Lesson 123—Doctrine and Covenants 110, Part 1: The Savior Will Manifest Himself to His Saints in the Temple
“Lesson 123—Doctrine and Covenants 110, Part 1: The Savior Will Manifest Himself to His Saints in the Temple,” Doctrine and Covenants Seminary Teacher Manual (2025)
“Doctrine and Covenants 110, Part 1,” Doctrine and Covenants Seminary Teacher Manual
The Savior Will Manifest Himself to His Saints in the Temple
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Christ appearing in the Kirtland Temple
On April 3, 1836, the Lord Jesus Christ appeared to Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery in the Kirtland Temple, fulfilling His promise to “manifest [Himself] to [His] people … in this house” (Doctrine and Covenants 110:7). This promise can apply to us today. This lesson can help students understand how our worthiness prepares us to come closer to the Lord in His temple.
Possible Learning Activities
If you could be with the Savior
To begin class, invite students to imagine they had the opportunity to see the Savior Jesus Christ in person.
Alternatively, you could display a picture of the Savior’s ministry among the people of ancient America or show the video “Jesus Christ Appears in the Ancient Americas” from time code 11:52 to 14:05. Invite students to imagine they were there. After the video, you could ask questions like the following:
What are some blessings you might receive from being with the Savior?
How might these blessings affect your life?
As you study today, look for ways you can come closer to the Lord spiritually and enjoy the blessings He desires to give you.
The Savior appears in the Kirtland Temple
To prepare students to study the Savior’s appearance in the Kirtland Temple, recorded in Doctrine and Covenants 110, consider reminding them of the blessings the Lord promised the Saints if they would build a temple (see Doctrine and Covenants 97:15–16). Students could also review some of the blessings Joseph Smith prayed for at the temple’s dedication (see Doctrine and Covenants 109:12).
The following paragraph could be read aloud or summarized to provide historical context for Doctrine and Covenants 110. Invite students to visualize these events and how it might have felt to be there.
On the afternoon of Easter Sunday, April 3, 1836, a sacrament meeting was held in the newly dedicated Kirtland Temple. After the sacrament was administered to the congregation, Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery went behind the curtain that covered the altar to pray silently. There they beheld the series of divine visitations recorded in Doctrine and Covenants 110. (See Saints: The Story of the Church of Jesus Christ in the Latter Days, vol. 1, The Standard of Truth, 1815–1846 [2018], 239–40.)
Note: The next lesson (“Doctrine and Covenants 110, Part 2”) covers the heavenly visitations that followed the Savior’s appearance in the temple.
As you read Doctrine and Covenants 110:1–4, ponder what you might have thought or felt if you had been with Joseph and Oliver during this vision.
What stood out to you about the way the Savior introduced Himself in verse 4?
Focus on converting principles: This exercise may help students identify a converting principle. For more practice with focusing on converting principles, see the training titled “Focus on truths that lead to conversion and build faith in Jesus Christ” in Teacher Development Skills: Teach the Doctrine. Consider practicing the skill “Ask questions that help students identify and state converting principles.”
What words or phrases in these verses were meaningful or interesting to you?
How might verses 5 and 8 help us prepare to come closer to the Lord in the temple?
Among the truths students may discover from these verses, help them understand that if we keep the commandments and strive to be clean before the Lord, He will manifest Himself to us in His temple.
Other than appearing physically, what are some other ways the Savior might manifest Himself to us in the temple? (Some examples appear in verses 8–9.)
Other ways the Savior might manifest Himself to us could include speaking to us with His voice (verse 8) and giving us blessings and an endowment, or gift of spiritual power from on high (verse 9). In the temple, we can receive some of the same blessings students may have thought of at the beginning of the lesson. These blessings can include coming to know the Savior better and receiving guidance, peace, and healing.
Keeping the Lord’s commandments and being clean
To help students understand more about keeping the commandments and striving to be clean, you could have them review the temple recommend questions, looking for what the Lord expects of us before we can enter His house (see For the Strength of Youth: A Guide for Making Choices ([2022], 36–37). Students may have already done something similar when they studied the lesson “Doctrine and Covenants 97.”
You might draw or invite a student to draw the following diagram on the board. Students could copy the image in their study journals. They could list what they learn from reviewing the temple recommend questions along the path.
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road to the temple
Why do you think the Lord wants us to strive to keep the commandments in order to come closer to Him in the temple?
What does it mean to you to be clean or worthy before the Lord?
Brother Bradley R. Wilcox of the Young Men General Presidency taught:
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Brother Bradley R. Wilcox
God’s message is that worthiness is not flawlessness. Worthiness is being honest and trying. We must be honest with God, priesthood leaders, and others who love us, and we must strive to keep God’s commandments and never give up just because we slip up. …
… Remember change is possible, repentance is a process, and worthiness is not flawlessness. Most important, remember that God and Christ are willing to help us right here and now. …
… Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf has said: “God does not need people who are flawless. He seeks those who will offer their ‘heart and a willing mind’ [Doctrine and Covenants 64:34], and He will make them ‘perfect in Christ’ [Moroni 10:32–33].” (Bradley R. Wilcox, “Worthiness Is Not Flawlessness,” Liahona, Nov 2021, 62, 67)
How could this message help someone who wonders if they are worthy to be in the temple and in the Savior’s presence?
Demonstrate your understanding
To help students demonstrate their understanding, you might provide scenarios like the following:
Imagine that a friend is wondering whether it is worth it to strive to be worthy to worship in the temple. Another friend wonders if it is possible for them to ever be worthy enough to be in the temple. Select one of these situations, and answer the following questions:
From what you have learned today, how would you respond to your friend’s concerns?
What do you hope your friend would understand about Heavenly Father, Jesus Christ, and the temple?
Invite students to share their thoughts. Consider sharing your feelings about the Savior’s promise to manifest Himself to us in His temples as we strive to keep the commandments and be clean.