Lesson Prepration Guide for "Jesus Christ Is the Light and Life of the World"

Elder Thabo Lebethoa teaches that Jesus Christ brings light, direction, and hope into our daily challenges. Drawing on a personal experience with contention, he shows how the Savior’s teachings illuminate the choices we face. He invites us to receive more of Christ’s light by increasing our faith in Him, studying the scriptures daily, and practicing daily repentance. As you study, consider how these practices help you draw closer to the Savior and respond to your circumstances with greater faith and love.

Ideas for Opening the Lesson

Write “Today can be a new day” on the board. Invite class members to ponder silently an area of life where they need renewed hope, without asking them to disclose anything personal. Introduce Elder Lebethoa’s teaching that Jesus Christ offers light and help through faith, scripture study, and repentance.
Briefly summarize Elder Lebethoa’s account of a disagreement with his wife and the guidance he finds in 3 Nephi 11:29–30. Read those verses together and ask, “How does the Savior’s teaching change our approach to a tense conversation?” Explain that the lesson explores how His light guides both our relationships and our daily choices.
Display a flashlight or a picture of a light illuminating a path. Ask, “What does light help us do that is difficult in darkness?” Read 3 Nephi 11:11 and invite class members to connect their answers with the Savior’s ability to give direction, understanding, and hope.
Write the talk’s three invitations on the board: increase faith in Jesus Christ, study the scriptures daily, and practice repentance daily. Invite class members to consider which invitation especially meets their current needs. Ask a few volunteers to explain how these practices help them receive the Savior’s light, without sharing sensitive details.
Explain that Elder Lebethoa’s name means “joy” and his wife’s middle name means “eternal or endless.” Ask, “How does centering our lives on Jesus Christ help us seek lasting joy even when relationships and circumstances are difficult?” Use their responses to introduce the distinction between a life without challenges and a life illuminated by the Savior.

Topics

Replace Contention with the Savior’s Way

Elder Lebethoa uses an account of marital conflict to show how the Savior’s teachings illuminate difficult relationships. Jesus Christ teaches that contention and stirring up anger are not His doctrine. Turning to His words helps us recognize attitudes and responses that need to change when conversations become tense.

“Behold, this is not my doctrine, to stir up the hearts of men with anger, one against another; but this is my doctrine, that such things should be done away” (3 Nephi 11:29–30; emphasis added).

What does 3 Nephi 11:29–30 help us recognize about the difference between addressing a disagreement and stirring up contention?
What signs help you recognize when a conversation begins to move toward anger or resentment?
How can remembering Jesus Christ change our language, tone, or willingness to listen during a difficult conversation?
What experiences in your life illustrate the power of the Savior’s teachings to bring peace to a strained relationship?
What can we do when we recognize contention in ourselves, even if the other person does not change?
What specific change in your communication helps you follow the Savior’s invitation to do away with contention?

Turn to Jesus Christ for Light and Hope

Jesus Christ enlightens our minds through His Spirit, His perfect example, and His teachings. Elder Lebethoa points to Him as the answer amid uncertainty, inadequacy, grief, and other daily challenges. The Savior knows our circumstances and offers hope, direction, and the possibility of a new beginning.

Jesus Christ can bring light in our moments of darkness and restore hope where there is hopelessness. He knows where we have been, where we are, and where we need to be. Through Him, today can be a new day and tomorrow can be a better day.

What does the Savior’s declaration “I am the light and the life of the world” mean to you personally?
How do His Spirit, His example, and His words each provide light in our lives?
What experience helps you recognize the Savior’s light during uncertainty or discouragement?
How does knowing that Jesus Christ understands our circumstances influence the way we seek help?
How can we receive the Savior’s hope even when a difficult circumstance does not change immediately?
What concern can you bring to the Savior more intentionally, and what does turning to Him look like in that situation?

Increase Faith Through Intentional Daily Effort

Faith in Jesus Christ includes trusting that He understands our difficulties and knows how to help because He experiences our pains, afflictions, and infirmities. Strong faith requires intentional effort rather than desire alone. Daily prayer, scripture study, and looking to Him help us nourish that trust one step at a time.

President Dallin H. Oaks in an address to BYU students taught that “strong faith requires more than strong desire. It means daily trying, one step at a time, with prayer and scripture study” (“Coming Closer to Jesus Christ” [Brigham Young University devotional, Feb. 10, 2026], 2, speeches.byu.edu).

How does Alma 7:11–12 deepen your trust that Jesus Christ understands your particular difficulties?
What is the difference between wanting stronger faith and intentionally nourishing faith?
What does looking to the Savior “in every thought” look like during an ordinary day?
What small, consistent practice helps your faith grow, and why is it meaningful to you?
How can we continue nourishing faith when fear or doubt is present?
What realistic step can you take this week to strengthen your trust in Jesus Christ?

Study Scripture Consistently and Act on Its Light

Daily scripture study, especially study of the Book of Mormon, helps us know the Savior and experience His love. Elder Lebethoa emphasizes consistency and sincerity rather than a single method, schedule, or length of study. His account of a man who acts on spiritual enlightenment illustrates how scripture study invites meaningful changes in our lives.

There is no single right way to study the scriptures. We may choose to read chronologically, study by topic, focus on a particular question, or begin with a passage or verse that draws our attention. We may also choose a time that best fits our circumstances. Ultimately, the method, timing, and length of our scripture study matter less than the consistency and sincerity of our effort.

How does Elder Lebethoa’s emphasis on consistency and sincerity affect your approach to scripture study?
Which scripture-study approach helps you focus on the Savior in your current circumstances?
What passage in the Book of Mormon helps you know Jesus Christ better or recognize His love?
What helps you approach scripture study as a way to receive light rather than simply complete a task?
What does the account of the man who buries his coffee teach us about responding to spiritual enlightenment?
What experience illustrates how acting on a prompting from scripture study makes a difference in your life?

Practice Daily Repentance with the Savior’s Help

Repentance involves a change of mind and a turning of the heart to God. Elder Lebethoa invites us to examine everyday choices, including our use of time, media, language, and tone. The Savior understands our weaknesses and offers help, making repentance a loving invitation rather than a process we face alone.

Sister Tamara W. Runia taught that “the invitation to repent is an expression of God’s love. Saying yes to that invitation is an expression of ours” (“Your Repentance Doesn’t Burden Jesus Christ; It Brightens His Joy,” Liahona, May 2025, 91).

How does defining repentance as a turning of the heart to God change the way we think about it?
What does Sister Runia’s statement teach us about the relationship between repentance and love?
How can examining our time, media choices, language, and tone help us recognize invitations to change?
What helps you rely on the Savior rather than attempt spiritual change entirely on your own?
Without sharing private details, what experience helps you see repentance as a source of hope or relief?
What small daily practice helps you notice needed changes and respond to the Savior’s invitation?

Additional Discussion Questions

How do faith, scripture study, and repentance reinforce one another as we seek the Savior’s light?
What connection do you see between receiving spiritual enlightenment and choosing to act on it?
How can we distinguish the Savior’s invitation to change from discouraging thoughts that tell us change is impossible?
What does Elder Lebethoa’s opening account teach us about applying scripture in the moment we need guidance?
How can the Savior’s example guide both what we say and how we say it at home, at work, or online?
How can we support someone who seeks the Savior’s light while continuing to experience grief, doubt, or other challenges?
What helps you resume prayer, scripture study, or repentance when your efforts become inconsistent?
How does the promise of rest in Matthew 11:28 relate to the talk’s invitations to make intentional daily efforts?
What experience from your life illustrates how a small step toward Jesus Christ brings greater understanding, peace, or hope?
Which invitation in this talk do you feel drawn to act on now, and what simple plan helps you follow through?