Lesson 107

Ezra

Introduction

In fulfillment of prophecy, the Lord inspired Cyrus, king of Persia, to allow the Jews to return to Jerusalem to rebuild the temple. The Jews overcame opposition and completed and dedicated the temple. About 60 years after the temple was rebuilt at Jerusalem, Artaxerxes, the king of Persia, appointed Ezra to lead another group of Jews to Jerusalem and provided him with money and supplies to beautify the temple. Ezra sorrowed when he learned that some of the Jews in Jerusalem had married out of the covenant, and he counseled the people to repent.

Suggestions for Teaching

Trust in your students

Teachers should have faith that with proper guidance and encouragement, students can understand the scriptures, learn to identify doctrine and principles, explain the gospel to others, and apply gospel teachings in their lives. President J. Reuben Clark Jr. described some characteristics of seminary and institute students: “The youth of the Church are hungry for things of the Spirit; they are eager to learn the gospel, and they want it straight, undiluted” (J. Reuben Clark Jr., The Charted Course of the Church in Education, rev. ed. [booklet, 1994; address to Church Educational System religious educators, Aug. 8, 1938]), LDS.org.

Ezra 1–3

The Lord inspires King Cyrus to allow the Jews to return to Jerusalem to rebuild the temple

Display pictures of the Kirtland and Nauvoo Temples. Explain that the Saints built the Kirtland Temple, the first temple of our dispensation, during a time of great poverty. The Saints built the Nauvoo Temple during a time of fierce opposition from the Church’s enemies.

• What does God’s commandment to build temples even in times of poverty or hardship teach us about temples?

As students study the book of Ezra, invite them to look for truths that can help them understand the importance of building temples and participating in temple service.

Explain that 70 years after the Jews were carried away captive to Babylon, Cyrus, the king of Persia, conquered the Babylonians and became the new ruler of the Jews. (You might invite students to look at “The Kingdoms of Israel and Judah at a Glance” [see lesson 106].)

Invite a student to read Ezra 1:1–3 aloud. Ask the class to follow along, looking for what Cyrus did.

• What did Cyrus do?

• Why did he do this? (Explain that the account of Cyrus demonstrates that the Lord works through His children, regardless of their religious background, to achieve His purposes.)

Invite a student to read Ezra 1:4, 7–8 aloud. Ask the class to follow along, looking for what Cyrus did to support the Jews in their efforts to rebuild the temple.

• What did Cyrus do to support the Jews in their efforts to rebuild the temple?

Explain that Ezra 2 contains a list of Jews who were among the first to return to Jerusalem and indicates that this group included approximately 50,000 people.

Summarize Ezra 3:1–9 by explaining that the Jews first rebuilt the altar of the temple and began offering sacrifices. They were directed by Zerubbabel, the Jewish man appointed by the Persians to serve as the governor of the Jews, and Jeshua, the presiding high priest of the Aaronic Priesthood. Many Jews contributed time and resources to the reconstruction of the temple.

Invite a student to read Ezra 3:10–13 aloud, and ask the class to follow along, looking for how the Jews responded when the foundation of the temple was laid.

• What emotions did the Jews experience as they began to rebuild the temple?

• Why do you think their joy was so great?

Ezra 4–6

The Jews overcome opposition and complete and dedicate the temple

Explain that when the 50,000 Jews returned to Jerusalem, there was a group of people living nearby called Samaritans. The Samaritans were “the descendants of (1) foreign colonists placed there by kings of Assyria and Babylonia (2 Kgs. 17:24; Ezra 4:2, 10); (2) Israelites who escaped at the time of the captivity. The population was therefore partly Israelite and partly gentile. Their religion was also of a mixed character (see 2 Kgs. 17:24–41)” (Bible Dictionary, “Samaritans”).

Invite a student to read Ezra 4:1–2 aloud. Ask the class to follow along, looking for how the Samaritans are described and what the Samaritans wanted to do.

• How are the Samaritans described in verse 1?

• What did the Samaritans want to do?

Invite a student to read Ezra 4:3 aloud. Ask the class to follow along and look for how Zerubbabel responded to the Samaritans’ request.

• What did Zerubbabel and the leaders of the Jews tell these people?

Invite a student to read Ezra 4:4–5 aloud. Ask the class to follow along, looking for how the Samaritans responded after Zerubbabel and the other leaders rejected their offer.

• How did the Samaritans respond when Zerubbabel and the other leaders rejected their offer?

Summarize Ezra 4:6–24 by explaining that these verses recount what the Samaritans did to prevent the temple construction. Because of the Samaritans’ efforts, the reconstruction of the temple halted for several years and some Jews lost interest in rebuilding the temple (see Haggai 1:2–6).

Invite a student to read Ezra 5:1–2 aloud. Ask the class to follow along, looking for why the Jews eventually resumed rebuilding the temple.

• Why did the Jews resume rebuilding the temple?

Explain that when local Persian-appointed governors learned that the Jews had resumed building the temple, they questioned the Jews’ authority to do so and opposed the Jews’ renewed efforts. Invite a student to read Ezra 5:5 aloud. Ask the class to follow along and look for why the local governors could not hinder the Jews’ efforts to rebuild the temple. (You may need to point out that by this time, a new king, Darius, ruled the Persian Empire.)

• What do you think it means that “the eye of their God was upon the elders of the Jews, that they could not cause them to cease”? (God was watching over the Jews and preventing the local governors from stopping them as they rebuilt the temple.)

• What can we learn from the Jews’ experience of rebuilding the temple in Jerusalem? (Students may use different words, but make sure they identify the following principle: God watches over and helps those who seek to obey Him. Consider writing this truth on the board.)

• What are some ways in which God watches over and helps His people when they are faced with difficulties?

Summarize Ezra 5:6–6:21 by explaining that the governors over the region wrote a letter to King Darius informing him that the Jews claimed Cyrus had made a decree allowing them to rebuild the temple and had provided them with resources for the endeavor. Darius ordered the king’s records to be searched, and Cyrus’s decree was found. With the help and encouragement of the prophets Haggai and Zechariah, the Jews finished building the temple, dedicated it to the Lord, and offered sacrifices to Him.

Invite a student to read Ezra 6:16, 22 aloud. Ask the class to follow along, looking for how the Lord blessed the people. Invite students to report what they find.

• What principle can we identify from this verse about the blessings of building temples and participating in temple service? (Help students identify a principle similar to the following: As we participate in temple service, we will be blessed with joy.)

Consider sharing the following statement by President Thomas S. Monson (1927–2018):

“Temples bring joy to our faithful members wherever they are built” (Thomas S. Monson, “The Holy Temple—a Beacon to the World,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2011, 91).

Give students opportunities to share

Sharing insights and relevant experiences clarifies a person’s understanding of gospel doctrine and principles. As students share such experiences, they are often led by the Holy Ghost to a deeper understanding and testimony of the very things they are expressing. Through the power of the Holy Ghost, their words and experiences can also have a significant impact on the hearts and minds of their peers.

• How have you or someone you know experienced joy through participating in temple service, including doing family history?

Invite students to write in their study journals something they can do to prepare to participate in temple service.

Ezra 7–8

The Persian king provides Ezra with money and supplies to beautify the temple at Jerusalem

Summarize Ezra 7–8 by explaining that more than 60 years after the completion of the temple, King Artaxerxes of Persia sent a Jewish scribe named Ezra to Jerusalem to appoint government leaders and present an offering to beautify the temple. Although the journey was dangerous, Ezra and his traveling companions arrived safely in Jerusalem after they fasted and prayed and were divinely guided and protected.

Ezra 9–10

Ezra mourns over the sins of the people and teaches them to confess and forsake their sins

Read the following scenario aloud:

After a young man learns the seriousness of sexual sin, he feels a strong desire to repent but is not sure how to do it. Ask students to silently ponder if they have ever wondered what they need to do to repent of their sins.

Invite students to look for truths as they study Ezra 9–10 that can help them know what they need to do to repent of their sins.

Invite a student to read Ezra 9:1–3 aloud. Ask the class to follow along and look for what Ezra learned about the people when he arrived in Jerusalem.

• What did Ezra learn the people had done?

• Why was it a transgression for the Israelites to intermarry with other groups of people?

Explain that marriage is a sacred covenant and the Lord desires that each married couple should work together to be worthy of the blessings of eternal marriage. The law of Moses forbade Israelites from marrying those who worshipped idols and other false gods (see Deuteronomy 7:3–6). Yet many Israelites in Jerusalem had intermarried with these unbelieving people, which led the Israelites to adopt false religious practices.

Summarize Ezra 9:4–15 by explaining that Ezra prayed and acknowledged the sins of the people. He also recounted the consequences the Israelites had suffered in the past because of their sins.

Invite a student to read Ezra 10:1–3 aloud, and ask the class to look for what the people needed to do to repent of their trespass against God. (You may want to explain that the term “strange wives” [verse 2] refers to women who worshipped idols and had married Israelites.)

• What did the people need to do to repent?

Summarize Ezra 10:4–9 by explaining that Ezra called for all of the Israelites living throughout Judah to meet together at Jerusalem in three days. Invite students to read Ezra 10:10–12 silently, looking for what Ezra told the people when they came to Jerusalem.

• What was Ezra’s message to the people? (Ezra told them that they needed to confess their sin and separate themselves from their wives who worshipped idols.)

Explain that it may have been very difficult for the Israelites to repent and separate themselves from their wives who worshipped idols.

• What does the people’s response recorded in verse 12 reveal about them?

• What can we learn from Ezra’s counsel to the people about what we must do to repent of our sins? (To repent, we must confess and forsake our sins. Invite students to consider marking the phrases that teach this truth.)

Invite a student to read aloud the following statement by Elder Richard G. Scott (1928–2015) of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles:

“I testify that of all the necessary steps to repentance, the most critically important is for you to have a conviction that forgiveness comes in and through Jesus Christ. It is essential to know that only on His terms can you be forgiven. You will be helped as you exercise faith in Christ. [See 2 Nephi 9:22–24; Alma 11:40.] That means you trust Him and His teachings” (Richard G. Scott, “Peace of Conscience and Peace of Mind,” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2004, 17).

Testify that students can exercise faith in Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ and receive forgiveness as they confess and forsake their sins.

Summarize Ezra 10:13–44 by explaining that Ezra appointed priesthood leaders to travel among the Israelites to help them do what the Lord had commanded.

Commentary and Background Information

Ezra 1:1. “That the word of the Lord by the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled”

When Cyrus allowed the Jews to return to Jerusalem to rebuild the temple, he was fulfilling prophecy. Both Jeremiah and Isaiah prophesied of Cyrus (see Jeremiah 25:11; 29:10; Isaiah 44:28; 45:1). Even though the books of Jeremiah and Isaiah come after the book of Ezra in the Bible, Jeremiah and Isaiah prophesied many years before the events recorded in Ezra took place.

Ezra 1. The Lord can inspire people, regardless of their religious background, to accomplish His purposes

After discussing the virtues of King Cyrus, President Ezra Taft Benson (1899–1994) spoke of the way our Heavenly Father can work through individuals on the earth “to accomplish His purposes”:

“God, the Father of us all, uses the men of the earth, especially good men, to accomplish his purposes. It has been true in the past, it is true today, it will be true in the future” (Ezra Taft Benson, “Civic Standards for the Faithful Saints,” Ensign, July 1972, 59).

The Lord can bless anyone with inspiration, including those of other faiths. President Dallin H. Oaks of the First Presidency taught:

“No denomination—not even the restored Church—has a monopoly on the blessings of the Lord. He loves and blesses all of His children” (Dallin H. Oaks, “Miracles,” Ensign, June 2001, 12).

Ezra 2:2. Who was Zerubbabel?

“Zerubbabel was a descendant of Jehoiachin, the king who was carried away captive into Babylon … , which descent means he was of the royal Davidic line. Zerubbabel was also an ancestor of Jesus Christ [see Matthew 1:12]. Zerubbabel was the governor of Judah (see Haggai 2:2)” (Old Testament Student Manual: 1 Kings–Malachi, 3rd ed. [Church Educational System manual, 2003], 320). Zerubbabel served under the Persian-appointed governor of the province in which Judah was located. The temple in Jerusalem that was built under his leadership is often referred to as Zerubbabel’s temple, or the second temple (see Old Testament Student Manual: 1 Kings–Malachi, 313).

Ezra 4:3. Why did the Jews reject the Samaritans’ offer to help rebuild the temple?

Jewish leaders cited King Cyrus’s decree that the Jews were the ones who were to rebuild the temple. The leaders of the Jews may have rejected the Samaritans’ offer because the Samaritans were not faithful worshippers of Jehovah. Furthermore, the Samaritans’ participation could have led to future conflicts if they claimed shared ownership of the reconstructed temple.

Ezra 1–10. Additional context for the book of Ezra

For helpful context and background for the book of Ezra, see Brian D. Garner, “Ezra Unfolds the Scriptures” (Ensign, Dec. 2002, 47–49).

Ezra 9–10. Israel’s sins

“Shortly after Ezra arrived in Jerusalem, he commenced his priestly duties of putting affairs in order. The priests and Levites in Jerusalem had allowed the temple service to seriously deteriorate. Many of them had gone out to make a living because the temple was not supported sufficiently to allow them to serve full time. Some of them had even taken wives of the pagan nations, as had many other Jewish citizens. All of this horrified Ezra and many of the faithful who had told him of the problem (see Ezra 9:1–4). Intermarriage with people from some of the surrounding nations was expressly forbidden by the Lord because it led to idolatry (see Deuteronomy 7:1–5). Idolatry had led to the downfall of the Israelite nation, but even the horrors of defeat and exile had not taught the people their lesson.

“Ezra 10:3, 7, 10–12 shows how Ezra successfully called the people to Jerusalem to confess their transgressions and to covenant to put away their heathen wives. It was an important step for the people of Judah in preparing themselves to be worthy of the temple and the sacred land to which the Lord had prophesied they would return” (Old Testament Student Manual: 1 Kings–Malachi, 3rd ed. [Church Educational System manual, 2003], 322).

Ezra 10:3. “Put away all the wives”

In our day, prophets encourage us to marry in the temple; however, they have not commanded Church members to divorce spouses who do not share their beliefs. (See For the Strength of Youth [booklet, 2011], 14–15.)

Supplemental Teaching Idea

Video presentation—“The Laie Hawaii Temple Youth Cultural Celebration”

As you discuss Ezra 6 and students share how the temple has brought them joy, consider showing the video “The Laie Hawaii Temple Youth Cultural Celebration” (3:13), available on LDS.org. Before watching the video, encourage students to look for how the youth felt about not having access to the temple for two years and how they felt about the temple’s reopening.