Joseph Smith receiving the Melchizedek Priesthood

Restoration, by Liz Lemon Swindle

July 26–August 1

Doctrine and Covenants 84

“The Power of Godliness”

What will you do to invite class members to share what they learned as they studied Doctrine and Covenants 84?

Record Your Impressions

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Invite Sharing

Invite class members to share with another class member a truth they found in section 84 that inspired them or helped them better understand the priesthood of God. Then invite a few to share with the class.

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Teach the Doctrine

Doctrine and Covenants 84:1–5, 17–28, 31–42

We all have access to God’s priesthood power and blessings.

• The Lord begins this “revelation on priesthood” (Doctrine and Covenants 84, section heading) by teaching that a temple will be built in Zion (see verses 1–5). How can you help class members understand the relationship between the sacred purposes of temples and the priesthood? You could begin by writing a question on the board such as What are the purposes of the priesthood? and then inviting class members to look for answers in Doctrine and Covenants 84:17–28, 31–42. How do temples and temple ordinances help fulfill these purposes?

• To help class members understand the power the priesthood can have in their lives, you could invite them to read Doctrine and Covenants 84:17–28 and consider how their lives would be different without the priesthood of God. Encourage them to share why they are grateful for the priesthood, along with experiences they’ve had with priesthood power—in their families, callings, or personal lives. How do we gain access to the power of the priesthood?

• The oath and covenant of the priesthood (see Doctrine and Covenants 84:31–42) has special application for those who are ordained to a priesthood office. But many of the promised blessings in these verses are available to all. To help class members see how these promises apply to them, you could invite them to read verses 33–42 and talk about ways we can “receive” the priesthood (verse 35), the Lord’s servants, and the Lord. They could also read the statements in “Additional Resources” to find out what we need to do to receive the blessings of the priesthood. You might help class members think about what could be included in “all that [the] Father hath” (verse 38), such as His attributes and the kind of life that He enjoys. What else impresses us about these verses and statements?

  woman taking the sacrament

  Priesthood ordinances bless all of God’s children.

Doctrine and Covenants 84:61–88

The Lord will sustain those who serve Him.

• While these verses are directed to those who “shall go and preach this gospel of the kingdom” (verse 80), many of the principles they contain can apply to anyone who is serving God. You could give each class member a portion of Doctrine and Covenants 84:61–88 to read and ask them to share with another class member what they learned that could apply to anyone who serves the Lord. Class members could pick a favorite verse or group of verses to memorize or display where they will see it every day. What promises are they most excited about? What would we share from these verses to inspire current full-time missionaries or those who are preparing to serve?

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Additional Resources

All can receive all that the Father has.

President M. Russell Ballard taught: “All who have made sacred covenants with the Lord and who honor those covenants are eligible to receive personal revelation, to be blessed by the ministering of angels, to commune with God, to receive the fulness of the gospel, and, ultimately, to become heirs alongside Jesus Christ of all our Father has” (“Men and Women and Priesthood Power,” Ensign, Sept. 2014, 32).

The first Relief Society presidency of the Salt Lake Stake wrote in 1878: “We feel truly thankful that through the blessing of our Heavenly Father, we, His handmaidens are called to be co-laborers with our brethren in building up the kingdom of God upon the earth, in assisting to build Temples, wherein we can receive blessings for time and eternity. In all the ordinances received in the House of the Lord, woman stands beside the man, both for the living and the dead, showing that the man is not without the woman nor the woman without the man in the Lord” (Mary Isabella Horne, Elmina S. Taylor, and Serepta M. Heywood, “To the Presidents and Members of the Relief Society of Salt Lake Stake of Zion, Greeting!” Woman’s Exponent, Jan. 15, 1878, 123).

Improving Our Teaching

Center your teaching on doctrine. Make sure your class discussions focus on the foundational doctrine in the scriptures. You can do this by asking class members to read scriptures and then share the truths they found, as well as their experiences living those truths. (See Teaching in the Savior’s Way, 20–21.)