“1 Nephi 8:1–18: The Love of God Is the Most Desirable above All Things” Book of Mormon Teacher Manual (2024)

“1 Nephi 8:1–18: The Love of God Is the Most Desirable above All Things” Book of Mormon Teacher Manual

1 Nephi 8:1–18

The Love of God Is the Most Desirable above All Things

How would you describe God’s love? Lehi had a vision in which he saw a beautiful tree. He ate the fruit of that tree, and it “was most sweet, above all” he had ever tasted (1 Nephi 8:11). This tree and its fruit represent the love of God, manifested in the birth, life, ministry, and atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ. This love “filled [Lehi’s] soul with exceedingly great joy” (1 Nephi 8:12). This lesson is intended to help you increase your desire to experience God’s love and Jesus Christ’s Atonement.

Encouraging learners to share experiences. Each individual in class has a rich source of testimony, insights, and experiences in living the gospel. Provide opportunities for students to share appropriate personal experiences. Express gratitude for students when they are willing to share such experiences.

Student preparation: Invite students to ponder the following questions: In what ways can someone experience God’s love? When have you felt His love for you? Students could also talk to a family member or Church leader about how they experience God’s love for them.

Possible Learning Activities

Darkness and light

Consider showing a video of one of these stories shared in general conference. You could also share a personal experience to help students begin to feel what it is like to be in darkness and desire light. This can help students prepare to learn about their need for Jesus Christ to overcome darkness in their lives.

Riding a bike through a 15-mile-long tunnel (see Vern P. Stanfill, “Choose the Light,” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2015, 55–57).

The lights of the Salt Lake Temple not turning on at night (see Sharon Eubank, “Christ: The Light That Shines in Darkness,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2019, 73–76).

Rappelling into a deep cave (see Timothy J. Dyches, “Light Cleaveth unto Light,” Liahona, May 2021, 112–15).

Lehi prays for the Lord’s mercy

While living in the wilderness, Lehi shared the details of a vision he had with his family. In this vision, he was in “a dark and dreary wilderness” (1 Nephi 8:4).

To help students visualize the following verses, it may be helpful to ask them to read slowly or for you to read the verses and invite students to close their eyes and imagine what the verses describe.

Read 1 Nephi 8:5–8, looking for what happened to Lehi and how he felt. It can be helpful to visualize what you read. Look for descriptive details that can help you create a mental picture or imagine the events like a movie.

What kind of thoughts or feelings do you think caused Lehi to pray for mercy?

Take a moment to ponder the different ways we might feel darkness in our lives and the reasons we may cry out to the Lord for mercy.

Read 1 Nephi 8:9–12, looking for how the Lord helped Lehi.

In your study journal, make a simple drawing representing the tree Lehi saw. Draw the fruit on the tree, and label the fruit based on Lehi’s explanations in 1 Nephi 8:10–12. (For additional descriptions to label the fruit of the tree, read 1 Nephi 15:36 and Alma 32:42.) As you draw, think about what this tree and its fruit might represent.

Later, Nephi wanted to personally know and understand the vision, including the meaning of the tree Lehi had seen. While pondering on what he had been taught, Nephi was shown, by the Spirit, a vision of the Virgin Mary holding baby Jesus in her arms (see 1 Nephi 11:13, 20).

Look at the following image and think about why Nephi might have been shown this when He wanted to know the meaning of the tree.

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Mary and infant Jesus

Read 1 Nephi 11:21–23, looking for what else Nephi was shown and how it helped him learn the meaning of the tree. You might label the tree based on what you learn.

How do you think the Savior helps us feel the love of God?

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

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Elder David A. Bednar

The greatest manifestation of God’s love for His children is the mortal ministry, atoning sacrifice, and Resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. The fruit on the tree can be considered a symbol for the blessings of the Savior’s Atonement. (David A. Bednar, “Come and See,” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2014, 109)

From Lehi’s vision and Elder Bednar’s statement, what truths can you identify about God’s love?

Students may identify several different truths. Encourage students to express why the truth they identified is important to them.

Feeling God’s love and great joy through Jesus Christ

One truth we can learn is that God’s love, manifest through Jesus Christ, is more desirable than anything else and brings the most joy.

The following activities can help you recognize how you might feel God’s love for you because of Jesus Christ. As you do these activities, try to identify multiple blessings that come through Jesus Christ and His Atonement and write them on or around the fruit you drew.

It may be effective to do each of the following activities differently. Students could work in pairs or small groups for Activity 1. Activity 2 might be best done by choosing one video and watching it as a class. Activity 3 could be done by students individually.

Activity 1

Read what Lehi testified of after seeing this vision in 1 Nephi 10:5–6. Also read some of the following scriptures or look up others that illustrate the blessings we can receive through the Atonement of Jesus Christ: Isaiah 53:4–5; John 1:17; Mosiah 4:2–3; Alma 7:11–12; Helaman 5:12.

Activity 2

Watch one of the following videos, available at ChurchofJesusChrist.org, looking for the blessings that come through Jesus Christ:

Activity 3

Ponder ways you have experienced the blessings Jesus Christ offers or how you have seen this in other people’s lives. This could include ways the Lord blessed you in times of darkness.

What did you learn?

Take a moment to review the blessings we can receive through the Atonement of Jesus Christ that you wrote on your drawing of fruit. Ponder why these blessings might “make one happy” (1 Nephi 8:10), be “most sweet, above all” (1 Nephi 8:11), and fill you “with exceedingly great joy” (1 Nephi 8:12).

Invite several students to share what they learned and why it was meaningful to them. The following questions may be helpful:

What did you learn about God’s love for you?
Which blessings that are available through Jesus Christ do you want most in your life? Why?
How have you been blessed because of the love God has shown in sending His Son Jesus Christ to atone for you?

After hearing students’ experiences, consider sharing your own thoughts and testimony of God’s love and the blessings we can receive through the Savior and His Atonement.

Commentary and Background Information

What blessings can we receive through the Atonement of Jesus Christ?

The scriptures testify of many blessings the Savior offers us through His Atonement. We can be forgiven of our sins, and our hearts can be purified (see Mosiah 4:2–3). We can be reconciled to God (see Jacob 4:11). We receive “grace and truth” (John 1:17). We can overcome the world and feel peace (see John 16:33). We can receive divine help and healing with our afflictions, pains, sorrows, and sicknesses (see Isaiah 53:4–5; Alma 7:11). He knows our infirmities and will help us with them (see Alma 7:12). He can strengthen us against temptation (see Doctrine and Covenants 62:1). He is a sure foundation, and if we build our lives on Him, we will never fall (see Helaman 5:12). All mankind will be resurrected from the dead (see Mosiah 16:7–8; Alma 7:12; 1 Corinthians 15:22). We can become like the Savior and inherit eternal life (see Moroni 7:48; 2 Nephi 2:27).

Supplemental Learning Activities

Examples from scriptures about experiencing joy through Jesus Christ

This activity could be useful in helping students understand the truth that God’s love, manifest through Jesus Christ, is more desirable than anything else and brings the most joy. There is a recurring pattern in the Book of Mormon and other scriptures of people in need who turned to God and experienced His love and joy (by symbolically partaking of the fruit of the tree of life). Consider providing students time to read one example and look for what they can learn from the example.

Example 1: King Benjamin’s people

The people had fallen to the ground out of fear of the Lord (Mosiah 4:1).
They prayed for mercy (Mosiah 4:2).
They were filled with joy through Jesus Christ (Mosiah 4:3).
King Benjamin pointed out that they had tasted of God’s love (Mosiah 4:11).

Example 2: Alma

Alma felt fear and guilt (Alma 36:11–16).
He prayed for mercy (Alma 36:17–18).
He felt joy through Jesus Christ (Alma 36:19–21).

Example 3: Joseph Smith

Joseph Smith was overcome by darkness and felt fear (Joseph Smith—History 1:15).
He prayed for deliverance (Joseph Smith—History 1:16).
Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ appeared to him in great glory (Joseph Smith—History 1:17).
About his experience in the Sacred Grove, Joseph Smith wrote, “My soul was ﬁlled with love and for many days I could rejoice with great joy” (History, circa Summer 1832, 3, josephsmithpapers.org).
Other examples include Enos (see Enos 1:1–8), King Lamoni (see Alma 18: 20–21, 41; 19:6, 12–13), King Lamoni’s wife (see Alma 19:4, 8–11, 29–30), a group of Lamanites (see Helaman 5:23–28, 40–48), and Nephites at Jesus Christ’s appearance (see 3 Nephi 8:19–25; 11:1–17; 4 Nephi 1:16).

A desire to share joy with others

When Lehi partook of the fruit of the tree and experienced great joy, he had a desire to share this joy with his family (see 1 Nephi 8:12). Elder David A. Bednar taught, “Lehi’s instant response to partaking of the fruit of the tree and experiencing great joy was an increased desire to share with and serve his family. Thus, as he turned to Christ, he also turned outward in love and service” (“Come and See,” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2014, 109).

Students may benefit from a discussion about the joy they have found in following the Savior Jesus Christ and how they are sharing this joy with their family and others.