In the fall of 1832, missionaries including Jared Carter and Stephen Burnett began returning to Kirtland, Ohio, from preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ. It was a joyful time as the elders brought reports of serving the Lord in the eastern United States. Many would soon accept additional calls to continue serving. In our day, we too can serve the Lord by sharing His gospel. This lesson can help students feel the Christlike desire to share the gospel with everyone in the world.
Possible Learning Activities
The whole world
Image
map of the world
To help students realize how many children of God are on earth and in need of His gospel, you could begin class by displaying a map of the world. Consider asking students to name as many countries as they can think of in one minute, or you could invite them to point out several countries on the map. Students could also look up the population of your country or of the world.
Transition into talking about the restored gospel of Jesus Christ around the world. You could ask questions such as these:
Where are missionaries serving around the world? Where are they not?
How does the worldwide membership of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints compare to the total population of the world? How does the membership of the Church in your area compare to the total population in your area?
For help answering statistical questions about the Church, consult the “Facts and Statistics” page on newsroom.ChurchofJesusChrist.org.
You could ask students to ponder the good they could do by choosing to serve a mission. Read the following statement and invite students to share their thoughts or feelings.
President Russell M. Nelson taught the following:
Image
President Russell M. Nelson
Everyone deserves the chance to know about the restored gospel of Jesus Christ. Every person deserves to know where they can find the hope and peace that “[pass] all understanding” [Philippians 4:7]. (Russell M. Nelson, “Preaching the Gospel of Peace,” Liahona, May 2022, 7)
Ask students to write some thoughts in response to the following prompt:
Take a moment to ponder how God feels about all His children around the world. What are many people missing out on by not knowing about Jesus Christ and His restored Church? What do you know and what blessings have you experienced that could make a difference in other people’s lives?
The conditions of the world
September 1832 was a time of joy in Kirtland as missionaries returned from serving missions and reported on their experiences in the eastern states of America. During this time, Joseph Smith received instructions from the Lord. Some of these instructions addressed the condition and needs of the world.
Read Doctrine and Covenants 84:49–53, looking for words and phrases the Lord used to describe what people in the world were experiencing.
Invite students to share the words and phrases they found and what they think they mean. They will likely point out a theme of sin and bondage. Students might also notice that people were in darkness and groaning because of these conditions. This means they felt helpless, sad, and in pain. Students could share how they have seen that sin causes pain and grief and leads to bondage. Caution students to not share details that could disrespect someone’s privacy.
The Lord pointed out that even members of His Church were experiencing a degree of darkness and condemnation at that time.
What can we learn from these verses about the importance of the Book of Mormon and the revelations in the Doctrine and Covenants?
Help students understand how Jesus Christ and His disciples feel when they see people suffer in sin and darkness. They could study one or two of the following passages individually or in small groups.
What words help you understand the Savior’s feelings for those in sin and darkness? Think about what it can be like to struggle in sin and darkness.
How could understanding the Lord’s feelings be helpful?
How do you think the Book of Mormon could help someone overcome spiritual darkness?
The Savior’s voice
Read Doctrine and Covenants 84:60–62, looking for what Jesus Christ directed these men to do. It can be helpful to know that “these things” in verse 60 and “those things” in verse 61 refer to what the Lord revealed in section 84, which includes remembering the Book of Mormon.
What did Jesus direct them to do?
What blessings would they receive by obeying His direction?
Allow students to share what they learned. One truth they could identify is that Jesus Christ wants us to share the Book of Mormon and our testimonies with all of God’s children around the world.
Help students understand why Jesus Christ wants us to share His gospel with all people. You could begin by helping students discover the blessings the Lord wants everyone to have. The following activity can be an enjoyable way for students to work with a partner as they study more of Doctrine and Covenants 84.
Display the following instructions, and help students follow them. For step 2, you could preselect specific missions for students to choose from.
Choose someone to work with as your “mission companion” for the remainder of the lesson.
Choose a mission in the world where you would love to serve. (If people speak a different language in the mission you chose, see if you can quickly learn how to greet your companion in that language.)
Read Doctrine and Covenants 84:64–73, and make a list of blessings that Jesus Christ desires to give all who accept Him and His gospel.
Discuss how each of the blessings you listed can help someone overcome darkness and the bondage of sin.
Give students an opportunity to share the great blessings that come from following Jesus Christ. In addition to asking a question like the following, you could show the video “A Change of Heart” (4:39).
If you could share something about Jesus Christ with someone who does not know or follow Him, what would it be?
The Savior’s friends
Take a moment to ponder why so many young women and young men have willingly accepted a call from the Lord to be a service or proselyting missionary.
While students ponder, you might ask them to share who they know who has recently received a call to serve from the Lord. If available, you could share a social media post of someone announcing their mission call to family and friends. Help students see the joy that can come to those who want to serve the Lord.
What are some things that might be difficult or scary about serving the Lord as a missionary?
Consider inviting students to read the following verses with their “mission companion.” You could invite them to choose two or three of the Savior’s teachings that give confidence to those who want to share the gospel with others. Partnerships could then share what they learned with other pairs of students in class.
Read Doctrine and Covenants 84:77–88, looking for the Lord’s encouraging words to those who might be nervous about accepting a call to serve Him.
You might also share encouraging words from Church leaders. (See “Additional Resources.”)
Which of the Lord’s words stood out to you?
From what you learned today, why do you think Jesus Christ would consider those who preach His gospel as His friends? (see verse 77).
What have you learned today that helps you better understand how the Lord feels about everyone in the world? What actions might the Holy Ghost be encouraging you to take because of what you learned?