Lesson 7 Teacher Material

The Eternal Nature and Purpose of Gender

Our gender was established in our premortal life and is essential in fulfilling our Heavenly Father’s plan for our salvation and exaltation in families. In this lesson, students will have an opportunity to explain how God’s plan helps us understand the eternal importance of our gender. This lesson will also provide guidance for students who may have questions related to gender.

Suggestions for Teaching

Gender is an essential characteristic of individual identity and purpose.

Note: You may want to acknowledge with students the sensitive nature of this and other topics in this course and remind students to participate in class discussions with Christlike love, sensitivity, and understanding. Be cautious not to use doctrine in a way that invites a spirit of accusation and condemnation. Rather, follow the example of the Savior as you teach in a way that brings understanding, hope, and healing.

Invite students to imagine they are a Sunday School teacher for a class of 14-year-olds who have some questions about gender. One student asks, “Why does gender even matter?”

Invite students to review section 1 of the preparation material in partnerships or small groups and to consider how they would answer this question based on the teachings of the Church. After allowing time for discussion, invite a couple of students to share how they would answer.

As students share their responses, you may want to review together Genesis 1:26–27, the paragraph from “The Family: A Proclamation to the World” (ChurchofJesusChrist.org), and Elder David A. Bednar’s second statement found in section 1 of the preparation material. You might then help students identify truths like the following: Gender is an essential characteristic of individual premortal, mortal, and eternal identity and purpose. By divine design, men and women are intended to complement, complete, and perfect each other. (Remind students that “the intended meaning of gender in the family proclamation is biological sex at birth” [General Handbook: Serving in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 38.6.23]. This same meaning of gender is intended throughout this teacher material unless otherwise noted.)

Improving Our Teaching and Learning

Help students understand doctrine and principles. As students more deeply understand doctrine and principles, they can more meaningfully apply them. After identifying principles and doctrine, help students see them from an eternal perspective. Ask questions that lead students to a clearer understanding of Heavenly Father’s purposes surrounding the doctrine. Encourage students to think about and explain how these truths can apply to their lives today.

You might use some of the following questions or activities to help students deepen their understanding of the truths they identified:

• How can the plan of salvation help you understand that “gender is an essential characteristic of individual premortal, mortal, and eternal identity and purpose”? (“The Family: A Proclamation to the World”).

• In what ways do male and female spirits complete and perfect each other? (See Elder David A. Bednar’s and Elder Dale G. and Sister Ruth L. Renlund’s statements in section 1 of the preparation material.) What examples have you seen of the complementary capacities of men and women in fulfilling our Heavenly Father’s plan?

• Invite students to list some traditional or cultural stereotypes attributed to either men or women. Which of these may not relate to our eternal identity and purpose in God’s plan? What elements of our gender as male or female are essential to our eternal identity and purpose?

Consider sharing how your life has been blessed by having an eternal perspective on gender and how that perspective has affected your identity and purpose.

The Lord can guide and support those who have feelings of gender incongruence or have other gender-related questions.

Remind students that sections 2 and 3 of the preparation material addressed circumstances in which individuals may have feelings of incongruence between their biological sex and their gender identity, may identify as transgender, or may have other gender-related questions.

• What specific teachings from sections 2 and 3 of the preparation material were most meaningful to you? (If necessary, give students time to review sections 2 and 3 of the preparation material.)

• How can we be more thoughtful and sensitive when discussing gender with others and when considering the complex realities of others we may know or come in contact with?

Remind students that the Church has provided resources to support individuals who experience feelings of gender incongruence in the “Transgender” section of ChurchofJesusChrist.org.

As one way to help students apply the principles taught in this lesson, you could read and discuss the following scenario as a class (adapt the situation as appropriate to best meet the needs of your students):

Alexandra often feels uncomfortable during conversations about what people consider to be traditional characteristics of men and women. She doesn’t feel like she has many traits that are considered feminine. She also has a lot of personal interests that align more with the interests of some of the men she knows. When conversations on gender come up in church, she wonders if she will ever really be able to fit in with the other women. She believes in Jesus Christ and trusts in the power of His Atonement, but she’s not sure how He can help her. In the end, Alexandra really wants to know if her personality will allow her to fulfill her divine potential as a daughter of God.

You might ask questions like the following to help students discuss the scenario:

• If Alexandra asked for your help, what would you counsel her to do to gain a clearer understanding of her eternal identity and purpose?

• What could you share with Alexandra about how God’s plan has helped you understand your eternal identity and purpose as a man or woman?

• How could Alexandra be a strength in the Lord’s Church?

It may be helpful to end your discussion about Alexandra by emphasizing that those who have questions about their gender or who experience feelings of gender incongruence can enjoy all of the blessings of eternity and membership in the Savior’s Church if they honor their covenants and refrain from transitioning their gender. You might review with students President Oaks’s caution in section 3 about publicly labeling ourselves in ways that might limit our ability to reach our eternal goals.

To conclude the lesson, invite students to record what they will do to show love, compassion, and inclusion toward any who have feelings of incongruence between their biological sex and their gender identity, who identify as transgender, or who have other gender-related questions.

You might share your testimony that although we may not understand everything about gender incongruence or other gender-related topics, the Savior does. He can guide and support those who turn to Him.

For Next Time

Encourage students to read and consider carefully the preparation material in the next lesson on same-sex attraction. You might invite students to look for ways to better understand same-sex attraction and to consider how they might discuss it with respect and sensitivity.