How Can We Face Adversity with Faith?
YOUTH CLASSES
September 12, 2021
Come, Follow Me
DOCTRINAL TOPICS & ACTIVITIES
August TOPIC 1 (below)
TOPIC 2 GO NEXT to September 26 Why Is It Important That Priesthood Keys Are on Earth Today? – Doctrine and Covenants 106-108 ⇒
Prepare Yourself Spiritually
God’s words in Doctrine and Covenants 98 and 101 offered comfort to the Saints who were facing severe trials in Missouri in the 1830s. While our trials may be different from those of early Church members, we all face adversity during mortality, and responding faithfully to adversity can help us grow spiritually and become more like Jesus Christ.
How has turning to the Lord during times of adversity strengthened you and improved your relationship with Jesus Christ? What challenges and trials are members of your quorum or class experiencing, and how can you help them find strength in the Savior? To help you prepare to teach about adversity, you might review Elder Neil L. Andersen’s message “Wounded” (Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2018, 83–86) and “Adversity” in True to the Faith ([2004], 8–11).
HOW HAS TURNING TO THE LORD DURING TIMES OF ADVERSITY STRENGTHENED YOU AND IMPROVED YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH JESUS CHRIST?
Learn Together
Each of your quorum or class members is struggling with his or her own challenges. What comfort do you feel they can find in Doctrine and Covenants 98:1–3? You might use one or more of the activities below to help them understand how to endure adversity with faith in the Lord.
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The scriptures contain many examples of people who faithfully endured trials. Quorum or class members can learn how to faithfully endure adversity by studying some of these examples (see some in “Supporting Resources”). They could each choose one of the scripture passages and summarize that person’s experience for the quorum or class. What insights do we gain about why we have adversity? What do we learn about how to faithfully endure adversity? Invite quorum or class members to each write down a trial that they or their loved ones are facing and to ponder how they can draw on the Savior’s power to help them during these trials.
The scriptures contain many examples of people who faithfully endured trials.
WHAT INSIGHTS DO WE GAIN ABOUT WHY WE HAVE ADVERSITY?
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To learn about some of the causes of adversity and what we can learn from our trials, you could read together the first two paragraphs under “Adversity” in True to the Faith (page 8). Ask quorum or class members to share what they learned. Then each person could review one of the remaining three sections under “Adversity” and prepare to teach the rest what they learn, including how the Savior can help us during times of trial. Encourage them to share a personal experience related to what they read if they feel comfortable doing so.
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One way to prompt a discussion about adversity is to draw a line down the middle of the board and write Why do we have adversity? on one side and How can we face adversity faithfully? on the other side. Each member of your quorum or class could read one of the sections from Elder Neil L. Andersen’s message “Wounded,” looking for answers to the questions on the board. What do we learn about the Savior from Elder Andersen’s message?
Wounded by Neil L. Andersen – “Never give up—however deep the wounds of your soul…you are not meant to perish spiritually. You are meant to survive spiritually and blossom in your faith and trust in God.” -Neil L. Andersen
WHY DO WE HAVE ADVERSITY?
HOW CAN WE FACE ADVERSITY FAITHFULLY?
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Elder Stanley G. Ellis used the examples of baby chicks and butterflies to teach about adversity in his message “Do We Trust Him? Hard Is Good” (Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2017, 112–14). SEE VIDEO BELOW.
You could show a picture of a chick hatching or a butterfly emerging from a cocoon and discuss what Elder Ellis taught. Those you teach could then work together in pairs to review Elder Ellis’s talk. Each pair could list everything they can find that he taught about why we have adversity and how we should respond to it. How has enduring faithfully during times of adversity helped us come closer to the Savior?
DOWNLOAD The New Me! Changing Caterpillar poem poster (HERE or below)
Description of Lesson Activity: Help youth realize that the covenants we make help guide our choices. Think of the caterpillar becoming a butterfly and compare it to yourself who too must struggle to progress and grow. We must constantly change, to improve our lives. Our covenants help us to change as we live God’s laws or plan of happiness.
Do We Trust Him? Hard Is Good – Stanley G. Ellis – Regardless of the issue, hard can be good for those who will move forward with faith and trust the Lord and His plan.
Act in Faith
Encourage quorum or class members to ponder and record what they will do to act on the impressions they received today. How does today’s lesson relate to personal goals they have made? If they would like, quorum or class members could share their ideas.
Supporting Resources
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1 Samuel 1; 1 Kings 17; Luke 23:33–34; 1 Nephi 5:1–9; Mosiah 24:8–17; 3 Nephi 1:4–21; Moroni 1; Guide to the Scriptures, “Ruth” and “Esther,” scriptures.ChurchofJesusChrist.org (Examples of people who faced adversity)
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John 14:18; Romans 8:28, 35–39; Alma 36:3 (The Savior can help us during adversity)
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“God Will Lift Us Up,” “The Will of God,” videos, ChurchofJesusChrist.org
MORE CHARACTER BE’S TO HELP YOUTH THROUGH ADVERSITY
