John 7

Do God’s Will to Know His Doctrine

During the Feast of Tabernacles in Jerusalem, Jesus explained how anyone could know for themselves that the doctrine He taught was from Heavenly Father. This lesson will help you discover what you can do to know the truth of Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ’s teachings.

Involving students. Look for ways to encourage all students to participate in class. Elder David A. Bednar of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles taught that our goal is to help students “become spiritually self-reliant … as we help them to learn by doing” (“Seek Learning by Faith” [Church Educational System address, Feb. 3, 2006], byu.edu).

Student preparation: Invite students to think about who or what has been most influential in shaping their current understanding and beliefs about Jesus Christ and His teachings. Invite them to write their thoughts on a piece of paper and bring the paper to class.

Possible Learning Activities

Different beliefs about Jesus Christ

• What are some beliefs people have about who Jesus Christ is?

• Why is it important for you to know the truth about Jesus Christ no matter what others might think?

If students completed the student preparation activity, consider inviting them to share what they wrote.

Take a minute to think about what has influenced your beliefs about Jesus Christ. Determine what sources you tend to turn to for truth, and ponder how they influence your beliefs. As you study today, look for what you can do to know the truth about Jesus Christ and His teachings.

Because there were many in Jerusalem who wanted to kill Jesus, He attended the Feast of Tabernacles in secret (see John 7:1, 10). As the Jews looked for Jesus, and throughout the feast, people shared different opinions with each other about who Jesus was.

Display or copy the chart onto the board. Consider dividing up the verses and questions among students to avoid spending too much time on this part of the lesson.

John 7:12, 40–41	What different ideas did people have about who Jesus was?
John 7:31	Why did some people believe in Jesus?
John 7:41–42, 52	Why did people discuss where Jesus was from?
John 7:45–46	What was it about Jesus that stood out to the officers who were asked to arrest Him?
John 7:47	How did the Pharisees describe anyone who believed in Jesus?

• What reasons did people give for believing or not believing in Jesus Christ?

• What are some opinions people have about Jesus Christ and His teachings today?

• How can we know the truth about Jesus Christ and what He teaches?

Knowing the truth about Jesus Christ and His teachings

During the Feast of Tabernacles, Jesus went to the temple to teach. He explained to the people there that both the doctrine He taught and He Himself were from Heavenly Father (see John 7:14, 16–18, 28–29)

John 7:17 is a doctrinal mastery passage. Consider marking it in a distinctive way so you can find it easily. You will learn more about this doctrinal mastery passage in the next lesson.

Read John 7:17, looking for what Jesus said the people could do to know that what Jesus taught was true and that He was sent from Heavenly Father.

Invite students to share what principles they can learn from this verse. Record on the board the statements students share.

One principle we can learn from this verse is that if we do Heavenly Father’s will, we can know His doctrine is true.

Doing Heavenly Father’s will means living as He wants us to live. The Savior Jesus Christ always lived by and taught Heavenly Father’s will.

• What examples could you share of Jesus doing the Father’s will?

• What can be difficult about living a principle that we do not yet know is true?

President Bonnie L. Oscarson, former Young Women General President, gave the following counsel about coming to know truth:

Sometimes we try to do it backward. For example, we may take this approach: I will be happy to live the law of tithing, but first I need to know that it’s true. Maybe we even pray to gain a testimony of the law of tithing and hope the Lord will bless us with that testimony before we have ever filled out a tithing slip. It just doesn’t work that way. The Lord expects us to exercise faith. We have to consistently pay a full and honest tithe in order to gain a testimony of tithing. This same pattern applies to all the principles of the gospel, whether it is the law of chastity, the principle of modesty, the Word of Wisdom, or the law of the fast.

(Bonnie L. Oscarson, “Be Ye Converted,” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2013, 77)

• Why do you think Jesus Christ wants us to know that His doctrine comes from Heavenly Father and that it is true?

• How can knowing Jesus Christ’s doctrine is true also help us come to know Him?

Help students to deepen their understanding of the principle taught in John 7:17. One way to do this could be to share experiences of people who obtained a testimony of truth by acting on it.

To teach the principle in John 7:17, some video examples are included in the “Supplemental Learning Activity” section at the end of this lesson. Students could also be invited to share experiences or do the following activity.

Choose one of the Lord’s teachings of which you would like a stronger testimony. For some ideas of His teachings, you could look up talks addressed to youth in a recent general conference. You could also look for ideas in the For the Strength of Youth: A Guide for Making Choices (2022) booklet or in the For the Strength of Youth magazine. Invite the Spirit to help you choose one of the Lord’s teachings to focus on that would bless you most at this time in your life.

Write the teaching you chose on the top of a blank page in your study journal or on a blank piece of paper. Now think of a simple image or object that you could draw to represent this doctrine, and draw it in the center of your paper.

For example, you may have chosen to strengthen your testimony of the Book of Mormon as the word of God. You could draw a simple picture of the Book of Mormon.

To help you think through what it will take to receive a testimony of the teaching you chose, think of different actions Heavenly Father might want you to take related to the teaching. Write at least three actions around the picture you drew.

Think about how having a stronger testimony of this doctrine might influence your relationship with Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ.

• What obstacles might prevent you from living this doctrine? How will you overcome these obstacles?

• What is important to understand about the time and effort it might require to know that this doctrine is from God?

Consider inviting students to share in small groups what they wrote and drew and what doctrine they focused on.

You may want to share your plans with a family member who could help you live the doctrine and come to know that it is from God.

Commentary and Background Information

John 7:2. What is the Feast of Tabernacles?

The Feast of Tabernacles (also called the Feast of Booths or Huts) began and ended on a Sabbath and so was eight days long. Part of this celebration included building temporary huts made from tree branches. People stayed in these huts during the feast to remind them that God blessed His people for 40 years while they lived in the wilderness of Sinai.

John 7:17. What is the value of seeking truth through obedience?

The Savior told His disciples that those who continue to live His teachings would come to know the truth and that this truth would give them freedom (see John 8:31–32).President Dieter F. Uchtdorf of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles explained why we would want to make the effort to receive a personal testimony of the truth.

Some may say that the steps are too hard or that they are not worth the effort. But I suggest that this personal testimony of the gospel and the Church is the most important thing you can earn in this life. It will not only bless and guide you during this life, but it will also have a direct bearing on your life throughout eternity.

(Dieter F. Uchtdorf, “Receiving a Testimony of Light and Truth,” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2014, 22)

John 7:39. Why did John say that “the Holy Ghost was not yet given”?

John referred “only to the gift of the Holy Ghost not being present, since the power of the Holy Ghost was operative during the ministries of John the Baptist and Jesus; otherwise no one would have received a testimony of the truths that these men taught [Matthew 16:16–17; see also 1 Corinthians 12:3]” (Bible Dictionary, “Holy Ghost”).

Supplemental Learning Activity

Video examples of obedience leading to testimony

The following videos show examples of people living the gospel and obtaining a testimony through their faithful obedience. Consider showing one or both of these videos to help encourage the students to act in faith and seek to obtain their own testimonies of Heavenly Father’s teachings.

• Video 1: President Bonnie L. Oscarson, former Young Women General President, described what it was like growing up as a teenager in the 1960s. Her obedience to the Word of Wisdom allowed the Holy Ghost to confirm to her the truth of that gospel principle. (See Bonnie L. Oscarson, “Be Ye Converted,” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2013, 77.)

• Video 2: President Henry B. Eyring of the First Presidency explained how Heavenly Father helped him understand the truth about eternal families as he did his part to avoid contention and bring peace into his home. (See Henry B. Eyring, “A Living Testimony,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2011, 126–27).