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 of society’s standards that are not compatible with the standards of the Church? When have you chosen to stand for what is right? How have your actions affected your life and the lives of others?

How does the world attempt to influence the way the young women view the Lord’s standards? How can you help the young women prepare to resist temptations? How can they gain strength and courage to stand alone?

What can the young women 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 invited Peter to testify by asking him a question, “Whom say ye that I am?” As he answered, the Spirit touched his heart and his testimony was strengthened. What questions will invite the young women in your class to testify and allow the Spirit to strengthen their testimonies?

Meeting Outline

1. Counsel Together and Share Experiences

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

Lead a discussion about items such as the following:

  • Our class: 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 responsibilities: 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 class 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 class presidency meeting.

2. Learn Together

Led by a leader or teacher or a member of the class; 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 class members understand the doctrine.

  • On the board, write Overcoming the world is … and Overcoming the world results in … Ask the young women 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 women 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 women 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 women 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?

  • Ask the young women to write a list on the board of places they feel are holy. Read Doctrine and Covenants 87:8 together, and ask the young women 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? What can they do to make their family, their school, or their community a more holy place?

  • Invite the young women to read the scriptures listed in this outline (individually or as a class) 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?

  • Ask a young woman to come to class prepared to share what Sister Neill F. Marriott teaches about the influence that temples have on their surroundings in her talk “Sharing Your Light.” Invite the young women to search Sister Marriott’s talk for sentences that inspire them to be a light to others in a world that seems to be increasing in darkness. Give them an opportunity to read their sentences aloud and share why they find them meaningful. Together, you may decide to plan a Mutual activity where young women make a poster that features the sentences they have chosen.

3. Plan to Act

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

  • Ask the young women 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 class to apply what they have learned?

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

Related Youth Activities

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