Purpose
Learn how the Book of Mormon can help you and others find answers to important questions in life.
Activity Suggestion
Youth participating in this activity will role-play as if they are ministering to people who have questions about the world and their place in it.
Before the activity begins, ask about five adults or leaders to act as volunteers and assign each of them one “question of the soul,” such as the following examples from chapter 5 of Preach My Gospel:
- What is the purpose of life? (Alma 34)
- Does God know me? (Alma 5:38, 58)
- Does God answer prayers? (Enos 1)
- How can a belief in Jesus Christ help me? (Alma 36)
- What does Jesus Christ expect of me? (2 Nephi 9)
- Is there life after death? (Alma 40)
- Why does God allow evil and suffering to occur? (2 Nephi 2; Alma 14:9–11; 60:13)
- How can I find peace and joy? (Mosiah 2, 4)
- How can my family be happier and more united? (Mosiah 2)
- How can I avoid sin? (Helaman 5)
Position the volunteers in different locations in your meeting space (make sure there is enough distance from each other that groups of youth can move between them and have conversations).
Put a small sign listing the Book of Mormon scripture that participants should use when talking to the volunteer in a visible place at each meeting space.
Divide the youth into small groups and have them rotate around to each volunteer. Have the volunteer ask them their question. Give the youth sufficient time to find and discuss scripture verses that might help answer the volunteer’s question. (If needed, help the youth by giving them a hint of the scripture verse listed with the example question from Preach My Gospel.) Then give them a few more minutes to visit with the volunteer and try to answer the volunteer’s question using a scripture verse.
Make sure to plan the time so that each group will be able to rotate to every volunteer.
Please adapt activities as necessary to ensure all individuals are able to participate, belong, and contribute.
Adaptation Ideas
- Have the youth submit their own “questions of the soul” (anonymously) that they or their friends and peers may be struggling with. Invite the missionaries in your unit or the bishopric or branch presidency to come discuss how to find answers to these questions using the Book of Mormon. Have a group discussion or, if appropriate, role-play as previously described using the youth’s questions.
- Brainstorm as a group how to share thoughts and feelings about the Book of Mormon on social media. Consider using the Circles feature of the Gospel Living app to share what you learn in the Book of Mormon with each other.
Discussion
Encourage youth to talk about how what they are learning can help them and others grow closer to Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. Discussions can take place before, during, or after the activity and should last just a few minutes. You could ask questions like the following:
- How or why do you think it is helpful to use the Book of Mormon to find the answers to life’s questions?
- How have you used the Book of Mormon to answer your questions?
Related Resources
- “Why Is It Important to Understand the Plan of Salvation?” (Come, Follow Me—For Aaronic Priesthood Quorums and Young Women Classes)
- “How Can Temples Bless My Life?” (Come, Follow Me—For Aaronic Priesthood Quorums and Young Women Classes)
- “What Does the Savior’s Atonement Mean to Me?” (Come, Follow Me—For Aaronic Priesthood Quorums and Young Women Classes)
- Russell M. Nelson, “The Book of Mormon: What Would Your Life Be Like without It?” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2017, 60–63
- “What is the Book of Mormon? A 60-Second Overview” (video), ChurchofJesusChrist.org
- “Book of Mormon Testimonies” (video), ChurchofJesusChrist.org
- “Book of Mormon,” Gospel Topics, topics.ChurchofJesusChrist.org