family scripture study

October 23

Is the Gospel Written in My Heart?

Jeremiah 30–33; 36; Lamentations 1; 3

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Counsel Together

Led by a member of the quorum or class presidency; 10–20 minutes

At the beginning of the meeting, repeat together the Young Women Theme or the Aaronic Priesthood Quorum Theme. Then lead a discussion about the work of salvation and exaltation using one or more of the questions below or questions of your own (see General Handbook, 10.2, 11.2, ChurchofJesusChrist.org). Plan ways to act on what you discuss.

• Live the gospel. What did we discuss last time, and what invitations or assignments were made? What have we done to act on those invitations or assignments?

• Care for those in need. What can we do or say to reach out to those who might feel alone or distant from Heavenly Father?

• Invite all to receive the gospel. What are some ways we can help others feel the love of Jesus Christ?

• Unite families for eternity. What ideas can we share with each other to help strengthen our families?

At the end of the lesson, as appropriate, do the following:

• Testify of the principles taught.

• Remind class or quorum members about the plans and invitations made during the meeting.

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Teach the Doctrine

Led by an adult leader or youth; 25–35 minutes

Prepare Yourself Spiritually

The Lord told the prophet Jeremiah that in the days to come, He would gather Israel and make a “new covenant” with His people. He declared, “I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people” (see Jeremiah 31:31–34). Those days are today, and we are God’s people. These teachings might prompt you—and those you teach—to ask, What does it mean for the gospel to be written in my heart? Is the gospel written in my heart? If it isn’t, what can I do about it?

Consider how you will help members of your class or quorum ponder these questions for themselves. To prepare to teach, you could find messages to share from Jeremiah 30–33; 36; from President Russell M. Nelson’s message “Let God Prevail” (Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2020, 92–95); and from Elder D. Todd Christofferson’s message “When Thou Art Converted” (Ensign or Liahona, May 2004, 11–13).

young women studying scriptures

As we love the Lord and seek to learn of Him, the gospel will be written in our hearts.

Learn Together

Encourage the youth to discuss Jeremiah 31:31–34. To do this, you could give them paper hearts with several questions written on them about what it means to have the gospel in our hearts, such as those found under “Prepare Yourself Spiritually.” Working individually, in pairs, or in small groups, the youth could read these verses from Jeremiah and ponder how they would answer the questions. Let them share their questions and the answers they thought of. Below are more ideas that can help you teach the youth about how the gospel can be written in their hearts.

• When Moses gave some of his final teachings to the Israelites, he urged them to receive God’s words in their hearts. He also taught them some of the ways they could do this, as found in Deuteronomy 6:3–9. As a class or quorum, read these verses together and discuss ways we can do what Moses counseled. For some ideas, your class or quorum could watch the video “Come, Follow Me: These Words” (ChurchofJesusChrist.org). They could also study Alma 5:14, 26–35 to find what Alma taught about how we can keep the gospel written in our hearts.

• In his message “When Thou Art Converted,” Elder D. Todd Christofferson described what we can do to have the gospel written in our hearts. What do we learn from the first four paragraphs about what it means to have the gospel written in our hearts? You could invite each youth to read one or more of the remaining paragraphs and look for what we need to do for this to happen. What role does the Savior play? What role do we play? Encourage the youth to share their answers, along with other insights they found. What experiences have helped us to have the gospel written in our hearts? What role does keeping our covenants play in this process?

• President Russell M. Nelson explained that the term Israel “refers to a person who is willing to let God prevail in his or her life” (“Let God Prevail,” 92). You could invite youth to search the first six paragraphs of President Nelson’s message and the last part of the message beginning with “The question for each of us.” Ask them to find something that helps them understand what it means to “let God prevail” in their lives. How do we feel and act when God prevails in our lives? What did President Nelson teach about how having the gospel written in our hearts affects our efforts to gather Israel?

Act in Faith

Encourage class or quorum members to ponder and record what they will do to act on the impressions they received today. If they would like, they could share their ideas. Invite them to think about how acting on their impressions will strengthen their relationships with Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ.

Supporting Resources

• Henry B. Eyring, “Write upon My Heart” (Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2000, 85–87)

• Linda K. Burton, “Is Faith in the Atonement of Jesus Christ Written in Our Hearts?” (Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2012, 111–15)

Teaching in the Savior’s Way

“The doctrine found in the scriptures and in the words of latter-day prophets has the power to change hearts and increase faith. As you and those you teach ‘try the virtue of the word of God,’ you will find that it has ‘a great tendency to lead the people to do that which [is] just’ (Alma 31:5)” (Teaching in the Savior’s Way, 5).