Covenant Confidence through Jesus Christ
Ulisses Soares, of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles
Elder Soares emphasizes the power of covenant confidence through Jesus Christ for spiritual strength.
Open talk in Gospel LibraryIdeas for Opening the Lesson
- Begin the lesson by asking class members to share their feelings about the importance of temples in their lives.
- Share a personal experience of how making and keeping covenants has strengthened your faith and confidence in Jesus Christ.
- Ask class members to contemplate on the phrase "covenant confidence through Jesus Christ" and share what it means to them.
Topics
Understanding the Sacred Purpose of Temples
Elder Soares emphasizes the importance of understanding the sacred purpose of temples beyond their physical presence. He encourages us to reflect on the covenants made in the temple and the journey of becoming higher and holier disciples of Christ.
Reflecting on my awe-inspiring experience at the dedication of the Feather River California Temple last October, I wondered if sometimes we get lost in the excitement of having new temples in our cities and communities and neglect the holier purpose of the sacred covenants made in the temple.
- How can we deepen our understanding of the sacred purpose of temples?
- What does it mean to become a higher and holier disciple of Christ?
- How do the covenants made in the temple impact our daily lives?
- What experiences have helped you understand the sacredness of temple covenants?
- How can we avoid getting lost in the excitement of new temples and focus on the holier purpose?
Gaining Confidence in Covenant Keeping
Elder Soares discusses the power of gaining confidence in the covenants made through Jesus Christ. He shares how this confidence strengthens our ability to love and serve others, and empowers us to overcome challenges.
Dear brothers and sisters, those who gain genuine confidence in the covenants made in the house of the Lord through Jesus Christ possess one of the most powerful forces that we can access in this life.
- What does it mean to have "genuine confidence" in our covenants?
- How has keeping your covenants given you confidence in facing life's challenges?
- In what ways does covenant confidence strengthen our ability to love and serve others?
- How can we nurture and increase our confidence in the covenants we have made?
- Can you share an experience when your confidence in the covenants helped you overcome a challenge?
Learning from Nephi's Covenant Confidence
Elder Soares uses Nephi from the Book of Mormon as an example of someone who demonstrated covenant confidence, especially during challenging circumstances.
As we have studied the Book of Mormon in Come, Follow Me this year, we have witnessed how Nephi beautifully exemplified the power of this type of covenant confidence through his faithfulness when he faced setbacks and challenges, like getting the plates as commanded by the Lord.
- What can we learn from Nephi's example of covenant confidence?
- How did Nephi's confidence in the Lord's promises help him accomplish his tasks?
- Can you share a time when you felt like Nephi, facing challenges but remaining confident in the Lord's promises?
- How can we apply Nephi's example of covenant confidence in our own lives?
- In what ways does studying the Book of Mormon increase our covenant confidence?
Preparation for Entering the Temple
Elder Soares highlights the importance of preparing ourselves to enter the temple, both for the first time and continually thereafter. This preparation involves centering our lives on the Savior and living by gospel principles.
How do we gain such confidence through Jesus Christ? It comes through humility, centering our lives on the Savior, living by the principles of the gospel of Jesus Christ, receiving the ordinances of salvation and exaltation, and honoring the covenants we make with God in His holy house.
- What does it mean to prepare ourselves to enter the temple?
- How does centering our lives on the Savior help us prepare for the temple?
- What are some ways we can continually prepare ourselves to enter the temple?
- How does living by gospel principles contribute to our temple preparation?
- Can you share an experience when your preparation to enter the temple deepened your covenant confidence?
Transformative Power of the Temple
Elder Soares testifies of the transformative power of the temple. He assures that having the spirit of the Lord's house in us changes us completely.
The house of the Lord is where we can be transformed in higher and holier ways. So, when we walk out of the temple, transformed by our hope in the promises of the covenants, armed with power from on high, we take the temple with us into our homes and lives. I assure you that having the spirit of the Lord’s house in us changes us, completely.
- What does it mean to be "transformed in higher and holier ways" through the temple?
- How does the spirit of the Lord's house change us?
- Can you share an experience when you felt transformed after leaving the temple?
- How can we take the temple with us into our homes and lives?
- In what ways has the temple transformed your life?
Additional Discussion Questions
- How do temple covenants help us increase our devotion to and gratitude for Jesus Christ?
- How can we pass on our covenant confidence to our children and grandchildren?
- What are some ways we can enhance our binding to the Savior through the temple?
- How does the Savior's doctrine taught in the temple increase our understanding of Him?
- What are some ways we can prepare to understand our privileges, promises, and responsibilities in the temple?
- How does the spirit of the Lord's house help us overcome unkind feelings or thoughts?
- How does the ongoing and accelerating building of temples inspire and bless us?
- How can changing our preparation to enter the temple transform our lives outside of the temple?
- How can we ensure that we have our next appointment scheduled with the Lord in His holy house?
- What are some ways we can apply the principles taught in Elder Soares' talk in our everyday lives?
