Doctrinal Mastery: Finding Answers to My Questions: Lesson 161

Strengthening Your Spiritual Foundation

Introduction to Doctrinal Mastery

How we handle challenges, questions, and concerns in our lives can lead us closer to Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ or further from Them. Doctrinal mastery offers guidance that can help us respond to such circumstances with faith in Jesus Christ and inspiration from the Holy Ghost. This lesson can help students understand how doctrinal mastery can bless their lives and help them build their spiritual foundation on Jesus Christ.

Student preparation: Invite students to read Helaman 5:12 before coming to class. Students could look for blessings promised for building their foundation on Jesus Christ.

Possible Learning Activities

Responding to difficult information

To begin class, consider drawing two stick figures on the board and labeling them Anna and Veronica. If they want, students could provide details about each girl such as what they like to do, where they work, and so on. Be careful not to let this part of the lesson take too much time or overshadow the scenario.

Display the following scenario. (Note: The scenario continues through other parts of the lesson.)

Anna and Veronica are good friends, and both are members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Since starting high school, they have heard a lot of information and opinions about the Church from different sources. While hanging out one night, Anna shared with Veronica some information she had read online about the Church. Anna said what she found shook her faith. She was surprised to hear Veronica say that she was aware of those things and had found peace about them. Anna was interested in how Veronica had come to feel this way.

• What are some positive things happening in this scenario despite Anna’s concerns?

Students might notice that it is a positive thing that Anna would feel comfortable asking a sincere question. It is also positive that Veronica is in a position to help Anna.

Invite students to think about whether they have ever felt like Anna. You could also ask them to think about whether they have ever before felt like Veronica and had a friend come to them with a question.

As you learn about doctrinal mastery today, be open to what the Holy Ghost might teach you. Seek to know how doctrinal mastery can help you respond to unexpected information with faith in Jesus Christ and help others do the same.

Building our foundation on Jesus Christ

Read the first two paragraphs under “Introduction to Doctrinal Mastery” in the Doctrinal Mastery Core Document (2022). Look for what doctrinal mastery is intended to help us do.

• How would you summarize the purpose of doctrinal mastery?

  Among other answers, help students identify the following truth: Doctrinal mastery helps us build our spiritual foundation on Jesus Christ.

  If helpful, you might ask the following question.

• What does it mean to you to build your foundation on Jesus Christ?

Before students read the following verse, consider writing on the board stone = Jesus Christ.

Read Isaiah 28:16, looking for how building our foundation on Jesus Christ can bless us.

Consider inviting students to mark the phrase “make haste,” and explain that this phrase can mean “be shaken” or “panic.”

• Why do you think centering our faith on Jesus Christ will keep us from being shaken?

  Invite students to turn their thoughts back to the scenario.

• What are some things Veronica might have done to build her faith in Jesus Christ and not “be shaken” by challenging issues?

If you feel like it would be beneficial, you could have students study Jacob 4:6–10, looking for what Jacob did so that his faith in Jesus Christ could not be shaken. You could list what students find on the board near the image of Veronica. Invite students to describe what each action might look like in Veronica’s life.

Outcomes of doctrinal mastery

To prepare students to understand the outcomes of doctrinal mastery, share the next part of the scenario in your own words.

Veronica paused for a moment, searching for how to share with Anna what had helped her remain faithful. She wanted to convey the importance of her regular efforts to strengthen her relationship with Jesus Christ. Reflecting on her routine of daily prayer, reading scriptures, and participating in church and seminary, she realized one aspect stood out.

“It’s doctrinal mastery,” Veronica said confidently.

Anna looked puzzled. “Doctrinal what?”

“Doctrinal mastery. It’s something we do in seminary. It’s helped me a lot to handle tough questions and situations while keeping my faith in Jesus Christ at the center of my life.” Veronica elaborated.

Anna’s interest was evident. “So, what exactly is doctrinal mastery?”

• What do you already know about doctrinal mastery?

  If some of your students already have experience in seminary with doctrinal mastery, invite a few to share what they already know.

  If students need more help understanding doctrinal mastery, consider showing the video “What Is Doctrinal Mastery?” (3:56).

  Alternatively, you could organize students into pairs and assign them to read about the two outcomes of doctrinal mastery in the “Introduction to Doctrinal Mastery” section of the Doctrinal Mastery Core Document.

• How do you think the outcomes of doctrinal mastery can help Anna build her foundation on Jesus Christ?

You might list students’ answers on the board near Anna.

To give students an opportunity to become familiar with the doctrinal mastery scripture passages, invite them to turn to the Old Testament passages under “Doctrinal Mastery Scripture Passages and Key Scripture Phrases by Course” in the Doctrinal Mastery Core Document.

Read through several key scripture phrases, looking for a passage that could help Anna not be shaken from her faith in Jesus Christ.

Students could write their selected scripture references on the board around the stick figure of Anna. You could point to several references and ask the students who wrote them to share how they think it would help Anna.

Conclusion

Give students an opportunity to practice describing doctrinal mastery by responding to the following prompt.

Imagine you were responding to Anna’s question: “What is doctrinal mastery?” Record in your journal how you would explain what doctrinal mastery is and how it can bless your life.

Provide students with an opportunity to share what they wrote with someone sitting near them or with the class.

Consider sharing your testimony of how doctrinal mastery can bless students’ lives by helping them build their spiritual foundation on Jesus Christ.

Additional Resources

Why is doctrinal mastery important today?

Elder Neil L. Andersen of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles shared:

We live on a planet clamoring with a million voices. The internet, our smartphones, our bloated boxes of entertainment all plead for our attention and thrust their influence upon us, hoping we will buy their products and adopt their standards.

The seemingly endless array of information and opinion remind us of the scriptural warnings of being “tossed to and fro” [Ephesians 4:14], “driven with the wind” [James 1:6], and overcome by the “cunning craftiness” of those who “lie in wait to deceive” [Ephesians 4:14]. (“The Prophet of God,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2018, 26)

President M. Russell Ballard (1928–2023) of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles shared the following with religious educators:

[Doctrinal Mastery focuses] on building and strengthening our students’ faith in Jesus Christ and fortifying them with increased ability to live and apply the gospel in their lives. Drawing on the scriptures and the words of the prophets, they will learn how to act with faith in Christ to acquire spiritual knowledge and understanding of His gospel. And they will have opportunities to learn how to apply the doctrine of Christ and gospel principles to the questions and challenges they hear and see every day among their peers and on social media.

This initiative is inspired and timely. It will have a wonderful influence on our young people. (“The Opportunities and Responsibilities of CES Teachers in the 21st Century” [evening with a General Authority, Feb. 26, 2016], Gospel Library)

Supplemental Learning Activities

Responding to increasing amounts of information

As part of the discussion in the section of the “Outcomes of doctrinal mastery,” you might share the following statement by Elder John C. Pingree Jr. of the Seventy.

We are constantly bombarded with strong opinions, biased reporting, and incomplete data. At the same time, the volume and sources of this information are [growing]. Our need to recognize truth has never been more important! (“Eternal Truth,” Liahona, Oct. 2023, 99)

• What from this statement might be helpful for Anna to understand? Why?

The Doctrinal Mastery app

This lesson could be a good opportunity to introduce the Doctrinal Mastery app. You might first ask students the following question:

• What is the value of memorizing a scripture if we can look things up on phones or computers?

You might share the following statement from Elder Richard G. Scott (1928–2015) of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles and discuss the question that follows:

Great power can come from memorizing scriptures. To memorize a scripture is to forge a new friendship. It is like discovering a new individual who can help in time of need, give inspiration and comfort, and be a source of motivation for needed change. (“The Power of Scripture,” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2011, 6)

• How can a memorized scripture be like a friend?

You could invite students to download the free Doctrinal Mastery app. You could then invite students to explore the features of memorizing verses, using flash cards in various ways, or using the quiz option to help memorize.

You might project the app on a screen and walk through some of its basic features. You could select a scripture as a class and try to memorize the entire verse. Or consider selecting a few passages and using the flash cards to try to memorize the key words and references.

For students who have not yet learned about doctrinal mastery

If your students are new to seminary, it might be valuable to take a few minutes at the end of class and invite students to skim through the section of the Doctrinal Mastery Core Document titled “Acquiring Spiritual Knowledge.” This might help them prepare to learn about that section in more detail throughout the semester.