How does the Holy Ghost help me learn?
The Savior promised that the Holy Ghost will teach us all things and bring all things to our remembrance (see John 14:26). Part of our responsibility as gospel learners is to seek the companionship of the Holy Ghost to inspire us as we study the gospel—in class, in our personal study, and in other gospel settings. Learning by the Spirit involves praying for His influence and listening for promptings to enlighten our understanding (see Alma 32:28).
Prepare yourself spiritually
How has the Holy Ghost helped you learn the gospel? What experiences could you share with the youth?
Do the youth come to class spiritually prepared to learn? How will their learning be enhanced as they seek the Spirit?
Prayerfully read these scriptures and resources. What do you feel will inspire the youth to seek to learn by the Spirit?
John 16:13 (The Holy Ghost will guide us to truth)
1 Corinthians 2:9–14 (The things of God are understood only by the Holy Ghost)
1 Nephi 10:19 (If we diligently seek, the Holy Ghost will reveal the mysteries of God)
Alma 5:45–46; Moroni 10:3–5 (Through the Holy Ghost we can gain a testimony of the truth)
D&C 11:12–14 (The Spirit enlightens our minds)
Boyd K. Packer, “The Quest for Spiritual Knowledge,” New Era, Jan. 2007, 2–7
Donald L. Hallstrom, “Converted to His Gospel through His Church,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2012, 13–15
A. Roger Merrill, “Receiving by the Spirit,” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2006, 92–94
“Learning by the Holy Ghost,” Preach My Gospel (2004), 18
Video: “Elder and Sister Bednar—Recognizing the Spirit”
Teaching in the Savior’s way
The Savior trusted His disciples and gave them responsibilities to teach, bless, and serve others. What opportunities can you give the youth to share with others what they are learning?
Make connections
During the first few minutes of every class, help the youth make connections between what 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:
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Invite the youth to share an experience in their families that has taught them something about God.
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Invite the youth to read about President Spencer W. Kimball’s response to the question “What do you do when you find yourself caught in a boring sacrament meeting?” (in Elder Donald L. Hallstrom talk “Converted to His Gospel through His Church”). Why did President Kimball say he had never been in a boring sacrament meeting? Ask the youth to share experiences in which they felt the Spirit during sacrament meeting or another Church class. What did they do to prepare spiritually for these experiences? Invite them to list their responses on the board.
Learn together
Each of the activities below will help the youth understand what it means to learn by the Spirit. Following the inspiration of the Holy Ghost, select one or more that will work best for your class:
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As a class, watch the video “Elder and Sister Bednar—Recognizing the Spirit.” Before watching the video, you could invite the youth to think of questions about the Holy Ghost and listen for answers. You could also invite them to individually list things that Elder or Sister Bednar says about the Holy Ghost while they are watching. After the video is over, invite the youth to take turns reading their lists out loud. If another youth has the same item on his or her list, those with that item could raise their hands or cross off the item. It might be fun to reward the class member with the most unique items on his or her list. Take time as a class to discuss class members’ questions that Elder or Sister Bednar did not answer.
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Ask each class member to read one of the scriptures suggested in this outline and look for the roles of the Holy Ghost in helping us learn the gospel. What are some potential consequences of trying to study the gospel without the influence of the Spirit? Consider sharing a personal experience when you have felt the influence of the Holy Ghost while you were learning the gospel. Invite the youth to share similar experiences.
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Invite the youth to read Brother A. Roger Merrill’s list of three things that we should do to receive by the Spirit (in his talk “Receiving by the Spirit”). Ask each class member to choose one of the three items and share a scripture or personal experience that relates to that item. Invite the youth to share their ideas about how they can apply Brother Merrill’s counsel in their personal study, in Sunday School, and in other settings where they learn the gospel.
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Invite the youth to read “Learning by the Holy Ghost” from Preach My Gospel (page 18) and identify blessings that come when we learn by the Spirit. With the permission of the bishop, invite the full-time missionaries (or a recently returned missionary) to share with the class how they have seen these blessings fulfilled as they sought to learn by the Spirit. Ask the youth to share specific ways in which learning by the Spirit can bless their lives now. What will they do to invite the Spirit into their gospel learning?
Ask the youth to share what they learned today. What feelings or impressions do they have? Do they understand what it means to learn by the Spirit? Do they have any additional questions? Would it be worthwhile to spend more time on this topic?
Teaching tip
“The spirit must be present for a gospel message to be carried to the hearts of those you teach (see 2 Nephi 33:1; D&C 42:14). Therefore, you should use methods that will set the proper tone for the lesson and invite the Spirit” (Teaching, No Greater Call [1999], 91).
Video: “Preparing Youth to Discuss”
Invite to act
Ask the youth what they feel inspired to do because of what they learned today. Encourage them to act on these feelings. Seek the Spirit as you prayerfully consider ways you can follow up.