Introductory Materials

Learning by Faith

The Role of the Learner

San Jose de Ocoa Dominican Republic Seminary

Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ love you and want to teach you the gospel by the power of the Holy Ghost. What can you do to receive more of what They are willing to teach you? This lesson can help you get the most out of your seminary experience by understanding what it means to learn by faith in Jesus Christ.

Taking an active role in spiritual learning. Gospel learning that fosters conversion requires consistent effort on the part of the learner. Help your students see the value of taking an active role in the teaching and learning process.

Student preparation: Invite students to read paragraphs 1–2 in the “Acquiring Spiritual Knowledge” section of the Doctrinal Mastery Core Document (2023) and prepare to share what we can do to learn spiritual truths.

Possible Learning Activities

The Lord loves effort

Consider writing the following statement on the board for student reference. You may want to have students watch the video “An Especially Noble Calling,” available on ChurchofJesusChrist.org, from time code 2:16–3:49 or have them read the statement below.

President Russell M. Nelson taught:

President Russell M. Nelson

The Lord loves effort, because effort brings rewards that can’t come without it. (Russell M. Nelson, in Joy D. Jones, “An Especially Noble Calling,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2020, 16)

• How could we apply President Nelson’s statement in our lives? For example, how might it apply to missionary work, ministering, or getting an education?

• How do you think it could apply to learning the gospel of Jesus Christ in seminary this year?

Consider displaying the following paragraph and questions for students to silently self-evaluate.

To help you evaluate your own gospel learning, think about the following questions:

• What efforts are you currently making to learn the gospel of Jesus Christ? How have you invited God to teach you?

• Do you feel that you are getting the results you want and need? Why or why not?

As you study this lesson, think about ways you want to learn and grow this year in seminary. Seek Heavenly Father’s guidance through the Holy Ghost to help you know how to apply this lesson to your life.

Book of Mormon teachings

Read at least two of the following doctrinal mastery passages, looking for how our own efforts and desires play a role and how God plays a role in our gospel learning.

Students could work in small groups, with each student reading a different passage and sharing what they learn with their group.

Consider writing the headings “Our Efforts” and “God’s Role” on the board and inviting students to write what they discover under the appropriate heading. Encourage them to share with the class details about what they write.

• 2 Nephi 28:30

• 2 Nephi 32:3

• 2 Nephi 32:8–9

• Ether 12:6

• Moroni 10:4–5

• What did you find that could help you learn more from God during seminary?

• What do you think the results would be if someone expected God to give them knowledge but did not make their own effort? Or if they made an effort but did not seek God’s help? Why?

Based on what you have studied so far today, summarize in one sentence what you understand about learning the gospel.

Consider inviting students to share their summary sentence with the class. Students may identify many different truths, such as the following:

• God will teach us line upon line if we desire to learn from Him.

• We must be willing to study and pray with faith in Jesus Christ if we desire to know the truth.

Thank students for their comments, and assure them that what they shared contributes to everyone’s learning. This can help motivate other students to share and create an environment of participation.

Can seminary change your life?

Consider having students watch “Seminary Can Change Lives” (4:14), available at ChurchofJesusChrist.org. Ask students to think about possible reasons the videos was named “Seminary can Change Lives” rather than “Seminary Will Change Your Life.” Invite students to share their thoughts after the video.

Read the following statement by President Russell M. Nelson, looking for what will help determine whether your life will be changed by seminary.

President Russell M. Nelson

The more you follow the example of Jesus Christ, the more successful you will be.

What, then, will help you become such a devout disciple of Jesus Christ? One answer is seminary and institute—not just attending but actively participating in class and faithfully following through with any assignments given. …

Graduating from seminary and institute will increase your ability to excel in the most important things you will ever do in life. True joy will be yours! (Russell M. Nelson, “A Personal Invitation to Participate in Seminary and Institute,” Feb. 2019, ChurchofJesusChrist.org)

• What stood out to you in President Nelson’s statement? Why?

• How could you focus on following Jesus Christ during your experience in seminary?

• What do you think “actively participating” in seminary means?

Invite students to discuss specific ways to actively participate in seminary. Help them understand that students with different personalities and circumstances can actively participate in different ways. For example, how might a shy student and an outgoing student each actively participate in their own way?

How to get the most out of seminary

For the following activity, consider displaying this picture or another picture of a young man in seminary. Invite students to make the situation feel more real by giving the young man a name and describing his personality, his gospel background, how he feels about seminary, and so forth. Then invite students to write in their study journals the advice they would give this young man before sharing their advice with the class.

Seminary class participants

Imagine that the young man in this picture is attending seminary for the first time. He wants to learn and grow spiritually but is unsure how to do it. Based on what you have learned today and your past experience in seminary and church, record the advice you would give him.

Be sure to include

• what he could do before, during, and after class to enhance his spiritual learning

• how he could focus on following the Savior and invite the Holy Ghost to teach him

• actions or attitudes that could make it easier or more difficult to learn spiritually, both for him and for others in the class

As students share their advice, consider helping them see the value in preparing their hearts and minds to learn before class. You could help students do this by extending invitations to them to prepare using some of the “Student preparation” suggestions found at the top of each lesson. Also help them see the importance of acting on the truths they learn after they leave class.

Set a goal to get the most out of your seminary experience this year. To do this, you might answer the following questions:

• What are you hoping to get out of seminary this year?

• What are you willing to do to show the Lord that you want to learn from Him and become more like Him?

Commentary and Background Information

What can I do to receive and remember what Heavenly Father wants to teach me?

Elder Richard G. Scott (1928–2015) of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles explained:

Elder Richard G. Scott

Write down in a secure place the important things you learn from the Spirit. You will find that as you record a precious impression, often others will come that you would not have otherwise received. Also, the spiritual knowledge you gain will be available throughout your life. Always, day or night, wherever you are, whatever you are doing, seek to recognize and respond to the direction of the Spirit. Have available a piece of paper or a card to record such guidance.

Express gratitude to the Lord for the spiritual guidance you receive and obey it. This practice will reinforce your capacity to learn by the Spirit. It will enhance the guidance of the Lord in your life. You will learn more as you act upon the knowledge, experience, and inspiration communicated to you by the Holy Ghost. (Richard G. Scott, “How to Learn by the Spirit,” New Era, Sept. 2014, 48)

Why is my participation in class important?

Elder Richard G. Scott (1928–2015) of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles taught:

Elder Richard G. Scott

[Students’] decision to participate is an exercise in agency that permits the Holy Ghost to communicate a personalized message suited to their individual needs. …

That participation will bring into [students’] lives the direction of the Spirit. … Participation allows individuals to experience being led by the Spirit. They learn to recognize and feel what spiritual guidance is. (Richard G. Scott, “To Learn and to Teach More Effectively” [Brigham Young University Education Week devotional, Aug. 21, 2007], 4–5, speeches.byu.edu)

Elder David A. Bednar of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles said:

Elder David A. Bednar

True faith is focused in and on the Lord Jesus Christ and always leads to action. …

… Learning by faith requires spiritual, mental, and physical exertion and not just passive reception. It is in the sincerity and consistency of our faith-inspired action that we indicate to our Heavenly Father and His Son, Jesus Christ, our willingness to learn and receive instruction from the Holy Ghost. (David A. Bednar, “Seek Learning by Faith,” Ensign or Liahona, Sept. 2007, 63–64)

Watch the video “1.3.3 Spiritual Learning Requires Effort,” available on ChurchofJesusChrist.org, from time code 0:00 to 2:13. Look for what Elder Bednar taught about the importance of actively participating in class.

Supplemental Learning Activities

Alternate beginning activity

To start the lesson, consider inviting a student or the entire class to do something that will require a little effort to complete—for example, obtaining an item that is initially out of reach or solving a riddle or puzzle that will require a little thought. Offer a small reward to those who put forth the effort to complete the task. Then display the statement by President Nelson about effort, located at the beginning of the lesson.

Doctrinal Mastery Core Document

Invite students to read paragraphs 1–2 in the “Acquiring Spiritual Knowledge” section of the Doctrinal Mastery Core Document (2023). Ask them to mark each word or phrase that describes what is expected of us to learn spiritually. Then ask them to mark in a different way each word or phrase that describes God’s role in our learning.

Alternate ending activity

Invite students to write a letter to themselves, place it in a sealed envelope, and hand it in. Inform them that the letter will not be read but will be returned to them later in the semester to help them judge their own progress. Invite them to include in the letter what they hope to learn and feel in seminary and what they are willing to do before, during, and after class to show God that they want to learn from Him and become more like Him.