Lesson 11 Teacher Material

Pressing Forward on the Covenant Path

Faith in Jesus Christ and repenting of our sins are the first steps on the covenant path toward eternal life. Through the ordinance of baptism, we enter into a covenant relationship with our Heavenly Father and with Jesus Christ. During this lesson, students will be able to share examples of how to keep their baptismal covenant in everyday life, testify of the sanctifying influence of the Holy Ghost, and identify what they can do to endure to the end with greater hope and joy.

Suggestions for Teaching

Improving Our Teaching and Learning

Encouraging a spirit of inquiry. President Henry B. Eyring of the First Presidency observed: “To ask and to answer questions is at the heart of all learning and all teaching” (“The Lord Will Multiply the Harvest” [satellite broadcast address to religious educators in the Church Educational System, Feb. 6, 1998, 5–6]). We typically apply this principle to teachers who ask questions and students who answer them. While effective questions from teachers can facilitate student learning, questions from students can also play a powerful role in the learning experience. Seek to create a learning environment where student questions are encouraged, respected, and thoughtfully addressed. A wise teacher does not automatically or immediately answer every question asked by students. They may invite other students to respond, point the them to an inspired source, or invite them to take time outside of class to engage in further study and then have them report on what they have learned.

Alma and Nephi teach the importance of our baptismal covenant and the gift of the Holy Ghost.

Display the following statement by Elder Benjamin M. Z. Tai of the Seventy:

Elder Benjamin M. Z. Tai

The Lord’s action plan for us—the doctrine of Christ—is taught most clearly in the Book of Mormon. It includes … making and keeping covenants with God through ordinances such as baptism. This will keep us on the covenant path that leads to Him. (“The Power of the Book of Mormon in Conversion,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2020, 46)

• In what ways has your baptism affected your ability to become more like Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ?

Display this incomplete statement: When we are baptized we covenant to …

Invite students to review Mosiah 18:8–10, looking for some of the things we covenant to do and become when we are baptized. (Student responses could include the following: When we are baptized we covenant to bear one another’s burdens; mourn with those that mourn; comfort those who need comfort; stand as witnesses of God; serve Him; keep His commandments.)

Remind students that they were invited to think of examples they have seen of people honoring their baptismal covenants. Give students a few minutes to remember their examples and then to share their ideas with a partner or in small groups. After they share their examples with each other, consider asking students the following questions:

• What are some examples of Jesus Christ living His baptismal covenant to comfort, strengthen, and mourn with others?

• What have you learned in your life about mourning with those who mourn or comforting those who need comfort? (You may want to review Elder Dale G. Renlund’s quote in section 1 of the preparation material.) What difference has it made when you have tried to see others the way Heavenly Father sees them?

Point out that as we keep our baptismal covenant the Lord promises us the companionship of the Holy Ghost. Invite students to review 2 Nephi 31:13, 17 and look for how we are blessed when we receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.

• How would you explain the meaning of the baptism of fire and speaking with the tongue of angels to someone preparing for baptism? (Consider reviewing the statements by President Boyd K. Packer and Elder David A. Bednar in section 2 of the preparation material.) In what ways have you experienced these blessings?

You might give students time to ponder the following questions:

• What am I doing to invite the blessings of the Holy Ghost into my life? What should I keep doing, start doing, or stop doing so I can enjoy the sanctifying power of the Holy Ghost more fully?

Nephi teaches the importance of enduring to the end.

Consider using the following story shared by Elder Robert D. Hales of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles or one of your own that illustrates the importance of enduring difficult circumstances:

Elder Robert D. Hales

In 1968 a marathon runner by the name of John Stephen Akhwari represented Tanzania in an international competition. “A little over an hour after [the winner] had crossed the finish line, John Stephen Akhwari … approached the stadium, the last man to complete the journey. [Though suffering from fatigue, leg cramps, dehydration, and disorientation,] a voice called from within to go on, and so he went on. … When asked why he would complete a race he could never win, Akhwari replied, “My country did not send me 5,000 miles to start the race; my country sent me to finish the race.” (“Behold, We Count Them Happy Which Endure,” Ensign, May 1998, 76)

• What are some reasons John Stephen Akhwari may have chosen not to finish the race?

• How can John’s experience be compared to the challenges we might face when striving to keep our covenants?

• What are some reasons someone may choose not to remain faithful to their covenants?

To foster discussion, you may want to invite students to get into small groups and read 2 Nephi 31:15–16, 19–21, looking for what it means to endure to the end. (You could also invite them to read some of the scriptures listed in the Guide to the Scriptures under the topic “Endure.”)

After sufficient time, invite students to share what they learned. (Students may identify truths similar to the following: As we press forward with steadfastness in Christ on the strait and narrow path and endure to the end, Heavenly Father will bless us with eternal life.) Consider which of the following questions could best help your students understand this principle more deeply:

• What does it mean to you to press forward with steadfastness in Christ? with a brightness of hope?

• What are some examples from the life of the Savior, from a person in the Book of Mormon, or from someone you know that can help us better understand what it means to endure to the end? (Students may have recorded responses to this question as they studied section 3 of the preparation material.)

• In what ways will you continue to press forward with steadfastness in Christ? What is something you could do to endure to the end with greater hope and joy?

You may want to conclude by sharing your testimony or inviting a student to share his or her testimony of the truths identified in this lesson.

For Next Time

Ask students what they would say to someone who asked them if they have been born again. Invite students to read the preparation material for the next class and ponder what it means to be spiritually reborn and truly converted to the gospel of Jesus Christ.