Lesson Prepration Guide for "Love Thy Neighbour"

In this talk, Elder Ian S. Ardern uses his personal experiences from a visit to Uganda to illustrate the importance of Christ's second great commandment to "love thy neighbour". He shares how members of the Church are responding to this commandment through their efforts in humanitarian services. The talk emphasizes the importance of compassion, collaboration, and personal efforts in making a difference in the lives of others.

Ideas for Opening the Lesson

Begin the lesson by asking class members to share their experiences of providing or receiving help in a time of need.
Invite class members to reflect on a time when they felt a strong sense of compassion for someone else.
Start the lesson by discussing the parable of the Good Samaritan and its relevance in our lives today.

Topics

Experiencing the Struggles of Others

Elder Ardern describes a journey through a poverty-stricken area in Africa, highlighting the struggles of the individuals living there, such as lack of food, water, and health services. Despite these hardships, he notes the faith and gratitude of the people.

You look around and know you are amongst a people who love God, and you instantly feel God’s love for them. They have gathered to receive help and hope, and you have arrived to share it.

How can we better empathize with those who are experiencing hardships?
What can we learn from the faith and gratitude of these individuals despite their circumstances?
How can we provide help and hope to those around us?
What experiences have you had where you felt God's love for His children in need?
How can we use these experiences to strengthen our desire to serve others?

The Power of Compassion

Elder Ardern emphasizes the importance of compassion, an attribute of Christ. He highlights that compassion, born of love for others, knows no boundaries and can make a significant difference in the lives of others.

Compassion is an attribute of Christ. It is born of love for others and knows no boundaries.

How can we cultivate the attribute of compassion in our lives?
What are some ways we can show compassion to those around us?
How has compassion made a difference in your life?
How can we help others understand the importance of compassion?
Can you share an experience where you witnessed or experienced the power of compassion?

Making a Difference Through Service

Elder Ardern discusses the Church's humanitarian efforts and how even small contributions can make a difference. He asserts that each of us can be the one who can make a difference for good in the life of someone.

Despite our every effort, you and I won’t heal everyone, but each of us can be the one who can make a difference for good in the life of someone.

How can we contribute to the Church's humanitarian efforts?
What are some ways we can make a difference in the lives of those around us?
Can you share an experience where a small act of service made a big difference?
How can we encourage others to serve and contribute to humanitarian efforts?
What can we learn from the example of the boy who offered the five loaves and two fishes?

Collaboration in Humanitarian Efforts

Elder Ardern highlights the collaboration of the Church with other organizations in humanitarian efforts. He emphasizes that compassion does not require us to know those we help; it only requires us to love them.

We are grateful to collaborate with other "hosts" or organisations such as Catholic Relief Services, UNICEF, and Red Cross/Red Crescent to assist in our humanitarian endeavours.

Why is collaboration important in humanitarian efforts?
How can we show love to those we help, even if we do not know them personally?
What are some ways we can collaborate with others in our service efforts?
Can you share an experience where collaboration made a service effort more effective?
How can we foster a spirit of collaboration in our wards and communities?

Responding to the Call to Serve

Elder Ardern encourages us to respond to President Nelson's call to turn our hearts to the well-being of others. He testifies that doing so will bring us increased joy, peace, humility, and love.

I testify that each of us will have an increase of joy, peace, humility, and love as we respond to President Nelson’s call to turn our hearts to the well-being of others.

How can we respond to President Nelson's call to serve others?
What blessings have you experienced from serving others?
How can service increase our joy, peace, humility, and love?
What are some ways we can turn our hearts to the well-being of others?
Can you share an experience where serving others brought you closer to Christ?

Additional Discussion Questions

How does the principle of 'loving thy neighbour' apply in our daily lives?
In what ways can we show love to our neighbours, even when it's difficult?
How can we help others understand the importance of the second great commandment?
What are some practical ways we can 'bear one another’s burdens'?
How can we inspire others to participate in humanitarian efforts?
How does service help us to become more like Christ?
What are some barriers to service and how can we overcome them?
How can we ensure that our service is driven by genuine love and compassion, rather than obligation?
In what ways can we serve those within our own families and wards?
How can we keep the spirit of service and compassion in our hearts, even when we are not actively engaged in service?