Doctrinal Mastery: Finding Answers to My Questions: Lesson 164

Examining Gospel Topics and Questions with an Eternal Perspective

Striving to See Things as the Lord Sees Them

We may not always find immediate answers to our questions or solutions to our problems, and that’s okay. These moments are opportunities to trust in Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. They see what we cannot see. They know what we do not know. As we strive to see things as They do, we begin to see our questions and concerns in a different light. This lesson can help students examine concepts and questions with an eternal perspective.

Student preparation: Invite students to create an object lesson or analogy that can illustrate the value of seeing things from a different perspective. They could be given the opportunity to share their ideas at the beginning of class.

Possible Learning Activities

Perspective

Consider inviting students to think of an object lesson or analogy that can illustrate the value of seeing things from a different perspective. Invite them to share their ideas with the class. Or you could display the included images titled “Homes–Limited Perspective” and invite students to discuss the following questions with a partner:

• If you could choose one of these houses to live in, which would you choose? Why?

Display the second portion of the included images titled “Homes–Detailed Perspective” and invite students to discuss the next question.

• How does this added perspective influence your choice?

• What are situations we might face when viewing things with different perspectives could help us?

Imagine these houses represent our gospel questions or life situations.

• Why can it be dangerous to draw conclusions regarding our questions or situations without trying to see them from a broader perspective?

Throughout the seminary course, students may have identified personal gospel questions or concerns. If so, invite them to think of one of their questions. If not, you could invite them to take time now to consider questions or concerns they or others might have. Invite students to prayerfully reflect throughout the lesson on how an eternal perspective can help them find answers, resolutions, or at least more peace.

Read paragraphs 8–10 in the Acquiring Spiritual Knowledge section of the Doctrinal Mastery Core Document (2023), looking for what you learn about examining concepts and questions with an eternal perspective.

When students have finished reading, invite them to share what they learned. As they share, you could ask one or two follow-up questions like:

• What do you know about Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ that motivates you to try seeing things as They do?

• What advice would you give to help people view their questions or situations with an eternal perspective?

• What doctrinal mastery or other scripture passages help you view things with an eternal perspective?

You might invite students to search the list of doctrinal mastery passages in the Doctrinal Mastery Core Document to help them answer the previous question.

After this discussion, give each student a piece of paper. Invite the students to write a one-sentence summary of what they have learned about examining concepts and questions with an eternal perspective. When they have each written something, invite students to randomly trade papers with as many different students as they can for 10 seconds until you say “stop.”

Call on a few students to read the sentence written on the paper they received. Collectively, students may have stated something like: Examining our questions with an eternal perspective will help us see them more like the Lord does.

Advise students to keep the paper they received. These will be used later in the lesson.

Examples of an eternal perspective

Choose one of the following examples from the scriptures. Look for how an eternal perspective influenced the view of these individuals.

Before students begin their study, you might provide additional context for each example. To those who read the account of Adam and Eve, you could explain that some people view the Fall as negative because it introduced sin, death, and trials into the world. Regarding Job, you could share that many members of his family passed away, he lost his possessions, and he experienced severe health challenges.

1. Adam and Eve explain the Fall. Moses 5:10–11

2. Job shares his testimony during trials. Job 19:25–26

• What evidence did you see that this person viewed his or her situation within the context of Heavenly Father’s plan of salvation?

• How did this person’s testimony of Christ influence the way they saw the situation?

After students share what they found, consider asking:

3. What are some examples from the life of Jesus Christ where He faced a situation with an eternal perspective?

If they need help finding an example, you could invite students to read Isaiah 53:3–5, 10 and discuss why, from an eternal perspective, “it pleased the Lord to bruise him” (Isaiah 53:10). (Although it saddened Heavenly Father to see Jesus Christ suffer, His eternal perspective allowed Him to see that the Atonement of His Son was an essential part of the plan of salvation for all of His children.)

Ponder whether there are situations you are facing where following Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ’s examples could help you see things with an eternal perspective.

Students might also benefit from seeing a modern example of someone viewing their questions and circumstances with an eternal perspective. Consider watching “Examining Questions with an Eternal Perspective” (2:56), available on ChurchofJesusChrist.org. In this video, a young woman examines the question, “If there really is a loving God, why would He allow people to suffer?” After the video, students could share additional insights they gained about viewing things with an eternal perspective.

Practice

For the next activity, students could use the same papers they received earlier after passing around a one-sentence summary of an eternal perspective.

Write down a question or situation a teenager might face that would be helpful to view with an eternal perspective.

After each student has written something, invite them again to continually trade papers for 10 seconds until you say “stop.” Students could then be placed in pairs for the remainder of the activity.

With a partner, discuss one or both of the following pairs of questions as they relate to what is written on the papers you received. Note that the first question in each pair comes from paragraph 8 of the “Acquiring Spiritual Knowledge” section of the Doctrinal Mastery Core Document.

1. What do I already know about Heavenly Father, His plan, and how He deals with His children?

   How could this change the way the question or situation is viewed?

2. What gospel teachings relate to or clarify this concept or issue?

   What is a scripture or statement from a Church leader that supports this teaching?

After discussing your answers, write a brief response on your papers.

When students are finished, ask for a few volunteers to read the question or situation on their paper to the class then share the responses they have written. You could ask the rest of the class for additional insights that could help a teenager view the question or situation with an eternal perspective.

Share your testimony that Heavenly Father can help us see things from His perspective as we turn to Him. You could also share that in times when we feel we cannot yet see what He sees, we can still trust in Him (see Proverbs 3:5–6). Encourage students to continually strive to examine their questions and situations with an eternal perspective.

Additional Resources

How can my faith in Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ influence my perspective?

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

Faithfulness is not foolishness or fanaticism. Rather, it is trusting and placing our confidence in Jesus Christ as our Savior, on His name, and in His promises. As we “press forward with a steadfastness in Christ, having a perfect brightness of hope, and a love of God and of all men,” [2 Nephi 31:20] we are blessed with an eternal perspective and vision that stretches far beyond our limited mortal capacity. (“We Will Prove Them Herewith,” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2020, 11)

President Dieter F. Uchtdorf, while serving as a member of the First Presidency, shared:

Faith is trust—trust that God sees what we cannot and that He knows what we do not [see Isaiah 55:8–9]. Sometimes, trusting our own vision and judgment is not enough.

I learned this as an airline pilot on days when I had to fly into thick fog or clouds and could see only a few feet ahead. I had to rely on the instruments that told me where I was and where I was headed. I had to listen to the voice of air traffic control. I had to follow the guidance of someone with more accurate information than I had. Someone whom I could not see but whom I had learned to trust. Someone who could see what I could not. I had to trust and act accordingly to arrive safely at my destination. (“Fourth Floor, Last Door,” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2016, 17)

How can an eternal perspective help me make choices?

President Russell M. Nelson explained:

When you make choices, I invite you to take the long view—an eternal view. Put Jesus Christ first because your eternal life is dependent upon your faith in Him and in His Atonement. It is also dependent upon your obedience to His laws. Obedience paves the way for a joyful life for you today and a grand, eternal reward tomorrow.

When you are confronted with a dilemma, think celestial! When tested by temptation, think celestial! When life or loved ones let you down, think celestial! When someone dies prematurely, think celestial. When someone lingers with a devastating illness, think celestial. When the pressures of life crowd in upon you, think celestial! (“Think Celestial!” Liahona, Nov. 2023, 118)

Supplemental Learning Activities

Historical context

In paragraph 9 of the Doctrinal Mastery Core Document, students will have read about the importance of “considering the culture and norms of the time period rather than imposing current perspectives and attitudes.” You could help students better understand this by asking something like:

• What are some cultural norms of the Old Testament times that would appear strange if they were done today?

Possible answers could include:

Sacrifices

Firstborn inheritance

Levirate marriage

• What are some cultural norms of today that would appear strange if they were done in Old Testament times?

• How could this perspective be helpful when examining historical events?

The plan of salvation

You could help students practice viewing concepts within the context of the plan of salvation by copying the following chart on the board. Column 1 is already complete. Invite students to come to the board and write topics or concerns in column 2 that would be helpful to view from an eternal perspective. For example, they might write chastity, word of wisdom, death, worth of souls, marriage, etc.

1. Plan of Salvation	2. Topics or Concerns
1. Plan of Salvation Pre-mortal life Mortal life Life after death The Atonement of Jesus Christ

After students have populated the second column, place them in small groups and invite them to discuss the following question by choosing words or phrases from each column to fill in the corresponding blanks. They could answer the question multiple times, choosing different ways to fill in the blanks each time.

What do you understand about (choose a topic from column 1) that could help someone view (choose something from column 2) with an eternal perspective?

One example of how the question could be filled in is:

What do you understand about life after death that could help someone view marriage with an eternal perspective?

Reframing questions

After watching the video “Examining Questions with an Eternal Perspective,” you could provide each student with the handout “Reframing Questions.” Invite students to do the following:

1. Choose a question or social issue. Write it in the center of each frame.

2. Think about the different assumptions you or someone with a worldly perspective might have on the subject. Write these around the “Limited perspective” frame.

3. Look at the same question or social issue with an eternal perspective. Ponder questions such as, “What do I already know about Heavenly Father, His plan, and how He deals with His children?” and “What gospel teachings relate to or clarify this concept or issue?” Write your thoughts around the “Eternal perspective” frame.

   

Facing trials with an eternal perspective

Instead of watching “Examining Questions with an Eternal Perspective,” you could watch a video of a person experiencing a trial. Invite students to look for how the person in the video faced his or her trial with an eternal perspective. One possible option could be:

“Hallmarks of Happiness” from timecode 8:11 to 9:12. Elder Gary B. Sabin of the Seventy shared how his young daughter approached her lung transplant surgery with an eternal perspective.