What can the scriptures teach me about the Atonement of Jesus Christ?

The principal purpose of the scriptures is to testify of Jesus Christ, helping us come unto Him and partake of His Atonement. As we search the scriptures diligently, we will learn about the Savior through teachings, stories, and symbols.

Prepare yourself spiritually

What scriptures about Jesus Christ are meaningful to you? What symbols of Jesus Christ have you found in the scriptures? Which scriptures have helped you better understand the Atonement?

How have the youth you teach found Jesus Christ in the scriptures? What symbols of Jesus Christ can you help them find?

Prayerfully study the scriptures and other Church resources. What do you feel impressed to share with the youth?

Genesis 22:1–14 (Abraham offering his son Isaac as a sacrifice is a similitude of the sacrifice of the Son of God; see Jacob 4:5)

2 Nephi 11:4; Moses 6:63 (All things that God gives us teach about His Son)

Mosiah 13:33–35 (All prophets testify of Jesus Christ)

Boyd K. Packer, “The Reason for Our Hope,” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2014, 6–8

Teaching in the Savior’s way

Jesus used the scriptures to teach and testify about His mission. He taught people to think about scriptures for themselves. How can you use the scriptures to help the youth better understand the Savior and His mission?

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Use the Scriptures

Video: “Use the Scriptures”

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Make connections

During the first few minutes of every class, help the youth make connections between things they are learning in various settings (such as personal study, seminary, other Church classes, or experiences with their friends). How can you help them see the relevance of the gospel in daily living? The ideas below might help you:

Follow up on what the youth learned during Sunday School last week. How did they apply what they learned during the week?
Invite the youth to share a scripture they read recently about Jesus Christ or His Atonement.

Learn together

Each of the activities below can help the youth learn how to find Jesus Christ in the scriptures. Following the guidance of the Spirit, select one or more that will work for your class:

As a class, read the first five paragraphs of President Boyd K. Packer’s talk “The Reason for Our Hope.” Invite class members to look in the Topical Guide at the bold topic headings that start with “Jesus Christ.” Invite them to read a few scriptures listed under headings that interest them and to share what they can learn about the roles of the Savior and about His Atonement. As part of this activity, they could also study the scriptures about Jesus Christ that President Packer refers to in his talk.
Invite each youth to bring to class a favorite scripture about Jesus Christ and His Atonement. Have class members write the references on the board, and read them as a class. Ask the youth to share why these passages are meaningful to them. Help them create a scripture chain with these references (see Teaching, No Greater Call [1999], 58).
Study together a story or event in the scriptures that is a similitude of the Savior and His Atonement (for examples, see the Topical Guide, “Jesus Christ, Types of, in Anticipation”). If possible, show pictures of the story (see the Gospel Art Book). Invite the youth to discover how that story or event symbolizes the Savior’s mission. Give the youth opportunities to find other scripture stories that teach symbolically about the Atonement of Jesus Christ.
Invite the youth to look through the Gospel Art Book and find pictures of scripture stories that could be used to teach about the Atonement. For example, the story of Noah’s ark could symbolize how the Atonement provides safety from the flood of sin. Encourage them to read the scriptures related to the pictures they find (references are found at the beginning of the book) and share what they learn about the Atonement.
Invite the youth to read Moses 6:63 and make a list of things “in the heavens,” “on the earth,” and “in the earth” that bear record of Jesus Christ. Help them use the Topical Guide to find scriptures in which Jesus Christ is compared to some of these things (for example, He is compared to a rock in Helaman 5:12).

Ask the youth to share what they learned today. Do they understand how to learn about Jesus Christ and His Atonement from the scriptures? What feelings or impressions do they have? Do they have any additional questions? Would it be worthwhile to spend more time on this topic?

Teaching tip

“Do not be afraid of silence. People often need time to think about and reply to questions or to express what they are feeling. You might pause after you have asked a question, after a spiritual experience has been shared, or when a person is having difficulty expressing himself or herself” (Teaching, No Greater Call [1999], 67).

Invite to act

Share something you learned recently about Jesus Christ in the scriptures.
Invite the youth to share any impressions they have had during class. What will they do in their personal study of the scriptures to focus more on learning about Jesus Christ? Encourage them to share what they find in future classes.