Doctrinal Mastery: 1 Peter 4:6

“The Gospel [Was] Preached Also to Them That Are Dead”

The resurrected Jesus Christ preaching to spirits in the Spirit World.

In your study of 1 Peter 4, you learned that the Savior established missionary work in the spirit world so all of Heavenly Father’s children could have an opportunity to receive salvation. This lesson can help you memorize the doctrinal mastery reference and key scripture phrase for 1 Peter 4:6. It can also help you explain the doctrine taught in that passage. Then you will have the opportunity to apply that doctrine and the principles of acquiring spiritual knowledge to a realistic scenario.

Teaching students principles of acquiring spiritual knowledge. Doctrinal mastery will be more effective if students know and understand the principles of acquiring spiritual knowledge. Help students understand and regularly review these principles.

Student preparation: Invite students to ponder and prepare to share what they have felt as they have performed baptisms and confirmations in the temple or done other family history work for their deceased ancestors.

Possible Learning Activities

This doctrinal mastery passage lesson is designed to be taught after the lesson “1 Peter 3:18–22; 4:1–6,” which is the contextual lesson for the doctrinal mastery passage 1 Peter 4:6. If this doctrinal mastery passage lesson needs to be moved to a different week, be sure to teach the corresponding contextual lesson during that week as well.

Memorize and explain

Invite a student to draw on the board a simple diagram of the plan of salvation. Then ask some of the following questions to evaluate student understanding of the plan and how the gospel is taught. To engage students who don’t usually volunteer to speak, the following questions could be given as a quiz and then discussed as a class.

All of God’s children were taught the gospel in premortal life. What happened to those who accepted the gospel by choosing God’s plan? What happened to those who rejected it?
How is the gospel taught here on earth?

Use the following two questions to help students identify the doctrinal mastery passage reference and key scripture phrase.

What happens to those who never have the chance to learn of Jesus Christ or receive authorized priesthood ordinances in this life?
Where can we read about this in the New Testament?

Consider using the following memorization activity:

Give each student a piece of paper, and invite students to write the full reference and key scripture phrase across the top of the paper: “1 Peter 4:6: ‘The gospel [was] preached also to them that are dead.’” Instruct them to fold the top of the paper over to cover what they wrote and then to write the reference and phrase again, omitting three to four words and numbers of their choice. Ask students to exchange their papers with someone near them.

Ask students to identify the omitted words and numbers on their new paper. Then instruct them to fold the paper to cover their writing and to rewrite the reference and phrase, this time omitting six to eight words or numbers. Ask them to pass the paper back to the original owner and then to identify the missing words on their original paper, fold the paper over one last time, and write the reference and phrase completely from memory.

Practice application

In the previous lesson, you learned the following truth from 1 Peter 4:6: The gospel is preached to the dead so that they might have the same opportunities as those who hear the gospel in mortality.

Use the following scenario to practice applying this truth and the principles of acquiring spiritual knowledge.

Scenario: Part 1

Imagine you have a friend named Jason who is meeting with the missionaries. Jason asks to come to seminary with you to learn more about the gospel. On his first day in seminary, your teacher asks the class to review with a partner the principles of acquiring spiritual knowledge. Jason turns to you and asks, “What are the principles of acquiring spiritual knowledge?”

How would you introduce Jason to the principles of acquiring spiritual knowledge? (Consider reviewing paragraphs 5–12 in the “Acquiring Spiritual Knowledge” section of the Doctrinal Mastery Core Document (2022) if you need help with this question.)

Scenario: Part 2

Later that week, Jason and the missionaries meet at your home. You help the missionaries teach about the first principles and ordinances of the gospel, including faith in Jesus Christ and baptism by immersion for the remission of sins. The missionaries use John 3:5 to teach that baptism by proper priesthood authority is necessary to be saved in the kingdom of heaven. Jason thinks about that for a moment, then looks a little sad. One of the missionaries asks why he is sad, and Jason replies, “My grandpa was never baptized, but he was a really good man who always said he wanted to live a good life so he could go to heaven. Will he?” You say a silent prayer, asking Heavenly Father how you could help Jason. The idea to use the principles of acquiring spiritual knowledge and the doctrine taught in 1 Peter 4:6 comes to your mind.

Depending on class size and time, students could use their responses to role-play teaching Jason. Alternatively, students could be assigned one of the principles of acquiring spiritual knowledge and then discuss with a partner or in a small group how that principle could help Jason. When they finish discussing, they could report to the class or be placed in groups of three to share their thoughts with classmates who studied the other two principles.

Outline how you could use the three principles of acquiring spiritual knowledge and the doctrine taught in 1 Peter 4:6 to help Jason find answers to his question and feel at peace about his grandpa. After outlining, prepare a response for Jason. Think about what questions you would ask to help him discover and feel the truth of the doctrine. Be sure to include all three principles of acquiring spiritual knowledge and the doctrine taught in 1 Peter 4:6 in your response.

If needed, you may use some or all of the following questions to guide you.

How could you help Jason have an eternal perspective? What would you tell Jason about Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ that could give him peace about his grandpa?
In addition to 1 Peter 4:6, what are some other divinely appointed sources you might share with Jason to help him feel hope through Jesus Christ? How would you use these passages to help Jason discover the truth?
What could acting in faith look like in Jason’s situation? What would you invite him to do?
What experiences have you had doing temple or family history work for your ancestors that you could share with Jason?
What would you testify of to help your friend?

Doctrinal mastery review

Help students review the reference and key scripture phrase for 1 Peter 4:6 during an upcoming lesson. The following is one way to do this:

Write the characters 1, P, 4:6, T, G, [W], P, A, T, T, T, A, D in a column on the board. Invite students to identify the words of the doctrinal mastery reference and key scripture phrase from these first letters. Once all words have been identified, repeat the reference and key phrase as a class.