Doctrinal Mastery: Matthew 22:36–39

The Two Great Commandments

Jesus speaking to a scribe and a group of people

In Matthew 22:36–39, the Savior taught the two great commandments. This lesson will help you practice using the doctrine taught in this passage and the principles of acquiring spiritual knowledge to understand how to obey both commandments to love God and love your neighbor.

Helping students learn how to find answers to questions. The intent of doctrinal mastery is to teach students “how to seek for truth, how to think about new information, and how to answer their own questions.” Instead of giving students answers to every question, consider which questions might help students practice the principles of acquiring spiritual knowledge and lead them through “the divinely appointed process of discovering truth” for themselves (see Chad H Webb, “Doctrinal Mastery” [address given at the Seminaries and Institutes of Religion annual training broadcast, June 14, 2016], broadcasts.ChurchofJesusChrist.org).

Student preparation: Invite students to review the doctrinal mastery references and key phrases at home by asking someone to quiz them or using the Doctrinal Mastery app. Students could also be invited to act on their plan to keep the two great commandments.

Possible Learning Activities

This lesson is designed to be taught after the lesson titled Matthew 22:34–40, the contextual lesson for this doctrinal mastery passage. If this doctrinal mastery lesson needs to be moved to a different week to accommodate school schedules, be sure to teach the corresponding contextual lesson during that week as well.

Memorize and explain

Consider using the following activity or another brief activity to help students memorize the doctrinal mastery reference and key phrase.

Practice memorizing the key phrase “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God. … Thou shalt love thy neighbour” for the reference Matthew 22:36–39.

Draw a heart and write the numbers 1 and 2 below it. Next to number 1, write, “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God”; next to number 2, write,“Thou shalt love thy neighbour.” Point to the heart, and state the reference. Next, point to each number. As you do, state the portion of the key phrase associated with the number. Repeat the process several times.

The purpose of the following section is to invite students to practice explaining truths to others, so assigning pairs or groups could be effective.

Read Matthew 22:36–39, and recall your previous study of these verses.

What are some ways we can love God with all our heart? How can we love our neighbors as ourselves?
Why do you think these two commandments were given in this order?

Practice application

Consider briefly reviewing with students the three principles of acquiring spiritual knowledge. Then divide the class into pairs or small groups and invite students to take turns stating the principles from memory. Ask volunteers to summarize them in their own words.

If needed, review paragraphs 5–12 of the “Acquiring Spiritual Knowledge” section of the Doctrinal Mastery Core Document (2022). In some situations, we may struggle to know how to follow God’s commandments and show love for those who do not obey God’s commandments.

Elder Lynn G. Robbins of the Seventy taught:

Trying to please others before pleasing God is inverting the first and second great commandments (see Matthew 22:37–39). It is forgetting which way we face. And yet, we have all made that mistake because of the fear of men. …

Decisions of character are made by remembering the right order of the first and second great commandments. …

The Savior, our great Exemplar, always faced His Father. He loved and served His fellowmen but said, “I receive not honour from men” (John 5:41).

(Lynn G. Robbins, “Which Way Do You Face?,” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2014, 9, 11)

Ponder these questions before you do the following activity.

Have you ever been afraid to lovingly correct or counsel a friend because you didn’t want to offend them?
Have you ever felt like you had to choose between what others expected of you and what the Lord expected of you?

Consider providing paper or notecards for students to write on so they can trade them with other students.

Write a scenario in which someone might find it difficult to love God and follow His commandments and also show love to others. (Note: Do not create a scenario that others could recognize as pertaining to a specific individual or peer.)

If needed, examples of possible scenarios are included in the “Supplemental Learning Activity” section.

Consider inviting students to trade and discuss scenarios with other class members. Doing so may help students connect with one another and gain greater perspective. Scenarios could be collected and passed back out at random (remaining anonymous may help students feel more comfortable being honest).

Examine concepts and questions with an eternal perspective

Think about the person in your scenario as you answer the following questions.

What assumptions might influence a person to choose to please others instead of pleasing God?
How might understanding Heavenly Father’s plan of salvation or other gospel teachings help resolve these false assumptions?
What truths about Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ might help the person see others from Their perspective?

Seek further understanding through divinely appointed sources

How can the truths in Matthew 22:36–39 help guide this person?

Read the following statements from latter-day prophets to see what insights might be helpful for the person in your scenario. President Russell M. Nelson taught:

Sometimes we as leaders of the Church are criticized for holding firm to the laws of God, defending the Savior’s doctrine, and resisting the social pressures of our day. …

… But wouldn’t it be far more uncaring for us not to tell the truth—not to teach what God has revealed?

(Russell M. Nelson, “The Love and Laws of God” [Brigham Young University devotional, Sept. 17, 2019], 3, speeches.byu.edu)

President Dallin H. Oaks of the First Presidency stated:

We must try to keep both of the great commandments. To do so, we walk a fine line between law and love—keeping the commandments and walking the covenant path, while loving our neighbors along the way. This walk requires us to seek divine inspiration on what to support and what to oppose and how to love and listen respectfully and teach in the process.

(Dallin H. Oaks, “Two Great Commandments,” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2019, 75)

How could knowing the truths taught in these statements help the person in your scenario?

Act in faith

What could the person in your scenario do to access Heavenly Father’s help to know how to act?
How could they act in a way that will keep both of the two great commandments?

If students traded scenarios, collect the scenarios and pass them back to the students who wrote them, or lay them on a table and have students claim them.

Doctrinal mastery review

In a later class, review the doctrinal mastery reference and key scripture phrase by inviting students to do an activity such as the following:

Write the following reference and phrase in your study journal and then fill in the blanks. 

Matthew 22:36–39: “Thou shalt  the thy . … Thou shalt love thy .”

As needed, recite the scripture reference and key scripture phrase. 

Supplemental Learning Activity

Possible scenarios

Consider using one of the following scenarios:

Stanton’s parents are divorced, and he spends most weekends with his dad. His dad doesn’t like Stanton going to church and purposely schedules things at the same time as church services. Stanton wants to spend time with his dad, but he also wants to obey the Lord by going to church.
Sarah keeps feeling promptings from the Holy Ghost to invite her friend Gabe to read the Book of Mormon, but she keeps ignoring the promptings because she knows Gabe is very active with his family in another religion and doesn’t want to offend him.