Doctrinal Mastery: Moroni 7:45–48

“Charity Is the Pure Love of Christ”

two women hugging

In your study of Moroni 7:44–48, you learned how to seek to develop charity, the pure love of Jesus Christ. This lesson can help you memorize the doctrinal mastery reference and key scripture phrase for Moroni 7:45–48, explain the doctrine taught in this passage, and apply principles of acquiring spiritual knowledge in real-life situations.

Encourage frequent repetition of doctrinal mastery. Encourage students to continue mastering and using the doctrinal mastery scripture passages. Remind them that applying the eternal doctrine they learn from these passages will provide spiritual direction and guidance throughout their lives.

Student preparation: Invite students to think of situations they have experienced or witnessed where they could practice charity.

Possible Learning Activities

This doctrinal mastery passage lesson is designed to be taught after the lesson “Moroni 7:44–48,” which is the contextual lesson for the doctrinal mastery passage Moroni 7:45–48. 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

Consider inviting students to work with a partner to complete the following activity. Invite several pairs of students to share their responses with the class.

Imagine during a Come, Follow Me discussion with your family, while talking about the meaning of charity, your younger brother says something like, “Isn’t charity just doing nice things for people?” You tell your brother that being nice is a part of charity but that you learned more about it in seminary.

• What other details about charity would you tell your brother?

Help students memorize the scripture reference and key scripture phrase for Moroni 7:45–48. Consider copying the following image onto the board and inviting a student to unscramble the scripture reference and key scripture phrase by writing them correctly inside the heart. Erase the inside of the heart, and invite another student to complete the activity. Encourage each student to draw a heart in their study journal with the scripture reference and key scripture phrase written correctly inside it. Invite the entire class to recite them together aloud.

line drawing of heart with scripture reference and key scripture phrase for Moroni 7:45–48 surrounding the heart in random order

Practice application

To help students review the principles of acquiring spiritual knowledge, consider mixing up the words of the three principles of acquiring spiritual knowledge, as shown below. Write the mixed-up versions on the board and invite students to correct each principle on their own from memory. If needed, students could review paragraphs 5–12 in the “Acquiring Spiritual Knowledge” section of the Doctrinal Mastery Core Document (2023). After sufficient time, invite three students to come to the board and each write one of the principles correctly.

1. Examine in faith.

2. Seek further understanding through divinely appointed perspective.

3. Act concepts and questions with an eternal sources.

Invite students to think of situations they have witnessed or experienced in which youth could practice charity, or use some of the following scenarios.

• Oskar is easily annoyed by his younger siblings. They often beg Oskar to play with them or help them with their homework. Oskar just wants his siblings to leave him alone so he can do his own thing.

• Hae-Won learned that another girl in her Young Women class has been spreading rumors about her. Hae-Won feels confused and hurt by this and is unsure how to respond.

• Kapo wants to be popular at school and appear fearless in front of his friends. He often belittles other classmates and takes their things without asking.

One of these scenarios could be discussed as a class, or students could be divided into small groups and assigned a scenario to discuss. Encourage them to decide which of the principles of acquiring spiritual knowledge would be most helpful in their scenario and why. Invite each group to share with the rest of the class what they discussed. Some of the following questions could guide students in this discussion.

Seek further understanding through divinely appointed sources

• What might you share from Moroni 7:45–48 that could motivate this person to respond with more charity in their situation?

• What are some other scriptures or statements by Church leaders that might help?

Act in faith

• What challenges might this person face as they try to apply what you share with them?

• How could they act in faith even with these challenges?

Examine concepts and questions with an eternal perspective

• How could viewing the situation with an eternal perspective help him or her feel more charity for others?

• How might examining the way Jesus Christ treated others help this person be more charitable?

After the class or group discussion, consider asking students if there are other aspects of the principles of acquiring spiritual knowledge that might also be helpful in the scenarios.

Doctrinal mastery review

During a future lesson, draw a large heart on the board and invite students to recall which doctrinal mastery reference and key scripture phrase relates to the drawing. Encourage each student to write the reference (Moroni 7:45–48) and key scripture phrase (“Charity is the pure love of Christ”) from memory a few times in their study journals.