Jesus appearing to the Nephites

The Light of His Countenance Did Shine upon Them, by Gary L. Kapp

September 28–October 11

3 Nephi 17–19

“Behold, My Joy Is Full”

Your preparation to teach should begin with your personal study of the scriptures. Come, Follow Me—For Individuals and Families can supplement your study, and this outline can also provide you with ideas to help you prepare.

Record Your Impressions

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Invite Sharing

In 3 Nephi 17:1–3, the Savior invited the people to return to their homes and “prepare [their] minds” before returning to be taught again. You might ask your students how they prepared for today’s discussion and what they pondered.

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Teach the Doctrine

3 Nephi 17; 18:24–25, 28–32

The Savior is our perfect example of ministering.

• We all have opportunities to minister to others, and we can all be better at it. One way to learn from the Savior’s example of ministering is to simply read 3 Nephi 17 as a class and invite class members to comment whenever they find something that teaches them about ministering. What do we learn about the Savior’s character that made Him a great example of ministering? What truths do we learn about ministering from the Savior’s example? You could also look for additional insights in 3 Nephi 18:24–25 and 28–32. Class members could then discuss specific things they feel inspired to do to follow the Savior’s example of ministering.

  Jesus blessing the Nephite children

  Behold Your Little Ones, by Gary L. Kapp

3 Nephi 17:13–22; 18:15–25; 19:6–9, 15–36

The Savior taught us how to pray.

• To help class members learn from the many examples of and teachings about prayer in 3 Nephi 17–19, you could write on the board Who? How? When? and Why? and invite the class to look for answers to these questions as they relate to prayer in the following verses: 3 Nephi 17:13–22; 18:15–25; and 19:6–9, 15–36. What other insights do class members gain as they read these verses? The statement by Elder Richard G. Scott in “Additional Resources” might add to the discussion. You could also invite class members to share what they do to make their personal and family prayers more meaningful (see 3 Nephi 18:18–21).

• This week’s outline in Come, Follow Me—For Individuals and Families suggests questions to ponder about prayer when reading these verses. You could ask class members to share any insights they have about these questions. Or you could invite several class members to come to class prepared to discuss something they learned about prayer from 3 Nephi 17–19. What were they inspired to do to make their prayers more meaningful?

• Jesus taught why we should pray always (see 3 Nephi 18:15–18). An object lesson may help your class understand what He taught. For example, you might fill a container with water to represent Satan’s influence. Stuff a tissue (which represents us) securely into the bottom of a cup (which represents praying always). Turn the cup upside down, and push it straight down into the container of water. The tissue should remain dry in the bottom of the cup, even though it is surrounded by water. What do this object lesson and 3 Nephi 18:15–18 teach us about prayer? (see also Doctrine and Covenants 10:5). What does it mean to “pray always”? How can prayer help us resist the influence of Satan? Consider allowing class members a few moments to write down what they feel impressed to do to improve their prayers.

3 Nephi 18:1–12

We can be spiritually filled as we partake of the sacrament.

• To begin a discussion about the Savior’s teachings on the sacrament in 3 Nephi 18, you could divide your class into groups and give each group one of the following scriptures to read and discuss: Matthew 26:26–28; 3 Nephi 18:1–12; and Doctrine and Covenants 20:75–79; 27:1–4. After reading their assigned passage, each group could think of a question or two about the sacrament that is answered in the verses they read and write their questions on the board. Then the rest of the class could search the scriptures for answers to the questions. Class members could also discuss how they can have a more meaningful experience partaking of the sacrament.

• What does it mean to be “filled” as we partake of the sacrament? (see 3 Nephi 18:4–5, 9; 20:9). Consider inviting class members to discuss this question in pairs as they read 3 Nephi 18:1–12 together. You could also invite class members to ponder the last time they felt spiritually “filled” when partaking of the sacrament. Maybe they could discuss things that might prevent or distract us from being “filled” by the sacrament and share ideas about how to overcome those obstacles.

3 Nephi 19:9–15, 20–22

Disciples of Jesus Christ seek the gift of the Holy Ghost.

• Consider asking class members to think of something they deeply desire. What are they willing to do to receive it? This could lead to a discussion about what the twelve disciples “most desired,” as described in 3 Nephi 19:9–15 and 20–22. Why might this have been so important to them? Why is it important to us? According to these verses, how can we earnestly seek the companionship of the Holy Ghost?

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Encourage Learning at Home

The Lord said, “Great are the words of Isaiah” (3 Nephi 23:1). To encourage class members to read 3 Nephi 20–26, you could tell them that in these chapters, Jesus explained some of Isaiah’s “great” words. Invite class members to ponder why these words of Isaiah are great. Encourage them to come ready next Sunday to share what they learn.

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Additional Resources

The value of prayer.

Elder Richard G. Scott testified of the value of prayer:

“We pray to our Heavenly Father in the sacred name of His Beloved Son, Jesus Christ. Prayer is most effective when we strive to be clean and obedient, with worthy motives, and are willing to do what He asks. Humble, trusting prayer brings direction and peace.

“Don’t worry about your clumsily expressed feelings. Just talk to your compassionate, understanding Father. You are His precious child whom He loves perfectly and wants to help. As you pray, recognize that Father in Heaven is near and He is listening.

“A key to improved prayer is to learn to ask the right questions. Consider changing from asking for the things you want to honestly seeking what He wants for you. Then as you learn His will, pray that you will be led to have the strength to fulfill it.

“Should you ever feel distanced from our Father, it could be for many reasons. Whatever the cause, as you continue to plead for help, He will guide you to do that which will restore your confidence that He is near. Pray even when you have no desire to pray. Sometimes, like a child, you may misbehave and feel you cannot approach your Father with a problem. That is when you most need to pray. Never feel you are too unworthy to pray.

“I wonder if we can ever really fathom the immense power of prayer until we encounter an overpowering, urgent problem and realize that we are powerless to resolve it. Then we will turn to our Father in humble recognition of our total dependence on Him. It helps to find a secluded place where our feelings can be vocally expressed as long and as intensely as necessary” (“Using the Supernal Gift of Prayer,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2007, 8).

Improving Our Teaching

Strive for Christlike love. If there is a member of your class who needs to be fellowshipped, consider how you could help him or her feel part of the class. For example, you might invite another class member to sit by this person and befriend him or her.