March 14

How Do the Divine Roles of Men and Women Complement Each Other?

Doctrine and Covenants 23–26

Counsel Together

Led by a member of the quorum or class presidency; approximately 10–20 minutes

At the beginning of the meeting, repeat together the Aaronic Priesthood Quorum Theme or the Young Women Theme. Then lead a discussion about items such as the following, and plan ways to act on what you discuss (you can decide in a presidency meeting which items to discuss):

• Our quorum or class. Who needs our help and prayers? What can we do to help them? Who should we invite to an upcoming activity?

• Our duties or responsibilities. What assignments have we fulfilled? What assignments do we need to make? How have we invited others to come unto Christ, and how can we invite others now?

• Our lives. What recent experiences have strengthened our testimonies? What is happening in our lives, and how can we support each other?

At the end of the lesson, as appropriate, do the following:

• Testify of the principles taught.

• Remind quorum or class members about the plans and invitations made during the meeting.

Teach the Doctrine

Led by an adult leader or youth; approximately 25–35 minutes

Prepare Yourself Spiritually

Heavenly Father gave men and women equally vital roles to fulfill in His plan. These roles complement each other. To help men and women fulfill these roles, He gave them unique gifts and abilities. Quorum or class members may have studied Doctrine and Covenants 25 this week. In this revelation, the Lord gave counsel to Emma Smith about her important work in the Restoration of the gospel and explained how Joseph and Emma could support one another. What examples have you seen of men and women working together in complementary ways to do the work of the Lord? How can you inspire the young men or young women you teach to understand their divine roles and work together to build God’s kingdom?

As you prepare to teach, consider reviewing “The Family: A Proclamation to the World” (ChurchofJesusChrist.org) and President Linda K. Burton’s message “We’ll Ascend Together” (Ensign or Liahona, May 2015, 29–32).

Young men and young women can learn to work together in building God’s kingdom.

Learn Together

To begin a discussion about how men and women work together in God’s kingdom, consider inviting quorum or class members to review Doctrine and Covenants 25. What did the Lord say about the responsibilities that Emma and Joseph had toward each other? What can we learn from section 25 about how husbands and wives should work together? You might give those you teach some paper to write what they find and have them share their thoughts. Then choose from the following activities to help them better understand how God expects His sons and daughters to work together.

• Can you think of an example to help quorum or class members understand what “complementary” means? For instance, they could talk about complementary colors or discuss how different voices in a choir make the music more beautiful. How do the divine roles of men and women complement each other? As a quorum or class, read together the first two paragraphs of the section titled “Lifting and Helping in Our Complementary Roles” from President Linda K. Burton’s message “We’ll Ascend Together” (Ensign or Liahona, May 2015, 30). Or you could invite a married couple to visit your quorum or class and talk about how they have helped each other fulfill their roles and how the Lord has helped them. What do we learn, from President Burton’s message or the couple, about how men and women support one another in families?

• The scriptures listed in “Supporting Resources” can help quorum or class members learn more about the responsibilities of men and women in families. You could assign each quorum or class member to read one of these scripture passages. Invite them to share their verses and talk about the responsibilities described. What do these scriptures teach about the responsibilities of parents? How can husbands and wives help each other in fulfilling these divine responsibilities? How can the Savior help them be successful? How can children help them?

• To help your quorum or class understand how men and women can complement each other as equal partners, write the following headings on the board: Father’s Responsibilities and Mother’s Responsibilities. Ask quorum or class members to search the seventh paragraph of “The Family: A Proclamation to the World” and write what they find under the appropriate heading. What do we learn about the divine roles of fathers and mothers? What does it mean that fathers and mothers are to help each other “as equal partners” in fulfilling these responsibilities? What examples can we share from our lives that show fathers and mothers fulfilling their roles and helping one another as equal partners? You might also discuss ways young people can prepare now for these future roles.

Act in Faith

Encourage quorum or class members to ponder and record what they will do to act on the impressions they received today. How does today’s lesson relate to personal goals they have made? If they would like, quorum or class members could share their ideas.

Supporting Resources

• Proverbs 22:6; Doctrine and Covenants 68:25–28; 121:41–43 (Responsibilities of parents)

• Ephesians 5:25; Moses 3:21–24; 5:1–12 (Husbands and wives work together as equal partners)

• Jean B. Bingham, “United in Accomplishing God’s Work,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2020, 60–63

• “The Women in Our Lives,” “Let Us Be Men” (videos), ChurchofJesusChrist.org

Teaching in the Savior’s Way

The Savior prepared those He taught and gave them important responsibilities. How might you prepare those you teach to work together as sons and daughters of God? (See Teaching in the Savior’s Way [2016], 27–28.)