In this portion of Doctrine and Covenants 88, the Lord revealed principles of learning and commanded Joseph Smith and others to organize the School of the Prophets. Those participating in the school were to seek wisdom “out of the best books” and learn together “by study and also by faith” (Doctrine and Covenants 88:118). This lesson can help students learn by faith in Jesus Christ in various settings.
Possible Learning Activities
Heavenly Father wants me to learn
To begin the lesson, consider inviting students to share their favorite school subjects or briefly describe a topic they enjoy learning about. If needed, explain that secular education refers to learning that is not connected to religion.
Why might it be important to gain both secular and spiritual knowledge throughout our lives?
How might learning school subjects like math or science be different from studying the gospel of Jesus Christ? How might it be the same?
In January 1833, Joseph Smith and other priesthood holders living in Kirtland, Ohio, followed the Lord’s instructions to organize a school called the School of the Prophets. During the winter of 1833, members of the school met in an upper room in the Newel K. Whitney Store. Later, they met in the Church printing office and the Kirtland Temple. Read Doctrine and Covenants 88:77–80, looking for what the Lord commanded these priesthood holders to study.
You might write subjects on the board such as geology, history, astronomy, politics, and geography and have students identify words or phrases that refer to these subjects.
What did you discover?
According to verse 80, why did the Lord instruct these men to study such a broad range of subjects?
In what ways could learning these things help us prepare to serve the Lord?
Share with students that the remainder of the lesson will focus on principles of learning that can strengthen their faith in Jesus Christ and prepare them to better serve Him. You may want to invite students to seek personal revelation concerning what they can do to grow in their own faith and learning.
Seek learning by study and faith
Doctrine and Covenants 88:118 is a doctrinal mastery passage. Consider inviting students to mark doctrinal mastery passages in a distinctive way so they can locate them easily.
After students search the scripture passage, invite them to share what the Lord revealed about learning. Responses might include seeking diligently, teaching one another, seeking wisdom out of the best books, and seeking learning by study and faith.
What does this verse teach about learning?
What can we learn about how to increase our faith in Jesus Christ?
As needed, you might mention that at the beginning of verse 118 the Lord indicated that there were some who lacked faith. You could also invite students to share clear instructions the Lord gave to help those who lacked faith.
The following is one way to word a principle we can learn from these verses: If we diligently seek to learn through study and faith, our faith in Jesus Christ will increase.
In addition to diligently learning through our study, what do you think it means to learn by faith?
Consider displaying the following statement by President Russell M. Nelson to help students better understand what it means to learn by faith. You could also watch the video “Embrace the Future with Faith” from time code 10:28 to 11:20.
President Russell M. Nelson explained:
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President Russell M. Nelson
The Lord taught us how to increase our faith by seeking “learning, even by study and also by faith” [Doctrine and Covenants 88:118; emphasis added]. We strengthen our faith in Jesus Christ as we strive to keep His commandments and “always remember him” [Moroni 4:3]. Further, our faith increases every time we exercise our faith in Him. That is what learning by faith means.
For example, each time we have the faith to be obedient to God’s laws—even when popular opinions belittle us—or each time we resist entertainment or ideologies that celebrate covenant-breaking, we are exercising our faith, which in turn increases our faith. (Russell M. Nelson, “Embrace the Future with Faith,” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2020, 75)
What did you learn from President Nelson’s statement?
How do you think learning by faith could be applied in a variety of learning opportunities (such as home, school, seminary, and church)?
To help students evaluate their current efforts to seek learning by faith, consider inviting them to list the following categories in their study journals while you write them on the board: home, school, seminary, and church. Encourage students to rate their efforts to diligently learn by faith in each category using a scale from 1 to 5, with 5 being the best.
If needed, remind them that part of what it means to learn by study and faith is to actively engage in learning opportunities and then act on things they learn and feel. Invite students to select one area they would like to improve in and study the rest of the lesson with that area in mind.
“Organize yourselves”
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teenager opening a school bag
Read Doctrine and Covenants 88:119–126, looking for counsel from the Lord that can increase our ability to learn by study and faith.
You could bring a school bag and prepare several pieces of paper for students to use in small groups. As students study Doctrine and Covenants 88:119–126, invite them to write down on separate pieces of paper teachings from the Lord that can help them learn by faith. Students could list attitudes and behaviors the Lord encourages and those we should avoid. When they finish, students could put the pieces of paper into the school bag.
Which of these attitudes or behaviors has affected your ability to learn?
Which of these attitudes or behaviors do you feel impressed by the Spirit to try?
Ask students to think of various obstacles to learning by faith teenagers might encounter in various settings (home, school, seminary, and church). List their ideas under each category. Invite students to select pieces of paper out of the school bag. Students could then read what is written and lead a discussion concerning how the Lord’s counsel could help someone overcome one of the challenges to learning. You could also invite students to think of ways the Savior exemplified this counsel.
For example, students might identify a challenge such as studying for school exams or receiving answers to specific prayers. If a paper were chosen out of the bag with establish a house of fasting written on it, students could discuss ideas and experiences of how fasting and prayer can increase their capacity to learn and better recognize answers from the Lord. If you asked students to think of an example of how the Savior exemplified learning through fasting, they might recall how He fasted to prepare for His work and ministry (see Matthew 4:1–10). Repeat the activity multiple times to help students recognize the relevance of Jesus Christ’s teachings in their lives.
Personal application
To conclude, provide time for students to ponder ways they will better seek learning by faith. You might encourage them to record their thoughts in their study journals using the following prompts.
Select an area of your life where you could improve your efforts to learn by faith (such as home, school, seminary, and church).
How do you think learning by faith could help you in this area?
What will you strive to do to learn by faith in Jesus Christ?
Invite willing students to share some of their ideas. This may also be a good time to invite student testimony from those who have experienced past successes.