Lesson 2 Teacher Material

The Role of Prophets in Proclaiming the Doctrine of the Eternal Family

“The Family: A Proclamation to the World” begins this way: “We, the First Presidency and the Council of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, solemnly proclaim …” (ChurchofJesusChrist.org). This lesson will help students understand prophets’ sacred responsibility as watchmen to proclaim the Lord’s will and to warn of threats to our spiritual well-being. Students will have an opportunity to determine how they can exercise greater patience and faith in the Lord as they seek to hearken to His living prophets’ teachings on marriage and family.

Suggestions for Teaching

The Lord calls prophets to act as watchmen on the tower.

Display the following question before class:

• Why would prophets choose to address difficult topics and speak against socially accepted practices, knowing that their words will upset some people?

Begin class by asking students their thoughts about the question. As part of your discussion, you might read with students President Russell M. Nelson’s statement from section 1 of the preparation material.

• How would you summarize what President Nelson was teaching? (Help students identify truths like the following: God shows His love by calling prophets to warn and protect us. Prophets show they care for all people by teaching truth.)

• How have you felt God’s love through the warnings, correction, and counsel of living prophets? (Consider sharing your testimony about this as well.)

Display one of the pictures of a watchman found in the preparation material, and give students time to review Ezekiel 3:17–19.

• How are prophets like watchmen on the tower?

You might hold up a copy of the proclamation on the family and ask:

• How does the issuing of the family proclamation illustrate prophets’ roles as watchmen on the tower? (You could invite students to review the statement by President Gordon B. Hinckley and the excerpt from President Russell M. Nelson’s biography in section 2 of the preparation material.)

The Lord commands us to follow the prophets in patience and faith.

You might invite students to list some reasons people in ancient times might have chosen to not respond to a watchman’s warning.

Consider sharing the following scenario (or create one that is more relevant to your students) and inviting students to respond to the questions that follow:

Jorge has been taught the doctrine contained in the family proclamation since he was young. But his close cousins and some of his friends believe the teachings are narrow minded and intolerant of some lifestyle choices. Some of what they say makes sense to Jorge. He wonders if the proclamation is out of date.

• What are your thoughts about Jorge’s situation?

• What influences can make it difficult for people to accept some of the teachings in the family proclamation?

Invite students to read or review Doctrine and Covenants 21:4–6. Remind them that these verses refer to the Prophet Joseph Smith and, by extension, can be applied to the current President of the Lord’s Church.

• What do you think it means to receive the prophet’s words “in all patience and faith”? (verse 5).

• How would you summarize the Lord’s promises to those who receive and heed the words of His prophet in patience and faith? (You might help students identify a principle similar to the following: If we heed the words of the prophet, the Lord will bless us and disperse the powers of darkness.)

Improving Our Teaching and Learning

Help students experience deeper learning. As you teach, focus on what students must experience and do to invite personal revelation and deepen conversion. How can you help them build on what they already know? How can you help them be active learners and contribute to the learning of others? How can you give them opportunities to recognize promptings from the Holy Ghost?

To help students consider examples of this principle, give them a few minutes to read or review the scripture account they chose from section 3 of the preparation material. You might divide the class into small groups and invite students to discuss their answers to the questions in the “Record Your Thoughts” activity in section 3. Otherwise, invite students to discuss their answers as a class.

You might also invite the groups to talk about all or some of the following questions (or you could discuss them as a class):

• In your own life, what has helped you to heed the words of the Lord’s prophets in patience and faith? What do you know about the Lord that can help you respond this way to His prophets’ words?

• When have you felt blessed or had darkness dispersed because of your patience and faith in heeding the words of prophets?

• What recent counsel has the Lord given through His prophets that might require some patience and faith to receive and heed?

Display the following questions, and provide ample time for students to reflect on those that are most applicable to them. Encourage students to record and act on any impressions they receive.

• If something a prophet has taught about marriage or family is difficult for me to accept, how do I respond? What might the Lord want me to do in this situation?

• How intentional and consistent am I in my efforts to heed the counsel of the Lord’s prophets pertaining to marriage and family? How might the Lord want me to improve?

Testify of the truths taught in this lesson. Assure students that the Lord is willing to help them as they strive to heed the words of prophets in all patience and faith.

For Next Time

You might invite students to consider if they have wondered who they would become someday or what they were supposed to do in this life. Encourage students to prayerfully study the preparation material for the next lesson with these thoughts in mind.