“Lesson 46—Doctrine and Covenants 29:36–50: Agents unto Themselves,” Doctrine and Covenants Seminary Teacher Manual (2025)
“Doctrine and Covenants 29:36–50,” Doctrine and Covenants Seminary Teacher Manual
Lesson 46: Doctrine and Covenants 29
Doctrine and Covenants 29:36–50
Agents unto Themselves
The Lord had been teaching Joseph Smith about the Fall of Adam and Eve and agency during his t ork on the inspired translation of the Bible. In Doctrine and Covenants 29, the Lord taught about redemption from the Fall of Adam and Eve through the Atonement of Jesus Christ. The purpose of this lesson is to help students better understand our God-given agency and the redemption offered by Jesus Christ.
Possible Learning Activities
Making choices
Invite students to think back on choices they have made in the past 24 hours as they read the following statement from President Thomas S. Monson (1927–2018).
Scarcely an hour of the day goes by but what we are called upon to make choices of one sort or another. Some are trivial, some more far-reaching. Some will make no difference in the eternal scheme of things, and others will make all the difference. (Thomas S. Monson, “The Three Rs of Choice,” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2010, 67)
Consider writing trivial and far-reaching on the board. Invite students to list common choices people make under each heading. Then invite them to discuss which choices are most important to be seen from an eternal perspective before we make them.
-
What are some far-reaching decisions you have made, or will make, that can significantly influence your relationship with Heavenly Father?
Our agency
Read Doctrine and Covenants 29:36–38, looking for a far-reaching decision that all of God’s children had to make before this life.
-
What choice were we all presented with before this life?
Elder Robert D. Hales (1932–2017) of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles explained the far-reaching consequences of the premortal choice we made.
Because of Lucifer’s rebellion, a great spiritual conflict ensued. Each of Heavenly Father’s children had the opportunity to exercise the agency Heavenly Father had given him or her. We chose to have faith in the Savior Jesus Christ—to come unto Him, follow Him, and accept the plan Heavenly Father presented for our sakes. But a third of Heavenly Father’s children did not have faith to follow the Savior and chose to follow Lucifer, or Satan, instead.
And God said, “Wherefore, because that Satan rebelled against me, and sought to destroy the agency of man, which I, the Lord God, had given him, … I caused that he should be cast down” [Moses 4:3]. (Robert D. Hales, “Agency: Essential to the Plan of Life,” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2010, 24)
Mark the word agency in verse 36.
-
How would you describe what the word agency means?
If students need help defining agency, consider inviting them to turn to the Guide to the Scriptures for help.
One truth we can learn from these verses is that because God has given us agency, we can choose to follow or reject Him.
-
How does God giving us the ability to choose demonstrate His love for us?
The Fall and our agency
Consider inviting students to form small groups, providing each group with one section of the following handout. Invite them to read the suggested passages and discuss the questions together. Inform them that some of the passages speak directly about Adam and Eve’s Fall, but the Spirit can help them see how Adam and Eve’s experiences apply to our lives today.
Agency and Redemption through Jesus Christ
The temptations of the devil
Read Doctrine and Covenants 29:39 and 2 Nephi 2:16–18, and discuss the following questions:
-
Knowing that we chose to follow Heavenly Father’s plan before this life, what makes it difficult to always choose to follow Him here on earth?
-
What are Satan’s most effective tactics to get people on earth to choose not to follow God’s counsel?
-
What are some blessings God has given us to help overcome Satan’s temptations?
Consequences of our choices
Read Doctrine and Covenants 29:40–41 and Alma 41:10–11; 42:9, 14, and discuss the following questions:
-
In what ways do we become subject to the will of the devil when we choose to rebel against God?
-
Why do you think the term “spiritual death” is a good description of separation from Heavenly Father?
-
How would you describe the feelings that we experience after we use our agency to go against Heavenly Father’s will?
Redemption through God’s Only Begotten Son
Read Doctrine and Covenants 29:42–43 and 2 Nephi 2:6–9, and discuss the following questions:
-
What has Jesus Christ done to make redemption possible even after we have made poor choices?
-
What would you share about Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ that could give someone hope who feels they are too far gone?
-
What examples could you share to demonstrate the redeeming, forgiving nature of Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ?
After students have had time to discuss the questions in their groups, invite them to form new groups with students who studied the other sections of the handout and to take turns sharing what they learned.
When students are done sharing, consider reading 2 Nephi 2:26–29 as a class. Invite students to look for and share phrases that confirm or add to what they learned in the previous activity.
Choosing redemption through Jesus Christ
Some students may feel that their choices have already permanently distanced them from God. To give them an opportunity to focus on the redemption of Christ, consider displaying a scenario such as the following one. Invite students to add details to it that they feel are realistic for teenagers today.
A young woman named Marie has made some choices that she knows are wrong. She feels regret and distant from God and wonders if there is any hope for her.
Using what you learned today about agency and redemption through Christ, write a response that you could share with Marie that encourages her to act with hope and faith despite making poor choices in her past.
Consider having a few students share their responses with the class. As students listen to their classmates’ responses, encourage them to imagine what Marie might feel as she hears them.
Read the following statement from President Thomas S. Monson (1927–2018), looking for the choice you could encourage Marie to make.
As we contemplate the decisions we make in our lives each day—whether to make this choice or that choice—if we choose Christ, we will have made the correct choice. (Thomas S. Monson, “Choices,” Ensign or Liahona, Apr. 2016, 86)
You might conclude class by inviting students to write their response to the following prompt in their study journal or somewhere they will see it repeatedly throughout the week.
Invite students to share: The following is an example of using a prompt to help students to share their thoughts For more ways on how to create prompts that help students share their thoughts, see the “Create prompts that help students verbalize their feelings, experiences, and testimony” training. This training is found in Teacher Development Skills: Teach by the Spirit.
This week I will use my agency to choose Christ by …