Seminary
2 Nephi 2:1–16: “God Gave unto Man That He Should Act for Himself”

“2 Nephi 2:1–16: ‘God Gave unto Man That He Should Act for Himself,’” Book of Mormon Teacher Manual (2024)

“2 Nephi 2:1–16: ‘God Gave unto Man That He Should Act for Himself,’” Book of Mormon Teacher Manual

2 Nephi 2:1–16

“God Gave unto Man That He Should Act for Himself”

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Lehi teaching Jacob

Imagine your life if you did not have any choices. Agency, or the power to choose, is one of God’s greatest gifts to us. Lehi’s son Jacob had already experienced many challenges at a young age, so Lehi taught him valuable truths about the Savior and freedom to choose. This lesson can help you better understand the role of agency in Heavenly Father’s plan.

Asking questions that invite introspection. Questions that invite students to ponder the scriptures, their feelings toward the Savior, His teachings, or the application of principles can promote reflection, which the Spirit can use to teach. Allow students the time needed for effective pondering and writing.

Student preparation: Invite students to recognize and make a list of important choices they make between now and the next lesson. Ask them to come prepared to share why choice is essential to our mortal lives and to Heavenly Father’s plan of salvation.

Possible Learning Activities

Important choices

Invite students to use their class preparation to do the following activity in their study journals.

For the next two minutes, write some of the important choices you have made over the last few days.

  • Why do you think choice is essential to our mortal lives and to Heavenly Father’s plan of salvation?

Ponder what you have learned from the choices you are proud of as well as from those you regret. As you study in this lesson, seek the guidance of the Holy Ghost to learn what might help you better understand and use your ability to choose. If you have questions about agency, also pray for and seek answers as you study.

Essential aspects of agency

Lehi’s son Jacob was born in the wilderness after their family left Jerusalem. Shortly before Lehi’s death, he taught Jacob important truths about agency.

Read 2 Nephi 2:1–4 to see how Lehi began his message to Jacob. It may be helpful to know that the word “consecrate” means to dedicate or make holy (see “Consecrate, Law of Consecration” in the Guide to the Scriptures [scriptures.ChurchofJesusChrist.org]).

  • Why might it be meaningful for a person who has faced many trials to understand the importance of the power of choice?

  • What truths from these verses are most meaningful to you? Why?

Display the following information or provide it as a handout. You could assign different students or groups of students one of the three options. Alternatively, you could divide students into groups and invite them to study as much as they can within a time limit.

Our Power to Choose

Book of Mormon Teacher Manual (2024)—”2 Nephi 2:1–16”

Option A: What does our power to choose teach us about God?

Read 2 Nephi 2:14, 16 looking for what Lehi taught about God and our agency.

  • What did you learn?

  • Why is it important to understand that God gives us the power to act for ourselves?

  • How does it make you feel that Heavenly Father trusts you to make your own choices?

Think of an example of when you used agency in a way that you feel pleased Heavenly Father.

  • Why do you feel your choice pleased God?

It may also be useful to contemplate any choices you have made that may not have pleased God and what you have learned from those.

Option B: What has God given us to help us choose wisely?

Read 2 Nephi 2:5, 13 and Moroni 7:16 looking for the following truths. Note “the law” refers to God’s commandments.

  • We must know good from evil to fully exercise our agency.

  • We must have the law to have agency.

  • What do you learn about Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ from the truth that They give everyone enough knowledge of good and evil to be able to choose to be righteous or wicked?

  • What would happen if there were no law or commandments?

Option C: Why do we feel opposition to our good choices?

Read 2 Nephi 2:11, 16, looking for additional truths that Lehi taught about agency.

  • What did you find?

  • In Heavenly Father’s plan, why do you think opposition is a necessary aspect of agency?

  • In what ways are we enticed to make right and wrong choices?

To help you understand this truth, read the following statement by Elder Jeffrey R. Holland of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles:

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Elder Jeffrey R. Holland

God’s premortal children could not become like him … unless they obtained … experience in an arena where both good and evil were present. …

… We wanted the chance to … confront good and evil and be strong enough to choose the good. (Jeffrey R. Holland, Christ and the New Covenant: The Messianic Message of the Book of Mormon [1997], 200, 204)

Think of ways you are learning to choose good, even when tempted by evil. You may want to write your thoughts in your study journal. You may also want to ponder ways you could seek help with any decisions you may want to change.

Our need for the Savior

None but the Savior has exercised agency perfectly in mortality. We all sin, and without help we would all “perish … and become miserable forever” (2 Nephi 2:5).

Consider using information from the “Commentary and Background Information” section here to help students better understand what is taught in 2 Nephi 2:6–8.

With this in mind, read 2 Nephi 2:6–8 to see what Jesus Christ did for all of us.

  • How did the Savior choose to help you?

One principle Lehi testified of is that through His Atonement, the Savior redeems us from our sins.

  • How does understanding this about Jesus Christ influence your feelings toward Him?

  • What do you learn from the Savior’s example about making choices?

Invite students to ponder the following without sharing their answers aloud, as they may be too personal.

Think about a time when, with the help of Jesus Christ, you repented of a sin. How did repenting affect you?

You may want to give students an opportunity to summarize and share what they understand about agency before concluding this lesson. The following activity is one way you might do this.

Imagine that the missionaries in your area are teaching a youth who is hearing about Heavenly Father’s plan for the first time. The missionaries invite you to come to the next teaching appointment with this youth. They ask you to prepare thoughts from 2 Nephi 2 on the importance of agency in Heavenly Father’s plan. Create and submit a brief outline of what you would teach. Include the following:

  1. At least two scriptures from 2 Nephi 2:1–16, 26 with their associated truths, including a brief explanation of why they are meaningful or important

  2. How Jesus Christ’s sacrifice can influence our choices

  3. How these truths can make a difference in our lives

    Place students in pairs or small groups and invite them to share their outlines with one another. If there is time, consider role-playing the outlines and inviting students to teach one another.

When you finish your outline, seek the guidance of the Holy Ghost as you ponder ways you can remember these truths and how remembering them could bless your life. For example, you might put a screensaver on your phone, place a note on your mirror, or do something else that would allow you to consistently see and remember these truths.

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handout