Painting of Jesus Christ in America, greeting Nephites.
What do you think it means to worship Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ? Why do you think we worship Them? John saw the throne of God and various glorified beings praising and worshipping Him. This lesson can help you increase your desire to worship Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ with more love and sincerity.
Strengthening our relationship with Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. Students who love Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ and know of Their love for them feel a genuine desire to be close to Them. Remind students that seminary can help them feel God’s love for them.
Student preparation: Invite students to talk with a family member or Church leader about what it means to worship Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ.
Possible Learning Activities
The throne of God
Consider beginning class by singing a hymn that praises God, such as “Glory to God on High” or “All Creatures of Our God and King” (Hymns, nos. 67, 62). Invite students to notice the attitude of worship in the hymn.
Another option is to have students think of someone they love and how they show that person that they love him or her. Invite students to consider how they show love to God.
Invite students to list on the board their answers to the following question.
What do you know about Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ that stirs within your heart a genuine desire to worship Them?
When we worship Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ, we give them our love, reverence, and service (see Gospel Topics, “Worship,” topics.ChurchofJesusChrist.org). Worshipping Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ can have a significant impact on our lives and help us feel close to Them.
What are some opportunities you have to worship the Father and the Son?
Take a moment to think about how often you sincerely worship Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. Reflect on how your life would change if you worshipped them more frequently and meaningfully. Seek the influence of the Holy Ghost as you study Revelation 5 to know how you can more sincerely worship Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ.
Worthy is the Lamb
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A modern replica of an ancient papyrus scroll, folded and sealed with multiple clay seals. Sealing an ancient document in this way identified its owner and his authority, made the document legally binding, and protected it from unauthorized disclosure. Jesus Christ’s role as the only person worthy to open and read the sealed book in Revelation 5 highlights His authority as the executor of God’s plan of salvation.
In his vision, John saw the throne of God in the celestial kingdom. Surrounding the throne were various glorified beings and beasts praising and worshipping God (see Revelation 4:1–11). He saw Heavenly Father seated on His throne, holding a book sealed with seven seals (see Revelation 5:1). The book contained God’s will, mysteries, and works during the 7,000 years of the earth’s temporal existence (see Doctrine and Covenants 77:6–7).
Since the book with the seals represents the earth’s temporal history, John may have worried that if no man were worthy to open it, then God’s purpose in creating the earth would not come to pass. What would happen to Heavenly Father’s children if His plan for their salvation could not be carried out?
Read Revelation 5:5–7, looking for why John did not need to weep. Note that in the Joseph Smith Translation for verse 6, the number seven was changed to twelve (in Revelation 5:6, footnote b).
Students could be invited to share their feelings for the Savior and why they are grateful for Him. As students study, give them opportunities to share what they discovered and ask questions. Help them find answers in the scriptures. Consider discussing what they learn about the Savior from His names and the ways He is described.
Additional insights for Revelation 5:5–6 are in the “Commentary and Background Information” section.
Read Revelation 5:8–14, looking for how the various glorified beings responded when Jesus Christ was able to take the book from Heavenly Father’s hand. You could also read how Joseph Smith described the beings around God’s throne in Doctrine and Covenants 76:20–21.
Why do you think the glorified beings responded this way?
Imagine you were there. How do you think you would feel? What would you do?
What can we learn from how the glorified beings worshipped Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ?
One truth we learn is that as we recognize and feel gratitude for Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ, we desire to worship and praise Them.
Worship
Consider displaying the following statement.
Bishop Dean M. Davies (1951–2021) of the Presiding Bishopric taught about worship. You can read the statement below or watch “The Blessings of Worship” (from time code 3:34 to 4:45 and 8:54 to 11:14), available at ChurchofJesusChrist.org.
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Official Portrait of Bishop Dean M. Davies. Photographed in March 2017.
When we worship God, we approach Him with reverent love, humility, and adoration. We acknowledge and accept Him as our sovereign King, the Creator of the universe, our beloved and infinitely loving Father.
We respect and revere Him.
We submit ourselves to Him.
We lift our hearts in mighty prayer, cherish His word, rejoice in His grace, and commit to follow Him with dedicated loyalty. …
When we worship, our hearts are drawn out in praise to our blessed God morning, noon, and night.
We hallow and honor Him continually—in our meetinghouses, homes, temples, and all our labors.
When we worship, we open our hearts to the healing power of the Atonement of Jesus Christ.
Our lives become the token and expression of our worship.
What did you learn about worship from this statement?
To assess students’ understanding of worship, invite them to explain the concept of worshipping God to a classmate. Listen carefully to their responses, and offer additional understanding as needed.
How do you think sincerely worshipping Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ will bless your life?
When have you felt close to Heavenly Father or Jesus Christ through sincere worship?
How could your worship better reflect the feelings you have for Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ?
Select one or more of the following actions, and ponder how sincere worship could help them be more meaningful: prayer, scripture study, taking the sacrament, honoring the Sabbath, fasting, attending the temple.
What have you felt prompted to improve or change about the way you worship?
It may be appropriate to share a personal experience of worshipping Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ.
Commentary and Background Information
Who is the “Lion of the tribe of Juda” and the “Root of David”?
Both of these phrases are titles of Jesus Christ. “Lion of the tribe of Juda” is a fitting title because a lion is majestic and powerful and because the Savior was born through the lineage of Judah (see Genesis 49:8–10; Matthew 1:3; Hebrews 7:14). The title “Lion of Judah” is a stark contrast to the meek and sacrificial Lamb mentioned in Revelation 5:6. These two images convey that Christ possesses both majesty and meekness.
Jesus is also called the “Root of David.” A root provides lifesaving water and nourishment to a plant—such was the mission of Jesus Christ to all who accept Him as their Savior and Redeemer (see John 15:1–8; see also Isaiah 11:1; 53:2). Later in John’s revelation, Christ Himself declared, “I am the root and the offspring of David” ( Revelation 22:16). The Gospel writers frequently emphasized that Jesus was a descendant of King David (see Matthew 1:1; Mark 10:47; Luke 1:32; John 7:42).
In the scriptures, horns are often a symbol of power or authority, and eyes can symbolize light and knowledge. In the Joseph Smith Translation, the number seven was changed to twelve (in Revelation 5:6, footnote b). The number twelve can symbolize divine government and organization, or the priesthood. The Joseph Smith Translation also states that the twelve horns and eyes are “the twelve servants of God,” which could represent the Twelve Apostles of Jesus Christ.
Who do we worship?
President Russell M. Nelson testified:
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Official portrait of President Russell M. Nelson taken January 2018
The atoning sacrifice and Resurrection of Jesus Christ changed each of our lives forever. We love Him and gratefully worship Him and our Heavenly Father.
Elder Bruce R. McConkie (1915–85) of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles taught:
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Head and shoulders portrait of Elder Bruce R. McConkie.
Come worship the Lord! How is it done? Perfect worship is emulation. We honor those whom we imitate. The most perfect way of worship is to be holy as Jehovah is holy. It is to be pure as Christ is pure. It is to do the things that enable us to become like the Father. …
How do we worship the Lord? We do it by going from grace to grace, until we receive the fulness of the Father and are glorified in light and truth as is our case with our Pattern and Prototype, the Promised Messiah.
(Bruce R. McConkie, The Promised Messiah: The First Coming of Christ [1978], 568–69)
Supplemental Learning Activities
Everyday worship
To help students see examples of worshipping in everyday life, consider watching the video “This Is Church” (1:10), available at ChurchofJesusChrist.org.
Examples of worship in the Book of Mormon
Students could study the following examples from the Book of Mormon as a class or in small groups and report what they learned about worshipping God.
To help students imagine being in the presence of God, they could study Alma 36:22 to see how Alma felt when he envisioned God. Students could ponder how they might feel in the presence of God and compare their own feelings to Alma’s. Students could also study Alma’s experience in verses 17–21. What did Alma discover about Jesus Christ? How was his discovery similar to what John learned about Jesus Christ in Revelation 5:2–9?
Student creation
Song is a form of worship (see Revelation 5:9). Some students may enjoy writing a hymn that praises and worships the Lord. Another option is to invite students to write a poem or draw a picture.