Appendix

Principles of Learning Glossary

Agency

As children of God, we have agency, or power, to make our own decisions. We can choose what we believe, what we do, and who we become.

“Agency is the ability and privilege God gives us to choose and to act for ourselves” (Gospel Topics, “Agency and Accountability,” ChurchofJesusChrist.org).

“Because He loves you, God gave you agency, or the freedom to make decisions. Your agency enables you to make good choices that lead to happiness; it also makes you accountable for bad choices, which lead to immediate or eventual unhappiness. God will not intervene in your choices; He allows you to decide for yourself and to learn from the consequences. Yet He does offer the ultimate help to overcome mistakes and sins—the saving power of Jesus Christ. No matter how bad your circumstances may become or how many wrong choices you may have made, you can always choose to change and find peace through Jesus Christ” (“God Is There for You,” ComeuntoChrist.org).

Agent

An agent is a person who has the ability or power to act for themselves. As children of God, we are agents; we have agency, or power, to make our own decisions. We can choose what we believe, what we do, and who we become.

Bible

“The Bible is a sacred book that contains the word of God. Throughout its pages, the Holy Bible teaches that God never stops loving His children. …Following the teachings found in the Bible helps us to know who God is … and better understand how He wants us to live. …”

“Jesus Christ is God’s Son who came to earth to save us from sin, sadness, loneliness, pain, and more. Jesus taught beautiful lessons about service and love and performed many miracles while He was on earth. In the Bible, we can read these stories and begin to know how we can overcome hard things with help from Jesus” (“What Is the Holy Bible?,” ComeuntoChrist.org).

Book of Mormon

“The Book of Mormon contains sacred writings from followers of Jesus. Just like God spoke to Moses and Noah in the Bible, He also spoke to people in the Americas. These men, called prophets, wrote down God’s word. Their writings were eventually gathered into one book by a prophet named Mormon. …

“The Book of Mormon is evidence that God loves all His children and is involved in their lives. It serves as a witness to the truths in the Bible and to the divinity and teachings of Jesus Christ” (“What Is the Book of Mormon?,” ComeuntoChrist.org).

Doctrine and Covenants

“The Doctrine and Covenants is a book of scripture containing revelations from the Lord to the Prophet Joseph Smith and to a few other latter-day prophets. It is unique in scripture because it is not a translation of ancient documents.

“The Doctrine and Covenants is one of four books of scripture used in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (the other three are the Bible, the Book of Mormon, and the Pearl of Great Price)” (Gospel Topics, “Doctrine and Covenants,” ChurchofJesusChrist.org).

Faith

“Faith is a principle of action and power. Whenever we work toward a worthy goal, we exercise faith. We show our hope for something that we cannot yet see. …”

“Having faith in Jesus Christ means relying completely on Him—trusting in His infinite power, intelligence, and love. It includes believing His teachings. It means believing that even though we do not understand all things, He does. Because He has experienced all our pains, afflictions, and infirmities, He knows how to help us rise above our daily difficulties. … (see Alma 7:11–12; Doctrine and Covenants 122:8).”

“Faith is much more than passive belief. We express our faith through action—by the way we live. …”

“Faith is a gift from God, but we must nurture our faith to keep it strong. Faith is like a muscle. If exercised, it grows strong. If left immobile, it becomes weak” (Gospel Topics, “Faith in Jesus Christ,” ChurchofJesusChrist.org).

God/Heavenly Father

“God the Father is the Supreme Being in whom we believe, whom we worship, and to whom we pray. He is the ultimate Creator, Ruler, and Preserver of all things. He is perfect, has all power, and knows all things” (Gospel Topics, “God the Father,” ChurchofJesusChrist.org).

“God is our loving Father in Heaven. … He is the Father of [our] spirit[s]. … [Heavenly Father] loves all His children perfectly, including you. … He wants to have a relationship with you” (“God’s Love,” ComeuntoChrist.org).

In the scriptures, the word God is often used to refer to Heavenly Father or Jesus Christ because they are united in purpose. We pray to our Heavenly Father.

Holy Spirit

“The Holy Spirit, or Holy Ghost, is a witness of God and Jesus Christ. … The Holy Spirit gives us comfort, helps us recognize truth, and testifies of Jesus. … One of the ways God communicates with us is through the Holy Ghost. The Holy Spirit speaks to our mind and to our hearts through thoughts and feelings” (“The Holy Spirit,” ComeuntoChrist.org).

Jesus Christ

“Jesus is the Savior of the world and our perfect example. As we follow Him, we find greater peace and happiness in life. …”

“Jesus is the Son of God. Our Heavenly Father sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to take upon Him the sins of everyone who would live on the earth so we could be forgiven. …”

“Jesus lived a perfect life to show us the way back to our Heavenly Father. …”

“Jesus suffered and died for our sins. Jesus’s mission in coming to earth was to save us from our sins. He was willing to suffer and sacrifice Himself to pay the price of our mistakes so that we could repent and be forgiven. …”

“Jesus was resurrected so we can live again. Three days after His death, Jesus rose from the tomb and appeared to many of His friends and followers. He was the first to be resurrected, meaning His spirit was reunited with His perfected physical body after death. Because Jesus conquered death, we will all be resurrected one day” (“Following Jesus Christ, Our Perfect Example,” ComeuntoChrist.org).

Prayer

Prayer is “a reverent communication with God during which a person gives thanks and asks for blessings. Prayers are addressed to our Heavenly Father in the name of Jesus Christ” (Guide to the Scriptures, “Prayer,” ChurchofJesusChrist.org).

“God is your loving Father in Heaven, and He wants to hear from you” (“How to Pray,” ComeuntoChrist.org).

Prophet

“A prophet is someone who has been called by God to give guidance to the entire world. From Abraham and Moses to living prophets today, God follows a pattern of guiding His children through prophets” (“God Speaks to Us through Prophets,” ComeuntoChrist.org).

Savior

“One who saves. … ‘Savior’ is a name and title of Jesus Christ” (Guide to Scriptures, “Savior,” ChurchofJesusChrist.org).

Jesus Christ is our Savior because He gave His life and was resurrected so we could overcome the effects of sin and death and live with God again.

“Jesus suffered and died for our sins. Jesus’s mission in coming to earth was to save us from our sins. He was willing to suffer and sacrifice Himself to pay the price of our mistakes so that we could repent and be forgiven. …”

“Jesus was resurrected so we can live again. Three days after His death, Jesus rose from the tomb and appeared to many of His friends and followers. He was the first to be resurrected, meaning His spirit was reunited with His perfected physical body after death. Because Jesus conquered death, we will all be resurrected one day” (“Following Jesus Christ, Our Perfect Example,” ComeuntoChrist.org).

Scripture

“When holy men of God write or speak by the power of the Holy Ghost, their words ‘shall be scripture, shall be the will of the Lord, shall be the mind of the Lord, shall be the word of the Lord, shall be the voice of the Lord, and the power of God unto salvation’ (Doctrine and Covenants 68:4). …

“The principal purpose of scriptures is to testify of Christ and to guide the children of God so they can come unto Him and receive eternal life (see John 5:39; 20:31; 1 Nephi 6:4; Mosiah 13:33–35)” (Gospel Topics, “Scriptures,” ChurchofJesusChrist.org).