Ideas for Teaching

This section has ideas for you to use in preparing for and teaching this lesson. Prayerfully follow the Spirit as you decide how to use these ideas. Add the ideas you select to your lesson plan. Keep in mind that these are suggestions-not requirements-to help you meet that needs of those you teach.

Short Lesson Plan (3-5 minutes)

After centuries of being lost, the gospel of Jesus Christ has been restored to the earth by our loving Heavenly Father through a living prophet. The Book of Mormon is evidence of this. You can hold it in your hands. You can read it, ponder how the message in the book can improve your life, and pray to know that the message is the word of God.

  • God Is Our Loving Heavenly Father
  • The Gospel Blesses Families
  • Heavenly Father Reveals His Gospel in Every Dispensations
  • The Saviors Earthly Ministry and Atonement
  • The Great Apostasy
  • The Restoration of the Gospel of Jesus Christ though Joseph Smith
  • The Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ
  • Pray to Know the Truth through the Holy Ghost

    • Commitments:

  • Will you read and pray to know that the Book of Mormon is the word of God?
  • Will you pray to know that Joseph Smith was a prophet?
  • Will you attend church with us this Sunday?
  • May we set a time for our next visit?
  • Commandments from lesson 4 that you choose to include.
    •    

    Medium Lesson Plan (10-15 minutes)

    Our Message is remarkable and simple. God is our Father. We are His children. We are part of His Family. He loves us. From the beginning of the world, He has followed a pattern of love and concern. Many times He has reached out in love to reveal the gospel of Jesus Christ so that His children can know how to return to Him. He revealed it to prophets such as Adam, Noah, Abraham, and Moses. But people have repeatedly chosen to reject that gospel. Two thousand years ago, Jesus Christ Himself taught His gospel, established His Church, and accomplished the Atonement. Incredibly, people even rejected Jesus. Whenever people disregard or distort the true doctrines and ordinances, God withdraws His authority to administer the Church.

    Our invitation to you and all people is to add to the truths you already treasure. Consider our evidence that our Heavenly Father and His Son, Jesus Christ, have again reached out to God's children in love and revealed the fullness of the gospel to a prophet. This prophet's name is Joseph Smith. The evidence of this glorious truth is found in a book-the Book of Mormon-which you can read, ponder, and pray about. If you pray with a sincere heart, with real intent and faith in Christ, God will tell you by the power of the Holy Ghost that it is true.

    Commitments:

  • Will you read and pray to know that the Book of Mormon is the word of God?
  • Will you pray to know that Joseph Smith was a prophet?
  • Will you attend church with us this Sunday?
  • May we set a time for our next visit?
  • Commandments from lesson 4 that you choose to include.
    •    

    Full Lesson Plan (30-45 minutes)

  • God Is Our Loving Heavenly Father
    • We are God's children (see Acts 17:29)
    God loves us and will help us make right choices.
    Through Jesus Christ, we can live with God again (see John 3:16-17)
  • The Gospel Blesses Families
    • The gospel of Jesus Christ helps families develop stronger relationships.
    Families are ordained of God; they are the most important social unit in time and eternity (see D&C 49:15-16).
    The family is the best place to teach, learn, and apply gospel principles (see D&C 68:25; Genesis 18:19; Deuteronomy 6:7).
    The family can be a place of safety, peace, and joy.
  • Heavenly Father Reveals His Gospel in Every Dispensation
    • God calls prophets to teach His gospel (see Amos 3:7.)
    Apostasy means to reject the prophets and the gospel.
    Dispensations are periods of time when prophets have taught the gospel. Previous dispensations have ended in apostasy (see D&C 136:36-38).
    Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses, and other ancient prophets all taught the gospel (see Moses 5:4-12).
  • The Savior's Earthly Ministry and Atonement
    • The Son of God restored and taught the gospel. He performed many miracles (see Bible Dictionary, “Miracles,” 732-33.)
    He called Apostles and gave them priesthood authority to preach the gospel and perform saving ordinances such as baptism (see John 15:16).
    Christ established His Church.
    Christ was crucified, and His Apostles were rejected and killed (see Matthew 27:35; Mark 15:25).
    Christ accomplished the atonement (see Bible Dictionary, “Atonement,” 617).
  • The Great Apostasy
    • Without revelation through a prophet, people fall into spiritual darkness (see Amos 8:11-12).
    Prophets and Apostles foretold the Great Apostasy (see 2 Thessalonians 2:1-3)
  • The Restoration of the Gospel of Jesus Christ through Joseph Smith
    • Joseph sought for truth (see JS-H 1:8, 10).
    God and Jesus Christ appeared to Joseph Smith (see JS-H 1:16-17).
    Like prophets in earlier dispensations, Joseph Smith was called as the prophet of this last dispensation.
    God restored the fullness of the gospel through Joseph Smith (see D&C 35:17; 135:3).
    Other heavenly messengers restored the priesthood, and Christ's Church was organized (see D&C 13; 27:12).
    A living prophet directs the Church today.
  • The Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ
    • The Book of Mormon is convincing evidence that Joseph Smith was a prophet.
    Joseph translated the plates by the power of God (see Introduction to the Book of Mormon, paragraph 5).
    The Book of Mormon proves that God inspires prophets in our day as He has in every dispensation (see D&C 20:5-12)
    The Book of Mormon contains the fullness of the gospel of Jesus Christ (see D&C 20:8-9).
  • Pray to Know the Truth through the Holy Ghost
    • You can know that the Book of Mormon is true (see Moroni 10:3-5; Introduction to the Book of Mormon, paragraph 1,8-9).
    The Holy Ghost will teach you through your thoughts and feelings (see D&C 8:2-3).

    Commitments:

  • Will you read and pray to know that the Book of Mormon is the word of God?
  • Will you pray to know that Joseph Smith was a prophet?
  • Will you attend church with us this Sunday?
  • May we set a time for our next visit?
  • Commandments from lesson 4 that you choose to include.

    • Questions to Ask after You Teach

  • What questions do you have about what we have taught?
  • If there were are prophet on the earth today, what would you ask him?
  • Do you believe that God hears your prayers? Why?
  • Would you like to find out that the Book of Mormon is true? Why?

    • Key Definitions

  • Agency: The ability and privilege God gives people to choose and to act for themselves.
  • Apostasy: A turning away from the truth by individuals, the Church, or entire nations. It includes rebellion against authority and rejection of prophets. Evidence of apostasy includes transgressing God's laws, changing gospel ordinances, and breaking covenants (see Isaiah 24:5).
  • Dispensation: A period of time in which the Lord has at least on authorized servant on the earth who bears the keys of the holy priesthood. In addition to Jesus Christ, prophets such as Adam, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Moses, and Joseph Smith have each started a new gospel dispensation. When the Lord organizes a dispensation, the gospel is revealed anew so that the people of that dispensations do not have to depend on past dispensations for knowledge of the plan of salvation. The dispensation begun by Joseph Smith is known as the "dispensation of the fullness of times."
  • Priesthood: The authority and power that God gives to man to act in the name of Jesus Christ in all things for the salvation of mankind.
  • Prophet: A man who has been called by and speaks for God. As a messenger of God, a prophet receives priesthood authority, commandments, prophecies, and revelations from God. His responsibility is to make known God's will and true character to mankind and to show the meaning of His dealings with them. A prophet denounces sin and foretells its consequences. He is a preacher of righteousness. On occasion, a prophet may be inspired to foretell the future for the benefit of mankind. His primary responsibility, however, is to bear witness of Christ
  • Redeemer: Jesus Christ is the great Redeemer of mankind because He, through His Atonement, paid the price for the sins of mankind and made possible the resurrections of all people. To redeem is to deliver, to purchase, or to ransom, such as to free a person from bondage by payment. Redemption refers to the Atonement of Jesus Christ and to deliverance from sin. Jesus' Atonement redeems all mankind from physical death. Through His Atonement, which includes His suffering in Gethsemane and on the cross as well as His Resurrection, those who have faith in Him and who repent are redeemed from spiritual death.
  • Reformer: To reform is to make changes to something in order to improve it. The term reformers refers to those men and women (such as Martin Luther, John Calvin, William Tyndale, and John Wycliffe) who protested the practices of the existing church, which they felt needed to be reformed.
  • Restoration: To restore means to return to a former condition, or to bring back. The Restoration, as used by Latter-day Saints, means that the true Church of Jesus Christ, which was lost through apostasy, was brought back as it originally existed when organized by Jesus Christ. Unlike the Reformation, the Restoration was accomplished to divine authority through revelation.
  • Revelation: Communication from God to His children on earth. Revelation may come through the Light of Christ and the Holy Ghost by way of inspiration, visions, dreams, or visits by angels. Revelation provides guidance that can lead the faithful or eternal salvation in the celestial kingdom. The lord reveals His work to His prophets and confirms to believers that the revelations to the prophets are true (see Amos 3:7). Through revelation, the Lord provides individual guidance fro every person who seeks it and who has faith, repents, and is obedient to gospel of Jesus Christ.

    • Other Terms That May Need Further Definition for Those You Teach

  • Apostle
  • Obedience and disobedience to commandments
  • Savior
  • Bible
  • Scriptures
  • Endure to the end
  • Ordinances of salvation
  • Sin
  • Gift of the Holy Ghost
  • Prayer
  • Stewardship
  • Gospel
  • Return to live in His presence

    • Reformers and World Religious Leaders

    The following is background information to be used only when needed.

    John Wycliffe: Born in the 14th century in England. Theology scholar at Oxford University. Taught that the Catholic Church did not have priesthood keys, that the Holy Eucharist (or sacrament) was not the actual body of Christ, and that the church should not exercise political power over the people. Translated the Bible into English. Died 31 December 1384.

    Martin Luther: Born 10 November 1483, in Germany. Studied at the University of Erfurt and Wittenberg. Nailed 95 theses to the door of the Castle Church in defiance of many current teachings of the Roman Catholic Church, including the practice of having peopole pay money to be forgiven of their sins. Died 18 February 1546.

    William Tyndale: Born in Wales in 1494. Studied at Oxford and Cambridge. Translated the New Testament into English. Made the scriptures available to the common people to expose the false doctrines and corruptions of religious leaders. He was executed on 6 October 1536

    John Calvin: Born 10 July 1509, in France. Studied in Paris to be a priest. A major leader in movements to reform the Catholic Church. Lived much of his life in Switzerland. He taught that men by nature are depraved and that only God's grace can save them. Wrote many commentaries on the Bible. Died 27 May 1564.

    For more information on the reformers, see the following sources in the missionary library: James E. Talmage, Jesus the Christ, 692-703; M. Russel Ballard, Our Search for Happiness, 26-32.

    Just as the Christian world was blessed by the courage and vision of the reformers, many other nations and cultures have been blessed by those who were given that portion “that [God] seeth fit that they should have” (Alma 29:8) Teachings of other religious leaders have helped many people become more civil and ethical.

    Buddha (Gotama): Born in 563 B.C. Of a Hindu chieftain in Nepal. Concerned with the suffering he saw around him. Fled from his father's luxurious palace, renounced the world, and lived in poverty. Seeking enlightenment, he discovered what he called the “path of deliverance.” Claimed to reach Nirvana, a state of oblivion to care, pain, or external reality. Became a teacher for a community of monks.

    Confucius: Born in 551 B.C. Orphaned as a child. China's first professional teacher. China's greatest moral and social thinker. Said little about spiritual beings or divine powers. Believed that heaven had entrusted him with a sacred mission as champion of the good and true.

    Mohammed: Born 570 A.D. In Mecca. Orphaned in childhood. Lived a life of poverty. Gained reputation as a trusted peacemaker. Married at age 25. In 610 prayed and meditated on Mount Hira. Said the angel Gabriel appeared to him and delivered a message from Allah (God). Claimed to receive communication from God through Gabriel from 620 to 632. These communications, which he recited to his disciples, were later written in the Koran, the sacred book of Islam.