Seminary
Doctrinal Mastery: Hebrews 12:9

Doctrinal Mastery: Hebrews 12:9

Heavenly Father Is “the Father of Spirits“

A young man reading scriptures.

In your study of Hebrews 12:9, you learned about your relationship to God, who is “the Father of spirits,” and how this can impact your life. This lesson can help you memorize the doctrinal mastery reference and key scripture phrase for Hebrews 12:9, explain the doctrine, and apply principles of acquiring spiritual knowledge in real-life situations.

Explain and memorize

In the previous lesson you learned that God is the Father of our spirits. Imagine that you are speaking with a friend who is questioning who they are. Use Hebrews 12:9 to help them. As you answer their questions or address their concerns, consider including the following:

  • What it means that we are children of God and why it matters to know this

  • How understanding or not understanding this truth could impact our identity and self-worth

  • Ways the world tries to influence our knowledge about who we are and our relationship to God, and why we would want to resist these influences

In your study journal, write the first letter of each word in the scripture passage Hebrews 12:9 and its key scripture phrase, “Heavenly Father is ‘the Father of spirits.’” Repeat the passage and phrase, using only the first letters of each word as hints. Count how many repetitions it takes you before you feel you have it memorized.

Practice application

To help you review the three principles of acquiring spiritual knowledge, consider the following key words:

  • Faith

  • Perspective

  • Sources

Writing on a piece of paper with a pen or pencil. 1. Complete the following in your study journal:

Answer the following questions. If needed, you can refer to paragraphs 5–12 of the “Acquiring Spiritual Knowledge” section of the Doctrinal Mastery Core Document (2022).

  • How do each of these words relate to the three principles of acquiring spiritual knowledge?

  • Why is it important to understand and apply these principles?

Writing on a piece of paper with a pen or pencil. 2. Create a scenario to practice applying the principles of acquiring spiritual knowledge by completing the following prompt in your study journal.

(Name) is a young person who (situation or conflict). This makes him/her feel . Regarding his/her relationship to God, he/she thinks .

For example, one completed scenario might look like this:

Leslie is a young person who excels in many extracurricular activities and is a leader among her peers. This makes her feel happy. Regarding her relationship to God, she thinks her life is already going so well that she doesn’t really see a need to focus that much on Him.

Writing on a piece of paper with a pen or pencil. 3. Using the scenario you created, answer in your study journal at least one question from each of the following sections.

Examine concepts and questions with an eternal perspective

  • How do you think Heavenly Father would see this person? Why would it be important for this person to know how Heavenly Father sees them?

  • How could a better understanding of their divine identity as a child of God impact the person in this situation?

Seek further understanding through divinely appointed sources

  • What have you learned from your study of Hebrews 12:9 that could help in this situation?

  • What other sources could the person in your scenario study on their own to find additional insight?

Act in faith

  • What experiences, either personal or otherwise, come to mind when you think of acting in faith? How can you use these to help the person in your scenario?

  • What recommendations might you give to the person in your scenario to help them act in faith?