Jesus Christ had just introduced the sacrament to His disciples when they began to talk about who would betray the Master and how serving others is greater than being served. Amid these conversations in the upper room where Jesus and the Apostles ate the Last Supper, Jesus helped Peter understand the opposition he would experience throughout his life. The Savior taught Peter that he would be able to help others only after he strengthened his own faith in Jesus Christ. This lesson is intended to help you recognize your need to rely on Jesus Christ and continually strengthen your faith in Him.
Focus on helping students. As you prepare to teach, focus on your students and not just on what you will say or do. As you prepare the next few lessons, ask yourself, “What will my students do in class today?” and “How will I help my students discover what they need to know?”
Student preparation: Invite students to come prepared to share an experience that helped increase their faith in Jesus Christ.
Possible Learning Activities
Strengthen your ability
To start class, share a personal experience about a skill or ability that can be lost if neglected but that can grow stronger through practice and consistent effort.
To demonstrate this principle in physical, mental, and spiritual matters, consider showing the video “Foundations of Faith” (4:13), from time code 0:00 to 1:34, available on ChurchofJesusChrist.org. Invite students to learn from Elder Cook what it takes to increase our capacity physically, mentally, and spiritually.
Make a list of skills or abilities that someone could lose if they did not continually use or strengthen those abilities (for example, athletic skills or writing skills).
How might this also apply to your ability to have faith in Jesus Christ?
In today’s lesson, you will learn about how Jesus Christ wants you to strengthen your ability to have faith in Him.
If students were asked to prepare for class by thinking of an experience that helped them increase their faith in Jesus Christ, consider asking some volunteers to share their experiences with the rest of the class.
Take a minute to ponder what you are currently doing or would like to do to increase your faith in Jesus Christ. You might write in your study journal about what you are doing daily, weekly, or even monthly. These actions might include any goals you are currently working on.
As you study today, look for changes or improvements you can make to strengthen your faith in Jesus Christ so that you can rely on Him no matter the circumstances you face in life.
Jesus Christ understands our needs and will help us
Jesus Christ told His disciples of the future kingdom that awaited them because they faithfully continued to walk with Him (see Luke 22:28–30). However, the Lord also helped Simon Peter prepare for the challenging spiritual journey he would soon face.
Read Luke 22:31–34, looking for what the Lord wanted to help Peter understand.
Consider listing on the board what students found.
To better understand what it means that Satan desired to “sift [Peter] as wheat” (verse 31), read the explanation in the “Commentary and Background Information” section at the end of the lesson.
What do you notice about the Savior’s understanding of Peter? How is it different from how Peter saw himself?
How might what you learned about Peter’s relationship with Jesus Christ also relate to your relationship with the Savior?
After Peter proclaimed his faith and loyalty to Jesus Christ, what did the Savior reveal that Peter would do?
Consider displaying an image depicting Peter after he denied Jesus Christ.
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Peter turning his head away from Christ as Christ turns to look at him
Later that night, when Jesus Christ was arrested and taken to the house of the high priest to be tried, Peter followed from a distance (see Luke 22:54).
Read Luke 22:55–62 to learn how Jesus’s prophecy about Peter was fulfilled.
Consider emphasizing Peter’s sorrowful reaction in verse 62 to help students want to avoid similar consequences. Another option is to show the video “Jesus Is Tried by Caiaphas, Peter Denies Knowing Him” (4:25; from time code 1:40 to 4:25), available on ChurchofJesusChrist.org.
What did you learn about the Savior from His interaction with Peter that allows you to have faith in Jesus Christ?
Strengthening our faith in Jesus Christ
Allow students to share a variety of truths they are learning about Jesus Christ. One truth they might identify is that Jesus Christ seeks to strengthen our faith in Him so we can overcome Satan’s attacks.
Consider displaying the following statements and asking students what similarities they notice between President Nelson’s words and the Savior’s warning to Peter.
Like the Savior helped Peter understand Satan’s desires (see Luke 22:31), President Russell M. Nelson warned us that “the adversary is increasing his attacks on faith and upon us and our families at an exponential rate” (Russell M. Nelson, “Opening Remarks,” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2018, 7). He also taught that “the adversary is quadrupling his efforts to disrupt testimonies and impede the work of the Lord” (Russell M. Nelson, “We Can Do Better and Be Better,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2019, 68).
What are some of the ways Satan is seeking to destroy our faith in Jesus Christ today?
If students struggle to think of examples consider providing some like the following:
A loved one leaves the Church and wants you to come with them.
Someone at school attacks your faith.
You read something online that doesn’t match your beliefs.
To help enhance the class discussion of the next question, consider briefly sharing a personal story or scripture account that could help students see the importance of continually strengthening their faith in Jesus Christ. One helpful example could be Captain Moroni, who “did not stop making preparations for war, or to defend his people” ( Alma 50:1).
What has helped you strengthen your faith in Jesus Christ?
Consider displaying the following statement from Elder Andersen as students think of ways to strengthen their faith in Jesus Christ.
Elder Neil L. Andersen of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles shared some of the ways we can strengthen our faith in Jesus Christ.
To help students find ways to strengthen their faith in Jesus Christ, it may be helpful to include other statements found in the “Commentary and Background Information” section. The last part of the video “Foundations of Faith” (4:14) could also be shown at this time.
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Elder Neil L. Andersen
Your faith will grow not by chance, but by choice.
How we live our lives increases or diminishes our faith. Prayer, obedience, honesty, purity of thought and deed, and unselfishness increase faith. Without these, faith diminishes. Why did the Savior say to Peter, “I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not”? (Luke 22:32). Because there is an adversary who delights in destroying our faith! Be relentless in protecting your faith.
What did you learn today about what Jesus Christ wants for you?
What is something you will start or continue doing to strengthen your faith in Jesus Christ?
How do you think stronger faith in Jesus Christ will bless you?
Commentary and Background Information
Luke 22:31. What did the Savior mean when He told Peter that Satan wanted to “sift [him] as wheat”?
To sift wheat, the valuable kernels of grain are separated from the unused parts of the plant. Jesus used this analogy to help Peter (and each of us) recognize Satan’s efforts to destroy our faith and keep us from being an important part of God’s kingdom.
What can strengthen my faith in Jesus Christ?
Elder Neil L. Andersen of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles taught:
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Elder Neil L. Andersen
Our faith is centered in God, our Father, and in His Son, Jesus Christ, our Savior and Redeemer. It is bolstered by our knowledge that the fulness of the gospel has been restored to the earth, that the Book of Mormon is the word of God, and that prophets and apostles today hold the keys of the priesthood. We treasure our faith, work to strengthen our faith, pray for increased faith, and do all within our power to protect and defend our faith. …
… You immerse yourself in the very things that helped build your core of faith: you exercise faith in Christ, you pray, you ponder the scriptures, you repent, you keep the commandments, and you serve others.
(Neil L. Andersen, “Trial of Your Faith,” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2012, 39–40)
What can destroy my faith in Jesus Christ?
Ahmad S. Corbitt, First Counselor in the Young Men General Presidency, taught:
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Ahmad S. Corbitt
My friends, intentionally envisioning or viewing things that conflict with who you really are, especially pornography, will weaken your faith in Christ and, without repentance, could destroy it.
Luke 22:32. What can we learn about conversion from understanding the Savior’s statement suggesting that Peter was not yet fully converted?
Elder David A. Bednar of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles taught:
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Elder David A. Bednar
Interestingly, this mighty Apostle had talked and walked with the Master, had witnessed many miracles, and had a strong testimony of the Savior’s divinity. Yet even Peter needed additional instruction from Jesus about the converting and sanctifying power of the Holy Ghost and his obligation to serve faithfully.
The essence of the gospel of Jesus Christ entails a fundamental and permanent change in our very nature made possible through the Savior’s Atonement. True conversion brings a change in one’s beliefs, heart, and life to accept and conform to the will of God (see Acts 3:19; 3 Nephi 9:20) and includes a conscious commitment to become a disciple of Christ.
The November 2020 issue of the New Era includes excerpts from President Russell M. Nelson’s talk “Embrace the Future with Faith.” Consider displaying the primary image of that article, which highlights the phrase “if ye are prepared ye shall not fear” (Doctrine and Covenants 38:30). Invite students to search President Nelson’s counsel for ways to strengthen their faith in Jesus Christ so they do not need to fear anything they might face in the future.
“Mountains to Climb”
Consider showing the video “Mountains to Climb” (5:05) and inviting students to listen for what President Henry B. Eyring of the First Presidency taught about strengthening our faith in Jesus Christ. Allow students to share what they learned about faith in Jesus Christ and what it gives us the power to do in life.