Doctrine and Covenants 94-97 Insights and Teaching Activities
- Benjamin Wilcox
- 11 hours ago
- 34 min read
Watch the Insight Video on YouTube at: https://youtu.be/liBbRN_nok8
Watch the Teaching Activities Video on YouTube at: https://youtu.be/PKL9LqMflTw
To purchase slides or handouts, go to: https://www.etsy.com/shop/TeachingWithPower
INSIGHTS
ICEBREAKER
I like to do the following icebreaker to introduce this section. You can tell a lot about what’s important to the people of a certain city based on the kinds of buildings you find at their center. So let’s see if this holds true. What would you say is important to the people of the following cities?
· Washington DC? How about politics or government
· Manhattan? Business or money
· Las Vegas? Gambling or sin
· Oxford? Education
Now let’s talk about another city. I currently live in and grew up in Salt Lake, and sometimes when people come to visit, they’re a bit confused by the street system we have here. It’s the city where the streets have no names. Most are just numbers. So you have 13th East, and 53rd south, and 9th West. And they ask, “How do you get around?” And I tell them that it’s actually the easiest system to learn. Somebody who had never been to Salt Lake could drive directly to almost any location if they just understand that system. With just two coordinates, you can get almost anywhere. And here’s how it works. There is a corner in downtown Salt Lake with this little stone pillar on it. This is called the base meridian of the Salt Lake Valley. All the streets are measured from this point. So if I tell someone I want to meet them at 6th south and 9th East. That means they simply have to drive 6 blocks south of this point, and 9 blocks east of it. Based on the given address, they will automatically know which quadrant of the city they’re going to and then they can just follow the street signs until they find their destination. Give me two coordinates and I can basically drive anywhere in the valley without ever having been there before. Now that may be a bit of an oversimplification, but it seems to work rather well. Now if you’re visiting Phoenix, Arizona and I tell you to meet me at Baseline and Val Vista, unless you’re familiar with the area (or you’re using GPS) you’re not going to have any idea where to go. You’re going to have to pull out a map and try to find those roads or ask somebody for help. So, I like the Salt Lake System. Now that’s interesting, but what’s more even more interesting is the location where we find that base meridian pillar. What building is right at that corner? Exactly at its center? It’s the temple. All roads and addresses in the Salt Lake valley are measured by their distance from the temple. It’s at the center.
TRANSITION/SEARCH
Now I want you to open your scriptures to section 94 of the Doctrine & Covenants. This is a building revelation. The members of the Church in Kirtland, Ohio are being instructed to build three different buildings. Can you find what they are? They’re in:
:1, :3, and :10
First, in verse 1, you have the temple. That’s key. The temple is where Zion begins. It says,
“ye shall commence a work of laying out and preparing a beginning and foundation of the city of the stake of Zion, here in the land of Kirtland, beginning at my house.”
The foundation of the city of the stake of Zion, begins at His house—at the temple. Zion always starts at the temple. We saw that back in 84:3 where it said, “Which city shall be built, BEGINNING at the temple lot”. So the saints build a temple in Kirtland, and they lay the cornerstones for a temple in Independence. When they’re pushed to Far West, they lay the cornerstones for a temple there. They build a temple in Nauvoo. And when they arrive in the Salt Lake Valley, one of the first things Brigham Young is going to do is announce a location for the temple. Why? Because Zion begins at the temple. That’s building #1.
Building #2 in verse 3? A house for the First Presidency of the church in their work of obtaining revelations.
And in verse 10? A house for the translation and printing of scriptures.
Hmmm. So what does that suggest is important to members of the Church of Jesus Christ? What is at the center? The temple, or we would say, the Lord and his will are important to us since the temple is his house, or work for the dead, or covenants, or sealing. The revelations of the living prophets are central, and the scriptures are central to us.
These are the original plans for the city of Far West, Missouri—the place that is later going to become the headquarters of the Church after the saints are driven from Jackson County. And what do you see right in the middle there? The lot for the temple. That same idea is also reflected in the plan of the camp of the children of Israel led by Moses as they traveled through the wilderness. The tribes of Israel were arranged in a square around what central building? The tabernacle, which was their temple.
So what’s the truth section 94 is teaching us?
TRUTH
The temple, the words of the living prophets, and the scriptures are central to the Church.
LIKEN THE SCRIPTURES
To liken the scriptures here, I like to tell my students that what is true for cities of God should also be true for the people of God. The city plan is an object lesson for our lives. And so we ask ourselves: What is at the center of my life?
If your life was represented by a city plan, and in the middle of that city was a giant statue or building that represented what was most important to you—the thing that took precedence or priority over everything else. What would that building be, or what would it be a statue of?
Would it be a bank?
A basketball or football stadium?
Your office, or the headquarters of your business?
Would it be a movie theater?
Or would it be a statue of your friends, your Xbox, the opposite sex, a fancy car, or a 200 ft statue of yourself?
Or maybe it could be a statue of a certain idea. Success, recognition, popularity, beauty, fun.
Now, it’s not that these buildings or statues have no place in our cities. They aren’t always matters of right and wrong. But are they at the center? Are they the standard by which all our decisions and priorities are based? OR, is it the Lord and his gospel that’s found there? The temple, the prophets, the scriptures? Are the cities of our lives more of a Salt Lake? or a Las Vegas?
And how could we tell? We can tell what’s at our center by examining which side takes precedence and priority when they’re placed into conflict.
For example, if we have to choose between sports and going to church? Which comes first?
If we have to choose between honesty and profit in your business, which comes first?
If we have to choose between scripture study and playing video games, which comes first?
If we have to choose between your political views and the counsels of the prophet, which comes first?
The thing that it at our center will guide and inform all of those decisions.
SEARCH
By looking at section 94 as more than just a city plan, but a life plan, we can gain even more insight. I want you to look in the following verses for instructions on building the cities of our lives. Finish the sentence: I should build my life . . . What could fit there?
:2, :5, :6, :7, :8, :12
Here’s what I found:
According to verse :2, :5, :6, and :12, I should build my life after the pattern which is given unto me. The pattern given by the Lord. Where do we find that pattern? In the temple, in the words of the living prophets, and in the scriptures.
According to verse :6, :7, and :12, I should build my life wholly dedicated unto the Lord.
And according to verse :8 I should build my life in purity, and not let any unclean thing into it. Because, the promise is, if I am clean, then the Lords’ glory and presence will be there.
LIKEN THE SCRIPTURES
What can I do to put the temple, the words of the prophets, and the scriptures more at the center of my life?
How could I dedicate myself more wholly unto the Lord?
Is there anything unclean in my city that I need to get rid of?
CONCLUSION
I hope that this lesson has been somewhat of a reflective experience for all of us. A birds eye view of the city plan of our lives. I think it’s a good question to often ask ourselves: What is at my center? And hopefully, we’ll always find the things of God there. But sometimes we may need to bring in the wrecking ball of repentance and righteousness, and demolish the buildings of sin and disobedience, or tear down the statues of pride and greed that may have crept onto our skyline. Or maybe we’ll just need to do some building relocations. Move the football stadium down the street a little bit. Or place our families closer to the center and the office a few more blocks away. Perhaps we need to place the statue of worldly success more on the periphery of our city plan. And just like Salt Lake, if things in their proper order, and we know the system, and we have the temple at the center, then we too should be easily able to arrive at our desired destination, which is hopefully, eternal life.
THE TEMPLE
ICEBREAKER
For sections 95-97, the focus continues to be on the temple. I would call these the construction instruction sections. Each one dealing with some aspect of the construction of temples in both Kirtland and in Independence.
So for an icebreaker to this section, I like to begin with a little bit of temple trivia. Now you can go through all of the questions first with your students and then correct them altogether and see who got the most right. OR, you could just go through them one by one and reveal the answers as you go. But let’s see how you do here. Here we go.
1. In terms of square footage, what is the largest temple in the church?
A. Washington DC
B. Anchorage, AK
C. Los Angeles, CA
D. Salt Lake City, UT
2. In terms of square footage, what’s the smallest temple in the world?
A. Colonia Juarez, Chihuahua, Mexico
B. Monticello, UT
C. Copenhagen, Denmark
D. Suva, Fiji
3. What is the tallest temple?
A. Salt Lake City, UT
B. Oakland, CA
C. Manhattan, NY
D. Washington DC
4. Which general conference had the most new temples announced and named?
A. October, 1998
B. April 2021 and Oct 2023
C. October 2016
D. April 2000
5. Which prophet dedicated the most temples during his time as President?
A. Heber J. Grant
B. Ezra Taft Benson
C. Gordon B. Hinckley
D. Thomas S. Monson
6. Which was the first temple constructed outside of the United States?
A. Bern ,Switzerland
B. Apia, Samoa
C. Stockholm, Sweden
D. Cardston, Canada
7. Temples have been announced or constructed in all of the following countries except:
A. The United Arab Emirates
B. Poland
C. India
D. China
8. How many temples are currently in operation, under construction or announced?
A. 382
B. 212
C. 189
D. 467
SEARCH
Now that we’ve answered some general questions about our latter-day temples, let’s go to the scriptures for some more specific questions about the House of the Lord. You could approach it with this handout. The questions continue to be multiple choice, but then we’re also going to add some open-ended short answer discussion questions as well.
1. In 95:3 the saints are being chastened for not doing something. What is it?
A) Failing to live the Law of Consecration
B) Neglecting to read the Book of Mormon
C) Not starting to build the temple in Kirtland
D) Not keeping the Word of Wisdom
Our answer is C, not starting to build the temple in Kirtland. Section 95 is a rebuke to the Saints for failing to begin that task. The command to begin work on it had come about 6 months earlier in section 88. That revelation was received in December of 1832 and now it’s June of 1833, and they still haven’t started.
Why do you think the Lord was unhappy about this?
Well, knowing what we know about the temple, the Saints are being deprived of those opportunities and blessings. He knows they need that power, that direction, and that help that the temple provides. Without it, his Saints will not prosper. Remember that Zion begins at the temple. No temple, no Zion.
2. In 95:4 the Lord mentions two purposes for the temple. What two words best summarize those purposes?
A) Preparation, Spirit
B) Commitment, Strength
C) Humility, Kindness
D) Vicarious, Ancestors
The answer is A, preparation, and Spirit. The Lord says that his house is “For the preparation wherewith I design to prepare mine apostles to prune my vineyard for the last time”. And, he intends to “pour out [his] Spirit upon all flesh”. The temple is a house of preparation and Spirit.
How does the temple accomplish those two purposes? God prepares his servants there. I love that it’s within the walls of the Salt Lake temple that the First Presidency and the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles meet each week to discuss their plans for the church. I love that before missionaries go out to serve in the mission field, they are always endowed in the temple first. I love that church leaders who are seeking for guidance in making decisions for their wards, or quorums, or organizations are encouraged to pray and ponder within the temple for help. The temple prepares us to all do God’s work. The Lord is also able to pour out his Spirit upon us in the temple, which in turn allows us to go forth and pour that Spirit out upon others, upon all flesh. The Lord doesn’t only intend to bless those that worship within the walls of the temple with that Spirit, but the entire communities and nations that surround his holy houses. We enter the walls of the temple with our empty pitchers, which are then filled with that Spirit. We can then take those pitchers and pour that Spirit out upon our neighbors, and coworkers, and friends.
3. In 95:8 the Lord promised to do what for the Saints if they built a temple?
A) Strengthen their marriages and families
B) Endow them with power
C) Protect them from their enemies
D) Bring them happiness
Now I believe the temple does each of these things for us, but only one of them is mentioned in verse 8. The answer is B. The Lord says he wants them to build his house, “in the which house I design to endow those whom I have chosen with power from on high”. Now that’s probably referring to the priesthood power that will be restored through Elijah, Elias, and Moses once the Kirtland temple is complete. But I believe it can also reference the personal power we receive when we are found worthy of the temple and worship in it.
How does the Lord do this for us in the temple?
Well, they call one of the special ordinances we perform in the temple, the “endowment”, and what’s an endowment? It’s a financial term. It’s a special kind of gift or donation. If I were to establish an endowment for my children, I would set aside a certain amount of money in an investment fund. My children would not be able to touch that initial donation. But, they would have access to any of the interest that investment created. In that way, my gift could last and bless them forever, as opposed to just handing over a lump sum of money to them all at once. That’s what the temple endowment is like. It’s a gift that keeps on giving. Every time we worship in the temple, the Lord endows us with more power. Power to act, power to endure, power to understand.
4. What specifically were the brethren not to do in building the temple according to 95:13-14.
A) They were not to build it after the manner of the world
B) They were not to build it out of logs
C) They were not to build it for another six months
D) They were not to build it in the winter
The answer is A. They were not to build it after the manner of the world. This was a different kind of building and thus required a different kind of blueprint. Now our discussion question:
Why do you think the Lord instructed them not to do that? The answer is right there in verse 13.
13 Now here is wisdom, and the mind of the Lord—let the house be built, not after the manner of the world, for I give not unto you that ye shall live after the manner of the world;
Maybe you’ve noticed that about our temples. If you look at the architecture, you’ll notice that they are unique from all other buildings. They look different. They stand out. Latter-day temples have their own distinct style. And there is a lesson in that. The temple is symbolic in everything, even its architecture. Temple architecture reminds us that WE are to be different from the world. We don’t build our lives after the manner of the world, but after the manner of the Lord. In my interviews with the youth of my ward, I often remind them that they are not meant to be or act like average teenagers. They are teenagers of the Church of Jesus Christ. Husbands and wives and parents are not meant to be your average husbands and wives and parents. They are meant to be husbands and wives and parents of the Church of Jesus Christ. We don’t do things like the rest of the world. We look different, we speak different, we act different. We don’t excuse ourselves by saying things like “But that’s what everyone else is doing”. We’re not afraid to stand up and stand out. You’ll notice that many of our temples are built on hills, or next to major highways. They’re often constructed in brightly colored exteriors, and they are lit up at night. They’re beautiful and clean and constructed of the finest materials. That’s a message of the way in which we should live. We are to be a light to the world. An example. People should be able to look to us as inspiration and exemplary of a Christlike lifestyle. Every time I pass by one of our temples, I reflect on that truth. Am I like the temple? Does my worthiness and way of life emanate that same beauty and purity and godliness?
That beauty and purity and godliness comes from building our lives after the manner which God has shown unto us. In the case of the Kirtland temple, the Lord revealed the plans for its construction in a miraculous way. The church was very poor at this point and as the brethren discussed building a temple, some suggested that they build it out of logs. Joseph’s response was:
“And shall we, brethren, build a house for Our God of logs? No, brethren, I have a better plan than that. I have the plan of the house of the Lord given by himself.”
(Lucy Mack Smith, “Lucy Mack Smith, History, 1844–1845,” book 14, page 1, josephsmithpapers.org; punctuation modernized)
How did that happen?
“Joseph received the word of the Lord for him to take his two counselors Williams and Rigdon and come before the Lord, and he would show them the plan or model of the house to be built. We went upon our knees, called on the Lord, and the building appeared within viewing distance: I being the first to discover it. Then all of us viewed it together. After we had taken a good look at the exterior, the building seemed to come right over us, and the makeup of this hall seems to coincide with what I there saw to a minutia.”
Truman Angell, Autobiography, Our Pioneer Heritage, Writings of Early Latter-day Saints, 198.
And how cool is that? They were able to see it like it was a 3D visualization of the final plan. God’s version of a hologram, maybe. He showed them how to build the temple. He gave them the design.
When it comes to our lives, the Lord does the same kind of thing. He has revealed special, godly plans for us to follow. We don’t need to follow the plans of the world to become something. We don’t need to measure ourselves by Babylonian standards. We’re building temples, not log cabins. And we can only construct those glorious buildings when we trust in the Lord’s plans rather than our own blueprints or the blueprints of the world.
5. 95:16 What purpose for the temple is described here?
A) It’s a place to study the scriptures more deeply
B) It’s a place to find protection from the world
C) It’s a place to repent and ask for forgiveness
D) It’s a place to pray and offer up our desires to God
The answer is D. It’s a place to pray and offer up our desires to God
Why is the temple a perfect place to do this? Well, it’s not that we can’t pray and connect with God in the same way in our homes or churches, but the temple is a special place to do such. My favorite place to pray in the world is within the walls of the Celestial room. There’s just something a little bit different about praying there. There have been many times in my life where I felt I needed that additional closeness to God, that additional clarity and sense of holiness surrounding me to open my mind and heart more to the guidance of the Spirit. The temple provides us with just such an environment. If you feel you’re struggling to connect with heaven in your normal day to day, try praying in the temple. It may just make the difference you need.
6. 96:1-2 What blessing of the temple is suggested here?
A) Light
B) Strength
C) Faith
D) Knowledge
The answer is B, strength. The Lord says that it is expedient that Zion be made strong. Therefore, he’s going to place Newel K. Whitney in charge of the temple property to help make that possible.
How does the temple give us this? I don’t know about you, but I always feel stronger after I leave the temple. I have more resolve to do what’s right, to be a better husband and father, and to serve more faithfully in my calling. When I attend the temple with my wife, or my children, I feel our relationship becomes stronger. I feel stronger in the face of temptation because I see things more clearly. My perspective has been lifted to a more heavenly plane. Being surrounded by all that cleanness, and purity, and order, and peace, and love is enough to make you feel stronger than all the armies of the adversary.
7. In 97:13, what two purposes of the temple do you find in this verse?
A) Inspiration and Reverence
B) Priesthood and Missionary Work
C) Gratitude and Knowledge
D) Justice and Mercy
The answer is C. Gratitude and Knowledge. We learn that the temple is:
13 For a place of thanksgiving for all saints, and for a place of instruction for all those who are called to the work of the ministry in all their several callings and offices;
How does the temple fulfill these purposes?
The temple is a house of thanksgiving in that it’s a place where we can offer gratitude. We can feel gratitude for the fact that he’s given us such a beautiful place to worship. We can feel gratitude for the opportunity we have to bring the blessings of the gospel to our ancestors. We can feel gratitude for the relationships that are made eternal within its walls. We can feel gratitude for the lives the gospel allows us to live. As a people, we truly have been given much. An ideal place to express that gratitude is in the house of the very being who has given it all to us.
The temple is also a house of instruction. That idea is further elaborated on in verse 14:
14 That they may be perfected in the understanding of their ministry, in theory, in principle, and in doctrine, in all things pertaining to the kingdom of God on the earth, the keys of which kingdom have been conferred upon you.
The temple is also a kind of school. Our understanding is perfected there. There are things we learn in the temple that we don’t discuss anywhere else. We learn sacred truths there. Everything can teach us in the temple. When you go, assume that everything you see and do is symbolic. The architecture, the clothing, the words said, the order in which things are done, the actions and movements we make—all should be considered symbolic and instructional. That’s what I love about the temple. The ceremonies are so deep and so symbolic, that they can teach you new things every time you go. We’ll develop this idea a little more when we get to section 109.
TRUTH
The temple is a place of preparation, Spirit, power, prayer, strength, thanksgiving, and instruction.
LIKEN THE SCRIPTURES
Have you ever felt like the temple has served one of these purposes in your life? When and how?
CONCLUSION
When you look at that list and consider all the incredible things the temple does for us, can you see why the Lord was so adamant that they get to work on building the temple right away? Maybe we can understand why he chastises them so sorely and calls their delay a “very grievous sin” in 95:3. They had gone six more months without access to those blessings. In 95:6 he compares that to “walking in darkness at noon-day”. Do we ever make the same mistake? Are there times when we’ve allowed ourselves to go months and months without worshipping within the walls of the temple. When those great blessings are sitting right there, do we just drive by or let the worries and busyness of the world get in the way? I can see three temples from my bathroom window. How sad would it be for me to have that kind of opportunity and go months and months without visiting one. It would be like walking in darkness at noon-day. Now I know that not all saints have that kind of access and blessing, but over the last three decades our church leaders have worked tirelessly to put temples within close reach of almost every member of the church. I don’t know what the exact statistic is, but I imagine that over 80% of the members of the church live within an hour or two of a temple. If you look at a map of all the temples either built or announced throughout the world, it’s amazing! Dots everywhere! Even on many of those little islands of the sea out in the middle of the ocean. God wants all his children to experience these blessings. I hope this lesson can serve as a wakeup call for us not to delay the blessings of the temple. And WE don’t even personally have to build them! We just need to go! Those promised blessings will be ours if we just make the time to get there.
ZION-THE PURE IN HEART
A bit of quicker activity you can do here in section 97. It’s been a while since we’ve done a crossword puzzle, so you could use this handout to briefly cover some of the principles found in this section. I would introduce it by challenging my students to find the true definition of Zion. Zion is so much more than a place—than a physical location. What is it? The answer is in verse 21. “for this is Zion-the pure in heart”. This was perhaps the Lord’s way of reminding the Saints in Independence that Zion was to be built in their hearts, not just with their hands. You can’t have Zion the place, without first having Zion, the people. Section 97 will help us to understand some of the qualities that a Zion people possess.
Here we go.
A Zion people:
ACROSS5. They have _________ Spirits. (:8) CONTRITE6. “Seek ___________ to learn wisdom and to find truth. (:1) DILIGENTLY 7. “Are truly _________. (:1) HUMBLE9. “I, the Lord, show mercy unto all the _______” (:2) MEEKDOWN1. They should yield good _______. (:7, :9) FRUIT2. They “are willing to observe their covenants by __________.” (:8) SACRIFICE3. A Zion people are “________ in heart” (:21) PURE4. They have _________ hearts. (:8) HONEST8. They have _________ hearts. (:8) BROKEN
As a teacher, you can discuss with your students why these attitudes are important and encourage them to apply them in their own lives.
LOVE AND CHASTISEMENT
One final thought. I want to take a quick look at the first two verses of section 95.
Y
ICEBREAKER
For an icebreaker, you can invite your students to share a personal experience. You’ll ask: What’s the most trouble you’ve ever got into with your parents? and How did they react?
For me, when I was younger, we lived in a neighborhood where lots of new houses were going up under construction. And as boy, playing around in these unfinished homes was really exciting. We’d sneak in when all the workers were gone and run around the rooms and play hide and seek and look at all the cool tools and construction materials. Well, that went on for a while until my parents found out. They strictly forbade me to do it anymore. They said it was dangerous, that it was trespassing, that we could easily get hurt, or run into somebody that wasn’t very nice. And so I promised them I wouldn’t do it again. Well, a short time later my friend told me there was a really cool house down the street that had just gone up and that we should go check it out. I told him very firmly that my parents had told me not to do that anymore and that I couldn’t go. Then he said, but there’s a spiral staircase in it! And I said, “Ok, let’s go”. And I went. And I was playing and exploring in this house and having a grand old time when, at one point, I decided to crawl up out of a window well from the basement into the front yard. And as my luck would have it, who just happened to be passing by walking the dog at that exact moment? My father. And our eyes locked, and I could see the disappointment and the frustration in his eyes. And he said “Ben, go home, and we’ll talk about this”. That was a very long walk home. And then I had to face my Mom and Dad who were so disappointed in my disobedience. I received a strong rebuke and I believe I was grounded from playing with my friends for the next couple of weeks.
TRANSITION
Well, in section 95, the Lord is going to get after the members of the church a little for their disobedience. He’s going to chasten them. And to chasten means to rebuke, to discipline, or to punish. Being rebuked, disciplined, or punished is usually not a very pleasant experience for the person at the receiving end of the chastisement. When that happens, it’s easy for that person to develop negative feelings towards the person doing the rebuking or to feel that the rebuker looks down on or even hates them.
SEARCH
Now I want you to read verses 1 and 2 to learn something about the motivation behind most chastisement. Especially when it comes from the Lord.
What is the motivation behind chastisement? It’s love.
1 Verily, thus saith the Lord unto you whom I love, and whom I love I also chasten that their sins may be forgiven, for with the chastisement I prepare a way for their deliverance in all things out of temptation, and I have loved you
2 Wherefore, ye must needs be chastened and stand rebuked before my face;
The Lord chastens out of love. And look how many times the Lord says that he loves them in that verse. Three times! It’s even how he begins the entire verse, “Thus saith the Lord unto whom I love.”
Well, how is chastisement a form of love?
The Lord gives them a couple of reasons in verse 1. Can you see what they are?
So that their sins can be forgiven, and to deliver them out of temptation. The Lord is hoping that his rebuke will help turn their hearts back to God to seek forgiveness. It also gives them added motivation not to sin again in the future. Chastisement helps us to know where we’ve gone wrong and can help prepare us to do what’s right in the future. When our judgment is lacking, somebody with more experience and judgment can help us to see the danger and error of our ways. I know we’ve probably all heard our parents at some point say, “I’m only doing this for your own good” and “We have these rules and these consequences because we care about you”. As a youth, I didn’t always believe that. As a parent, I know for a fact that that’s true. It’s sometimes easy to doubt that good will when somebody is chewing us out. But it’s there. Honestly, the very act of chastisement and rebuke demonstrates concern. Now we’re not talking about uncontrolled anger, or domineering, or abuse here. It is possible for chastisement to cross a line. But, if a parent didn’t care about their child, how would they react when they saw their children making foolish or dangerous choices. They wouldn’t do anything. They would just shrug their shoulders and let whatever happens happen. They would say, “I don’t care what you do, I don’t care if you get hurt, I don’t care what consequences you may suffer”. Engagement and discipline show love. Lack of response and disengagement often show indifference. God is not indifferent to us. Therefore . . .
TRUTH
God chastens those he loves.
Now to the other side of the equation. How should we react when we’re chastened? Do we shake our fist at the heavens? Do we go to our room and slam the door? Do we yell and argue and fight back? The brethren of the church are a great example of the proper reaction to chastisement after this revelation was received. They got the message—especially Hyrum. Immediately he goes out, grabs a scythe, and starts clearing the land at the temple lot. Other brethren join him. Later that day he begins to dig a trench for the foundation. So, they didn’t fight back, they didn’t get all upset, they didn’t accuse God of hating them and trying to make their lives miserable. They accepted the rebuke in the spirit in which it was given—love and concern. And then they acted on it. We can do the same.
LIKEN THE SCRIPTURES
A couple of questions to ponder.
Have you ever felt chastened by the Lord or by life?
And, I think it’s important for us to understand how that chastisement often comes. It can come from church leaders and parents and friends, but it can also come through the influence of the Holy Ghost. Are we in tune enough with the Spirit to hear when the Lord has correction for us? Those rebukes will often come to us in our minds and hearts. I know there have been many times in my life where I’ve been listening to general conference, or listening to a lesson or talk in church, or studying my scriptures, and I’ve felt the Spirit whisper to me, “You need to do better at that”, “You are failing in this or that area”, “It’s time to improve in this thing”. How do we react when those moments come? Do we ignore the voice? Do we start rationalizing and making excuses? Do we get angry? Do we get discouraged? Or are we more like Hyrum? Do we stand up and get to work? I hope that we’ll be like that and accept the Lord’s rebukes of love.
CONCLUSION
When I teach teenagers, I often like to throw in this additional application since they often wonder why their parents are hard on them sometimes. I remind them that they often just don’t understand the position their parents are in. I tell them I’m going to let them in on a little secret. Adults are just children too. We’re also learning. This is the first time they’ve ever been parents and I’m willing to bet that most of their parents truly love them and want what’s best for them, but sometimes they just don’t know the best way to raise them. Inwardly they’re pleading for God to help them to know what to do. So the next time you find yourself poised for an argument, try cutting them a little slack. And then I offer them this little challenge. I say:
The next time you’re chastised by Mom/Dad, please realize where they’re coming from, and instead of getting angry and huffing and puffing away and slamming the door, try this. Look at them and say, “I don’t agree with you Mom or Dad, but I know the only reason you’re acting this way is because you love me and want what’s best for me, and I’m willing to accept any consequence that you decide on”, and then just wait to see what their reaction is. After they’ve picked their jaws up off of the floor, you may be surprised what comes next. And an added benefit, perhaps the consequences won’t be as severe either.
Perhaps we can do this same kind of thing with the Lord also. When we’re facing the consequences of our bad choices, instead of shaking our fists at the sky and asking, “Why Me?”, we can accept his chastisement and ask ourselves “what am I supposed to learn from this?” and remember the motive of that correction—love.
TEACHING ACTIVITIES
LESSON #1 What’s at your center? (Doctrine and covenants 94)
TRUTH:
Our lives, like Zion, should be built with the temple, the words of living prophets, and the scriptures at the center.
FIRE IN THE BONES:
What I love about this lesson is its surprise symbolic power. At first read, section 94 may come across as a short matter of early church business with not much relevance to our present day. But with just a little shift of perspective, it can actually serve as a powerful metaphor for our spiritual lives. Helping my students see that shift gives me the fire in the bones for this lesson. We’re not just walking our students through a city plan from the 1830s but helping them to discover a blueprint for their own lives.
OBJECT/HANDOUT:
For the object to this lesson, I suggest that you display the blueprint to the city plan of Far West. You can find this image online, or I’ll provide a copy of it in this week’s downloads for you. And I might just tape it up on the wall or, print out a copy of it for each of your students to examine as a handout. But you can use that to illustrate the point that Zion is always centered around the temple.
ICEBREAKER:
Our icebreaker activity involves showing our students some pictures of different cities and asking our students what they feel is important to the people of these cities based on what is at their center. For example, Washington D.C.? Government. Manhattan? Business. Las Vegas? Gambling. Oxford? Education. And then I like to talk about Salt Lake and its street system. All the streets in the Salt Lake valley are measured from the Base/Meridian point in the center of the city. You then point out that the base/meridian is set at the temple. All the streets in Salt Lake are measured by their distance from the temple. The temple is at the center.
SEARCH ACTIVITY:
Then, to get them into the scriptures, tell them that section 94 is a “building” section. The Saints in Kirtland are instructed to build three different buildings. Challenge them to find what those three buildings are. They’ll find them in verses 1, 3, and 10. And those buildings are the temple, a house for the presidency of the Church, and a house for the translation and the printing of the scriptures.
DISCUSSION QUESTION:
Then you could ask: What does that suggest is important to members of the Church of Jesus Christ? The temple, or the Lord and his covenants and sealing and work for the dead, all those things that are associated with the temple. The revelations of the living prophets, and scripture. Those things are CENTRAL to us. That’s a great truth that I feel this section teaches us. This is where I would show them the picture of the city plan for Far West that clearly shows the temple at the center of the city. You might also want to show them a picture of the plan of the camp of the children of Israel from the exodus which also shows the temple at the center of that camp.
TAKE IT TO HEART QUESTION:
It’s at this point in the lesson where I would ask a “Take it to Heart” question. Tell them that what is true of for the city of God, should also be true for the people of God. Ask them to ponder what they feel is at the center of their lives. If their life was metaphorically visualized as a city, what building or statue would be at their center? A bank, a sports stadium, a statue of themselves, or any other number of things that we may be tempted to give priority to over the things of God.
SEARCH ACTIVITY:
After that discussion, take your students back into section 94 to look for additional instructions on how to build our lives based on how the early saints were being instructed to build the city of Kirtland. I feel that looking at the section in that way can offer us some deep insight and inspiration. Direct them specifically to verses 2, 5, 6, 7, 8, and 12. The insight video offers some thoughts on the ideas presented in those verses.
I WILL GO AND DO QUESTION:
For some “I will go and do” questions, ask your students to ponder the following:
What can I do to put the temple, the words of the prophets, and the scriptures more at the center of my life?
Is there anything unclean in my city that I need to get rid of?
VIDEO:
If you’d like to add a video to this lesson, I suggest showing “The Temple—Always in Our Sights”. The message of the video being, make sure that you make the temple a priority and make the spiritual effort necessary to get there. A question to ask before they watch: What does it take for us—like the girls in this video—to keep the temple in our sights?
QUOTE:
For a quote to accompany this lesson, I like the following from President Dallin H. Oaks well known talk entitled “Good, Better, Best”. Since this lesson focuses on spiritual priorities, you could share this excellent insight. President Oaks said:
“As we consider various choices, we should remember that it is not enough that something is good. Other choices are better, and still others are best. Even though a particular choice is more costly, its far greater value may make it the best choice of all.”
(Conference Report, Oct. 2007 “Good, Better, Best”)
TAKEAWAY:
Our takeaway slide encourages our students to once again reflect on the question of what is at the center of their lives. And with that reflection, we can encourage them to make any necessary changes to their current “city plan”. Do they need to bring in the wrecking ball of repentance and righteousness, and demolish the buildings of sin and disobedience, or tear down the statues of pride and greed that may have crept onto our spiritual skylines. Do they need to do some building relocations. Move the football stadium down the street or place our families and the temple closer to the center. We can then promise them that, just like Salt Lake, if we know the system, and we have the temple at the center, then we too should be easily able to arrive at our desired destination, which is hopefully, eternal life.
LESSON #2 I love to see the temple (DOCTRINE AND COVENANTS 95-96)
TRUTH:
The temple is God’s house of preparation, Spirit, power, prayer, strength, thanksgiving, and instruction.
FIRE IN THE BONES:
It’s easy for me to get a fire in the bones for this lesson because I love the temple. And this lesson revolves around all the wonderful blessings the temple brings to us. I hope you love the temple, but if you struggle with that, I invite you to study and ponder the message of these sections. They’ll highlight and deepen your understanding of the power of worshipping in the Lord’s house.
OBJECT:
For an object suggestion, consider surrounding your classroom with pictures of as many temples as you can gather. Most Church meetinghouse libraries have a good supply of these available, so check there first. And as your students walk in, they’re going to be visually reminded of the worldwide reach of the Lord’s house.
ICEBREAKER/GAME:
For the icebreaker, do the temple trivia challenge that I presented in the insight video. It works really well, and classes seem to enjoy it. This, consequently, will also serve as this week’s GAME idea. If you wanted, you could offer a treat to the students who get the most answers correct, or divide your class up into teams, track how many answers each team gets correct, and then reward the team that does best. Since some of the answers from the insight video have changed a bit since I put that out four years ago, this week’s slide presentation will be updated to reflect current temple statistics.
SEARCH ACTIVITY/HANDOUT:
Then for the search activity, I suggest this multiple-choice study guide. It invites your students to search for answers from specific verses in sections 95-97 and then asks some short-answer questions as well. I feel this does a good job of helping your students to see the many blessings that come from the temple and gets them thinking of how they can enjoy those blessing personally more often in their lives. Then, as you correct the handout, allow your students to share the insights that they gained as they answered the questions.
VIDEO:
The suggested video for this lesson: “The Blessings of the Temple” which features President Nelson and other members of the Church sharing their love and testimony of the temple. As your students watch ask them to pay attention to all the different blessings that are mentioned as a result of temple worship.
QUOTE:
President Nelson has frequently expressed his testimony on the importance of the temple. Here’s a quote of his from the most recent general conference. He said:
“Regular worship in the house of the Lord increases our capacity for both virtue and charity. Thus, time in the temple increases our confidence before the Lord. Increased time in the temple will help us prepare for the Second Coming of our Savior, Jesus Christ. We do not know the day or the hour of His coming. But I do know that the Lord is prompting me to urge us to get ready for that ‘great and dreadful day.’ ”
(Conference Report, April 2025 “Confidence in the Presence of God”)
TAKE IT TO HEART QUESTION:
The take it to heart question asks your students to consider whether they have seen any of the highlighted blessings of the temple from these sections in their own lives and to share when and how.
Have you ever felt like the temple has served one of these purposes in your life?
When and how?
I WILL GO AND DO QUESTION:
What is one specific step you could take this week to make the temple more central in your life?
TAKEAWAY:
Our takeaway slide emphasizes the truth that the temple, like our own lives, are not to be built after the manner of the world. The very architecture of the temple teaches the principle that we are to be different, to stand out, to be clean, to let our light shine before men. Be sure to testify of the blessings that the temple has brought to you personally.
LESSON #3 ZION-THE pure in heart (DOCTRINE AND COVENANTS 97)
A shorter lesson plan here focused specifically on section 97.
TRUTH:
Zion is not just a place; it is a people—the pure in the heart.
FIRE IN THE BONES:
The fire in the bones can be sparked here as we seek to help our students understand the importance of becoming a certain kind of people as members of the Church over the physical aspects of building the Church. You know, we get excited about membership, stake, and temple statistics, and justifiably so, but more importantly, we must also realize that Zion is not so much about numbers, and church buildings, it’s about people. In this lesson, we want to inspire students to build up Zion within themselves, by purifying their hearts.
OBJECT:
Something heart shaped. I actually have a little squishy heart, one of those stress ball things that comes in the shape of a heart that I display with this lesson. In fact, a fun idea might be to purchase one of these for each of your students and give it to them at the end of the class to help them remember the message of this lesson. I’ll give you a link in the video description below where you could purchase these rather inexpensively on Amazon if you wanted to do that.
Link to purchase squishy hearts: https://amzn.to/3UseNWP
ICEBREAKER:
For an icebreaker, you could do the following object lesson. Have a glass of dirty water and ask if anyone would like to drink it. Of course they won’t. Then ask if there would be anything that could be done to the water that would make them feel comfortable drinking it. And whether the answer comes from you or them, you could talk about purifying water. Now I’m a backpacker and I always carry a water purifier with me, so I might bring mine out to show them. And then I would demonstrate how it works, run the dirty water through my filter and then drink it, right there in front of them. Purity matters. And there is a process by which things can be purified.
You can then tell them that section 97 has something to say about purity. It also contains the Lord’s definition of Zion. Now when we talk about Zion, we usually think about Zion as a place. A city, whether that’s Jackson County Missouri or anywhere we have a stake in the world. But here, the Lord is going to give us a very specific definition for Zion. What really is it? Can they be the first person to find the Lord’s definition? That’s the challenge. And it shouldn’t be too hard to find, because it’s written in all caps in verse 21. Zion is the pure in heart. Zion is a group of people. And what is a defining trait of these people? Purity.
SEARCH ACTIVITY/HANDOUT:
Now for the search activity, you can use the crossword puzzle. The puzzle helps your students to identify some of the key verses in section 97 that help us to understand what it means to be pure in heart or how to become pure in heart. For example:
Zion people have contrite spirits. They seek the truth diligently. They are humble. They are meek. They yield good fruit. They sacrifice. Their hearts are pure, honest, and broken.
You can use the crossword puzzle to highlight those traits and discuss how each can help us to purify our hearts and become a more Zion-like people.
DISCUSSION QUESTION:
Why do you think the Lord can accomplish more with a Zion people than just a Zion place?
VIDEO:
For a video, a special musical number might be nice . I really like the following rendition of “Let Zion in Her Beauty Rise” by Blake Gillette. Now, the visuals of the video are more focused on missionaries, but the message of the hymn speaks to all members of the Church who seek to gather and build Zion within themselves and in the world around us.
QUOTE:
Elder D. Todd Christofferson said the following:
“Zion is the pure in heart, a people of one heart and one mind, dwelling in righteousness with no poor among them. The Prophet Joseph Smith stated, “We ought to have the building up of Zion as our greatest object.” [Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Joseph Smith (2007), 186.] We build up Zion in our homes, wards, branches, and stakes through unity, godliness, and charity.”
(Conference Report, April 2019 “Preparing for the Lord’s Return”)
TAKE IT TO HEART QUESTION:
Which of these Zion qualities (humble, meek, diligent, contrite, honest, pure, willing to sacrifice, fruitful) comes easiest for me? Which is hardest?
I WILL GO AND DO QUESTION:
What distractions or worldly influences pull my heart away from being pure, and how could I set one of them aside?
TAKEAWAY:
The takeaway slide emphasizes the truth that Zion is a people, not just a place—a people that are pure in heart. Encourage them to seek to build that sacred city within their hearts. You can promise them that as they build, they will feel more peace in their hearts, more strength in their decisions, and more light in their lives .
Comments