1 Samuel 17–18; 24–26; 2 Samuel 5–7: Lesson 75

1 Samuel 25

The Savior Helps Us Forgive

Throughout our lives, other people will likely hurt or offend us. David was insulted by a man named Nabal. As a type of Jesus Christ, Nabal’s wife, Abigail, interceded and helped David to forgive. We can learn more about Jesus Christ and the help He gives us by comparing Abigail to Him. This lesson can help students understand how Jesus Christ can help them forgive others.

Student preparation: Invite students to read, watch, or listen to “Beauty for Ashes: The Healing Path of Forgiveness” by Sister Kristin M. Yee (Liahona, Nov. 2022, 36–38). They could study the entire address or portions that you have preselected. Invite students to come to class prepared to share insights that they gain about receiving the Savior’s help to forgive others.

Possible Learning Activities

The Atonement of Jesus Christ

Consider displaying an image of Jesus Christ, such as the one at the beginning of this lesson. Write the following incomplete statement on the board. Invite students to use their study journals to list several ways they could complete it. You could play reverent music while students reflect and write.

Because of Jesus Christ, I can …

After sufficient time, invite willing students to share how they completed the statement. They could also express their feelings or beliefs about what they share. Display the following statement to support or add to the lists students created.

President Russell M. Nelson described something we can all do because of Jesus Christ:

Through [the Savior’s] infinite Atonement, you can forgive those who have hurt you and who may never accept responsibility for their cruelty to you.

It is usually easy to forgive one who sincerely and humbly seeks your forgiveness. But the Savior will grant you the ability to forgive anyone who has mistreated you in any way. Then their hurtful acts can no longer canker your soul. (“Four Gifts That Jesus Christ Offers to You” [First Presidency Christmas devotional, Dec. 2, 2018], Gospel Library)

• What does Jesus Christ make possible through His Atonement?

Complete the statement on the board with the following truth: Because of Jesus Christ, I can forgive people who have hurt me. You could invite students to add this truth to their journals if it was not part of their initial list.

David and Nabal

1 Samuel 25 contains an account in which the actions of Nabal’s wife, Abigail, can be compared to Jesus Christ. This comparison helps us learn more about Him. These kinds of comparisons are sometimes called types of Jesus Christ. Encourage students to invite the Holy Ghost to help them understand the type of Christ in this chapter. It might be helpful to summarize the entire account before students begin to study so they can better focus on looking for what this account teaches about Christ.

As David and his men traveled in the wilderness, they met servants of a man named Nabal. During times of battle, weary soldiers often broke the law to get what they needed. David and his men needed help and support. Nabal was a wealthy man and had many flocks and herds. Rather than treating the servants of Nabal harshly and taking what they needed, David and his soldiers were kind to these servants and did not take anything from them (see 1 Samuel 25:7, 15–16). David sent 10 of his servants to peacefully ask Nabal for much-needed food and supplies (see 1 Samuel 25:5–9). Nabal insulted David and refused to help him and his army (see 1 Samuel 25:10–11).

Under the completed statement on the board, you could draw two faces. Label one David and the other Nabal. Leave space to draw a third face between the two later in the lesson. Under the face representing David, you could write: Kind to Nabal’s servants; Sought help from Nabal. Under the face representing Nabal, you could write: Insulted David; Refused to help. You could invite students to change the emotions of the faces as they read the verses below.

Invite half the class to read about Nabal and the other half to read about David. If needed, direct students to the footnotes for better understanding.

1. Read 1 Samuel 25:3, 14, 17, 25, looking for characteristics of Nabal.

2. Read 1 Samuel 25:13, 21–22, looking for David’s reaction to Nabal’s insults and refusal to help.

Ask a volunteer from each group to write on the board what they learned about their assigned person. For example, under Nabal they could write Rude; Wicked; Insensitive. Under David they could write Angry; Felt mistreated; Sought revenge. Students could change the emotions on each face to reflect what they learned.

Give students a chance to think about their own circumstances. Assure them that they will not be sharing their answers to this self-assessment.

Ponder your answers to the following questions:

• When has someone else mistreated you?

• What efforts, success, or struggles have you made or had forgiving this person for their mistreatment?

Abigail as a type of Christ

Prepare students to study about Abigail by introducing the study skill of finding types of Christ. Explain that students can look for things that Abigail says or does that remind them of Jesus Christ, His roles, and His mission in Heavenly Father’s plan.

A servant of Nabal witnessed the conflict between his master and David. The servant informed Abigail, Nabal’s wife (see 1 Samuel 25:14–17). When Abigail learned of this conflict, she interceded on Nabal’s behalf and asked David to forgive him (see 1 Samuel 25:18–20, 23–28). Abigail can be seen as a type of Christ. We can find types of Christ as we study the scriptures and look for how individuals, objects, or even events help us to think of Christ.

On the board, draw a face between David and Nabal. Label this face Abigail. Give students sufficient time to study the following individually or in small groups.

Read 1 Samuel 25:18–19, 23–28, 31, looking for anything that Abigail said or did that is similar to something that Jesus Christ has said or done. Consider marking what you find.

Under the face representing Abigail, make a list of things students found. Possible answers could be: Provided abundant support (verse 18); Took the mistakes of Nabal upon herself (verse 24); Asked David to forgive her for Nabal’s mistakes (verse 28); Worked to remove grief and offense from David’s heart (verse 31).

• How is Abigail a type of Jesus Christ?

Sister Kristin M. Yee of the Relief Society General Presidency shared insights into the Savior’s ability to help us forgive.

In this account, Abigail can be seen as a powerful type or symbol of Jesus Christ. Through His atoning sacrifice, He can release us from the sin and weight of a warring heart and provide us with the sustenance we need.

Just as Abigail was willing to take Nabal’s sin upon herself, so did the Savior—in an incomprehensible way—take upon Him our sins and the sins of those who have hurt or offended us. …

Abigail’s bringing an abundance of food and supplies can teach us that the Savior offers to those who have been hurt and injured the sustenance and help we need to be healed and made whole. …

Just as Abigail helped David not to have an “offence of heart” [1 Samuel 25:31] and to receive the help he needed, so will the Savior help you. (“Beauty for Ashes: The Healing Path of Forgiveness,” Liahona, Nov. 2022, 36–37)

Invite students to share what is meaningful to them from Sister Yee’s statement. As students share, you could replace the face that represents Abigail with the image of Jesus Christ you displayed earlier in the lesson, putting the image of the Savior between the faces of Nabal and David.

• How does the Savior help us forgive others?

Read 1 Samuel 25:32–35, looking for how Abigail’s actions affected David.

• How might we feel similarly when we receive the Savior’s help to forgive others?

Demonstrate understanding

Give students an opportunity to express what they understand about the Savior’s ability to help them forgive others. The following is one way you could do this.

Complete the following in your study journal:

1. Draw a face that represents your feelings when someone hurts or offends you.

2. Next to that image, draw a face that represents a person who might have hurt you.

3. Between the two drawings, make a list of what you understand about the Savior that can help you forgive others.

Consider inviting students to share what they wrote about the Savior. You might also encourage them to share what they have learned with others outside the class. Add your witness of the help the Savior offers us as we strive to forgive others.

Additional Resources

What can I do when I find it difficult to forgive?

President Russell M. Nelson taught:

It can be painfully difficult to let go of anger that feels so justified. It can seem impossible to forgive those whose destructive actions have hurt the innocent. And yet, the Savior admonished us to “forgive all men” [Doctrine and Covenants 64:10]. …

If forgiveness presently seems impossible, plead for power through the atoning blood of Jesus Christ to help you. As you do so, I promise personal peace and a burst of spiritual momentum.

When the Savior atoned for all mankind, He opened a way that those who follow Him can have access to His healing, strengthening, and redeeming power. (“The Power of Spiritual Momentum,” Liahona, May 2022, 97, 100)

Sister Kristin M. Yee of the Relief Society General Presidency shared:

To all who are brokenhearted, captive, bruised, and perhaps blinded by hurt or sin, [the Savior] offers healing, recovery, and deliverance. I testify that that healing and recovery He offers is real. The timing of that healing is individual, and we cannot judge another’s timing. It is important to allow ourselves the necessary time to heal and to be kind to ourselves in the process. The Savior is ever merciful and attentive and stands ready to provide the succor we need [see Alma 7:11–12]. (“Beauty for Ashes: The Healing Path of Forgiveness,” Liahona, Nov. 2022, 38)

Supplemental Learning Activities

How the Savior helps me to forgive

Consider how to help students see specific ways the Savior can help them forgive. You could help students find scriptures that confirm that the Savior can do for us what Abigail did for David. Some scriptures you could use are listed below.

Abigail	The Savior
Abigail Provided abundant support (1 Samuel 25:18)	The Savior Succors us in our need (Alma 7:11–12; Doctrine and Covenants 62:1)
Abigail Took the mistakes of Nabal upon herself (1 Samuel 25:24)	The Savior Takes the sins of the world upon Himself (Alma 7:13; 3 Nephi 11:11)
Abigail Asked David to forgive her for Nabal’s mistakes (1 Samuel 25:28)	The Savior Pleads our cause before the Father as our Advocate (Doctrine and Covenants 45:3–5)
Abigail Worked to remove grief and offense from David’s heart (1 Samuel 25:31)	The Savior Invites His disciples to forgive others (Doctrine and Covenants 64:8–11)

With each of the ways your class lists, help students discuss how knowing what these scriptures teach about the Savior could help us forgive others.

Modern examples

To show students an example of how the Savior helps us forgive, you could watch “Forgiveness: My Burden Was Made Light” from time code 2:44 to 4:04. In this video, a man who lost his wife and several children in a car accident shared how the Savior helped him forgive the person who caused the accident.

Another option could be to watch “Happy and Forever” from time code 2:32 to 4:23. In this account, Elder Gerrit W. Gong of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles shared how the Savior helped a friend forgive her deceased father as she fasted, prayed, and performed his temple ordinances.

1 Samuel 25:35. “I have hearkened to thy voice”

Instead of inviting students to conclude with drawings in their journals, you could provide the following instructions:

Read 1 Samuel 25:32–35, looking for David’s feelings toward Abigail and toward her efforts to help him forgive Nabal.

• What words or phrases impressed you?

Imagine you had an opportunity to tell Jesus Christ how you feel about Him helping you to forgive others. In your study journal, write a short sample of what you might say to Him.

2 Samuel 5. Seeking and following divine instruction

If you have extra time in class, it might be helpful to discuss additional truths from this week’s Come, Follow Me reading.

Invite students to share experiences they have had where they didn’t know what to do. Examples could include difficult decisions, moments of fear, or feelings of inadequacy.

Explain that after David was crowned king of Israel, he might have experienced similar feelings as he was attacked by the Philistines on multiple occasions.

Read 2 Samuel 5:17–25, looking for what David did each time the Philistines attacked.

• What can you learn from David’s example that could help you in difficult situations?

Consider inviting students to highlight the repeated phrase in verses 19 and 23 along with the first line in verse 25. Help them identify that when we ask Heavenly Father for help and follow His instructions, we can be successful.