Matthew 5:1–12
The Beatitudes
To begin the Sermon on the Mount, the Savior taught how people could be happy and blessed. President Harold B. Lee (1899–1973) said that these teachings “embody in fact the constitution for a perfect life” (Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Harold B. Lee [2000], 200). This lesson will help you identify Christlike attributes and make a plan to develop them as you seek happiness and perfection.
The purpose of seminary. The purpose of seminary is to help youth understand and rely on the teachings and Atonement of Jesus Christ, qualify for the blessings of the temple, and prepare themselves, their families, and others for eternal life with their Father in Heaven. As you prepare your lessons, prayerfully determine how you can help achieve this objective each day.
Student preparation: Invite students to select one of the attributes in Matthew 5:1–12 that they would like to know more about. Ask them to learn what it means and to think about how that attribute can lead to happiness.
Possible Learning Activities
Increasing in happiness
Consider writing the following questions on the board before class.
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When have you been most happy?
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Did the happiness last? Why do you think it did or did not last?
As the Savior began His ministry, He gave a sermon near the Sea of Galilee. This sermon is often called the Sermon on the Mount and is recorded in Matthew 5–7. When the Lord visited the Nephites, He gave a similar sermon (see 3 Nephi 12–14).
Matthew 5:1–12 is known as the Beatitudes, which comes from a Latin word meaning “blessed” or “happy” (Matthew 5:3, footnote a). In these verses, Jesus identified attributes that He and His Father possess that lead to true happiness in this life and in the life to come. Developing these attributes will help you become more like Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ.
Read Matthew 5:1–12, looking for and marking the attributes the Savior taught about and the promised blessings for each attribute.
Or consider watching the video “Sermon on the Mount: The Beatitudes” from time code 0:00 to 1:15, listening for the attributes the Savior taught about. This video is available on ChurchofJesusChrist.org.
One principle we can identify from these verses is that as we develop Christlike attributes, we will find increased happiness.
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How do you think the way the Savior lives contributes to His happiness?
If students were invited to learn about one of the attributes before class, invite them to share what they learned. Ask students what sources they used to learn about the attribute.
Learn about one or more of the following attributes. Reflect on how developing the attribute and receiving its promised blessing can help you be happy.
Provide students with the following questions as a handout. Encourage students to place this handout where they can easily access it for future use.
The Beatitudes
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Reference |
Attribute |
|---|---|
Reference | Attribute Poor in spirit. To be humble, or “to recognize gratefully our dependence on the Lord—to understand that we have constant need for His support. Humility is an acknowledgment that our talents and abilities are gifts from God” (Gospel Topics, “Humility,” topics.ChurchofJesusChrist.org). |
Reference | Attribute Mourn. To feel and express sorrow about something. A person may mourn for the trials of mortality that they and others experience. A person may also mourn because of sorrow for sin. |
Reference | Attribute Meek. To be “‘Godfearing, righteous, humble, teachable, and patient under suffering’ [Guide to the Scriptures, ‘Meek, Meekness,’ scriptures.ChurchofJesusChrist.org]. Those who possess this attribute are willing to follow Jesus Christ, and their temperament is calm, docile, tolerant, and submissive” (Ulisses Soares, “Be Meek and Lowly of Heart,” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2013, 9). |
Reference | Attribute Hunger and thirst after righteousness. To have a great desire to know and do the will of God. |
Reference | Attribute Merciful. To be “compassionate, respectful, forgiving, gentle, and patient, even when we are aware of others’ shortcomings” (Gospel Topics, “Mercy,” topics.ChurchofJesusChrist.org). |
Reference | Attribute Pure in heart. To be counted among those who “love the Lord, who seek to follow Him and keep His commandments, who are striving to live virtuous lives and endure faithfully to the end. The pure in heart are those who control their thoughts to keep themselves free from immoral fantasies and deeds” (Sheldon F. Child, “Words of Jesus: Chastity,” Ensign or Liahona, Jan. 2003, 44). |
Reference | Attribute Peacemaker. “To help people find common ground when others are seeing differences” (Henry B. Eyring, “Learning in the Priesthood,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2011, 63). |
Reference | Attribute Persecuted for righteousness’ sake. To be willing to obey and defend Jesus Christ and His teachings, even when we may be mocked or mistreated for doing so. |
Consider discussing various ways that the world defines happiness. Contrast this with happiness in the Lord’s way. Discuss how living the Beatitudes may be different from living the ways of the world but will lead to lasting happiness in God’s way.
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How has the Savior exemplified one or more of these attributes in the scriptures or in your life?
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How do you think developing the attribute or attributes you selected would increase your happiness? Why?
Identifying Christlike attributes in yourself
Take the following survey. It is intended to help you recognize attributes you demonstrate and those you could more fully develop.
Place a number from 1 to 5 next to each of the following Christlike attributes (1 meaning “not very developed” and 5 meaning “highly developed”).
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I am poor in spirit.
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I feel sorrow for others when they mourn and feel godly sorrow when I sin.
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I am meek.
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I hunger and thirst after righteousness.
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I am merciful.
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I am pure in heart.
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I am a peacemaker.
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I am faithful when persecuted for my beliefs.
Identify attributes you are doing well at developing, and give thanks to God for the progress you are making to become more like Him and Jesus Christ. Think about the attributes you would like to develop more fully, and ask God to help you develop them.
Provide sufficient time for students to complete the survey and to ponder their progress with the attributes. Doing so can help them see themselves more accurately and strengthen their relationship with Heavenly Father.
If you have difficulty identifying which attributes you are doing well at or need to work on, it might be helpful to talk with parents or other trusted individuals. Ask them to identify what Christlike attributes they recognize in you and those you could develop more.
The Savior’s role in developing Christlike attributes
We must have the Savior’s help to develop Christlike attributes. Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles explained:
Christlike attributes are gifts from God. They cannot be developed without His help. The one help we all need is given to us freely through the Atonement of Jesus Christ. Having faith in Jesus Christ and in His Atonement means relying completely on Him—trusting in His infinite power, intelligence, and love. Christlike attributes come into our lives as we exercise our agency righteously. Faith in Jesus Christ leads to action. When we have faith in Christ, we trust the Lord enough to follow His commandments—even when we do not completely understand the reasons for them. In seeking to become more like the Savior, we need to reevaluate our lives regularly and rely, through the path of true repentance, upon the merits of Jesus Christ and the blessings of His Atonement.
(Dieter F. Uchtdorf, “Christlike Attributes—the Wind beneath Our Wings,” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2005, 102–3)
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What did you notice in this statement that can help you develop Christlike attributes?
Make a plan
Develop a plan to work toward becoming more like Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. Include specific actions you can implement daily that you feel will help. Remember to seek the Savior’s help. Consider asking trusted family or friends to support you in your efforts. You may also want to record your plan of action in your Youth Guidebook or in a study journal.
Commentary and Background Information
How was the Savior teaching us about His character in the Sermon on the Mount?
President Harold B. Lee (1899–1973) taught:
Christ came not only into the world to make an atonement for the sins of mankind but to set an example before the world of the standard of perfection of God’s law and of obedience to the Father. In his Sermon on the Mount the Master has given us somewhat of a revelation of his own character, which was perfect, … and in so doing has given us a blueprint for our own lives.
(Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Harold B. Lee [2000], 199–200)
What does it mean that those who thirst after righteousness will be filled?
When the Savior gave the Sermon on the Mount in the Americas, He stated that those who hunger and thirst after righteousness “shall be filled with the Holy Ghost” (3 Nephi 12:6).
What are some other Christlike attributes?
Consider watching the video “Christlike Attributes” (2:53), available on ChurchofJesusChrist.org. This video identifies more attributes that the Savior possessed and exemplified during His life.
Supplemental Learning Activities
Inviting students to teach
Consider inviting students to prepare a talk on one of the Beatitudes. (This could be done with a classmate.) After students have prepared their talks, invite several students to share with the class. If students worked with a classmate, they could share their talk with the class together.
The Beatitudes and perfection
Speaking of the Beatitudes, President Harold B. Lee (1899–1973) taught that “these declarations of the Master … embody in fact the constitution for a perfect life” (Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Harold B. Lee [2000], 200).
Invite students to discuss various ways that living the Beatitudes can help us become perfect like Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ (see Matthew 5:48; 3 Nephi 12:48).
Other versions of the Beatitudes
Invite students to read Luke 6:20–26 and 3 Nephi 12:1–12 and to discuss additional insights gained from these verses.
Journal exercise
Invite students to create a heading like the following in their study journal:
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“Matthew 5–7: I can become more like Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ by …”
Encourage students to add to this entry any thoughts and impressions they receive as they study the Sermon on the Mount.