1 Nephi 8–11; 15

January 18–24

Partaking of the Love of God

Preparing to Teach in Sunday School

Begin your preparation to teach by reading 1 Nephi 8–11; 15 before studying any supplemental material. Prepare your teaching plan, and record your thoughts and impressions. You might also use some of the ideas on the next page or in Come, Follow Me for individuals and families.

Encourage Sharing

• How can you encourage class members to share insights they had as they studied these scriptures individually and with their family?

• What experiences have class members had as they acted on what they learned?

Teach the Doctrine

• As you teach gospel principles from these scriptures, what verses, quotations, experiences, questions, and other materials might you share?

• How might you use these resources to help class members ponder the gospel principles?

• How can you encourage class members to record and act upon the impressions they receive?

Encourage Sharing and Learning at Home

• Encourage class members to read 1 Nephi 12–14 during the week. You might point out that these chapters contain Nephi’s vision of the future and then invite class members to look for verses that describe our day.

My Teaching Plan

Additional Ideas

1 Nephi 8:11–16. When we experience God’s love, we desire to help others experience it.

• What ideas about helping others along the path toward the tree of life came as we studied this week’s scriptures? (see 1 Nephi 8:15).

• Everyone hopes that their loved ones will partake of the love of God for themselves. What do we learn from Lehi’s experience? What can we do when family members seem uninterested in growing closer to God? How can we help them feel His love?

• To help class members understand and apply Lehi’s experience, they could taste something sweet and share what they would do to encourage others to come and enjoy what they have.

1 Nephi 8:19–38. The word of God leads us to the Savior and helps us feel God’s love.

• In what ways have we seen ourselves in Lehi’s dream? How has the iron rod, or the word of God, blessed us in our journeys toward eternal life?

• Lehi saw four groups of people (see 1 Nephi 8:21–23, 24–28, 30, and 31–33). What messages do we find for our families and ourselves as we read about each of these groups? How can we be more like the people described in verse 30?

• What insights do we gain from studying the depiction of Lehi’s dream found in this week’s outline in Come, Follow Me for individuals and families?

• How could we retell the story of Lehi’s dream? How does this help us apply the messages of the dream?

1 Nephi 11:16–33. God loves His children.

• What verses from this week’s reading have helped us feel God’s love?

• To help Nephi understand “the condescension of God” (verse 16), an angel showed Nephi a vision of the Savior’s birth, ministry, and Crucifixion (see verses 18–33). Are there any pictures, videos, or other visual aids that could accomplish the same purpose in class? (See, for example, biblevideos.lds.org.) How have we come to feel God’s love through His Son?

Optional Resource

Counsel from Elder David A. Bednar

“The central feature in Lehi’s dream is the tree of life—a representation of ‘the love of God’ (see 1 Nephi 11:21–22). ‘For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life’ (John 3:16). Thus, the birth, life, and atoning sacrifice of the Lord Jesus Christ are the greatest manifestations of God’s love for His children. As Nephi testified, this love is ‘most desirable above all things’ and, as the angel in his vision declared, ‘most joyous to the soul’ (1 Nephi 11:22–23; see also 1 Nephi 8:12, 15). Chapter 11 of 1 Nephi presents a detailed description of the tree of life as a symbol for the life, ministry, and sacrifice of the Savior—‘the condescension of God’ (1 Nephi 11:16).

“The fruit on the tree is a symbol for the blessings of the Atonement. Partaking of the fruit of the tree represents the receiving of ordinances and covenants whereby the Atonement can become fully efficacious in our lives. The fruit is described as ‘desirable to make one happy’ (1 Nephi 8:10) and produces great joy and the desire to share that joy with others.

“Significantly, the overarching theme of the Book of Mormon—inviting all to come unto Christ—is paramount in Lehi’s vision” (“Lehi’s Dream: Holding Fast to the Rod,” Ensign, Oct. 2011, 33–34).

Improving Our Teaching

Increase participation of class members.

Almost any activity idea—answering questions, reading passages, or sharing ideas—can be done as a class, in small groups, or in pairs. Use a variety of methods to energize class members and allow people to participate who might otherwise not have a chance.