Jeremiah 1–3; 7; 16–18; 20: Lesson 133

Assess Your Learning 8

Isaiah–Jeremiah 20

Reflecting on and assessing our spiritual development helps us become better disciples of 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: Consider providing students with Elder David A. Bednar’s statement in the lesson. Invite them to consider how this statement applies to their spiritual progress 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

The purpose of this lesson is to help students assess their spiritual progress as they continue their study of the Old Testament. Your class might have focused on different outcomes than the ones assessed in this lesson. If so, adapt the activities to assess what students learned in recent seminary lessons. You might also choose to use Assess Your Learning activities for any Life Preparation categories that you have finished teaching. Ideas are provided in the appendix of this manual.

In this lesson, students will assess their progress in some or all of the following areas:

1. Explaining the titles and roles of Jesus Christ (Note: This activity draws upon Lesson 113: “Introduction to Isaiah,” but other lessons might also apply.)

2. Feeling an increased desire to overcome sin through the Atonement of Jesus Christ (Note: This activity draws upon Lesson 114: “Isaiah 1,” but Lesson 103: “Psalm 24” and Lesson 124: “Isaiah 53” might also apply.)

Evaluating our spiritual growth and progress

Consider beginning class by sharing the video clip “One Percent Better,” available at ChurchofJesusChrist.org, from time code 0:00 to 2:11. Alternatively, you could read the summary below or recount it in your own words.

The following is a summary of an account shared by Elder Michael A. Dunn of the Seventy.

For more than a century, the British bicycle racing teams had been “the laughingstock” of the cycling world. However, in 2003, that changed. Newly hired coach Sir Dave Brailsford adopted a new approach to improvement. Rather than focus on “dramatic, overnight turnarounds,” Sir Brailsford focused on what he called “the aggregation of marginal gains.” In other words, he encouraged his cyclists to make small improvements in all areas.

He said, “The whole principle came from the idea that if you broke down everything you could think of that goes into riding a bike, and then improved it by 1 percent, you will get a significant increase when you put them all together” (see “One Percent Better,” Liahona, Nov. 2021, 106).

• How might this principle apply to our spiritual progress as we work to become better disciples of Jesus Christ?

As part of the discussion, you might share the following statement from Elder Bednar.

Elder David A. Bednar of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles taught:

Small, steady, incremental spiritual improvements are the steps the Lord would have us take. Preparing to walk guiltless before God is one of the primary purposes of mortality and the pursuit of a lifetime; it does not result from sporadic spurts of intense spiritual activity. (“Clean Hands and a Pure Heart,” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2007, 82)

Share with students that the purpose of Assess Your Learning lessons is for them to pause and invite the Holy Ghost to help them recognize how they are learning and growing.

To help students prepare to answer the next questions, you might want to reassure them that recognizing the voice of the Spirit is not easy and requires time and practice. You could remind them of the account of Samuel (see 1 Samuel 3:2–10) or Elijah (see 1 Kings 19:11–12).

Take some time to think about what you have learned recently in your study of the Old Testament. You could review scriptures you have read and thoughts you have recorded in your notes or study journal.

• What efforts have you made recently to receive and recognize impressions from the Holy Ghost?

• What are some spiritual impressions you have received from the Holy Ghost recently? How have you acted on them?

• What are some small spiritual improvements that you have made in your discipleship of Jesus Christ?

• What are some areas where you might still need to make small spiritual improvements?

The previous prompts are examples of self-evaluations. When students consider their own experiences and feelings, they can relate their learning to their lives and situations. (For additional training on creating self-evaluations about a doctrine, truth, or principle see “Create settings and opportunities for learners to be taught by the Holy Ghost” in Teacher Development Skills.)

Consider encouraging students who do not feel they have made spiritual improvements to remember that the Lord will help them. Reassure students that the Lord loves them and invites them to be patient and keep trying.

Explain the titles and roles of Jesus Christ

As part of Lesson 113: “Introduction to Isaiah,” students might have created a diagram about titles and roles of Jesus Christ. If your students did this, you could ask them to review their diagram and add any additional titles they have learned about recently. You could then have them discuss the questions that follow the diagram below.

If your students did not do this activity, you could display the diagram below. Ask them to copy it in their study journals and give them the following directions. Give them time to look for additional titles they might have studied recently in the scriptures.

Write “Jesus Christ” in the center circle. Read Isaiah 7:14; 9:6–7 and write the titles and roles of Jesus Christ that you discover in the other circles.

• What other titles have you found recently? Add these to your diagram.

It might be best to display these questions and have students answer them on their own. You could then have students share their thoughts in small groups or as a class.

• Since learning about these titles or roles, how has thinking about Jesus in this way influenced you?

• What circumstances in your life could benefit from remembering one of these titles of Jesus Christ?

• What might you do today because you know this about Jesus Christ?

You might also want to share one of your favorite titles or roles of Jesus Christ with students. Tell them why that title or role for Him has special meaning to you. For other titles and roles you may want to direct students to the resource found at The Names of Christ (churchofjesuschrist.org).

Feel an increased desire to overcome sin through the Atonement of Jesus Christ

Consider displaying the following images, which students might have seen as they studied Isaiah 1. Ask them to share what the images teach them about repentance and the Atonement of Jesus Christ. If needed, invite students to review Isaiah 1:18 as a reminder.

After students share, you might want to write the following truth on the board from Lesson 114: “Isaiah 1.”

If we sincerely repent, Jesus Christ will cleanse us from our sins.

Then display or read the following paragraph and invite students to complete the activity.

Imagine that you have a friend who feels beyond the Lord’s forgiveness. Write a letter to that friend, sharing what you have learned or felt about the Savior and repentance. Be sure to use scriptures that you have studied recently. Some examples could include Isaiah 1:18, Isaiah 53:3–5, and Jeremiah 3:12–15.

You could encourage students to review any notes they have about these passages and include specific things they learned in their letter. They might also consider what they have learned or felt over the past few weeks as they’ve considered the Savior’s ability and willingness to forgive us when we repent.