Lesson 9 Teacher Material

Uniting Families for Eternity

Receiving temple ordinances for ourselves and for our deceased ancestors empowers us and helps us build our own eternal family. Family history and temple service is also essential in helping our Heavenly Father unite His family. As a result of this lesson, students will be able to explain some of the blessings we can receive through temple and family history service. Students will also be invited to determine ways they can begin or continue their efforts to discover their deceased ancestors and perform ordinances for them in the temple.

Suggestions for Teaching

Heavenly Father desires to bestow power and strength on His children.

Consider beginning the lesson by displaying the following question and inviting students to list their responses on the board:

As young adults in the world today, what spiritual power or blessings are you especially in need of and why?

Invite a student to read aloud the third paragraph of the family proclamation (see “The Family: A Proclamation to the World,” ChurchofJesusChrist.org). Ask students to explain what they know about the role of covenants and ordinances in God’s plan.

Give students time to carefully review the statements by President Russell M. Nelson in section 1 of the preparation material. Invite them to share what they learned from President Nelson about priesthood ordinances and covenants. As students share, help them identify truths like the following: Receiving ordinances and covenants can strengthen our marriages and families. As we receive and honor priesthood ordinances and covenants, God blesses us with His power (see also Doctrine and Covenants 109:22).

• In what ways have priesthood ordinances and covenants empowered or strengthened you and your family? (Students were invited to ponder this question in the preparation material.)

You might testify of one or more of these blessings in your own life and family. Encourage students to move toward receiving temple ordinances if they have not yet received them and to honor covenants they have made.

Our Heavenly Father desires salvation for all of His family.

Consider dividing students into small groups to do the following activity. Give each group a copy of the following handout. (Or you could prepare one like it if you want to adapt the scenario to make it more relevant to your students’ circumstances.) Invite the groups to follow the instructions on the handout.

The Doctrine of Redemption of the Dead

The Eternal Family Teacher Material—Lesson 9

Read the following scenario, and discuss the accompanying questions as a group.

A friend who belongs to another faith recently attended a temple open house. There, she heard people refer to performing ordinances for our deceased ancestors. A few days later, she asks you, “Why does your church do ceremonies for the dead?”

• How would you answer your friend’s question? (After you have discussed this question, your group could review the statement by President Joseph F. Smith in section 1 of the preparation material. You could also review together 1 Corinthians 15:29.)

• What can the doctrine of the redemption of the dead teach us about the character, desires, and reach of Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ?

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The Doctrine of Redemption of the Dead

teacher handout

After sufficient time, invite one or two students to share what they learned from their group discussion.

Review together Doctrine and Covenants 128:15, and discuss the following questions:

• According to this verse, why is it essential for us to receive temple ordinances on behalf of our deceased ancestors? (Using students’ words, write a truth like the following on the board: The salvation of our deceased ancestors is necessary and essential to our own salvation and perfection.)

• Why do you think our ancestors’ salvation is necessary for our own salvation and perfection?

• How are we becoming more like the Savior by discovering our deceased ancestors and receiving ordinances in the temple on their behalf? (You may want to invite students to review the statement by President Gordon B. Hinckley in section 2 of the preparation material.)

Invite students to reflect on how they feel toward the Savior for His efforts to do something for them that they cannot do for themselves. Then invite them to consider how our deceased ancestors might feel when we receive saving ordinances for them that they cannot receive themselves.

The Lord blesses those who do temple and family history service.

Improving Our Teaching and Learning

Make invitations that encourage application. Students deepen their gospel learning when they apply true principles and doctrinal truths. Acting in faith helps them become converted to the Savior and receive the blessings He promises to those who are obedient. As you prepare to help students in class, give proper priority to questions and activities that encourage application.

Consider inviting students who are able to use their electronic device to go to FamilySearch.org or the FamilySearch Family Tree app. (You might also display either the website or the app for the class or suggest that students without a device share with a classmate who has one.) Explore together some of the features of the website or app. You might use the “Relatives around Me” feature to help students see how they are related to each other. Consider which of the following questions might be helpful to discuss:

• What has been your experience with doing family history?

• What keeps you or has kept you in the past from doing family history? How have you overcome these types of obstacles? How can the Lord help you in your efforts?

• If you have received temple ordinances on behalf of your ancestors, what feelings did you have at that time?

You might show the video “The Promised Blessings of Family History” (3:24) (which is also referenced in section 2 of the preparation material).

Consider asking students to list some of the blessings the Lord and His Church leaders have promised to those who participate in temple and family history service.

Invite students to reflect on the spiritual power or blessings they are especially in need of at this time (invite them to review the list on the board from the beginning of the lesson). Ask students to share or testify of when they have experienced these types of blessings as they have participated in temple and family history service.

Give students a few minutes to record how they can apply what they have learned in this lesson. Encourage them to set a goal they feel they can accomplish to participate regularly in temple and family history service. They might also record the blessings they hope to receive from doing so.

Note: Find opportunities as you meet with your class in the future to ask how students are doing with their temple and family history goals.

For Next Time

At the end of class or during the week, you might invite students to interview a couple who has been sealed in the temple. Invite students to ask the couple how their marriage has been affected by the covenants they made when they were sealed and how they are seeking together to come closer to God.