Doctrinal Mastery: Ether 12:6

Ye Receive No Witness until after the Trial of Your Faith”

two young women having a discussion

In your study of Ether 12:1–22, you learned how to exercise faith in Jesus Christ and His gospel before receiving a spiritual witness of truth (see Ether 12:6). This lesson can help you memorize the doctrinal mastery reference and key scripture phrase for Ether 12:6, explain the doctrine taught in this passage, and apply principles of acquiring spiritual knowledge in real-life situations.

Encourage students to use the principles of acquiring spiritual knowledge. As students become more comfortable with using the principles of acquiring spiritual knowledge, they will naturally apply them to questions they have. Be consistent and creative as you invite them to review the principles in different ways.

Student preparation: Invite students to search for scripture passages that could help someone exercise faith in Jesus Christ. To find scriptures, they could search the topic of “Faith” in Guide to the Scriptures or the Topical Guide.

Possible Learning Activities

This doctrinal mastery passage lesson is designed to be taught after the lesson “Ether 12:1–22,” which is the contextual lesson for the doctrinal mastery passage Ether 12:6. If this doctrinal mastery passage lesson needs to be moved to a different week, be sure to teach the corresponding contextual lesson during that week as well.

Explain and memorize

In the previous lesson, you learned the following truth from Ether 12:6: If we desire a spiritual witness, then we must first exercise faith in Jesus Christ and His gospel.

Consider inviting students to practice explaining the teachings of Ether 12:6 to a partner. You could display a question like the following for students to discuss.

• What counsel is given in Ether 12:6 to those who have unanswered questions or do not yet “see” the truth?

Help students memorize the scripture reference and key scripture phrase for Ether 12:6. The following is one way to do this.

President Ezra Taft Benson (1899–1994) taught that every person is eventually backed up to the wall of faith and there must make a stand (see “The Book of Mormon Is the Word of God,” Ensign, May 1975, 65). In other words, all must decide for themselves in faith to believe, and know, the truth.

Draw a picture of a large wall with a stick figure of yourself standing in front of it. Use the “wall of faith” to help you memorize the reference to Ether 12:6 and the key scripture phrase. Decorate your wall by writing “Ether 12:6” at the top, then write “Ye receive no witness until after the trial of your faith” on the wall several times. When all the space on your wall is filled with the key scripture phrase, try saying it out loud a few times without looking.

Practice application

Before beginning the practice application activity, think of creative ways to support students in learning and reviewing the principles of acquiring spiritual knowledge. Doing so regularly will help them be more successful in knowing how to apply these principles.

One way to do this could be to write all three principles of acquiring spiritual knowledge on the board. Then write ideas or concepts from each principle in random order and invite students to match the ideas with the correct principles.

Share the following scenario with students or think of your own scenario that accomplishes the same purpose.

Christiana and Niceta are best friends. Christiana is a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. She tries hard to be a good example to Niceta, who doesn’t believe in organized religion. Niceta often questions Christiana’s beliefs and wonders why she attends church on Sunday, pays tithing, lives the Word of Wisdom, and chooses to dress modestly.

Christiana explains to Niceta that she feels the commandments and standards she lives are true and sent from God. Niceta kindly replies, “How can you say you know these things are true? How can you know that anything you can’t see is true?”

Consider dividing students into small groups and inviting them to discuss how they could use the principles of acquiring spiritual knowledge and Ether 12:6 in this situation. Remind students that the doctrinal mastery practice application scenarios are designed to provide them with opportunities to practice using the principles of acquiring spiritual knowledge. Their ideas and responses do not need to be polished or perfect.

You could invite students to begin their discussion by asking, “Which of the principles of acquiring spiritual knowledge would you start with to help your friend? Why?” The following questions could also be helpful for students to refer to during their discussion.

Examine concepts and questions with an eternal perspective

• What concepts or truths would you want to help Niceta better understand? Why?

• What might you share with Niceta about the Lord and how He works with us?

Seek further understanding through divinely appointed sources

• What teachings from Ether 12:6 might help in this situation? Why?

  If students could benefit from seeing a relevant statement from a Church leader as an example, consider sharing Sister Bonnie L. Oscarson’s statement from the “Commentary and Background Information” section of the previous lesson.

• What are some additional scripture passages or statements from Church leaders that could provide help and guidance for Niceta?

Act in faith

• What experiences have you or others had with exercising faith in Jesus Christ? How might sharing these with Niceta help motivate her to act in faith?

• What faithful actions could you recommend for Niceta to begin taking?

When students are finished with their discussions, consider inviting several to share how they responded and what they learned from the experience.

Consider also discussing with students how this exercise might benefit them now and in the future. For example, you could invite students to think of current or future situations in which the teachings of Ether 12:6 and the principles of acquiring spiritual knowledge might help them or others work through a trial of faith and ultimately receive a confirming witness of truth.

Doctrinal mastery review

During a future lesson, draw on the board a picture of a wall with a stick figure standing in front of it. Invite students to recall which doctrinal mastery reference relates to the drawing (Ether 12:6), and encourage them to practice reciting the key scripture phrase with a partner. The key scripture phrase is “Ye receive no witness until after the trial of your faith.”