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How can I find comfort when someone I care about dies?

How can I find comfort when someone I care about dies?

Prepare Yourself Spiritually

Death is an essential part of the plan of salvation. In order to become like our Heavenly Father, we must experience death and receive perfect, resurrected bodies. When we understand that death is part of Heavenly Father’s plan and that Jesus Christ overcame death through His Atonement, we can receive hope and peace when a loved one dies.

Resources to Help You Prepare

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

Questions to Ponder before You Teach

How has a knowledge of life after death blessed your life? What scriptures have helped you understand what happens after death?

Some young women have already dealt with the death of a loved one. All of them will someday. What do you want them to know that will help them?

What can the young women 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 asked questions that caused His followers to think and feel deeply. How can you invite the young women to ponder and seek inspiration? How can you help them feel safe in sharing their personal feelings?

Meeting Outline

1. Counsel Together and Share Experiences

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

Lead a discussion about items such as the following:

  • Our class: 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 responsibilities: 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 class 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 class presidency meeting.

2. Learn Together

Led by a leader or teacher or a member of the class; 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 class members understand the doctrine.

  • Show the video “He Will Give You Help,” and invite the young women to share their impressions. Ask the young women to imagine how the world would be different if everyone knew what the young man in the video found out. How does this knowledge affect our everyday lives? Invite a young woman to share her testimony about life after death and what gives her hope.

    4:43

  • Share the story about Mrs. Patton from President Thomas S. Monson’s talk “Mrs. Patton—the Story Continues,” or show the video “Until We Meet Again.” Ask the young women how they would respond to the question Mrs. Patton asked young Thomas Monson. As a class, read Mosiah 18:8–10 and Doctrine and Covenants 81:5. Discuss the responsibility we all have to provide comfort, assistance, and other service to families who lose loved ones. Consider inviting a member of the Relief Society presidency to participate in this discussion.

    3:40

  • Invite half of the class to read the story about Sister Ramirez in Elder Shayne M. Bowen’s talk “Because I Live, Ye Shall Live Also,” and invite the other half to read the story about Elder Bowen’s son Tyson. Ask them to share what they learn about how to find comfort when someone they love dies and how to comfort others. Invite the young women to share any experiences they have had in which they lost a loved one. How did their knowledge of the Atonement and plan of salvation help them find comfort? If appropriate, share an experience of your own.

  • Divide the class into two groups. Have one group read Doctrine and Covenants 137:5–10 and the other group read Doctrine and Covenants 138:57–58. Invite the young women to discuss in their groups what these scriptures teach about what happens after we die. Then, as a class, discuss how this knowledge can help someone who has lost a loved one. How does this knowledge relate to our responsibility to do family history and temple work?

3. Plan to Act

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

  • Ask the young women 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 class to apply what they have learned?

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