Teaching of the Presidents of the Church. The Great Plan of Salvation

Chapter 17 The Great Plan of Salvation

Principle to Teach: If we want to gain eternal life, we have to understand who God is, and what is His plan for us.

Attention Activity:
Bring three fairly simple puzzles to class. (A website you can try if you don’t have puzzles is http://www.biddingtons.com/content/myartkaprov.html if you scroll down there is a printable paper that you can make your own puzzles out of pictures.) Have three groups or three individuals come up to the front of the class. There is going to be a race to see who can put the puzzle together the fastest. One group gets to look at the puzzle pieces and a picture (or the box) of what the puzzle will look like for 30 second before they start. The second group gets to look at a picture (or the box) for 30 seconds, but they don’t get to look at the pieces. The third group gets to look at nothing for the 30 seconds. After the 30 seconds, let the race begin. Hopefully the group that got to look at the box and the pieces will win. Have the class discuss what the advantages that each group were given might mean in a gospel context. (It really doesn’t matter what answers you get here, just get the class to start talking. You might even call on a few of the quiet people in class to try and get them involved.)

Class Discussion:
After a few answers have been given have students look in the manual on page 211 the first paragraph under the heading “We came to earth to obtain a body…” and find what are the box and pieces that Joseph Smith said we need to study “more than any other” topic. (The answer is in the middle sentence “What is the object of our coming into existence…”) Now is a good time to point out that we are talking about The Great Plan of Salvation. An understanding of the Plan of Salvation is critical. Joseph spends a lot of this chapter talking about life on earth and what we need to do to prepare for the next life. The first thing is mentioned on page 211 3rd paragraph. We came to get a body. The second thing is to “present it pure before God in the celestial kingdom.” Joseph then teaches us how to be able to do that. On page 210 4th paragraph. Have class members look for the reason God instituted laws. (So that we could advance like Him.) Ask, “How have you felt the commandments helping you become a person that is more like God?” “What commandments have been helpful in this process?” An important point in given on page 210 5th paragraph. “What are some of the benefits of living more and more of the commandments?” (Clearer views, greater enjoyment, lost desire for sin, power and glory of God.) “What is the main thing that God is asking us to do then in this great plan? (Make sure to point out that it doesn’t matter where we are in the process of perfection. The answer is the same. We look at where we are, where we want to be, and what we have to do to get there, and then start doing one thing at a time that is necessary to achieve perfection.) Emphasize the last sentence in paragraph 5 “But we consider that this is a station to which no man ever arrived in a moment.” Make sure to point out that this is a process and not a time for discouragement, but hope for continual improvement. This might also be a good time to go to page 213 4th paragraph and page 214 1st paragraph. Point out that we can overcome Satan. We are more powerful than his temptations if we have the Holy Ghost guiding us. Again the message is hope, not discouragement that we are not yet perfect.
Ask, “Why was the group that got to look at the box and the picture at such an advantage?” Have class members look on page 212 to find out what the connection is between knowledge and salvation. What knowledge do we need to have, and how do we go about getting it? Ask, “How are you doing at gaining the type of knowledge necessary to gain eternal life? How much time do you dedicate to this type of learning? How much of our time is wasted in things that don’t teach us anything important?”

Application:
“Because the goal is continual improvement, think of one thing that you will do better this week to become exactly like our Father in Heaven.” Have class members write it down and take it with them.