Seeking to test the Savior, one of the Pharisees asked which commandment in the law was greatest. In response, the Savior taught that the first commandment is to love God with all our heart, soul, and mind and that the second is to love our neighbor as ourselves. This lesson can help you understand how to live these two great commandments.
Helping students feel the truth and importance of doctrine and principles. Students are more likely to apply the truths in the scriptures when they feel their importance and sense some urgency to incorporate them into their lives. One way to help students do this is to encourage them to reflect on how the truths are relevant in their lives and share personal experiences related to these truths.
Student preparation: Invite students to come prepared to share about someone they know who has shown that they truly love God and others.
Possible Learning Activities
The great commandments
Consider using the following scenario to begin the lesson or inviting students to share examples of Christlike people they know and helping them see how the two great commandments can help us become like the Savior.
Imagine speaking with a friend about your religious beliefs. While discussing the importance of God’s commandments, your friend asks what specific commandments your church teaches.
Take one minute and list as many of God’s commandments and standards as you can think of.
After you share your list of God’s commandments, your friend asks which commandments are most important.
Review your list and think about how you might respond to his question.
Matthew 22:36–39 is a doctrinal mastery passage. Consider marking doctrinal mastery passages in a distinctive way so you can locate them easily. You will learn more about this doctrinal mastery passage in the next lesson.
While Jesus was teaching among the people, many of the Pharisees asked him questions, seeking to humiliate him in front of the people. Read Matthew 22:36–40, looking for one question the Savior was asked and how He responded.
What thoughts or feelings do you have about the way the Savior responded?
The Savior explained that the first great commandment is to love God with all our heart, soul, and mind. The second great commandment is to love our neighbor as ourselves. These two commandments are from Deuteronomy 6:5 and Leviticus 19:18. The “law” referred to in Matthew 22:36 is the law of Moses.
Think about the needs of the students, and discuss some or all of the following questions in the material that follows. Consider which method would help students answer the questions. For example, some could be discussed as a class, in small groups, or individually in a study journal.
What does it mean to love God with all your heart, soul, and mind? (If you would like to better understand these words, consider looking up their definitions using study helps such as the Guide to the Scriptures.)
What are some examples from the life of Christ when He showed that He loved God in this way?
What do you think it means to love your neighbor as yourself?
How can obeying these two great commandments help us become like Jesus Christ?
Notice that in Matthew 22:40, Jesus taught that all the commandments of God are designed to help people show their love for God and for their neighbor.
How might being obedient to the two great commandments help us obey all other commandments?
President Russell M. Nelson explained how our love for God is connected with our love for others.
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President Russell M. Nelson
When we love God with all our hearts, He turns our hearts to the well-being of others in a beautiful, virtuous cycle.
Why might our love for God turn our hearts to others?
Use the teaching tip and student preparation for this lesson by encouraging students to share examples of people who love God and others. Doing so can help students feel the truth and importance of these commandments and identify ways they could apply them. Listen carefully to their responses, and thank students for sharing.
Who do you know that is a good example of keeping the two great commandments?
What are ways that they show this love? How can you follow their example in showing love to others in simple everyday ways?
You may want to watch “Realizing What God Has Done, How Could I Not Help? | His Hands” (2:50) to see an example of how God’s love for us can turn our hearts to Him and others. This video is available on ChurchofJesusChrist.org.
In your study journal, write down what you know about Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ that motivates you to keep the two great commandments. It may be helpful to reflect specifically on experiences when you have felt Their love for you.
Invite willing students to briefly share some of what they wrote.
Love of God should be our first priority
While it is important to obey both of the two great commandments, President Dallin H. Oaks shared a caution:
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President Dallin H. Oaks
Our zeal to keep this second commandment must not cause us to forget the first, to love God with all our heart, soul, and mind. We show that love by “keep[ing] [His] commandments” [John 14:15].
Why might the order of these commandments be important?
What problems might come if we prioritize loving our neighbor over loving God?
What situations or circumstances might you face in which you need to be sure to make loving God a priority?
If students need an example of how someone made loving God a priority, consider watching “Spiritual Whirlwinds” from time code 7:40 to 9:13. This video can be found on ChurchofJesusChrist.org.
Make a plan
Reflect on opportunities you have recently had to obey the two great commandments. On a scale of one to five, rate yourself on how well you are obeying each of these commandments, with one being “very well” and five being “not well.”
Create a plan in your study journal to obey these two great commandments more fully.
List specific actions you could take to better live these two great commandments. Listen carefully for impressions from the Holy Ghost, and choose one to follow through on.
Write down how you will follow through on that action. Consider sharing your plan with your parents or a trusted friend and inviting them to help you. Recognize that God will help you as you do all you can (see Doctrine and Covenants 123:17).
Encourage students to follow through on their plans, and inform them that in a future assessment lesson (“Assess Your Learning 5”) they may have an opportunity to follow up on this plan. Express confidence in them, and assure them that the Lord will help them in their efforts.
Commentary and Background Information
How can I learn to love myself?
In his talk “This Is Our Time!” Elder S. Gifford Nielsen of the Seventy speaks of the importance of coming to love ourselves (Liahona, May 2021, 64–67). You can watch the video, located on ChurchofJesusChrist.org, from time code 7:36 to 9:32. The following article also teaches how we can learn to love ourselves: “How to Love Yourself Like God Loves You” (ChurchofJesusChrist.org).
How do the two great commandments work together? (see also 1John 4:7–11, 20–21)
Elder Peter M. Johnson of the Seventy taught:
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Elder Peter M. Johnson
Remember that the first and great commandment is to love God with our heart, might, mind, and strength [see Matthew 22:37–38]. All that we do should be motivated by our love for Him and for His Son. As we develop our love for Them by keeping Their commandments, our capacity to love ourselves and to love others will increase. We will begin to serve family, friends, and neighbors because we will see them as the Savior sees them—as sons and daughters of God [see John 3:16; 1 John 4:19; Mosiah 2:17].
How can obeying the commandments to love God and others impact my life?
President M. Russell Ballard, Acting President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, explained:
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President M. Russell Ballard
Obedience to those two commandments provides a way to experience more peace and joy. When we love and serve the Lord and love and serve our neighbors, we will naturally feel more happiness that comes to us in no better way.
Why is love emphasized in both of these commandments?
Watch the video “Love and Law” (3:21). This video can be found on ChurchofJesusChrist.org.
How does God’s love influence us to obey the two great commandments?
Elder Jeffrey R. Holland of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles testified:
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Elder Jeffrey R. Holland
The first great commandment of all eternity is to love God with all of our heart, might, mind, and strength—that’s the first great commandment. But the first great truth of all eternity is that God loves us with all of His heart, might, mind, and strength. That love is the foundation stone of eternity, and it should be the foundation stone of our daily life. Indeed it is only with that reassurance burning in our soul that we can have the confidence to keep trying to improve, keep seeking forgiveness for our sins, and keep extending that grace to our neighbor.
Keeping the first great commandment first: alternative lesson focus
Invite students to identify worldly traditions, laws, or customs that may influence us to put loving our neighbor over loving God. Examples could include same-sex marriage, other violations of the law of chastity, and violations of the Word of Wisdom.
Consider using the following resources to guide a class discussion based on the importance of making sure that we keep the first commandment first and don’t allow worldly influences to detract us from our love of God. Focus on the Savior and how He showed us through His example how to love God first while still loving our neighbors.
Consider watching the account of the Savior teaching the great commandments from Mark 12:28–34 in the video “The Greatest Commandment” (1:51), found on ChurchofJesusChrist.org. Compare and contrast the video with what is found in Matthew 22:34–40, and look for how using both accounts can help you better understand the Savior’s words.