2 Nephi 9:50–52

“Come Unto the Holy One of Israel”

youth reading the scriptures together

Have you ever expected great happiness from something only to be disappointed afterward? Jacob concluded his sermon by counseling the Nephites to avoid spending time or money on things that wouldn’t provide lasting satisfaction. He invited them to come unto Jesus Christ and feast upon the blessings of the gospel. This lesson is intended to help you feel a greater desire to seek the blessings and satisfaction that only Jesus Christ can provide.

Teaching doctrine. The Lord commanded us to “teach one another the doctrine of the kingdom” (Doctrine and Covenants 88:77). This doctrine consists of eternal truths that, when applied, lead to exaltation. Central among these truths is the role of Jesus Christ in the plan of salvation. Teaching true doctrine invites the witness of the Holy Ghost and can inspire students to follow the Savior.

Student preparation: Invite students to think of choices they have made, places they have gone, or things they have learned that brought lasting satisfaction to their lives.

Possible Learning Activities

Satisfying our hunger and thirst

Consider showing the students a few cups that are filled with things that would not quench a person’s thirst, such as soy sauce, mustard, or syrup. Then show another cup filled with clean water. Invite students to imagine that they were extremely thirsty and had an opportunity to drink from only one of the cups you were showing them. Ask them to make a choice and to explain the potential consequences of their choice.

You could also do a demonstration using food items that would not satisfy a person’s hunger, such as salt or a small mint, along with a more substantial and nutritious food item, such as a piece of fruit.

You have probably noticed that our spirits, like our bodies, need nourishment and satisfaction.

• What are some ways we can provide lasting nourishment or satisfaction to our spirits?

• What are things people turn to for satisfaction that can leave them feeling spiritually empty?

• Why do you think people sometimes turn to things that do not bring lasting satisfaction?

Invite students to assess their own lives by giving them an opportunity to think about the following questions.

• Are there things you turn to for happiness and fulfillment that don’t satisfy those desires? What has helped you feel lasting peace and happiness in your life?

As you study today, look for truths that can help you experience the blessings and satisfaction that only Jesus Christ can offer.

“Feast upon that which perisheth not”

Recall from your study of 2 Nephi 9:27–49 that Jacob warned his people against sinful practices they were engaging in. Jacob then concluded his remarks with an important invitation.

Read 2 Nephi 9:50–52, looking for Jacob’s invitation to his people.

• What are some words or phrases from these verses that you find important? Why?

• What do these verses help you understand about the desires Jesus Christ has for us? What do they teach you about what He offers us?

Invite the students to identify truths from Jacob’s teachings. They might identify a truth similar to the following. Consider writing this truth on the board.

One truth that we can learn from these verses is when we come unto Jesus Christ, our souls can be satisfied.

Using cross-references to deepen your understanding

Finding scripture passages that relate to what you are studying can be a helpful way to deepen your understanding of and appreciation for what is in the scriptures.

Practice this skill by finding cross-references that relate to the teachings in 2 Nephi 9:50–52.

Consider going through the process described in the following two paragraphs as a class, drawing the diagram on the board and finding one or two cross-references together. One helpful cross-reference you might point out to students is Alma 5:33–34. Students could then be divided into partnerships or small groups to work on finding cross-references together.

Consider creating a diagram similar to the following in your study journal and writing “2 Nephi 9:50–52” in the middle circle. As you find related scriptures that you want to remember, you could write the references in the other circles.

circle graph

Your first step for finding cross-references could be to look for the scripture references and topics listed in the footnotes. Next, consider identifying key words from 2 Nephi 9:50–52 and searching those words or related terms in the Guide to the Scriptures, the Topical Guide, or the Gospel Library search function.

Here are some words or phrases you might consider looking up: come; living water; satisfy; hearken; feast; prayer; thanksgiving; rejoice.

After students have had sufficient time to find cross-references, invite a few volunteers to share one of the scriptures that was especially meaningful to them. Have the students explain how that cross-reference enhanced their understanding of the teachings of 2 Nephi 9:50–52. Consider adding scripture references students share to the diagram on the board.

Applying what you learned

Think about what you have learned about Jesus Christ today and how these teachings can bless you in your current circumstances.

To help students process what they have learned in today’s lesson, consider displaying the following questions and inviting students to record their responses in their study journal.

• What have you learned or felt about Jesus Christ today that you want to remember?

• How can choosing to follow Jesus Christ provide your soul with lasting satisfaction?

• What are some specific choices you could make that would bring the lasting satisfaction available through Jesus Christ into your life?

Invite a few volunteers to share some of their responses with the class. Testify of the truths you have discussed today. Encourage students to examine their lives and think of changes they could make that would help them experience the happiness, peace, and satisfaction that comes from following Jesus Christ.

Commentary and Background Information

2 Nephi 9:50–51. What did Jacob mean when he said come buy “without money and without price”?

All people can receive the blessings Jesus Christ offers, regardless of financial situation or any other worldly qualifications. While these blessings do not require physical money, there is something we must do to obtain them. Where else can I go to learn more about the gathering of Israel?

Elder Jeffrey R. Holland of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles taught:

Elder Jeffrey R. Holland

When difficult things are asked of us, even things contrary to the longings of our heart, remember that the loyalty we pledge to the cause of Christ is to be the supreme devotion of our lives. Although Isaiah reassures us it is available “without money and without price” [Isaiah 55:1]—and it is—we must be prepared, using T. S. Eliot’s line, to have it cost “not less than everything” [“Little Gidding,” in T. S. Eliot: Collected Poems, 1909–1962 (1963), 209]. (Jeffrey R. Holland, “The Greatest Possession,” Liahona, Nov. 2021, 9)

President Marion G. Romney (1897–1988) of the First Presidency taught:

President Marion G. Romney

When earth life is over and things appear in their true perspective, we shall more clearly see and realize what the Lord and his prophets have repeatedly told us, that the fruits of the gospel are the only objectives worthy of life’s full efforts. Their possessor obtains true wealth—wealth in the Lord’s view of values. (Marion G. Romney, in Conference Report, Oct. 1949, 39)

How is what Jesus Christ offers us different from the pleasures of the world?

Elder Ulisses Soares of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles taught:

Elder Ulisses Soares

People everywhere are looking for something. In their own way, what they are really looking for is happiness. As with truth itself, however, many are kept from happiness “because they know not where to find it” (Doctrine and Covenants 123:12).

Because they do not know where to find true and lasting happiness, they look for it in things that actually bring temporary pleasure only—buying things, seeking honor and praise from the world through inappropriate behavior, or focusing on physical beauty and attractiveness.

Pleasure is often confused with happiness. It seems that the more people seek temporary pleasure, the less happy they become. Usually, pleasure endures for only a short time. (Ulisses Soares, “Paths to True Happiness,” Ensign, Apr. 2018, 14)

Supplemental Learning Activities

If you would like to spend some time studying Jacob’s teachings in 2 Nephi 10, the following ideas might be helpful.

2 Nephi 10:20. “We are not cast off”

From the title page of the Book of Mormon we learn that one of the book’s purposes is to help members of the house of Israel know that “they are not cast off forever.” Consider reading 2 Nephi 10:20 with students and asking questions like the following:

• What could cause someone to feel “cast off” from the blessings of the Lord?

• Why might Jacob have counseled his people not to hang down their heads?

Invite students to analyze 2 Nephi 10:1–22. They could look for evidence of the Lord’s mercy and how He can bring them back when they may feel cast off.

2 Nephi 10:23–25. “Reconcile yourselves to the will of God”

Remind students that as part of his sermon in 2 Nephi 9, Jacob was speaking to some of the Nephites who had fallen into sin (see 2 Nephi 9:27–49). Invite them to read 2 Nephi 10:23–25, looking for what Jacob challenged the Nephites to do.

It may be instructive to help students better understand that one meaning of the word reconcile is to bring people or things into harmony or agreement with each other.

Consider inviting students to think about why we need to be reconciled to the will of God when we sin and what we can do to be reconciled to the will of God.