Doctrine and Covenants Seminary Teacher Manual

Contents
Title Page
Introduction to the Doctrine and Covenants Seminary Teacher Manual
Doctrine and Covenants Lessons
- The Restoration Proclamation
- Doctrine and Covenants 1
- Joseph Smith—History 1:1–26
- Doctrine and Covenants 2; Joseph Smith—History 1:27–65
- Doctrine and Covenants 3–5
- Doctrine and Covenants 6–9
- Doctrine and Covenants 10–11
- Doctrine and Covenants 12–17; Joseph Smith—History 1:66–75
- Doctrine and Covenants 18
- Doctrine and Covenants 19
- Doctrine and Covenants 20–22
- Doctrine and Covenants 23–26
- Doctrine and Covenants 27–28
- Doctrine and Covenants 29
- Doctrine and Covenants 30–36
- Doctrine and Covenants 37–40
- Doctrine and Covenants 41–44
- Doctrine and Covenants 45
- Doctrine and Covenants 46–48
- Doctrine and Covenants 49–50
- Doctrine and Covenants 51–57
- Doctrine and Covenants 58–59
- Doctrine and Covenants 60–63
- Doctrine and Covenants 64–66
- Doctrine and Covenants 67–70
- Doctrine and Covenants 71–75
- Doctrine and Covenants 76
- Doctrine and Covenants 77–80
- Doctrine and Covenants 81–83
- Doctrine and Covenants 84
- Doctrine and Covenants 85–87
- Doctrine and Covenants 88
- Doctrine and Covenants 89–92
- Doctrine and Covenants 93
- Doctrine and Covenants 94–97
- Doctrine and Covenants 98–101
- Doctrine and Covenants 102–105
- Doctrine and Covenants 106–108
- Doctrine and Covenants 109–110
- Doctrine and Covenants 111–114
- Doctrine and Covenants 115–120
- Doctrine and Covenants 121–123
- Doctrine and Covenants 124
- Doctrine and Covenants 125–128
- Doctrine and Covenants 129–132
- Doctrine and Covenants 133–134
- Doctrine and Covenants 135–136
- Doctrine and Covenants 137–138
- The Articles of Faith and Official Declarations 1 and 2
- The Family: A Proclamation to the World
- The Living Christ
Life Preparation Lessons
- Doctrinal Mastery: Finding Answers to My Questions
- Scripture Study Skills
- For the Strength of Youth: Making Choices
- Building Self-Reliance
- Physical and Emotional Health
- Preparing for Future Education and Employment
- Succeeding in School
- Missionary Preparation
- Temple Preparation
- Teachings of Church Leaders
Appendix

Lesson 190—Building Healthy Relationships: Creating Strong Connections with Family and Friends

“Lesson 190—Building Healthy Relationships: Creating Strong Connections with Family and Friends,” Doctrine and Covenants Seminary Teacher Manual (2025)

“Building Healthy Relationships,” Doctrine and Covenants Seminary Teacher Manual

Lesson 190—Physical and Emotional Health

Building Healthy Relationships

Creating Strong Connections with Family and Friends

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group of friends

Heavenly Father wants us to love Him and those around us. As we develop close connections with family and friends, we can be blessed with needed comfort, strength, and support during both calm and challenging times. This lesson can help students seek the Lord’s help to establish relationships that contribute to their overall health and well-being.

Possible Learning Activities

What matters most?

Consider inviting students to list on the board the things they feel matter most in life.

Display the following statement and invite a student to read it.

President Dieter F. Uchtdorf, then of the First Presidency, taught about things that matter most:

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President Dieter F. Uchtdorf

As we turn to our Heavenly Father and seek His wisdom regarding the things that matter most, we learn over and over again the importance of four key relationships: with our God, with our families, with our fellowman, and with ourselves. (Dieter F. Uchtdorf, “Of Things That Matter Most,” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2010, 21)

What do you learn from President Uchtdorf’s statement?

Invite students to circle phrases they wrote on the board that show our relationships with God and others are among the things that matter most in life. If necessary, add “our relationships with God and others” to the list on the board.

Explain that this lesson will focus on our relationships with others. Invite students to think about some of their current relationships and whether these relationships bring them closer to God and provide them with the strength and support they need in their lives. They can also ponder how the Lord may want them to strengthen existing relationships or develop new ones.

Our relationships

Distribute the handout titled “Examples of Meaningful Relationships in Church History and the Doctrine and Covenants,” and invite students to look for evidence of the following truth: One way God can bless our lives and strengthen our faith is through meaningful relationships with others. (You may want to write this truth on the board.)

Consider ways to help students use the handout. One way is to organize them into groups of three and assign each group member to study one of the examples on the handout. When students are finished studying their example, encourage them to take turns sharing with their group what they learned about how God can bless us through our relationships with others.

Examples of Meaningful Relationships in Church History and the Doctrine and Covenants

Example 1

After his visit to the Hill Cumorah in September 1823, Joseph Smith shared details about his experience and the angel Moroni’s visits with his family. Joseph continued to share his experiences and visions with those closest to him. Recalling these sacred encounters, the Prophet’s mother, Lucy Mack Smith, recorded the following:

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Lucy Mack Smith

Every evening we gathered our children together. I think that we presented the most peculiar aspect of any family that ever lived upon the earth, all seated in a circle, father, mother, sons, and daughters listening in breathless anxiety to the religious teachings of a boy. …

… The sweetest union and happiness pervaded our house. No jar nor discord disturbed our peace, and tranquility reigned in our midst. (Lucy Mack Smith, in Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Joseph Smith [2007], 486)

What stands out to you about the Smith family from this account?
How might the love Joseph felt at home have helped him fulfill his important calling?
What do you learn from this example about how God can bless you, or how you can help others be blessed, through meaningful relationships?

Example 2

While living in Nauvoo, Illinois, Joseph Smith reflected on the benefits of meaningful relationships:

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the Prophet Joseph Smith

I would esteem it one of the greatest blessings, if I am to be afflicted in this world, to have my lot cast where I can find brothers and friends all around me. (Teachings: Joseph Smith, 466)

How can family and friends help us when we are experiencing difficult challenges?
What are some other ways family and friends can bless our lives?

Example 3

Read Doctrine and Covenants 108:7, looking for counsel the Lord gave to Lyman Sherman of the Seventy.

Why might it sometimes be difficult to follow this counsel?
When have you felt strengthened or uplifted by an interaction with another person?

Invite students to share with the class what they learned and how God can bless us through our relationships.

What have you learned about the value of developing meaningful relationships with others in your life?
How can building and strengthening relationships with others affect our relationship with God as well as our overall health and well-being?

Relationship building

You may want to spend time discussing relationship-building skills. Consider providing a blank strip of paper for every student. Encourage them to write at least one thing that could help someone develop or strengthen a relationship with another person. Collect the strips of paper and read several aloud to the class. If needed, share some or all of the following ideas with students.

Look for common interests.
Learn and use people’s names.
Smile.
Carefully listen while others talk.
Sincerely praise and compliment people.
Avoid judging or fault finding.
Show genuine interest.
Pray for people by name.
Seek charity.
Be patient.
Look for service opportunities.

Consider giving students time in class to practice some of these relationship-building skills. The following example could be helpful if students do not know each other’s names very well. If your students already know each other’s names, consider choosing a different skill to practice.

Define: Explain that using people’s names is a helpful skill for building healthy relationships. Explain that the Lord calls us by our names (see Genesis 35:10; Luke 19:5; Enos 1:5; Joseph Smith—History 1:17). Consider asking students how it makes them feel when others know and call them by name.

Model: Inform students that they will be challenged to learn each other’s names and call each other by name. Explain that one way to remember people’s names is to write them down and review them. As you name each member of the class, invite students to write down any names they did not know.

It can also be helpful to ask students what gets in the way of remembering people’s names and how they might overcome these obstacles.

Practice: Give students a few minutes to review the names they have written. Then allow them to practice. You might put them in pairs and see if they can work together to name everyone in the class. Ask who can name everyone in the class by themselves, and if someone can, invite them to do it. If an additional challenge is appropriate, invite students to change where they sit, and then see if students can still name everyone.

If time permits, select an additional skill. For example, invite students to find things they have in common with others. They can work with someone in the room they do not normally work with and ask each other questions to discover common interests. They can then move to another student to repeat the practice. (To combine both skills, encourage students to call each other by name in the process.)

Personal application

Consider testifying of the love Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ have for each student. Bear witness that God can bless and strengthen their lives through the meaningful relationships they seek to develop and nurture. You might also share an example of being blessed and strengthened by a relationship in your own life.

Invite students to seek the guidance of the Holy Ghost to do the following:

Think about how the Lord may want to help you strengthen an existing relationship or develop a new one. Using what you learned today, make a plan to deepen your connection with this person. Include how you will turn to the Lord for help in this process.

Additional Resources

How can I build healthy relationships with others?

The “Learn” portion of chapter 8 in the manual Finding Strength in the Lord: Emotional Resilience (2021) provides ideas and suggestions for strengthening relationships.

The video “Enduring Love” (4:16) illustrates the importance of charity and patience in our family relationships.

The article “Building Meaningful Relationships” from the August 2018 Ensign (pages 6–9) highlights practical ways to create stronger connections with the people in your life.

The articles “The Savior’s Example of Making Friends” and “Why We Should Stop Trying to Avoid Each Other” from the December 2019 Ensign (pages 74–79) provide help for strengthening relationships with others and overcoming loneliness.

President Dieter F. Uchtdorf, then of the First Presidency, explained:

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President Dieter F. Uchtdorf

We build this relationship [with others] one person at a time—by being sensitive to the needs of others, serving them, and giving of our time and talents. I was deeply impressed by one sister who was burdened with the challenges of age and illness but decided that although she couldn’t do much, she could listen. And so each week she watched for people who looked troubled or discouraged, and she spent time with them, listening. What a blessing she was in the lives of so many people. (Dieter F. Uchtdorf, “Of Things That Matter Most,” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2010, 22)

How can I see others in a more charitable way?

President Henry B. Eyring of the First Presidency taught:

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President Henry B. Eyring

Many years ago, I was first counselor to a district president in the eastern United States. More than once, as we were driving to our little branches, he said to me, “Hal, when you meet someone, treat them as if they were in serious trouble, and you will be right more than half the time.” Not only was he right, but I have learned over the years that he was too low in his estimate. (Henry B. Eyring, “Try, Try, Try,” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2018, 90).

Supplemental Learning Activities

Video example

As students discuss ideas and skills to help them build meaningful relationships with others, consider showing the video “Improve Family Relationships by Being More Pleasant, Urged President Nelson” (2:45). Following the video, invite students to share what they learned from President Russell M. Nelson and the youth in the Palmyra, New York, visitors’ center.

Avoiding judgment

One way to create stronger connections is to avoid being judgmental. If students could benefit from practicing skills to help them avoid judging, consider the following activity:

Organize students into small groups and encourage them to think of misconceptions or judgments teenagers might make about others. Caution students not to refer to specific people they know or situations they might be aware of. Display the following statements and invite each group to discuss how one or more of these statements can help teenagers overcome the temptation to judge others.

“They are also a son or daughter of Heavenly Father.”
“They are probably doing the best they can.”
“They could be going through things I don’t know about.”
“We are more similar than different.”
“Everyone has strengths and weaknesses.”
“The Savior loves them and wants the best for them.”

After students have discussed the statements, consider asking some questions like the following:

How can avoiding the temptation to judge others help us become more like Jesus Christ?
How can thinking positively about others and avoiding judgment strengthen our relationships?

Conflict resolution: communicating with “I” messages

If students could benefit from learning about healthy conflict resolution, consider displaying or summarizing the following information:

Disagreements and differences with others are a natural part of relationships. This can happen because of differences in values, opinions, perceptions, motivations, desires, and ideas. Learning to address these differences in a healthy way can strengthen your relationships with others. …

When personal differences occur, you may have difficulty clearly communicating your side without escalating the conflict. Using “I” messages can help you state your concerns, feelings, and needs in a manner that is easier for the listener to hear and understand. An “I” message focuses on your own feelings and experiences rather than your perspective of what the other person has done or failed to do.

The first part of an “I” message identifies and expresses your own feelings, which is critical in addressing conflict or disagreement. It helps to lessen defensive feelings and makes it easier to listen to one another. (Finding Strength in the Lord: Emotional Resilience [2021], 136)

To illustrate this principle, consider sharing the following examples or inviting students to think of their own:

Examples of “You” Messages	Examples of “I” Messages
“You never listen or try to understand me.”	“I feel like I’m not being heard or understood.”
“You never put any thought or feeling into your gifts or gestures.”	“I feel unimportant and neglected.”

Organize students into pairs and display the following activity:

Step 1: Decide who will be partner 1 and who will be partner 2. Partner 1 will start by thinking of a few common “you” messages he or she has heard. Partner 2 will respond by translating those “you” messages into “I” messages.
Step 2: Switch partners 1 and 2, and repeat step 1.
Step 3: Together, think of some loving actions to take when an “I” message is not received as expected.

To conclude, invite students to share what they learned from the activity and how they might use some of these skills with their friends and family members.