Lesson 18 Teacher Material

Receiving the Savior’s Divine Gift of Grace

The scriptures teach that it is only through the “merits, mercy, and grace of the Holy Messiah” that we can receive eternal life (2 Nephi 2:8). During this lesson, students will explain their need for the Savior’s grace, share ways they have experienced His grace, and determine what they can do to rely on Him more.

Suggestions for Teaching

The Lord and His servants teach the necessity of grace.

Invite students to privately list some of their greatest needs and desires for God’s help. For example, they might list temptations or sins they wish to overcome, weaknesses they are struggling with, a challenge or decision they face, a large task they need help to complete, or Christlike attributes they desire to develop. Encourage students to keep these desires in mind as they discuss the grace of Jesus Christ during the lesson.

To assess students’ understanding of grace, you might invite them to explain what they understand the grace of Jesus Christ to be and find out if they have any questions. If necessary, display the following definition:

Grace is the divine help or strength extended to us through the Atonement of the Lord Jesus Christ. … The word grace, as used in the scriptures, refers primarily to enabling power and spiritual healing offered through the mercy and love of Jesus Christ. (Gospel Topics, “Grace,” topics.ChurchofJesusChrist.org)

Consider displaying the following image of a grapevine. Explain that Jesus Christ taught the parable of the true vine shortly before going to the Garden of Gethsemane to carry out His Atonement.

grapevine

Invite students to review John 15:1–8, looking for what the symbols of the vine, branches, and fruit can teach us about the Savior’s gift of divine grace.

Consider asking the following questions to help students see the connections between the parable of the true vine and grace:

• What might the symbols of the vine, branches, and fruit represent? What might they teach us about our need for the Savior’s grace? (You could help students identify a principle like the following: As we abide in Jesus Christ, we can receive His grace to help us bring forth good works.)

• What might it look like to abide or remain in Christ? (You may want to review the statement by Elder Jeffrey R. Holland in section 1 of the preparation material.) What has helped you to remain connected to the Savior? What could someone do who feels separated from Jesus Christ and His gift of grace?

You could invite one or two students to share their feelings about the Savior’s gift of grace. Consider sharing your own testimony.

We can receive the Lord’s grace in our lives.

Consider showing the pictures of a gift and a payment found in section 2 of the preparation material. Invite students to explain what they know about the grace of Christ being either a gift or something that is earned. (Students could take a couple of minutes to review section 2 or some of the “Want More?” material if needed. If they explained these ideas already at the beginning of the lesson, you might simply continue with the following scenarios.)

Display and read aloud the following scenarios.

Sakura feels that she is constantly falling short and is not good enough to deserve the Lord’s help.

Tobias believes that before he can receive the Lord’s help to overcome his pornography addiction, he must first do everything he can do to overcome it.

Elena believes her own efforts are insignificant and really don’t matter when compared to Jesus Christ’s redeeming grace.

Invite students to share how they might respond to Sakura, Tobias, and Elena. Consider which of the following questions you might ask to help students deepen their learning:

• What misconception might this person have about the Savior’s gift of grace?

• How might such a misconception hinder her or his ability to access or rely on the Savior’s grace?

• What teaching or principle relating to the Savior’s grace could you share with this person?

Consider listing the truths students identify on the board. Students may identify truths similar to the following: Grace is a gift that we do not earn but that we receive as we exercise faith in Jesus Christ and strive to live the gospel. We may receive the Lord’s grace before, during, and after we give our best effort.

Remind students that they were invited in section 3 of the preparation material to study a scripture account that illustrates how the Lord’s grace can work in our lives. (You might give students time to review the scripture account they selected.) Arrange students into small groups. Invite students to explain their passage and share their responses to the three questions in section 3 of the preparation material.

Improving Our Teaching and Learning

Provide students with time to ponder. One way we can help students better apply their hearts to understanding is to give them time in class to ponder on or write about what they have understood and felt. We can then invite them to consider what specific actions they should take to apply what they have learned in their lives.

You might conclude class by inviting students to review the personal needs and desires they listed at the beginning of class. Give them time to prayerfully think about and record what they can do to invite the Lord’s grace more abundantly into their lives, move forward with faith, and rely more completely on His divine power.

For Next Time

Consider sending the following message, or one of your own, to your students prior to the next class: As you study the preparation material for lesson 19, think about someone you know whose life would be blessed by having a better understanding of Jesus Christ’s ministry to those in the spirit world.