Bro C's Teaching Emporium

1. Increased Spiritual Power

Russell M. Nelson “Overcome the World and Find Rest” CR Oct 2022 The reward for keeping covenants with God is heavenly power—power that strengthens us to withstand our trials, temptations, and heartaches better. This power eases our way. Those who live the higher laws of Jesus Christ have access to His higher power. Thus, covenant keepers are entitled to a special kind of rest that comes to them through their covenantal relationship with God.

Each person who makes covenants in baptismal fonts and in temples—and keeps them—has increased access to the power of Jesus Christ. Please ponder that stunning truth!

Russell M. Nelson “Let God Prevail” CR Oct 2020                                                    During these perilous times of which the Apostle Paul prophesied, Satan is no longer even trying to hide his attacks on God’s plan. Emboldened evil abounds. Therefore, the only way to survive spiritually is to be determined to let God prevail in our lives, to learn to hear His voice, and to use our energy to help gather Israel.  

My dear brothers and sisters, as you choose to let God prevail in your lives, you will experience for yourselves that our God is “a God of miracles.” As a people, we are His covenant children, and we will be called by His name. 

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2.  Protection in a Confused World

David A. Bednar, “But We Heeded Them Not” CR April 2022 Living and loving covenant commitments creates a connection with the Lord that is deeply personal and spiritually powerful. As we honor the conditions of sacred covenants and ordinances, we gradually and incrementally are drawn closer to Him and experience the impact of His divinity and living reality in our lives. Jesus then becomes much more than the central character in scripture stories; His example and teachings influence our every desire, thought, and action.

Our covenant connection with God and Jesus Christ is the channel through which we can receive the capacity and strength to “heed not.” And this bond is strengthened as we continually hold fast to the rod of iron.

Gospel covenants and ordinances operate in our lives much like a compass. A compass is a device used to indicate the cardinal directions of north, south, east, and west for purposes of navigation and geographic orientation. In a similar way, our covenants and ordinances point us to and help us always remember our connection with the Lord Jesus Christ as we progress along the covenant path.

Russell M. Nelson “Overcome the World and Find Rest” CR Oct 2022 Overcoming the world is not an event that happens in a day or two. It happens over a lifetime as we repeatedly embrace the doctrine of Christ. We cultivate faith in Jesus Christ by repenting daily and keeping covenants that endow us with power. We stay on the covenant path and are blessed with spiritual strength, personal revelation, increasing faith, and the ministering of angels. Living the doctrine of Christ can produce the most powerful virtuous cycle, creating spiritual momentum in our lives.

As we strive to live the higher laws of Jesus Christ, our hearts and our very natures begin to change. The Savior lifts us above the pull of this fallen world by blessing us with greater charity, humility, generosity, kindness, self-discipline, peace, and rest.

Now, how does overcoming the world bless our lives? The answer is clear: entering into a covenant relationship with God binds us to Him in a way that makes everything about life easier. Please do not misunderstand me: I did not say that making covenants makes life easy. In fact, expect opposition, because the adversary does not want you to discover the power of Jesus Christ. But yoking yourself with the Savior means you have access to His strength and redeeming power.

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3.  Increased Access to Revelation

Russell M. Nelson, “The Temple and Your Spiritual Foundation,” CR Oct 2021           And to each of you who has made temple covenants, I plead with you to seek—prayerfully and consistently—to understand temple covenants and ordinances. Spiritual doors will open. You will learn how to part the veil between heaven and earth, how to ask for God’s angels to attend you, and how better to receive direction from heaven. Your diligent efforts to do so will reinforce and strengthen your spiritual foundation.

Russell M. Nelson, “As We Go Forward Together” First Presidency Message, April 2018                                                                                                                              Now, to each member of the Church I say, keep on the covenant path. Your commitment to follow the Savior by making covenants with Him and then keeping those covenants will open the door to every spiritual blessing and privilege available to men, women, and children everywhere.

The ordinances of the temple and the covenants you make there are key to strengthening your life, your marriage and family, and your ability to resist the attacks of the adversary. Your worship in the temple and your service there for your ancestors will bless you with increased personal revelation and peace and will fortify your commitment to stay on the covenant path.

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4.  Joy Regardless or Independent of Circumstances

Russell M. Nelson “Overcome the World and Find Rest” CR Oct 2022 Dear brothers and sisters, my message to you today is that because Jesus Christ overcame this fallen world, and because He atoned for each of us, you too can overcome this sin-saturated, self-centered, and often exhausting world….You can overcome the spiritually and emotionally exhausting plagues of the world, including arrogance, pride, anger, immorality, hatred, greed, jealousy, and fear. Despite the distractions and distortions that swirl around us, you can find true rest—meaning relief and peace—even amid your most vexing problems.

Jeffery R. Holland, “An High Priest of Good Things to Come” CR Oct 1999                Every one of us has times when we need to know things will get better. The Book of Mormon speaks of this as “hope for a better world.”….My declaration is that this is precisely what the gospel of Jesus Christ offers us, especially in times of need. There is help. There is happiness. There really is light at the end of the tunnel. It is the Light of the World, the Bright and Morning Star, the “light that is endless, that can never be darkened.” It is the very Son of God Himself. In loving praise far beyond Romeo’s reach, we say, “What light through yonder window breaks?” It is the return of hope, and Jesus is the Sun. To any who may be struggling to see that light and find that hope, I say: Hold on. Keep trying. God loves you. Things will improve. Christ comes to you in His “more excellent ministry” with a future of “better promises.” He is your “high priest of good things to come.”

….Some blessings come soon, some come late, and some don’t come until heaven; but for those who embrace the gospel of Jesus Christ, they come. 

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5.  Increased Family Strength

Russell M. Nelson, “As We Go Forward Together” First Presidency Message, April 2018                                                                                                                              Now, to each member of the Church I say, keep on the covenant path. Your commitment to follow the Savior by making covenants with Him and then keeping those covenants will open the door to every spiritual blessing and privilege available to men, women, and children everywhere.

The ordinances of the temple and the covenants you make there are key to strengthening your life, your marriage and family, and your ability to resist the attacks of the adversary. Your worship in the temple and your service there for your ancestors will bless you with increased personal revelation and peace and will fortify your commitment to stay on the covenant path.

Henry B. Eyring, “All Will Be Well Because of Temple Covenants” CR April 2024             It is through the sealing covenants in the temple that we can receive the assurance of loving family connections that will continue after death and last for eternity. Honoring marriage and family covenants made in temples of God will provide protection from the evil of selfishness and pride.

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6.  Endurance Through Last-Day Turbulence 

Russell M. Nelson “Overcome the World and Find Rest” CR Oct 2022 I call upon you, my dear brothers and sisters, to become this righteous people. Cherish and honor your covenants above all other commitments. As you let God prevail in your life, I promise you greater peace, confidence, joy, and yes, rest. Dear brothers and sisters, my message to you today is that because Jesus Christ overcame this fallen world, and because He atoned for each of us, you too can overcome this sin-saturated, self-centered, and often exhausting world.

You can overcome the spiritually and emotionally exhausting plagues of the world, including arrogance, pride, anger, immorality, hatred, greed, jealousy, and fear. Despite the distractions and distortions that swirl around us, you can find true rest—meaning relief and peace—even amid your most vexing problems.

Russell M. Nelson “The Temple and Your Spiritual Foundation“ Oct 2021.    We have been promised that “if [we] are prepared [we] shall not fear.” This assurance has profound implications today. The Lord has declared that despite today’s unprecedented challenges, those who build their foundations upon Jesus Christ, and have learned how to draw upon His power, need not succumb to the unique anxieties of this era. 

David A. Bednar, “But We Heeded Them Not” CR April 2022

Living and loving covenant commitments creates a connection with the Lord that is deeply personal and spiritually powerful. As we honor the conditions of sacred covenants and ordinances, we gradually and incrementally are drawn closer to Him and experience the impact of His divinity and living reality in our lives. Jesus then becomes much more than the central character in scripture stories; His example and teachings influence our every desire, thought, and action.

I frankly do not have the ability to describe adequately the precise nature and power of our covenant connection with the resurrected and living Son of God. But I witness that the connections with Him and Heavenly Father are real and are the ultimate sources of assurance, peace, joy, and the spiritual strength that enable us to “fear not, though the enemy deride.” As covenant-making and covenant-keeping disciples of Jesus Christ, we can be blessed to take “courage, for the Lord is on our side” and pay no attention to evil influences and secular scoffing.

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7. Ability to Personally Change

Russell M. Nelson “The Temple and Your Spiritual Foundation” CR Oct 2021                       Current adjustments in temple procedures, and others that will follow, are continuing evidence that the Lord is actively directing His Church. He is providing opportunities for each of us to bolster our spiritual foundations more effectively by centering our lives on Him and on the ordinances and covenants of His temple. When you bring your temple recommend, a contrite heart, and a seeking mind to the Lord’s house of learning, He will teach you.

If you don’t yet love to attend the temple, go more often—not less. Let the Lord, through His Spirit, teach and inspire you there. I promise you that over time, the temple will become a place of safety, solace, and revelation.

Please believe me when I say that when your spiritual foundation is built solidly upon Jesus Christ, you have no need to fear. As you are true to your covenants made in the temple, you will be strengthened by His power. Then, when spiritual earthquakes occur, you will be able to stand strong because your spiritual foundation is solid and immovable.

David A. Bednar, “Let This House Be Built unto My Name” CR April 2020                  The most sacred covenants and priesthood ordinances are received only in a temple—the house of the Lord. Everything that is learned and all that is done in the temple emphasize the divinity of Jesus Christ and His role in Heavenly Father’s great plan of happiness.

President Ezra Taft Benson described an important pattern the Redeemer employs in bringing “to pass the immortality and eternal life of man.” He said: “The Lord works from the inside out. The world works from the outside in. The world would take people out of the slums. Christ takes the slums out of people, and then they take themselves out of the slums. The world would mold men by changing their environment. Christ changes men, who then change their environment. The world would shape human behavior, but Christ can change human nature.”

Covenants and priesthood ordinances are central in the ongoing process of spiritual rebirth and transformation; they are the means whereby the Lord works with each of us from the inside out. Covenants that are honored steadfastly, remembered always, and written “with the Spirit of the living God … in fleshy tables of the heart” provide purpose and the assurance of blessings in mortality and for eternity. Ordinances that are received worthily and remembered continually open the heavenly channels through which the power of godliness can flow into our lives.

We do not come to the temple to hide from or escape the evils of the world. Rather, we come to the temple to conquer the world of evil. As we invite into our lives the “power of godliness” by receiving priesthood ordinances and making and keeping sacred covenants, we are blessed with strength beyond our own to overcome the temptations and challenges of mortality and to do and become good.

President Russell M. Nelson “Think Celestial” October 2023

Here is the great news of God’s plan: the very things that will make your mortal life the best it can be are exactly the same things that will make your life throughout all eternity the best it can be! Today, to assist you to qualify for the rich blessings Heavenly Father has for you, I invite you to adopt the practice of “thinking celestial”! Thinking celestial means being spiritually minded. We learn from the Book of Mormon prophet Jacob that “to be spiritually-minded is life eternal.”

Mortality is a master class in learning to choose the things of greatest eternal import. Far too many people live as though this life is all there is. However, your choices today will determine three things: where you will live throughout all eternity, the kind of body with which you will be resurrected, and those with whom you will live forever. So, think celestial.

In my first message as President of the Church, I encouraged you to begin with the end in mind. This means making the celestial kingdom your eternal goal and then carefully considering where each of your decisions while here on earth will place you in the next world.When you make choices, I invite you to take the long view—an eternal view. Put Jesus Christ first because your eternal life is dependent upon your faith in Him and in His Atonement. It is also dependent upon your obedience to His laws. Obedience paves the way for a joyful life for you today and a grand, eternal reward tomorrow.

When you are confronted with a dilemma, think celestial! When tested by temptation, think celestial! When life or loved ones let you down, think celestial! When someone dies prematurely, think celestial. When someone lingers with a devastating illness, think celestial. When the pressures of life crowd in upon you, think celestial!

As you think celestial, you will view trials and opposition in a new light. When someone you love attacks truth, think celestial, and don’t question your testimony. The Apostle Paul prophesied that “in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils.”

There is no end to the adversary’s deceptions. Please be prepared. Never take counsel from those who do not believe. Seek guidance from voices you can trust—from prophets, seers, and revelators and from the whisperings of the Holy Ghost, who “will show unto you all things what ye should do.” Please do the spiritual work to increase your capacity to receive personal revelation.

Unity

• What do you think it looks like to be unified with others (including at home and at church)? Why can that be difficult?

Elder D. Todd Christofferson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles shared:

We are too diverse and at times too discordant to be able to come together as one on any other basis or under any other name. … It is only in and through our individual loyalty to and love of Jesus Christ that we can home to be one. (“One in Christ, ” LIahona, May 2023).

• How do you think our love of Jesus Christ helps us have greater unity with others?

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Righteousness

Righteousness is a Christlike trait that includes “being just, holy, virtuous, upright; acting in obedience to God’s commands; avoiding sin” (Guide to the Scriptures, “Righteous, Righteousness,” Gospel Library).

President Russell M. Nelson shared how the Savior blesses us as we strive to be righteous. “As we strive to live the higher laws of Jesus Christ, our hearts and our very natures begin to change. The Savior lifts us above the pull of this fallen world by blessing us with greater charity, humility, generosity, kindness, self-discipline, peace, and rest.”

(“Overcome the World and Find Rest,” Liahona, Nov. 2022, 97)

• Why would it be a blessing to dwell or live with people who strive to live the higher laws of Jesus Christ?

• In contrast, how can unrighteous decisions, such as dishonesty and violence, affect our relationships with the people around us?

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Caring for the poor

Elder D. Todd Christofferson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles shared the following: “As we pursue the cause of Zion, each of us should prayerfully consider whether we are doing … all that we should in the Lord’s eyes with respect to the poor and the needy. (“Come to Zion,” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2008, 39)

• What are some ways you think the Lord may want us to help people who are poor or in need?

• Other than financially, how else can people be poor or in need? What is an example of how the Lord may want you to care for someone in one of those situations?

Lifelong discipleship is an essential aspect of the doctrine of Christ. The doctrine of Christ expresses how we come unto Christ and receive the gift of His atoning grace. We exercise our agency to have faith in Him, repent, be baptized, and receive the Holy Ghost. But for Christ’s Atonement to have its full, transformative effect in us requires that we continue in this covenant path—the path of discipleship—to the end of our mortal lives.

So first, agency’s role in discipleship. One of the most important gifts God gave His children was moral agency. This power and privilege—and responsibility—to act for ourselves is essential to realizing our full potential as children of God. It is central to our progression on the covenant path. God’s plan, as you know, was not to do everything for us but to provide a structure that allowed us to make our own choices to grow individually. Agency was key to our progression as spirits in the past, and it is key for what we can become under God’s plan of happiness, now and in eternity. The adversary knows this and seeks to compromise our agency.

But agency in the context of religious education requires a further step beyond imparting gospel truths. It is essential that we teach in a way that invites students to exercise their agency in the learning process. We want to help them become active participants in the process and take responsibility for their own learning. Activating students’ agency to take personal ownership in learning has implications for the development of lasting belief, lasting testimony. It is in so doing that they can become active and lifelong disciples of Jesus Christ. Choosing for ourselves is one of the reasons President Nelson has been so focused on covenants. When we choose to enter and keep covenants, we are making uniquely personal choices to follow our Savior. President Nelson explains:

“During this life we get to choose which laws we are willing to obey—those of the celestial kingdom, or the terrestrial, or the telestial—and, therefore, in which kingdom of glory we will live forever. Every righteous choice that you make here will pay huge dividends now. But righteous choices in mortality will pay unimaginable dividends eternally. If you choose to make covenants with God and are faithful to those covenants, you have the promise of ‘glory added upon [your head] for ever and ever.’”

So, taking ownership for choices deepens personal conviction. When we don’t act for ourselves, we can unwittingly find that our faith lacks the depth required to overcome life’s questions and challenges and to be lifelong disciples of Jesus Christ. In the Lord’s own words:

“For they that are wise and have received the truth, and have taken the Holy Spirit for their guide, and have not been deceived—verily I say unto you, they shall not be hewn down and cast into the fire, but shall abide the day.”

Now, this foundational role agency plays in our own personal development has implications for the way we teach as religious educators. We ask mission leaders to remember this as they give their missionaries opportunities to lead and direct the missionary work. We ask youth leaders to give the youth opportunities to “bear the yoke” of leadership along with their adult mentors. And we ask you, our religious educators, to teach in ways that invite personal engagement and ownership of learning. In each of these settings, real growth happens most effectively when young people are given opportunities to act and not just be acted upon.

In Teaching in the Savior’s Way, we’re reminded that inviting diligent learning requires us to help students become agents in their own learning process. There are several ways this can happen, but let me emphasize at least three from that teaching resource.

First, we can create learning experiences where we “invite learners to prepare to learn.” This can happen through pre-reading assignments, study questions, and personal invitations.

Second, we should “encourage learners to share the truths they are learning.” There are so many ways to do this, and each of you will find personalized approaches that work for you and your students. When I was in law school, I often learned through what was called the Socratic method, where teachers helped students explore a legal case by asking the class to engage the material through a series of thoughtfully developed questions. We had to come to class prepared to articulate our own insights and to listen to others. I’ve seen institute teachers who give students opportunities to share what they are learning through well-structured class discussions, and this requires well-prepared instructors who engage well-prepared students in a spirit of inquiry and dialogue. I know that’s always the case in your classes. All the students are well-prepared. All the teachers are well-prepared. But that’s the invitation.

And third, we should “invite learners to live what they are learning” (italics added). We should always look for ways to invite students to apply what they are learning in their own lives. This can come through personal invitations, reflective exercises, and a host of other efforts to help students change and become something more in Christ.

Finally, on helping students take charge of their testimonies. Inviting diligent learning is foundational to developing lifelong disciples of Jesus Christ because it helps learners take responsibility for their learning, as we’ve been saying. One of the ways President Nelson has encouraged this ownership of our personal growth is in his invitation to the young adults to take charge of their testimonies. In his worldwide devotional to young adults in 2022, President Nelson stated:

“I plead with you to take charge of your testimony. Work for it. Own it. Care for it. Nurture it so that it will grow. Feed it truth. Don’t pollute it with the false philosophies of unbelieving men and women and then wonder why your testimony is waning. Engage in daily, earnest, humble prayer. Nourish yourself in the words of ancient and modern prophets. Ask the Lord to teach you how to hear Him better. Spend more time in the temple and in family history work. As you make your testimony your highest priority, watch for miracles to happen in your life.”

Tonight, I began by reviewing the purposes of religious education in the Church, including the need to help our students:

• “Develop faith in and a testimony of Heavenly Father and His ‘great plan,’ …
• Become lifelong disciples of Jesus Christ, who make and keep covenants, … [and]
• Strengthen their ability to find answers, resolve doubts, respond with faith, and give reason for the hope within them in whatever challenges they may face.”

When we help students exercise their personal agency, their conversion will deepen in ways that lead to lifelong discipleship. Last October, President Nelson stated, “Now is the time for us to make our discipleship our highest priority.” And he added, “It is neither too early nor too late for you to become a devout disciple of Jesus Christ.” Let us act diligently now before it is too late. Now is the time, as he said.

III. The Godhead

Knowing the purpose of God’s great plan, we now consider the respective roles of the three members of the Godhead in that plan.

We begin with a teaching from the Bible. In concluding his second letter to the Corinthians, the Apostle Paul makes this almost offhand reference to the Godhead of Father, Son, and Holy Ghost: “The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion [or fellowship] of the Holy Ghost, be with you all” (2 Corinthians 13:14).

This biblical scripture represents the Godhead and references the all-defining and motivating love of God the Father, the merciful and saving mission of Jesus Christ, and the fellowship of the Holy Ghost.

God the Father

It all begins with God the Father. While we know comparatively little about Him, what we know is decisive in understanding His supreme position, our relationship to Him, and His superintending role in the plan of salvation, the Creation, and all else that followed.

As Elder Bruce R. McConkie wrote just before his death: “In the ultimate and final sense of the word, there is only one true and living God. He is the Father, the Almighty Elohim, the Supreme Being, the Creator and Ruler of the universe.” He is the God and Father of Jesus Christ, as well as of all of us. President David O. McKay taught that “the first fundamental truth advocated by Jesus Christ was this, that behind, above and over all there is God the Father, Lord of heaven and earth.”

What we know of the nature of God the Father is mostly what we can learn from the ministry and teachings of His Only Begotten Son, Jesus Christ. As Elder Jeffrey R. Holland has taught, one of the paramount purposes of Jesus’s ministry was to reveal to mortals “what God our Eternal Father is like, … to reveal and make personal to us the true nature of His Father, our Father in Heaven.” The Bible contains an apostolic witness that Jesus was “the express image” of His Father’s person (Hebrews 1:3), which merely elaborates Jesus’s own teaching that “he that hath seen me hath seen the Father” (John 14:9).

God the Father is the Father of our spirits. We are His children. He loves us, and all that He does is for our eternal benefit. He is the author of the plan of salvation, and it is by His power that His plan achieves its purposes for the ultimate glory of His children.

The Son

To mortals, the most visible member of the Godhead is Jesus Christ. A great doctrinal statement by the First Presidency in 1909 declares Him to be “the firstborn among all the sons of God—the first begotten in the spirit, and the only begotten in the flesh.” The Son, the greatest of all, was chosen by the Father to carry out the Father’s plan—to exercise the Father’s power to create worlds without number (see Moses 1:33) and to save the children of God from death by His Resurrection and from sin by His Atonement. This supernal sacrifice is truly called “the central act of all human history.”

On those unique and sacred occasions when God the Father personally introduced the Son, He has said, “This is my beloved Son: hear him” (Mark 9:7; Luke 9:35; see also 3 Nephi 11:7; Joseph Smith—History 1:17). Thus, it is Jesus Christ, Jehovah, the Lord God of Israel, who speaks to and through the prophets. So it is that when Jesus appeared to the Nephites after His Resurrection, He introduced Himself as “the God of the whole earth” (3 Nephi 11:14). So it is that Jesus often speaks to the prophets of the Book of Mormon and to the Latter-day Saints as “the Father and the Son,” a title explained in the First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve’s inspired doctrinal exposition just 100 years ago.

The Holy Ghost

The third member of the Godhead is the Holy Ghost, also referred to as the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of the Lord, and the Comforter. He is the member of the Godhead who is the agent of personal revelation. As a personage of spirit (see D&C 130:22), He can dwell in us and perform the essential role of communicator between the Father and the Son and the children of God on earth. Many scriptures teach that His mission is to testify of the Father and the Son (see John 15:26; 3 Nephi 28:11; D&C 42:17). The Savior promised that the Comforter will teach us all things, bring all things to our remembrance, and guide us into all truth (see John 14:26; 16:13). Thus, the Holy Ghost helps us discern between truth and falsehood, guides us in our major decisions, and helps us through the challenges of mortality. He is also the means by which we are sanctified, that is, cleansed and purified from sin (see 2 Nephi 31:17; 3 Nephi 27:20; Moroni 6:4).

IV.

So, how does understanding this heavenly revealed doctrine about the Godhead and the plan of salvation help us with our challenges today?

Because we have the truth about the Godhead and our relationship to Them, the purpose of life, and the nature of our eternal destiny, we have the ultimate road map and assurance for our journey through mortality. We know whom we worship and why we worship. We know who we are and what we can become (see D&C 93:19). We know who makes it all possible, and we know what we must do to enjoy the ultimate blessings that come through God’s plan of salvation. How do we know all of this? We know by the revelations of God to His prophets and to each of us individually.

Attaining what the Apostle Paul described as “the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ” (Ephesians 4:13) requires far more than acquiring knowledge. It is not even enough for us to be convinced of the gospel; we must act and think so that we are converted by it. In contrast to the institutions of the world, which teach us to know something, the plan of salvation and the gospel of Jesus Christ challenge us to become something.

As President Thomas S. Monson taught us in our last general conference:

“Essential to the plan [of salvation] is our Savior, Jesus Christ. Without His atoning sacrifice, all would be lost. It is not enough, however, merely to believe in Him and His mission. We need to work and learn, search and pray, repent and improve. We need to know God’s laws and live them. We need to receive His saving ordinances. Only by so doing will we obtain true, eternal happiness. …

“From the depths of my soul and in all humility,” President Monson declared, “I testify of the great gift which is our Father’s plan for us. It is the one perfect path to peace and happiness both here and in the world to come.”

I add my testimony to that of our beloved prophet-president. I testify that we have a Heavenly Father, who loves us. I testify that we have a Holy Ghost, who guides us. And I testify of Jesus Christ, our Savior, who makes it all possible, in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

Group 1

The Challenge of Public Speaking

Discuss with your group:

• How do you feel about public speaking? Why?

Read AND summarize the following:

One of Brigham Young’s greatest challenges was public speaking. He said, “I was about as destitute of language as a man could well be” (in Journal of Discourses, 5:97). He recalled a time one week after his baptism when he expected four experienced speakers who were members of the Church to preach, but they did not. He said:

“I was but a child, so far as public speaking and a knowledge of the world was concerned; but the Spirit of the Lord was upon me, and I felt as though my bones would consume within me unless I spoke to the people and told them what I had seen, heard and learned—what I had experienced and rejoiced in; and the first discourse I ever delivered I occupied over an hour. I opened my mouth and the Lord filled it. (Brigham Young, in Journal of Discourses, 13:211)”

Respond to the following in your group AND write responses in you Learning Journal:

• What are the important details from this story?
• What was difficult about what Brigham Young did?  How could this be like some people today?  What things do you and others find difficult?

Read Doctrine and Covenants 100:5–6 (see also Exodus 4:12; Proverbs 16:1). Then discuss these questions with the group.  Write responses in your Learning Journal:

• How was Brigham Young’s experience related to these verses?
• What do you learn about the Lord that could help you?
• What valuable lessons can we learn from Brigham Young’s example?
• Write these lessons as doctrines.  You can write them as clear, simple statements.  You could write an “If…then” statement, or a “when we…”statement.

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Group 2

Brigham’s Sacrifice to Serve

Discuss the following in your group:

• What sacrifices does it take to serve a mission?

Invite someone to read the following:

The same year Brigham Young was baptized, his wife passed away. At great sacrifice, he arranged for the care of his two children and served missions to New York and upper Canada, where he baptized several people.  After serving a mission for about a year, Brigham described his arrival in Kirtland, Ohio:

“If any man that ever did gather with the Saints was any poorer than I was—it was because he had nothing. … I had two children to take care of. … I was a widower. … [I had] not a shoe to my foot, except a pair of borrowed boots. I had no winter clothing, except a homemade coat that I had had three or four years. … I had travelled and preached and given away every dollar of my property.” (Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Brigham Young [1997], 243)

• What are the important details about Brigham Young in this story? (Write them down)
• What was difficult about what Brigham Young did?  How could this be like some people today?  What things do you and others find difficult? 

Invite someone to read aloud Luke 18:18–23.   As a group, look for how Brigham Young’s response to invitations to serve was different from the man who interacted with the Savior in this account.

• What do you know about the Lord that may help us be willing to make sacrifices like Brigham Young did?
• In addition to serving missions, what are some other ways the Lord may want us to sacrifice to serve Him?
• What valuable lessons can we learn from Brigham Young’s example?
• Write these lessons as doctrines.  You can write them as clear, simple statements.  You could write an “If…then” statement, or a “when we…”statement.

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Group 3

Brigham’s Mission to England

Discuss the following question as a group:

• What are some reasons a missionary needs the Lord’s help?

Invite a group member to read the following:

After remarrying and serving five other missions, Brigham was called, with other Apostles, to serve a mission to England.   Brigham described his mission:

“We landed … as strangers in a strange land and penniless, but through the mercy of God we have gained many friends, established Churches in almost every noted town and city in the kingdom of Great Britain, baptized between seven and eight thousand, printed 5,000 Books of Mormon, … and have left sown in the hearts of many thousands the seeds of eternal truth … : in all these things I acknowledge the hand of God.” (Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Brigham Young [1997], 6)

• What are the important details in this story? (Write them down)
• What was difficult about what Brigham Young did?  How could this be like some people today?  What things do you and others find difficult?

Invite a student to read Ammon’s words in Alma 26:12–13. Then discuss as a group:

• How does Brigham Young’s statement compare to Ammon’s?
• Why do you think relying on the Lord is essential when striving to serve Him?
• How have you tried to rely on the Lord as you serve Him?
• What valuable lessons can we learn from Brigham Young’s example?
• Write these lessons as doctrines.  You can write them as clear, simple statements.  You could write an “If…then” statement, or a “when we…”statement.

• “When to Receive Your Patriarchal Blessing” by Elder Kazuhiko Yamashita (Liahona, May 2023, 88–90)
• “Your Patriarchal Blessing—Inspired Direction from Heavenly Father” by Elder Randall K. Bennett (Liahona, May 2023, 42–43).

President Russell M. Nelson shared:

[A patriarchal blessing] is precious. It is personal scripture to you. It declares your special lineage. It reminds you of your linkage with the past. And it will help you realize your future potential. Literally, you can lay claim upon the Lord for fulfillment of those blessings through your faithfulness. (Russell M. Nelson, “Thanks for the Covenant” [Brigham Young University devotional, Nov. 22, 1988], 5)

Elder Kazuhiko Yamashita of the Seventy testified:

I frequently and prayerfully read my patriarchal blessing; it always gives me encouragement. I recognize what the Lord expects of me, and it has helped me to repent and be humble. When I read and ponder it, I desire to live worthy of receiving its promised blessings. …

… I bear my witness that Heavenly Father and His Beloved and Only Begotten Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, live. They love us. Patriarchal blessings are sacred gifts from Them. When you receive your blessing, you will realize and feel how They love you and how They focus on you individually. (Kazuhiko Yamashita, “When to Receive Your Patriarchal Blessing,” Liahona, May 2023, 90)

Sister Bonnie H. Cordon, former Young Women General President, shared:

At an FSY conference, I met two young women who had been struggling. Both young women mentioned turning to her patriarchal blessing to rediscover the Lord’s love and guidance for her personally. Find your patriarchal blessing, blow off the dust if you must, but study it often. If you don’t have one, get one—soon. Don’t delay finding out what the Lord wants to tell you now about who you are. (Bonnie H. Cordon, “Come unto Christ and Don’t Come Alone,” Liahona, Nov. 2021, 10)

Follow the links. Write down what you learn about temples and temple ordinances in your Learning Journal.

• “Baptisms for the Dead”

• Guide to the Scriptures, “Endowment,” scriptures.ChurchofJesusChrist.org
• “About the Endowment” and other resources available at temples.ChurchofJesusChrist.org
• Topics and Questions, “Endowment,” topics.ChurchofJesusChrist.org

Activity A: Go through the 4 Steps of Likening.  Write each step and your answers in your Learning Journal.

Preaching the gospel

The Prophet Joseph Smith wrote, “Persecution has not stopped the progress of truth” (History of the Church, 4:540). The Lord had previously called many members of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles to serve missions overseas. Despite illness and difficulty, these determined brethren obediently left Nauvoo to serve, even though their families were suffering and ill.  As a result, thousands of people—primarily from England—received a witness from God, joined the Church, and traveled to Nauvoo. They became a great strength to the Church.

Read 1 Nephi 3:7 and Doctrine and Covenants 3:1, and consider how these verses might relate to this example of missionary work. 

President Henry B. Eyring wrote:  According to our records, it is estimated that between 7,500 and 8,000 were baptized during the two missions of the Twelve to the British Isles. This laid the foundation for missionary work in Europe. By the end of the 19th century, some 90,000 had gathered to America, with the most of these coming from the British Isles and Scandinavia. The Lord had inspired Joseph and those faithful missionaries who went to work to achieve a harvest that must have, at the time, seemed beyond them. But the Lord, with His perfect foresight and preparation, made it possible. (Henry B. Eyring, “He Goes before Us,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2020, 68).

Step 4:  How might the example of these missionaries in 1840 help us today when called to serve?

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Activity B: Go through the 4 Steps of Likening.  Write each step and your answers in your Learning Journal.

Establishing the Relief Society

While the Saints were building the Nauvoo Temple, a few sisters noticed that many of the men working on the temple lacked adequate shoes, pants, and shirts. Inspired by the Lord, they organized a group of women and began working together to provide these clothes. Like similar groups of the time, they drafted a constitution. They presented the document to Joseph Smith for his approval.

[When] Joseph [saw it, he] said it was the best constitution of its kind. “But this is not what you want,” he said. “Tell the sisters their offering is accepted of the Lord and He has something better for them. … I will organize the women under the priesthood, after the pattern of the priesthood.” (Saints, 1:448)

On March 17, 1842, God directed Joseph Smith to organize the Relief Society. God continues to inspire Relief Society leaders today to serve and strengthen members of the Church and countless others.

Read Doctrine and Covenants 58:26–28, looking for how these verses might relate to the inspired women whose actions led to the establishment of the Relief Society.

Eliza R. Snow, secretary of the Relief Society in Nauvoo and later the second General President of the Relief Society taught: Although the name [Relief Society] may be of modern date, the institution is of ancient origin. We were told by [the Prophet Joseph Smith] that the same organization existed in the church anciently. (Eliza R. Snow, “Female Relief Society,” Deseret News, Apr. 22, 1868, 1; see also Daughters in My Kingdom [2011], 7)

Step 4:  How might the example of these sisters in 1840 help us today when called to serve?