Succeed in School: Lesson 192
Involving the Lord in Your Learning
The Lord Will Magnify and Strengthen Your Efforts
Visit “Studying the Scriptures” to help prepare yourself spiritually to learn.
Did you know magnifying glasses have been used for thousands of years? Ancient Egyptians used crystal shards to see small details. The modern magnifying glass, invented by Roger Bacon in the 13th century, helps people read and explore the world around them.
Similar to how a magnifying glass makes things appear bigger, the Lord can “magnify” your efforts to learn as you seek His help. In your schooling, you will face obstacles as you work to increase your knowledge and understanding of truth. But you are not alone. Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ care about you and will help you succeed.
Lesson Purpose: To help you involve the Lord in your learning.
Learn How
The Lord blesses our righteous efforts
Read the following statement by Elder Clark G. Gilbert of the Seventy, looking for where we can turn for help with challenges in our efforts to learn at school.
I know that pursuing your education can be challenging and requires sacrifice. I know how hard you are working and that there are many difficult nights as you stay up late to complete assignments, learn new concepts, and manage other demanding commitments in your life. But hang in there. Keep demonstrating real grit. But also, be prepared to move from grit to grace. Involve the Lord. Pray for His help, and He will magnify your efforts. Know how much we love you. More importantly, know how much the Lord loves you and will strengthen you in all of your righteous efforts to learn and grow and become more like Him. (“From Grit to Grace” [BYU–Pathway Worldwide devotional, Sept. 25, 2018], 2, byupathway.edu)
Study the following references. Mark ways the Lord might bless your righteous efforts through the Holy Ghost.
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Romans 15:13 (Paul teaches the Roman Saints.)
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Moroni 10:5 (Moroni finishes the Book of Mormon.)
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Doctrine and Covenants 6:15 (The Lord speaks to Oliver Cowdery.)
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“Sweet Power of Prayer,” from time code 4:15 to 8:38 (President Russell M. Nelson explains how the Lord has helped his learning.)
Dig Deeper: Read this talk by President Henry B. Eyring of the First Presidency about involving the Lord in your learning: “Education for Real Life” (Ensign, Oct. 2002, 18–19).
How to involve the Lord in your learning
Complete two or more of the following activities.
Activity 1
Read 2 Nephi 28:30. Underline phrases that explain how the Lord can help you.
Susan H. Porter, Relief Society advisory council member, taught:
The Lord is interested in the process. He’s interested in the fact that we are exhibiting enough faith to act on that first impression. Then He will give us the next one, and we can exhibit a little more faith to move. So it’s that process of change that is included in line upon line. (“Avoiding Spiritual Overwhelm: Progressing ‘Line upon Line,’” [2023 BYU Women’s Conference, May 4, 2023])
Answer the following questions in your notebook.
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What did you learn from 2 Nephi and Sister Porter about how the Lord helps us improve in our learning?
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What experience have you had improving “line upon line” in your learning or schoolwork, with the Lord’s help?
Activity 2
The Lord told the brother of Jared to build boats to take his family across the sea. After building them, Jared found some problems he couldn’t fix.
Read Ether 2:18–20, looking for the specific problems the brother of Jared requested the Lord’s help to solve. You could tag this passage as “seeking the Lord’s help.”
Select a specific challenge with learning or schoolwork that someone might need the Lord’s help to overcome.
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Using the brother of Jared’s prayer as a model, what words might a person say in prayer to seek the Lord’s help with this challenge?
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What can we learn about the Lord from His response to the brother of Jared?
Activity 3
As Enoch received the Lord’s call to be His prophet and call the people to repentance, he felt inadequate.
Read Moses 6:31–34. Make a note next to the verses with your responses to the following questions:
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What can the Lord’s response to Enoch teach us about Him? about overcoming weaknesses?
Think for a moment about how this knowledge could help someone who is struggling with learning.
Activity 4
Read Doctrine and Covenants 88:118 and the following statement by President Russell M. Nelson:
We strengthen our faith in Jesus Christ as we strive to keep His commandments and “always remember him.” Further, our faith increases every time we exercise our faith in Him. That is what learning by faith means. (“Embrace the Future with Faith,” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2020, 75)
Make a note next to the verse describing how you can follow the Lord’s counsel from the verse.
Dig Deeper: To hear about the blessings of involving the Lord in your learning, you could watch the video “Elder and Sister Gilbert’s Comments” from time code 3:25 to 5:48.
Now What?
President Henry B. Eyring of the First Presidency explained:
When you put the spiritual things first in your life, you will be blessed to feel directed toward certain learning, and you will be motivated to work harder. You will recognize later that your power to serve was increased, and you will be grateful. (“Education for Real Life,” Ensign, Oct. 2002, 18–19)
education, priorities, work
Think about any learning-related challenges you are currently facing. In your notebook, make a plan for how to involve the Lord as you strive to learn.
Share Your Thoughts
Lesson Purpose: To help you involve the Lord in your learning.
Share one or more of the following with your teacher or class:
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What you will do to involve the Lord more in your learning.
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Something specific you did to achieve the purpose of this lesson.
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Any questions this lesson raised for you. How will you try to find answers to your questions?