Samuel Instructing Saul, by Ted Henninger

1 Samuel 8–10; 13; 15–16

The Israelites wanted to have a king “like all the nations” (1 Samuel 8:5) instead of having the Lord reign over them. In response, the Lord instructed Samuel to anoint Saul as king. Saul reigned righteously for a time, but he was eventually rejected by the Lord as king because of his disobedience. The Lord then led Samuel to choose David, a humble shepherd, as the next king of Israel. Through this experience Samuel learned that the Lord sees people differently from the way we usually see one another.

Additional Resources

Scripture Helps: Old Testament, “1 Samuel 8–10; 13; 15–16”

Note: The “Introduction to the Course” provides guidance on how to use the standard lesson elements that follow.

Encouraging Personal Study

Before class, consider sending students one or more of the following messages or some of your own:

How can you respond when popular influences contradict the Lord’s counsel? Ponder this as you study 1 Samuel 8.
“Saul’s life began with great promise, but it had an unfortunate and tragic end” (Dieter F. Uchtdorf, “A Matter of a Few Degrees,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2008, 58). As you study 1 Samuel 13:5–14 and 15:1–28, what do you find that contributed to Saul’s spiritual decline? How can Saul’s account help you avoid spiritual danger?
What problems can come from judging other people based only on what we can see? As you study 1 Samuel 16, consider how the Lord sees you and how it might be different from how you are seen by others.

Questions and Sharing

Provide time for students to ask questions and share insights and truths they discovered in their personal study of 1 Samuel 8–10; 13; 15–16.

Skill Training

The learning activity for 1 Samuel 15 could be a good place to use the skill “Tagging Scriptures and Other Gospel Teachings” in Scripture Study Skills.

Learning Activity Options

Multiple learning options are provided for you and your students. Prayerfully choose which option or options will be most meaningful for your class. You could also seek input from your students.

Improving Our Teaching and Learning

Prepare yourself spiritually. When teachers spiritually prepare themselves to teach, they are better able to hear and follow the guidance of the Holy Ghost as they teach and prepare lessons. For more on how the Savior prepared Himself to teach, see “The Savior Prepared Himself Spiritually to Teach” (Teaching in the Savior’s Way, 16–17).

1 Samuel 8

How can I respond when I encounter unrighteous influences that contradict the Lord’s counsel?

Consider beginning by discussing the following statement by Sister Elaine S. Dalton, former Young Women General President:

If you desire to make a difference in the world, you must be different from the world. (“Now Is the Time to Arise and Shine!,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2012, 124)

What challenges might you face as you choose to be different from the world?

Invite students to ponder how willing they typically are to stand out when they encounter values that are different from the Lord’s. Encourage them as they study today to look for truths that can help them in their efforts to follow Jesus Christ.

Remind students that the Israelites were led by judges for the first few hundred years after they entered the promised land. The prophet Samuel was one of the last of these judges. He faithfully led Israel under the Lord’s direction for many years.

Invite students to read 1 Samuel 8:1–9, looking for what the elders of Israel desired as Samuel grew old. Have them share what they found. You could also ask:

Why did the elders want a king? (As needed, point out that the Israelites felt it was better to have a king partly because that was what “all the nations” around them were doing. See verse 20.)
Why do you think the Israelites’ reasons for wanting a king displeased Samuel?

Summarize verses 10–18 by explaining that the Lord gave Samuel specific warnings about the dangers of having a king.

Invite students to study 1 Samuel 8:19–22 and then the following statement by President Jeffrey R. Holland, looking for how the Israelites responded to Samuel’s warnings.

The painful irony here is that they already had a king who went before them and fought their battles. He was Jehovah, King of all, but no longer would they have Jehovah to rule over them. No longer would they have Him to fight their battles. And consistent with the theme of so many history lessons, painful consequences came when it was too late to avoid them. The people later lamented, “We have added unto all our sins this evil, to ask us a king” (1 Samuel 12:19). (“Choose the Lord and His Prophet,” Liahona, June 2022, 6)

Invite students to share truths they learn from this account that can help them with situations they face. Here is one example of a truth they could identify: Choosing to follow popular ideas instead of the Lord’s counsel will lead to suffering and regret.

Consider displaying the following questions and inviting students to discuss them with a partner or small group:

What are some commonly accepted ideas or values that could lead young adults away from God?
What do you know about Jesus Christ that can help you overcome the temptation to follow these kinds of ideas?

You could invite a few students to share insights they had during their discussions. You might also consider discussing a question like the following:

When was a time that you felt closer to the Savior because you chose to follow His counsel to live differently from the world?

Consider concluding by sharing the following statement by President Holland and inviting students to consider how it might relate to them:

As members of this same house of Israel broadly defined, we have been commanded not to be just like other people, not to be just like the world. But like God’s people in the days of Samuel, we face the strong pull to be like those of lesser ways, those overcome by worldly fad in behavior or belief. …

We have been called to separate ourselves from wickedness … and to be spiritual leaven to the world without becoming spiritually leveled by the world. (“Choose the Lord and His Prophet,” 6, 7)

Encourage the students to determine how they could apply the truths they have studied today. Invite them to write down any thoughts or impressions from the Holy Ghost.

Return to “Learning Activity Options.”

1 Samuel 15

How can I resist temptations to rationalize disobedience to God?

You might begin by sharing this statement by President Russell M. Nelson and discussing the question that follows:

[You] will encounter people who pick which commandments they will keep and ignore others that they choose to break. I call this the cafeteria approach to obedience. This practice of picking and choosing will not work. It will lead to misery. To prepare to meet God, one keeps all of His commandments. It takes faith to obey them, and keeping His commandments will strengthen that faith. (“Face the Future with Faith,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2011, 34)

Why might someone choose not to keep certain commandments from God?

As students study 1 Samuel 15, invite them to ponder how important it is for them to keep all of God’s commandments. Encourage them throughout the learning activity to consider ways they might increase their obedience to God.

Remind students that Saul was humble and reliant on the Lord when he was anointed king of Israel (see 1 Samuel 9:21; 15:17). However, as he experienced more success, he began to trust less in the Lord and rely more on his own judgment. When the Philistines threatened an attack, Saul disobeyed the Lord by offering an unauthorized sacrifice (see 1 Samuel 13:8–14. “Why was it wrong for Saul to offer a sacrifice?” in Scripture Helps: Old Testament). A similar experience occurred in 1 Samuel 15, when Saul and his army failed to obey the Lord with exactness.

Invite students to read 1 Samuel 15:1–3, 7–9, looking for the commandment the Lord gave to Saul and his army and how they responded.

It may be helpful to acknowledge that there are aspects of this account that may be difficult for modern readers. For more about the commandment to destroy the Amalekites, see “1 Samuel 15:1–3. Why was Saul commanded to ‘utterly destroy’ the Amalekites?” in Scripture Helps: Old Testament, and “How do we make sense of instances of violence in the scriptures?” in Topics and Questions, “Religion vs. Violence,” Gospel Library.

Point out that although we do not know all the reasons why Saul was commanded to kill all the Amalekites and their animals, we can still learn important lessons from the way Saul responded to the Lord’s commandment.

Invite students to study 1 Samuel 15:13–26, looking for how Saul justified his actions to the prophet Samuel. You could then discuss the following questions:

What stands out to you about Saul’s justification?
What are some examples of how people in our day might rationalize their disobedience to God’s commandments?

Ask students to share truths they learned from the account of Saul and Samuel that can help us when we feel tempted to rationalize our disobedience. (One truth students could mention is something like this: To hearken and obey the Lord is better than offering sacrifices.) You might also ask a question like the following:

What is the relationship between obedience and sacrifice?
What difference can our approach to God’s commandments have on our relationship with Him?

Consider giving students time to find a few scriptures or statements from Church leaders that can help them more fully obey Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ’s commandments. (You could also help students practice the skill “Tagging Scriptures and Other Gospel Teachings” in Scripture Study Skills by creating a Tag called “Obedience” for the teachings they find.) After sufficient time, invite students to share one of the scriptures or statements they found with a partner or small group.

Invite students to consider how they could apply the truths that they studied today. Encourage them to write down goals or plans they have made for themselves. Testify of the truths you discussed today.

Return to “Learning Activity Options.”

1 Samuel 16

What can help me see myself and others the way the Lord does?

Invite students to discuss the following prompts with a partner:

What factors do you think most affect your first impression of a person?
Have you ever had a first impression of someone that was later proven to be wrong? What changed your mind?

Encourage students as they study today to pay attention to any impressions from the Holy Ghost that can help them see themselves and others the way God does.

Explain that because of Saul’s disobedience, the Lord rejected him as king of Israel (see 1 Samuel 13:13–14; 15:26–28). Invite students to study 1 Samuel 16:1–13, looking for words and phrases that show how the Lord helped Samuel find the person He had chosen to replace Saul. Then consider asking:

What important guidance did the Lord give Samuel to help him recognize the next king? (Students could identify a truth such as People look on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.)

To help students better understand this truth, consider displaying the following short activities, and invite students to complete one or both of them:

Find scriptural examples of how the Savior looked at others’ hearts and inner potential rather than their outward appearance or actions. You can find examples on your own or use one of the following: Matthew 11:7–11; Luke 19:1–10; John 8:1–11.
Use Gospel Library to search for statements from Church leaders that relate to seeing ourselves and others the way God does.

Invite students to share what they discovered with a partner or small group. You could then ask a few students to share their insights with the class. As part of this discussion, consider showing the video “Pray for Eyes to See as He Sees” (6:27).

6:27

Consider displaying the following questions and giving students time to write their answers to one or both.

How can you learn to see yourself and others the way the Lord sees you?
When has the Lord helped you see yourself or others as He does?

After sufficient time, invite a few willing students to share answers they recorded that are not too personal.

Testify of the truths you have discussed today. Encourage students to seek Heavenly Father’s help in seeing themselves and others more as He does.

Return to “Learning Activity Options.”