Lesson 1 Class Preparation Material: Studying the Doctrine of the Eternal Family
“Lesson 1 Class Preparation Material: Studying the Doctrine of the Eternal Family,” The Eternal Family Teacher Material (2022)
“Lesson 1 Class Preparation Material,” The Eternal Family Class Preparation Material
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a happy husband and wife with their young child
Lesson 1 Class Preparation Material
Studying the Doctrine of the Eternal Family
Welcome to The Eternal Family course! The truths you will learn throughout this course, combined with acting on the promptings you feel, can help you and your family draw closer to God and receive all of the blessings He desires for you. You will also be better able to help others do the same.
As you study the following preparation material for lesson 1, consider the blessings and joy Heavenly Father wants all of His children to experience and how that relates to families.
Note: The preparation material will provide a foundation for your class experience. Studying each lesson’s preparation material before class will help you have a deeper, more meaningful learning experience when you attend class.
Section 1
What difference can trusting Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ’s perfect love and wisdom make in my personal and family life?
We are surrounded by varying opinions and information about the topic of family. Sometimes the socially accepted perspective on family is in direct opposition to Heavenly Father’s plan. The more we know and understand Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ and Their character, the more we can trust Their teachings and counsel, including in family matters. As we do so, we can learn to see things as They see them—from an eternal perspective.
Read 2 Nephi 26:24; Mosiah 4:9; and Isaiah 55:8–9, and look for truths about Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ that can help you trust Them. Consider marking what you find.
Think about how the descriptions of Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ in these scripture passages can influence how you choose to view sensitive issues and questions regarding the family. Elder Richard G. Scott of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles taught:
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Elder Richard G. Scott
As your Father, His purpose is your eternal happiness, your continuing development, your increasing capacity. His desire is to share with you all that He has. (“Obtaining Help from the Lord,” Ensign, Nov. 1991, 86)
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Study in Preparation for Class
In a prophetic effort to “warn and forewarn” against the deceptions of the world, the First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve Apostles released a proclamation on the family in 1995 (see Gordon B. Hinckley, “Stand Strong against the Wiles of the World,” Ensign, Nov. 1995, 100). Read “The Family: A Proclamation to the World” (ChurchofJesusChrist.org), and consider what it teaches about the blessings and happiness Heavenly Father desires for you and your family. You might mark evidences of His love and desires for your happiness.
Think about some current social issues or questions that are addressed by truths declared in the family proclamation. What value is there in trusting the wisdom and eternal perspective of Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ over the wisdom and perspective of the world on these topics?
Section 2
How can we establish a safe environment to discuss sensitive issues?
Think about your family situation, dynamics, and challenges. How is your family different from other families you know? Some of our strongest feelings are associated with our families. When we discuss the doctrine of the family, we must remember that others’ family situations and experiences may be different than our own. Remembering this can help us be more loving, sensitive, and respectful in the way we discuss the doctrine on the family. By doing this, we are better prepared for the Holy Ghost to teach us more deeply about families and our Heavenly Father’s purposes.
Jesus Christ is our perfect example of having charity for individuals in all circumstances. Read Moroni 7:45–48. Think about times in your life when the Savior has shown you charity, and consider the difference it has made for you.
As disciples of Jesus Christ, we are striving to become more like Him in all we say and do. It takes practice to listen to others and to learn and share truth in loving, sensitive, and respectful ways. When we approach sensitive conversations on topics related to the family with charity, we are being like the Savior. If we are willing, the Holy Ghost can help us know our part in establishing and maintaining a loving, respectful, and inclusive classroom environment for learning truth.
Elder Neil L. Andersen of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles taught:
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Elder Neil L. Andersen
My plea today is for the hundreds of thousands of children, youth, and young adults who do not come from these, for lack of a better term, “picture-perfect” families. I speak not only of the youth who have experienced the death, divorce, or diminishing faith of their parents but also of the tens of thousands of young men and young women from all around the world who embrace the gospel without a mother or father to come into the Church with them.
These young Latter-day Saints enter the Church with great faith. They hope to create the family ideal in their own lives at a future day. In time, they become an important part of our missionary force, our righteous young adults, and those who kneel at an altar to begin their own families.
We will continue to teach the Lord’s pattern for families, but now with millions of members and the diversity we have … , we need to be even more thoughtful and sensitive. …
… Let us think about them, welcome them, embrace them, and do everything we can to strengthen their love for the Savior. (“Whoso Receiveth Them, Receiveth Me,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2016, 49–50, 52)
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Record Your Thoughts
Reflect on your own experiences and the difference you can make by approaching discussions of sensitive topics about the family with charity. Record what you can do to help others feel loved and respected while discussing such topics from a perspective of eternal truth.
