Assess Your Learning 3

2 Nephi 26–Jacob 7

This lesson is intended to help you see how you have grown or changed during your study of 2 Nephi 26–Jacob 7.

Motivating students to learn. Encourage students to exercise their agency to participate in the learning experience. Elder David A. Bednar of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles taught, “A learner exercising agency by acting in accordance with correct principles opens his or her heart to the Holy Ghost and invites His teaching, testifying power, and confirming witness” (“Seek Learning by Faith,” Ensign, Sept. 2007, 64).

Student preparation: Consider inviting students to reflect on how they have grown spiritually through their study of the Book of Mormon in the last four weeks. You could invite them to review their study journals and identify specific teachings they have applied or verses that have been especially meaningful to them.

Possible Learning Activities

A Little Better Day by Day

Consider beginning this lesson with a discussion about the purposes and value of self-assessment. Students could share specific teachings from the Book of Mormon they have applied to their life or verses from the Book of Mormon that have been especially meaningful to them.

President Lorenzo Snow (1814–1901), fifth President of the Church, taught:

Do not expect to become perfect at once. If you do, you will be disappointed. Be better today than you were yesterday, and be better tomorrow than you are today. The temptations that perhaps partially overcome us today, let them not overcome us so far tomorrow. Thus continue to be a little better day by day; and do not let your life wear away without accomplishing good to others as well as to ourselves. (Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Lorenzo Snow [2012], 103)

• How can you know if you are better today than you were yesterday?

• How can Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ help you in your efforts to be better tomorrow than you were today?

This lesson is intended to help you think about your growth as a disciple of Jesus Christ, including your ability to explain doctrine you learn in the scriptures. Think of ways your study of the Book of Mormon has helped you grow as a disciple of Christ. As you study today, invite the Holy Ghost to help you see how your study of the Book of Mormon is affecting your ability to live and share the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Your class’s study of 2 Nephi 26 through Jacob 7 may have emphasized different truths than those found in the following activities. Feel free to choose which activities best meet your class’s needs or to adapt the activities to include truths your students identified.

The intent of activities A and B are to give the students an opportunity to explain doctrine taught in previous lessons. It may be necessary to do only one of them to allow time for activity C or D.

Activity A: Explain the doctrine of Jesus Christ

The following activity will require students to review several scripture verses. Be sensitive to students who may struggle to read or understand the scriptures. Consider placing students in pairs or groups, and help them identify the principles and ordinances of the doctrine of Christ. These include faith in Jesus Christ, repentance, baptism for the remission of sins, receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost, and enduring to the end.

Nephi taught what we need to do to receive eternal life. These principles and ordinances are called the doctrine of Christ (see 2 Nephi 31:2, 21). The doctrine of Christ “is the way; and there is none other way nor name given under heaven whereby man can be saved in the kingdom of God” (2 Nephi 31:21). Review 2 Nephi 31:10–12, 17, 20–21, looking for the principles and ordinances that are part of the doctrine of Christ.

Invite students to answer the following questions with their group or to write their answers in their study journals.

• How might you explain the doctrine of Christ to someone else using what Nephi recorded in 2 Nephi 31?

• How does the doctrine of Christ help us rely on Him for our salvation?

• How are you blessed by following the doctrine of Christ?

Activity B: Explain the role of the Book of Mormon in the Restoration of the gospel of Jesus Christ

You could present the following scenario as a role play, with you acting as the stake president and students responding as Luca. If you do this, ask follow-up questions that help students bear testimony of the Book of Mormon as a companion and witness of the truth of the Bible (see 1 Nephi 13:40–42; 2 Nephi 3:11–12), a sign of the Restoration (see 2 Nephi 27; 29:1–10), and “the keystone of our religion” (introduction to the Book of Mormon).

Imagine the following scenario:

Luca is preparing to become a full-time missionary. His stake president sent the following message a week before they met for an interview:

“Luca, I’m excited to meet with you. In preparation for our meeting, would you please prepare to use the Book of Mormon to answer this question: What is the role of the Book of Mormon in the Restoration of the gospel of Jesus Christ? (see 2 Nephi 3:11–12; 2 Nephi 27:25–26; 2 Nephi 29:7–11).”

• What could Luca share from the Book of Mormon about its role in the Restoration of the gospel of Jesus Christ?

Activity C: Resist the devil with faith in Jesus Christ

If students were not invited to create a plan as part of the lesson “2 Nephi 28:1–26,” this segment will need to be adapted accordingly. For example, you could help students create a plan or discuss strategies that counteract Satan’s efforts.

In 2 Nephi 28:20–22, Nephi taught about strategies Satan will use to draw people away from God in the last days. These include stirring people up to anger against that which is good, pacifying people and lulling them away into carnal security, and telling people that there is no hell and no devil. As a part of your study of the lesson “2 Nephi 28:1–26,” you may have created a plan to better protect yourself against Satan’s tactics. Review what you wrote in your study journal from that lesson.

• How effectively have you been implementing your plan? Why?

• In what ways has your plan helped you receive the Savior’s protection against Satan’s tactics?

• What have you learned or experienced that could help you add to your plan?

Consider ways to recommit to your plan. Be sure to look to Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ to warn you of danger and empower you to escape or overcome Satan’s efforts (see Doctrine and Covenants 10:5).

Activity D: Participate in the gathering of Israel

Both Nephi and Jacob took great interest in the gathering of Israel. Perhaps this was partly because the Lord showed Nephi what would happen to their posterity (see 1 Nephi 12–13).

You may have been invited to participate in the gathering of Israel as part of your study of 1 Nephi 19–22; 2 Nephi 6; or Jacob 5:52–77; 6:1–13. If so, review any commitments or plans you made or your attitude and willingness to be involved in the work.

• What have you learned in your studies about the gathering of Israel that you found encouraging or useful?

• What efforts have you made that you had not tried before? Were you successful? Why or why not?

• How have you felt the Savior guiding or strengthening you as you engage in His work?

• What blessings have you seen from participating in this work?