2 Samuel 11–12; 1 Kings 3; 6–9; 11: Lesson 80

Assess Your Learning 5

Ruth–1 Kings 11

Reflecting on and assessing our spiritual learning can help us draw closer to Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. This lesson is intended to help students reflect on the goals they have set and the growth they have experienced during their recent study of the Old Testament.

Student preparation: Invite students to consider their spiritual growth during seminary this year. Encourage them to evaluate their efforts by reviewing journal entries, scriptures they have marked, and notes they have made.

Possible Learning Activities

Your students’ study of the Old Testament may have focused on different outcomes than those assessed in this lesson. If so, adapt the activities to assess the growth students experienced from the outcomes you selected for your class.

In this lesson, students will have the opportunity to assess their learning according to the following learning outcomes:

1. Explain the titles and roles of Jesus Christ that students studied this year. (Note: This activity allows students to use what they have learned about the titles and roles of Jesus Christ, such as Bread of Life, King of Zion, Creator, Deliverer, and Redeemer).

2. Feel an increased desire to worship Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ in the temple. (Note: The learning activities from both Lesson 52: “Exodus 25, 35–40” and Lesson 79: “1 Kings 6–9” prepare students for this assessment activity.)

3. Increase their ability to receive and recognize personal revelation. (Note: This activity helps students reflect on a goal they set in Lesson 70: “1 Samuel 3” and encourages students to look back on in-class opportunities to invite the Holy Ghost to perform His role in the learning process.)

Evaluating our spiritual growth and progress

Consider displaying the image above, or something similar, that shows the growth of a seed into a plant or tree throughout the lesson. With each activity, students will refer to this image during reflection or to answer questions such as those that follow.

• Why is it helpful to take the time to regularly check the growth of a plant?

• How might caring for the plant be different at each stage? What might be similar?

  Students might mention watering, weeding, using fertilizer, or making sure the plant has the right amount of sun or shade, depending on the stage of growth. You might point out that a tiny seed may need different care, sun, and water than a full-grown tree.

• What are some ways the growth of a plant can be like our spiritual growth?

Share with students that the purpose of Assess Your Learning lessons is to pause and invite the Holy Ghost to help them recognize their efforts and progress, becoming more like the Savior. Students could reflect on adjustments they need to make as they progress along the covenant path toward Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. You might share your witness that our spiritual progress strengthens our relationship with Them and helps us become more like Them.

Ponder where you felt you were spiritually as you began your study of the Old Testament and where you are today. Relate your spiritual growth to the image of the growing seed. In your study journal, complete the following exercise.

• On the left page of your study journal, draw the plant (A, B, C, D, or E) that best represents where you feel you were spiritually at the beginning of the year.

• On the right page of your study journal, draw the plant (A, B, C, D, or E) that best represents where you feel you are spiritually today.

Write a brief paragraph describing your effort to progress toward Jesus Christ in your spiritual growth in seminary this year. Then invite the Holy Ghost to help you recognize one or two adjustments you could make to grow closer to the Savior. Write those adjustments in your study journal.

You might invite students to share what they wrote, if it is not too personal. Consider encouraging students who do not feel they have made spiritual progress by letting them know that, like growing seeds, spiritual growth takes time and effort. Reassure students that the Lord loves them and invites them to be patient and keep trying.

Explain the titles and roles of Jesus Christ

Invite students to review their scriptures and study journal to identify some of the titles of Jesus Christ they have studied in the Old Testament.

To help students demonstrate their understanding, you could write on the board some of the titles or roles of Jesus Christ that you studied this year. It might be helpful to give students the corresponding Old Testament reference. You could share titles and roles such as these:

• Redeemer (Ruth)

• Deliverer (Judges 2–4)

• Creator (Genesis 1:1–23)

• Law Giver (Exodus 20)

• King of Zion (Moses 7)

Imagine you have been asked to present a short thought on Sunday about how the Savior performs this role or title. Write a brief outline that answers the following questions:

1. What does the title or role teach us about Jesus Christ?

2. How does Jesus Christ demonstrate that title or role in the Old Testament (include a verse or story to illustrate His role)?

3. How could teenagers be blessed by the Savior fulfilling this role in their lives?

You might give students an opportunity to share their outline. It might be appropriate to invite a few willing students to share their thoughts with the class.

Feel an increased desire to worship Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ in the temple

To help students prepare for this assessment activity, consider displaying an image of a temple. It could be Solomon’s temple, the Kirtland Temple, or a nearby temple.

Look through your study journal for notes you recorded or scriptures you marked that have helped you understand more about the temple as the house of the Lord or your desire to worship Him there.

Some scriptures about the temple that students may have recently studied include the following:

• Exodus 25; 35–40

• 2 Samuel 7; Doctrine and Covenants 88:119–120

• 1 Kings 5–9; Doctrine and Covenants 109:10–18

• 1 Chronicles 22; Doctrine and Covenants 97:10–16

• 2 Chronicles 7; Doctrine and Covenants 110:2–10

After students review their notes and scriptures, you might invite a few of them to share something that impressed them. You could display questions such as these.

• What changes have you noticed in your feelings about the house of the Lord this year?

• If you have noticed changes, what do you think led to these changes?

Consider providing an opportunity for willing students to share their testimony of the house of the Lord.

Receive and recognize personal revelation

Consider displaying a picture of a young prophet Samuel hearing the voice of the Lord. During their study of 1 Samuel 3, students were invited to practice listening for the Lord’s voice in their lives every day. You might invite students to share what they remember from this story or to review 1 Samuel 3:1–16.

Giving students an opportunity to review a goal they previously set can invite the Holy Ghost to encourage them to continue their efforts or help them make needed adjustments to that goal. One way to do this is to give students a chance to review the goal they set during Lesson 70: “1 Samuel 3.” (For additional training on following up on invitations given in class, see “Invite learners to live what they are learning” in Teacher Development Skills).

In your study of 1 Samuel 3, you may have set a goal to improve your ability to recognize and receive personal revelation from Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. Review your goal and answer at least two of the following questions in your study journal.

• What experiences with personal revelation have you had recently?

• What helped you recognize that the revelation was from Heavenly Father?

• What influenced your ability to recognize and receive revelation?

• If someone felt they had not received personal revelation, what have you learned or felt that could help them?

You might invite students to recommit to their goal. To help students remember their goal, it might be beneficial to have them write it down on something they can take home, such as a sticky note or a small piece of paper. Students could also text themselves the goal. You could reassure students that it requires time and practice to recognize personal revelation from Heavenly Father. Praise them for their efforts and willingness to continue to draw closer to Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ.

Supplemental Learning Activities

Following the prophet

It might be appropriate to assess students’ understanding of what they have learned about the role of the prophet as they have studied the Old Testament. One way to do this is to invite students to review their scriptures and study journal, looking for what they have learned about prophets during their study of the Old Testament. Then invite students to complete one of the following activities to demonstrate their understanding of the role of prophets.

1. Select a prophet you have studied in the Old Testament. Write a short outline that could be used to teach someone about that prophet. Include how the prophet was called by the Lord, the concerns they had about what the Lord asked them to do, and what they taught.

2. Study one of the following references that highlights an aspect of an Old Testament prophet’s ministry. With a partner, share what that account teaches us about the role of a prophet today.

   • Moses (Exodus 3:1–14)

   • The Brass Serpent (Numbers 21:4–9)

   • Joshua (Joshua 3:9–17)

3. Select a picture or digital image of one of the prophets you have studied in the Old Testament and a picture of the current prophet. Create a meme that could teach someone how the Lord called prophets in the Old Testament and how He does so today. Include some of the teachings of the Old Testament prophet you selected and some from the living prophet. Post your meme on social media and invite your friends to ask you more.

4. With a partner, practice answering the following questions: “Why were there prophets in the Old Testament?” and “Why do we need living prophets today?”