Assess Your Learning 1

1 Nephi 1–15

Reading the Scriptures in Africa

This lesson is intended to help you evaluate the goals you have set and the growth you have experienced thus far during your study of the Book of Mormon.

Study the Book of Mormon Daily

• What are some things you do every day or every night?

• What could happen if you skipped these activities for a day or longer?

• Why is daily scripture study something we should strive to do?

Choose one of the following to describe how your daily study of the Book of Mormon is going:

1. My study feels meaningful and has been consistent.

2. My study is good when it happens but isn’t happening very regularly.

3. I am consistent with my study but don’t get a lot out of it.

4. I am struggling to understand what I read and rarely study on my own.

5. I have not done anything to work toward a scripture study goal.

6. Other: explain your answer.

It is natural to have obstacles come up with a daily goal like this. The important thing is to keep trying.

• What has gone well with your study of the Book of Mormon? What would you like to do better or differently?

Personal thoughts and feelings about the Book of Mormon

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1. Complete at least one of the following activities in your study journal:

   Activity 1: Testimony meeting

   If you were to bear your testimony in sacrament meeting about the Book of Mormon, what would you say to convey your feelings?

   Activity 2: Why do you study?

   Imagine you are studying the Book of Mormon when a younger sibling walks in and asks, “What are you reading?” You respond, “The Book of Mormon.” Your sibling asks, “Why?” Write two or three sentences describing what you could say to your younger sibling to help him or her understand why you choose to study the Book of Mormon.

   Activity 3: A social media post

   A friend writes the following social media post: “I have recently started reading the Book of Mormon and am loving it! For any of you who have read the Book of Mormon before, would you please share your favorite verse with me and a short explanation of why you love it?”

Lehi’s Dream

Take a minute to look over these illustrations of the tree of life and reflect on what you learned.

Lehi’s tree of life vision with bright gold tree, people holding on to the iron rod, and the great and spacious building.

Lehi’s Dream

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2. Answer the following questions:

   • What different parts or symbols of the dream do you remember?

   • Which of the symbols stood out the most to you? Why?

   • How is Lehi’s dream similar to our world today?

Consider how different parts of Lehi’s dream might help the individuals in the following scenarios:

• A young man is spending time with a group of people who choose to break the Word of Wisdom and pressure him to do the same.

• A young woman thinks she will take her scripture study more seriously when her stressful life calms down.

• A young man starts to feel ashamed of his membership in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints when he hears others mocking people who are religious.

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3. Answer the following questions:

   • How could you use Lehi’s dream to address each scenario?

   • What teaching or truth from Lehi’s dream do you feel could help you come closer to God’s love in your life?

You can keep the commandments

During the lesson on 1 Nephi 3, you may have made a goal to be more obedient to a commandment that has been difficult to keep. Reflect on your progress toward this goal, and record your thoughts in your study or personal journal. Consider the following questions as you reflect and write:

• How is your effort to obey this commandment going?

• What successes or obstacles have you experienced?

• How might you adjust your plan?

• How have you been blessed for your efforts?

• How has the Lord prepared a way for you to be obedient?

If you haven’t thought of a commandment that may be difficult for you to keep, think about one now. Decide what actions you could take to keep it more fully.

President Henry B. Eyring of the First Presidency taught that Nephi’s trust in the Lord can give us encouragement when we find it difficult to obey the Lord’s commandments:

President Henry B. Eyring

The young Nephi in the Book of Mormon stirs in us a desire to develop trust in the Lord to obey His commandments, however hard they appear to us. Nephi faced danger and possible death when he said these words of trust that we can and must feel steadily in our hearts: “I will go and do the things which the Lord hath commanded, for I know that the Lord giveth no commandments unto the children of men, save he shall prepare a way for them that they may accomplish the thing which he commandeth them” [1 Nephi 3:7]. (Henry B. Eyring, “Trust in God, Then Go and Do,” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2010, 71)