“Lesson 128: Marriage and Family (Part 4),” Old Testament Seminary Student Material (2018)
“Lesson 128: Marriage and Family (Part 4)”
Lesson 128
Marriage and Family (Part 4)
Prepare to Learn
Prepare your mind and heart to be taught by the Holy Ghost. Be sure to eliminate any distractions that may interrupt your learning experience.
Begin your study with prayer.
What are the blessings that come from living the law of chastity?
Watch this video in which two young women share the blessings they have received from choosing to live the law of chastity. How has keeping the law of chastity blessed you?
In this lesson you will do a practice exercise that can help you apply some of the doctrine you have learned about doctrinal mastery topic 8, “Marriage and Family.” Review the three principles taught in paragraphs 5–12 of the “Acquiring Spiritual Knowledge” section of the Doctrinal Mastery Core Document.
According to paragraph 8, why is it important to recognize the differences between worldly assumptions or ideas and the Lord’s teachings?
Maria has become friends with a boy at school she really likes. One day he asks her to send him an inappropriate picture of herself. When he sees that she is hesitant to do so, he tells her that it’s not that bad and that a lot of other students are sharing pictures like that. Maria worries that if she does not send him the picture, he and his friends will make fun of her and she might lose his friendship.
1. Answer the following questions:
What could Maria do to act in faith in this situation?
What might be some worldly assumptions or ideas that could cause someone to think that asking for or sending these kinds of photos is not immoral or wrong?
What gospel doctrine or principle might help Maria in this situation?
Using the scriptures, For the Strength of Youth (booklet, 2011), True to the Faith (2004), or other resources found on LDS.org, find a divinely appointed source that Maria could use to learn more about chastity and virtue.
2. Share the information you found and its source. Why do you think the information you shared would be helpful?
One scripture that could help Maria is Genesis 39:9. You may remember that this scripture tells of how Potiphar’s wife tried to tempt Joseph to break the law of chastity.
What did Joseph understand that helped him resist this temptation?
How could Joseph’s example help Maria know what to do?
Prophetic Counsel
President Thomas S. Monson (1927–2018) provided important counsel to youth regarding their friends. How could this counsel help someone in a situation like Maria’s? You can read the text of this video here: “Examples of Righteousness,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2008, 65.
President Thomas S. Monson (1927–2018) provided important counsel to youth regarding their friends. How could this counsel help someone in a situation like Maria’s?
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Thomas S. Monson
“My young friends, be strong. The philosophies of men surround us. … Do not be deceived; behind that facade is heartache, unhappiness, and pain. You know what is right and what is wrong, and no disguise, however appealing, can change that. The character of transgression remains the same. If your so-called friends urge you to do anything you know to be wrong, you be the one to make a stand for right, even if you stand alone. Have the moral courage to be a light for others to follow. There is no friendship more valuable than your own clear conscience, your own moral cleanliness—and what a glorious feeling it is to know that you stand in your appointed place clean and with the confidence that you are worthy to do so” (Thomas S. Monson, “Examples of Righteousness,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2008, 65).
3. Answer one of the following questions:
If Maria asked you for advice, what would you tell her based on what you have learned today from divinely appointed sources?
If you were in Maria’s situation, how would you respond to the boy who asked for the inappropriate picture?
Determine now to live the standards of the gospel and to stand up for what is right even when others might mock or exclude you for doing so. By living the law of chastity, we can become more virtuous and chaste, like Christ is. The Lord will bless you as you strive to do this.
Let’s review 20 doctrinal mastery passages you have studied this year. If you need help, refer to the Doctrinal Mastery Core Document or the Doctrinal Mastery Reference Guide.
Quiz 1
Match the doctrinal mastery key phrase on the left with the correct scripture reference on the right.
