Seminary
Lesson 45—Doctrine and Covenants 29:9–29: The Second Coming of Jesus Christ

“Lesson 45—Doctrine and Covenants 29:9–29: The Second Coming of Jesus Christ,” Doctrine and Covenants Seminary Teacher Manual (2025)

“Doctrine and Covenants 29:9–29,” Doctrine and Covenants Seminary Teacher Manual

Lesson 45: Doctrine and Covenants 29

Doctrine and Covenants 29:9–29

The Second Coming of Jesus Christ

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the Second Coming of Jesus Christ

The Second Coming of Jesus Christ will be a great and dreadful day. Those who reject Jesus Christ’s messengers and teachings will suffer the consequences of their choices. Those who are striving to follow Him will have the joy of seeing their Redeemer return to earth. He will save them from wickedness and sorrow and dwell with them for a thousand years. This lesson can help students feel joy as they anticipate the return of Jesus Christ to the earth.

Possible Learning Activities

Fearful or joyful?

Consider displaying an image of the Second Coming, such as the one at the beginning of this lesson. Near the image, create a scale from 1 to 10, with 1 representing “fearful” and 10 representing “joyful.” Ask several students to place a mark on the scale representing how they think many teenagers feel about the Savior’s Second Coming. Ask them to explain their mark.

Then consider inviting students to silently answer the following questions in their study journals.

  • How do you feel when you think about the Second Coming of Jesus Christ? Why?

  • When you think about the Second Coming, do you tend to focus more on the Savior or on difficulties that precede His return? How does your focus affect your feelings?

Take the time necessary to help students understand the content of the following paragraph.

It is true that many trials and great wickedness will exist in the last days and that “tribulation and desolation” will be sent upon the wicked (see Doctrine and Covenants 29:8). It is also important to realize that the Savior’s return does not cause the trials and wickedness. His return will deliver His disciples from them. The Second Coming will be more wonderful for His followers than we can imagine! As you study today, look for reasons the faithful can feel joy and hope when they think about the return of Jesus Christ.

Rejoice in the coming of Christ!

Read Doctrine and Covenants 29:10–13, looking for words and phrases that give you reasons to rejoice.

Doctrine and Covenants 29:10–11 is a doctrinal mastery passage. Consider inviting students to mark doctrinal mastery passages in a distinctive way so they can locate them easily.

Invite students to make a list on the board of words and phrases they found. Ask several students why what they found helps them rejoice.

As they share, you could help them personalize what they found by asking follow-up questions such as the following:

  • How could it comfort you to know that when Jesus appears, it will be with “power and great glory”? (verse 11).

  • How do you picture your everyday life being different when Christ dwells “in righteousness with men”? (verse 11).

  • Which of your loved ones who have passed away are you most excited to see when the Savior resurrects the righteous at His coming? (See verse 13.)

  • What does it mean to you to “be with [Christ], that we may be one”? (verse 13). Why do you think Jesus wants to be one with you?

You might suggest that students mark the key scripture phrase in verse 11: “I will reveal myself from heaven with power and great glory … and dwell in righteousness with men on earth a thousand years.”

The remainder of this lesson is focused on the wonderful conditions that the Savior will bless the righteous with during and after His return.

Before proceeding, you may want to help students understand the final phrase of verse 11, “the wicked shall not stand.” Students could read verses 9, 15, and 17 to see consequences that those who reject Christ will suffer. If you study these verses in class, remind students concerned about their loved ones that the Savior’s desire and power is to forgive and heal all who repent and come to Him.

(Note: Lessons in Doctrine and Covenants 45 will focus more specifically on the signs of the times and personal preparation for the Second Coming of Christ.)

Christ will dwell with men a thousand years

Invite students to share what they know about conditions on earth during and following the millennial reign of Jesus Christ. You might also invite them to share questions they have about it.

Take a few minutes to search divinely appointed sources for answers to questions you might have about the Millennium and for joyful conditions that will exist during and after the millennial reign of Christ. The following may help you in your study:

Consider placing students in small groups with each group studying one of the following sources. Then, either invite each group to present what they learned to the class, or invite students to form new groups with students who each studied different sources and to take turns sharing what they learned.

To help students clearly see reasons to rejoice in the conditions following the Savior’s return, you might conclude this section of the lesson by sharing Elder D. Todd Christofferson’s statement in the “Additional Resources” section.

Focusing on the Savior

To help students visualize the loving Savior descending from heaven, consider showing the video “Jesus Christ Appears in the Ancient Americas,” available at ChurchofJesusChrist.org, from time code 11:20 to 16:31. Invite them to look for similarities between the love demonstrated by the Savior’s visit to the Nephites and what they imagine will occur when He returns.

Consider closing your eyes and trying to imagine Jesus Christ descending from heaven to save, protect, and heal His followers. Pay attention to impressions from the Holy Ghost to learn how Heavenly Father would have you feel about the return of His Son.

  • What expression do you picture on His face as He looks at those who were striving to follow Him?

  • What do you imagine Him saying to the faithful after His descent?

  • How do you think the Savior wants His disciples to feel about His return to earth?

Consider sharing your own feelings as you look forward to the return of Jesus Christ to the earth. You may want to end class with a closing hymn that speaks of the joy of the coming of Christ and His millennial reign, such as “The Spirit of God” (Hymns, no. 2), “Now Let Us Rejoice” (Hymns, no. 3), or “Joy to the World” (Hymns, no. 201).

Memorize

You may also want to help students memorize the doctrinal mastery reference and key scripture phrase during this lesson and review them in future lessons. The key scripture phrase is “I will reveal myself from heaven with power and great glory … and dwell in righteousness with men on earth a thousand years.” Ideas for memorization activities are in the appendix materials under “Doctrinal Mastery Review Activities.”

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