Focus on Jesus Christ: Help Learners Come unto Jesus Christ

Help learners recognize the Lord’s love, power, and mercy in their lives.

Skill

Ask questions that focus on connecting the Lord’s power, mercy, and influence to the truths being taught.

Define

There is power that comes when we connect our efforts to live gospel principles to our Savior Jesus Christ. Take time in your preparation to ponder what the gospel principles in the scripture block help you know and understand about Jesus Christ. Then carefully create questions that invite students to consider what they can learn about His love, power, and mercy from the truths being taught. In addition to helping students understand the doctrine, these types of questions can also help them see how living that doctrine will help them experience His love, power, and mercy, as well as become more like Him. These types of questions may also help students consider how Jesus Christ will help them live that doctrine.

The models and practices below are general examples. Training will be more effective if models and practice opportunities are connected to the next lessons that will be covered in the curriculum.

Model

Instead of asking …

• Why is it important to live the law of tithing?

• Why should we repent daily?

Try asking instead …

• What has living the law of tithing taught you about your Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ?

• What have you learned about the Savior’s mercy through daily repentance?

Click here to see a video of this model.

Practice

Practice by changing the following questions in ways that help students connect the Lord’s love, power, and mercy to the truths being taught.

Instead of asking …

• Why is it important to study the scriptures daily?

• What power comes from attending the temple?

Try asking instead …

Discuss or Ponder

• How have you learned to see that doctrinal principles become more meaningful as you connect them to the Lord’s love, power, and mercy?

• How can this help our students better understand and rely on the teachings and Atonement of Jesus Christ?

Incorporate

Look at your next lesson plan. Spend 10 minutes revising questions to help students connect the Lord’s love, power, and mercy to the truths being taught.

Want More?

• Chad H Webb, “We Talk of Christ, We Rejoice in Christ” (Seminaries and Institutes of Religion annual training broadcast, June 12, 2018), broadcasts.ChurchofJesusChrist.org

• Chad H Webb, “Empathy” (Seminaries and Institutes of Religion annual training broadcast, Jan. 26, 2021), broadcasts.ChurchofJesusChrist.org

Skill

Give invitations that help learners recognize the Lord’s love, power, and mercy in their own experiences.

Define

You can help students come unto Jesus Christ by inviting them to recognize His love, power, and mercy in their own experiences. After you have identified a scripture where His love, power, or mercy is described:

• Express confidence that the students have experienced Christ’s love, power, or mercy in their lives.

• Allow time for students to search their memories for moments when they have felt the Savior’s love, power, or mercy in their own experiences (these moments could be past or current).

• Ask if any are willing to share an experience.

As students become more capable of recognizing Christ’s role in their personal experiences, they will feel closer to Him and their relationship with Him will be strengthened.

The models and practices below are general examples. Training will be more effective if models and practice opportunities are connected to the next lessons that will be covered in the curriculum.

Model

Here is an example of what this might look like:

• Doctrine and Covenants 61:1 describes Jesus Christ as “Him who has all power.” To help students recognize His power in their experiences, you might say: “I believe that each of you has had experiences where you have felt the Savior’s power in your life. Please take the next three minutes and write about a time when you have felt His power.” After most students have completed the writing exercise, you might ask, “If it is not too personal, would anyone be willing to share their experience with the class?”

Click here to see a video of this model.

Practice

Try one or more of the following:

• Luke 5 has several examples of the Savior’s power to heal. Read Luke 5:12–17. Practice writing one or two invitations that would help students ponder when they have likewise experienced Christ’s power to heal.

• Turn to your next curriculum lesson. Find a place in the scripture blocks where you can practice writing one or two invitations to help learners reflect on when they have personally experienced the Lord’s love, power, or mercy.

Discuss or Ponder

• What invitations do you currently give to help students recognize Christ’s love, power, and mercy in their personal lives?

• How can you remember to give these types of invitations in your next experience with students?

• Because of the experiences you have had with Christ’s love, mercy, and power, how does that inspire you to continue or perhaps increase your efforts to help your students see Him in their lives too?

Incorporate

Choose an upcoming scripture block that shows Christ’s mercy, love, or power. Carefully create an invitation in your lesson plan to help students see the Savior in their personal experiences.

Want More?

• “Help Learners Come unto Jesus Christ,” Teaching in the Savior’s Way (2022), 8–9

• Dieter F. Uchtdorf, “The Gift of Grace,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2015, 107–10

• Russell M. Nelson, “The Everlasting Covenant,” Liahona, Oct. 2022, 4–11