“Lesson 26 Class Preparation Material: After the Trial of Your Faith,” Teachings and Doctrine of the Book of Mormon Teacher Material (2021)
“Lesson 26 Class Preparation Material,” Teachings and Doctrine of the Book of Mormon Teacher Material
Lesson 26 Class Preparation Material
After the Trial of Your Faith
Have you ever prayed for a miracle? Do you seek a deeper spiritual witness of Jesus Christ and His gospel? Is there anything that you are hoping to receive from the Lord in your life right now? Think about these hopes and desires as you study more about faith and how the Book of Mormon teaches us to exercise it.
Section 1
How can exercising faith in Jesus Christ help me learn and grow as I face trials?
In the book of Ether, Moroni recorded that as wars, rebellion, and wickedness overwhelmed the Jaredite society, the Lord sent the prophet Ether to declare faith, repentance, and hope to the people.
Study in Preparation for Class
Read Ether 12:3–7, 12, 18, and consider why faith in God is essential in our spiritual progression.
Because the Lord loves us and wants us to progress, He gives us opportunities to try our faith in Him. Elder Richard G. Scott of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles said:
Every time you try your faith—that is, act in worthiness on an impression—you will receive the confirming evidence of the Spirit. As you walk to the boundary of your understanding into the twilight of uncertainty, exercising faith, you will be led to find solutions you would not obtain otherwise. (“The Transforming Power of Faith and Character,” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2010, 44)
Think about times in your life when you have acted with faith in the Lord and received a spiritual witness afterward. Elder D. Todd Christofferson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles once explained how remaining faithful during a trial helped him grow spiritually:
Though I suffered then, as I look back now, I am grateful that there was not a quick solution to my problem. The fact that I was forced to turn to God for help almost daily over an extended period of years taught me truly how to pray and get answers to prayer and taught me in a very practical way to have faith in God. I came to know my Savior and my Heavenly Father in a way and to a degree that might not have happened otherwise or that might have taken me much longer to achieve. … I learned to trust in the Lord with all my heart. I learned to walk with Him day by day. (“Look to God Each Day,” New Era, Apr. 2015, 4)
Ponder in Preparation for Class
What lessons have you learned or what blessings have you received as you have remained faithful during times of struggle? How can this type of experience help you draw closer to Jesus Christ?
Section 2
In what ways can I be blessed and empowered by exercising faith in Jesus Christ?
As recorded in Ether 12:7–22, Moroni provided examples of people who exercised faith and were blessed with miracles, revelations, deliverance, conversion, and promises. Commenting on the brother of Jared, who moved the mountain Zerin through the Lord’s power, Moroni concluded, “And if he had not had faith it would not have moved; wherefore [the Lord] workest after men have faith” (Ether 12:30).
President Russell M. Nelson taught:
Faith in Jesus Christ propels us to do things we otherwise would not do. Faith that motivates us to action gives us more access to His power. (“Drawing the Power of Jesus Christ into Our Lives,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2017, 41)
Study in Preparation for Class
Find a passage or account in the Book of Mormon that illustrates people receiving divine help after exercising faith in Jesus Christ. If you would like a couple of examples, consider reading the following:
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Ether 6:2–12 (The Jaredites cross the sea in barges.)
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1 Nephi 3:4–7; 4:1–19 (Nephi returns to Laban’s house. You might also want to watch the Book of Mormon video “The Spirit Directs Nephi to Slay Laban (1 Nephi 4:1–19)” [3:26].)
3:26
After you study one of these passages or one you thought of, ponder the following questions and record your answers. Be prepared to share your insights in class.
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How did the individual or people exercise faith in Jesus Christ? What blessings and divine power did the Lord provide after they exercised faith in Him?
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What principles or practices can you learn from this account? How can you apply them to your life?
Elder L. Whitney Clayton of the Presidency of the Seventy taught the following about living by faith:
God asks us to bear with Him—to trust Him and to follow Him. He pleads with us to “dispute not because ye see not.” He cautions us that we shouldn’t expect easy answers or quick fixes from heaven. Things work out when we stand firm during the “trial of [our] faith,” however hard that test may be to endure or slow the answer may be in coming [see Ether 12:6]. I am not speaking of “blind obedience” [see Boyd K. Packer, “Agency and Control,” Ensign, May 1983, 66–68] but of thoughtful confidence in the perfect love and the perfect timing of the Lord. (“Whatsoever He Saith unto You, Do It,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2017, 99)
Ponder in Preparation for Class
What might the Lord be asking you to do that would require you to act in faith? How can you demonstrate your trust in Him as you move forward?
Section 3
What do I need to do to gain or strengthen my personal witness of the Book of Mormon?
After the destruction of the Nephite civilization, Moroni was left alone to complete the Book of Mormon. Before sealing up the record, he offered a few words of counsel and encouragement. He urged future readers to approach the Book of Mormon with faith so they could receive a personal witness from the Holy Ghost that it is true.
Study in Preparation for Class
Read Moroni’s invitation in Moroni 10:3–5, and consider marking how we can exercise faith in Jesus Christ and come to know that the Book of Mormon is true.
While serving as a member of the Quorum of the Seventy, Elder Gene R. Cook explained how accepting Moroni’s invitation is an act of faith:
Notice the special manner in which we receive answers from God: we are to “ask with a sincere heart, with real intent, having faith in Christ” [Moroni 10:4]. Consider the language again of “having faith in Christ.” This signifies an important state of mind. To have faith in Christ means that we accept that there is a God; accept that through the power of his Son Jesus Christ, God can answer our prayer; and believe that God can manifest truth to us. We place ourselves off the neutral line by thus exercising faith in Christ. We act! Even though our faith may be small, we do as Alma taught: we “exercise a particle of faith, yea, even if [we] can no more than desire to believe [that God can help us], let this desire work in [us]” (Alma 32:27). (“Moroni’s Promise,” Ensign, Apr. 1994, 14)
Record Your Thoughts
Consider how Moroni’s invitation and promise follow the pattern of receiving a witness after exercising faith (see Ether 12:6). What has your experience been with receiving a witness of the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon? What could you do to either gain your own testimony of the Book of Mormon or deepen the one you already have?