Why is it important to gain an education and develop skills?

Prepare Yourself Spiritually

Education is an important part of our Heavenly Father’s plan to help us become more like Him. Obtaining an education provides understanding and skills that can help us develop self-reliance, provide for our future families, and be of greater service to the Church and the world.

Resources to Help You Prepare

These resources are to help you prepare for the “Learn together” section of the meeting.

• 2 Nephi 9:29 (To be learned is good if we hearken to the counsel of God)

• Doctrine and Covenants 88:76–80 (We are to learn and teach of things spiritual and temporal)

• Doctrine and Covenants 88:118 (Learn by study and faith)

• Doctrine and Covenants 90:15 (We should become acquainted with good books, languages, tongues, and people)

• Doctrine and Covenants 130:18–19 (Whatever intelligence we gain in this life rises with us in the Resurrection)

• “The Family: A Proclamation to the World,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2017, 145

• “Education,” For the Strength of Youth (2011), 9–10

• Fulfilling My Duty to God (2010), 55–59

• “Elder and Sister Bednar—Secular and Spiritual Learning” (video)

Questions to Ponder before You Teach

How has your education helped prepare you for your life experiences? What knowledge, education, and skills have been the most beneficial for you and your family? What do you still want to learn?

What are the attitudes of the young men toward education and learning? How will an education bless them now and in their future responsibilities?

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.

Teaching in the Savior’s Way

The Savior knew those He taught. He used unique ways to help them learn and grow. What unique ways can you find to help each young man understand the importance of education?

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:

• 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?

• 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?

• 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.

• Invite the young men to search Doctrine and Covenants 88:77–80, 118, and “Education” in For the Strength of Youth. Have them identify (1) what the Lord wants them to learn, (2) why He wants them to learn, and (3) how He wants them to approach learning (see Duty to God, 55). Invite the young men to turn to pages 56–58 in Duty to God and create a project that will help them apply what they have learned about gaining an education. As a quorum, plan Mutual activities that could help the young men understand the importance of gaining an education.

• Assign each quorum member to read one of the scriptures provided in this outline and look for what the scripture teaches about gaining knowledge and education. Invite each young man to share what he learned with another quorum member. Ask each young man to write on the board possible careers he is thinking about pursuing. What did we learn from these scriptures that can help us as we prepare for these careers?

• As a quorum, read “The Family: A Proclamation to the World,” looking for words and phrases that describe the roles of husbands and fathers (the proclamation can be found on page 107 of Duty to God). Ask them to write on the board their answers to the following questions: (1) What is the relationship between obtaining an education and being able to fulfill your roles as a husband and father? (2) How does understanding these roles affect your planning for an occupation? and (3) What can you do now to prepare for an occupation? Invite the young men to turn to Duty to God, pages 56–58, and create a project that would help them begin to explore options for future occupations. As a quorum, plan Mutual activities that could help the young men explore these options.

• With permission from the bishop, invite some fathers of quorum members to share how they gained an education or learned a skill to care for their families. What sacrifices did they have to make? What did they do to make their experience successful? What do they wish they had done differently?

• As a class, watch the video “Elder and Sister Bednar—Secular and Spiritual Learning,” and ask the young men to listen for what Elder and Sister Bednar teach about secular and spiritual learning. What does Elder Bednar teach about the role of the Holy Ghost? Invite each young man to share one thing he learned from the video that will help him in his pursuit of an education.

3. Plan to Act

Led by a member of the quorum presidency; approximately 5–10 minutes

• 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?

• 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.

• Remind the young men that they will have the opportunity to share their experiences at the beginning of the next meeting.

Related Youth Activities

Plan a Mutual activity that will help the young men apply what they learned in this lesson.