For 40 days following His Resurrection, Jesus Christ ministered to His disciples. During this time, He prepared His Apostles to direct His Church after His Ascension into heaven. Just as He did anciently, Jesus Christ continues to direct His Church through His chosen Apostles today. This lesson can help you feel how important it is that Jesus Christ leads His Church through apostles and prophets.
Recognizing student contributions. Each student has unique backgrounds, interests, hopes, and challenges. When students share experiences and insights in class, they will often be influenced by their unique life circumstances. These experiences and insights can bless other students and can help the teacher assess students’ needs and teach accordingly.
Student preparation: Invite students to come prepared to share examples that demonstrate Jesus Christ leading His Church in the latter days.
Possible Learning Activities
Christ’s Ascension into heaven
Consider adjusting the following scenario based on students’ needs. Students could role-play and take turns responding to the friend in this scenario.
Imagine that your friend, who is not a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, asks you, “Who started the church you attend, and who leads it today?”
How would you respond? Why?
The book of Acts describes the experiences of the Apostles after Jesus Christ’s Ascension into heaven. It must have been a daunting task for Church leaders to move the Savior’s Church forward when He was no longer constantly physically with them. But the Apostles were not alone in their efforts. The experiences of the Apostles recorded in the book of Acts illustrate the truth that Jesus Christ leads His Church through His apostles and prophets.
Consider your own feelings about Jesus Christ leading His Church. In your study journal, respond to the following:
Why would it be important to know that Jesus Christ leads His Church?
What would you expect to see in a church led by Jesus Christ?
Using the following scale, determine how much you agree with this statement: “Jesus Christ leads His Church today through apostles and prophets.” Explain your answer.
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New Testament Seminary Teacher Manual- 2023
As you study this lesson, pay attention to promptings of the Spirit that can help you feel that Jesus Christ led His Church after He ascended into heaven and that He continues to lead His Church today.
Jesus Christ continues to lead His Church after His Ascension into heaven
Create a journal entry titled “Examples of Jesus Christ leading His Church.” Throughout this lesson, add examples to your journal entry and ponder how they strengthen your testimony of Jesus Christ and His Church.
Read the following passages from Acts 1–5, looking for how Jesus Christ continued to help His Apostles after His Ascension. Think about how these events demonstrate that Jesus Christ was leading His Church. Add your insights to your journal entry.
Give students the following handout. Consider placing them in groups of four. Each person in the group could study one account and look for evidence of Jesus leading His Church through the Apostles. Then they could each share their answers with the others in their group.
Details you need to know before studying these verses
While the Apostles were gathered in Jerusalem shortly after Christ’s Ascension into heaven, the Holy Ghost came upon each of them in a powerful way (see Acts 2:1–8). Being filled with the Spirit, Peter testified of Jesus Christ (see Acts 2:14–36). This passage describes the impact this spiritual outpouring had on many who witnessed it.
Details you need to know before studying these verses
Peter and John were imprisoned after continuing to testify of Jesus Christ and perform miracles in His name.
What did you learn about Jesus Christ from these verses that impacts your faith and trust in Him?
How do these events demonstrate that the Savior was leading His Church through His Apostles?
Jesus Christ continues to lead His Church today
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First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve Apostles
President Russell M. Nelson taught about how the Savior continues to lead His Church today.
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President Russell M. Nelson
We as members of the Lord’s Church know who stands at its head: Jesus Christ Himself. …
So, what’s in a name? When it comes to the name of the Lord’s Church, the answer is “Everything!” Jesus Christ directed us to call the Church by His name because it is His Church, filled with His power.
I know that God lives. Jesus is the Christ. He leads His Church today.
How can knowing that Jesus Christ leads His Church today impact your life?
Remind students to use their preparation for class as they respond to the following question. If students need help responding, consider sharing a few examples, such as the growth of the Church, the coming forth and translation of the Book of Mormon, the revelation extending priesthood blessings to all worthy males, miracles that take place in the lives of Church members, or other examples.
What are examples from your own life or from the history of the Church that help you see that Jesus Christ continues to lead His Church today? (Remember to add these examples to your journal entry.)
If you need to see some examples to help you think of answers to this question, watch “This Is Our Time!” from time code 3:34 to 5:12 or “Gather Together in One All Things in Christ” from time code 10:09 to 13:58, available at ChurchofJesusChrist.org.
What can these examples of the Savior leading His Church help you understand about His feelings for us?
Ponder
Review the list of examples of the Savior leading His Church that you created today. Consider adding to this entry as you continue to study Acts and have additional experiences learning about the Savior and His Church. Consider adding your testimony of this truth to your journal entry.
Invite students to share their lists. Consider bearing personal testimony of how the Savior leads the Church today, and invite willing students to bear testimony as well.
Commentary and Background Information
Who wrote the book of Acts?
Luke wrote the Acts of the Apostles as “the second of a two-part work. … The first part is known as the Gospel According to Luke” (Guide to the Scriptures, “Acts of the Apostles,” scriptures.ChurchofJesusChrist.org; see also Luke 1:1–4; Acts 1:1).
What is this book about?
The Acts of the Apostles forms a bridge between the record of Jesus Christ’s life and teachings in the four Gospels and the writings and labors of His Apostles. The book of Acts illustrates how the Savior continued to direct His Church through the inspiration of the Holy Ghost to those who held the keys of the priesthood. The Holy Ghost revealed truth to the Apostles, who then led and taught the Church. The Apostles also performed miracles in the name of Jesus Christ.
Elder Jeffrey R. Holland of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles explained:
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Elder Jeffrey R. Holland
From the first verse [of the book of Acts], the declaration is that the Church will continue to be divinely led, not mortally led. … Indeed, a more complete title for the book of Acts could appropriately be something like “The Acts of the Resurrected Christ Working through the Holy Spirit in the Lives and Ministries of His Ordained Apostles.” …
“The direction of the Church is the same. The location of the Savior has been altered, but the direction and leadership of the Church is exactly the same.”
(“Therefore, What?” [address given at the Church Educational System conference on the New Testament, Aug. 8, 2000], 6, si.ChurchofJesusChrist.org)
What is an Apostle?
To learn more about Apostles, watch the video “What Is an Apostle?” (6:25), available at ChurchofJesusChrist.org.
How does the Lord direct His Church today?
Elder Quentin L. Cook of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles explained:
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Elder Quentin L. Cook
Please be assured that senior Church leaders who preside over the divinely appointed purposes of the Church receive divine assistance. This guidance comes from the Spirit and sometimes directly from the Savior. Both kinds of spiritual guidance are given. I am grateful to have received such assistance. But guidance is given in the Lord’s time, line upon line and precept upon precept [see 2 Nephi 28:30; Doctrine and Covenants 98:12; 128:21], when “an omniscient Lord deliberately chooses to school us” [Neal A. Maxwell, All These Things Shall Give Thee Experience (2007), 31]. Guidance for the Church as a whole comes only to His prophet.
Watch “Jesus Christ’s Church” (1:27) or “We Need Living Prophets” (2:44), available at ChurchofJesusChrist.org, to see additional examples.
How are modern apostles and prophets called?
Watch “Revelation for the Church, Revelation for Our Lives” from time code 9:41 to 11:49 or “The Heart of a Prophet” from time code 4:08 to 6:40, available at ChurchofJesusChrist.org, to see examples.
At His Second Coming, the Savior will descend from heaven in glory
This activity could be used if students have questions about how the Savior will come. Invite students to find the above truth in Acts 1:1–12. Point out that the Savior’s Ascension took place on the Mount of Olives (see verse 12). Explain that when the Savior comes again, one of His appearances will be when He descends from heaven and stands on the Mount of Olives (see Zechariah 14:4; Doctrine and Covenants 45:47–53; 133:19–20). This will occur before His appearance to the world, during which “all flesh shall see [Him] together” (Isaiah 40:5). Students could discuss why it is important to know that the Savior’s Second Coming will be so clear and evident to the whole world. How is this a manifestation of His love for us?