Mosiah 3:19

Putting Off the Natural Man

Do you ever feel frustrated by your mistakes or inability to keep all of God’s commandments? King Benjamin referred to our imperfect nature as “the natural man.” He taught that we can overcome this through the Atonement of Jesus Christ. The purpose of this lesson is to help you seek the Savior’s help in overcoming your fallen nature.

Creating an environment that enhances learning. When teachers and students love and respect the Lord, one another, and the word of God, learning is enhanced. The acceptance and love students feel from others can soften hearts, reduce fear, and increase their desire and confidence to share feelings and experiences.

Student preparation: Invite students to read Mosiah 3:19 and ponder its meaning. You could also invite them to find a scripture or statement from a Church leader that increases their understanding of a portion of this verse.

Possible Learning Activities

Our fallen natures

Consider displaying an image of a wolf as you share the account from President Dallin H. Oaks.

President Dallin H. Oaks of the First Presidency recounted the following story:

A wise Cherokee, one of the indigenous tribes in the United States, told his grandson a parable about life. “Inside me there is a terrible fight between two wolves,” the grandfather said. “One is evil: full of anger and envy, self-pity and sorrow, greed and lies. The other is good: full of kindness and compassion, humility and truth, love and joy. That fight is going on inside each of us.” “Which wolf will win?” the grandson asked. (Dallin H. Oaks, “Choices,” For the Strength of Youth, Sep. 2021, 13; story adapted from Shayne M. Bowen, “Agency and Accountability,” New Era, Sep. 2012, 8)

• If you were the grandfather, how might you respond to your grandson’s question?

  Invite students to ponder their response to the following question:

• How have you noticed this struggle between the “two wolves” in yourself?

In the story President Oaks shared, the response of the grandfather to his grandson’s question about which wolf would win was, “The one you feed.”

As part of his final address to the Nephites, King Benjamin taught truths that an angel revealed to him about our fallen nature and how it affects our relationship to God.

Read Mosiah 3:19, looking for how King Benjamin described someone who has characteristics like those illustrated by the first wolf in the story.

Consider having students read only the first part of Mosiah 3:19 (ending at the words “forever and ever”) at this point in the lesson.

Mosiah 3:19 is a doctrinal mastery passage.  Consider marking doctrinal mastery passages distinctively so you can locate them easily. You will have an opportunity in the next lesson to practice applying the doctrine taught in this passage to a question or situation.

• What did you discover?

Consider writing the words Natural Man on the board as a heading. Invite students to think of words or phrases that might help them understand the meaning of the term. Then have them list their responses underneath the heading.

Elder David A. Bednar of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles taught:

To some degree, the natural man described by King Benjamin is alive and well in each of us. The natural man or woman is unrepentant, is carnal and sensual, is indulgent and excessive, and is prideful and selfish. (David A. Bednar, “We Believe in Being Chaste,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2013, 42)

• Why do you think the natural man is an enemy to God?

• What might it mean to “feed” the natural man or woman inside all of us?

To help students further understand the natural man, consider presenting some of the following scenarios or think of your own. Invite students to share how the natural man might respond to each:

1. Someone offends you.

2. You are taking a test and can see another student’s answers.

3. An inappropriate image pops up on your electronic device.

Think about some of the ways you notice the attitudes or behaviors of the natural man or woman in your life. As you continue to study, look for teachings that can help you in your efforts to overcome these attitudes and behaviors.

Overcoming the natural man

Read Mosiah 3:19 again, this time looking for what King Benjamin taught about how we can overcome the natural man.

• What did you learn from this verse that can help you overcome the natural man?

If you previously wrote Natural Man on the board, consider making a second heading using the word Saint. As students discover truths about overcoming the natural man and becoming a saint through the Savior’s Atonement, list them on the board under the second heading.

From Mosiah 3:19, we learn that by yielding to the enticings of the Holy Spirit, we can overcome the natural man and become saints through the Atonement of Jesus Christ.

• How do you think Jesus Christ can help us put off the natural man and become a saint through His Atonement?

• What do you think it means to yield to the enticings of the Holy Spirit? How do you think doing this can help you overcome the natural man?

Using cross-references to deepen your understanding

Consider giving students time to deepen their understanding of the teachings in Mosiah 3:19 by using the scripture study skill of cross-references.

Using cross-references is a scripture study skill that can help deepen your understanding of a scripture passage. Practice this skill by finding cross-references that deepen your understanding of the teachings in Mosiah 3:19.

Consider finding cross-references by searching for the term “natural man” or other key words from Mosiah 3:19 in the Gospel Library app. You could also look up some of the scripture references and topics listed in the footnotes for Mosiah 3:19.

You could list the following scripture references on the board. Then assign different groups to read one or more of them and share what they learned. You could also give students time to find relevant scriptures or statements from Church leaders.

• Galatians 5:16–17

• Mosiah 27:25–26

• Alma 22:13–14

• Ether 12:27

• Doctrine and Covenants 11:12–13

After students have had enough time to study, invite them to share with the class what they learned. You could ask students to share what they found most meaningful to them and how it relates to the teachings in Mosiah 3:19. They could also share what they learned about how Jesus Christ helps us overcome the natural man. Invite multiple students to share their insights.

• What did you learn about how the Savior can help us overcome the natural man and become a saint?

Applying it to your life

Now that you have learned more about what it means to put off the natural man and become a saint through the Savior’s Atonement, think about how you can apply these teachings to your life. What is something you feel inspired to do or stop doing? Record your thoughts and impressions in your study journal.

Commentary and Background Information

Why is it important for me to strive to put off the natural man?

Elder David A. Bednar of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles taught:

The precise nature of the test of mortality, then, can be summarized in the following question: Will I respond to the inclinations of the natural man, or will I yield to the enticings of the Holy Spirit and put off the natural man and become a saint through the Atonement of Christ the Lord (see Mosiah 3:19)? That is the test. Every appetite, desire, propensity, and impulse of the natural man may be overcome by and through the Atonement of Jesus Christ. We are here on the earth to develop godlike qualities and to bridle all of the passions of the flesh. (David A. Bednar, “We Believe in Being Chaste,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2013, 43)

What if I feel discouraged in my efforts to overcome the natural man?

Elder Jeffrey R. Holland of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles taught:

Only [Satan] would say, “You can’t change. You won’t change. It’s too long and too hard to change. Give up. Give in. Don’t repent. You are just the way you are.” That, my friends, is a lie born of desperation. Don’t fall for it. (Jeffrey R. Holland, “How to Change,” Liahona, Feb. 2017, 60)

Brother Bradley R. Wilcox of the Sunday School General Presidency taught:

God loves us as we are, but He also loves us too much to leave us this way. Growing up unto the Lord is what mortality is all about. Change is what Christ’s Atonement is all about. Not only can Christ resurrect, cleanse, console, and heal us, but through it all, He can transform us to become more like Him. (Bradley R. Wilcox, “Worthiness Is Not Flawlessness,” Liahona, Nov. 2021, 61)

Supplemental Learning Activities

Mosiah 3:19. Yielding to the enticings of the Holy Spirit

Study King Benjamin’s teachings about yielding to the enticings of the Holy Spirit. You could pause and invite students to think about what the word yield means. Invite them to think of different contexts in their lives where they see or use that word and to think about how they might yield to the enticings of the Holy Spirit in their lives. One definition for the word entice is to attract. The Spirit makes righteousness more attractive. Consider inviting a few students to share how the Holy Ghost has helped them in their efforts to put off the natural man.

Mosiah 3:19. Christlike attributes and childlike qualities

Consider analyzing and discussing the childlike attributes listed in Mosiah 3:19. As part of this discussion, you could help the students think about how Jesus Christ exemplifies each of these qualities. You could even invite students to search the scriptures for examples where the Savior demonstrated one or more of these attributes. Consider inviting the students to discuss why they think becoming like a child is part of the process of putting off the natural man.

Mosiah 3:21. “Only through repentance”

To further emphasize King Benjamin’s teachings about putting off the natural man and becoming like a child through Jesus Christ, consider inviting students to read Mosiah 3:16–23. You could invite students to mark the phrase “only through repentance” in Mosiah 3:21. Invite students to share ideas of how repentance can help them overcome their fallen natures and stay spiritually clean.