Come, Follow Me
How can I be in the world but not of the world?

How can I be in the world but not of the world?

Prepare Yourself Spiritually

“Where once the standards of the Church and the standards of society were mostly compatible, now there is a wide chasm between us, and it’s growing ever wider” (Thomas S. Monson, “Priesthood Power,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2011, 66). The Lord wants us to remain true to His standards and not partake of the evils of the world. At the same time, He expects us to be a good influence on those around us.

Resources to Help You Prepare

These resources are to help you prepare for the “Learn together” section of the meeting.

Questions to Ponder before You Teach

What are some standards in the world that are not compatible with the standards of the Church? What blessings have come to you from living the Lord’s standards? How can maintaining your standards influence those around you?

How does the world attempt to influence the way the young men view the Lord’s standards? How can the young men continue to uphold the Lord’s standards when society’s standards continue to deteriorate? How can the young men be a good influence on those around them?

What can the young men do to prepare to learn? For example, they could read a talk, watch a video, or study a scripture related to this doctrine.

Teaching in the Savior’s Way

The Savior prepared Himself to teach by spending time alone in prayer and fasting. In private moments, He sought His Heavenly Father’s guidance. As you prepare to teach the young men, spend time in prayer and seek Heavenly Father’s guidance to know how to help the young men understand the blessings that come from living the Lord’s standards.

Meeting Outline

1. Counsel Together and Share Experiences

Led by a member of the quorum presidency; approximately 5–10 minutes

Lead a discussion about items such as the following:

  • Our quorum: Who is missing today? What visits do we need to make? Who should we invite to an upcoming activity? Who needs our help and prayers?

  • Our duties: What assignments do we need to make? What assignments have we fulfilled? How have we invited others to come unto Christ, and how can we invite others now?

  • Our lives: Remind the quorum of the discussion from the last meeting. What experiences have we had with applying what we learned? What experiences have we had in the past few weeks that strengthened our testimonies of the gospel?

If possible, discuss these items beforehand in a quorum presidency meeting.

2. Learn Together

Led by a leader or teacher or a member of the quorum; approximately 25–35 minutes

After studying the above resources and following the inspiration of the Spirit, you may select one or more of the activities below to help quorum members understand the doctrine.

  • On the board, write Overcoming the world is … and Overcoming the world results in … Ask quorum members to study Elder Neil L. Andersen’s talk “Overcoming the World” and find various ways to complete these sentences. Discuss what they find. Invite one of the young men ahead of time to come prepared to share the story about Elder Bruce D. Porter from Elder Andersen’s talk (or watch Elder Andersen tell the story in the video of his talk). How might others have reacted to this same trial? How did Elder Porter overcome the world?

  • One way to help the young men understand how to find light in a darkening world would be to bring three flashlights to class. Divide the class into three groups and assign each group to read one of the sections from Elder Mark A. Bragg’s talk “Brighter and Brighter until the Perfect Day.” After the young men have studied the talk, turn off the lights and give each group one of the flashlights. As they share what they have learned, they could turn on their flashlight and set it in the middle of the room. How does each source of light help us in a dark world?

  • During the week, invite the young men to read Daniel 1–2 or watch the video “God Gave Them Knowledge” and come prepared to share how God blessed Daniel for remaining faithful in a wicked environment. During class, provide time for them to share what they learned. As a quorum, review the section titled “Are We like Daniel?” from President Dieter F. Uchtdorf’s talk “Be Not Afraid, Only Believe.” Divide the quorum into groups and ask each group to role-play a scenario they might face where they can remain faithful like Daniel.

  • Invite the young men to read the scriptures listed in this outline (individually or as a quorum) and discuss what they learn about overcoming temptations. How do they live the Lord’s standards when the world tempts them to do otherwise or makes fun of them for having high standards? How have they felt when they have lived the Lord’s standards and resisted temptations? What experiences can they share?

  • As a quorum, read Doctrine and Covenants 87:8, and ask the young men what they think it means to stand in holy places. Invite them to ponder this question as they watch one of the videos suggested in this outline. What additional insights do they gain about standing in holy places? Ask the young men how they feel they can make their family, their school, or their community a more holy place.

3. Plan to Act

Led by a member of the quorum presidency; approximately 5–10 minutes

  • Ask the young men to discuss any feelings or impressions they had during the meeting. What was meaningful to them? Is there something they can do personally or as a quorum to apply what they have learned?

  • Give the young men a few minutes to record what they will do in the coming weeks to act on their impressions. Invite them to share their ideas.

  • Remind the young men that they will have the opportunity to share their experiences at the beginning of the next meeting.

Duty to God Plans

Allow time at the end of the quorum meeting for the young men to make plans in their Duty to God books or in the online version of Duty to God . These plans are personal, but quorum members can help each other generate ideas for their plans.

Video: “Asking Follow-up Questions”

Related Youth Activities

Plan a Mutual activity that will help the young men apply what they learned in this lesson.