May 8–14

Matthew 19–20; Mark 10; Luke 18

“What Lack I Yet?”

As you prepare to teach, prayerfully consider how you can help class members share what they learned or felt during their own study.

Invite Sharing

It might be helpful to occasionally discuss class members’ overall experiences with home-centered gospel learning. What successful experiences can they share? What obstacles or challenges are they facing? What advice can they give each other?

Teach the Doctrine

Matthew 19:3–9

Marriage between a man and a woman is essential to God’s eternal plan.

• Increasingly, the world’s views on marriage diverge from eternal truth. To help your class learn about God’s views on marriage, you might invite them to read Matthew 19:3–9 and list on the board the truths they find regarding marriage. They could also list additional truths they find in the following: Genesis 1:27–28; 1 Corinthians 11:11; Doctrine and Covenants 42:22; 49:15–17; 131:1–4; 132:19; and Moses 3:18, 21–24. How are these truths reinforced in “The Family: A Proclamation to the World”? (ChurchofJesusChrist.org).

Matthew 20:1–16

Everyone can receive the blessing of eternal life, no matter when they receive the gospel.

• What would help members of your class apply the principles in the parable of the laborers in the vineyard? You might invite a few class members to prepare a dramatization of the parable to present to the class. After the presentation, the people portraying the laborers could share how they felt about the payment they received and why. What does this parable suggest about the kingdom of heaven? What additional insights do we gain about this parable from Elder Jeffrey R. Holland’s message “The Laborers in the Vineyard”? (Ensign or Liahona, May 2012, 31–33).

Matthew 19:16–22; Mark 10:17–27

The Savior will guide us closer to Him as we ask for His help.

• How can you help class members identify and apply principles in the story of the rich young man? One approach could be to ask them to read Mark 10:17–27 and consider whether they have ever felt like the rich young man. What has helped us follow the Savior’s counsel even when doing so was difficult? Class members may be willing to share experiences in which they asked “What lack I yet?” (Matthew 19:20) and received a personalized prompting to improve. To help class members who might become discouraged by focusing on what they lack, you could share the statement in “Additional Resources.”

• Class members may have read a conference message related to these verses as suggested in Come, Follow Me—For Individuals and Families. Invite them to share insights they gained.

The Repentant Publican and the Self-Righteous Pharisee in the Temple, by Frank Adams

Luke 18:9–14

We should trust God’s mercy, not our own righteousness.

• The Savior’s parable comparing a Pharisee’s prayer with a publican’s can help you highlight the attitude that the Lord asks of those who seek to follow Him. To help class members apply this parable to our day, you could invite them to rewrite the Pharisee’s prayer in a way that uses modern details but expresses the same attitudes. They could do the same with the publican’s prayer and then share what they wrote. How do verses 15–17 and 18–24 relate to what the Savior taught in this parable? You might also share the following statement regarding these verses by Elder Dale G. Renlund: “The message for us is clear: a repenting sinner draws closer to God than does the self-righteous person who condemns that sinner” (“Our Good Shepherd,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2017, 31).

Additional Resources

Let us not be content or discouraged.

Elder D. Todd Christofferson taught:

“If we sincerely ask, ‘What lack I yet?’ [God] will not leave us to guess, but in love He will answer for the sake of our happiness. And He will give us hope.

“It is a consuming endeavor, and it would be terribly daunting if in our striving for holiness we were alone. The glorious truth is we are not alone. We have the love of God, the grace of Christ, the comfort and guidance of the Holy Spirit, and the fellowship and encouragement of fellow Saints in the body of Christ. Let us not be content with where we are, but neither let us be discouraged” (“The Living Bread Which Came Down from Heaven,” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2017, 39).

Improving Our Teaching

God needs your unique talents and abilities. “You can bless God’s children by drawing on the love you have for others, the gifts God has given you, and your life experiences. As you serve faithfully and seek God’s help, He will magnify you, and you will grow in your capacity to teach the gospel in the Savior’s way” (Teaching in the Savior’s Way, 5).