Lesson 25: “Not My Will, But Thine, Be Done

http://institute.lds.org/manuals/new-testament-institute-student-manual/
http://institute.lds.org/manuals/new-testament-institute-student-manual/nt-in-05-5-25.asp



Orson Ferguson Whitney (1 July 1855 – 16 May 1931)

"Lesson 25: “Not My Will, But Thine, Be Done”," New Testament Gospel Doctrine Teacher’s Manual, (2002)

---

Purpose

To strengthen class members’ testimonies that they can receive forgiveness, peace, and eternal life because of the Atonement of Jesus Christ.

Preparation

1. 1. Read, ponder, and pray about the following scriptures, which give an account of the Savior’s experience in the Garden of Gethsemane: Matthew 26:36–46; Mark 14:32–42; Luke 22:39–46.
   
2. 2. Additional reading: 2 Nephi 2:5–8; Alma 7:11–14; 34:8–16; 42:1–31; Doctrine and Covenants 19:15–24; Bible Dictionary, “Atonement,” 617; “Gethsemane,” 680.
   
3. 3. If the picture Jesus Praying in Gethsemane (62175; Gospel Art Picture Kit 227) is available, use it during the lesson.
   
4. 4. Invite a few class members to come to class prepared to briefly express their feelings about the Atonement of Jesus Christ by reading a favorite scripture passage about the Atonement or reciting a few lines from a favorite sacrament hymn.
   
5. 5. Suggestion for teaching: The Lord said, “Seek not to declare my word, but seek first to obtain my word” (D&C 11:21). To effectively teach from the scriptures, you should study and ponder them daily. Constantly nourish your testimony of their power and truthfulness. (See Teaching, No Greater Call [36123], pages 14–17.)
   

Suggested Lesson Development

Attention Activity

As appropriate, use the following activity or one of your own to begin the lesson.

Several years before Elder Orson F. Whitney was ordained an Apostle, he received a vision of the Savior in the Garden of Gethsemane. Read the following quotation, which is Elder Whitney’s description of his vision:

“I seemed to be in the Garden of Gethsemane, a witness of the Savior’s agony. I saw Him as plainly as ever I have seen anyone. Standing behind a tree in the foreground, I beheld Jesus, with Peter, James and John, as they came through a little … gate at my right. Leaving the three Apostles there, after telling them to kneel and pray, the Son of God passed over to the other side, where He also knelt and prayed. It was the same prayer with which all Bible readers are familiar: ‘Oh my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt.’

“As He prayed the tears streamed down his face, which was toward me. I was so moved at the sight that I also wept, out of pure sympathy. My whole heart went out to him; I loved him with all my soul, and longed to be with him as I longed for nothing else.

“Presently He arose and walked to where those Apostles were kneeling—fast asleep! He shook them gently, awoke them, and in a tone of tender reproach, untinctured by the least show of anger or impatience, asked them plaintively if they could not watch with him one hour. There He was, with the awful weight of the world’s sin upon his shoulders, with the pangs of every man, woman and child shooting through his sensitive soul—and they could not watch with him one poor hour!

“Returning to his place, He offered up the same prayer as before; then went back and again found them sleeping. Again he awoke them, readmonished them, and once more returned and prayed. Three times this occurred” (Through Memory’s Halls [1930], 82).

Display the picture of Jesus praying in Gethsemane. Ask class members to think about their love for the Savior and how they would feel if they saw him praying in the Garden of Gethsemane the night before his Crucifixion. Invite a few class members to share their thoughts.

Scripture Discussion and Application

This lesson and lesson 26 are about the Atonement—Jesus Christ’s voluntary act of taking upon himself death and the sins and infirmities of all mankind. This lesson focuses on the Savior’s experience in the Garden of Gethsemane, while lesson 26 discusses his Crucifixion. It is important to remember that the Atonement included the Savior’s suffering both in the garden and on the cross.

President Ezra Taft Benson taught: “In Gethsemane and on Calvary, He worked out the infinite and eternal atonement. It was the greatest single act of love in recorded history. Thus He became our Redeemer—redeeming all of us from physical death, and redeeming those of us from spiritual death who will obey the laws and ordinances of the gospel” (The Teachings of Ezra Taft Benson [1988], 14).

1. The Savior takes upon himself our sins and infirmities.

Discuss Matthew 26:36–46; Mark 14:32–42; and Luke 22:39–46. Invite class members to read selected verses aloud.

• • What did Jesus ask his Apostles to do in the Garden of Gethsemane? (See Luke 22:39–40.) Why did Jesus ask the Apostles to pray? (See Luke 22:40.) How does prayer strengthen us against temptation?
  
• • What did Jesus ask Peter, James, and John to do in the Garden of Gethsemane? (See Matthew 26:38, 41. Point out that this use of the word watch means to stay awake; see footnote 38b.) How might the command to watch, or stay awake, apply to us as we strive to live the gospel? (See 2 Nephi 4:28; Alma 7:22; 32:26–27.)
  
• • Why was Jesus willing to submit to the great suffering he knew he would experience in the Garden of Gethsemane? (See Matthew 26:39, 42, 44.) What can we learn from the Savior’s prayer in Gethsemane? How have you been blessed as you have submitted to Heavenly Father’s will?
  
• • After Jesus said that he would do Heavenly Father’s will, “there appeared an angel unto him from heaven, strengthening him” (Luke 22:43). What can this teach us about our Heavenly Father? (Answers could include that he will strengthen us as we humbly do his will.)
  
• • What did the Savior experience in Gethsemane? (See D&C 19:16–19; Luke 22:44; Mosiah 3:7; Alma 7:11–13.)
  Elder James E. Talmage taught: “Christ’s agony in the garden is unfathomable by the finite mind, both as to intensity and cause. … He struggled and groaned under a burden such as no other being who has lived on earth might even conceive as possible. It was not physical pain, nor mental anguish alone, that caused him to suffer such torture as to produce an extrusion of blood from every pore; but a spiritual agony of soul such as only God was capable of experiencing. … In that hour of anguish Christ met and overcame all the horrors that Satan, ‘the prince of this world,’ could inflict. … In some manner, actual and terribly real though to man incomprehensible, the Savior took upon Himself the burden of the sins of mankind from Adam to the end of the world” (Jesus the Christ, 3rd ed. [1916], 613).
  Elder Neal A. Maxwell said: “As part of His infinite atonement, Jesus knows ‘according to the flesh’ all that through which we pass. (Alma 7:11–12). He has borne the sins, griefs, sorrows, and … pains of every man, woman, and child (see 2 Nephi 9:21)” (in Conference Report, Apr. 1987, 89; or Ensign, May 1987, 72).
  

2. We need the Atonement of Jesus Christ.

• • Why do we need the Atonement of Jesus Christ? (See Alma 34:9.)
  
  1. a. Because of the Fall of Adam and Eve, we are subject to physical death, which is the separation of the body and the spirit (Moses 6:48).
     
  2. b. When we sin, we bring spiritual death upon ourselves because we separate ourselves from God. Our sins make us unclean and unable to dwell with God (1 Nephi 10:21).
     
  3. c. Because we cannot overcome physical or spiritual death by ourselves, Heavenly Father sent his Only Begotten Son to offer the Atonement (John 3:16; 2 Nephi 2:5–9).
     
• • What blessings are available to us because of the Savior’s atoning sacrifice? How can we receive these blessings?
  
  1. a. Because the Savior submitted to death and was resurrected, we will all be resurrected, overcoming physical death (Mosiah 16:7–8).
     
  2. b. Because he took upon himself our sins, we can repent of our sins and be forgiven, making us clean and worthy to dwell with God (Alma 7:13–14; Articles of Faith 1:3).
     
  3. c. Because he took upon himself our infirmities, he understands our difficulties and knows how to help us (Alma 7:11–12). We receive peace in him as we humbly follow him (D&C 19:23).
     
  Elder Marion G. Romney explained that through the Atonement, all people are saved from physical death and the repentant and obedient are also saved from sin:
  “It took the atonement of Jesus Christ to reunite the bodies and spirits of men in the resurrection. And so all the world, believers and non-believers, are indebted to the Redeemer for their certain resurrection, because the resurrection will be as wide as was the fall, which brought death to every man.
  “There is another phase of the atonement which makes me love the Savior even more, and fills my soul with gratitude beyond expression. It is that in addition to atoning for Adam’s transgression, thereby bringing about the resurrection, the Savior by his suffering paid the debt for my personal sins. He paid the debt for your personal sins and for the personal sins of every living soul that ever dwelt upon the earth or that ever will dwell in mortality upon the earth. But this he did conditionally. The benefits of this suffering for our individual transgressions will not come to us unconditionally in the same sense that the resurrection will come regardless of what we do. If we partake of the blessings of the atonement as far as our individual transgressions are concerned, we must obey the law.
  “… When we commit sin, we are estranged from God and rendered unfit to enter into his presence. No unclean thing can enter into his presence. We cannot of ourselves, no matter how we may try, rid ourselves of the stain which is upon us as a result of our own transgressions. That stain must be washed away by the blood of the Redeemer, and he has set up the way by which that stain may be removed. That way is the gospel of Jesus Christ. The gospel requires us to believe in the Redeemer, accept his atonement, repent of our sins, be baptized by immersion for the remission of our sins, receive the gift of the Holy Ghost by the laying on of hands, and continue faithfully to observe, or do the best we can to observe, the principles of the gospel all the days of our lives” (in Conference Report, Oct. 1953, 35–36).
  

Invite the previously assigned class members to share the presentations they have prepared (see the “Preparation” section).

Conclusion

Testify of Jesus Christ and express your gratitude for his Atonement. As appropriate, ask class members to do the same.

Additional Teaching Ideas

The following material supplements the suggested lesson outline. You may want to use one or both of these ideas as part of the lesson.

1. Video presentation

The fifth segment of “New Testament Customs,” a selection from New Testament Video Presentations (53914), explains that Gethsemane means “olive press.” If you show this segment, discuss how Gethsemane is an appropriate name for the garden where the Savior bore our sins.

2. “The Mediator”

Elder Boyd K. Packer used a parable to teach about how the Atonement of Jesus Christ frees us from sin as we repent and obey the commandments. You may want to share this parable to help class members understand the need for the Atonement. The parable can be found in the following sources:

1. a. Gospel Principles [31110] [1997], pages 75–77.
   
2. b. “The Mediator,” a segment of Book of Mormon Video Presentations (53911).
   
3. c. Conference Report, Apr. 1977, pages 79–80; or Ensign, May 1977, pages 54–55.

President Joseph Fielding Smith summarized it in this way:
“There isn’t one of us I take it that hasn’t done something wrong and then been sorry and wished we hadn’t. Then our consciences strike us and we have been very, very miserable.
Have you gone through that experience? I have. . . . But here we have the Son of God carrying the burden of my transgressions and your transgressions and the transgressions of every soul that receives the gospel of Jesus Christ. . . . he carried the burden—our burden. I added something to it; so did you. So did everybody else. He took it upon himself to pay the price that I might escape—that you might escape—the punishment on the conditions that we will receive his gospel and be true and faithful in it.” (“Fall, Atonement, Resurrection, Sacrament,” Address delivered at the Salt Lake Institute of Religion [U. of U.], 14 Jan. 1961, p. 8.)

____________________________________________________________________
Question for class members -- about the following hymn

Yes, we feel this way, too, but how would you explain to someone who is not a member of our church why we don't have crosses on our buildings? on our jewelry, etc.


The Old Wooden Cross
On a hill far away stood an old rugged cross,
The emblem of suffering and shame;
And I love that old cross where the dearest and best
For a world of lost sinners was slain.

Refrain

So I’ll cherish the old rugged cross,
Till my trophies at last I lay down;
I will cling to the old rugged cross,
And exchange it some day for a crown.

O that old rugged cross, so despised by the world,
Has a wondrous attraction for me;
For the dear Lamb of God left His glory above
To bear it to dark Calvary.

Refrain

In that old rugged cross, stained with blood so divine,
A wondrous beauty I see,
For ’twas on that old cross Jesus suffered and died,
To pardon and sanctify me.

Refrain

To the old rugged cross I will ever be true;
Its shame and reproach gladly bear;
Then He’ll call me some day to my home far away,
Where His glory forever I’ll share.

http://www.cyberhymnal.org/htm/o/r/oruggedc.htm

NT Lesson 24: This is Life Eternal

"Lesson 24: “This Is Life Eternal”," New Testament Gospel Doctrine Teacher’s Manual, (2002)

---

Purpose

To encourage class members to be receptive to the influence of the Holy Ghost and to draw nearer to Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ.

Preparation

1. 1. Read, ponder, and pray about the following scriptures:
   
   1. a. John 16:1–15. Jesus prepares his Apostles for the difficult times that will follow his crucifixion. He teaches them about the mission of the Holy Ghost and promises that they will receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.
      
   2. b. John 16:16–33. Jesus foretells his death and resurrection  [Elder Dallin H. Oaks of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles]

      and counsels the Apostles to “be of good cheer.”
      

   3. c. John 17. Jesus offers the great intercessory prayer for his Apostles and all others who believe in him.
      
2. 2. Additional reading: John 14:16–31; 15:18–27; 3 Nephi 19:19–36; Doctrine and Covenants 132:21–24; Bible Dictionary, “Comforter,” 648; “Holy Ghost,” 704. [My addition to the lesson: See also http://mormon.org/faq/holy-ghost-blessings/  }
3. 3. If you use the attention activity, bring to class two gift boxes (or draw on the chalkboard a picture of two gift boxes). Prepare two wordstrips to place on the boxes during the lesson: one that says Gift of the Holy Ghost and one that says Eternal Life.
   
4. 4. Suggestion for teaching: In addition to praying that you may teach with the Spirit, pray that class members may learn by the Spirit and receive his confirmation of the truths that are being taught.
   

Suggested Lesson Development

Attention Activity

As appropriate, use the following activity or one of your own to begin the lesson.

Display two gift boxes (or draw on the chalkboard a picture of two gift boxes). Invite class members to talk briefly about gifts they would like to receive.

Explain that one of the gift boxes you have displayed represents one of the greatest gifts we can receive in this life. The other box represents what the Lord called “the greatest of all the gifts of God” (D&C 14:7).

Explain that in this lesson class members will discover what these two gifts are and will learn how to receive them.

Scripture Discussion and Application

As you teach the following scripture passages, discuss how the Savior’s words to his Apostles apply to all of us. Encourage class members to share experiences that relate to the lesson.

1. Jesus promises his Apostles that they will receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.

Claudia:  We recently went to a wedding in another state.  The groom had just been baptized the week before.   I had forgotten that newly baptized converts usually are confirmed the following Sunday in Sacrament Meeting, so we were pleasantly surprised to be able to attend both his confirmation and his ordination to the priesthood.  He showed us a newly minted and pristine "silver" dollar that had been given him at his baptism.  It was enclosed in a plastic cover, and was given to remind him of the need for the Holy Ghost.  The dollar was new and clean just as he was after his baptism.  The protective cover was like the Holy Ghost, keeping it like new -- as long as it was not removed -- just as keeping the Holy Ghost with him would keep him "like new,"  maintaining and renewing that remission of sins he had already experienced.  He understands, too, that truly receiving and holding onto the companionship of the Holy Ghost will help him and his bride to meet their goal of being sealed in the temple a year from now. We're planning on another trip then! 

Discuss John 16:1–15. Invite class members to read selected verses aloud.

• • In the final hours of his mortal ministry, Jesus taught and strengthened his Apostles. Why did the Apostles need to be strengthened at this time? (See John 16:1–6; see also John 15:18–20.)
  
• • The Savior told the Apostles that he would send the Comforter (the Holy Ghost) to them (John 16:7). What is the mission of the Holy Ghost? (See John 14:26; 15:26; 16:7–14. List answers on the chalkboard as shown below.)
  The Holy Ghost:
  
  1. a. Comforts (John 14:26).
     
  2. b. Teaches (John 14:26).
     
  3. c. Brings truths to our remembrance (John 14:26).
     
  4. d. Testifies of the Savior (John 15:26).
     
  5. e. Guides us into all truth (John 16:13).
     
  6. f. Shows us things to come (John 16:13).
     
  7. g. Glorifies the Savior (John 16:14).
     
• • The Twelve Apostles experienced manifestations of the Holy Ghost during Jesus’ mortal ministry, but they did not receive the gift of the Holy Ghost until after his death and resurrection (John 20:22). What is the difference between a manifestation of the Holy Ghost and the gift of the Holy Ghost? (See the quotation below.) How has receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost helped you?
  Elder Dallin H. Oaks taught:
  “Manifestations of the Holy Ghost are given to lead sincere seekers to gospel truths that will persuade them to repentance and baptism. The gift of the Holy Ghost is more comprehensive. … [It] includes the right to constant companionship, that we may ‘always have his Spirit to be with [us]’ (D&C 20:77).
  “A newly baptized member told me what she felt when she received that gift. This was a faithful Christian woman who had spent her life in service to others. She knew and loved the Lord, and she had felt the manifestations of His Spirit. When she received the added light of the restored gospel, she was baptized and the elders placed their hands upon her head and gave her the gift of the Holy Ghost. She recalled, ‘I felt the influence of the Holy Ghost settle upon me with greater intensity than I had ever felt before. He was like an old friend who had guided me in the past but now had come to stay’” (in Conference Report, Oct. 1996, 80; or Ensign, Nov. 1996, 60).
  

If you used the attention activity, place on one of the gift boxes the wordstrip that says Gift of the Holy Ghost.

• • After we have received the gift of the Holy Ghost, how can we be worthy of the Holy Ghost’s constant companionship? (See Acts 5:32 Obey ; D&C 6:14 Inquire; 20:77, 79 Sacrament Prayers -- always remember Him;  76:116 "those who ^dlove him, and purify themselves before him"; 121:45–46 
   45Let thy ^abowels also be full of charity towards all men, and to the household of faith, and let ^bvirtue garnish thy thoughts unceasingly; then shall thy ^cconfidence wax strong in the ^dpresence of God; and the doctrine of the priesthood shall distil upon thy soul as the ^edews from heaven.
   46The Holy Ghost shall be thy constant ^acompanion, and thy scepter an unchanging scepter of ^brighteousness and truth; and thy ^cdominion shall be an everlasting dominion, and without compulsory means it shall flow unto thee forever and ever.) 
  
  
  How can we recognize the influence of the Holy Ghost? (See Galatians 5:22–23
   22But the ^afruit of the ^bSpirit is ^clove, ^djoy, ^epeace, ^flongsuffering, ^ggentleness, goodness, ^hfaith,
   23^aMeekness, ^btemperance: against such there is no law.
  ; D&C 6:15, 23  
   15Behold, thou knowest that thou hast inquired of me and I did enlighten thy ^amind; and now I tell thee these things that thou mayest know that thou hast been ^benlightened by the ^cSpirit of truth;
   16Yea, I tell thee, that thou mayest know that there is none else save God that ^aknowest thy thoughts and the ^bintents of thy ^cheart.
  ; 11:13.  13Verily, verily, I say unto you, I will impart unto you of my Spirit, which shall ^aenlighten your ^bmind, which shall fill your soul with ^cjoy; )
  
  
  President Boyd K. Packer taught: “The Holy Ghost speaks with a voice that you feel more than you hear. It is described as a ‘still small voice.’ And while we speak of ‘listening’ to the whisperings of the Spirit, most often one describes a spiritual prompting by saying, ‘I had a feeling …’ … Revelation comes as words we feel more than hear” (in Conference Report, Oct. 1994, 77; or Ensign, Nov. 1994, 60).
  In a dream given to President Brigham Young, the Prophet Joseph Smith instructed him to teach the Saints that “the Spirit of the Lord … will whisper peace and joy to their souls; it will take malice, hatred, strife and all evil from their hearts; and their whole desire will be to do good, bring forth righteousness and build up the kingdom of God” (Manuscript History of Brigham Young, 1846–1847, comp. Elden J. Watson [1971], 529).
  

2. Jesus foretells his death and resurrection.

Read and discuss selected verses from John 16:16–33.

• • After Jesus taught the Apostles about the Holy Ghost, he told them that he would soon die and be resurrected (John 16:16–20). Then he said, “These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace” (John 16:33). What do you think it means to have peace in him? What can we learn from Jesus’ teachings in John 16 that can help us have peace in him? (See also Philippians 4:7–9; D&C 59:23.)
  
• • Jesus said to his Apostles, “In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world” (John 16:33). How can the knowledge that Jesus has overcome the world help us be of good cheer when we are faced with tribulation? Why is it important to be of good cheer?
  

3. Jesus offers the great intercessory prayer.

Read and discuss John 17, which contains a prayer that Jesus offered just before his suffering in the Garden of Gethsemane and on the cross. This prayer is often called the great intercessory prayer because as Jesus prayed, he interceded, or stood between us and Heavenly Father, to plead for our salvation. Seek the Spirit’s guidance in selecting verses to read and discuss.

• • As Jesus began his prayer, how did he describe his mission on earth? (See John 17:1–2; see also Moses 1:39.) How did he accomplish this mission?
  
• • In his prayer, the Savior said, “This is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent” (John 17:3). How is knowing Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ different from merely knowing about them? How can we come to know them? (See 1 John 4:7–8; Mosiah 5:10–13; Alma 22:18; D&C 18:33–36; 132:21–24.)
  

If you used the attention activity, place the wordstrip that says Eternal Life on the second gift box. Invite a class member to read Doctrine and Covenants 14:7.

• • In the first part of his prayer, Jesus described the things he had done toward fulfilling his mission (John 17:4–8). How do we report our efforts to Heavenly Father? How might it affect our actions if each night we included in our prayers a report of our efforts to serve him during that day?
  
• • Even though Jesus knew that he was about to suffer intensely, for whom did he pray? (See John 17:6–9, 20.) What can we learn from this?
  
• • How can we, like Jesus and his Apostles, live in the world and be “not of the world”? (John 17:14; see also verses John 17:15–16).
  Elder M. Russell Ballard said:
  “In the Church, we often state the couplet, ‘Be in the world but not of the world.’ As we observe television shows that make profanity, violence, and infidelity commonplace and even glamorous, we often wish we could lock out the world in some way and isolate our families from it all. …
  “Perhaps we should state the couplet previously mentioned as two separate admonitions. First, ‘Be in the world.’ Be involved; be informed. Try to be understanding and tolerant and to appreciate diversity. Make meaningful contributions to society through service and involvement. Second, ‘Be not of the world.’ Do not follow wrong paths or bend to accommodate or accept what is not right.
  “We should strive to change the corrupt and immoral tendencies in television and in society by keeping things that offend and debase out of our homes. In spite of all of the wickedness in the world, and in spite of all the opposition to good that we find on every hand, we should not try to take ourselves or our children out of the world. Jesus said, ‘The kingdom of heaven is like unto leaven,’ or yeast (Matthew 13:33). We are to lift the world and help all to rise above the wickedness that surrounds us. The Savior prayed to the Father:
  “‘I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil’ (John 17:15)” (in Conference Report, Apr. 1989, 101; or Ensign, May 1989, 80).
  
• • How are Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ “one,” as stated in John 17:21–22?
  Speaking of Heavenly Father, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Ghost, President Gordon B. Hinckley said: “They are distinct beings, but they are one in purpose and effort. They are united as one in bringing to pass the grand, divine plan for the salvation and exaltation of the children of God. … It is that perfect unity between the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost that binds these three into the oneness of the divine Godhead” (in Conference Report, Oct. 1986, 69; or Ensign, Nov. 1986, 51).
  
• • Why was it important for the Apostles to be one? (See John 17:22–23.) Why do we need unity with Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ? with other Church members? within our families? How can we help increase unity in these relationships? (See John 17:26; Mosiah 18:21; D&C 35:2.)
  

Conclusion

Ask class members to think about how they feel when they know someone is praying for them. Invite them to ponder how they might have felt if they had been with Jesus when he offered the intercessory prayer. Explain that the intercessory prayer can help us appreciate the precious gift of eternal life that the Savior offers us. Testify that we will be blessed as we strive to follow the promptings of the Holy Ghost and become one with Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ.

Additional Teaching Idea

The following material supplements the suggested lesson outline. You may want to use this idea during the lesson.

Inviting the Spirit

To help class members feel and recognize the influence of the Holy Ghost, speak with a few of them in advance, inviting each of them to choose one of the following presentations to do as part of the lesson:

1. a. Read a favorite scripture passage.
   
2. b. Bear testimony.
   
3. c. Sing a hymn or Primary song about the Savior.
   
4. d. Express love for Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ.
   
5. e. Share a spiritual experience (as appropriate).
   

After the presentations have been given, invite class members to describe how they felt during the presentations. Read the statement by President Boyd K. Packer on pages 99–100, and help class members recognize feelings that come from the Holy Ghost. Talk about how you feel when you receive guidance from the Holy Ghost.

______________________

John 16

Jesus discourses on the mission of the Holy Ghost—He tells of his death and resurrection, announces that he is the Son of God, and says that he has overcome the world.

 1 These things have I spoken unto you, that ye should not be ^aoffended.

 2 They shall put you out of the synagogues: yea, the time cometh, that whosoever ^akilleth you will think that he doeth God service.

 3 And these things will they do unto you, because they have not ^aknown the Father, nor me.

 4 But these things have I told you, that when the time shall come, ye may remember that I told you of them. And these things I said not unto you at the beginning, because I was with you.

 5 But now I ^ago my way to him that sent me; and none of you asketh me, Whither goest thou?

 6 But because I have said these things unto you, sorrow hath filled your heart.

 7 Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is ^aexpedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the ^bComforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you.

 8And when he is come, he will ^areprove the world of sin, and of ^brighteousness, and of judgment:

 9 Of ^asin, because they believe not on me;

 10 Of righteousness, because I go to my Father, and ye see me no more;

 11 Of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged.

 12 I have yet many things to ^asay unto you, but ye cannot ^bbear them now.

 13 Howbeit when he, the ^aSpirit of truth, is come, he will ^bguide you into all ^ctruth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will ^dshew you things to come.

 14 He shall ^aglorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you.

 15 All ^athings that the ^bFather hath are mine: therefore said I, that he shall take of mine, and shall shew it unto you.

 16 A little while, and ye shall not see me: and again, a little while, and ye shall ^asee me, because I go to the Father.

 17 Then said some of his disciples among themselves, What is this that he saith unto us, A little while, and ye shall not see me: and again, a little while, and ye shall see me: and, Because I go to the Father?

 18 They said therefore, What is this that he saith, A little while? we cannot tell what he saith.

 19 Now Jesus knew that they were desirous to ask him, and said unto them, Do ye enquire among yourselves of that I said, A little while, and ye shall not see me: and again, a little while, and ye shall see me?

 20 Verily, verily, I say unto you, That ye shall weep and lament, but the world shall rejoice: and ye shall be sorrowful, but your ^asorrow shall be turned into ^bjoy.

 21 A ^awoman when she is in travail hath sorrow, because her hour is come: but as soon as she is delivered of the child, she remembereth no more the anguish, for joy that a man is born into the world.

 22 And ye now therefore have ^asorrow: but I will see you again, and your heart shall rejoice, and your ^bjoy no man taketh from you.

 23 And in that day ye shall ask me nothing. ^aVerily, verily, I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall ^bask the Father in my name, he will give it you.

 24 Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name: ^aask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full.

 25 These things have I spoken unto you in ^aproverbs: but the time cometh, when I shall no more speak unto you in proverbs, but I shall shew you plainly of the Father.

 26 At that day ye shall ask in my name: and I say not unto you, that I will pray the Father for you:

 27 For the Father himself ^aloveth you, because ye have loved me, and have ^bbelieved that I came out from God.

 28 I ^acame ^bforth from the ^cFather, and am come into the world: again, I leave the world, and go to the Father.

 29 His disciples said unto him, Lo, now speakest thou plainly, and speakest no proverb.

 30 Now are we sure that thou ^aknowest all things, and needest not that any man should ask thee: by this we believe that thou camest forth from God.

 31 Jesus answered them, Do ye now believe?

 32 Behold, the hour cometh, yea, is now come, that ye shall be scattered, every man to his own, and shall leave me alone: and yet I am not ^aalone, because the Father is with me.

 33 These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have ^apeace. In the ^bworld ye shall have ^ctribulation: but be of good ^dcheer; I have ^eovercome the world.

___________________
John   Chapter 17

Jesus offers the great Intercessory Prayer—He is glorified by gaining eternal life—He prays for his Apostles and all the Saints—He explains how the Father and Son are one.

 1 These words spake Jesus, and lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, Father, the hour is come; glorify thy ^aSon, that thy Son also may ^bglorify thee:

 2  As thou hast given him ^apower over all flesh, that he should give ^beternal life to as many as thou hast ^cgiven him.

 3  And this is ^alife ^beternal, that they might ^cknow thee the only true ^dGod, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast ^esent.

 4  I have ^aglorified thee on the earth: I have ^bfinished the work which thou gavest me to do.

 5  And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the ^aglory which I had with thee ^bbefore the world was.

 6  I have manifested thy name unto the men which thou gavest me ^aout of the world: thine they were, and thou gavest them me; and they have kept thy word.

 7  Now they have known that all things whatsoever thou hast ^agiven me are of thee.

 8  For I have given unto them the ^awords which thou gavest me; and they have received them, and have known surely that I ^bcame out from thee, and they have ^cbelieved that thou didst send me.

 9  I ^apray for them: I pray not for the world, but for them which ^bthou hast given me; for they are thine.

 10  And all mine are thine, and thine are mine; and I am glorified in them.

 11  And now I am no more in the world, but these are in the ^aworld, and I come to thee. Holy Father, keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given me, that they may be ^bone, as we are.

 12  While I was with them in the world, I kept them in thy name: those that thou gavest me I have kept, and ^anone of them is ^blost, but the son of ^cperdition; that the scripture might be fulfilled.

 13  And now come I to thee; and these things I speak in the world, that they might have my ^ajoy fulfilled in themselves.

 14  I have given them thy word; and the world hath hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.

 15  I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the ^aworld, but that thou shouldest ^bkeep them from the ^cevil.

 16  They are not of the ^aworld, even as I am not of the world.

 17  ^aSanctify them through thy ^btruth: thy word is ^ctruth.

 18  As thou hast ^asent me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world.

 19  And for their sakes I ^asanctify myself, that they also might be sanctified through the truth.

 20  Neither ^apray I for these alone, but for them also which shall ^bbelieve on me through their word;

 21  That they all may be ^aone; as thou, ^bFather, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be ^cone in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me.

 22  And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be ^aone, even as we are ^bone:

 23  I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made ^aperfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast ^bloved them, as thou hast loved me.

 24  Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am; that they may behold my glory, which thou hast given me: for thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world.

 25  O righteous Father, the world hath not ^aknown thee: but I have known thee, and these have known that thou hast sent me.

 26  And I have ^adeclared unto them thy ^bname, and will declare it: that the ^clove wherewith thou hast ^dloved me may be in them, and I in them.

_________________________________________________

Talks, etc.
Elder Bednar  http://lds.org/general-conference/2010/10/receive-the-holy-ghost?lang=eng&query=holy+ghost

"The simplicity of this ordinance may cause us to overlook its significance. These four words—“Receive the Holy Ghost”—are not a passive pronouncement; rather, they constitute a priesthood injunction—an authoritative admonition to act and not simply to be acted upon (see 2 Nephi 2:26). The Holy Ghost does not become operative in our lives merely because hands are placed upon our heads and those four important words are spoken. As we receive this ordinance, each of us accepts a sacred and ongoing responsibility to desire, to seek, to work, and to so live that we indeed “receive the Holy Ghost” and its attendant spiritual gifts. “For what doth it profit a man if a gift is bestowed upon him, and he receive not the gift? Behold, he rejoices not in that which is given unto him, neither rejoices in him who is the giver of the gift” (D&C 88:33).

What should we do to make this authorized admonition to seek for the companionship of the third member of the Godhead an ongoing reality? Let me suggest that we need to (1) sincerely desire to receive the Holy Ghost, (2) appropriately invite the Holy Ghost into our lives, and (3) faithfully obey God’s commandments. . . .

Elder Bednar  http://lds.org/general-conference/2010/10/receive-the-holy-ghost?lang=eng&query=holy+ghost

"Several years after the Prophet Joseph Smith was martyred, he appeared to President Brigham Young and shared this timeless counsel: “Tell the people to be humble and faithful and [be] sure to keep the Spirit of the Lord and it will lead them right. Be careful and not turn away the small still voice; it will teach [you what] to do and where to go; it will yield the fruits of the kingdom. Tell the brethren to keep their hearts open to conviction so that when the Holy Ghost comes to them, their hearts will be ready to receive it. They can tell the Spirit of the Lord from all other spirits. It will whisper peace and joy to their souls, and it will take malice, hatred, envying, strife, and all evil from their hearts; and their whole desire will be to do good, bring forth righteousness, and build up the kingdom of God. Tell the brethren if they will follow the Spirit of the Lord they will go right” (Teachings: Joseph Smith, 98)."

Elder Packer http://lds.org/liahona/2006/08/the-gift-of-the-holy-ghost-what-every-member-should-know?lang=eng&query=holy+ghost

"Joseph Smith said: “You might as well baptize a bag of sand as a man, if not done in view of the remission of sins and getting of the Holy Ghost. Baptism by water is but half a baptism, and is good for nothing without the other half—that is, the baptism of the Holy Ghost” (History of the Church, 5:499).

To prepare people for baptism without teaching about the gift of the Holy Ghost is like a sacrament meeting where only the bread is blessed and passed. They would receive but half.. . .

"When parents are teaching their children and when missionaries are teaching investigators, preparing them for baptism by water, they must also think of the gift of the Holy Ghost—baptism by fire. Think of it as one sentence. First comes the baptism of water and then the baptism of fire.

Someone may ask the missionaries, “How are things going?” or “Are you teaching anyone?”

The missionaries automatically answer, “Yes, we have a family preparing for baptism and confirmation, for receiving the Holy Ghost.

Or a father and mother might say to a child, “When you are eight years old, you will be ready to be baptized and receive the Holy Ghost.”

I repeat, to be baptized and to receive the Holy Ghost—link those two together."

Elder McConkie http://lds.org/ensign/1976/01/why-the-lord-ordained-prayer?lang=eng&query=intercessory+prayer
"When the hour of his arrest and passion were at hand; when there remained one more great truth to be impressed on the Twelve—that if they were to succeed in the assigned work and merit eternal reward with him and his Father they must be one even as he and the Father were one—at this hour of supreme import, he taught the truth involved as part of his great intercessory prayer, fragments of which are preserved for us in John 17.
"

5. Pray for Others.

Our prayers are neither selfish nor self-centered. We seek the spiritual well-being of all men. Some of our prayers are for the benefit and blessing of the Saints alone, others are for the enlightenment and benefit of all our Father’s children. “I pray not for the world,” Jesus said in his great intercessory prayer, “but for them which thou hast given me.” (John 17:9.) But he also commanded: “Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you.” (Matt. 5:44.)

And so, just as Christ “is the Saviour of all men, specially of those that believe” (1 Tim. 4:10), so we pray for all men, but especially for ourselves, our families, the saints in general, and those who seek to believe and know the truth. Of especial concern to us are the sick who belong to the household of faith and those who are investigating the restored gospel. “Pray one for another, that ye may be healed,” James says, with reference to church members, for “the effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.” (James 5:16.) And as to those who attend our meetings and who seek to learn the truth, the Lord Jesus says: “Ye shall pray for them unto the Father, in my name,” in the hope that they will repent and be baptized. (3 Ne. 18:23. See also 3 Ne. 18:30.)"