“Lesson 80—Doctrine and Covenants 67: A Testimony of the Truth,” Doctrine and Covenants Seminary Teacher Manual (2025)
“Doctrine and Covenants 67,” Doctrine and Covenants Seminary Teacher Manual
Lesson 80: Doctrine and Covenants 67–70
Doctrine and Covenants 67
A Testimony of the Truth
Many Church leaders supported publishing the revelations that the Prophet Joseph Smith had received and understood that they came from God. Others focused on the imperfections they perceived in the revelations and, as a result, were unsure that they came from the Lord. This lesson can help increase students’ confidence that the Lord speaks to us through prophets and that the Doctrine and Covenants is His word.
Possible Learning Activities
A testimony
Determine a way to help students think about their testimony of gospel truths related to Heavenly Father’s plan. They could do the following activity on the board or in their study journal.
Draw a stick figure on one side of the board. On the other, list different aspects of Heavenly Father’s plan that someone might need to gain a testimony of. You could also display pictures that represent aspects of Heavenly Father’s plan, like a picture of Jesus Christ, the current prophet, or the scriptures. Select a few of these aspects and invite students to discuss the following.
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Why might it be helpful to have a testimony of these aspects of Heavenly Father’s plan?
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What are some obstacles that might get in the way of strengthening this testimony?
As students share, you could list the obstacles between the stick figure and the list of things we should seek a testimony of in our lives.
After the discussion, you might invite students to think about their own testimony of different parts of Heavenly Father’s plan. Invite them to look for truths during the lesson that can help them obtain or strengthen their testimony.
How to receive and strengthen a testimony
To help students understand the context of section 67, you might share some details from the following paragraph.
Toward the end of 1831, Joseph Smith had a collection of revelations from the Lord, but very few people had access to copies of them. The Lord revealed that they needed to publish them in a book. Like the Book of Mormon, the Book of Commandments (later published as the Doctrine and Covenants) was supposed to include testimonies from witnesses. However, some Church leaders were reluctant to testify; they had concerns with some of the language and wanted to improve it.
Consider adding “language” to the list of obstacles. Ask if there are any ways these could be relatable to youth today.
Read Doctrine and Covenants 67:1–5, looking for what the Lord shared with these men.
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Why do you think they needed to hear this?
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What gospel truth can you identify from these verses?
As students share, help them identify a truth like this: The Lord hears our prayers, knows our hearts, and can give us a testimony of the truth we seek.
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How do you think this can help us when we are seeking or struggling with a testimony?
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Why do you think the “fears in [our] hearts” (Doctrine and Covenants 67:3) might prevent us from receiving blessings?
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In verse 5, what did the Lord acknowledge about Joseph Smith? Though the Prophet was not perfect or eloquent, why might it not be wise to try to “express beyond his language”? (Doctrine and Covenants 67:5).
Overcoming obstacles with the Lord’s help
The Lord knows our hearts and can help us overcome the obstacles to our testimonies. In this instance, the Lord gave a challenge for the elders of His Church to help them receive “a testimony of the truth” (verse 4) of the revelations received by Joseph Smith.
If your students would enjoy a challenge, the following activity could be presented as a quiz. Invite them to read the verses carefully and then close their scriptures and try to answer the following questions.
Read Doctrine and Covenants 67:6–9, looking for the details of the Lord’s challenge.
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What kind of revelation were they supposed to choose? (See verse 6.)
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What kind of person were they supposed to select? (See verse 6.)
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What was this person invited to write? (See verse 7.)
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What would happen if they succeeded? (See verse 7.)
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What would happen if they failed? (See verses 8–9.)
To discover what happened next, you could print or display the drawn depiction “The Prophet’s Words Are True” from the June 2021 For the Strength of Youth magazine and invite students to read it. Alternatively, you could explain that William McLellin, a 25-year-old schoolteacher and recent convert to the Church, was appointed as “the most wise” (verse 6) of the group and took the Lord’s challenge. When he finished, everybody recognized what he wrote was not from the Lord.
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What do you think are some of the lessons these men learned from this experience?
As students answer, you might invite them to review verse 9. You might also explain that many of the elders signed a document giving their formal testimony of the truthfulness of the revelations in the Book of Commandments.
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How does this experience show that the Lord knew them and could help with their testimonies?
The Lord went on to promise even greater spiritual experiences to these men if they would “strip [them]selves from jealousies and fears, and humble [them]selves before me” (Doctrine and Covenants 67:10).
How this truth applies today
Imagine that someone you know is struggling to believe that the Lord speaks to us through prophets and that the Doctrine and Covenants is the word of the Lord.
If students would like, they can add details to the scenario by selecting one of the obstacles listed on the board and suggesting that the person needs to overcome it to receive a testimony. You could then share or display the following instructions.
Think of how you could help this person by doing the following:
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Write down what you would say to help them know that the Lord hears our prayers, knows our hearts, and can give us a testimony of prophets and the Doctrine and Covenants. If possible, you may want to include any personal experiences, or experiences of those close to you, that testify of these truths.
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Use scriptures, scripture stories, or your own experiences to share some things we can do to increase our testimonies of prophets and the Doctrine and Covenants (some examples include Doctrine and Covenants 1:37–38; 21:4–6; Moroni 10:4–5). Share how the Lord can bless us for these actions.
Invite a variety of students to share what they prepared. Thank students for their insights and experiences.
Conclude by inviting students to ponder their own testimonies that the Lord speaks through prophets and that the Doctrine and Covenants is true. Testify that the Lord hears their prayers, knows their hearts, and can help them gain testimonies. Invite them to write down any inspiration they received throughout this lesson.