Lesson 40. 3 Nephi 16, 20-21. “Then Will I Gather Them In” The Israelites and Gentiles

Lesson 40. 3 Nephi 16, 20-21. “Then Will I Gather Them In” The Israelites and Gentiles

Sorry for how short the ideas are this week. My life has necessitated it. Next week will be more comprehensive.

Attention Activity:
I would start class by playing Pictionary. You play this by having people come to the front and draw while people in the class are trying to guess what they are drawing. You can’t draw words or numbers. I would use all Church related topics. Prophet, 1st Vision, parting the Red Sea, Jesus walking on water, etc. After a few drawings give a person the word “Israel.” Have them try to draw it and get the class to guess. Then give the next person the word “Gentile” and have them try to draw that.

Class Discussion:
Tell the class that we often hear about the Israelites and Gentiles, but often don’t know who they are or what the words mean. Today we will try to understand them better. Divide the class into two groups and assign them each one of the terms “Israel” or “Gentile” Have them look through chapters 16, 20, and 21 to find 7 things that are important to know about their word. Encourage them to use the Topical Guide and Bible Dictionary to find ideas as well. Then discuss what they have found as a class making sure that they understand who the Israelites and Gentiles are.

Application:
I would use 3 Nephi 21:5-9 for application. Here the Nephites are told that when the Book of Mormon comes forth and the restoration of the Gospel happens, it is a sign that the gathering has begun. This gathering is really an individual thing. Each of us much gather to Christ and become a member of the house of Israel to inherit the blessings of the covenant given to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. In a global sense the tool to do that is the Book of Mormon and the restoration of the Gospel. This is true for each individual as well. We all must come to Christ individually through the Book of Mormon and the Gospel. After discussing this you might ask, “How have you felt the Book of Mormon bringing you closer to Christ?” or, “When did you first discover that reading the Book of Mormon brought you closer to Christ?”