Lesson 136

Commandments (Part 2)

Introduction

The teaching materials for this doctrinal mastery topic are divided into four parts. In part 2, students will study paragraph 9.4 of the Doctrinal Mastery Core Document (2018) and discuss the Ten Commandments. They will also study the doctrinal mastery scripture passage Exodus 20:3–17.

Note: You could teach the segments of this lesson in a single class session or over the course of several class sessions, dividing class time between Doctrinal Mastery and a regular sequential scripture lesson. If you choose to teach the segments over the course of several class sessions, you may need to briefly review with students what they learned in previous segments before you teach a new segment.

Suggestions for Teaching

Understanding the Doctrine

Segment 1 (10 minutes)

Display the picture The Ten Commandments (Gospel Art Book [2009], no. 14; see also lds.org/media-library). If necessary, explain that Moses is holding tablets upon which the Ten Commandments were written.

• In what ways are the Ten Commandments relevant today?

Invite a student to read aloud paragraph 9.4 of the Doctrinal Mastery Core Document. Ask the class to follow along, looking for why we need the Ten Commandments.

• Why do we need the Ten Commandments? (Students should report that the Ten Commandments are a vital part of the gospel and are eternal principles that are necessary for our exaltation. Write or display this statement on the board, and invite students to consider marking it in their copies of the Doctrinal Mastery Core Document. You may want to remind students that “eternal life, or exaltation, is to inherit a place in the highest degree of the celestial kingdom, where we will live in God’s presence and continue as families (see D&C 131:1–4)” (True to the Faith: A Gospel Reference [2004], 52.)

• Which doctrinal mastery scripture passage contains the Ten Commandments? (Exodus 20:3–17.)

Invite students to turn to Exodus 20:3–17 and to consider marking this doctrinal mastery passage in a distinctive way so they can locate it easily. To help students understand the context of this passage, you may want to remind them that after Moses led the Israelites out of Egypt, he went up on Mount Sinai and received these commandments from the Lord. You may want to encourage students to consider numbering each of the Ten Commandments in their scriptures if they have not already done so.

Invite students to refer to the first sentence in paragraph 9.2 of the Doctrinal Mastery Core Document, where the two greatest commandments—to love God and to love our neighbor—are mentioned.

• How does obeying the Ten Commandments help us to love God and to love our neighbor?

• How do your feelings about Heavenly Father inspire your obedience to His commandments?

Segment 2 (25 minutes)

Show the Mormon Messages video “Obedience to the Ten Commandments” (3:09), which can be found on LDS.org. This video includes teachings from Elder L. Tom Perry (1922–2015) of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. Invite students to listen for what Elder Perry taught that helps us to understand the key statement of doctrine students identified in paragraph 9.4. After showing the video, ask the following:

• Based on what you learned from this video, how are the Ten Commandments relevant today?

• What did Elder Perry teach that helps us understand that the Ten Commandments are a vital part of the gospel and are eternal principles that are necessary for our exaltation?

Divide the class into small groups and assign each group two or more of the Ten Commandments. Give each group one copy of the following handout for each of their assigned commandments, or write the instructions on the board. Invite them to discuss the questions on the handout, record their answers, and prepare to share their answers with the class. As the groups work on their assignments, consider visiting each group to make sure that students understand what their assigned commandments mean and that they can answer the questions on the handout. After sufficient time, invite several students to share what they discussed and wrote in their groups.

The Ten Commandments

Write your assigned commandment here:

Discuss the following questions and write your answers.

• How is this commandment a vital part of the gospel of Jesus Christ?

• How can obeying this commandment help us to prepare for exaltation?

• What are some ways we can keep this commandment?

• How has obeying this commandment blessed your life and helped you become more like the Savior?

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Segment 3 (5 minutes)

Invite students to silently review paragraph 9.4 of the Doctrinal Mastery Core Document. Point out that the Ten Commandments are eternal principles and that they have been reiterated in latter-day revelations.

Cross-references

To help students succeed in their personal scripture study, you can assist them in developing and using a variety of scripture-study skills and methods. One such skill is using cross-references to learn more about a topic.

Consider listing the following scripture references on the board: Mosiah 12:34–37; 13:11–24; Doctrine and Covenants 42:18–29; 59:5–12. Explain that these passages teach the Ten Commandments in latter-day revelations. Invite students to consider recording these passages as cross-references in their scriptures next to the Ten Commandments.

• What can we learn about the Ten Commandments from the fact that they are repeated in latter-day revelations?

Invite students to select one of the commandments they have felt impressed to obey more fully and to ponder what effective righteous action they can take to do so. Give each student a small piece of paper, and invite them to write on the paper the number of the commandment they want to focus on, as well as one thing they plan to do today to more fully obey that commandment. Invite students to carry that piece of paper with them throughout the day as a reminder to focus on keeping that commandment.