Lesson 13 Class Preparation Material

The Laws of God

Think about the attitudes toward the laws and commandments of God you see in the world around you. Are these attitudes positive, negative, or indifferent? As you study the laws and commandments restored through the Prophet Joseph Smith, look for ways they can bring you peace and protection and help you become more like the Savior.

Section 1

How can obeying God’s laws bless my life?

In December 1830, the Lord commanded the Saints living in New York to gather with the Saints in Ohio. The Lord promised that if they obeyed, He would reveal unto them His law and endow them “with power from on high” (Doctrine and Covenants 38:32). Shortly after arriving in Ohio in February 1831, the Prophet Joseph Smith received a revelation in which the Lord revealed His law (see Doctrine and Covenants 42). In the revelation, the Lord reaffirmed the necessity of keeping commandments that He had given His people anciently, including the law of chastity.

The Lord also instructed the Saints to care for the poor and to build up His kingdom by living the law of consecration (see Doctrine and Covenants 42:30–35). Just as He had taught His ancient Apostles, the Lord explained that when the Saints serve Him and keep His commandments, they show their love for Him (see John 14:15; Doctrine and Covenants 42:29).

In the years that followed, the Lord restored more of His ancient laws through Joseph Smith, including the law of the Sabbath (see Doctrine and Covenants 59; 68:29) and the law of tithing (see Doctrine and Covenants 64:23; 119). He also revealed a law of health known as the Word of Wisdom (see Doctrine and Covenants 89).

To prepare for class, please study one or more of the following laws that the Lord has reaffirmed or revealed in our day: (1) the law of chastity, (2) the law of consecration, (3) the law of the Sabbath, or (4) the law of health, known as the Word of Wisdom. Use the resources below as you study the law or laws you have chosen. You could also search for additional resources on ChurchofJesusChrist.org. Come to class ready to discuss the following questions:

1. What truth or truths did you learn from your study?

2. What challenges are associated with obeying this law today, and how might they be overcome?

3. What blessings have you personally experienced by keeping this law?

4. How can obeying this law help you become more like your Heavenly Father and His Son, Jesus Christ?

Section 2

Law of Chastity

1. Study Doctrine and Covenants 42:22–25, looking for doctrine and principles the Lord teaches about sexual purity.

2. Consider what Elder Jeffrey R. Holland of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles taught about the seriousness of breaking God’s law of chastity and the sacredness of sexual intimacy. Study paragraphs 9–16 of his talk “Personal Purity” (Ensign, Nov. 1998, 75–79), looking for the reasons we should carefully safeguard our sexual purity.

3. Watch the video “Law of Chastity” (2:03) found on ChurchofJesusChrist.org, looking for the importance and blessings of keeping the law of chastity.

Want More? (Optional)

Study the “Sexual Purity” section found in For the Strength of Youth (2011) for current Church teachings on the law of chastity.

Watch “We Believe in Being Chaste” (1:17). In this video, Elder David A. Bednar of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles describes the Lord’s standard of sexual morality.

Watch “I Choose to Be Pure” (4:19). In this video, six young adults of various faiths explain candidly why they have chosen to be sexually pure.

Section 3

Law of Consecration

Learn more about the law of consecration by doing the following:

1. Read what the Guide to the Scriptures teaches about the law of consecration.

2. Review how some early Saints sought to live the law of consecration. Prior to Joseph Smith’s arrival in Kirtland, Ohio, in February 1831, many of the Kirtland Saints had been striving to follow the example of the New Testament Saints who “had all things common” (see Acts 4:32) by attempting to share their goods and property with each other as one large family. Study Doctrine and Covenants 42:30–35, and look for the Lord’s instructions that clarified how the Saints were to care for one another under the law of consecration.

3. Do one of the following activities:

   • Watch “The Law of Consecration” (5:02) on ChurchofJesusChrist.org, and listen for descriptions of how the early Latter-day Saints lived the law of consecration.

   • Study the article “Consecration and Stewardship” on ChurchofJesusChrist.org, and consider ways Latter-day Saints have lived the law of consecration.

Want More? (Optional)

Read Elder D. Todd Christofferson’s talk “Reflections on a Consecrated Life” (Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2010, 16–19). In this talk, Elder Christofferson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles explains how Latter-day Saints can pursue a consecrated life.

Section 4

Law of the Sabbath

1. As Church members settled in Jackson County, Missouri, in the summer of 1831, they encountered a frontier community where gambling, drunkenness, violence, and Sabbath breaking were prevalent. Study Doctrine and Covenants 59:9–19, looking for what the Lord instructed the Saints to do to help them resist the influence of the wickedness of the world.

2. President Russell M. Nelson has taught about the significance of the Sabbath day. Read paragraphs 3–16 of his talk “The Sabbath Is a Delight” (Ensign or Liahona, May 2015, 129–30). Look for counsel that can help you make the Sabbath a delight.

3. Watch the video “Upon My Holy Day—Honoring the Sabbath” (1:30), where Elder Jeffrey R. Holland explains some of the blessings of honoring the Sabbath.

Want More? (Optional)

Watch “Upon My Holy Day” (9:52). In this video, Elder Jeffrey R. Holland teaches about the purposes and blessings of the Sabbath day.

Section 5

Law of Health

1. The School of the Prophets, organized in January 1833, began meeting regularly in an upstairs room in the Newel K. Whitney Store in Kirtland, Ohio. During these meetings, the brethren often used tobacco. After his wife, Emma, voiced her concerns, Joseph Smith inquired of the Lord and received the revelation known as the Word of Wisdom (see Saints: The Story of the Church of Jesus Christ in the Latter Days, vol. 1, The Standard of Truth, 1815–1846 [2018], 167–68). Study Doctrine and Covenants 89:1–14, 18–21, and consider marking the Lord’s instructions and promises to the Saints.

2. Some Latter-day Saints wonder why the Word of Wisdom does not specifically prohibit other harmful substances. President Boyd K. Packer of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles addressed this question and clarified the promised blessings for keeping the Word of Wisdom. Read paragraphs 10–12 and 23–34 of his talk “The Word of Wisdom: The Principle and the Promises” (Ensign, May 1996, 17–19).

Want More? (Optional)

Study the “Physical and Emotional Health” section found in For the Strength of Youth (2011) for current Church teachings on the Word of Wisdom.

The Word of Wisdom came by revelation, but it was not initially a “commandment or constraint” (Doctrine and Covenants 89:2). Read the article “Word of Wisdom (D&C 89)” on ChurchofJesusChrist.org. Look for how observance of the Word of Wisdom has changed over time.