Doctrinal Mastery: 2 Thessalonians 2:1–3

“The Day of Christ … Shall Not Come, Except There Come a Falling Away First”

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Image of man at a desk writing on parchment

In the previous lesson, you learned that it was prophesied anciently that before the Second Coming of Jesus Christ, an Apostasy from His Church would occur (see “2 Thessalonians 2”). This lesson can help you memorize the doctrinal mastery reference and key scripture phrase for 2 Thessalonians 2:1–3, explain the doctrine of the Apostasy, and apply principles of acquiring spiritual knowledge in a real-life situation.

Helping students approach questions from a position of faith. “Many of our students have been blessed with the gift of a believing heart. The majority of our students have questions, not doubts. The way in which we approach Doctrinal Mastery should confirm faith and help students to answer questions for themselves and prepare them to help others. But it should never be done in a way that will create doubt or diminish faith” (Chad H Webb, “Doctrinal Mastery” [address given at the Seminaries and Institutes of Religion annual training broadcast, June 14, 2016]).

Student preparation: Invite students to ponder the following question and come prepared to explain how they would answer it: “Why did God need to appear to Joseph Smith to restore His Church if Christianity was already established and many people already believed in the Bible?”

Possible Learning Activities

This lesson is designed to be taught after “2 Thessalonians 2,” which is the contextual lesson for the doctrinal mastery passage 2 Thessalonians 2:1–3. If this lesson needs to be moved to a different week to accommodate school schedules, be sure to move the contextual lesson as well.

Memorize and explain

Display only the scripture reference 2 Thessalonians 2:1–3, and invite students to respond to the following question.

What do you remember about what is taught in 2 Thessalonians 2:1–3?

Memorize the scripture reference and key scripture phrase for 2 Thessalonians 2:1–3. One way to do this is to complete the following activity (or a similar one using the Doctrinal Mastery mobile app):

Students could complete the following activity on their own, or it could be done on the board as a class.

Write 2 Thessalonians 2:1–3: “The day of Christ … shall not come, except there come a falling away first” in your study journal or on your digital device.

Repeat the reference and key scripture phrase aloud or in your mind a few times.

Erase or delete a phrase, such as “a falling away first,” and try repeating the complete reference and key scripture phrase again.

Continue erasing or deleting additional phrases until you can repeat the entire reference and key scripture phrase from memory.

You might remember that when you studied 2 Thessalonians 2, you learned that it was prophesied anciently that before the Second Coming of Jesus Christ, an apostasy from His Church would occur.

Rather than having students write an explanation of the Great Apostasy as part of the following activity, consider placing them in pairs and inviting them to take turns explaining the Great Apostasy to one another. If students need to better understand the doctrine of the Apostasy and Restoration before completing this activity, consider spending a few minutes reviewing the materials from the previous lesson.

Write an explanation of what the Great Apostasy is and why it happened. Write as if you were explaining the Apostasy to a child. Use the truths from 2 Thessalonians 2:1–3 as part of your explanation, and include insights on why a complete Restoration of Christ’s Church was necessary.

Practice application

If needed, provide an opportunity for students to review the principles of acquiring spiritual knowledge. One way to do this is to display the following matching quiz for them to complete on their own or in pairs or small groups. Alternatively, the quiz could be given electronically through an online game if students have access to capable devices. The correct answers are (1) c; (2) a; (3) b.

As you continue this lesson, you will have an opportunity to help someone apply the principles of acquiring spiritual knowledge. To see how well you remember these principles, try matching the following statements with the principle of acquiring spiritual knowledge that each statement describes.

“Sincere seekers of truth should be wary of unreliable sources of information.”
“Trust God and turn to Him first through sincere prayer, a study of His teachings, and obedience to His commandments.”
“Consider [questions] in the context of the plan of salvation and the teachings of the Savior.”

Act in faith.
Examine concepts and questions with an eternal perspective.
Seek further understanding through divinely appointed sources.

If you need to review these principles further, read paragraphs 5–12 in the “Acquiring Spiritual Knowledge” section in the Doctrinal Mastery Core Document (2022).

Invite students to reflect on their preparation for class as they complete the following practice application activity.

Imagine you are texting your friend Keyshawn, who is a member of a different Christian church. He is very devoted to Jesus Christ and studies the Bible frequently. In a text message to you, Keyshawn said, “Today my pastor taught that members of your church believe that yours is the only true church and every other church is false. Is that true? I feel closer to God because of my church. How could it not be from God?”

Why might it be natural for members of other churches to have questions like this?
How can you respond to Keyshawn in a Christlike way?

You text Keyshawn back, thanking him for his thoughtful question. You ask if you can share your answer with him the next day, and he agrees.

Use the principles of acquiring spiritual knowledge to prepare a response for Keyshawn. Make sure to use all three principles. Use the following questions and activities to help you prepare your response.

Students could discuss the following questions in pairs or small groups before writing their responses on their own.

It may be helpful for students to turn in a copy of their responses for review. Make sure that students adequately understand the doctrine of the Apostasy and Restoration and the principles of acquiring spiritual knowledge.

Seek further understanding through divinely appointed sources

How can you use the truths taught in 2 Thessalonians 2:1–3 to help Keyshawn?

Find at least three additional scriptures, talks, or articles you think would be helpful in this situation. Consider using the following resources:

Read the entries for “Apostasy” and “Restoration of the Gospel” in the Guide to the Scriptures, or look up similar entries in the Topical Guide. These entries can be found on scriptures.ChurchofJesusChrist.org.
Visit the entry “Apostasy” in Gospel Topics (topics.ChurchofJesusChrist.org).
Refer to the scriptures and statements from the “2 Thessalonians 2” lesson or from “Lesson 1: The Message of the Restoration of the Gospel of Jesus Christ” in Preach My Gospel (2018), 31–46.

What scripture passages or other sources did you find that could help you answer Keyshawn?

Examine concepts and questions with an eternal perspective

What truths about Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ would you want to share with Keyshawn that could help him understand the need for the Restoration?

Act in faith

What specific actions could you invite Keyshawn to take so that he can learn for himself why a Restoration of Christ’s Church was necessary?
What kinds of experiences could Keyshawn expect to have if he takes these actions?
How is inviting him to take action an act of faith on your part?

Invite willing students to share with the class their responses, including any helpful scripture passages, talks, or articles they found. If there is time, consider inviting volunteers to share how they gained their testimony of the Restoration.

Doctrinal mastery review

At the beginning or end of an upcoming lesson, spend no more than three to five minutes reviewing the scripture reference and key scripture phrase for this doctrinal mastery passage. Use the same memorization activity students completed earlier in this lesson.