Lesson 23 Teacher Material

When Blessings of Eternal Marriage or Children Are Delayed

Many Church members have righteous desires for the blessings of eternal marriage or children that are delayed or disrupted. In this lesson, students will discuss how they can act with faith in Jesus Christ if they face these types of challenges. Students will also determine what they can do to be inclusive of others in their wards or branches, regardless of their family circumstances.

Suggestions for Teaching

We can choose to exercise faith in Jesus Christ when desired blessings are delayed.

Display and read together the statement by Elder Neil L. Andersen in section 1 of the preparation material. You might highlight or list on the board the circumstances he mentioned that don’t always perfectly match the ideals taught in the family proclamation.

• Why do you think Church leaders continue to teach ideals of family life if the majority of Church members do not currently experience these ideals? (Consider referring to Sister Sharon Eubank’s statement in section 1 of the preparation material.)

Display the picture of Abraham and Sarah from section 2 of the preparation material, and ask students to summarize the blessings that either were delayed or went unfulfilled in the lives of Abraham and Sarah.

Invite students to review Hebrews 11:8, 11–13 individually, looking for phrases that highlight the faith of Abraham and Sarah. Ask a few students to share what they find.

• How could the example of Abraham and Sarah help modern-day Church members whose faith is challenged when promised blessings are delayed or unfulfilled in this life? (After students share their thoughts, write the following principle on the board: As we are faithful to the Lord and trust His timing, we will receive His promised blessings in mortality or in eternity.)

You might remind students that receiving promised blessings is often not a matter of righteousness but of the Lord’s timing. Display the following statement by Elder Jeffrey R. Holland of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles:

Some blessings come soon, some come late, and some don’t come until heaven; but for those who embrace the gospel of Jesus Christ, they come. Of that I personally attest. (“An High Priest of Good Things to Come,” Ensign, Nov. 1999, 38)

Consider discussing some of the following questions to help students deepen their understanding of the principle on the board:

• How might Church members in one of the circumstances mentioned by Elder Andersen (in his statement in section 1 of the preparation material, referenced earlier in this section) continue to exercise faith in Jesus Christ and His teachings on family?

• What experiences or teachings have shaped your confidence that the Lord will fulfill His promises even if desired blessings are delayed? (Invite students to refer to what they wrote in response to the “Record Your Thoughts” activity in section 2 of the preparation material.)

• When have you, or someone you know, moved forward with faith in the Lord when a blessing related to being married or having children was delayed? What did you learn about the Lord from that experience?

As part of the discussion, consider sharing the following account of a young single adult that was shared by President Dallin H. Oaks of the First Presidency:

I received a letter from a woman studying at Harvard University. I was impressed with its content.

She said, “I am only 26 and I have felt the trial of singleness overtake me.”

After sharing more in her letter, she concluded: “I was walking home from work one afternoon one year ago, pouring my heart out to God, telling Him my deepest desire was to be a wife and mother. I was stopped in my tracks as a powerful thought and feeling came into my heart and mind. The thought was that I was wrong. The deepest desire of my heart should be discipleship of Jesus Christ and then the second can be to be a wife and mother. My outlook on life has changed since then. I had them switched around. I know all the blessings promised will be mine, but this will happen in the Lord’s time and not mine.” What a powerful thought! (Facebook, July 11, 2016, facebook.com/dallin.h.oaks)

Invite students to record what they could do to continue to exercise faith in Jesus Christ as they wait to receive family blessings they desire.

You might encourage students to seek the Lord’s guidance and support in learning how to obtain joy, fulfillment, and growth now, whatever their family circumstances are.

Each Church member is an important part of the body of Christ.

Invite students to review 1 Corinthians 12:12–27, looking for what the Apostle Paul’s analogy teaches us about the Church and its members.

• What truths can we learn from this analogy? (Among the truths students may identify, be sure to emphasize the following truth: Every member of the Church is necessary and can make an important contribution to the Church.)

To demonstrate that all Church members have value to contribute, you might show the video “Songs Sung and Unsung” (2:56), found in the “Want More?” section of the preparation material.

“Songs Sung and Unsung”

To help students consider how to include others and choose to be included themselves in Church settings, you could share the following scenario (or adjust the scenario as appropriate to be more relevant to your students):

Victoria recently went through a divorce. She confides in you that she does not feel like she fits in the Church anymore. She sits alone in church meetings and feels out of place during Relief Society discussions related to marriage and family. She questions whether she has anything to contribute to her ward in her current situation.

Consider arranging students into pairs and displaying the following questions. Invite one student from each pair to ponder how he or she would answer Victoria’s questions from Victoria’s perspective. Invite the other student to ponder the other set of questions from the perspective of someone in Victoria’s ward. After a few minutes, invite students to discuss their answers with each other.

Victoria	Ward Member
I don’t feel like I belong. What can I do to feel more included?	How can I support Victoria in her current situation?
What are some unique perspectives and contributions that I could add to my ward?	What can I do to better understand Victoria and help her feel valued and included in our ward?
What can I do to allow the Savior to help me understand and feel my value and place in His Church?	How can I be more inclusive of ward members who experience circumstances such as being a single adult, being a single parent, or being married and not having children?

After sufficient time, invite a few students to share with the class what they learned from this activity.

Give students time to record and plan how they will act on their impressions to support fellow Church members, regardless of their family circumstances. You might invite students to think about specific members of their ward or branch they could support.

Consider concluding the lesson by testifying of Heavenly Father’s unfailing love and support for those whose family situations are challenging. Also testify that every member of the Lord’s Church is needed and can make a meaningful contribution.

For Next Time

Invite students to think about people they know who experience mental or emotional health challenges. Encourage students to read the preparation material for the next lesson with these individuals in mind. You might also encourage students to find some alone time to evaluate their own mental health.