Lesson 107: 1 Corinthians 9–10
Introduction
Paul addressed concerns from the Corinthian Saints about the
use of Church resources to provide for his temporal needs. He explained that
the purpose of his preaching was to bring salvation to the children of God. He
exhorted them to avoid sinning as well as offending others in their religious
beliefs.
I.
1 Corinthians 9 Paul preaches the gospel so that he
and his listeners can be saved
---Bring an alarm clock to class and keep it hidden from
students. Set it to go off shortly after you begin teaching.
---To begin the lesson, invite students to imagine what
eternal life will be like. Ask them to write in their class notebooks or
scripture study journals why eternal life is something that they desire. You
could invite a few students to read to the class what they wrote.
---Near the end of this activity, the alarm clock should go
off. When that happens ask a student to find it and turn it off.
• How did you feel when you heard
that sound?
---Ask students to think if they have ever struggled to wake
up to an alarm clock and missed something important as a result. Invite a few
students to share.
---Just as struggling to wake up to an alarm clock can
result in us missing or even failing to achieve important things, failing to
“wake up” in life and change certain behaviors can cause us to fall short of
achieving the most important thing of all, eternal life.
---Invite students to look for a principle as they study 1 Corinthians 9 that can help them know
how to ensure that they achieve eternal life.
---Invite a student to read aloud the following summary of 1 Corinthians 9:1–21:
Paul
responded to various questions from the Corinthian Saints. He wrote that
although he would be fully justified in being supported in temporal concerns by
Church members, he had not depended on them for his living expenses. Paul
explained that by adapting to different circumstances without compromising the
standards of the gospel, he had been able to help Jews, Gentiles, and anyone
else who was weak in the gospel to accept the gospel.
---Ask a student to read 1 Corinthians 9:17 aloud. Invite the class
to follow along, looking for how Paul preached the gospel. You may want to
explain that the statement “dispensation of the gospel is committed unto me”
refers to Paul fulfilling his commission or duty to preach the gospel.
• How did Paul preach the gospel?
Invite a student to read 1 Corinthians 9:22–23 aloud. Ask the class
to follow along, looking for why Paul preached the gospel willingly.
• Why did Paul preach the gospel
willingly?
---Invite a student who regularly engages in an extensive
training program (perhaps a musician or an athlete) to come to the front of the
class. Ask the student the following questions:
• What is your training program
like?
• Has there ever been a time when
you practiced or trained for a specific event or goal? How did working toward a
specific goal motivate you?
---Thank the student, and ask him or her to be seated.
---Ask a student to read 1 Corinthians 9:24–25 aloud. Invite the
class to follow along, looking for the athletic contest Paul used to teach the
Corinthian Saints.
• What athletic contest did Paul
refer to?
• What quality or characteristic did
Paul say runners needed in order to be successful? (Explain that being
“temperate in all things” means exercising self-mastery.)
• What is the incorruptible crown
Paul referred to that will endure forever? (Eternal life.)
• What principle can we learn from verse 25 concerning what we must do to
obtain eternal life? (Students may use different words, but make sure they
identify the following principle: To obtain eternal life, we must learn to
exercise self-mastery in all things. Write this principle on the board. Be sure
students also understand that while self-mastery is necessary, eternal life
ultimately comes only “through the merits, and mercy, and grace” of Jesus
Christ [2 Nephi 2:8] rather than through our
self-mastery alone.)
• Why do you think exercising
self-mastery is necessary in order to obtain eternal life?
---Ask a student to read 1 Corinthians 9:26–27 aloud. Invite the
class to follow along, looking for how Paul described his own efforts to
exercise self-mastery.
• According to verse 26, how did Paul describe his efforts
to obtain eternal life? (Confidently and without a wasted effort.)
• According to verse 27, what do you think Paul meant when
he wrote, “I keep under my body and bring it unto subjection”?
---To help students understand what Paul meant, ask a
student to read aloud the following statement by President Brigham Young:
“You cannot
inherit eternal life, unless your appetites are brought in subjection to the
spirit that lives within you, that spirit which our Father in Heaven gave. I
mean the Father of your spirits, of those spirits which he has put into these
tabernacles. The tabernacles must be brought in subjection to the spirit
perfectly, or your bodies cannot be raised to inherit eternal life. … Seek
diligently, until you bring all into subjection to the law of Christ. …
“… If
the spirit yields to the body, [the spirit] becomes corrupt; but if the body
yields to the spirit [the body] becomes pure and holy” (Teachings
of Presidents of the Church: Brigham Young [1997], 204–5).
• What are some things we can do to
help our bodies to yield to our spirits?
II.
1 Corinthians 10 Paul cautions the Corinthian Saints
to avoid sin and offending others
---Invite a student to read aloud the following statement by
President James E. Faust of the First Presidency:
“One of the
great myths in life is when [individuals] think they are invincible. Too many
think that they are [made] of steel, strong enough to withstand any temptation.
They delude themselves into thinking, ‘It cannot happen to me’” (“It Can’t Happen to Me,” Ensign, May
2002, 46).
• In what situations might people
allow themselves to be exposed to temptation, thinking they are strong enough
to withstand it? (List students’ responses on the board.)
---Paul referred to examples from Israelite history to warn
the Corinthian Saints about temptation and sin. Ask a student to read 1 Corinthians 10:1–5 aloud. Invite the class
to follow along, looking for some things the children of Israel experienced
during the time of Moses that should have made them spiritually strong.
• What were some things the children
of Israel experienced that should have made them spiritually strong? (You may
want to point out that Paul identified the “spiritual Rock,” or Jehovah, as
Christ [see also Deuteronomy 32:3–4].)
• According to verse 5, how did God feel about the behavior
of many of these ancient Israelites?
---Ask several students to take turns reading aloud from 1 Corinthians 10:6–11. Invite the class to
follow along, looking for what Paul wanted the Corinthian Saints to learn from
the example of the ancient Israelites.
• What was Paul’s purpose for
sharing the example of the ancient Israelites? (Paul wanted to warn the
Corinthians Saints so they would avoid repeating the sins of the ancient
Israelites.)
---Invite the class to stand and read 1 Corinthians 10:12 aloud, in unison.
• In your own words, how would you
summarize Paul’s message in verse 12?
Invite the class to be seated. Invite a student to read 1 Corinthians 10:13 aloud. Ask the class to
follow along, looking for what Paul taught about temptation.
• What did Paul teach about
temptation?
• If God will not allow us to be
tempted above our ability to resist, why did the ancient Israelites give in to
temptation?
---Write the following incomplete sentence on the board:
God will
provide a way for us to escape temptation, but we must …
---Invite a student to read 1 Corinthians 10:14 aloud. Ask the class to
follow along, looking for what Paul taught the Corinthian Saints to do.
• What did Paul teach the Corinthian
Saints to do?
• What does verse 14 teach us about our role in escaping
temptation? (After students respond, complete the truth on the board so that it
reads: God will provide a way for us to escape temptation, but we must choose
to separate ourselves from the temptation.)
---You may want to suggest that students write Alma 13:28 in their scriptures near 1 Corinthians 10:13–14. Ask a student to
read Alma 13:28 aloud. Invite the class to follow
along, looking for what we can do to separate ourselves from temptation.
• According to Alma 13:28, what can we do that can help us
separate ourselves from temptation?
• How can humbling ourselves and
watching and praying continually help us separate ourselves from temptation?
---Hold up a copy of the For the Strength of Youth booklet,
and ask students to explain how living according to the standards listed in
this booklet helps us separate ourselves from temptation.
---Explain that students may not always be able to avoid
temptation. Because of this, we need to decide now how we will act in the face
of temptation. Invite a student to read aloud the following statement by
President Spencer W. Kimball:
“Right decisions are
easiest to make when we make them well in advance, having ultimate objectives
in mind; this saves a lot of anguish [during moments of decision], when we’re
tired and sorely tempted. …
“Develop
discipline of self so that, more and more, you do not have to decide and
redecide what you will do when you are confronted with the same temptation time
and time again. You only need to decide some things once! …
“The time to
quit evil ways is before they start. The secret of the good life is in
protection and prevention. Those who yield to evil are usually those who have
placed themselves in a vulnerable position” (Teachings of Presidents of the
Church: Spencer W. Kimball [2006], 108–9).
---Share your testimony of the principles students
identified today. Ask students to consider which temptations they struggle with
the most. Invite them to ponder the following questions:
• What changes could you make to
avoid temptation before you are ever faced with it?
• Are you willing to make these
changes?
---Invite students to create a plan that they will follow to
escape temptation. Encourage them to seek help from the Lord through prayer as
they work to accomplish their plan.
---In 1 Corinthians 10:15–33 Paul counseled the Corinthian Saints to
respect the religious practices of others without compromising their own and
repeated again that he was preaching in order to help many to be saved.
Commentary and Background Information
1 Corinthians
9:20–23. “I am made all things to all men”
What did Paul mean when he said that he “became as a Jew” to
“gain the Jews” (1 Corinthians 9:20); became as someone not
under the law, or a Gentile, to gain the Gentiles; and became as one who is
weak to “gain the weak”? (1 Corinthians 9:22). Elder Bruce R.
McConkie of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles provided this helpful
explanation:
“Paul here says he made himself all things to all men in an
effort to get them to accept the gospel message; that is, he adapted himself to
the conditions and circumstances of all classes of people, as a means of
getting them to pay attention to his teachings and testimony. And then, lest
any suppose this included the acceptance of their false doctrines or practices,
or that it in any way involved a compromise between the gospel and false
systems of worship, he hastened to add that he and all men must obey the gospel
law to be saved” (Doctrinal New Testament Commentary, 3 vols. [1965–73],
2:353).
1 Corinthians
9:25. “Temperate in all things”
Sometimes it is difficult to see why the Lord commands us to
exercise self-mastery. Elder Richard G. Scott of the Quorum of the Twelve
Apostles provided this helpful explanation:
“A righteous life requires discipline. Discipline is that
characteristic which will give you the strength to avoid giving up what you
want most in life for something you think you want now” (“The Power of Righteousness,” Ensign, Nov.
1998, 69).
1 Corinthians
9:27. “I keep under my body, and bring it unto subjection”
Continually subjecting our bodies to the control of our
spirits is one of the great tests of mortal life. Elder M. Russell Ballard
of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles taught:
“In the premortal world before we left the presence of
Heavenly Father, He warned and cautioned us about new experiences we would have
in mortality. We knew that we would have a physical body of flesh and bone.
Never having been mortal before, we had no experience dealing with the
temptations of mortality. But Heavenly Father knew and understood. He charged
us to control our mortal bodies and to make them subject to our spirits. Our
spirits would have to master the physical temptations that our bodies would
encounter in a temporal world. Spiritual power over the influence of Satan
comes to us by keeping the commandments of our Lord, Jesus
Christ” (“Keeping Covenants,” Ensign, May 1993, 6).
1 Corinthians
10:13. Escaping temptation
President James E. Faust of the First Presidency taught
about the necessity for all to avoid temptation:
“Too many think they are … strong enough to withstand any
temptation. They delude themselves into thinking, ‘It cannot happen to me.’ …
It can happen to us at any time. …
“I once heard a man tell his sons, ‘I can drive closer to
the edge than you because I have had more experience than you.’ He thought he
was in control, but he was really in denial. ‘The trouble with using experience
as a guide is that the final exam often comes first and then the lesson’
[Author unknown, quoted in 1,911 Best Things Anybody Ever Said, comp. Robert
Byrne (1988), 386]. Some people think their age and experience make them
better able to withstand temptation. This is a falsehood.
“I remember hearing President J. Reuben Clark Jr.
tell of the time when one of his children was going out on a date. He asked
them to come home at a certain hour. ‘Chafing under that constant, urgent
reminder, the [teenager] said, “Daddy, what is the matter, don’t you trust me?”
“‘His answer must have shocked her as he said, “No, my
[child], I don’t trust you. I don’t even trust myself”’ [as quoted by
Harold B. Lee, The Teachings of Harold B. Lee, ed. Clyde J.
Williams (1996), 629]” (“It Can’t Happen to Me,” Ensign, May 2002,
46–47).
Supplemental Teaching Idea
1 Corinthians 9.
Paul preaches the gospel so that he and his listeners can be saved
After asking students to imagine what eternal life will be
like, invite a student to read the following statement by Elder L. Tom
Perry of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. Ask the class to listen for why it
can be helpful to imagine what eternal life will be like:
“When we think of eternal life, what is the picture that
comes to mind? I believe that if we could create in our minds a clear and true
picture of eternal life, we would start behaving differently. We would not need
to be prodded to do the many things involved with enduring to the end” (“The Gospel of Jesus Christ,” Ensign or Liahona,
May 2008, 44).
•
According to Elder Perry, how can picturing what eternal
life will be like help us?
© 2016 by Intellectual Reserve, Inc. All rights reserved.
Right margin
extras:
Summarizing
Summarizing allows you to move quickly through portions of
the scripture block. By summarizing segments of the scripture block rather than
omitting them, you help students keep the story line and context clear in their
minds and provide a foundation for discovering and understanding principles or
doctrines that will arise later in the block. Summarizing also helps preserve
the integrity and flow of the inspired author’s message.
Lesson 108: 1 Corinthians 11
Introduction
Paul addressed disputes among
the Corinthian Saints regarding religious customs. He emphasized that men and
women have eternal and divine roles and are essential to one another in the
Lord’s plan. He also taught Church members about proper preparation for
partaking of the sacrament.
---Display a picture of a
married couple (such as Young Couple Going to the Temple, Gospel Art Book
[2009], no. 120; see also LDS.org). Read aloud the following statements
that reflect how some individuals might feel about marriage:
1.
“Being successful in my career is everything to me. I don’t want to divide my
attention between my career goals and my marriage.”
2.
“I don’t want to commit to a long-term relationship. I worry about making a
decision that I will later regret.”
3.
“Marriage would tie me down. I wouldn’t be able to do whatever I wanted.”
4.
“I know that marriage is the most important decision I will ever make, and I
look forward to it.”
---Invite students to ponder
how they feel about marriage. Ask them to look for a truth as they study 1 Corinthians 11:1–16 that can help them and
others understand the importance of marriage.
---Invite a student to read 1 Corinthians 11:3 aloud. Ask the class to
follow along, looking for what Paul taught about a husband’s responsibilities.
You might explain that in this verse the word translated as “man” can also be
translated as “husband” and the word translated as “woman” can also be
translated as “wife.”
• What
is the role of a husband? (You may need to explain that the phrase “the head of
the woman is the man” means that the husband has the sacred responsibility of
presiding in the home. To preside means to righteously lead and guide others in
spiritual and temporal matters.)
• Who
is to preside over and guide the husband as he presides in his family?
---In 1 Corinthians 11:4–16 Paul addressed questions about customs for men
and women when they prayed and prophesied during their worship services.
---Help students understand
that readers of the New Testament sometimes misunderstand Paul’s teachings to
mean that the man’s role is more important than the woman’s role or that the
man is superior to or of more worth than the woman. Read aloud the following
statement by Elder M. Russell Ballard of the Quorum of the Twelve
Apostles:
“Men
and women are equal in God’s eyes and in the eyes of the Church, but equal does
not mean they are the same. The responsibilities and divine gifts of men and
women differ in their nature but not in their importance or influence. Our
Church doctrine places women equal to and yet different from men. God does not
regard either gender as better or more important than the other”
(“Men and Women in the Work of the Lord,” New Era,
Apr. 2014, 4).
---Ask a student to read 1 Corinthians 11:11 aloud. Ask the class to
follow along, looking for what Paul taught about the relationship between a
husband and a wife.
• What
did Paul teach about the relationship between a husband and a wife?
Point out the phrase “in the
Lord.” Explain that this phrase refers to the Lord’s plan to help us become
like Him and obtain eternal life.
• What
doctrine does this verse teach about man and woman in the Lord’s plan? (Using
students’ words, write the following truth on the board: In the Lord’s plan, men
and women cannot obtain eternal life without each other. [See D&C 131:1–4.])
To help students understand
the truth identified above, hold up a pair of scissors and begin cutting a
piece of paper. Ask students to imagine that the two halves of the scissors
have been separated.
• How
successful would a person be if he or she tried to cut a piece of paper with
only half of the pair of scissors? How are the scissors like a husband and wife
working together?
---Invite a student to read
aloud the following statement by Elder David A. Bednar of the Quorum of
the Twelve Apostles:
“By
divine design, men and women are intended to progress together toward
perfection and a fulness of glory. Because of their distinctive temperaments
and capacities, males and females each bring to a marriage relationship unique
perspectives and experiences. The man and the woman contribute differently but
equally to a oneness and a unity that can be achieved in no other way. The man
completes and perfects the woman and the woman completes and perfects the man
as they learn from and mutually strengthen and bless each other”
(“Marriage Is Essential to His Eternal Plan,”
Ensign, June 2006, 83–84).
• How
do the different characteristics and responsibilities of men and women
complement each other in a family?
---Remind students of the
different attitudes about marriage depicted in the statements you read at the
beginning of the lesson. Invite a few students to share their thoughts and
testimonies concerning the importance of marriage in the Lord’s plan. You may
want to share your testimony as well.
II. 1 Corinthians 11:17–34 Paul
teaches the Corinthian Saints not to treat the sacrament lightly
---Write the following
phrases on the board:
a truly spiritual experience, a renewal for the soul, the
highlight of my Sabbath day.
---Ask students to ponder
their most recent experience partaking of the sacrament and to consider whether
they would use any of the phrases on the board to describe their experience.
Ask students to look for truths as they study 1 Corinthians 11:17–34 that can help them
make partaking of the sacrament a more spiritual and meaningful experience.
---In Paul’s time, members of
the Church maintained a practice reminiscent of the Last Supper. They would eat
a meal together and then partake of the sacrament. Summarize 1 Corinthians 11:17–22 by explaining that
Paul noted a report he had received that when the Corinthian Saints gathered
together to partake of the sacrament, there were dissentions, or contention,
among them. Paul condemned the Saints for turning these gatherings into common
meals rather than preserving the sacredness of the sacrament ordinance.
---Invite a student to read 1 Corinthians 11:23–26 aloud. Ask the class
to follow along, looking for what Paul encouraged Church members to remember
about the sacrament. You may want to explain that the word shew in verse 26 means to proclaim, announce, or testify
of (see 1 Corinthians 11:26, footnote b).
---Display the picture The Last Supper (Gospel Art Book [2009],
no. 54; see also LDS.org).
• What
did Paul say the Savior taught His disciples to remember as they partook of the
sacrament?
• How
might remembering the Savior’s body and blood during the sacrament have helped
those Church members who were struggling with dissention?
Invite a student to read 1 Corinthians 11:27–30 aloud. Ask the class
to follow along, looking for the warning Paul gave the Corinthian Saints about
the sacrament.
• According
to verses 27 and 29, what did Paul warn
the Corinthian Saints about?
• What
truth can we learn from these verses about what happens when we partake of the
sacrament unworthily? (Students may use different words, but make sure they
identify the following truth: Those who partake of the sacrament unworthily
bring condemnation and damnation to themselves.)
---We “do not need to be
perfect in order to partake of the sacrament, but [we] should have a spirit of
humility and repentance in [our] heart” (True to the Faith: A Gospel Reference
[2004], 148). If we partake of the sacrament while living
in serious sin or with an unrepentant heart, having no desire to remember and
follow the Savior, we are partaking of the sacrament unworthily. Encourage students
to pray to their Heavenly Father and talk to their bishops (see 3 Nephi 18:26–29) if they have questions
about their worthiness to partake of the sacrament.
• Why
do you think partaking of the sacrament unworthily would bring damnation to our
souls?
• According
to 1 Corinthians 11:28, what counsel did Paul
give Church members? (Using students’ words, write the following truth on the
board: We
should examine our lives as we partake of the sacrament.)
---Point out that the purpose
of examining our lives is not only to consider whether we are worthy to partake
of the sacrament but also to consider how well we are striving to keep our
covenants with the Lord and how we might seek to repent and improve.
---Invite a student to read
aloud the following statement by President Howard W. Hunter:
“I
asked myself this question: ‘Do I place God above all other things and keep all
of His commandments?’ Then came reflection and resolution. To make a covenant
with the Lord to always keep His commandments is a serious obligation, and to
renew that covenant by partaking of the sacrament is equally serious. The
solemn moments of thought while the sacrament is being served have great
significance. They are moments of self-examination, introspection,
self-discernment—a time to reflect and to resolve”
(“Thoughts on the Sacrament,” Ensign, May
1977, 25).
---To help students to
consider how they might apply the truth they identified in 1 Corinthians 11:28, invite them to think of
questions they could consider as they prepare to partake of the sacrament. For
example, they might ask, “How can I be a better disciple of Jesus Christ?” Ask
students to share other questions they could ask themselves. You might also
suggest some questions of your own. Invite students to list in their class
notebooks or scripture study journals questions they can ask themselves during
the sacrament as they examine their worthiness.
---Testify that as students
examine their worthiness prior to and during partaking of the sacrament, the
Lord can help them know how they might better fulfill their covenants and
qualify to receive the blessings He desires to give them. These blessings
include being cleansed from their sins and receiving a greater measure of the
power of the Holy Ghost
in their lives. Invite students to set a goal regarding how they will better
prepare for their next opportunity to partake of the sacrament.
---In 1 Corinthians 11:33–34 Paul gave additional direction to the
Corinthian Saints regarding the meal they had in conjunction with the
administration of the sacrament.
---Conclude the lesson by testifying
of the truths identified in 1 Corinthians 11.
Commentary
and Background Information
1 Corinthians 11:11.
“Neither is the man without the woman, neither the woman without the man, in
the Lord”
Elder M. Russell Ballard
of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles pointed out that men and women have equal
but distinct roles:
“In our Heavenly Father’s
great priesthood-endowed plan, men have the unique responsibility to administer
the priesthood, but they are not the priesthood. Men and women have different
but equally valued roles. Just as a woman cannot conceive a child without a
man, so a man cannot fully exercise the power of the priesthood to establish an
eternal family
without a woman. … In the eternal perspective, both the procreative power and
the priesthood power are shared by husband and wife” (“This Is My Work and Glory,” Ensign or Liahona,
May 2013, 19).
“The Family: A Proclamation to the
World” outlines the God-given responsibilities of husbands and wives:
“By divine design, fathers
are to preside over their families in love and righteousness and are
responsible to provide the necessities of life and protection for their
families. Mothers are primarily responsible for the nurture of their children.
In these sacred responsibilities, fathers and mothers are obligated to help one
another as equal partners” (“The
Family: A Proclamation to the World,” Ensign, Nov. 2010, 129).
President Howard W.
Hunter taught an important lesson regarding the shared responsibility of men
and women in governing the family:
“A man who holds the
priesthood accepts his wife as a partner in the leadership of the home and
family with full knowledge of and full participation in all decisions relating
thereto. Of necessity there must be in the Church and in the home a presiding
officer (see D&C 107:21). By divine appointment, the
responsibility to preside in the home rests upon the priesthood holder (see Moses 4:22). The Lord intended that the wife be a
helpmeet for man (meet means equal)—that is, a companion equal and necessary in
full partnership. Presiding in righteousness necessitates a shared
responsibility between husband and wife; together you act with knowledge and
participation in all family matters. For a man to operate independent of or
without regard to the feelings and counsel of his wife in governing the family
is to exercise unrighteous dominion” (“Being a Righteous Husband and Father,” Ensign,
Nov. 1994, 50–51.)
1 Corinthians 11:27–29. What
does it mean to partake of the sacrament
unworthily?
President Spencer W.
Kimball taught that “when we are not living the commandments, when we are in
transgression, when we have angers and hatreds and bitterness, we should
consider seriously if we should take the sacrament” (The Teachings of
Spencer W. Kimball, ed. Edward L. Kimball [1982], 225).
Elder John H. Groberg of
the Seventy explained that our attitude is a key component of our worthiness to
partake of the sacrament:
“If we desire to improve
(which is to repent) and are not under priesthood restriction, then, in my
opinion, we are worthy. If, however, we have no desire to improve, if we have
no intention of following the guidance of the Spirit, we must ask: Are we
worthy to partake, or are we making a mockery of the very purpose of the
sacrament, which is to act as a catalyst for personal repentance and
improvement? If we remember the Savior and all he has done and will do for us,
we will improve our actions and thus come closer to him, which keeps us on the
road to eternal life.
“If, however, we refuse to
repent and improve, if we do not remember him and keep his commandments, then
we have stopped our growth, and that is damnation to our souls” (“The Beauty and Importance of the Sacrament,”
Ensign, May 1989, 38).
1 Corinthians 11:27–32.
The sacrament should never be treated lightly
The sacrament is a sacred
ordinance that should never be treated lightly. Elder Dallin H. Oaks of
the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles explained that “the ordinance of the
sacrament makes the sacrament meeting the most sacred and important meeting in
the Church” (“Sacrament Meeting and the Sacrament,” Ensign or Liahona,
Nov. 2008, 17).
President Russell M. Nelson of
the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles declared that the sacrament “is the highlight
of our Sabbath-day observance” (“Worshiping at Sacrament Meeting,” Ensign, Aug.
2004, 26).
Elder Melvin J. Ballard
of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles taught that regularly partaking of the
sacrament can bring us spiritual safety:
“We want every Latter-day
Saint to come to the sacrament table because it is the place for
self-investigation, for self-introspection, where we may learn to rectify our
course and make right our own lives, bringing ourselves into harmony with the
teachings of the Church and with our brethren and sisters. It is the place
where we become our own judges. …
“… The one thing that
would make for the safety of every man and woman would be to appear at the
sacrament table every Sabbath day. We would not get very far away in one
week—not so far away that, by the process of self-investigation, we could not
rectify the wrongs we may have done. … The road to the sacrament table is the
path of safety for Latter-day Saints” (Bryant S. Hinckley, Sermons and
Missionary Services of Melvin Joseph Ballard [1949], 150–51).
© 2016 by Intellectual
Reserve, Inc. All rights reserved.
Right margin extras:
Use objects to help students
understand spiritual truths
It can be difficult to teach
the intangible aspects of the gospel. Using objects to stimulate a discussion
can help students analyze and understand doctrines and principles and can
enhance the learning environment by encouraging a spirit of inquiry.
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