Lesson 168: Doctrinal Mastery: Finding Answers to My Questions

Turning to Divinely Appointed Sources to Help Find Answers

Acquiring Spiritual Knowledge, Part 4

Youth studying on a computer

One of the purposes of doctrinal mastery is to help students learn and apply principles of acquiring spiritual knowledge. This lesson can help students understand the importance of seeking truth from sources that Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ have lovingly provided.

Possible Learning Activities

Abundance of information

Consider bringing a cup of water to display. Invite students to imagine they are offered a drink. Ask them what they might want to know about the water before they decided whether to drink it.

Just as we want to know the source of things we put in our bodies, when we have gospel questions or topics we are curious about, we must evaluate the sources we look to for information.

Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf, formerly of the First Presidency, explained:

Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf

Never in the history of the world have we had easier access to more information—some of it true, some of it false, and much of it partially true.

Consequently, never in the history of the world has it been more important to learn how to correctly discern between truth and error. (Dieter F. Uchtdorf, “What Is Truth?” [Church Educational System devotional address, Jan. 13, 2013], broadcasts.ChurchofJesusChrist.org)

• What sources do you typically look to if you have a gospel question?

• How can you know if a source is reliable?

God is the source of all truth

To help students recognize the need to look to Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ in their search for truth, consider displaying the following scripture references on the board.

You could invite students to study some or all of the verses on their own or with a group. Consider inviting them to write on the board words or phrases they find that describe characteristics of Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ.

Read the following scriptures, looking for words or phrases that help you understand why we should look to Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ for truth:

• John 14:6

• Mosiah 4:9

• Doctrine and Covenants 88:6–7

• Doctrine and Covenants 93:26

• What do these verses help you understand about why we should rely on Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ while searching for truth?

  As part of your discussion, point out that God is the source of all truth. Consider writing this principle on the board.

• Where can we find the truth that comes from Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ?

Seeking reliable sources

The following study activity can help students understand why they would want to use the divinely appointed sources God has blessed them with.

Read paragraphs 11–12 of the “Acquiring Spiritual Knowledge” section in the Doctrinal Mastery Core Document (2023). Look for teachings that can guide us in our efforts to find answers to our questions.

• What words or phrases did you find that describe why it is important to use divinely appointed sources?

• What are some sources from Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ that we can turn to in our search for truth? How do these sources demonstrate Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ’s love for us?

The following activities can help students understand how to find divinely appointed sources and to evaluate the reliability of other sources they may come across. Consider using one or both activities, depending on your available time and your students’ needs.

Activity A: Find divinely appointed sources

Before inviting students to complete the following activity, consider demonstrating how to use Church-produced study helps to find divinely appointed sources. You could choose a gospel topic and show students where to find more information using the resources listed in step 2.

After showing students how to find divinely appointed sources, let them practice on their own or with a partner. You could share and display the following instructions to help students begin.

Practice using Church-produced study helps to find divinely appointed sources by following these two steps:

1. Choose a gospel topic to find information about. Examples of topics include the Book of Mormon translation, accounts of the First Vision, and the Word of Wisdom. You could choose any gospel topic you are interested in.

2. Find divinely appointed sources by using Church-produced study helps. Examples of study helps include Topics and Questions, Guide to the Scriptures, the Gospel Library search function, Church History Topics, and general conference talks.

   As students work to find divinely appointed sources, consider walking around so you are available to help students who may have questions or needs. After students have had time to study, the following questions might help them discuss their experiences.

3. What insights did you gain through the process of finding divinely appointed sources?

4. What helpful information did you find?

Activity B: Evaluate sources of information

There are times in our search for truth when we come across sources of information not published by the Church. In these instances, it is important that we evaluate the reliability of the information we are accessing.

• What can we do to distinguish between reliable and unreliable sources of information?

Display the following questions or provide them to students as a handout. In addition to inviting students to read through the questions on their own or as a class, you could ask them to read the scriptures associated with the questions.

Determining Truth from Error

Doctrine and Covenants Seminary Teacher Manual—Acquiring Spiritual Knowledge, Part 4

Read through the following questions. Think about how questions such as these can help you determine the reliability and usefulness of different sources of information.

• What did I feel from the Holy Ghost when I read or heard this information? (See Doctrine and Covenants 50:23–24.)

• Does this information bring me closer to Jesus Christ and His Church? (See Moroni 7:15–17.)

• Does it encourage me to keep God’s commandments?

• Does it agree with what the scriptures and modern prophets teach? (See 2 Timothy 3:15–17; Doctrine and Covenants 1:38.)

• Does it confirm what I have already felt the Holy Ghost tell me is true, or does it encourage me to doubt those truths? (See Moroni 10:5 .)

• Does it come from a source that the Savior or His Church leaders would consider trustworthy?

• What would my parents or Church leaders say about this information? (If I feel tempted to keep it from them, what does that tell me about its source?)

After students have read through the questions, ask them to share why they think questions like these would be helpful for them to ponder. You might also invite them to share examples of how they have used these or similar questions to evaluate the reliability of information.

Applying what you have learned

To help students internalize their learning, consider inviting them to write their response to one or both of the following questions in their study journal. You could then invite them to share their thoughts with a partner or the class.

• What have you learned today that could help you better find answers to your gospel questions?

• How do you think what you learned today will influence your future actions?

Testify of the truths you have studied today, and encourage students to seek the truth Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ have revealed through divinely appointed sources.

Additional Resources

What sources can I use to find the truth God has revealed?

Sister Tracy Y. Browning of the Primary General Presidency taught:

Sister Tracy Y. Browning

As covenant children of God, we have been uniquely blessed with a rich supply of divinely appointed tools to improve our spiritual vision. The words and teachings of Jesus Christ as recorded in scripture and messages from His chosen prophets and His Spirit received through daily prayer, regular temple attendance, and the weekly ordinance of the sacrament can help to restore peace and provide the necessary gift of discernment that brings Christ’s light and His understanding to the corners of our life and in a world that may be cloudy. The Savior can also be our compass and our pilot as we steer through both the calm and the turbulent waters of life. He can make plain the correct path that leads us to our eternal destination. (Tracy Y. Browning, “Seeing More of Jesus Christ in our Lives,” Liahona, Nov. 2022, 13–14)

Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles explained:

Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf

Where do you find truth?

It is contained in the gospel of Jesus Christ. And the fulness of that gospel is taught in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Jesus Christ said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me” [John 14:6].

When you have important choices to make, Jesus Christ and His restored gospel are the best choice. When you have questions, Jesus Christ and His restored gospel are the best answer. (Dieter F. Uchtdorf, “Jesus Christ Is the Strength of Youth,” Liahona, Nov. 2022, 10)

What else can help me as I seek to know truth?

President Russell M. Nelson shared the following:

President Russell M. Nelson

I plead with you to take charge of your testimony. Work for it. Own it. Care for it. Nurture it so that it will grow. Feed it truth. Don’t pollute it with the false philosophies of unbelieving men and women and then wonder why your testimony is waning. …

If you have questions—and I hope you do—seek answers with the fervent desire to believe. Learn all you can about the gospel and be sure to turn to truth-filled sources for guidance. We live in the dispensation when “nothing shall be withheld” [Doctrine and Covenants 121:28]. Thus, in time, the Lord will answer all our questions. (Russell M. Nelson, “Choices for Eternity” [worldwide devotional for young adults, May 15, 2022])

Supplemental Learning Activities

Video: “Divinely Appointed Sources”

Consider using portions of the video “Divinely Appointed Sources” (9:16). Students may be uplifted by the testimonies of young people who found power in using divinely appointed sources to address gospel questions and concerns.

Learning about Church history

Learning about events in Church history can present unique challenges. Recognizing this can be helpful for students. In the words of one Church historian, “From our perspective in the present, the past is mostly gone. The people have passed away; their experiences have ended. However, pieces of the past remain—letters, diaries, records of organizations, material objects. Today, we can learn about the past only indirectly through the pieces that remain. Information is always lost between the past and the present. We must study the records that do survive while remembering that they do not represent the entirety of the past” (Keith A. Erekson, “Understanding Church History by Study and Faith,” Ensign, Feb. 2017, 57).

Determining Truth from Error