“John 1,” New Testament Institute Teacher Manual (2025)
In the Beginning Was the Word, by Eva Timothy
John 1
The Apostle John introduced the Savior as “the Word” (John 1:1), the Creator of this world (see John 1:3), “the life” (John 1:4), “the Light” (John 1:7), and “the only begotten of the Father” (John 1:14). John the Baptist testified that Jesus was “the Lamb of God” sent to take away the sins of the world (John 1:29). Other disciples, including Andrew and Nathanael, also testified of Jesus Christ.
Additional Resources
Scripture Helps: New Testament, “John 1”
Note: The “Introduction to the Course” provides guidance on how to use the four standard lesson elements that follow.
Encouraging Personal Study
Before class, consider sending students one or more of the following messages or some of your own:
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Ponder what you can learn about Jesus Christ from His roles and titles you identified in John 1:1–14.
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What do you know about the Joseph Smith Translation? Read Joseph Smith Translation, John 1:1–19 (Gospel Library), and consider what important insights and clarifications it provides. (Note: The Joseph Smith Translation changes are italicized.)
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Read John 1:35–51 to learn why it’s important to invite others to come unto Christ. Consider inviting someone to attend institute with you this week.
Questions and Sharing
Provide time for students to ask questions and share insights and truths they discovered in their personal study of John 1.
Skill Training
Joseph Smith Translation, John 1:1–19 (Gospel Library) might be a helpful place to use the skill “Using Restoration Scripture to Understand the Bible” in Scripture Study Skills.
Learning Activity Options
Multiple learning options are provided for you and your students. Prayerfully choose which option or options will be most meaningful for your class.
Improving Our Teaching and Learning
Invite students to take responsibility for their learning. Reflect on your teaching style. Are you teacher or learner focused? Are your students passive or active learners? Who does most of the talking in your class—you or your students? As you prepare for each class, ask yourself, “What can my students do today to take responsibility for their own learning?” (For additional insights, read “The Savior Helped Others Take Responsibility for Their Learning” in Teaching in the Savior’s Way [2022], 24–25.)
John 1:1–14, 29, 34, 36, 41, 49, 51
What can I learn about Jesus from His titles, names, and roles?
You could begin by asking the following questions:
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How many titles, names, and roles do you think Jesus has? What are some of His titles, names, and roles? (Give students a few minutes to share or search for answers. You could invite them to read “50 Names and Titles of Jesus Christ” [ComeuntoChrist.org] to see examples from the Bible.)
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Why do you think it’s important to explore the meaning of Jesus’s titles, names, and roles?
Invite students to review John 1:1–14, 29, 34, 36, 41, 49, 51, looking for Jesus’s titles, names, and roles. Students could do this in groups and then write on the board what they find. You could then invite one or two students to share what impresses them most about some of Jesus Christ’s titles, names, and roles listed on the board.
To deepen learning, you could invite students to work with a partner and select one of the titles, names, or roles and learn more about it.
Note: If helpful, show students some resources or tools such as the following: the Define feature in Gospel Library, footnotes, the Guide to the Scriptures, or the Bible Dictionary (see “Finding the Meaning of Words and Phrases” in Scripture Study Skills).
You could then display and invite students to answer the following questions:
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What can you learn about Jesus Christ and His divine mission from the title, name, or role you selected?
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How can learning this about Jesus Christ increase your faith in Him?
After students have had time to study, invite a few of them to share with the class what they learned or felt as they focused on the Savior’s titles, names, or roles.
Encourage students to continue watching for the Savior’s titles, names, and roles as they study the New Testament.
Joseph Smith Translation, John 1:1–19
What plain and precious truths can I learn about the Savior from Joseph Smith Translation, John 1:1–19?
Invite students to read John 1:18 and consider what doctrinal problem this verse presents. Then compare the verse with John 6:46.
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How might we resolve what appears to be a contradiction in the Gospel of John? (Note: Students may point out that other scripture passages reveal that God has appeared to people [for example, Exodus 33:11; Acts 7:55–56; Joseph Smith—History 1:17].)
If students do not mention it, point out that the Joseph Smith Translation brings clarity to John 1:18 (see John 1:18, footnote c).
Note: If your students are unfamiliar with the Joseph Smith Translation of the Bible, you could review together “Joseph Smith Translation (JST)” in the Guide to the Scriptures (Gospel Library). You could also point out that using the Joseph Smith Translation and other Restoration scripture can help us better understand the Bible (see “Using Restoration Scripture to Understand the Bible” in Scripture Study Skills).
Show students how to find the Joseph Smith Translation of John 1:19 in the Bible appendix or in the Joseph Smith Translation Appendix in the Study Helps section of Gospel Library. Read it together and point out that the Prophet Joseph Smith’s inspired changes are italicized to distinguish them from the original wording found in the King James Version of the Bible. Then discuss how Joseph’s inspired additions in John 1:19 help us understand more about what otherwise seems to be a contradiction.
Invite students to explore more of John 1 in the Joseph Smith Translation. As part of this activity, students could work with a partner or in small groups and discuss the following questions:
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What changes in the Joseph Smith Translation do you find particularly helpful?
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What insights do you gain about Jesus Christ from the Joseph Smith Translation?
After allowing time for group discussion, invite some students to share what stands out to them about the Joseph Smith Translation of this passage. Encourage students to continue using the Joseph Smith Translation in their study of the Bible.
What can God’s prophets teach me about Jesus Christ?
Consider asking students how the world and God measure greatness differently.
Display a picture of John the Baptist. Discuss the difference between how people may have viewed him based on the description of him in Mark 1:6–7 and how the Savior viewed him as described in Luke 7:28.
John Preaching in the Wilderness, by Del Parson
Invite students to share what they think makes John the Baptist one of the Lord’s greatest prophets.
Students could study John 1:19–34, looking for what they can learn from John the Baptist’s ministry.
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What do these verses teach about the role of a prophet? (Note: It may be helpful to explain that the reference to Elias in verse 21 refers to Elijah and that the reference to Esaias in verse 23 refers to Isaiah. For more information on the name and title Elias, see “John 1:19–28. Who was Elias” in Scripture Helps: New Testament.)
After allowing time for study, consider asking questions like the following:
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What was John the Baptist’s mission and message?
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What can John the Baptist’s focus on the Savior teach us about prophets? (Students may identify a truth similar to the following: The words of the prophets point us to Jesus Christ. You could also share the following statement by Elder Neil L. Andersen: “The most important role of the Lord’s prophet is to teach us of the Savior and lead us to Him” [“The Prophet of God,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2018, 25].)
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How have prophets’ and apostles’ teachings of Jesus Christ influenced your feelings for Him?
Consider showing the video “Living Apostles Testify of Jesus Christ” (2:16). Encourage students to record their thoughts and impressions as they listen to these testimonies. Invite them to ponder who they could share this video with.
Why is it important that I invite others to come unto Christ?
If someone in your class was introduced to the Church by a friend, invite them to share their experience. Or invite students to think of a time when someone invited them to better follow the Savior. You could also share your own experience of inviting someone or of someone inviting you to come unto Christ.
Point out that during John the Baptist’s ministry, many people were looking for the Messiah. (If needed, briefly review the meaning of the word Messiah [see Guide to the Scriptures, “Messiah,” Gospel Library].) Provide students with the following handout and invite them to look for how Andrew, Peter, Philip, and Nathanael found the true Messiah.
After students complete the handout, they could share with a partner or in small groups what they recorded. Then consider asking the following questions:
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How would these experiences have been different if John the Baptist, Andrew, and Philip had not invited their friends to “come and see”? (John 1:39).
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What principle can we learn from these experiences? (Help students discover the following truth: As we invite others to come unto Christ, they can receive their own witness of His divinity.)
You could ask students to share ways they have invited others to come unto Jesus Christ. To prompt ideas, you could watch one of the following videos. Invite students to consider who they can invite to “come and see” the Savior.
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“Inviting Others to ‘Come and See’” (1:17)
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“Inviting All to Come unto Christ: Sharing the Gospel” (4:30)
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“Love, Share, Invite” (13:03; watch from time code 8:28 to 9:42)
13:3