).

Why was Brother Oliveira so successful as a missionary? (He was obedient to the Lord’s request to share the gospel.)

Joy through Obedience

Adviser presentation

Explain that we should be happy and have a good feeling about being obedient. If we have the right attitude about being obedient, it will bring us joy and happiness.

Have the young men think of the feeling they get when they are obedient in filling assignments that are given to them, such as administering the sacrament, gathering fast offerings, obeying the Word of Wisdom, or obeying any of Heavenly Father’s commandments. Then have them describe this feeling to you. Lead them toward discussing the positive, satisfying feelings that come from obedience.

Hymn

Have the young men sing the first verse of “We Thank Thee, O God, for a Prophet,” or have one of them read the words (Hymns, no. 19). Have them pay special attention to the last line of the hymn.

“We thank thee, O God, for a prophet

To guide us in these latter days.

We thank thee for sending the gospel

To lighten our minds with its rays.

We thank thee for every blessing

Bestowed by thy bounteous hand.

We feel it a pleasure to serve thee,

And love to obey thy command.”

Conclusion

Scripture and testimony

Have the young men read and mark Mosiah 2:41.

Bear testimony of the benefits of obeying Heavenly Father’s commandments.

Explain that being obedient shows our trust in Heavenly Father and our love for him. If we truly love and trust him, we will be obedient to him throughout our lives.

Lesson 35

The Sacrament

Objective

Each young man will realize the blessings that can come to him as he partakes worthily of the sacrament.

Preparation

Materials needed: scriptures for each young man.

Assign two young men to read the testimonies in the lesson.

Prepare a copy of the handout “Making the Sacrament More Meaningful” for each young man (see page 126).

Select a sacrament hymn and make the necessary arrangements to have the young men sing or read it at the conclusion of the lesson. Choose a hymn you think would be appropriate and familiar to the young men.

Suggested Lesson Development

We Make Serious Covenants with the Lord

Scripture, chalkboard, and discussion

Write the symbols—H₂O, $, and a musical note—illustrated below on the chalkboard, and ask the young men for the meaning of each.

What are these three figures? (They are all symbols that represent something.)

Have a young man read John 1:29. Explain that during Old Testament times, the firstborn lamb was offered as a sacrifice to the Lord. Point out that the lamb was symbolic of the Savior before his final sacrifice and that today the sacrament symbolizes and helps us remember his sacrifice for us.

What does the bread we partake of in the sacrament symbolize?

What does the water we drink in the sacrament symbolize?

Have the young men read the sacrament prayers from Doctrine and Covenants 20:77, 79.

Ask the young men to look at the sacrament prayers and find the promises we make as we partake of the sacrament. As they find those promises, list them on the chalkboard as follows:

To take upon us the name of Christ.

To always remember Christ.

To keep the commandments of Christ.

If we do these things, what does the Lord promise us? (We will always have the Spirit of Christ, which is the Holy Ghost, to be with us.)

Discussion

When a child is born or adopted, he is given the family name. He should try to live up to and bring honor to that name.

What does it mean to take upon us the name of Jesus Christ? (To commit to strive to become like him; to follow his example and teachings.)

What does it mean to “remember him”?

When should we remember him?

How can we remember the Savior “always”?

What can we do during the week to help us remember him? (Pray, study the scriptures, obey the commandments, have charity.)

Emphasize that remembering Jesus is more than simply remembering that he lived and that he atoned for our sins. Perhaps the most important way to remember him is to always obey his teachings and commandments.

Quotations

Have a young man read the following statement:

“Each time we partake of these emblems, we manifest before the Father that we do remember his Son; and by the act of partaking of the bread and the water, we make a solemn covenant that we do take upon us the name of our Redeemer, and that we do, further, make a pledge and an agreement by that act that we will keep his commandments” (Melvin J. Ballard, Sermons and Missionary Services of Melvin J. Ballard, compiled by Bryant S. Hinckley [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1949], p. 147).

What does it mean to keep the Savior’s commandments?

Explain that in speaking of the covenants we make when we partake of the sacrament, President David O. McKay stated: “Who can measure the responsibility of such a covenant? How far reaching! How comprehensive! It excludes from man’s life profanity, vulgarity, idleness, jealousy, drunkenness, dishonesty, hatred, selfishness, and every form of vice. It obligates him . . . to industry, to kindness, to the performance of every duty in church and state. He binds himself to respect his fellowmen, to honor the Priesthood, to pay his tithes and offerings and to consecrate his life to the service of humanity” (Millennial Star, Dec. 1923, p. 778).

Emphasize again that as we keep our covenants, the Savior blesses us with his Spirit and helps us make right decisions.

Why is the Lord’s promise to us of such great importance? (The Holy Ghost can teach us, guide us, comfort us, testify of truth, and help us grow in faith and testimony.)

Explain that without the refining influence of the Holy Ghost, we would not be able to return to Heavenly Father’s presence.

Partaking of the Sacrament Should Be a Meaningful Experience

Thought questions

Ask the young men to remember the last sacrament service they attended as you read the following thought questions:

Were you quiet and reverent?

Did you think about the words of the sacrament hymn?

Did you listen thoughtfully to the sacrament prayers?

Did you think about the covenants you were making?

What were you thinking about as the sacrament was being passed? As you partook of the bread and water?

As you administer the sacrament, what can you do to help make it a spiritual experience for others?

Discussion and handout

How can we prepare ourselves to partake of the sacrament each week?

Emphasize that we can all prepare for the sacrament each week by sincerely repenting of our sins and by asking forgiveness from those we have hurt.

Give each young man a copy of the handout containing suggestions on how to make the sacrament more meaningful. Suggest that they place the handout where they can read and ponder the suggestions during the week. Read through the items with the class.

Readings

Ask the two assigned young men to read the following testimonies of young people about the sacrament.

First Testimony

“When I’m reverent and think about Christ during the sacrament, I think of how Jesus suffered for all of us and how much he loves us. When I’m not reverent during the sacrament, I don’t realize what I’m saying ‘Amen’ to. I just take the sacrament because it’s routine and not because I understand what it really stands for. I don’t really have any kind of feeling when I forget or don’t care what the sacrament stands for. I get a good feeling when I think about Christ—that we all have an older brother who loves us and will help us at all times if we ask. It means a lot to me that he was willing to die for us.”

Second Testimony

“In the past, I didn’t realize what covenant I was taking when I said ‘Amen’ to the sacrament prayer. I really didn’t know what was going on. I was more interested in what my friends were talking about than what was said in the prayer. Last Sunday I really listened to the sacrament prayer and it said, ‘to take upon them the name of thy Son.’ I realized the bread and the water were to help us remember Christ. I sat and thought of what Christ had done for me. I’m going to try harder in the future to keep my covenant with Christ.”

The Sacrament Is a Source of Spiritual Growth

Quotation

“We do things for which we are sorry and desire to be forgiven, or we have erred against someone and given injury. If there is a feeling in our hearts that we are sorry for what we have done, if there is a feeling in our souls that we would like to be forgiven, then the method to obtain forgiveness is not through rebaptism; it is not to make confession to man, but it is to repent of our sins, to go to those against whom we have sinned or transgressed and obtain their forgiveness and then [go] to the sacrament table where, if we have sincerely repented and put ourselves in proper condition, we shall be forgiven, and spiritual healing will come to our souls. It will really enter into our being” (Melvin J. Ballard, Sermons and Missionary Services of Melvin J. Ballard, compiled by Bryant S. Hinckley [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1949], p. 149).

Case studies

Ask the young men how the individuals in the following situations could seek forgiveness and be prepared to partake of the sacrament.

You have earned some extra money by doing yard work and have used that money to buy a new bicycle. During sacrament meeting, you realize that you have spent all of your money and have forgotten to pay your tithing. You do not feel right about this.

What could you do? (Pray silently and ask for forgiveness; covenant and promise to pay the overlooked tithing from the next money you receive; covenant to always pay tithing first.)

Your best friend told you a personal secret. You know you promised him that you wouldn’t tell, but decide that it might not hurt to tell one other person. So you tell another person and tell him to tell no one else. You find out later that the entire school has learned the secret. You feel bad that you did not keep your friend’s confidence, and you know you have injured him.

What could you do to right this wrong? (Go to your friend, apologize, and ask his forgiveness; pray and ask Heavenly Father’s forgiveness; covenant to never make this mistake again.)

Explain that situations like these should be cleared up so that those involved can partake of the sacrament worthily. Emphasize that as they partake of the sacrament, they are making a covenant to overcome their weaknesses and obey all the Lord’s commandments.

Conclusion

Hymn

If appropriate, have the young men sing a sacrament hymn. Or you might have a young man read aloud the words of a sacrament hymn. Ask the young men to pay particular attention to the meaning of the words.

Testimony

Conclude by sharing your feelings about the sacrament.

Lesson 36

Testimony

Objective

Each young man will understand that we gain a testimony when we carefully study, pray, and obey God’s commandments.

Preparation

Materials needed:

Scriptures for each young man.

A pencil for each young man.

Ask someone with a strong testimony, such as the father of an Aaronic Priesthood holder, to share his experience in gaining a testimony and to explain how he finds it useful in his life now. Ask him to take no more than five minutes.

Make a copy of the handout “Testimony Quiz” for each young man (see page 131).

Suggested Lesson Development

What Is a Testimony?

Activity

Give each young man a copy of the “Testimony Quiz” (see page 131) and a pencil. Ask the class to respond to the true and false statements by putting a “T” or an “F” in front of each number.

Testimony Quiz

It is easy for everyone to obtain a testimony. (False)

One must have a vision or hear a voice to receive a real testimony. (False)

Each young man should seek to obtain his own testimony that the gospel is true. (True)

An essential part of a testimony is knowing that Joseph Smith is the prophet of God through whom the gospel was restored. (True)

Another basic part of a testimony is knowing that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the only true church today. (True)

Some people gain testimonies of the gospel more quickly than others; however, this does not mean that they are more righteous. (True)

A testimony includes knowing that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and Savior of the world. (True)

Each prophet of the Church has had to gain his own testimony of the gospel. (True)

The Lord will give us a testimony with no effort on our part. (False)

A testimony comes through revelation from the Holy Ghost. (True)

True testimonies always come all at once rather than gradually. (False)

If your parents have a testimony, you will automatically receive one. (False)

You should share your testimony only in fast and testimony meetings. (False)

A person born in the Church does not need to worry about his testimony. (False)

Once you have a testimony, you must continue to study, pray, and live worthily for it to grow. (True)

Read the statements and have the young men indicate their answers. Give them the correct answers and allow for brief discussion as needed. Explain that the lesson will help them to better understand the answers.

Discussion

What is a testimony of the gospel?

Let the young men answer, helping them to understand that a testimony is a personal knowledge that God lives, that Jesus Christ is our Savior, and that his teachings are true.

What are some truths that you should know as part of your testimony?

Quotation

Elder Charles Didier gave the following definition of a testimony:

“[A testimony] is knowing by the power of the Holy Ghost that God lives and is the same yesterday, today, and forever (see D&C 20:12) and that ‘this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent’ (John 17:3). A testimony is not only a witness that Jesus is the Christ, but also a statement or affirmation of the fact that Joseph Smith saw the Father and the Son; a conviction that the Book of Mormon has a divine origin and is another testament of Jesus Christ; and a knowledge that the Church of Jesus Christ, with its gospel and holy priesthood, was in truth and fact restored” (in Conference Report, Oct. 1991, pp. 84–85; or Ensign, Nov. 1991, p. 62).

We Each Need Our Own Testimony

Quotation and discussion

Explain that each young man will face difficulties and will need to have his own testimony to help him overcome them. Share the following statement by President Heber C. Kimball:

“To meet the difficulties that are coming, it will be necessary for you to have a knowledge of the truth of this work for yourselves. The difficulties will be of such a character that the man or woman who does not possess this personal knowledge or witness will fall. If you have not got the testimony, live right and call upon the Lord and cease not till you obtain it. If you do not you will not stand. . . .

“. . . The time will come when no man nor woman will be able to endure on borrowed light [someone else’s testimony]. Each will have to be guided by the light within himself. If you do not have it, how can you stand?” (in Orson F. Whitney, Life of Heber C. Kimball [Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1945], p. 450).

Why does each person need his own testimony of the gospel? (To be able to overcome the problems he will face.)

In what situations might you need to know that the gospel is true? (To help in keeping the commandments, when you are talking to others about the gospel, when teaching about Christ, when serving a mission, when facing temptation.)

Thought question

Is it possible to have a testimony and not know it?

Remind the young men that one of the statements in the quiz at the beginning of the lesson was that each prophet of the Church has had to gain his own testimony of the gospel. Explain that each one did, but each had to desire and work for a testimony just as anyone else must.

Story and discussion

Explain that Joseph F. Smith, who became the sixth President of the Church, served his first mission when he was fifteen years old. Have a young man read the following story of how President Joseph F. Smith gained his testimony.

“When I as a boy first started out in the ministry, I would frequently go out and ask the Lord to show me some marvelous thing, in order that I might receive a testimony. But the Lord withheld marvels from me, and showed me the truth, line upon line, precept upon precept, here a little and there a little, until he made me to know the truth from the crown of my head to the soles of my feet. . . . He did not have to send an angel from the heavens to do this. . . . By the whisperings of the still small voice of the Spirit of the living God, he gave to me the testimony I possess” (Gospel Doctrine, 5th ed. [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1939], p. 7).

How did Joseph F. Smith expect to gain a testimony at first? (By receiving a vision.)

Explain that later in his life, when he was President of the Church, Joseph F. Smith did receive marvelous manifestations from the Lord. He was given a vision of the redemption of the dead that can now be found in Doctrine and Covenants section 138.

How did President Smith’s testimony develop? (By the gradual whisperings of the still, small voice.)

Quotation

Explain that most people receive their testimonies a little at a time. President Marion G. Romney made the following statement about testimony:

“Sometimes a testimony comes to a person slowly, over an extended period of time. I do not remember a testimony coming to me suddenly. . . . I cannot remember when I did not have a testimony. It has, of course, been strengthened through the years, but I can never remember when I did not believe. But whether a testimony comes suddenly or by degrees, it does something to a person. One is different after he receives a testimony” (“How to Gain a Testimony,” New Era, May 1976, p. 11).

Story

Explain that another prophet gained his testimony in a similar way. President David O. McKay often told of his struggles in seeking a testimony. Have a young man read the following story.

“One day in my youth I was hunting cattle. While climbing a steep hill, I stopped to let my horse rest, and there, once again, an intense desire came over me to receive a manifestation of the truth of the restored gospel. I dismounted, threw my reins over my horse’s head, and there under a serviceberry bush I prayed that God would declare to me the truth of his revelation to Joseph Smith. I am sure that I prayed fervently and sincerely and with as much faith as a young boy could muster.

“At the conclusion of the prayer, I arose from my knees, threw the reins over my faithful pony’s head, and got into the saddle. As I started along the trail again, I remember saying to myself, ‘No spiritual manifestation has come to me. If I am true to myself, I must say I am just the same “old boy” that I was before I prayed.’

“The Lord did not see fit to give me an answer on that occasion, but in 1899, after I had been appointed president of the Scottish Conference, the spiritual manifestation for which I had prayed as a boy in my teens came as a natural sequence to the performance of duty” (Clare Middlemiss, comp., Cherished Experiences from the Writings of President David O. McKay [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1976], pp. 6–7).

Discussion

What do you think President McKay meant when he said, “The spiritual manifestation for which I had prayed . . . came as a natural sequence to the performance of duty”?

Let the young men respond, helping them understand that President McKay’s prayer was answered by the Spirit as he did his priesthood work.

How were the experiences of President Joseph F. Smith and President David O. McKay similar in gaining a testimony? (Neither of the testimonies came at the first request; both men had a strong desire for a testimony; both expected marvels; both lived worthy lives and received their testimonies in a simple way.)

An Aaronic Priesthood Holder Can Strengthen His Testimony through Prayer and Work

Scripture, chalkboard, and discussion

Emphasize that the scriptures explain how a person can come to know the truth.

Have different class members read the following scriptures while the others follow: Alma 32:27; Moroni 10:3–5; and John 7:17. Write these scriptures on the chalkboard and suggest that the young men mark them.

As the scriptures are read, have the young men identify the steps for discovering truth. List the steps on the chalkboard. Possible answers include the following:

Desire sincerely.

Read and study.

Think about it and ponder it in your heart.

Pray sincerely.

Ask Heavenly Father in the name of Jesus Christ.

Ask with a sincere heart and with a desire to know.

Ask with faith in Jesus Christ that you will know the truth.

Meditate after prayer to listen to the Spirit.

Keep the commandments.

The power of the Holy Ghost will manifest the truth.

Help the young men understand that they may already have a testimony of some gospel principles.

What are some principles or teachings of the gospel that you know are true?

Answers might include Word of Wisdom, tithing, and being honest.

Explain that when we know a certain teaching is true, we make it part of our thoughts and actions. We then have a testimony of that teaching.

Scriptures and discussion

How can the Holy Ghost manifest that something is true?

Have a young man read Doctrine and Covenants 8:2–3. Explain that the Holy Ghost may cause us to feel a warm or a burning feeling when something is true.

Have a young man read Doctrine and Covenants 6:22–23.

What does this scripture tell us about the way the Holy Ghost sometimes communicates with us?

Guest speaker

Introduce the guest speaker, who is to share with the young men how he gained his testimony.

Conclusion

Testimony and challenge

Bear your testimony of the Savior and the truthfulness of the gospel. Testify that each class member can gain his own testimony through prayer and study and by living in obedience to the commandments of God.

Challenge each young man to follow the steps outlined in the lesson to gain a testimony. Emphasize that they may not get an instant answer to their prayers. However, as they continue to fulfill their priesthood duties, they will eventually be blessed with the firm testimony that they desire.

Lesson 37

The Priesthood of Aaron

Objective

Each young man will better understand his calling by learning of the source and importance of his priesthood authority.

Preparation

Materials needed:

Scriptures for each young man.

Picture 13, Moses Calls Aaron to the Ministry (62538).

Pencils for marking scriptures.

Have a young man prepare to read paragraphs five through seven of the account by Oliver Cowdery contained in the footnotes at the end of Joseph Smith—History, and express his feelings about the experience.

Invite a young man and his father to share a special experience that they have had with the power of the priesthood. Have them explain what that experience meant to them then and what the priesthood means in their lives now.

Suggested Lesson Development

Aaron First Called

Picture and discussion

Display the picture of Moses ordaining Aaron (picture 13 at the back of the manual). Identify for the young men who Moses and Aaron are.

What is happening in the picture? (Moses is ordaining Aaron to the priesthood.)

What do you know about Aaron? (He was Moses’ brother and was called to assist and speak for Moses.)

Why is Aaron important to us? (The Aaronic Priesthood was given Aaron’s name. We hold the Priesthood of Aaron.)

Scripture and discussion

Have a young man read Hebrews 5:4 while the others follow in their Bibles.

According to this scripture, how do we receive the priesthood? (We must be called of God as was Aaron.)

Have the young men mark this scripture. Ask them to use the footnotes or cross-references to find another scripture that clarifies how Aaron was called to the priesthood.

If the young men have problems finding the right scripture, tell them to turn to Exodus 28:1. Have a young man read this scripture while the others follow along.

How was Aaron called?

Help the young men understand that Aaron was called by God through Moses to receive the priesthood. Explain further that after a man has been called by God to receive the priesthood, he must be ordained by the laying on of hands.

Have a young man read Numbers 27:18–20, 22–23.

Help the young men understand that they were called the same way as Aaron, Joshua, and all others who have received the priesthood. Aaronic Priesthood holders are called by God through the bishop. They are presented to the congregation and then ordained by the laying on of hands by those in authority.

Adviser presentation

Explain that Aaron was eighty-three years old when he received his priesthood call and became the presiding priest or the head of the Aaronic Priesthood. This was approximately 3,500 years ago, or 1,500 years before Christ’s birth.

How old are most young men when they receive the Aaronic Priesthood today? (Twelve years old.)

Explain that Aaron and his sons were given special assignments or ordinances to perform. In Moses’ day, members of the Aaronic Priesthood had to be at least thirty years old. Following Judah’s return to Jerusalem from Babylon, the age was changed to twenty years and older. (See Numbers 4:43; Ezra 3:8.)

Explain that in ancient days, a man had to be a direct descendant of Aaron to hold the Aaronic Priesthood. John the Baptist was a descendant of Aaron through a long line of ancestors.

John the Baptist

Scripture, quotation, and discussion

Have a young man read Doctrine and Covenants 84:28.

Explain that Elder Bruce R. McConkie commented on this verse as follows:

“Naming of children and circumcision of male members of the house of Israel took place on this [eighth] day. In the case of John, he ‘was ordained by the angel of God at the time he was eight days old’—not to the Aaronic Priesthood, for such would come later, after his baptism and other preparation, but—‘unto this power, to overthrow the kingdom of the Jews, and to make straight the way of the Lord before the face of his people, to prepare them for the coming of the Lord, in whose hand is given all power.’ (D&C 84:28.) That is, at this solemn eighth day ceremony, an angel, presumably Gabriel, gave the Lord’s Elias the divine commission to serve as the greatest forerunner of all the ages” (Bruce R. McConkie, Doctrinal New Testament Commentary, 3 vols. [Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1966–73], 1:89).

Help the young men understand how important John the Baptist’s mission was. Explain that this also shows how important the Aaronic Priesthood is.

Have a young man read the first part of Luke 7:28.

From what you know about John the Baptist, what made him such a great prophet? (He baptized Jesus, and he prepared the way for Jesus’ ministry.)

Quotation

Read the following explanation by the Prophet Joseph Smith:

“How is it that John was considered one of the greatest prophets? . . .

“First. He was entrusted with a divine mission of preparing the way before the face of the Lord. Whoever had such a trust committed to him before or since? No man.

“Secondly. He was entrusted with the important mission, and it was required at his hands, to baptize the Son of Man. . . .

“Thirdly. John, at that time, was the only legal administrator in the affairs of the kingdom there was then on the earth, and holding the keys of power. The Jews had to obey his instructions or be damned, by their own law; and Christ Himself fulfilled all righteousness in becoming obedient to the law. . . . The son of Zacharias wrested the keys, the kingdom, the power, the glory from the Jews, by the holy anointing and decree of heaven, and these three reasons constitute him the greatest prophet born of a woman” (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, sel. Joseph Fielding Smith [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1938], pp. 275–76).

Adviser presentation

Help the young men develop a feeling for John the Baptist’s fearlessness in fulfilling his duties. He called the Jews to repentance and challenged them to give up their traditions. He testified of the coming Messiah, who could save them if they would accept him and be baptized and receive the Holy Ghost.

Explain that another example of John’s courage was his fearless denunciation of Herod’s sin in taking Herodias, his brother’s wife, for his own. Of course, Herod and Herodias did not like John denouncing their sinful relationship. Undoubtedly, Herod would have liked to put John the Baptist to death, but he feared John and his many friends. Therefore, Herod had John put in prison instead.

About two years later, at Herod’s birthday celebration, Salome, Herodias’s daughter, danced for Herod and pleased him so much he promised to give her whatever she wanted. Salome asked her mother, Herodias, what to ask for and was told to ask for John the Baptist’s head on a platter. Although Herod was reluctant, he fulfilled his promise and had John beheaded. (See Matthew 14:3–11.)

Discussion

What are some of John’s character traits that we should strive to develop in our lives?

John was dedicated to the Lord and served the Lord at all costs. He did what he was commanded to do in spite of what others said or did.

John exercised his priesthood worthily.

John opposed evil with courage.

What challenges might come into a young man’s life that would require courage and dedication?

Restoration of the Aaronic Priesthood

Scripture and discussion

Explain that after the death of John the Baptist, Jesus, and the Apostles, the priesthood was lost from the earth. The restoration of the Aaronic Priesthood approximately eighteen hundred years after John the Baptist’s death was one of the most important events of our modern times.

Who restored the Aaronic Priesthood to the earth in the latter days? (John the Baptist.)

Have a young man read Joseph Smith—History 1:68, while the others follow in their scriptures.

How did Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery receive the Aaronic Priesthood? (By the laying on of hands from one having the proper authority.)

To help the young men understand this event better, have another young man read Joseph Smith—History 1:69–72. Suggest that the young men mark these verses.

Why was John the Baptist sent back to restore the Aaronic Priesthood? (He held the keys of this priesthood.)

Explain that the restoration of the Aaronic Priesthood was one of the first steps in the restoration of the full gospel.

Memorization activity

Help the young men memorize Joseph Smith—History 1:69.

Put the following key words on the chalkboard while the young men read the passage silently. After three or four minutes, have the young men close their scriptures and try filling in the blanks from memory.

Upon you , in the name , I confer , which holds the keys , and of the gospel , and of baptism ; and this shall never be until the sons
unto the .

As the young men commit the different lines to memory, erase parts of the key words until they can repeat the passage from memory.

Quotation

To see how Oliver Cowdery felt about receiving the Aaronic Priesthood, have the assigned young man read the account at the end of Joseph Smith—History, while the others follow in their scriptures (see “Preparation”). Encourage the young man to express his feelings about the experience.

How did Oliver Cowdery feel? (Peaceful, happy, full of joy, awed, privileged to have such a blessing.)

Experience of father and son

Have the assigned young man and his father share their experience with the power of the priesthood and express what the priesthood means to them.

Conclusion

Testimony

Bear testimony of the sacred nature of the Aaronic Priesthood. Emphasize that the young men hold the same priesthood that John the Baptist restored to the Prophet Joseph Smith.

Challenge

Challenge each young man to ponder the sacred calling he has as a bearer of the Aaronic Priesthood. Challenge each young man to follow the great example of those who have gone before us and to more fully magnify his sacred calling in the priesthood.

Lesson 38

Magnifying the Calling of an Aaronic Priesthood Holder

Objective

Each young man will desire to better fulfill his priesthood responsibilities.

Preparation

Materials needed: scriptures for each young man.

Prepare a copy of the handout “I Am Only One” for each class member (see page 137).

Suggested Lesson Development

An Aaronic Priesthood Holder Has Sacred Responsibilities

Discussion

What changes would occur in the Church if the priesthood duties done by the Aaronic Priesthood were suddenly stopped?

Allow the young men to discuss this question. Help them understand that there would be no sacrament and there would be no fast offerings gathered for the bishops to use to help the poor.

How important is the priesthood work done by the Aaronic Priesthood?

Scripture and discussion

Explain that when Jesus Christ visited the Nephites after his resurrection, he instructed them in the importance of the sacrament.

Have the young men read aloud 3 Nephi 18:1–12. Call on those who are good readers to help read. Discuss important points in these verses, such as:

The sacrament is a very sacred ordinance.

We are commanded to partake of the sacrament often.

The sacrament helps us remember Jesus Christ.

We covenant or promise to obey all the commandments of Jesus Christ.

We are promised that as we obey the commandments of Jesus Christ, we will always have the Holy Spirit with us.

Only those who hold the proper priesthood can pass the sacrament.

Help the young men feel the sacred character of the sacrament. Encourage them to dress properly and to carefully, efficiently, and reverently administer the sacrament.

How does an Aaronic Priesthood holder help the members of the Church when he administers the sacrament in a reverent manner? (He provides the members the opportunity of renewing their baptismal covenants and obtaining forgiveness of their sins. He helps teach everyone how sacred the sacrament is.)

Quotation

Explain that Bishop H. Burke Peterson said: “Sacrament time is a very special time, and you are now an important part of it. You are different now than you used to be” (in Conference Report, Oct. 1981, p. 49; or Ensign, Nov. 1981, p. 34).

What are some ways an Aaronic Priesthood holder should be different from a young man his age who does not hold the priesthood?

Testimony

Testify of the sacred character of the sacrament and the Aaronic Priesthood holders’ responsibility in preparing and passing it to the members of the Church.

Emphasize that Aaronic Priesthood holders should be different than young men who do not hold the Aaronic Priesthood.

Scripture and discussion

How does an Aaronic Priesthood holder help the members from whom he gathers fast offerings?

Help them understand that by gathering fast offerings, the young men give members an opportunity to serve the Lord by helping the poor and needy.

Have a young man read Mosiah 4:26 aloud.

Explain that paying fast offerings is imparting of our substance to the poor, or in other words, feeding the hungry and clothing the naked.

How are fast offerings used to help the poor and needy?

Help the young men understand that fast offerings are used exclusively to help the poor and needy. The money may be used by the bishop to pay a needy person’s electricity bill or house payment, to purchase needed medicine, or to buy needed food and clothing if a bishop’s storehouse is not close by. Unused money is turned in to Church headquarters to be used anywhere in the world that there is a member in need.

Quotation

“The Lord has said he is going to share with you some of his power and authority to help others through life.

“. . . There is no more satisfying assignment than helping those in need. Gathering fast offerings is a blessing to you when you look at it as helping the bishop and the poor. Someday you may get to see the smile on a widow’s face and the tears in her eyes when the bishop takes her some groceries or pays her rent with the fast offerings you have gathered for him” (H. Burke Peterson, in Conference Report, Oct. 1981, p. 49; or Ensign, Nov. 1981, p. 34).

Aaronic Priesthood Holders Should Be Diligent in Fulfilling Their Responsibilities

Handout and discussion

What might happen if you failed to carry out your responsibilities properly as an Aaronic Priesthood holder?

Give each young man a copy of the handout “I Am Only One.” Have a young man read this poem aloud. Discuss its meaning, and help the class work at memorizing the poem.

Conclusion

Scripture reading and challenge

Have a young man read 1 Nephi 3:7.

Encourage the young men to be like Nephi and to fulfill every assignment they receive to the best of their ability.

Challenge them to set a good example for others by reverently fulfilling their responsibilities.

Lesson 39

Missionary Work through Example

Objective

Each young man will radiate the gospel by his exemplary living.

Preparation

Materials needed:

Scriptures for each young man.

Pencils for marking scriptures.

A pencil for each young man.

(Optional) Prepare a poster with the following quotation:

“Every Latter-day Saint should know that many souls are won or lost through the example and influence that each one of us conveys” (John T. Kesler, “Being an Example,” Ensign, Oct. 1977, p. 58).

Prepare a copy of the handout “What Kind of an Example Am I?” for each young man (see page 141).

Ask two or three young men to be prepared to share an experience in which a good example encouraged them or someone they know to learn more about the gospel.

Suggested Lesson Development

We Can Interest Others in the Church by Our Example

Story

Ask the young men to try to determine the main theme of the lesson as you share the following true story with them:

“‘When mother, Mary Graham, was about fourteen years old, her father was lying on his deathbed. An elder of the Church came to the door with a tract, telling of the restoration of the gospel. Her father read the tract and said, “Mary, my girl, that is true. I believe that young man has come with the true gospel. Search out this true gospel . . . and embrace it.”

“‘After the death of her father (her mother had died some years before), the orphaned Mary became a servant girl in the wealthy Allen family. When they learned she was investigating Mormonism, they angrily told her she was injuring their business by attending these meetings. People were beginning to think the Allens were sympathetic with this unpopular religion.

“‘One dark and rainy night the whole Allen family assembled and called Mary before them. Bitterly the father said, “Mary, there is the door. You take your choice right now. Either [stay in] our home and give up Mormonism, or [go] out of our home into the night.” She cried about it. Naturally she would like to stay, but she could not renounce the gospel, for she knew it was true. The homeless Mary walked out into the bleak night with only a shilling in her pocket. That shilling she paid to a friend of her father, who for that amount rented to her his hall in which the elders could preach.

“‘Friends were raised up for Mary. She obtained other employment, married, and had a family of thirteen children, born in Scotland. In 1872 they came to Utah. When [Mary’s family] arrived in Salt Lake City, the Allen family was there to welcome them and took them to their home for a wonderful banquet. “You are the cause of our being in the Church,” they declared.

“‘When Mary had so courageously left their home in Scotland rather than give up the true faith, the Allen family concluded that her religion must be something extraordinary. They knew her as one of the sweetest [and] best . . . girls of their acquaintance. Mr. Allen said, “I cannot help but feel that there is something more to Mormonism than we understand; it cannot be just a man-made religion.” He and his family investigated, joined the Church, emigrated to Utah, and welcomed Mary and her family when they arrived’” (as told by Robert D. Young, “Genealogical Evenings in the Home,” Improvement Era, Jan. 1965, p. 33).

What kind of person must Mary have been to have had such an influence on her employers?

Adviser presentation

Has anyone ever told you that they saw you somewhere—such as at a sporting event or in a store or movie theater—and you were not even aware that they were there?

Did it make you realize others were noticing you when you were not aware of it?

If possible, relate occasions when you noticed something one of the young men did when he didn’t know you were watching. Help them to realize that their actions are being observed by others whether they know it or not.

Why is it important that we set a good example at all times? (Our actions may interest someone in the gospel. However, an improper example could discourage others from wanting to know more.)

Scripture and discussion

How do you think Heavenly Father feels toward those who set bad examples?

Have a young man read Mark 9:42 and relate this verse to those who offend others by their bad examples.

Chalkboard or poster

Display the poster you have prepared or write the following quotation on the chalkboard: “Every Latter-day Saint should know that many souls are won or lost through the example and influence that each one of us conveys” (John T. Kesler, “Being an Example,” Ensign, Oct. 1977, p. 58).

How can our example help others find the truth?

Point out that many people have joined the Church because of a member’s righteous example.

Explain that introducing the gospel to others does not always mean that we must sit down with them and talk about religion. Some people will be more interested in the gospel if they can see by the way we live that it makes a difference in our lives. Following is a true story about a young man who inspired a friend in a way he little expected.

Story

“Alan Harris and Ed Hoppes had become acquainted in the [military] service. Harris was a Latter-day Saint from Layton, Utah. He was a medical technician. Hoppes was an X-ray technician from Springfield, Ohio.

“They struck it off very well. Neither cared for the night spots. Whenever they had liberty, they went for long hikes. They visited places of historical significance.

“‘Sometimes we just laid on the grass and watched the clouds. I don’t think we talked to each other a great deal except about farming. We both liked everything about farming. I don’t think we discussed religion much. We just seemed to know that we both came from good religious homes,’ Alan said.

“Apparently, Alan didn’t learn for many years that his actions and his clean living habits communicated more to Ed than the words they exchanged.

“[When the war with Japan was over, both servicemen returned to their respective homes. Ed Hoppes became a contractor and became involved in building homes.] He . . . was laying plans to develop the village of Northridge with [a] shopping center, churches, schools and 2,200 new homes.

“[One day] three intent young married women came to his office. They said they represented a new branch of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

“‘Is that the same as the Mormon church?’ Ed asked.

“‘We are known as Mormons,’ they said.

“They had been authorized by the leaders of the branch to contact Mr. Hoppes to see if he would sell them a piece of land where they could build a chapel.

“‘I had a good friend in the service who was a member of your Church,’ he told the women. ‘I was inspired and impressed by the clean and wholesome life he led. I’ll tell you what I’ll do. I’ll give you the ground you need upon which to build a chapel. It won’t cost you a penny.’

“Ed Hoppes delivered to the Springfield Branch Building Committee a deed for two acres of land valued at about $10,000. He also offered other valuable service to assist with the building. All this because he met a young Mormon who took his religion seriously and inspired another” (Dorothy O. Rea, “. . . When You Least Expect It,” Church News, Jan. 21, 1967, p. 11).

Scripture and discussion

Ask a young man to read Matthew 5:16. Have the young men mark this scripture.

Discuss how the people in the stories above let their light shine so as to influence others.

Reports

Allow the assigned young men the opportunity to share any personal experiences in their own families when a good example influenced someone to learn more about the gospel. Let any of the other young men share similar experiences they know about.

How I Can Be an Example

Handouts

To help the young men think about what kind of example they are living, give each class member a copy of the handout “What Kind of an Example Am I?” and a pencil. After all the young men have completed the checklist, encourage them to comment on any of the questions. Suggest they take the checklists home and watch for ways they can improve their examples.

Scripture and quotation

Direct the young men to read Doctrine and Covenants 123:12. Emphasize the phrase “only kept from the truth because they know not where to find it.” Then read the following statement:

“If we are setting a good example of how the gospel affects our lives, people will notice—and often become interested in what makes the difference in our lives. . . .

“The nonmember’s heart is first opened by a good impression of the Church and its members, and by the love and concern of the members he knows” (Jay A. Parry, “Converts Tell . . . What Brought Me In,” Ensign, Feb. 1978, p. 43).

Remind the young men that they have the opportunity to be an example to others by living the teachings of the gospel and by following Christ as the greatest example in their lives.

To emphasize this, have a young man read 1 Timothy 4:12 while the others follow along in their scriptures.

Conclusion

Challenge

Challenge the young men to choose two or three areas from the checklist in which they can improve and to work on these during the coming week.

Lesson 40

The House of the Lord

Objective

Each young man will understand the purpose of temples and why he must keep himself worthy to enter the temple.

Preparation

Materials needed:

Scriptures for each young man.

Picture 14, Kirtland Temple (62431); picture 12, Salt Lake Temple (62433); a picture of the temple serving your area; picture 2, Baptismal font in a temple (62031); picture 15, Ordinance room in a temple; picture 16, Celestial room in a temple; picture 17, a couple married in a temple.

Write each of the six quotations about the temple at the beginning of the lesson on separate pieces of paper.

Invite the bishop to attend quorum meeting with the young men. If the bishop cannot attend, he might ask a counselor to take his place. Have the bishop or counselor review the lesson so he will be prepared to answer questions the young men may ask about the purpose of the temple and about ways they can best prepare themselves for entering it. You may take two weeks to present this lesson. If you wish to take two weeks, invite the bishop or counselor to attend the second week.

If it is available, consider showing “In His Holy House,” on the videocassette Come unto Me (53146).

Suggested Lesson Development

Introduction

Quotations

Give the previously prepared quotations about the temple to six of the young men. Explain that after a temple has been built and before it is dedicated, the building is open to the public so that people can walk through and look at it. The following quotations come from some young Latter-day Saints who toured a temple before it was dedicated and expressed their feelings about the visit. Ask each of the young men who was given a quotation to read the statement to the rest of the young men.

“I had such a wonderful feeling while inside the temple, I didn’t want to leave.”

“After coming 600 miles to see the house of the Lord, then having the experience, I realized it was worth traveling around the world for.”

“The whole temple seemed to be a part of heaven.”

“I felt the most peaceful feeling I’ve ever had.”

“The spirit there was unbelievable.”

“I know that I want very much to be married in the temple.”

(The above quotations were taken from “Inside a House of the Lord,” New Era, Apr. 1972, p. 25.)

If any of the young men have toured a temple before it was dedicated, invite them to share how they felt on that occasion.

The Purpose of Temples

Chalkboard and discussion

Near the top of the chalkboard write The temple is . . .

Inform the young men that they will learn five things about the temple during the first portion of the lesson.

At the conclusion of the first part of the lesson, the chalkboard should be similar to the following:

The house of the Lord.

A place where we receive the endowment and make covenants.

A place where eternal marriages are performed.

A place where we perform ordinances for the dead.

A place of revelation.

Picture

Display the picture of the Kirtland Temple and explain that when Joseph Smith dedicated the Kirtland Temple, he prayed that the presence of the Lord might be felt continually in the temple and that all who entered might feel the power of God.

Scripture and discussion

Have a young man read Doctrine and Covenants 109:12–13, which is a portion of the Kirtland Temple dedicatory prayer. Have the young men listen for another name that the temple is called in this prayer.

What is another name for the temple? (The house of the Lord.)

Chalkboard

On the chalkboard, write a. The house of the Lord. Point out that the temple is the Lord’s house because his holy presence is continually there.

Pictures

Display the picture of the Salt Lake Temple or a picture of the temple serving your area. Explain that the gathering place for an earthly family is usually the home. We are our Heavenly Father’s children, and the temple is his house. Thus, the temple is a place where we, as worthy members of his family, can go to feel his Spirit and learn of him.

Display the pictures of the interior of a temple. Note that these pictures remind us of another purpose of the temple.

What does the word endowment mean?

Allow the young men to respond, and then explain that an endowment is a gift of great and lasting value. Elder Bruce R. McConkie writes that “certain special, spiritual blessings given worthy and faithful saints in the temples are called endowments” (Mormon Doctrine, 2nd ed. [Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1966], p. 226).

Chalkboard and discussion

On the chalkboard, add b. A place where we receive the endowment and make covenants. Point out that when we receive this endowment we also make covenants, or promises, to the Lord.

Explain that the following list gives some of the covenants that are so important to the Lord’s beautiful plan of life, which we are taught in his holy temples:

Love and obey the Lord.

Be willing to sacrifice and share our time, talents, and material blessings to build up the kingdom of God on the earth.

Continue to be morally clean.

Follow and support those who are called to lead us in the Church, including fathers, bishops, stake presidents, and others.

Adviser presentation

Explain that there is one other covenant that we each make with the Lord that crowns all the others and that can be received only in the temple. This covenant is eternal marriage.

Picture and chalkboard

Show the picture of a couple married in a temple. Add to the chalkboard list, c. A place where eternal marriages are performed.

Quotation

Read President Spencer W. Kimball’s explanation of ordinances:

“The most important . . . of all the ordinances are the sealing ones, and all the others lead up to them. We are blessed, we are baptized, we are confirmed, we are ordained, we are endowed, and we are finally sealed, without which no soul can ever be exalted. . . . Every boy and girl . . . should know that the ordinance of sealing is an absolute” (The Teachings of Spencer W. Kimball, ed. Edward L. Kimball [Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1982], p. 502).

Adviser presentation

Explain that temple marriage sets us on a path to enjoy all the blessings the Lord can offer to us in this life as well as in the hereafter. Our homes will be happier here when we honor the covenants we make to each other and to the Lord. As we return to the temple often, we will be reminded of our commitments and covenants, and our marriages will become stronger.

Story

Share the following story about one marriage that was strengthened by being sealed in the temple.

“Although I was baptized in 1949, my wife did not feel ready until four patient years later. When the Swiss Temple was dedicated in 1955, we had a family of seven, and the trip seemed more than our family budget could take. Maud and I knelt and asked the Lord to open the way for us, and about a month later, my employer called me in to say how pleased he was with my work and to give me a substantial salary increase. That summer we went to the house of the Lord for the first time.

“I shall never forget the joy and happiness and determination to live the gospel that filled my soul after that first visit to the temple. I gained knowledge and insights relating to my eternal destination that I had never dreamed of before. The highlight was when our family was sealed together for time and all eternity.

“I looked into my wife’s eyes across the altar and saw tears of happiness rolling down her cheeks. I had loved her before, but never so much as from that moment. She, a daughter of God, was the mother of my children! It seemed as if I had never understood that until then. Afterward our prayers were more meaningful, we loved the Lord more than ever, and we loved to serve him.

“We continue to return to the temple because we love the work and the spirit there. Every time we return we are reminded of the covenants we have made, and this is the strongest motivation for us to continue to live the gospel way of life” (Bo G. Wennerlund, “I Had Loved Her Before . . . ,” Ensign, Aug. 1974, p. 62).

Adviser presentation

Explain that besides the blessings we can receive in mortality, there are others that extend throughout eternity. By being sealed according to the Lord’s plan, we can attain the highest degree of the celestial kingdom. We can be exalted and receive a fulness of joy. We can have our children throughout eternity. We also have the promise of increasing our family by having spirit children.

Picture, scripture, and discussion

Point out the picture of a temple baptismal font. Explain that this picture represents another ordinance that takes place in the house of the Lord.

Have a young man read Doctrine and Covenants 127:5–6, and have the young men identify what this ordinance is.

Chalkboard

Add d. A place where we perform ordinances for the dead to the list on the chalkboard.

Explain that many people have died without the opportunity to hear the gospel. They were not baptized by priesthood authority, they did not receive their temple endowments, and they were not sealed to their companions in the house of the Lord.

How has our Heavenly Father provided for those who died without receiving these important ordinances?

Allow the young men to respond and point out that worthy Church members are able to enter the temples and perform baptisms, endowments, and sealings in behalf of deceased persons.

As worthy members frequently return to the temples to perform the work for the dead, they can receive many special blessings. One of these blessings is the peace and reverence they can find inside the temple. Because the presence of the Lord can be continually felt in the temple, it is a place of revelation.

Chalkboard and quotation

Add e. A place of revelation to the list on the chalkboard.

As you read the following statement, have the young men listen for the special strength this person felt by attending the temple.

“Each time I go to the temple I receive additional strength to face everyday problems. In addition, the temple is where I experience the highest meaning of reverence, sacredness, obedience, order, respect for the line of authority, and brotherly love. . . .

“Being saviors on Mount Zion has a special meaning for me. Work for the dead in the temple is the purest form of love and sacrifice I can think of” (Christiane Lebon, “I Came to Understand . . . ,” Ensign, Aug. 1974, p. 67).

Discussion

What are some of the special blessings we can receive from temple attendance? (Strength to face problems; feelings of reverence, order, love; increased knowledge and understanding of the gospel and the Lord.)

Why should you look forward to entering the temple to receive your own endowment and be married for eternity?

If you are teaching the lesson over two weeks, conclude the first week here. Then briefly review the purpose of temples at the beginning of the lesson the second week.

Preparing for the Temple

Story

Explain that many times Church members must sacrifice much to go to the temple. As you relate the following story, have the young men listen for the sacrifices and preparations the Cummings family made in order to attend the temple.

“The mission president had challenged the Australian Saints to attend the New Zealand Temple dedication, just four months [away]. . . .

“The mission president’s challenge kept ringing in [the ears of Donald W. Cummings, the district president in Perth, Australia, four thousand miles from the temple site]. ‘If you have a righteous goal and pray about it, the Lord will help you achieve it.’ President Cummings reviewed his finances. He was struggling to purchase a home for his burgeoning family; he earned only a modest salary; he had no money in the bank; he drove an old car. The price of going to New Zealand was 600 pounds ($1,200 U.S. dollars). . . .

“Now President Cummings was 26 years old, a convert of 10 years and district president for eight months over an area that encompassed the entire state of Western Australia, nearly one million square miles.

“He began preparations for their temple trip. He borrowed money on his furniture, the last loan of that type granted by the company. He sold the car and started walking, riding buses, even hitchhiking. And, during the next 18 months, he never missed his visits to any branch. He recalls, ‘Yes, it was hard getting around, but my wife and I remember this as one of the happiest periods of our lives. We had discovered the joys of sacrifice for the Lord. We appreciated walking all the more. . . .’

“The 8,000 mile round trip started with a 2,000 mile, four and a half day train ride across the width of the Australian outback. In Sydney, the family delightedly met with the other Saints who had also arranged passage on a boat bound for Auckland.

“To their wrenching disappointment, the boat had just been damaged in hitting the wharf, but remarkably, they were able to charter an airplane without any excess cost. They all flew to the dedication and witnessed this sacred event as President David O. McKay presided and prayed. President Cummings spoke in the spacious auditorium of the new Church College adjacent to the temple. The family was blessed to attend the first day of endowments; they were also members of the first company to do work for the dead” (Richard J. Marshall, “Saga of Sacrifice,” Ensign, Aug. 1974, p. 66).

Why was this family willing to sacrifice so much to go to the temple?

Adviser presentation

Explain that just as this family made many sacrifices and preparations to attend the temple, so we must make special preparations to enter the house of the Lord. Our temple recommend is evidence of some of the preparations we must make. Temple attendance is reserved for members of the Church who have shown their willingness to live the principles of the gospel, including honesty, the Word of Wisdom, tithing, and the law of chastity. Emphasize that it takes time to prepare for this special and sacred experience; it requires faithfulness and repentance.

Conclusion

Bishop’s discussion

As time permits, have the bishop share his feelings about the importance of preparing for and attending the temple. He might also answer questions the young men may have about the temple.

Suggested Activities

If there was not adequate time for the bishop to fully develop the ideas in the conclusion, you may wish to invite him or another appropriate guest to develop and discuss these ideas at a youth fireside or a similar occasion.

You may show “In His Holy House,” on the videocassette Come unto Me, if it is available.

Lesson 41

Sexual Purity

Objective

Each young man will understand the importance of keeping himself sexually pure as a member of the priesthood.

Preparation

Materials needed: scriptures for each young man.

Invite the young men’s fathers to attend this meeting so they will be aware of what material has been presented. This lesson may be a catalyst for a discussion between fathers and their sons.

Invite one of the fathers to testify about the blessings of being worthy to be sealed to his family in the temple.

Review the counsel about sexual purity on pages 26–28 of For the Strength of Youth.

Suggested Lesson Development

The Lord’s Power of Creation

Adviser presentation

Explain that when Jesus was twelve years old, he accompanied his parents on a journey to attend a feast. When his parents journeyed home, they couldn’t find Jesus. They returned to Jerusalem after searching and found him talking with the scholars in the temple. Explain that this is one of the first references in the scriptures that indicate that Jesus was maturing and entering manhood. (See Luke 2:41–42.)

Does becoming a man happen at one specific time or age? (No, young men develop at different times.)

Explain that many physical changes begin to take place in a young man during his twelfth and thirteenth years. He begins a long-awaited change into manhood; his voice changes, his strength increases, and he grows taller and larger. His body is beginning to mature. His interest in his physical development and in young women is increasing.

Who placed male and female on the earth? (God.)

Have a young man read Genesis 1:27–28 while the others follow in their scriptures.

What commandment did God give Adam and Eve? (To multiply and replenish the earth.)

What does it mean to multiply and replenish the earth? (To have children.)

Help the young men realize that this is the way the Lord planned for his spirit children to come to the earth and receive mortal bodies.

Suggest the young men mark this scripture.

Quotations and discussion

Explain that Elder Boyd K. Packer made the following analogy about the power of creation:

“There was provided in our bodies—and this is sacred—a power of creation, a light, so to speak, that has the power to kindle other lights. This gift was to be used only within the sacred bonds of marriage. Through the exercise of this power of creation, a mortal body may be conceived, a spirit enter into it, and a new soul born into this life” (in Conference Report, Apr. 1972, p. 136; or Ensign, July 1972, p. 111).

Why do you think that it is important for us to have the power of creation?

Explain that through this power we are able to create families. Through the creation of families, we become co-creators with Heavenly Father.

Explain that as the young men grow older, they will find that this power creates physical desire. Young ladies will become attractive in a new and different way. Ultimately this power will become quite strong.

Read the following statement from President Ezra Taft Benson:

“The natural desire for men and women to be together is from God. But such an association is bounded by His laws. Those things properly reserved for marriage, when taken within the bonds of marriage, are right and pleasing before God and fulfill the commandment to multiply and replenish the earth. But those same things when taken outside the bonds of marriage are a curse” (The Teachings of Ezra Taft Benson [Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1988], p. 279).

According to President Benson, who has given us the desire for sexual intimacy in marriage? (Heavenly Father has given us this desire so that we might have the power of creating life.)

Is this power of creation a good power? (Yes, it is a sacred power. It is a gift from God.)

Have a young man read the following statement from President Spencer W. Kimball:

“Sex is for procreation and expression of love. It is the destiny of men and women to join together to make eternal family units. In the context of lawful marriage, the intimacy of sexual relations is right and divinely approved. There is nothing unholy or degrading about sexuality in itself, for by that means men and women join in a process of creation and in an expression of love” (The Teachings of Spencer W. Kimball [Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1982], p. 311).

What has the Lord commanded us concerning the use of this power of creation? (It is to be used only within the bonds of marriage.)

Quotation and discussion

Read the following statement by President Spencer W. Kimball:

“We strongly warn all our people from childhood to old age to beware of the chains of bondage, suffering, and remorse which come from improper use of the body.

“The human body is the sacred home of the spirit child of God, and unwarranted tampering with or defilement of this sacred tabernacle can bring only remorse and regret. . . .

“. . . No fondling of bodies, one’s own or that of others, and no sex between persons except in proper marriage relationships. This is positively prohibited by our Creator in all places, at all times, and we reaffirm it” (in Conference Report, Apr. 1974, pp. 8–9; or Ensign, May 1974, p. 7).

Why do you think God feels so strongly that we not misuse this power of creation?

Help the young men understand that Heavenly Father wants his spirit children to be born into strong families with a prepared mother and father. Explain that we have been told of the remorse and unhappiness that result from the misuse of the power of creation, but there are also eternal blessings that result from the righteous use of this power. Let the young men discuss these blessings.

Quotation

Read the following statement by Elder Mark E. Petersen:

“Sex is so sacred, so divine, that when it is used in its proper way, those who participate become joint creators with God. They become partners with the Almighty in the great undertaking and enterprise of bringing forth life” (Our Moral Challenge [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1965], p. 13).

Discussion

The Lord has said, “Be ye clean, that bear the vessels of the Lord” (Isaiah 52:11).

What does this statement mean?

Allow the young men time to discuss the statement. Help them realize that it refers to each of us as we carry out our priesthood responsibilities. To keep ourselves clean, we must abstain from sexual sin.

You may want to explain what constitutes a sexual sin by reviewing pages 26–28 of For the Strength of Youth. Emphasize that people who sincerely repent of sexual sins can be forgiven, but often the process of repentance is long and difficult. Young men who have committed sexual sins should seek the help of their bishop.

What sexual sins does the Lord forbid? (All sexual relations before marriage, and any sexual relations with anyone except your spouse after marriage. For additional information, see pages 26–28 of For the Strength of Youth.)

As priesthood bearers, why is it so important to us to be morally clean? (We cannot have the Spirit of the Lord if we are not living a clean life.)

How can breaking the Lord’s law of chastity hold back our progression on earth?

Explain that blessings and opportunities come only to those who are worthy. The unworthy person may have to postpone or give up opportunities such as missionary service or temple marriage.

Can those who have broken the law of chastity gain forgiveness?

Emphasize that God will forgive the sincerely repentant, but that it is not an easy task to become clean from such sins. It is much better to stay clean and avoid breaking the commandment in the first place.

Chalkboard and discussion

How can we best stay sexually pure?

As the young men discuss this question, list their responses on the chalkboard. Their answers might include following the prophet’s counsel regarding dating, reading only good and uplifting books, keeping clean thoughts, reading the scriptures, and avoiding movies and television programs that stimulate unclean thoughts.

Emphasize to the young men that now is the time when they must decide to be sexually pure so that when they are tempted, they will have already decided how to react.

Bible story

Tell the story of Joseph in the house of Potiphar and how he responded to temptation (see Genesis 39:7–12). Point out that Joseph already knew how he wanted to live; he did not have to decide whether to compromise his standards.

Quotation

Read the following challenge and counsel from President Spencer W. Kimball.

“Let every youth keep himself from the compromising approaches and then with great control save himself from the degrading and life-damaging experience of sexual impurity. There must be an early and total and continuing repentance. . . .

“The earth cannot justify nor continue its life without marriage and the family. Sex without marriage, for all people, young or older, is an abomination to the Lord, and it is most unfortunate that many people have blinded their eyes to these great truths” (in Conference Report, Oct. 1974, pp. 8–9; or Ensign, Nov. 1974, pp. 7–8).

Conclusion

Challenge

Challenge the young men to always remember the blessings they will receive by keeping themselves sexually pure. Have them think about what it will be like someday to kneel at the altar in the temple to be sealed for time and all eternity to their wives.

Testimony

Have one of the fathers (previously assigned) bear his testimony of the joy that comes in having a loving marriage relationship and being sealed for eternity with his family.

Lesson 42

Honesty

Objective

Each young man will strive to be honest and upright in his relationships with the Lord, with others, and with himself.

Preparation

Materials needed: scriptures for each young man.

Study 2 Kings, chapter 5, and be prepared to tell the story of the leper Naaman and the dishonest servant.

Review the counsel about honesty on page 31 of For the Strength of Youth.

Suggested Lesson Development

Introduction

Story

If the young men are familiar with the Hans Christian Andersen tale “The Emperor’s New Clothes,” invite them to help you relate it.

Explain that the story concerns two swindlers who convinced the emperor that they had the power to weave the finest of cloth. They told him this cloth was not only beautiful, it was magic as well. They claimed it was invisible to anyone who was stupid or unfit for his office. Then they pretended to weave the cloth and make a suit of clothes that the emperor was to wear in a great procession. The emperor and all his subjects could see nothing, for there was nothing to be seen, yet each was afraid to tell the truth. As the emperor passed by in the procession, everyone admired the fit, the color, and the pattern of the emperor’s new clothes, which, of course, did not exist. At last, a little child exclaimed, “Why, he has nothing on at all.”

What word describes the child’s actions? (Honesty.)

What does honesty mean?

Emphasize that our honesty is tested daily. Have the young men think about whether they are truly honest in all their dealings.

We Believe in Being Honest

Quotation

Why is it especially important for us as Latter-day Saints to be honest?

Allow the young men to respond. Then have a young man read the following statement from President Heber J. Grant:

“The fundamental thing for a Latter-day Saint is to be honest. The fundamental thing for a Latter-day Saint is to value his word as faithfully as his bond; to make up his mind that under no circumstances, no matter how hard it may be, by and with the help of the Lord, he will dedicate his life and his best energies to making good his promise” (Gospel Standards [Salt Lake City: Improvement Era, 1943], p. 30).

Explain that there are various aspects of honesty.

We Should Be Honest with the Lord

Chalkboard and discussion

On the chalkboard write, Honesty with—. Under those words, write 1. The Lord.

Have the young men suggest some ways we might be honest with God. To help in the discussion, use the following questions:

How can we be honest in paying tithing or other offerings?

How can we be honest when partaking of the sacrament?

How can we be honest in fulfilling Church assignments?

How can we be honest in keeping promises made with the Lord?

We Should Be Honest with Others

Story

Add to the chalkboard: 2. Others. and read the following story told by Elder Keith W. Wilcox:

“During my second college year on December 7, 1941, the United States was attacked at Pearl Harbor. . . . I decided to join the Navy with the object of becoming a naval officer. An entire day was spent in the Naval Recruiting Office filling out forms for consideration. . . .

“One of the last questions on the naval physical fitness questionnaire . . . asked whether I had ever had ‘hay fever.’ I remember staring at this question for a long time. . . . It was evident that my answer could affect my being accepted or rejected as a candidate for officer consideration.

“The simple truth was that I had experienced hay fever all of my life and sneezed very often. It would be so easy to mark no to this question since it would probably never come up again. However, marking no would be dishonest. It was a little thing, and yet a principle was at stake. With reluctance, I marked the space for yes and handed the paper back.

“The medical officer, upon seeing my answer, looked up and exclaimed, ‘Don’t you know that naval officers can’t have hay fever? You will have to take a special allergy test.’

“The test showed that I suffered a considerable number of allergies. [The officer] then took my application forms, calmly tore them up, and threw them into a wastebasket. I . . . asked, ‘What shall I do now?’ The officer calmly replied that the ‘draft’ would take care of me and not to worry.

“Sick at heart, I went back to school, transferring to the University of Utah. . . . My graduation with a Bachelor of Science in mechanical engineering occurred in December of 1943, two years following Pearl Harbor.

“The day following my graduation, I again presented myself to the naval procurement office . . . and indicated that I had just graduated [in] mechanical engineering . . . and showed them my degree. When they learned I was interested in becoming a naval officer, I experienced ‘red carpet’ treatment. . . . A direct commission as an ensign was offered that day. . . .

“I told the officer . . . , ‘Sir, I suffer severe hay fever. What do you think of that?’ The officer laughed. He said that at one time it was a consideration, but not anymore.

“The ship to which I was later assigned . . . was the USS LSM 558. It was our understanding that this ship was destined for the invasion of Japan. . . . Instead, we were given orders to patrol on the Atlantic Coast from Boston to Florida. . . .

“In August of 1985, [Sister Wilcox and I] toured . . . the great war memorial in Manila dedicated to those from our country who had given their lives during World War II. . . . Our experiences at the Manila war memorial reminded us of many personal friends who joined the services in the first years of that war and who did not return. Had I become a part of those early engagements, the possibility of losing my life would have been very great. Had I been willing to tell an untruth concerning my hay fever, I would have been immediately sent into the first bitter battles where so many had lost their lives.

“Looking back to that eventful day, I realized that I survived one of the greatest tests of my life in telling the truth about my hay fever. . . . There had been a great temptation to tell a ‘little lie,’ but the counsel my father had given me . . . had served me well. I share it with you humbly: always be honest” (“The Best Policy,” New Era, Nov. 1986, pp. 6–7).

Discussion

Why did Elder Wilcox refuse to lie? (“A principle was at stake.”)

How did he feel after he was rejected from the navy?

How was he blessed for being honest?

Why is it sometimes difficult for us to be honest?

Do we always receive immediate blessings for being honest?

Explain that like Elder Wilcox, we may find that honesty does not always bring immediate blessings. Sometimes we may even suffer for our honesty. We must therefore trust in the Lord, and he will bless us for being honest.

Scripture story

Relate in your own words the story of Naaman and the dishonest servant (see 2 Kings 5). Emphasize that Elisha gave no second chances to his dishonest servant. No allowances, explanations, or rationalizations were accepted. The servant had been dishonest, and he suffered for his dishonesty. Emphasize that all dishonesty, no matter how small or insignificant, affects others.

We Should Be Honest with Ourselves

Case studies

Add to the chalkboard, 3. Yourself.

In what ways can we be dishonest with ourselves? (We rationalize our actions, their causes, and their consequences.)

Discuss the following examples to see how each person was dishonest with himself. You may wish to adapt these examples to situations in your own area.

Paul heard someone knocking at the door and knew it must be that silly Brian from down the street. He didn’t want to talk to him. As his mother started to answer the door, Paul told her to say he wasn’t home.

Jason looked up and down the store aisle. No one was watching. Quickly he took a package of chewing gum and slipped it into his pocket. “It’s such a big store; they’ll never miss it,” he thought.

Why is it important to be honest with ourselves? (To preserve our integrity and our self-worth. It is important that we like ourselves.)

Why are people dishonest?

Why is it important for us to be honest at all times?

Story

Explain that many times we may unknowingly affect others with our honesty. Read the following story told by President Spencer W. Kimball:

“On the train from New York to Baltimore we sat in the dining car opposite a businessman and commented, ‘It seldom rains like this in Salt Lake City.’

“The conversation soon led naturally into the golden question: ‘How much do you know about the Church?’

“‘I know little about the Church,’ he said, ‘but I know one of its people.’ He was developing subdivisions in New York. ‘There is a sub-contractor working for me,’ he continued. ‘He is so honest and full of integrity that I never ask him to bid on a job. He is the soul of honor. If the Mormon people are like this man, I’d like to know about a church that produces such honorable men.’ We left him literature and sent the missionaries to teach him” (Faith Precedes the Miracle [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1972], pp. 240–41).

How can our example of honesty affect others?

Explain that the man in the story had the desire to investigate the Church because he noticed how honest one of his workers was. Many times our honest actions influence others. Often honesty is easy to practice, but sometimes we may think dishonesty would be easier. However, honesty always brings blessings.

Honesty Brings Peace of Conscience

Story

Share the following story of a young boy who learned the hard way that honesty brings peace of conscience.

“An old Swedish couple, Brother and Sister Palm, worked in the shoe shop of the Co-op Store in our town. Brother Palm’s hand was intriguing to watch as he mended the shoes. Jimmie and I would go to the shop just to watch him work his stiff fingers and see the hole that ran through the center of his palm. . . .

“One day when Jimmie and I were there we saw a dime in one of his tack cups, and we both began to think of what that dime could buy.

“‘Brother Palm would never miss a dime,’ I whispered to Jimmie.

“‘I’ll get Brother Palm to show me something in the rear of his shop while you take the money and run away,’ Jimmie suggested.

“The plan worked perfectly, and we each bought a bottle of soda water at Joe Coslett’s Novelty Store.

“It took a long, long time for me to get over the guilty feeling I had about that dime. Every time I saw Brother Palm, I remembered I had stolen from him. Each winter the ward sent the boys out on Saturdays to chop wood for the widows, the aged, and the disabled. I worked harder at the Palm home than anywhere else to try and work that dime off my conscience.

“After I grew up I saw very little of Brother Palm. But, when I did, he would always put his crippled hand in mine, and then I’d remember the dime I took from his tack cup. I wanted to tell him about it and give him a dollar to quiet my conscience, but I lacked the courage to confess my dishonesty.

“Later, I was hired as a clerk in the old Co-op store where Brother Palm did all his business. When he traded with me, I always put ten cents’ worth more of goods in his sack than I charged him for. Then when he left, I’d put one of my own dimes in the cashbox and mark it ‘paid’ on the store’s ledger.

“Soon the old man learned that his money bought more from me, and he would not trade with any other clerk. When someone else offered to serve him, he would say, ‘Thank you. I will wait for Brother Palmer.’

“After a while I began to realize that I wasn’t clearing my conscience of that long-ago theft. The only way for me to stop feeling guilty about that stolen dime was to confess what I had done and ask his forgiveness.

“The next time Brother Palm came to trade, I gave him his order as usual and asked him to come into the office for a little talk. . . .

“Then I told him about the dime I had stolen long ago from his shop and how I was reminded of it each time I saw the hole in his hand. I explained that I had been trying all this time to square my debt by putting ten cents’ worth more of goods in his sacks than he paid for. ‘I paid the extra amount and marked it paid in the ledger,’ I continued.

“Pointing to the list of figures I said, ‘You see, Brother Palm, I’ve paid my debt many times over, but I’ve found that I can’t clear my conscience that way, so I am telling you the whole story and asking for your forgiveness.’

“The old man smiled and said, ‘Oh, Brother Palmer, I do forgive you. I’m only sorry you didn’t tell me sooner.’

“Then he stood up and put out his hand for me to shake. My finger slid into the hole in his palm and the guilty feeling left me” (William R. Palmer, as told to Kathryn H. Ipson, “An Expensive Lesson,” Friend, Aug. 1975, pp. 34–35).

Conclusion

Quotation

Share the following thought from President Spencer W. Kimball:

“No virtues in the perfection we strive for are more important than integrity and honesty. Let us then be complete, unbroken, pure, and sincere, to develop in ourselves that quality of soul we prize so highly in others” (Faith Precedes the Miracle [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1972], p. 248).

Challenge

Review the counsel about honesty on page 31 of For the Strength of Youth. Point out that honesty with others, God, and ourselves is very important to a successful and happy life. Challenge the young men to be honest in all of their relationships and activities.

Lesson 43

Tools for Searching the Scriptures

Objective

Each Aaronic Priesthood holder will be motivated to learn to use the helps available in the Latter-day Saint editions of the scriptures.

Preparation

Encourage each young man to bring his scriptures to class.

(Optional) Assemble a display of various tools used to build a house.

Prepare the following wordstrips (or be prepared to write on the chalkboard):

Headings

Running headings

Chapter and section headings

Footnotes

Cross-reference

GR, HEB, IE, JST, TG, BD, OR

Appendix

Note to the adviser

You may need two or three class periods to teach this lesson.

Suggested Lesson Development

Introduction

Object lesson

Display or have the young men describe a variety of tools used in building a house, such as a hammer, saw, and paintbrush. Ask the young men to tell what each of these tools is used for (the saw to cut wood or metal, the hammer to drive nails into material, the brush to apply paint). Point out that each tool has a specific use and is necessary in building the house, but that they cannot be interchanged. A paintbrush cannot be used to cut wood, nor can a saw be used to paint the house. Explain that they are going to practice using some important tools that can increase their ability to use the scriptures and increase their knowledge of scriptures.

The Latter-day Saint Editions of the Scriptures Help Us Understand the Gospel

Quotation and discussion

Explain the information in the following quotation:

“Many centuries ago an ancient prophet prophesied of the coming forth of two records for the house of Israel. (See Ezekiel 37:16–19.) One record would be of ‘Judah,’ and the other record would be of ‘Ephraim.’ He described them as ‘sticks’ of wood, probably ‘wooden writing tablets’ which were common in Ezekiel’s day. . . . He said he was commanded by God to join these records together so they would become as ‘one stick; and they shall become one in thine hand.’ (Ezekiel 37:17.)

“From the beginning of this dispensation, this scripture has been interpreted to apply to the Bible and Book of Mormon. . . . ([See] 2 Nephi 3:12; see also JST, Genesis 50:31.)

“That these scriptural records, one from Judah’s posterity and one from Joseph’s posterity, would ‘grow together’ in use to confound false doctrines, lay down contentions, establish peace, and extend the knowledge of God’s covenants demonstrates the great strength the scriptures were intended to have in this area of the Restoration. . . . To aid readers in their study of the scriptures, the First Presidency directed that new editions of the Bible and the Triple Combination be prepared that would improve doctrinal scholarship in the Church. . . .

“These . . . editions were the product of years of research and inspired direction. With the coordinated study aids and cross-references in each, these works are now truly ‘one’ in the hands of the user” (Edward J. Brandt, “Using the New LDS Editions of Scripture—As One Book,” Ensign, Oct. 1982, pp. 42–43).

Who directed the preparation of these scriptures?

Why is it important for us to learn how to use them?

Explain that this lesson is an opportunity to practice using the various study helps in the Latter-day Saint editions of the scriptures.

The Latter-day Saint Editions of the Scriptures Contain Many Tools to Help Us

Adviser presentation and scripture search

Ask the young men to open their Latter-day Saint edition of the Book of Mormon, Doctrine and Covenants, and Pearl of Great Price. Explain that this book is called the triple combination because it contains three books. Have the young men turn to the divisions between the three books. Point out that each of them begins with a page 1. Have them turn to the Index at the end of the triple combination, and explain that there is one index for all three books.

Next ask the young men to turn to the page at the beginning of the Bible entitled “The Names and Order of All the Books of the Old and New Testament.” Point out that there are three sections in the Bible: the Old Testament, the New Testament, and the Appendix. Note that the Old Testament and the New Testament are numbered consecutively. The first page of the New Testament is page 1187, which begins the book of Matthew. Then note that the five sections in the Appendix begin again with page number 1 and continue through to the first page of the map section.

Wordstrip or chalkboard and discussion

Headings. Post the wordstrip “Headings” or write it on the chalkboard. Tell the young men that there are two kinds of headings in these scriptures—running headings and chapter headings. Ask them to open their Bibles to pages 2–3. Then post the wordstrips “Running Headings” and “Chapter and Section Headings,” or write them on the chalkboard.

Running headings. Explain that the running headings at the top of each page identify the first and last verses cited on each page. You can see at a glance the contents of a particular page and will not be confused as to the chapter you are reading. Have the young men look on page 2 and identify its running heading (Genesis 1:15–30), and then have them look on page 3 and identify its running heading (Genesis 1:31–2:11). Have them identify the first and last verses on each page by chapter and verse. Show how these headings help you locate a particular verse of scripture.

Chapter and section headings. Chapter headings summarize the contents of each chapter (or section of the Doctrine and Covenants). They also draw attention to items of special meaning to Latter-day Saints. Have the young men locate and read the chapter heading for Genesis 2.

How can running headings help you find a scripture? How can chapter headings help increase your understanding about the chapters?

Footnotes. Post the wordstrip “Footnotes.” In the scriptures, as in other books, footnotes are small superscript letters or numbers that refer to a note numbered in the same way at the bottom of the page. These footnotes give additional information about the material in the body of the chapter.

Explain that as in other editions of the scriptures, the Latter-day Saint editions identify footnotes by italic superscript letters. For example, have the young men turn to Matthew, chapter 1, and look at verse 1. A small superscript a is found before the word David. At the bottom of the page you will find a bold-faced (heavy-faced type) 1, which identifies the beginning of the footnotes for chapter 1. The first footnote is 1a, which means footnote a in verse 1.

The notes for each page are printed at the bottom of that page. They are arranged by chapter numbers printed in a larger bold type; then the verse number and the superscript letter used in the verse are listed. The information following the number and letter tells you more about that particular part of the verse.

Post the wordstrips of, or write on the chalkboard, the following words and abbreviations: “Cross-reference,” “GR, HEB, IE, JST, TG, BD, OR.” Tell the young men that as you continue your discussion, they will learn what each of these means. You may wish to have them turn to page vi [the page facing Genesis 1:1] to see the key to abbreviations printed there.

Explain that the Latter-day Saint editions of the scriptures use nine different kinds of footnotes. As you discuss each of the following examples, have the young men turn to the scriptural passages with you and discuss each as time permits.

Cross-references: These identify other verses in all the scriptures that contain related information. They can lead us to discover many important ideas. For an example, ask the young men to turn to Matthew 2:2, footnote 2b.

What are the cross-references given for Matthew 2:2? (Isaiah 6:5; Jeremiah 23:5; 2 Nephi 10:14; Alma 5:50; D&C 128:22 [22–23]; Moses 7:53.)

Note that this particular scripture is cross-referenced to each of the standard works. Have each young man locate and silently read one of the cross-references given from the Old Testament, Book of Mormon, Doctrine and Covenants, and Pearl of Great Price to discover the value of cross-referencing.

GR designates an alternate translation of the passages from Greek. For an example, have the young men turn to Matthew 2:16, footnotes 16a and 16d. Ask a young man to read the alternate Greek translation. Note that the different translation makes each passage clearer.

HEB indicates an alternate translation of the passage from Hebrew. Have the young men read Matthew 5:5, footnote 5a. This footnote uses both Greek and Hebrew to help us better understand the meaning of the scripture. Have a young man read both translations.

IE is an abbreviation for an explanation of idioms (language that is peculiar to a people or community, such as the English used during the time of King James) and difficult constructions. For an example, have the young men turn to Matthew 5:3, footnote 3b, and read the explanation.

JST is the abbreviation for the Joseph Smith Translation of the Bible. Have the young men look up “Joseph Smith Translation” in the Bible Dictionary, and review it with them. Excerpts from the JST that are up to six lines in length are quoted in the footnotes. Longer excerpts are noted in the footnotes with a reference to the section of the appendix where they are cited. The changes from the King James Version are cited in italics. Have the young men turn to Matthew 4 and look at the footnotes there. Note how the italicized words of the Joseph Smith Translation make the account of the Savior’s temptations clearer. For an example of material too long to be printed in a footnote, have the young men turn to John 1:1, footnote 1a. Then turn to the Joseph Smith Translation additions found in the appendix.

TG is the abbreviation for the Topical Guide—“Topical Guide with Selected Concordance and Index”—found in the appendix. This section contains 3,154 entries. More than 600 of these are to gospel topics where the most significant passages in all the scriptures are listed. The other full entries are a concordance of selected references from all the scriptures. Have the young men look up the Topical Guide reference for Matthew 1:19, footnote 19a, which contains the information on “Example.” Point out that the Topical Guide contains references not only to the Bible but also to the other scriptures.

Ask the young men to turn to 1 Nephi 7:8 in the Book of Mormon. Have them find footnote 8c, and note that again the reference is to the Topical Guide subject of “Example.” Keeping that in mind, have them next turn to the word Example in the index found at the end of the triple combination. Point out that the index has only references to the scriptures in the triple combination, but that the reference in the Topical Guide is more complete.

BD is the abbreviation for Bible Dictionary, which is located in the appendix of the Bible. The dictionary is based on the Cambridge University Press Bible Dictionary, but it contains many additions and changes to reflect the additional light and knowledge the Lord has revealed in our day. The dictionary’s preface informs us, however, that many of the items in the dictionary have been drawn from the best available scholarship of the world and are subject to reevaluation based on new research or on new revelation (see Bible Dictionary Preface). The dictionary can provide helpful insights to aid in scripture study. Have the young men read Matthew 13:25. Ask them to find the word tares in the Bible Dictionary, and read the definition that increases understanding of the verse.

References to the Bible Dictionary are not only found in the Bible, but also in the other standard works. For an example, have the young men find 1 Nephi 19:10, footnote 10g. Note that the footnote entry refers them to the Bible Dictionary entry “Lost Books.” Have them find that entry in the Bible Dictionary.

OR introduces alternate words that clarify obsolete or archaic (out-of-date, unused) English words and expressions used in the scriptures. For an example have the young men turn to Mark 5:39–40, footnotes 39a and 40a.

Some footnotes do not open with abbreviations such as GR or HEB, but they do provide an editorial explanation to aid in scripture study. For an example, have the young men turn to Matthew 1:16, footnote 16e.

Appendix. Post the wordstrip “Appendix” or write it on the chalkboard. The remaining helps of the Latter-day Saint edition of the King James Bible are found in the appendix. The appendix contains the following:

Topical Guide: The examples used in the “Footnotes” section of this lesson illustrate this section.

Illustrate the concordance type of entry by having the young men turn to the Topical Guide entry for “Inn.” This entry will lead them to such passages as “there was no room for them in the inn” (Luke 2:7). Have the young men look up one of the suggested scriptures listed in the entry “Inn.”

Bible Dictionary: See examples under BD in the “Footnotes” section of this lesson.

Joseph Smith Translation: See the JST examples in the “Footnotes” section of this lesson.

Gazetteer and Maps: The gazetteer lists references to place-names shown on the maps by letter and number. This section is helpful in locating places mentioned in the Maps section that follows it. Have the young men turn to the “Gazetteer.” Read the explanation of how to use the maps. Have them find the place mentioned in Matthew 11:23 (Capernaum).

Turn to the gazetteer and locate Capernaum. Following this word is “D3:14, 15.” In other words, Capernaum is found in location D3 on maps 14 and 15. Note that the maps are each numbered at the center top of the page.

The Study Helps Can Help Us Gain Scriptural Insight

Have a young man read Moroni 7:48. Have him look at footnote 48c. This leads to 1 John 3:1–3. Have another young man read this passage. (If your scriptures do not have the footnotes, tell the young man to look up 1 John 3:1–3.)

Why do you think the Lord uses similar words in both of these scriptures?

Explain that the Lord does not change his instructions from generation to generation. His message to us is consistent. Often, he uses the very same words.

Scripture search

As time permits, have the young men look up the following groups of scriptures. They will find several examples where the Lord gives similar words several times in many different scriptures. Explain that there are hundreds of such sets of similar instructions. The young men can find these instructions only by searching the scriptures.

Isaiah 52:11

3 Nephi 20:41

Doctrine and Covenants 38:42

Doctrine and Covenants 133:5

(“Be ye clean that bear the vessels of the Lord.”)

How do these passages apply to us as priesthood bearers?

Impress upon the young men that the instructions for priesthood bearers to be clean has been the same in all generations.

John 4:35

Alma 26:5

Doctrine and Covenants 4:4

Doctrine and Covenants 6:3

Doctrine and Covenants 33:3, 7

(“The field is white already to harvest.”)

How do the scriptures in the Doctrine and Covenants add to our understanding?

How can we help gather the harvest?

Isaiah 52:7

Romans 10:15

1 Nephi 13:37

Mosiah 15:15–18

Doctrine and Covenants 128:19

(“How beautiful are the feet of them that bring glad tidings.”)

How important is it for you to go on a full-time mission?

How does the Lord feel about those who serve missions?

The Scriptures Are God’s Words

Quotation

Write on the chalkboard: The scriptures are God’s words.

Read the following statement by the Prophet Joseph Smith:

“He that can mark the power of Omnipotence, inscribed upon the heavens, can also see God’s handwriting in the sacred volume: and he who reads it oftenest will like it best, and he who is acquainted with it, will know the hand wherever he can see it” (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, sel. Joseph Fielding Smith [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1976], p. 56).

Explain that we cannot know the instructions the Lord has for us if we do not study the scriptures. However, as Joseph Smith said, if we study the scriptures often we will recognize the Lord’s instructions for us and will learn the course we are to take in life.

The Prophets Speak the Words of God

Scriptures and discussion

Have the young men read the following passages: Isaiah 51:16 and Jeremiah 1:9.

What do you think the Lord meant when he said that he had put his words into the prophets’ mouths?

To Moses he said: “I will be with thy mouth, and teach thee what thou shalt say” (Exodus 4:12).

Who taught Moses what he was to say to the people?

Nephi’s final testimony says: “These words . . . are the words of Christ, and he hath given them unto me” (2 Nephi 33:10).

Who gave Nephi the words he spoke?

Finally, have a young man read Doctrine and Covenants 18:34–36.

Whose words are contained in the Doctrine and Covenants? (The Lord’s.)

How do we hear the voice of the Lord today? (By studying the scriptures and the words of the living prophet.)

Conclusion

Testimony

Testify to the young men of your feelings for the scriptures and the importance of studying them. Explain that the LDS editions of the scriptures will help the young men more fully understand the teachings of the Lord as they use them properly.

Challenge

Explain to the young men that the LDS editions of the scriptures will be used for their lessons. Challenge them to bring their scriptures with them each week.

Urge the young men to use the tools provided in the Latter-day Saint editions of the scriptures not only in Church classes but also in their personal scripture study. Challenge the young men to read daily from the scriptures.

Lesson 44

Becoming a Better Home Teacher

Objective

Through preparation and love, each young man will be a blessing to the families he home teaches.

Preparation

Materials needed:

Scriptures for each young man.

Pencils for marking scriptures.

Make copies of the handout “Ten Commandments for Home Teachers” for each young man and for the senior home teachers who will attend the priesthood meeting (see page 163).

Make a copy of the handout “Four Families” for each young man (see page 163).

Note to the adviser

We often impress our young people with the responsibility of a calling but then give them little help to fulfill and magnify that calling. This lesson will help you help the young men to magnify their callings as home teachers, not only now but also for the rest of their lives.

This lesson will be much more effective and have a far more lasting influence on the young men if their senior home teaching companions join with them for this one special priesthood meeting. If your bishop approves, make the necessary arrangements and invitations.

Suggested Lesson Development

Introduction

Chalkboard and discussion

Put a scale on the chalkboard like the following:

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Not effective

Very effective

How effective do you think you are as a home teacher? (Ask each young man to think about where he would place himself on the scale you have put on the chalkboard.)

Explain that home teachers represent the Lord, the bishop, and the quorum president as they go home teaching.

Where do you think the Lord, the bishop, and the quorum president would like you to be on the scale? Discuss the responses and mark the consensus on the scale.

Tell the young men that you are going to spend the rest of the lesson time helping them become more effective home teachers.

The Effective Home Teacher Cares for and Serves His Families

First handout and discussion

Give each young man and visiting home teacher a copy of the handout “Ten Commandments for Home Teachers.” Briefly discuss each “commandment” to make sure the young men understand why it is important. Emphasize how keeping each of the commandments can demonstrate that they really care about each member of the families they may be assigned to home teach. For example:

How can making an appointment with the family show that you really care about them? (You show respect for their privacy and their time commitments.)

Continue with the second commandment and so forth until you have briefly discussed all ten.

Second handout and discussion

Give each of the young men a copy of the handout “Four Families.”

Read each profile together. There will not be time to discuss each of the ten commandments as they might relate to the four families, so it is recommended that you pick three or four of the commandments to serve as examples of what a good home teacher would do. You may want to consider numbers 2, 3, 8, and 9.

Ask questions like the following:

How could you make your prayers as home teachers more meaningful as you go to visit the Schmidt family? The Murdock family? The Johnson family? Sister Lopez?

Continue these kinds of questions until you have discussed three or four of the ten commandments and applied them to all four families. Be sure to keep in focus the importance of caring for and loving each family and each individual family member.

How I Can Be a Better Home Teacher

Story

Tell the young men that you are going to tell them a true story about a young man like themselves who was a good home teacher. Ask them to listen for the commandments of home teaching this young man kept as you read the story.

“Recently . . . a man and his teacher-age son were assigned to our family as home teachers. We knew of the father’s dedication to the gospel but did not know what to expect from his son, although the young man’s appearance and conduct seemed to reflect the same dedication. During their first visit with us, I kept my eye on this young man. Though reasonably quiet, everything that he did or said brought dignity to the priesthood he bore. Soon they learned that our young son had passed away a year ago and that we were expecting another child. From that moment on they were a special part of our lives as they prayed for and encouraged us. At the conclusion of that first visit I asked the young man to offer a prayer. In his prayer he asked the Lord to sustain us in the loss of our son and to bless the child that soon would be born. He specifically prayed that my wife would have no difficulty in delivering the baby. My wife and I were overcome by the sincerity and sensitivity of this young teacher. During the days and weeks that followed these brethren inquired about us regularly (more often than once a month). Following the birth of the baby, the young man, with his father, brought a gift. As we all knelt in prayer the teacher expressed his gratitude to the Lord for the safe delivery of the child” (as retold by H. Burke Peterson, in “The Role of the Teacher,” New Era, May 1974, pp. 10–11).

Discussion

Which commandments of home teaching did this young man obey especially well? (Numbers 5, 7, 8, 9, and 10.)

Story

Read the following story about one home teacher’s influence.

“As a boy I always looked forward to the visits of the ward teachers (now called home teachers) to my home. I remember most of all the younger companion, Brother Labelle, who came to our home. Brother Labelle was a young man about fifteen when he first started visiting us. . . . He was a fine athlete and one of our most promising high school football players. But most of all he was a good Latter-day Saint and I admired how well he bore the priesthood of God.

“He was polite and cheerful to all my family. He didn’t say much, but what he said always rang a good bell with us. I saw Brother Labelle around town, at school, and other places, and I really admired his example. When he saw me, he knew my name and shouted hello. What a privilege it was for me (a boy of about ten) to have him call at our home. Frankly, I cannot remember the senior companion of that priesthood team. I’m sure he was a good man, and we admired him too. But to a young boy in the fifth grade, that fifteen-year-old teacher, Brother Labelle, was really someone. The bishop couldn’t have sent a finer person into my home. The events of thirty-three years ago still ring loudly in my ears because of the influence of that fifteen-year-old teacher” (as told in Priesthood Study Course, Teachers Quorum, Series B [1971], p. T–10).

What are some things that made Brother Labelle so important a home teacher to this young man?

Activity

Have each young man and his senior companion mark their copy of “Ten Commandments for Home Teachers” with a check in front of each of the commandments he and his home teaching companion are already obeying well. Allow time for them to do this together thoughtfully. Then have them turn their papers over and make a simple two-column chart like the one following. Have them list the next four months of the year in the month column and which of the ten commandments they want to improve on that month in the right column. Their chart may look something like this:

Month | Commandment To Work On
May | Pray with families
June | Make appointments with each family
July | Recognize birthdays by a short visit
August | Be more alert to emergencies

Conclusion

Quotation

Read aloud the following statement by President Ezra Taft Benson:

“Here are some questions every [home teacher] should ask: . . . “Are you watching over your families as you should?

“Are you ministering to their needs?

“Do you care enough about your families’ welfare that you find out their interests, that you remember birthdays and special events, and that you continually pray for them?

“Are you the first one to the home when the family needs assistance?

“Does the head of the household call on you first?

“Are you attentive to the needs of each member of the family?

“When one of your assigned families moves, do you know where they have moved? Do you make an effort to obtain their new address? Have you checked with neighbors, friends, and relatives?” (in Conference Report, Apr. 1983, pp. 62–63; or Ensign, May 1983, p. 45).

Challenge

Encourage each young man, with his companion, to work out an agreement to become more effective, loving home teachers together.

Lesson 45

The Sacred Power of Procreation

Objective

Each young man will develop an appreciation for his body and the godly power of procreation.

Preparation

Materials needed: Picture 18, Boyd K. Packer (64332); picture 19, A young man; picture 20, A young couple with a family; picture 21, A group of teenagers; picture 22, A young couple with a temple in the background

You may want to invite the member of the bishopric who is responsible for your age-group to read the counsel from Elder Boyd K. Packer that is contained in the lesson.

Review the counsel about sexual purity on pages 26–28 of For the Strength of Youth.

Suggested Lesson Development

Use the Power of Procreation According to God’s Plan

Quotation

Read the following statement from President Spencer W. Kimball:

“The earth cannot justify nor continue its life without marriage and the family. Sex without marriage, for all people, young or older, is an abomination to the Lord, and it is most unfortunate that many people have blinded their eyes to these great truths” (in Conference Report, Oct. 1974, p. 9; or Ensign, Nov. 1974, p. 8).

Thought questions

What does chastity mean to you?

Why is chastity so important?

Adviser or bishopric presentation

Present the following counsel from Elder Boyd K. Packer about the importance of moral cleanliness (or have a member of the bishopric do so, as suggested above in “Preparation”). While presenting this counsel, display the pictures found at the back of the manual when suggested.

“[Display the picture of Elder Packer.] My message is of deep importance to you. It concerns your future happiness. The subject should be of great importance to you—why stay morally clean? I approach the subject with deepest reverence.

“In the beginning, prior to your mortal birth, you lived with our Heavenly Father. He is real. He lives, and I bear testimony of it.

“He knew you there. Because He loved you He was anxious for your happiness and for your eternal growth. He wanted you to be able to choose freely and to grow through the power of correct choice, so that you may become much as He is. To achieve this it was necessary for us to leave His presence. Something like going away to school. A plan was presented and each agreed to leave the presence of our Heavenly Father to experience life in mortality.

“Two great things were in store for us as we came into the world. One, we would receive a mortal body, created in the image of God. [Show the picture of a young man.] Through it, by proper control, we might achieve eternal life and happiness. Two, we would be tried and tested in such a way that we could grow in strength and in spiritual power.

“Under the accepted plan, Adam and Eve were sent to the earth as our first parents. They could prepare physical bodies for the first spirits to be introduced into this life.

“There was provided in our bodies—and this is sacred—a power of creation, a light, so to speak, that has power to kindle other lights. It is a sacred and significant power. This power is good.

“You who are teenagers, like every other son and daughter of Adam and Eve, have this power within you.

“The power of creation, or may we say procreation, is not just an incidental part of the plan—it is essential to it. Without it the plan could not proceed. The misuse of it may disrupt the plan.

“Much of the happiness that may come to you in this life will depend on how you use this sacred power of creation. The fact that you young men can become fathers and that you young women can become mothers is of utmost importance to you. [Show the picture of a young couple with a family.] As this power develops within you it will prompt you in the search for a companion and empower you to love and to hold [her].

“I repeat, this power to act in the creation of life is sacred. You can some day have a family of your own. Through the exercise of this power you can invite children to live with you—little boys and little girls who will be your very own—created, in a way, in your own image. You can establish a home, a dominion of power and influence and opportunity. This carries with it great responsibility. This creative power carries with it strong desires and urges. You have felt them already in the changing of your attitudes and your interests.

“[Show the picture of a group of teenagers.] As you move into your teens, almost of a sudden a boy or girl becomes something new and intensely interesting. You will notice the changing of form and feature in your own body and in others. You will experience the early whisperings of physical desire.

“It was necessary that this power of creation have at least two dimensions. One, it must be strong, and two, it must be more or less constant.

“This power must be strong. Except for the compelling persuasion of these feelings, men would be reluctant to accept the responsibility of sustaining a home and a family. This power must be constant, too, for it becomes a binding tie in family life.

“You are old enough, I think, to look around you in the animal kingdom. You soon realize that where this power of creation is a fleeting thing, where it expresses itself only in season, there is no family life.

“It is through this power that life continues. A world, full of trials and fears and disappointments, can be changed into a kingdom of hope and joy and happiness. Each time a child is born, the world somehow is renewed in innocence.

“Again I want to tell you that this power within you is good. It is a gift from God our Father. In the righteous exercise of it as in nothing else, we may come close to Him.

“We can have, in a small way, much that our Father in Heaven has as He governs us, His children. No greater school or testing place can be imagined.

“[Show the picture of a couple with temple background.] Is it any wonder then that in the Church marriage is so sacred and so important? Can you understand why your marriage, which releases these powers of creation for your use, should be the most carefully planned, and the most solemnly considered step in your life? Ought we to consider it unusual that the Lord directed that temples be constructed for the purpose of performing marriage ceremonies?

“Now there are other things that I will tell you as a warning. In the beginning there was one among us who rebelled at the plan of our Heavenly Father. He vowed to destroy and to disrupt the plan.

“He was prevented from having a mortal body and was cast out—limited forever from establishing a kingdom of his own. He became satanically jealous. He knows that this power of creation is not just an incident to the plan, but a key to it.

“He knows that if he can entice you to use this power prematurely, to use it too soon, or to misuse it in any way, you may well lose your opportunities for eternal progression.

“He is an actual being from the unseen world. He has great power. He will use it to persuade you to transgress those laws set up to protect the sacred power of creation.

“In former times he was too cunning to confront one with an open invitation to be immoral. But rather, sneakingly and quietly he would tempt young and old alike to think loosely of these sacred powers of creation. To bring down to a vulgar or to a common level that which is sacred and beautiful.

“His tactics have changed now. He describes it as only an appetite to be satisfied. He teaches that there are no attendant responsibilities to the uses of this power. Pleasure, he will tell you, is its sole purpose.

“His devilish invitations are coined into jokes and written into the lyrics of songs. They are acted out on television and at theaters. They will stare at you now from most magazines.

“You grow up in a society where before you is the constant invitation to tamper with these sacred powers.

“I want to counsel you and I want you to remember these words. Do not let anyone at all touch or handle your body, not anyone! Those who tell you otherwise proselyte you to share their guilt. We teach you to maintain your innocence.

“Turn away from any who would persuade you to experiment with these life-giving powers.

“The only righteous use of this sacred power is within the covenant of marriage.

“Never misuse these sacred powers.

“And now, I must tell you soberly and seriously that God has declared in unmistakable language that misery and sorrow will follow the violation of the laws of chastity. ‘Wickedness never was happiness’ (Alma 41:10). These laws were set up to guide all of His children in the use of this gift.

“He does not have to be spiteful or vengeful in order that punishment will come from the breaking of the moral code. The laws are established of themselves.

“Crowning glory awaits you if you live worthily. The loss of the crown may well be punishment enough. Often, very often, we are punished as much by our sins as we are for them.

“Perhaps within the sound of my voice there may be someone who already has fallen into transgression. Some, almost innocent of any intent, but persuaded by the enticements and the temptations, may already have misused this power. Know then that there is a great cleansing power. And know that you can be clean.

“If you are outside the Church the covenant of baptism itself represents, among other things, a washing and a cleansing.

“For those of you inside the Church there is a way, not entirely painless, but certainly possible. You can stand clean and spotless before Him. Guilt will be gone and you can be at peace. Go to your bishop. He holds the key to this cleansing power.

“Then one day you can know the full and righteous expression of these powers and the attendant happiness and joy in righteous family life. In due time, within the bonds of the marriage covenant, you can yield yourselves to those sacred expressions of love which have as their fulfillment the generation of life itself.

“[Display a family picture.] Some day you will hold a little boy or a little girl in your arms and know that two of you have acted in partnership with our Heavenly Father in the creation of life. Because the youngster belongs to you, you may then come to love someone more than you love yourself.

“This experience can come, insofar as I know, only through having children of your own or perhaps through fostering children born of another and yet drawn close into family covenants.

“Some of you may not experience the blessing of marriage. Protect nonetheless these sacred powers of creation, for there is a great power of compensation that may well apply to you.

“Through this loving one more than you love yourself you become truly Christian. Then you know, as few others know, what the word father means when it is spoken of in the scriptures. You may then feel something of the love and concern He has for us.

“It should have great meaning that of all the titles of respect and honor and admiration that could be given Him, that God Himself, He who is the highest of all, chose to be addressed simply as Father.

“Protect and guard your gift. Your actual happiness is at stake. Eternal family life, now only in your anticipation and dreams, can be achieved because our Heavenly Father has bestowed this choicest gift of all upon you—this power of creation. It is the very key to happiness. Hold this gift as sacred and pure. Use it only as the Lord directed.

“I pray God’s blessings upon you. May our Heavenly Father watch over you and sustain you that in the expression of this sacred gift you may draw close to Him. He lives. He is our Father. Of this I bear witness in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen” (Boyd K. Packer, in Conference Report, Apr. 1972, pp. 136–39; or Ensign, July 1972, pp. 111–13).

Discussion

What was our great purpose for coming into this world with mortal bodies? (To be tested, to show whether we would do all that Heavenly Father commanded us.)

How has God commanded us to use the sacred power of creation? (To express love in marriage and to have children.)

Why must this power of creation be strong and constant? (So that men will accept the responsibility of sustaining a home and a family.)

What responsibility do you have when in the company of girls?

Why should you keep yourself chaste?

When does one begin to enter into unchastity?

How may one become cleansed if he misuses the power of creation? (Confess to his bishop and repent.)

Explain that to obtain a recommend to be sealed in the temple, a young man must verify his worthiness by responding to several questions asked by the bishop or branch president and a member of the stake presidency. One of these questions asks “Do you live the law of chastity?” Another question asks whether there have been any sins or misdeeds in your life that should have been resolved with priesthood authorities but have not been.

A Son of God Who Honors Himself Blesses Himself and His Family

Discussion

What blessings come to a young man who honors himself by being chaste?

How will your family be blessed by your living the Lord’s law of chastity?

Explain that someday in the future, each of the young men will have an opportunity to select a wife and start a family of his own. Each of his future children and grandchildren has the right to inherit from him a sound body, a clear mind, and a rich spiritual heritage. His children should be able to say, “I am chaste because the Lord commands me to be and because my mother and father lived that way. My body is a temple, and I will keep this temple clean.” By establishing this kind of family tradition, he will transmit his strong points to his posterity.

Reaffirm that the law of chastity, like God’s other laws, was given to bring happiness. Sex is sacred and beautiful when kept that way by proper marriage.

Conclusion

Testimony and challenge

Conclude with your testimony concerning the value and blessings of chastity. Review the counsel about sexual purity on pages 26–28 of For the Strength of Youth. Challenge the young men to obey the law of chastity at all times.

Lesson 46

Decision Making

Objective

Each young man will understand that he can make right decisions by making an effort to learn the right, seeking counsel from others who are qualified, and asking for the Lord to confirm the rightness of his decisions.

Preparation

Materials needed:

Scriptures for each young man.

Paper and a pencil for each young man.

Wrap two different-sized packages. Wrap one neatly and the other carelessly. Place a small toy or piece of candy in each.

Note to the adviser

We make decisions every day of our lives. Some decisions are of little consequence, but many determine the direction of our lives and our degree of happiness.

We can make decisions in many ways. This lesson gives some fundamental guidelines for making right decisions. The young men need to understand that it is important to learn how to make decisions and to involve the Lord as they do.

Suggested Lesson Development

Introduction

Object lesson

Show the young men the two packages you previously wrapped. Have one of the young men come to the front of the room. Tell him he may have the contents of either of the packages he chooses. Once he makes his choice, discuss with him the reasons for his choice.

Point out that making decisions is something we must do every day. It is important to learn how to make decisions correctly.

Thought questions

Ask the young men to consider the following questions:

Why is not deciding a form of decision making?

Where can a person get help to make decisions?

How can a person know beforehand if a decision is right?

Making Decisions Requires Personal Effort

Scripture and discussion

Explain that during the translation of the Book of Mormon, Oliver Cowdery wanted to translate. He tried but failed.

Why was Oliver Cowdery not able to translate?

Have the young men read Doctrine and Covenants 9:7–9 for the answer.

Apparently, what had Oliver Cowdery done to get help from the Lord? (According to verse 7, he merely asked the Lord.)

What does the Lord say Oliver should have done? (He should have studied out the translation in his mind and then asked if the translation was correct.)

What can we learn from this experience about making decisions? (We should study the alternative decisions, make a decision, and pray and ask if the decision is right.)

Why do you think the Lord wants us to do our best to make a decision instead of just asking him what we should do? (Heavenly Father wants us to learn to think and learn for ourselves.)

Chalkboard

Write the following on the chalkboard:

Decision Making

Personal effort required.

The brother of Jared makes a decision.

Scripture story

Explain that the Lord told the brother of Jared how to build eight barges to carry his people across the ocean, but he did not explain how to light the inside of the barges. Have a young man read Ether 2:22.

How did the Lord respond?

Read Ether 2:23.

Ask the young men to explain the Lord’s response in their own words. Help them understand that the Lord put the responsibility directly upon the brother of Jared to decide how to light the barges. He wanted him to come up with a possible solution on his own.

To find out what the brother of Jared did, ask a young man to read Ether 3:1–4.

Ask one or two of the young men to tell in their own words what the brother of Jared did.

Case study

Give each young man a piece of paper. Have each young man divide it in half by drawing a line down the middle, then have him write the word PRO on the right side at the top, and the word CON on the left side at the top. Explain that in any decision we should consider the “pros”—reasons for doing something—and the “cons”—the reasons against doing something.

Consider the following case study.

Shaun is fifteen years old and does fairly well in school. He’s interested in sports, both as a participant and as a spectator. He has a chance for two different part-time jobs. He can choose only one of them. The first job would require him to work two to three hours every day after school. The other job would require him to work on Fridays and Saturdays from six to midnight. If you were Shaun, you could use a decision sheet for each job and write down all the “pros” and “cons” that you could think of. Divide the class in half. Have half the young men consider the first job, writing the “pros” and “cons.” Have the other half of the class consider the other job with its “pros” and “cons.” Allow approximately five minutes for this exercise, then discuss the following questions:

Can one person effectively make a decision sheet for another? Why?

What are some of the “pros” and “cons” for working after school that Shaun might want to consider?

What are some of the “pros” and “cons” for working on the weekends that he would want to consider?

If Shaun had the opportunity to work on Sunday and were to do a decision sheet, what factor should enter the decision making? (Keeping the Sabbath day holy.)

How can a decision sheet help you? (You can see the “pros” and “cons” in front of you.)

It Is Wise to Seek Counsel from Others Who Are Qualified

Case study

Present the following case study to the young men.

Ever since he was a small boy, Tom had been encouraged to go on a mission. Now that he had graduated from high school and was earning good money, he was not quite sure he wanted to go on a mission. It seemed like such a long time. He’d miss his family and friends. When his bishop asked him to go, Tom asked for a few days to make the decision. He went home and thought through the problem. He talked to his girlfriend and his friends at work. His girlfriend said that if he went she would not guarantee to be there when he returned. His friends thought he was crazy to spend so much money instead of making it. His boss told Tom that he could not guarantee him a job when he returned. The next day Tom told the bishop that he had decided not to go on a mission.

How qualified were the people Tom asked to help him make his decision? (They were probably looking at Tom in a selfish way—what his decision would mean to them personally.)

What other people should Tom have asked for counsel? (His parents, his bishop, trusted relatives, Heavenly Father.)

Now conclude the story.

After working at his job for several months, Tom felt unsettled and unhappy. At the invitation of some new friends, he began attending church more regularly. He enjoyed several talks with his bishop and began reading regularly in the Book of Mormon for the first time in his life. He prayed harder than ever before. He spent several nights talking with his parents about missionary work. Gradually he felt filled with the desire to serve a mission. One day he called the bishop and asked, “Is it too late for me to go on a mission?”

What good things did Tom do to make his decision? (He read the scriptures and talked with his bishop, his parents, and the Lord.)

On the chalkboard write: Consult others who are qualified.

Involve the Lord in Our Decision Making

Chalkboard review

Add the following to the chalkboard: Involve the Lord in your decision making.

Scriptures and discussion

Explain that there are times when the Lord may tell us specifically what to do.

Have the young men read and discuss Ether 2:19–20.

Remind the young men that there are other times when the Lord expects us to work out our decisions, as discussed earlier in the lesson (see also D&C 58:26–27).

Once we have studied out a problem and decided what we feel is best, how can we involve the Lord in our decision making? (After making the choice, we approach the Lord in prayer and ask if the decision is right. If the decision is right, the Holy Ghost will confirm the decision by giving us a peaceful, reassuring feeling that our decision is right.)

Read Doctrine and Covenants 6:22–23 and Doctrine and Covenants 9:8.

Explain that if for some reason we have not chosen correctly, the Lord has promised that he will reveal that our decision is wrong by leaving us with an uncomfortable feeling or serious doubt. The scriptures refer to this as a “stupor of thought.” When this occurs, we must start the decision-making process over again.

Read Doctrine and Covenants 9:9.

Quotations and discussion

What should we do if we feel we are doing all of the things we should do in order to make a right decision and we do not receive a definite impression one way or the other?

President Marion G. Romney has said: “I have had problems which it seemed I could not solve, and I have suffered in facing them until it seemed I could not go farther if I did not have a solution to them. After praying and on many occasions fasting for a day each week over long periods of time, I have had answers revealed to my mind” (Look to God and Live: Discourses of Marion G. Romney, comp. George J. Romney [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1971], p. 45).

What if we do all as President Romney suggests and still feel no confirmation?

“At times we must fast, study the scriptures, and pray to solve serious problems. Occasionally, even after doing these things and then making a decision and acting on a decision, we may still not receive a confirmation. At such times, we should simply follow our own best judgment, patiently exercising faith that eventually the confirmation will come. We must always remember that God answers our prayers when, in His judgment, it is best for us to receive an answer” (Duties and Blessings of the Priesthood, Part B [2000], p. 191).

Conclusion

Presentation

Explain that we are our Heavenly Father’s children, and he has sent us to earth to grow and progress. To make good decisions, we must have faith in Jesus Christ and live worthy of the companionship of the Holy Ghost. We must also have faith in ourselves in carrying out our decisions. This takes courage and commitment.

Briefly review the statements on the chalkboard.

You may wish to share an experience you have had when the Lord helped you make a decision.

Challenge

Challenge the young men to choose at least one decision they must make during the coming week and apply the ideas taught in the lesson. Encourage them to use a decision sheet as they think it through, to make a personal effort, to consult with qualified people, and to ask the Lord for help and confirmation.

Lesson 47

Consecration and Sacrifice

Objective

Each young man will desire the spiritual growth that comes through living the laws of sacrifice and consecration.

Preparation

Materials needed:

Scriptures for each young man.

Pencils for marking scriptures.

(Optional) Prepare for each young man an attractive card on which you have written: “Ye are eternally indebted to your heavenly Father, to render to him all that you have and are” (Mosiah 2:34).

Prayerfully study 3 Nephi 9:19–20 and Moses 5:6–8.

Suggested Lesson Development

Sacrifice and Consecration Are Celestial Laws

Discussion

Write the word sacrifice on the chalkboard.

What does sacrifice mean?

Why is it necessary to learn to sacrifice?

What do you think consecrate means? (To make sacred, to devote or dedicate.)

Explain that the laws of consecration and sacrifice are eternal and were given to man by the Lord before the earth’s creation.

Quotation

Read Elder Bruce R. McConkie’s definition of these laws:

“Sacrifice and consecration are inseparably intertwined. The law of consecration is that we consecrate our time, our talents, and our money and property to the cause of the Church; such are to be available to the extent they are needed to further the Lord’s interests on earth.

“The law of sacrifice is that we are willing to sacrifice all that we have for the truth’s sake—our character and reputation; our honor and applause; our good name among men; our houses, lands, and families; all things, even our very lives if need be” (in Conference Report, Apr. 1975, p. 74; or Ensign, May 1975, p. 50).

Explain that we must be willing to sacrifice our desires, energy, time, or material goods to build our Father’s kingdom on earth. At times it may seem difficult to live by these laws. As our understanding and faith increase, however, we begin to realize the wonderful blessings available to the obedient.

Scripture and discussion

To whom was the law of sacrifice first given?

Explain that these laws were explained to Adam by an angel. After Adam and Eve were driven from Eden, the Lord commanded that they should sacrifice the firstlings of their flocks to him. Adam obeyed this commandment.

Have someone read Moses 5:6–8.

Explain that after the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus, the law of Moses was fulfilled and the people were no longer to offer animal sacrifices.

Have a young man read 3 Nephi 9:19–20 aloud. Suggest that the young men underline key words.

What kind of sacrifice are we to offer? (A broken heart and a contrite spirit.)

What does it mean to offer unto the Lord “a broken heart and a contrite spirit”? (A “broken heart” means we feel heartbroken over the suffering of the Savior for us and over our own wrongdoing to the extent that we want to repent. A “contrite spirit” is a penitent spirit, one that wants to repent.)

Have you ever had these feelings?

Quotation and discussion

The Prophet Joseph Smith taught: “A religion that does not require the sacrifice of all things never has power sufficient to produce the faith necessary [to lead] unto life and salvation. . . . It was through this sacrifice, and this only, that God has ordained that men should enjoy eternal life” (Lectures on Faith, 6:7).

Explain that the laws of sacrifice and consecration are celestial laws. If we desire to gain celestial glory, we must live these laws.

What are some ways we can live these laws? (By giving of our time, our love, our talents, and our worldly means for the building up of the kingdom.)

Sacrifice and Consecration Bring Us Joy and Blessings

Story and discussion

Read the following story told by a former president of the Missionary Training Center in Provo, Utah:

“A young man [was] at the Missionary Training Center . . . preparing to serve in Japan. We had arranged with the BYU ticket office for all of the missionaries to attend the last home football game. They had tickets all arranged for us in the north end zone . . . and we announced to the missionaries that they would all be permitted to go to the ball game the next afternoon. This young man came in to see me and asked, ‘President Pinegar, do I have to go to the football game tomorrow?’

“I thought he was ill. I said, ‘Don’t you want to see this ball game?’

“He said, ‘Oh, if you only knew how badly I want to see this game! I played college football for two years. But when I came to the MTC I made a commitment to myself and to the Lord that I would learn all eight of the missionary discussions in Japanese. If I go to that ball game tomorrow, I will not achieve my goal.’

“Well, of course, permission was granted him to stay and study.

“I saw him some weeks later. In fact, it was about five days before he departed for the field. He came up to me in the cafeteria and said, ‘President Pinegar, remember me? I am the elder who did not go to the ball game because I wanted to study the discussions. Today I pass off the eighth discussion.’ He continued, ‘You ought to hear what happened to me the day I stayed here and did not go to the ball game. Up to that point in time I had been able to memorize twenty lines a day in Japanese; that day, the day that I sacrificed—and I felt it was a sacrifice—I memorized 120 lines. From that point on, I continued to move up and today I will pass off my eighth discussion’” (Max L. Pinegar, “Serious About the Things to Be Done,” 1978 Devotional Speeches of the Year [Provo: Brigham Young University Press, 1979], pp. 55–56).

How did this young man’s sacrifice bring joy and blessings to his life?

Quotation

Elder Gordon B. Hinckley explained the importance of sacrifice as it applies to everyday behavior:

“Sacrifice is the very essence of religion; it is the keystone of happy home life, the basis of true friendship, the foundation of peaceful community living, of sound relations among people and nations. . . .

“Without sacrifice there is no true worship of God. I become increasingly convinced of that every day. ‘The Father gave his Son, and the Son gave his life,’ and we do not worship unless we give—give of our substance, give of our time, give of our strength, give of our talent, give of our faith, give of our testimonies” (Without Sacrifice There Is No True Worship, Brigham Young University Speeches of the Year [Provo, 17 Oct. 1962], p. 4; italics added).

Discussion

Why can’t we truly worship God without making sacrifices?

Why is sacrifice the keystone of happy home life and the basis of true friendship?

What kinds of sacrifices can we make in our lives?

Discuss how sacrificing personal wants can bring harmony into our home, work, and school. Point out how the sacrifice of time and money for missionary service is a significant form of worship.

Case studies and discussion

From the following accounts, select those appropriate for your class, or use situations of your own that relate more directly to the young men in your class. After reading each one aloud, ask the young men to discuss the following questions:

How might a young man feel in this situation?

What might he do?

How might he sacrifice?

How might his sacrifice affect him and others?

Jim was planning on going to a party at a friend’s house, but his father asked him to help clean up the yard of a widow in the neighborhood.

When they were both seventeen, Mike and Jennifer started dating. They became concerned about their feelings for each other because they both wanted Mike to serve a mission.

After he graduated from college, William had a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to travel abroad. But then William’s bishop called him to go on a mission.

Bill loved to play soccer, but it had been raining almost every day. One Sunday morning, his friend John called and invited him to play soccer because it was a sunny day.

Mrs. Mahler was a lonely, elderly lady. She would talk without stopping for an hour if she could find a listener. She met Frank on the street and started talking about her nephew in Hamburg. But Frank wanted to get home for supper.

Jerry had an appointment with the bishop at 7:10 p.m. and arrived early at 7:00 p.m. The bishop was interviewing someone else. At 8:00 Jerry was still waiting to see him.

Mark had been saving for a new bicycle. Sunday in sacrament meeting the bishop made a plea for additional funds to help support a missionary from the ward.

Don had spent seven hours in school and four at work. When he got home, he ate supper, helped with the dishes, studied for two hours, and then relaxed for a few minutes in a hot bath. Ready for bed, he glanced at his scriptures lying on his desk. He wanted to study them, but he was also exhausted and wanted to fall into bed.

Karl received a phone call from Sam, who said they would have to play tennis another time because Sam’s younger brother was ill. Sam had to stay home with him while his parents went to the temple.

Conclusion

Scripture and quotation

Explain that King Benjamin discussed at length the laws of sacrifice and consecration. He summarized these laws in one sentence, “Ye are eternally indebted to your heavenly Father, to render to him all that you have and are” (Mosiah 2:34).

Because President Brigham Young felt indebted to the Lord, he once said, “If my heart is not fully given up to this work [of building the kingdom], I will give my time, my talents, my hands, and my possessions to it, until my heart consents to be subject; I will make my hands labour in the cause of God until my heart bows in submission to it” (in Journal of Discourses, 1:202).

Optional handout

See “Preparation,” item 2. Give each young man a card with the quotation from Mosiah 2:34. Suggest that he put it on his wall to remind him daily to keep the laws of consecration and sacrifice.

Lesson 48

The Power to Baptize

Objective

Each young man will better understand the ordinance of baptism.

Preparation

Materials needed:

Scriptures for each young man.

Picture 23, Burial of Jesus (62180); picture 24, Mary and the Resurrected Lord (62186).

Pencils for marking scriptures.

Prayerfully study Romans 6:3–5; Mosiah 18:7–10; and Doctrine and Covenants 20:73–74.

Suggested Lesson Development

The Covenant of Baptism

Story and discussion

Tell the following story:

Paul and Jim were both members of the same priests quorum and had been asked to help in a stake baptismal service. As they boarded the school bus that Friday afternoon, their conversation concerning their part in the baptismal service was overheard by Robert, a nonmember friend of theirs. As they sat down in the bus, Robert asked some questions that they were hardly prepared for: “Sorry for eavesdropping, but I’d like to know something. Do you really believe you have the right to baptize people? You aren’t ministers, are you? Besides, what’s so special about baptizing anyway?”

If you were Paul or Jim, how would you explain that the covenant of baptism is important and that a priest in the Aaronic Priesthood has the authority to perform baptisms?

Quotation and discussion

If the young men did not define a covenant in the previous discussion, ask them to give a definition. The following definition by Elder Bruce R. McConkie may help clarify this point:

“In the gospel sense, a covenant is a binding and solemn compact, agreement, contract, or mutual promise between God and a single person or a group of chosen persons” (Mormon Doctrine, 2nd ed. [Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1966], p. 166).

Explain that when people make the covenants of baptism, they are performing the first ordinance in the process of becoming like our Heavenly Father. Because of this, the power to baptize is a sacred privilege. The Lord has given this privilege to worthy priests.

Scripture, chalkboard, and discussion

Have a young man read Mosiah 18:7–10.

Which verse explains the actual covenant we make at baptism, and what do we covenant? (Verse 10. We covenant or promise to serve him and keep his commandments.)

What do verses 7–9 describe? (How a person who makes the covenant will behave and what the attitudes in his heart should be.)

What is the actual covenant of baptism?

Help the young men bring out the following points, and list them on the chalkboard:

The Baptismal Covenant

Come into the fold of God.

Take upon ourselves the name of Jesus Christ.

Bear one another’s burdens.

Mourn with those that mourn.

Comfort those that stand in need of comfort.

Stand as witnesses of God at all times.

Agree to serve God and keep his commandments.

Pour out his Spirit upon us.

Redeem us.

Number us with those of the First Resurrection.

Grant us eternal life.

The Symbolism of Baptism

Adviser presentation and discussion

Remind the young men that an ordinance is symbolic. Display the picture of the burial of Jesus; then show the picture of Jesus after his resurrection. Ask a young man to read Romans 6:3–5. Direct the young men to look for the symbolism described by Paul.

What comparison is given between Jesus’ death and resurrection and the ordinance of baptism?

The discussion should establish that baptism—going into the water and coming forth out of the water—is symbolic of Jesus’ going into the grave, or death, and coming forth from it as a resurrected being. It also symbolizes our own rebirth, in that we bury the old man of sin and come forth a new man in Christ, desiring to follow him and remain clean.

The Priest in the Aaronic Priesthood Is Divinely Commissioned to Baptize

Situation and discussion

Read the following:

John is an active and worthy priest and is looking forward to a mission. His younger sister, Sue, has just turned eight and has asked him to perform her baptism. He is enthusiastic because this will be his first baptism. One evening after family home evening, Sue questions him about performing her baptism. It has occurred to her that her oldest brother, Paul, is serving a mission in Italy and writes about his baptisms, but John is only sixteen and is not on a mission. “How can you perform my baptism if you are not a missionary?” she asks.

Have the young men formulate an answer for John to give his sister, using the index to the Book of Mormon, Doctrine and Covenants, and Pearl of Great Price.

The young men will find the best answer in Doctrine and Covenants 20:46. After the group has given its answer, have the young men mark Doctrine and Covenants 20:46.

Explain that all baptisms must be performed under the direction of the bishop or other presiding Melchizedek Priesthood officer and that a priest must have the permission of the presiding officer to perform each baptism.

The Procedure for Baptism Has Been Revealed

Scripture and discussion

Where in the Doctrine and Covenants is the baptismal prayer found? (Doctrine and Covenants 20:73.)

To emphasize the importance of exactness in the ordinance of baptism, have the young men turn to Doctrine and Covenants 20:73 and read the precise method of baptism specified by Jesus Christ.

Give the young men time to locate and mark this verse. Emphasize the importance and necessity of using the exact words as outlined in the Doctrine and Covenants. Then give the young men one minute to memorize the prayer. Call on a few of the young men to repeat it from memory.

Emphasize that the baptismal prayer is one of the few set prayers in the Church. It is so important that it must always be said correctly.

Explain that a priest acts as an agent of God in performing the baptism ordinance. This explains the meaning of the phrase in the baptismal prayer “Having been commissioned of Jesus Christ.”

What does the verse following the baptismal prayer, Doctrine and Covenants 20:74, say about the method of baptism? (It must be done by immersion.)

What other scripture have we read today that stresses the importance of baptism by immersion? (Romans 6:3–5.)

Emphasize that this passage in Romans is one of the most powerful scriptures in the Bible on the necessity of baptism by immersion. This will be an important scripture that the young men will use as missionaries. Suggest that they mark these verses.

Role play (for priests only)

Some of the priests (if this lesson is being given to priests) may have performed a baptism, while others may not have done so. This will be an ideal time to make sure each priest is familiar with the procedure.

Let the priests take turns practicing in pairs the prescribed method for holding the candidate for baptism. The one performing the baptism grasps the one being baptized around the right wrist with his left hand. The one being baptized then grasps the other’s left wrist with his left hand. The wrists should be held firmly for support during immersion. The candidate’s right hand may be left free to hold his nose during immersion. The officiator’s right hand is brought to the square during the prayer and then placed on the back of the candidate for support during immersion. The candidate bends his knees as he is immersed to avoid having his feet come up out of the water.

Impress upon the priests the sacredness and importance of their calling to perform baptisms. Baptism is necessary for membership in the kingdom of God, and it must be performed only by those with authority.

Work with the bishop to arrange for each priest to have the actual experience of performing a baptism, if possible.

Conclusion

Presentation

Reemphasize the need for a priest to be exact, worthy, and reverent when he performs this important ordinance. Baptism will be more meaningful in the lives of those being baptized if those who perform it are knowledgeable and confident in their ability to perform it.

Lesson 49

Using Time Wisely

Objective

Each young man will understand the importance and benefits of using time wisely and will learn how to organize his time to use it productively.

Preparation

Materials needed:

Scriptures for each young man.

A piece of paper and a pencil for each young man.

Pencils for marking scriptures.

Prepare a clock face on a poster. Print Time Is Life; Don’t Waste It across the face.

Make a poster or list the five elements of the efficiency expert’s advice on the chalkboard (see the sample on page 179).

Practice the object lesson using an empty bottle or jar, small rocks, and sand so that you can take the proper amount of rocks and sand to class.

Prayerfully study Ecclesiastes 3:1–8 and Alma 34:32.

Suggested Lesson Development

Importance of Our Time on Earth

Poster, scripture, and discussion

Display the poster of the clock face.

Explain that Alma tells us something very important about our time here upon the earth. Ask the young men to silently study and mark Alma 34:32.

What is the main purpose of our time here upon the earth? (To prepare to meet God.)

Ask the young men to think about people they know.

From what these people do with their time, does it seem that they believe this scripture and are really trying to prepare to meet God?

Would other people watching you recognize that you are preparing to meet God?

Would a person seriously preparing to meet God eliminate from his life all forms of fun and recreation?

To Everything There Is a Season

Adviser presentation

Explain that our earth life is designed for our growth and development. The human child develops best when he is exposed to a variety of experiences. These experiences should be ordered in some way so that they best serve the needs of the developing child. The Lord similarly intends for us to have many different experiences in their proper time and order.

Scripture, chalkboard, and discussion

A poetic passage of scripture found in the third chapter of Ecclesiastes explains the order the Lord has provided for us. Ask a young man to read Ecclesiastes 3:1–8.

What can we learn from these verses about the wise use of our time?

What has the Lord said about the order of these things? (He has suggested that events have an appropriate season in which to occur. For example, he said there is a time to love and embrace and a time to refrain from embracing. We are taught by our present leaders to wait for marriage until we have served a mission and are prepared to meet the responsibilities of marriage.)

Suppose that you are told you have only a week left to live. What are some things that you would do during that precious time?

Give the young men some time to respond. List their responses on the chalkboard. You may wish to list their responses in order of importance.

Wise Use of Time Requires Planning

Object lesson

Show the empty bottle. Explain that it represents a twenty-four-hour day.

Ask the young men to name activities they would really enjoy doing during a day. These activities might include recreation or other activities. As they mention several things, pour the sand into the jar.

Then ask the young men to list some things they should do during a normal day. These might include schoolwork, chores around the home, and scripture study. As each activity is mentioned, add rocks until the jar is full.

Explain that there are still several rocks to be added, but the bottle, or day, is full. Remove the rocks, and pour the sand back into its original container.

Explain that we should do the most important things first. Begin the object lesson again, this time by placing the rocks in first. As you place each rock in the bottle, mention one of the things we need to do each day, such as scripture study, prayers, schoolwork, and chores. Explain that by ordering our lives we can still find time to have fun and participate in recreational activities. Add the sand representing these activities to the jar.

Chalkboard, story, and discussion

Tell the following story:

Once an efficiency expert approached the president of a large steel corporation and outlined his firm’s services. “It’s no use,” the president responded. “I’m not managing as well as I know how to now. We need more action, not more knowing. If you could get us to do what we know we should, I’d pay you anything you ask.”

“Fine,” answered the consultant. “I can give you something in a few minutes to increase your action 50 percent. First, write on a blank sheet the six most important tasks you have to do tomorrow. Second, put them in order of their importance. Third, pull the sheet out the first thing tomorrow morning and begin working on item one. Fourth, when you finish it, do item two, then item three. Do this until quitting time. Don’t worry if you finish only two or three, or even if you finish only one item. You’ll be working on the most important ones first. Fifth, take the last five minutes of each working day to make out a new list for the next day’s tasks.”

Display the poster or refer to the chalkboard listing the efficiency expert’s advice:

Write down the six most important tasks to be performed.

Place these items in order of importance.

Begin working on number one in the morning.

When number one is completed, go to number two, and so forth.

Each evening make a new list to be used the next day.

How can we involve Heavenly Father in our planning? (Pray and ask for his help in using our time well and in determining priorities.)

Writing activity

Give a pencil and a piece of paper to each young man. Have them divide their papers into three columns, labeling the first column “Must Do,” the second “Should Do,” and the third “Would Like to Do.” Instruct them to write under the heading “Must Do” the things they must do tomorrow, under the heading “Should Do” the things they ought to do, and under the heading “Would Like to Do” the things they would enjoy doing. Explain that these are similar to the things identified in the object lesson. Ask the young men to number the items in the last two columns according to importance, since these are the activities they can control.

Discussion

What ill effects might result from planning to do too much with our time? (Fatigue, frustration, stress, and anxiety; doing a poor job with many things instead of a good job with a few things.)

Emphasize the need for the young men to plan their time wisely so that they are able to accomplish all they need and want to do.

Effective Use of Time Brings Spiritual and Temporal Blessings

Story

Explain that some of the greatest blessings we can have come from serving others. Read the following letter written to a Scoutmaster by one of his former Scouts, one whose family had been less active in the Church. It illustrates the blessings that can come from Church service:

Dear Ron,

Think hard and you may remember who I am—one of the many Eagle Scouts that you have produced. I have started to write my personal history with a theme that revolves around how I discovered a testimony of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

As I began to write several months ago, I began to reflect on those who have helped me in my commitment to the gospel. Your name was the first to come to mind. I have thanked our Father in Heaven many times for the charity that you showed me in those important years of my life.

You truly loved your Scouts and spent your time encouraging us and teaching us how to be men. It once occurred to you that I might be good at fastening or tying rope, so you encouraged me to be the best in camp. I tried hard and reached that goal.

I also remember the phone calls that you made to encourage me to work on my merit badges. Then finally it occurred to me that I could become an Eagle Scout. A few weeks after moving from Utah to California I did receive the Eagle Scout Award.

My activity in the Church was greatly influenced by you.

I have served a mission and am now attending Brigham Young University, studying to become a civil engineer. I am currently employed by the Missionary Training Center as a coordinator of Spanish teachers. I love my work and school and a girl whom I would like you to meet someday. Thanks Ron.

Sincerely,

Stan

Discussion

Explain that while he was a Scoutmaster, Ron had a wife, a family, and a full-time job.

How do you think Ron found time for his work with the Scouting program? (He had to organize his time wisely.)

Why was working with the Scouts such a meaningful way to use his time? (He was helping God’s children, which is the best use of time there is.)

What are ways an Aaronic Priesthood holder can use his time in helping God’s children?

What are some of the ways young and old alike waste time? (By watching television excessively, being preoccupied with fun, or sleeping too much.)

Conclusion

Presentation

Explain to the young men that it is important for them to prepare now by learning how to organize their time in order to prepare to give effective service. Mention that priorities may change daily in some things and that long-range goals must be reevaluated periodically. If we are living by the Spirit, we will know when to make such adjustments.

Challenge

Challenge the young men to try the efficiency expert’s advice for two weeks to see if they can accomplish more in a day. Encourage them to pray to Heavenly Father as they set daily goals either the night before or each morning so they can have his help in setting and accomplishing their goals. Then they should report the results to him at night.

Lesson 50

To the Quorum Adviser:

Organizing Lessons from General Conference Addresses

Preparation

The words of living prophets are excellent resources for additional lessons. Select current conference addresses printed in the Ensign and Liahona magazines. Preparing and presenting these lessons will give you opportunities to be directed by the Spirit in addressing specific needs of quorum members. The young men should be notified in advance which addresses will be taught so they will be prepared for discussion. In developing these lessons, use the teachings of General Authorities, conference addresses, and the scriptures.

Follow the same procedures for preparing and presenting these lessons as you follow for the lessons in the manual. In addition, the following steps of preparation will be helpful:

Prayerfully discern what gospel principle or main idea is taught in the selected address. Outline two or three supporting ideas that contribute to the main idea.

Decide what you want to accomplish as a result of the lesson. For example, do you want to help the young men understand a principle, increase in faith, develop an attitude, or be motivated to change their behavior?

Organize the lesson materials. Locate additional scripture references. Ask the meetinghouse librarian for appropriate visuals.

Prepare questions about selected quotations and scriptures in the address. What do the quotations and scriptures mean? Liken them to the young men (see 1 Nephi 19:23).

Select teaching methods that will involve the class members, and assign class members to participate. Refer to Teaching, No Greater Call (36123) for explanations of teaching methods.

Lesson Outline

The following chart may be useful when preparing a lesson from an address.

Title of address:

Gospel principle or main idea:

Supporting ideas:

Suggested Organization
Suggested Teaching Methods

Introduce the gospel principle and supporting ideas.

Write the gospel principle and supporting ideas on the chalkboard. Use an object lesson, story, picture, or thought-provoking question to introduce the lesson.

Present the body of the lesson.

What has the Lord said about the gospel principle?

What have the prophets said about it today?

How can we apply the gospel principle to our daily lives? How can living this principle increase our faith and help us make righteous decisions and solve our problems?

Locate and discuss scriptures within the talk and any additional scriptures to clarify the gospel principle.

Ask questions about quotations from the talk. Relate stories and examples from the talk to illustrate the gospel principle.

Ask questions and direct discussions that will help the young men apply the gospel principle to their lives.

Invite quorum members to share experiences, feelings, and testimonies about the topic you are discussing. Add your own feelings.

Conclude by summarizing what has been taught.

Testify of the truthfulness of the gospel principle you have taught and of its value in your life.