“Being Bold but Not Overbearing,” Scripture Study Skills Teacher Manual (2024)

Being Bold but Not Overbearing

Define

Point out to students that the Apostle Paul taught with courage, conviction, and boldness, declaring, “I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ” (Romans 1:16). That said, Alma counseled his son Shiblon to “use boldness, but not overbearance” (Alma 38:12). Following the example of Jesus Christ and the promptings of the Holy Ghost can help us be appropriately bold without being overbearing.

Display and read aloud the following cautions:

We overclaim when we assert knowledge beyond what the Lord has revealed through ancient and modern prophets. Similarly, we should not state our opinions as if they were facts or doctrine. We underclaim when we present the basic truths of the gospel in ways that are tentative, uncertain, or unclear. We should be willing to stand up for what we know is true.
We are being dogmatic when we express our opinions as if they were indisputable facts and when we are intolerant of ambiguity when there are not clear answers. We are timid when we fail to stand up for what we know is true.
If we don’t know an answer to a question, the best response is simply “I don’t know” or “Good question; let’s learn more about that together.”

Model

To model this skill, consider using one of the following examples or one of your own. Review the first two columns in the following chart with students to help them see the problems with overclaiming or underclaiming. Then use the “Reframe” column to illustrate how we might revise the problem statement to be bold but not overbearing.

Scriptural Teaching	Problem Statement	Reframe
Scriptural Teaching Prophets speak and teach the words the Lord gives them (see Jeremiah 1:7–9; Doctrine and Covenants 21:4–5).	Problem Statement “Church leaders have divine authority, and whatever they have said is official doctrine for the Church.” (The latter part of this statement is an example of being dogmatic and of overclaiming. When we overclaim, we can create unrealistic expectations for ourselves and others.)	Reframe Church leaders have divine authority, and when they speak in the office of their calling under the influence of the Holy Ghost, we can learn the mind and will of the Lord (see Doctrine and Covenants 68:3–4; 2 Peter 1:21). However, not everything said by past or current Church leaders is considered “official doctrine” for the Church. Our doctrine is not found in obscure or isolated statements. Rather, Church doctrine is taught often and by all members of the First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve Apostles (see “How Can I Know If Something I Hear Is ‘Official Doctrine’?,” New Era, Feb. 2017, 41).
Scriptural Teaching Those who study the Book of Mormon and pray can receive a witness from the Holy Ghost that it is true (see Moroni 10:3–5).	Problem Statement “I believe the Book of Mormon is true. It has some good teachings, but everyone has their own truths. So I wouldn’t say it is more valuable than any other book you could read.” (This statement under-claims the importance and power of the Book of Mormon. It also presents the Book of Mormon in a timid way.)	Reframe The Book of Mormon is the word of God. Along with the Bible, it is a powerful witness of Jesus Christ and teaches eternal truths that can change lives. Anyone can come to know these things for themselves through the Holy Ghost by studying the book and asking God if it is true.

Scriptural Teaching

Problem Statement

Reframe

Scriptural Teaching

Prophets speak and teach the words the Lord gives them (see Jeremiah 1:7–9; Doctrine and Covenants 21:4–5).

Problem Statement

“Church leaders have divine authority, and whatever they have said is official doctrine for the Church.”

(The latter part of this statement is an example of being dogmatic and of overclaiming.

When we overclaim, we can create unrealistic expectations for ourselves and others.)

Reframe

Church leaders have divine authority, and when they speak in the office of their calling under the influence of the Holy Ghost, we can learn the mind and will of the Lord (see Doctrine and Covenants 68:3–4; 2 Peter 1:21). However, not everything said by past or current Church leaders is considered “official doctrine” for the Church. Our doctrine is not found in obscure or isolated statements. Rather, Church doctrine is taught often and by all members of the First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve Apostles (see “How Can I Know If Something I Hear Is ‘Official Doctrine’?,” New Era, Feb. 2017, 41).

Scriptural Teaching

Those who study the Book of Mormon and pray can receive a witness from the Holy Ghost that it is true (see Moroni 10:3–5).

Problem Statement

“I believe the Book of Mormon is true. It has some good teachings, but everyone has their own truths. So I wouldn’t say it is more valuable than any other book you could read.”

(This statement under-claims the importance and power of the Book of Mormon. It also presents the Book of Mormon in a timid way.)

Reframe

The Book of Mormon is the word of God. Along with the Bible, it is a powerful witness of Jesus Christ and teaches eternal truths that can change lives. Anyone can come to know these things for themselves through the Holy Ghost by studying the book and asking God if it is true.

Practice

Select a passage to practice from this week’s scripture reading, or choose from the passages listed below. Invite students to study the passage and think about how they might use it to teach someone in a Christlike way that is bold but not overbearing. Students might share how they could teach the truths in these passages boldly but not in an overbearing way.

Additional passages for practice:

Isaiah 5:20. Invite students to practice using this verse to respond to someone who argues that viewing pornography is normal and natural.
1 Corinthians 11:11. Invite students to practice using this verse to teach that marriage between a man and a woman is a commandment from God.
1 Nephi 13:26–29. Invite students to practice using these verses to teach that plain and precious truths were taken from the Bible during the Great Apostasy.
Doctrine and Covenants 1:30. Invite students to practice teaching that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is “the only true and living church upon the face of the whole earth.”

Invite and Follow Up

Encourage students to be bold but not overbearing in the way they share gospel truths. Remember to follow up with students in future classes by inviting them to share experiences they’ve had teaching gospel truths boldly but without being overbearing. You might invite students to share any challenges they experienced as well. Look for ways to continue practicing this skill in class.