2 Nephi 1

Finding Gospel Principles

Imagine how you might feel if someone you admired were near the end of his or her life and were sharing some final advice or counsel with you. Lehi knew that he would soon die, so he spoke to his children to inspire them to keep the commandments of God. The truths he taught can be a source of inspiration and guidance for you. This lesson can help you learn to identify principles that, when applied, can guide you to receive God’s help in your life.

Helping learners discover gospel doctrine and principles. Though it is sometimes useful to point out a doctrine or principle to students, what they need most often is to be guided and encouraged to discover doctrine and principles for themselves. Diligently help students acquire the ability to identify doctrine and principles on their own.

Student preparation: Encourage students to do their daily scripture study. Invite them to search for true principles in 2 Nephi 1 and come prepared to share an example.

Possible Learning Activities

What to look for

Display the following image and invite students to complete the associated activity. If you think a different hidden-picture activity would feel more relevant to your class, search “hidden pictures” on ChurchofJesusChrist.org.

Alternatively, you could hide various objects in the room, tell students what to look for, and invite the class to find them.

Review the image below and see how many of the hidden items you can find in the next minute.

• Which items were easy for you to find? Which required more effort?

• How might your ability to find the hidden objects have changed if you had not known what to look for?

Invite students to share their answers to the following question in pairs or small groups before sharing them with the class.

• How is this activity similar to studying the scriptures?

Your experiences with the scriptures can be enhanced when you look for principles as you study.

Elder David A. Bednar of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles explained what a principle is:

A gospel principle is a doctrinally based guideline for the righteous exercise of moral agency. Principles derive from broader gospel truths and provide direction and standards as we press forward on the covenant path. (David A. Bednar, “The Principles of My Gospel,” Liahona, May 2021, 123)

Some examples of principles you studied previously in 1 Nephi are if we keep our covenants, we will be armed with righteousness and with the power of God (see 1 Nephi 14:14) and as we liken the scriptures to ourselves, we will learn and profit from them (1 Nephi 19:23).

• How would you summarize what a principle is?

• What are some reasons identifying principles can be helpful in our lives?

Listen carefully to students’ answers. Be sure they understand what a principle is and how principles can provide direction in our lives.

Finding principles

Invite students to share their responses to the following questions. They could reflect on their preparation for class as they explain or model ways to find principles using verses from 2 Nephi 1.

• What have you done in the past that has helped you find principles in the scriptures?

• What has been challenging to you as you have tried to find principles?

One effective way to find principles in the scriptures is to read looking for significant words, phrases, or ideas. The following questions may help you do this:

Display the following questions and instructions on the board for students to copy into their study journals. They can be a useful reference throughout seminary and in their own personal scripture study.

• What words or phrases were repeated or seem significant?

• What warnings or promises were included in these verses?

• What might be the main idea or point the author was trying to convey?

• What did the Holy Ghost emphasize to you?

From these words, phrases, or ideas, write a statement of truth that could help you in your life. After writing, ask yourself the following questions:

• Is this principle true in all situations, times, and cultures? If not, what adjustments would make it true?

• Would this principle bring me and others closer to Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ?

2 Nephi 1 contains some of Lehi’s final counsel to his children before he died. He reminded them of the goodness of God and taught several principles he hoped would guide them throughout their lives.

Read 2 Nephi 1:1–4 looking for true principles. Consider using the bulleted questions listed above.

• What did you find?

Invite several students to share. They may identify a variety of principles. Thank them for their efforts and let them know that their sharing is valuable to you and the other members of the class.

An example of a principle Lehi taught is: we can be protected by the Lord by following His warnings (see 2 Nephi 1:3–4).

After identifying a truth, it is helpful to ponder what it means and how it can help you in your life.

Invite students to share ways they could better understand or apply the truths they just found. As needed, ask some or all of the following questions.

Some of the following questions may be useful:

• How has the Lord protected you or people you know after following His warnings?

• What do His warnings teach you about Him and how He feels about you?

Ponder in what ways the Lord may be warning you today and how you may want to respond.

Develop your ability to find principles

Develop your ability to find principles in the scriptures by following this process in the activities below.

Read at least two of the following passages of Lehi’s final counsel to his sons. You could also watch “Lehi Teaches His Family” from time code 0:39 to 3:35, available at ChurchofJesusChrist.org, to review these passages. Use the “Finding principles” process to identify true principles.

Display the following passages or write them on the board.

• 2 Nephi 1:13–15, 23

• 2 Nephi 1:16–20

• 2 Nephi 1:24–29

Select a truth from 2 Nephi 1 that you feel would be most helpful to you, and write the following in your study journal:

1. The principle you found and the verse or verses you found it in

2. An explanation of what you think this principle means

3. Ways you feel the truth might guide you and bring significant blessings to your life

4. What you learn about Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ from this principle

Invite students to share their answers. One way of doing this could be to have multiple students write principles they found on the board. Then invite a student to pick one of the many principles written by his or her classmates that seems interesting or meaningful to him or her. The student who discovered that principle could then share his or her answers to the questions above. The activity could be repeated several times. Emphasize the eternal truths that students share and how knowing and applying these truths can help us in our lives. Compliment them for their success. Consider sharing a principle you found as well.

Reflect on what you did to identify and understand principles in 2 Nephi 1.

• How can looking for principles consistently in your personal scripture study help you?

• How might it influence your relationship with Jesus Christ and your desire to become like Him?

Testify of the importance of searching for principles in the scriptures, and invite students to use the skills they learned today frequently in their study of the scriptures.

Commentary and Background Information

2 Nephi 1:13, 23. What are the “chains” Lehi refers to?

Watch “Shake Off the Chains with Which Ye Are Bound” from time code 1:18 to 3:31 and “All Men Everywhere” from time code 3:47 to 4:58 to see Elder Marvin J. Ashton (1915–94) of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles and President Dallin H. Oaks of the First Presidency explain answers to this question.

2 Nephi 1:9, 20. What does it mean to “prosper”?

The expressions “prosper in the land” and “cut off from [the Lord’s] presence” are set up as opposites to each other. This indicates that prospering in the land strongly relates to having the Lord’s presence with us.

President Dieter F. Uchtdorf, then of the First Presidency, described the prosperity that comes when we keep the commandments:

Following the Savior will not remove all of your trials. However, it will remove the barriers between you and the help your Heavenly Father wants to give you. God will be with you. He will direct your steps. He will walk beside you and even carry you when your need is greatest. (Dieter F. Uchtdorf, “A Yearning for Home,” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2017, 22)

Supplemental Learning Activities

Learning more about Christ through comparisons

If students would benefit from the scripture study skill of learning about Christ through comparisons, invite them to search 2 Nephi 1 and look for ways Nephi and Lehi are similar to the Savior in their desires for others, in their actions toward them, and in their teachings. For example, students may notice Lehi’s concerns and love are similar to the Savior’s in 2 Nephi 1:16, where his primary desires are for the benefit of others. They may notice that Nephi is similar to Christ in that he saved his brothers (see 2 Nephi 1:24). Invite students to share what they learn about the Savior by doing this and how doing this consistently could strengthen their relationship with Him and increase their desire to be like Him.

2 Nephi 1:9, 20. “Inasmuch as ye shall keep my commandments ye shall prosper in the land”

If students would benefit from studying this truth, consider the following activities:

Display the word prosper and invite students to share how they would define this word and why it is desirable. If needed, share the explanations of what it means to prosper from the “Commentary and Background Information” section. Invite them to do a word search for “prosper” in 2 Nephi 1 specifically (verses 9, 20) and then in the Book of Mormon in general (or they could use the index to the triple combination under “Prosper, Prosperity”) to see what the Lord invites us to do in order to prosper. Invite them to share why they feel obedience to the commandments leads to prosperity. Ask them to share examples from the life of the Savior when He exemplified this truth. They could also share other scripture stories, examples from their lives, or experiences from the lives of others to illustrate the importance of this truth.