18

Be an Obedient Student

Take notes and answer questions here.

Review

In “Overcome Challenges through Your Choices,” you learned about the importance of taking responsibility and not making excuses. Share an experience when you took responsibility for your learning.

Learn

When you are obedient to the commandments of God, your parents’ requests, and school rules, you will be blessed with strength, knowledge, joy, and peace. You will also have the constant companionship of the Holy Ghost. The blessings of obedience will help you endure and overcome challenges in your life and in school.

Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles said:

“In addition to helping you to become better servants of the Lord, obedience to these laws will help you to be better in everything you undertake in life. …You will enjoy your life more; you will be happier and at peace with yourself because you will know that your life is acceptable to your Heavenly Father and His Beloved Son, Jesus Christ” (“Live in Obedience,” Ensign, May 1994, 39).

Being obedient is important to your success. For example, in math, there are certain rules that you must follow in order to complete a problem correctly. Look at the math problems below. Why would it be important to know the rules for each problem?

Order of Operations

4 + (10 – 4) ÷ 5 =

Distributive Property

a(b + c) = ab + ac

The consequence of not following math rules is that you will not calculate the correct answer. The consequence of not following school rules may be that your learning experience is not as positive as it could be.

Our Heavenly Father asks us to obey Him and His commandments because He loves us and wants what is best for us. In addition to obeying the commandments of God, you have expectations and rules at school that you must obey. Obeying these rules will help you progress in your learning.

Activity

Read the list below and think about how well you do each of the following activities at school. Put a number (1, 2, or 3) in front of each statement. 1 = needs work, 2 = doing okay, 3 = doing well

How am I doing at school?		How am I doing at school?
	How am I doing at school? Following the school rules
	How am I doing at school? Following directions from your teachers and leaders
	How am I doing at school? Listening carefully to instructions and following them the very best you can
	How am I doing at school? Completing your own schoolwork and turning it in on time
	How am I doing at school? Arriving at school on time
	How am I doing at school? Following the rules for exams

Think about the results you want in school. If you want to pass your classes, what is expected of you? If you want to become a better learner, what do you need to do?

Below are different situations you may experience in your classroom at school. Talk about what you would do in each situation to make sure you are obedient to the school rules and expectations.

What should you do if …

1. Your teacher is in the middle of teaching a lesson, and you want to write a note to your friend instead of taking class notes.

2. You are excited to get started on a science project and do not want to wait for your teacher to give you instructions before you to begin.

3. Your class is taking an exam, and the person next to you is cheating off your paper.

4. Class is beginning, but your friend is still talking to you.

Share other ways you can be an obedient learner.

Talk with Your Family

Talk with your family about the blessings you have seen from being obedient. Are there ways you can be more obedient in school or to your parents?