Lesson 27 Teacher Material

Faith, Hope, and Charity

President Dieter F. Uchtdorf, then of the First Presidency, taught, “Faith, hope, and charity complement each other, and as one increases, the others grow as well” (“The Infinite Power of Hope,” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2008, 23). In this lesson, students will be able to explain how to develop and increase their faith and hope in the Savior Jesus Christ and in His gospel. They will also be able to identify what they can do to more fully develop the Christlike attribute of charity.

Suggestions for Teaching

Improving Our Teaching and Learning

Use appropriate variety. To enhance students’ learning experience, use a variety of teaching methods, such as questions, class discussions, stories, writing exercises, real-life examples, appropriate humor, objects, pictures, quotes, group work, teacher presentations, and board or audiovisual presentations. Always remember that teaching methods are a means to increase learning and should not become ends in themselves. (See Gospel Teaching and Learning: A Handbook for Teachers and Leaders in Seminaries and Institutes of Religion [2012], 66.)

Mormon teaches the connection between faith and hope.

Display the accompanying image of a multicolored rope and stacked blocks. Explain that the different colors in these objects represent faith, hope, and charity.

• In what ways might faith, hope, and charity be more like interlaced strands of a rope than blocks stacked together?

Display the following statement by Elder Chi Hong (Sam) Wong of the Seventy:

Faith, hope, and charity … are intertwined with one another. We don’t finish building faith, and then have hope, or after having hope, finally develop charity. They all work together. And as they become interlaced, they collectively help form our characters and testimonies. (“Faith, Hope, and Charity: Interlacing Virtues,” Ensign, Dec. 2016, 19)

Invite students to review Moroni 7:33, 38, 40–43, looking for what these verses teach us about the connection between faith and hope.

• What do we learn from these verses about the connection between faith and hope? (Students may express several truths, including the following: As we develop faith in Jesus Christ, we obtain hope that through His Atonement and Resurrection, we can be raised to eternal life.)

• Why is hope closely connected to faith and trust in the Atonement of Jesus Christ and His Resurrection?

Invite students to review the statement by President M. Russell Ballard in section 1 of the preparation material.

• Can you think of examples you may have seen in people’s lives that reflect the truths President Ballard taught?

Consider sharing the following excerpt of a letter that was sent to President Russell M. Nelson from a friend who was struggling with a personal problem:

“The guilt and failure I feel make it almost impossible for me to repent. I am losing my faith. The sins were first; the doubts followed. …

“My painful indecisiveness, my tentativeness, my lack of direction, my paralysis of volition, my poverty of confidence have caused suffering and depression. My family, my future, and my faith are at stake. I am losing hope.” (“A More Excellent Hope,” Ensign, Feb. 1997, 60)

Invite students to review Ether 12:4, 32 and the statement by President Uchtdorf in section 2 of the preparation material, and discuss what the author of this letter could do to restore hope.

• What has most helped you to make hope an active part of your daily life?

• Based on what you have thought and felt during this lesson, what changes do you feel inspired to make to increase your capacity to experience hope? (You might give students time to record their thoughts and feelings.)

Mormon teaches the importance of seeking the gift of charity.

Ask students the following question:

• From your study and your experience, how would you explain what charity is?

Invite a student to read Moroni 7:43–44, 48, and ask:

• How do you think faith and hope in Jesus Christ are connected to the gift of charity?

• What did Mormon counsel us to do if we truly desire the gift of charity? (Help students identify a principle similar to the following: If we pray with all the energy of heart and follow Jesus Christ, we can be filled with charity.)

Consider giving students a couple of minutes to ponder times when they have prayed for help to have charity and what happened as a result.

Invite students to form small groups, and provide each group with the following handout.

Examples of Charity in Daily Life

Teachings and Doctrine of the Book of Mormon Teacher Material—Lesson 27

As a group, seek to deepen your understanding of charity by completing one or two of the following activities:

1. Review Moroni 7:45–47, and identify words or phrases that describe charity. Then take turns completing the following question: “What does charity look like when …” (For example, “What does charity look like when you disagree with someone? when someone has hurt you?”) Using the teachings in Moroni 7:45–47, respond to the questions that you form.

2. Review the statement by President Jean B. Bingham in section 3 of the preparation material, and share examples of how Jesus Christ is “the perfect embodiment of charity” (“I Will Bring the Light of the Gospel into My Home,” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2016, 6). As you discuss different examples, consider asking each other questions that can help you apply what you are learning from the Savior’s example.

3. Review the statement by President Thomas S. Monson in section 3 of the preparation material, and share examples of charity that you have witnessed in the lives of people you know. Discuss what these examples teach about charity and how these examples can help us to be more Christlike in our daily lives.

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Examples of Charity in Daily Life

After sufficient time, invite a few students to share what they learned in their groups.

Display the following questions, and invite students to select the one they feel is most relevant to their current circumstances. Encourage students to record any feelings they have or impressions they receive.

• Who needs to feel the Savior’s love through me? What can I do to help this person feel His love?

• How have I been blessed by the Christlike words or actions of someone else?

• When has demonstrating Christlike love brought me closer to Jesus Christ and Heavenly Father?

• What am I currently doing (or not doing) that is keeping me from seeking (or obtaining) the gift of charity?

Encourage students to set a goal for how they can work to obtain the Christlike attributes of faith, hope, and charity so they can become more like Jesus Christ.

For Next Time

Ask students to come to the next class prepared to talk about how the Book of Mormon leads people to Jesus Christ. Encourage students to think about experiences they have had with the Book of Mormon during this course that have strengthened their testimony and relationship with Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ.