The following summary of the events, doctrines, and principles students learned about as they studied Doctrine and Covenants 45–48 (unit 11) is not intended to be taught as part of your lesson. The lesson you teach concentrates on only a few of these doctrines and principles. Follow the promptings of the Holy Spirit as you consider the needs of your students.
In the opening verses of Doctrine and Covenants 45, students read that Jesus Christ created the heavens and the earth and that He is our advocate with Heavenly Father. As we learn about the Savior and what He has done for us, we can increase our desire to hearken to His voice.
From studying the signs of the Second Coming of Jesus Christ, students learned that if we stand in holy places and watch for the signs, we will be ready for that great event. From the parable of the ten virgins, they learned that if we receive the truth and accept the Holy Spirit as our guide, we will abide the Savior’s Second Coming. This lesson also introduced students to information about the New Jerusalem.
Students spent time in this lesson thinking about how Church meetings are to be conducted. They learned that Church leaders are to be guided by the Holy Spirit as they conduct meetings and that the Lord has commanded us to welcome all people to our public meetings. Students also identified ways to avoid being deceived: (1) follow the Spirit in all holiness and (2) call upon God and live in thanksgiving to Him. Students then studied about the purposes of spiritual gifts.
As students learned about the importance of keeping Church records, they discovered the truth that if we are faithful in our efforts to keep personal histories, the Spirit will help us. As students studied the historical context of the migrating Saints arriving in Ohio from New York, they reflected upon the Lord’s command to share what we have with those in need.
Introduction
This lesson is about how mindful Jesus Christ is of all of us. Students will have the opportunity to connect the doctrines and principles they learned throughout the week with how the Lord manifests His love to us.
Note: In their personal study, students worked to memorize and apply the scripture mastery passage in Doctrine and Covenants 46:33. You may want to ask them to recite it and share how they think young people can “practice virtue and holiness before [the Lord] continually.”
The Lord teaches about important events and gifts in the last days
Write the following question on the board: Who is thinking of you right now?
You may want to encourage students to take a moment to review Doctrine and Covenants 45–46, looking for verses they marked and any truths they identified that support the idea that the Savior is thinking of them and has a personal interest in them. Ask students to ponder the question on the board, and invite them to respond.
What did you learn in your study this week that helps you understand that the Lord is mindful of you? (Students’ responses may reflect the following ideas: The Savior is our advocate with the Father; the Savior shows His love for us by revealing events preceding the Second Coming; and God gives us gifts of the Spirit as we seek and live worthy of them.)
Remind students that at this time in Church history, enemies were spreading lies and false reports about the Church and the Prophet Joseph Smith. The revelation in Doctrine and Covenants 45 reminded the Saints that especially during this difficult time the Lord was thinking about them.
Invite a few students to take turns reading aloud from Doctrine and Covenants 45:1–6. Ask the class to follow along and consider how this revelation may have comforted the Saints during this time of persecution. Consider having students pause in their reading so you can ask some of the following questions after the corresponding verses are read:
How does the doctrine that Jesus Christ created the heavens and the earth (D&C 45:1) demonstrate the Savior’s personal interest in you?
From verse 3, what do you understand the phrase “pleading your cause” to mean?
According to verse 4, what did the Savior experience that enabled Him to become our advocate with Heavenly Father? (He experienced suffering and death, as well as living a sinless life. You may want to invite a student to explain the role of an advocate from what they learned in their personal study.)
How does knowing that Jesus Christ is our advocate with Heavenly Father influence your choices and actions right now?
To emphasize the Savior’s mindfulness of us, invite a student to read aloud the following statement by President Joseph Fielding Smith. Ask the class to listen for additional insights about the Savior’s role as our advocate.
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President Joseph Fielding Smith
“[Jesus Christ] stands between the Father and man. He pleads our cause. You know, when he was upon the earth he prayed frequently, and he prayed for his disciples, pleading with his Father in their behalf, and he has been pleading ever since, and he stands between us and God, our Father” (in Conference Report, Oct. 1953, 58).
How do you think a person can thank the Savior for being his or her advocate? (To help students share thoughtful answers to this question, you may want to refer them to what they wrote for their second writing assignment in their lesson for Day 1 of this unit [D&C 45:1–15].)
Ask students to think about a time when they have felt there was no one thinking of them or they felt they were less important than someone else.
Read the following statement by Elder Jeffrey R. Holland of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. Ask students to listen for how the Savior feels about each of them.
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Elder Jeffrey R. Holland
“Brothers and sisters, I testify that no one of us is less treasured or cherished of God than another. I testify that He loves each of us—insecurities, anxieties, self-image, and all. He doesn’t measure our talents or our looks; He doesn’t measure our professions or our possessions. He cheers on every runner, calling out that the race is against sin, not against each other. I know that if we will be faithful, there is a perfectly tailored robe of righteousness ready and waiting for everyone” (“The Other Prodigal,” Ensign, May 2002, 64).
Invite students to share their own experiences when they felt that God was mindful of them or when they felt encouraged by God.
Explain that one of the ways the Savior comforted the early Saints during this time of persecution was to tell them that He was coming to earth again to bless them. Write the following scripture reference on the board: Doctrine and Covenants 45:55–59.
Ask students to read these verses silently, looking for how the Saints will be blessed at the Lord’s coming.
According to verse 57, what must we do to be prepared for the Savior’s coming? (Write the following principle on the board: If we receive the truth and accept the Holy Spirit as our guide, we will abide the Savior’s Second Coming.)
How do you think receiving truth and accepting the Spirit as our guide prepares us for the Second Coming of Jesus Christ?
What have you done to receive and accept truth in your life? When have you been guided by the Holy Ghost? (After students have responded, consider sharing experiences from your own life.)
The Saints are to keep a regular history and share their resources with one another
Remind students that a portion of their studies this week highlighted the importance of keeping a personal history or journal. To encourage class members to continue their efforts in keeping a personal history or to start keeping a personal history, you might want to ask them why keeping a personal history matters.
Invite students to share what blessings they have experienced from keeping a personal history or from reading their parents’, grandparents’, or other ancestors’ histories.
To prepare students for their study during the coming week, you may want to invite them to consider the following: How are we to preach the gospel to others? How can you tell when you are teaching or learning by the Holy Ghost? Has it ever been difficult for you to discern if something was of God or from some other source? Explain that in the coming unit they will learn what the Lord taught about how to recognize truth and avoid false teachings.