“Ether 3: ‘Such Exceeding Faith,’” Book of Mormon Teacher Manual (2024)
“Ether 3,” Book of Mormon Teacher Manual
Ether 3
“Such Exceeding Faith”
Have you ever truly considered the difference faith in Jesus Christ can make in our lives? A great example is the brother of Jared, who approached the Lord with a plan to solve his problems and humbly prayed with “such exceeding faith” (Ether 3:9) that “the veil was taken from off [his] eyes” (Ether 3:6) and he saw and conversed with the Lord. This lesson is intended to help you humbly exercise faith in Jesus Christ.
Focus on Jesus Christ as you teach the scriptures. Take time to help students recognize truths about the Savior and His redeeming power. Point out scripture passages that may increase their faith in Him. Consider asking questions that will invite students to ponder how Jesus Christ can bless, strengthen, and guide them.
Student preparation: Invite students to think of three people they admire from Church history or scriptures and how these people showed faith in Jesus Christ.
Possible Learning Activities
How do you show faith?
The following will help prepare students to learn more about faith in Jesus Christ. Instead of having students list examples, you could turn to the end of the lesson to show one of the videos or tell the story of Jan Roothoff.
Make a list of three people you admire from Church history or scriptures.
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What are some ways these people showed faith in Jesus Christ?
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How can you tell if you are exercising faith in Jesus Christ in your life?
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Why would you want to exercise faith?
Consider writing students’ answers to the second question on the board. Invite students to ponder these answers and to evaluate their own faith. If helpful, add some or all of the following self-evaluation statements and invite students to complete them.
To help you ponder your own faith in Jesus Christ, write how true the following statements are on a scale of 1–5 (1 = never; 2 = sometimes; 3 = often; 4 = almost always; 5 = always):
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I believe in Christ and accept Him as my Savior.
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Through sincere prayer to Heavenly Father, I seek for help from God and Jesus Christ with my problems and trust in Their direction and help.
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I take action and trust the Lord to help me.
As you study this lesson, seek to learn more about how you can humbly exercise faith in Jesus Christ and why you may want to.
Exercising faith
In the previous lesson, you learned that the Lord commanded the brother of Jared to build barges and cross the ocean to the promised land; however, the barges had no light. The Lord asked the brother of Jared to propose a solution (see Ether 2:23). As the brother of Jared acted in faith in Jesus Christ, the Lord helped solve his problem and blessed him in ways beyond what he asked for.
Provide the following handout, and invite students to fill it in individually or in small groups.
The Faith of the Brother of Jared
Book of Mormon Teacher Manual (2024)—“Ether 3: ‘Such Exceeding Faith’”
Read the verses beneath each of the following pictures and write what the brother of Jared did or said to show faith. (To understand Ether 3:2–3, it is important to understand that because of the Fall of Adam and Eve, we live in a world where we are physically separated from God and we all sin and separate ourselves spiritually from God.)
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What did you learn from the brother of Jared’s experience?
Invite several students to share their answers. Write true principles they state on the board.
One principle we can learn is that as we humbly exercise faith in the Lord, we will come closer to Him.
To help students better understand the faith of the brother of Jared, consider dividing the class into small groups to do the following four activities. Alternatively, invite students to work in groups of four, each student doing one of the activities. Then students could share what they learned in their groups and, if useful, share highlights as a class.
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The brother of Jared “did molten out of a rock sixteen small stones,” carried them to “the top of the mount, and cried again unto the Lord” (Ether 3:1). Write why you feel being willing to act and do what we can to solve the problem is an important part of our faith in the Lord.
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As the brother of Jared prayed, he spoke of “his weakness before [God]” (Ether 3:2) and humbly asked for help. Write how understanding our own weakness and our total dependance on the Lord can affect our prayers and our faith in Him.
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As the brother of Jared asked the Lord to touch the stones to make them shine, he testified, “I know, O Lord, that thou hast all power, and can do whatsoever thou wilt for the benefit of man” (Ether 3:4). Write how you have come to know or could come to know that the Lord has the power to help us with our problems. You might include how that knowledge can affect our faith in Him.
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The brother of Jared promised that he would believe the words the Lord would speak in the future (see Ether 3:11–12). Write why you think the brother of Jared trusted in the Lord so much that he agreed to this.
Coming closer to the Lord
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What are the different ways the Lord blessed the brother of Jared because of his faith?
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In what ways did the brother of Jared come closer to the Lord through this experience?
It may be helpful to mark the Lord’s words to the brother of Jared: “Ye are redeemed from the fall; therefore ye are brought back into my presence” (Ether 3:13). As we exercise faith in the Lord with our individual problems, we can also receive His help with our eternal goal to overcome our separation from Him and return to live with Him.
Watch or read one of the following examples of youth exercising their faith.
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Watch “Faith and the Goal” (4:40). A young professional soccer player tells how she exercises faith in the Lord.
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Watch “Rebuilding My Faith When I Felt Lost” (6:25). After returning early from a mission, a young man rebuilds his faith in Jesus Christ.
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Read the account of Jan Roothoff, a young boy in the Netherlands who sought the prophet Joseph F. Smith to heal his diseased eyes (Saints: The Story of the Church of Jesus Christ in the Latter Days, vol. 3, Boldly, Nobly, and Independent, 1893–1955 [2022], 123–25).
Invite students to share what they learned from the video or story.
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What experiences have you or those you know had that have strengthened your faith in Jesus Christ?
Conclude by writing one way you would like to exercise more faith in Jesus Christ and why. The following are some general ideas to help you complete this activity. You will need to add details that apply to you.
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Take a specific action to solve a problem and seek the Lord’s help.
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Make a goal to pray more humbly and trust in the Lord.
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Actively do one thing to bring you closer to the Lord.
Look for ways you feel closer to the Lord as you act in faith.
Students will have an opportunity to share how they have exercised faith and what results have come from it in an upcoming assessment lesson (“Assess Your Learning 9”).
Conclude by bearing testimony of the Savior and the blessings that come from exercising faith in Him.