Lesson 22: Doctrine and Covenants 10–11

Doctrine and Covenants 11:1–7

“Treasure Up … Everlasting Salvation in the Kingdom of God”

teenager sincerely praying

Whom we choose to follow, the things we seek after, and how we spend our time can greatly influence who we will eventually become. As part of the Restoration, our loving Savior provided generous counsel on where the focus of our lives should be. This lesson can help students feel a greater desire to seek after the gift of eternal life that Jesus Christ offers to all who will receive it.

Possible Learning Activities

Messages worth repeating

To begin the lesson, you could invite students to think about messages that are frequently repeated. They might mention messages they notice in advertisements, music, or memes. Invite them to think about why some of these messages are often repeated. This might help prepare them to think about messages the Lord often repeats and why.

• What are some specific messages Jesus Christ has inspired His living prophets to frequently repeat?

• What repeated messages have you noticed so far in your study of the Doctrine and Covenants?

• What can we learn about the Savior through these repeated messages?

In 1829, many people—like Oliver Cowdery, Hyrum Smith, Joseph Knight Sr., and David Whitmer—wanted to learn what Jesus Christ would have them know and do. Several of the Savior’s loving responses include repeated truths He wants us all to understand and live by.

Consider inviting students to form groups of four and inviting each student to turn to one of the following sections. One student could read the verses from his or her section aloud. They could pause after each verse for their partners to share similarities and differences they notice from corresponding verses in their sections.

Read the first six verses of each of the following Doctrine and Covenants sections: 6; 11; 12; and 14. Compare the Savior’s message in each.

• Why do you think the Lord would choose to repeat the specific phrases and teachings found in these verses?

“He that hath eternal life is rich”

Read verse 7 in sections 6 and 11, looking for the Savior’s counsel to all who desire to serve Him.

• What words or phrases stood out to you from this verse? Why?

• What does this verse help you understand about Jesus Christ and His desires for us?

Students might share a truth similar to the following: Jesus Christ desires to give us eternal life, which is the most valuable of all gifts.

Give students an opportunity to deepen their understanding about the meaning of eternal life and why it is such a valuable gift for us to receive. You could do this by inviting students to study some of the following resources individually or in groups. Alternatively, you could write these references on small pieces of paper around the room and allow students to walk around the room and study them silently, making notes on their own.

• Topics and Questions, “Eternal Life,” topics.ChurchofJesusChrist.org

• John 17:3

• Revelation 21:3–4

• Mosiah 2:41

• Doctrine and Covenants 76:69–70

• Doctrine and Covenants 84:38

• Doctrine and Covenants 88:107

• Doctrine and Covenants 130:2

• Doctrine and Covenants 132:20

Invite students to share what they learned and felt during their study.

Thinking about what you learned

Spend a few moments discussing with students potential distractions to seeking eternal life. Invite them to silently ponder how well their current decisions are preparing them to receive eternal life. Consider doing the following activity to help students feel a greater desire to seek eternal life:

List as many reasons as you can for why a person with eternal life is rich (see Doctrine and Covenants 11:7).

Consider inviting students to write their responses to the previous prompt on the board. Invite volunteers to describe why what they wrote is valuable to them. This could be a meaningful part of the lesson. It may be wise to allow students plenty of time to write, ponder, and share.

Conclude the lesson by inviting the students to think about how their life might be affected by what they have learned and felt today. The following questions could give students an opportunity to record their thoughts and impressions in their study journals.

• What have you learned today that increases your desire to feel close to Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ?

• What are some ways you can avoid letting worldly pursuits take priority over progressing toward eternal life?

Additional Resources

Why is eternal life more valuable than earthly riches?

Elder D. Todd Christofferson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles taught:

Elder D. Todd Christofferson

We are God’s children, set apart for immortality and eternal life. …

In the end, it is the blessing of a close and abiding relationship with the Father and the Son that we seek. It makes all the difference and is everlastingly worth the cost. (D. Todd Christofferson, “Our Relationship with God,” Liahona, May 2022, 79–80)

How can I come to know Heavenly Father better?

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

Elder Jeffrey R. Holland

Of the many magnificent purposes served in the life and ministry of the Lord Jesus Christ, one great aspect of that mission often goes uncelebrated. His followers did not understand it fully at the time, and many in modern Christianity do not grasp it now, but the Savior Himself spoke of it repeatedly and emphatically. It is the grand truth that in all that Jesus came to say and do, including and especially in His atoning suffering and sacrifice, He was showing us who and what God our Eternal Father is like, how completely devoted He is to His children in every age and nation. In word and in deed Jesus was trying to reveal and make personal to us the true nature of His Father, our Father in Heaven.

He did this at least in part because then and now all of us need to know God more fully in order to love Him more deeply and obey Him more completely. (Jeffrey R. Holland, “The Grandeur of God,” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2003, 70)

Doctrine and Covenants 11:7. What is the wisdom we seek that leads to eternal life?

Elder Christoffel Golden of the Seventy taught:

Elder Christoffel Golden

Our quest for eternal life is nothing other than a quest to understand who God is and for us to return to live with Him. The Savior prayed to His Father, “And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent” [John 17:3]. (Christoffel Golden, “The Father and the Son,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2013, 99–100)

What is the significance of the Savior comparing His word to a two-edged sword?

The use and imagery of a two-edged sword was common in the ancient world and appears in both the Old and New Testaments (see Judges 3:16; Psalm 149:6; Proverbs 5:4; Hebrews 4:12; Revelation 1:16; 2:12). A two-edged sword can cut both ways and offered the wielder more advantages during combat. In his analogy of the armor of God, the Apostle Paul compared the sword of the Spirit to the word of God (see Ephesians 6:17).

In Hebrews 4:12, God’s word is said to be “quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword.” The Savior used these same words in our day when describing His word (see Doctrine and Covenants 6:2; 11:2; 12:2; 14:2; 33:1). The Greek word for quick means alive and lively. The Greek word for powerful means energized, active, and effective.

Supplemental Learning Activities

“Give heed to my word”

Invite students to notice how the Savior described His “word” in verse 2 of Doctrine and Covenants 6; 11; 12; and 14.

To help students better understand the power of God’s word, consider dividing them into groups of four and assigning each student in the group one of the following scripture passages. Invite them to study their passage and share with their group what they learn about the word of God and how it blessed those in the various passages. Encourage students also to look for comparisons made between God’s word and a sword.

• Alma 31:5. Alma prepared to teach the Zoramites.

• Helaman 3:29. Mormon described how thousands of souls were brought to the truth.

• Joseph Smith—History 1:11–12. Young Joseph Smith studied the scriptures for wisdom.

• Hebrews 4:12. Paul instructed the ancient Israelites.

two-edged sword

Consider drawing a one-edged sword and a two-edged sword on the board. Invite students from different groups to discuss any advantages a two-edged sword might have and list what they learned from the scriptures around the drawing.

For example, students might discover from Alma 31:5 that the word of God is even more powerful than a sword. From Helaman 3:29 they might see how the word of God divides and separates truth from error. From Joseph Smith’s experience they may notice that God’s word can penetrate our hearts and help us act in righteousness. From Hebrews 4:12 students may realize that the word of God can pierce our minds and souls.

Video: “The Soul’s Sincere Desire”

If students could benefit from seeing how distractions and even too many good pursuits can affect their progress toward eternal life, consider showing a video like “The Soul’s Sincere Desire”(3:28), available on ChurchofJesusChrist.org.

As students watch, invite them to think about the things they are required to do each day and how they choose to spend their free time. After the video, students could make a list of everything they do during an average day and highlight activities that bring them closer to the Savior and cross out any that could distance them from Him.