3 Nephi 27–4 Nephi 1

Overview

Jesus Christ taught His Nephite disciples that His Church should be called after His name and built upon His gospel. He explained important blessings that are available to those who follow His gospel, including sanctification through the Holy Ghost. Three of the Nephite disciples desired to remain on the earth and bring souls to Jesus Christ until His Second Coming, and this desire was granted. The people were deeply impacted by the Savior’s ministry among them, and they lived in righteousness for nearly 200 years.

Prepare to Teach

The following information provides teachers with ideas of what may need to be prepared in advance for each lesson.

3 Nephi 27, Part 1

Lesson purpose: This lesson can help students understand what the Savior’s gospel is and the importance of the Church’s name.

Student preparation: You could invite students to read 3 Nephi 27:1–10 and discover what the Savior taught His Nephite disciples about His Church.
Video: “The Correct Name of the Church” (15:43; watch from time code 3:26 to 4:45)
Picture: A line drawing of a church
Videoconference teaching suggestion: Toward the end of the lesson, students are invited to draw a picture of a church and list truths about the Savior’s gospel beneath it. You could display the church on your screen and use the annotate feature to allow students to add their insights to it.

3 Nephi 27, Part 2

Lesson purpose: This lesson can help students receive the Savior’s sanctifying power as they make efforts to live His gospel.

Student preparation: Invite students to discuss with others how the Holy Ghost has helped them become sanctified, or more like the Savior.
Video: “Remembering in Whom We Have Trusted” (10:25; watch from time code 0:00 to 2:09)
Content to display: Ways that students could apply the truths they have studied to their lives (listed at the end of the lesson)
Videoconference teaching suggestion: Consider inviting students to use the chat feature to respond to the question “What are some ways we can invite the ongoing companionship of the Holy Ghost so we can regularly be blessed with His sanctifying influence?” This could help you quickly generate a list of ideas that can help students.

Doctrinal Mastery: 3 Nephi 27:20

Lesson purpose: This lesson can help students memorize the scripture reference and key scripture phrase for 3 Nephi 27:20, explain the doctrine taught in this passage, and apply principles of acquiring spiritual knowledge in real-life situations.

Student preparation: Consider inviting students to begin memorizing the scripture reference and key scripture phrase for 3 Nephi 27:20: “Come unto me and be baptized …, that ye may be sanctified by the reception of the Holy Ghost.”
Videoconference teaching suggestion: Consider displaying the Doctrinal Mastery app to help students memorize the doctrinal mastery reference and key phrase.

3 Nephi 28

Lesson purpose: This lesson is intended to help students feel an increased desire to bring others to Jesus Christ.

Student preparation: Invite students to think about experiences they have had sharing the gospel and what helped them desire to do what they did.
Content to display: Self-evaluation questions near the beginning of the lesson; scripture references for the study activity near the end of the lesson
Videos: “Your Day for a Mission” (3:31); “By Small and Simple Things: Sharing the Gospel” (3:19)

4 Nephi

Lesson purpose: This lesson can help students feel greater love for Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ so they can become more deeply converted to Them.

Student preparation: Consider inviting students to study the meaning of the word conversion in available Church resources. Alternatively, you could invite students to ask someone they know what conversion to Christ means to them.
Video: “The Greatest Possession” (12:44; watch from time code 7:02 to 8:19)
Videoconference teaching suggestion: If you choose to read 4 Nephi 1:2–18 together as a class, you could set your screen to gallery view so you can see the whole class. After a student reads a verse, invite him or her to point in a specific direction. Then ask the student who appears in that direction on your screen to read the next verse. Students who do not feel comfortable reading should be allowed to decline.