“Lesson 7 Class Preparation Material: The Strengthening Power of Jesus Christ,” Teachings and Doctrine of the Book of Mormon Teacher Material (2021)
“Lesson 7 Class Preparation Material,” Teachings and Doctrine of the Book of Mormon Teacher Material
Lesson 7 Class Preparation Material
The Strengthening Power of Jesus Christ
Reflect for a minute on times when you have struggled physically, mentally, emotionally, or spiritually. Think also about ways you feel weak or inadequate. President Dallin H. Oaks of the First Presidency observed, “Because of His Atonement, the Savior has the power to succor—to help—every mortal pain and affliction” (“Strengthened by the Atonement of Jesus Christ,” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2015, 62). As you study more about the Atonement of Jesus Christ, consider how the Lord has helped and will continue to help you endure afflictions and overcome weakness in your life.
Section 1
How can the Savior help me with my afflictions and infirmities?
President Tad R. Callister, former Sunday School General President, spoke of the breadth of the Savior’s Atonement this way:
The Atonement of Jesus Christ … [made] it possible for us to return to God’s presence, become more like Him, and have a fulness of joy. This was done by overcoming four obstacles:
Physical death
Spiritual death caused by Adam and by our sins
Our afflictions and infirmities
Our weaknesses and imperfections
(“The Atonement of Jesus Christ,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2019, 85)
In lesson 6, “The Infinite Atonement of Jesus Christ,” we addressed the first two obstacles. Now, let’s consider how the Savior’s Atonement overcomes the third and fourth obstacles.
Around 83 BC, Alma the Younger resigned as chief judge so he could teach the word of God throughout the land. In the city of Gideon, Alma prophesied that the Redeemer would be born on the earth and live among His people and that He would experience all of the pains, afflictions, and temptations of mortality.
Study in Preparation for Class
Read Alma 7:11–12, and look for reasons why Jesus Christ took these mortal experiences upon Himself.
Of this distinctive Book of Mormon teaching, Presiding Bishop Gérald Caussé observed:
In addition to bearing the burden of our sins, the Christ took upon Himself our sorrows, infirmities, sufferings, and sicknesses and all the afflictions inherent in the mortal condition of man. There is no anguish, no pain or sadness that He did not suffer for us [see Alma 7:11–12]. (“A Living Witness of the Living Christ,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2020, 39)
Elder David A. Bednar of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles has also taught:
In a moment of weakness we may cry out, “No one knows what it is like. No one understands.” But the Son of God perfectly knows and understands, for He has felt and borne our individual burdens. And because of His infinite and eternal sacrifice (see Alma 34:14), He has perfect empathy and can extend to us His arm of mercy. He can reach out, touch, succor, heal, and strengthen us to be more than we could ever be and help us to do that which we could never do relying only upon our own power. (“Bear Up Their Burdens with Ease,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2014, 90)
Record Your Thoughts
How does it help you to know that the Savior perfectly understands all of your afflictions and infirmities? When have you felt Him reach out to, comfort, or strengthen you as you have experienced challenges in your life?
Section 2
How can the Savior help me with my weaknesses and imperfections?
As the final author in the Book of Mormon, Moroni included an abridgment of the plates of Ether, which contain the story of the Jaredites and the writings of the brother of Jared. Moroni marveled at the power of the brother of Jared’s writing and expressed his concern about the weakness he perceived in his own writing and in the writing of other Book of Mormon prophets.
Study in Preparation for Class
Read Ether 12:23–27, and consider how Moroni felt about his inadequacies. Ponder how the Lord’s response could bless your life.
Putting our weaknesses and imperfections in an eternal perspective, Sister Michelle D. Craig, First Counselor in the Young Women General Presidency, taught:
Of course, all of us will fall short of our divine potential, and there is some truth in the realization that alone we are not enough. But the good news of the gospel is that with the grace of God, we are enough. …
The surprising truth is that our weaknesses can be a blessing when they humble us and turn us to Christ. …
In fact, Jesus’s miracles often begin with a recognition of want, need, failure, or inadequacy. (“Divine Discontent,” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2018, 54)
Ponder in Preparation for Class
When have you seen, with the Savior’s help, a weakness become a blessing in your life or in the life of someone you know?
Section 3
How can I invite the Lord’s grace more fully into my life?
In his writings, Nephi testified that Moses led the children of Israel out of captivity by the power and grace of God. Nephi wrote, “As the Lord God liveth, there is none other name given under heaven save it be this Jesus Christ … whereby man can be saved” (2 Nephi 25:20). Nephi taught his people that only the grace of Jesus Christ, not sole obedience to the law of Moses, could save them. Grace is a “divine means of help or strength, given through the bounteous mercy and love of Jesus Christ” (Bible Dictionary, “Grace”).
Study in Preparation for Class
Read 2 Nephi 25:23, 29, looking for your role in inviting the Lord’s grace into your life.
The phrase “after all we can do” (2 Nephi 25:23) can feel overwhelming. Consider how the following statements from two members of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles can help us understand what this phrase means.
We do not need to achieve some minimum level of capacity or goodness before God will help—divine aid can be ours every hour of every day, no matter where we are in the path of obedience. But I know that beyond desiring His help, we must exert ourselves, repent, and choose God for Him to be able to act in our lives consistent with justice and moral agency. (D. Todd Christofferson, “Free Forever, to Act for Themselves,” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2014, 19)
The Lord, through His grace, will help each of us carry our cross and make our burdens light. … Please never give up after subsequent failures and consider yourself incapable of abandoning sins and overcoming addiction. You cannot afford to stop trying and thereafter continue in weakness and sin! Always strive to do your best, manifesting through your works the desire to cleanse the inner vessel, as taught by the Savior. Sometimes solutions to certain challenges come after months and months of continuous effort. The promise found in the Book of Mormon that “it is by grace that we are saved, after all we can do” [2 Nephi 25:23] is applicable in these circumstances. Please remember that the Savior’s gift of grace “is not necessarily limited in time to ‘after’ all we can do. We may receive His grace before, during, and after the time when we expend our own efforts” [see Bruce C. Hafen, The Broken Heart: Applying the Atonement to Life’s Experiences (1989), 155–56]. (Ulisses Soares, “Take Up Our Cross,” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2019, 113–14)
Share Your Learning
Consider sharing with a friend or family member what you have learned about the phrase “it is by grace that we are saved, after all we can do” (2 Nephi 25:23). How do you think you can further invite the Savior’s strengthening power into your life to help with some of your current weaknesses or inadequacies?