How do I help others receive the blessings of the Savior’s Atonement?
Prepare Yourself Spiritually
As priesthood holders, we have a responsibility to help others come unto Christ through faith, repentance, baptism, the gift of the Holy Ghost, and enduring to the end. This is the doctrine that Christ taught, and as His servants in the Aaronic Priesthood, our responsibility is to give others the opportunity to benefit from the Savior’s atoning power. We do this as we fulfill our sacred roles in administering the ordinances of the gospel and inviting all people to repent and follow Jesus Christ.
Resources to Help You Prepare
These resources are to help you prepare for the “Learn together” section of the meeting.
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Doctrine and Covenants 13:1; 84:26–27; 107:20 (Keys of the Aaronic Priesthood)
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Articles of Faith 1:4 (The first principles and ordinances of the gospel)
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Dale G. Renlund, “The Priesthood and the Savior’s Atoning Power,” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2017, 64–67
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Boyd K. Packer, “The Atonement,” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2012, 75–78
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Douglas D. Holmes, “What Every Aaronic Priesthood Holder Needs to Understand,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2018, 50–53
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“The Magnificent Priesthood” (video)
2:56 -
“Sanctify Yourselves” (video)
4:38
Questions to Ponder before You Teach
How have Aaronic Priesthood holders helped you come unto Christ through faith, repentance, baptism, and the gift of the Holy Ghost?
What would you like the young men to understand about the responsibilities they have to help others receive the blessings of the Atonement? How can their understanding of the Aaronic Priesthood inspire them to help others come unto Christ?
What can the young men do to prepare to learn? For example, they could read a talk, watch a video, or study a scripture related to this doctrine.
Meeting Outline
1. Counsel Together and Share Experiences
Led by a member of the quorum presidency; approximately 5–10 minutes
Lead a discussion about items such as the following:
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Our quorum: Who is missing today? What visits do we need to make? Who should we invite to an upcoming activity? Who needs our help and prayers?
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Our duties: What assignments do we need to make? What assignments have we fulfilled? How have we invited others to come unto Christ, and how can we invite others now?
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Our lives: Remind the quorum of the discussion from the last meeting. What experiences have we had with applying what we learned? What experiences have we had in the past few weeks that strengthened our testimonies of the gospel?
If possible, discuss these items beforehand in a quorum presidency meeting.
2. Learn Together
Led by a leader or teacher or a member of the quorum; approximately 25–35 minutes
After studying the above resources and following the inspiration of the Spirit, you may select one or more of the activities below to help quorum members understand the doctrine.
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Invite one of the young men to list on the board the first principles and ordinances of the gospel, as stated in the fourth article of faith. How do we help people live these principles and ordinances when we fulfill our priesthood duties, such as administering the sacrament? (see Doctrine and Covenants 13:1; 20:46–47, 53–55, 57–59). Invite the young men to share their thoughts and feelings about the opportunity to help others live the first principles and ordinances of the gospel.
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On the board, draw a picture of a rocket and write the following question: What does a rocket have to do with the priesthood? Ask the young men to look for answers to this question as they read the first 10 paragraphs of Elder Dale G. Renlund’s message “The Priesthood and the Savior’s Atoning Power.” Invite them to talk about what they can do as Aaronic Priesthood holders to help others receive the blessings of the Atonement. Can they think of any specific examples? How does Elder Renlund’s analogy affect the way we prepare for and fulfill our priesthood duties?
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Invite each of the young men to review a section of Brother Douglas D. Holmes’s message “What Every Aaronic Priesthood Holder Needs to Understand.” Draw a stick figure of a young man on the board, and encourage the young men to write around the drawing what Brother Holmes teaches about Aaronic Priesthood holders. What do we learn about the “profound responsibility” we have as Aaronic Priesthood holders? Encourage the young men to write down their thoughts and feelings about what it means to them to hold the Aaronic Priesthood. What can we do to better honor the priesthood?
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Bring to quorum meeting something that could be used to represent the light of the gospel (such as a lightbulb or a flashlight). Invite the young men to think about what it means to be a light to others as you share with them the story at the beginning of President Boyd K. Packer’s talk “The Atonement.” Ask the young men to share their thoughts about how we can be like the “lower lights” to someone in need. How are we like lower lights when we perform our priesthood duties? As part of this activity, sing or listen to “Brightly Beams Our Father’s Mercy” (Hymns, no. 335).
3. Plan to Act
Led by a member of the quorum presidency; approximately 5–10 minutes
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Ask the young men to discuss any feelings or impressions they had during the meeting. What was meaningful to them? Is there something they can do personally or as a quorum to apply what they have learned?
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Give the young men a few minutes to record what they will do in the coming weeks to act on their impressions. Invite them to share their ideas.
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Remind the young men that they will have the opportunity to share their experiences at the beginning of the next meeting.