Doctrinal Mastery: Matthew 5:14–16
“Let Your Light So Shine before Men”
The Savior instructed His disciples to be an example to others by following Him. This lesson can help you use the principles of acquiring spiritual knowledge to be an example to others and come closer to the Savior.
Reviewing the principles of acquiring spiritual knowledge. Regularly review with students the three principles of acquiring spiritual knowledge: act in faith, examine concepts and questions with an eternal perspective, and seek further understanding through divinely appointed sources. In this lesson, reviewing these principles will enable students to apply them during the practice application exercise.
Student preparation: Invite students to think of someone in their lives who is a good example to them. Then have them consider calling this person or writing the person a note to express their gratitude.
Possible Learning Activities
Memorize and explain
Provide an opportunity for students to memorize the reference and the key scripture phrase. The following is one example of how to do this.
Read Matthew 5:14–16 .
Draw an illustration of the key scripture phrase “Let your light so shine before men” and its reference, Matthew 5:14–16. As you draw, think of ways to include the reference to help you remember it.
While looking at the illustration, repeat the reference and key scripture phrase several times. Then look away, and try to repeat the reference and key scripture phrase from memory.
For the following activity, encourage students to use their drawing to explain the truth in the doctrinal mastery passage rather than just talking about the drawing itself.
Share your drawing with a classmate, and explain how it illustrates the doctrinal mastery key phrase and reference.
If possible, consider hanging several of the illustrations around the class so the teacher and students can refer back to them in future lessons or review activities.
Practice application
In this practice application, you will use the principles of acquiring spiritual knowledge to determine how to be an example to others and invite them to come closer to the Savior.
Review paragraphs 5–12 of the “Acquiring Spiritual Knowledge” section of the Doctrinal Mastery Core Document (2022).
Consider using the video “Bullying—Stop It” (10:22), available on ChurchofJesusChrist.org, as the scenario for the practice application.
Ideas for how the video could be used are found in the “Supplemental Learning Activities.”
Read the following scenario, and think of how you could respond if you were in Raul’s situation.
Raul, a newly ordained priest, is with a group of friends when a few of them start to tell dirty jokes and speak rudely about someone Raul knows. Raul feels uncomfortable and knows what they are doing is wrong. As he is wondering what to do, his friend Jesse, who is a member of a different religion and whom Raul really admires, turns to Raul and says, “Hey, why do you look so serious?”
Consider each of the principles of acquiring spiritual knowledge to help you develop a response.
Consider inviting students to work with a classmate or in small groups. It may be helpful to display the following instructions for students.
Examine concepts and questions with an eternal perspective
Select one of the people in the scenario (Jesse or the person being ridiculed).
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How do you think the Lord feels about the person you selected?
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How might seeing this person as the Lord sees them impact how Raul responds to Jesse’s question?
Seek further understanding through divinely appointed sources
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How might remembering and applying the principles in Matthew 5:14–16 be helpful for Raul?
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What other divinely appointed sources do you think could help Raul?
Act in faith
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Why might it be difficult for Raul to act in faith in this situation?
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What do you recommend that Raul could do to act in faith?
Invite a few students to share their responses. Consider identifying and complimenting students on the principles of acquiring spiritual knowledge they mention.
Think about a situation similar to Raul’s that you are facing now or could face in the future.
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How could what you learned today help you be an example to others?
Review
Help students review the reference and key scripture phrase for Matthew 5:14–16 in an upcoming lesson. Here is one example.
Refer to the picture you drew for Matthew 5:14–16. As you look at it, repeat the reference and key scripture phrase several times. Try to repeat it from memory.
Supplemental Learning Activities
Alternate doctrinal mastery explanation activity
Display the images of several sources of light, such as a fire, a light bulb, a flashlight, and so on. Invite students to select an item and use it to explain a truth identified in Matthew 5:14–16.
Invite students to use the following questions to help prepare their explanation.
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What light are we supposed to shine?
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How can we shine that light?
Alternate practice application
The video “Bullying—Stop It” (10:22), available at ChurchofJesusChrist.org, shows several examples of young men and women acting in faith. Consider pausing the video at 4:08. Then discuss things that sometimes make it hard to act in faith. Next, invite students to watch how the young man acts in faith and sees the situation from an eternal perspective. After the video, students could discuss how Matthew 5:14–16 could be used as a divinely appointed source to help us through a situation like the video showed.