5 Quotes Plus Discussion-Promoting Questions

See also Teaching Helps

This is a soul-scrubbing and soul-rejuvenating talk. We all need to move closer to the Savior in our lives and upgrade our quality of existence.

You can find his full talk here. Unless you opt to spend a lot of time on a particular quote, try to pick around 2 questions per quote. Choose the questions that resonate the most with you and make a meaningful discussion for your group of personalities. These highlights and questions fit with Lesson Template 1 or Template 2. You can also check out several other General Conference Talks with 5 Highlights.

All blue quotes by President Dallin H. Oaks (unless otherwise noted).

Lesson Prep

• You can arrange the quotes in any order that makes sense to you. I suggest starting with the most important ones and working your way down. Don’t worry about covering all the quotes.
• If you want the discussion to be more meaningful, hand out reading assignments ahead of time and ask the reader to answer one question about them (pick one of the questions below and give it to them, along with the assigned quote). The sooner you do this, the better, but if possible, at least show it to them before the Sacrament meeting. You can also text or email it.
• Ask various people to read and participate – especially those who aren’t asked as much.

Lesson Delivery

• Avoid videos – they shut down discussion. Save them for personal study.
• Make sure you assign others to read the quotes. You’re talking enough already, and letting others read allows more people to participate.
• Encourage discussion by accepting all reasonable answers. Validate people for participating and be thankful they spoke up. Engage with the answer in a conversational way whenever it feels natural. Never say, “That’s not the right answer,” or “We haven’t got to that part of the lesson yet.”
• Remember, spiritual discussion is golden. We want people to talk about the gospel together.
• If a lesson takes a different turn than you planned, roll with it. The Spirit intends for you to be successful.
• If the discussion gets too non-spiritual, pull it back by going to the following quote or question.

Quote #1 (doctrine)

Possible intro: We often hear the phrase, ‘the Doctrine of Christ.’ President Oaks explains what the ‘doctrine of Christ’ is:

In the Book of Mormon, the Lord gave us the fundamentals in what He called “the doctrine of Christ.” These are faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, repentance, baptism, receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost, enduring to the end, and becoming as a little child, which means to trust the Lord and submit to all He requires of us.

Possible activity: Have your class help you pull out the ‘Doctrine of Christ’ – either verbally or write the list on the board:

• Faith in Jesus Christ
• Repentance
• Baptism
• Receive the gift of the Holy Ghost
• Endure to the end
• Become as a little child

Possible discussion questions: how do you show faith in Jesus Christ daily? Why are reflection, repenting, and progress essential to our spirituality and retaining the Holy Ghost? How can we invite the Holy Ghost into our lives? (Accept and validate all reasonable answers – prayer, scriptures, service, good music, bringing gospel concepts into our conversation) What does ‘endure to the end’ mean to you?

Become As a Little Child

(Optional, if you have time.)

Perhaps the most challenging element of the ‘doctrine of Christ’ is the requirement to become as a little child. President Oaks referenced Mosiah 3:19, which is one of the most descriptive guides in the scriptures:

For the natural man is an enemy to God, and has been from the fall of Adam, and will be, forever and ever, unless he yields to the enticings of the Holy Spirit, and putteth off the natural man and becometh a saint through the atonement of Christ the Lord, and becometh as a child, submissive, meek, humble, patient, full of love, willing to submit to all things which the Lord seeth fit to inflict upon him, even as a child doth submit to his father. (Mosiah 3:19)

Possible activity: Let’s make a list of saint-like qualities we need to develop (write on the board or post word strips:

• yields to the Holy Spirit
• become as a child
• submissive
• meek
• humble
• patient
• full of love
• willing to submit to the Lord
• endure trials

Possible discussion question: By a show of hands, how many of us heard something from King Benjamin’s list that we need to work on? Does anyone mind sharing what they came up with? (Be ready to prayerfully share your own—be self-disclosing and humble; it helps others do the same.)

Quote #2 (contention)

We all have difficult people and challenging encounters in our lives. What is the best approach?

(Note: This quote is shortened)

Reader #1

This is a time of many harsh and hurtful words in public communications and sometimes even in our families. Sharp differences on issues of public policy often result in actions of hostility—even hatred—in public and personal relationships…

What should followers of Christ teach and do in this time of toxic communications? What were His teachings and examples?

It is significant that among the first principles Jesus taught when He appeared to the Nephites was to avoid contention. …Jesus taught:

Reader #2

“He that hath the spirit of contention is not of me, but is of the devil, who is the father of contention, and he stirreth up the hearts of men to contend with anger, one with another.

“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 22:29-30)

Possible discussion questions: Why is recognizing where contention comes from important? Who do we give more control of our lives, when we give in to contention?

Quote #3 (golden)

To follow our Perfect Role Model and His prophet, we need to practice what is popularly known as the Golden Rule: “All things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets.” We need to love and do good to all. We need to avoid contention and be peacemakers in all our communications. This does not mean to compromise our principles and priorities but to cease harshly attacking others for theirs. That is what our Perfect Role Model did in His ministry. That is the example He set for us as He invited us to follow Him.

Possible discussion questions: How would you rephrase the Golden Rule in your own words? What should you do if you wish someone would do something for you or say something? (Accept all reasonable answers – you need to do and say those things to others.) How does service and ministering fit into this quote? Does the Golden Rule mean we compromise our standards or become a doormat to an unkind person? (No – it means, for our part, we remain civil and kind when we have contact, but we do not need to pull toxic or harmful people into our private lives. Sometimes, the Savior simply walked away or met the situation with silence.)

Quote #4 (choice)

Possible engagement tool: Invite your class to consider their relationships with family and friends as we read this next quote.

Peacemakers! How it would change personal relationships if followers of Christ would forgo harsh and hurtful words in all their communications.

In general conference last year, President Russell M. Nelson gave us these challenges:

“One of the easiest ways to identify a true follower of Jesus Christ is how compassionately that person treats other people. …

“… True disciples of Jesus Christ are peacemakers.

“… One of the best ways we can honor the Savior is to become a peacemaker.”

Concluding his teachings: “Contention is a choice. Peacemaking is a choice. You have your agency to choose contention or reconciliation. I urge you to choose to be a peacemaker, now and always.”

Possible activity: What are the essential elements of being a peacemaker? Have your class help you pull out attributes that President Oaks mentions.

• No harsh or hurtful words
• treat other people with compassion
• choose reconciliation over contention

personal: private, intimate

Possible discussion questions: Interestingly, President Oaks chose “personal relationships,” not just relationships. Is there a need to be vigilant about how we communicate and interact within our home and other close relationships? Do the traditions of our fathers sometimes need to be altered? What is compassion? (Accept all reasonable answers—empathy, concern, sensitivity.) How can becoming good at peacemaking draw us closer to the Savior? What helps you the most in your peacemaking efforts?

Quote #5 (prevail)

In this conference four years ago, President Nelson gave us a prophetic challenge for our own day:

“Are you willing to let God prevail in your life? Are you willing to let God be the most important influence in your life? Will you allow His words, His commandments, and His covenants to influence what you do each day? Will you allow His voice to take priority over any other?”

Possible Questions: What does the word prevail mean to you? What does it look like and feel like in your own life when you let God prevail? Is it possible to be an active Church of Jesus Christ member but not let God prevail in our personal, everyday lives? What habits would help let God be the most powerful influence in our lives?

Summary

Summarize class discussion highlights and/or share your testimony and feelings about President Oaks’s talk. Thank your class for their excellent contributions and insights.

Final Comment

Please teach the quotes in any order that makes sense to you.

Teach with confidence, and if you would like some tips on how to feel more confident while teaching – try “9 Tips for More Class Participation.” May the Spirit bless and guide your efforts.