5 Quotes Plus Discussion-Promoting Questions

See also Teaching Helps

We love Elder Holland for his deep devotion to the Savior and for teaching us about Jesus Christ in a way that can be felt and remembered.

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 Jeffrey R. Holland (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 (two)

Possible engagement tool: Ask the class, “What are the two great commandments?” Someone will have the right answer – write them on the board: Love God With All Your Might, Love Your Neighbor as Yourself.

Optional: Leave space underneath each to write or pin up word strips of what Jesus said.

During His mortal mission, Jesus taught that there were two great commandments. They have been taught in this conference and will forever be taught: “Love the Lord thy God [and] love thy neighbour as thyself.” If we are to follow the Savior faithfully in these two crucial and inextricably linked rules, we ought to hold firmly to what He actually said. And what He actually said was, “If ye love me, keep my commandments.” On that same evening, He said we were to “love one another; as I have loved you.”

Elder Holland gave marvelous insight into how we can best keep the first two commandments according to Jesus Christ.

1st Commandment: “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind” (Matthew 22:37)
Jesus Christ: If you love me, keep my commandments. (John 14:15)

2nd Commandment: “Thou shalt love they neighbor as thyself.” (Matthew 22:39)
Jesus Christ: “As I have loved you, love one another.” (John 13:34)

Possible discussion questions: Which of these four verses stands out to you today – what comes up for you? Why did you pick that one? (If someone says “all of them,” say, yes, they’re all great. Who would like to pick one so we can discuss it?) How do the first two relate to each other? What are the connections between the second two? How do you show your love to God? Have you ever had a non-family member show you great love? How did it affect you?

Quote #2 (both)

Elder Holland makes a stellar point about grace and truth.

First, He loved with “all [of His] heart, might, mind and strength,” giving Him the ability to heal the deepest pain and declare the hardest reality. In short, He is one who could administer grace and insist on truth at the same time. As Lehi said in his blessing to his son Jacob, “Redemption cometh in and through the Holy Messiah; for he is full of grace and truth.”

We are unique in the Christian world because we believe grace and hard truth exist simultaneously. Almost everyone else thinks it is one or the other, that the presence of “grace” cancels out Christ’s candid, truthful calls to repentance, obedience, and service.

Possible discussion questions: Can someone be generous and apply justice and equity at the same time? Why are both grace and truth important? How do you feel knowing Jesus is full of grace and truth – why does that matter to us?

Quote #3 (father)

Possible engagement tool: Jesus Christ is our ultimate example. Elder Holland points out an important example we don’t often talk about. See what comes up for you as we read this quote together.

When He arrived on the Western Hemisphere following His Resurrection, Christ said to the Nephites: “Behold, I am Jesus Christ. … I have drunk out of that bitter cup which the Father hath given me, … in the which I have suffered the will of the Father … from the beginning.”

Of the myriad ways He could have introduced Himself, Jesus did so by declaring His obedience to the will of the Father—never mind that not long before in His hour of greatest need, this Only Begotten Son of God had felt totally abandoned by His Father. Christ’s charity—evident in complete loyalty to divine will—persisted and continues to persist, not just through the easy and comfortable days but especially through the darkest and most difficult ones.

Possible discussion questions: What example from the Savior does Elder Holland point out? How does that relate to us? Have you ever had a challenging, trying experience yet remained faithful to your testimony and love of God? Why is it even more important to stay faithful during difficult times? (Accept all reasonable answers – We will be tested and tried to see if we will remain loyal despite disappointments and despair. That’s where the greatest blessings and growth come from.)

Quote #4 (opposition)

All good people and promising endeavors have opposition. Talking about it realistically is an excellent service to our members.

Jesus was “a man of sorrows,” the scriptures say. He experienced sadness, fatigue, disappointment, and excruciating loneliness. In these and in all times, Jesus’s love faileth not, and neither does His Father’s. With such mature love—the kind that exemplifies, empowers, and imparts—ours will not fail either.

So, if sometimes the harder you try, the more difficult it seems to get; if, just as you try to work on your limitations and your shortcomings, you find someone or something determined to challenge your faith; if, as you labor devotedly, you still feel moments of fear wash over you, remember that it has been so for some of the most faithful and marvelous people in every era of time. Also, remember that there is a force in the universe determined to oppose every good thing you try to do.

Possible quick discussion: How do you know that Jesus Christ and Heavenly Father love you? In what ways can we empower others with love? In what ways have others in church loved you that stands out to you? Have you ever noticed your efforts to do good attract opposition? What are some of the opposition you have faced? What are some examples of opposition in Church History? What helps you reinforce yourself when you face disappointing opposition?

Quote #5 (stay)

Possible engagement tool: President Holland describes enduring to the end. See what stands out for you as we read this quote:

So, through abundance as well as poverty, through private acclaim as well as public criticism, through the divine elements of the Restoration as well as the human foibles that will inevitably be part of it, we stay the course with the true Church of Christ. Why? Because as with our Redeemer, we signed on for the whole term—not ending with the first short introductory quiz but through to the final exam. The joy in this is that the Headmaster gave us all open-book answers before the course began. Furthermore, we have a host of tutors who remind us of these answers at regular stops along the way. But of course, none of this works if we keep cutting class.

foibles: failings, shortcomings

Possible discussion questions: What does “stay the course” mean to you? How do you stay the course – why are you here at church? What makes you want to be a Church member? How does scripture study and attending church fit into this quote? Will more hard times come? How can we be prepared for more challenging times and still find joy? How do you find joy?

Summary

Summarize class discussion highlights and/or share your testimony and feelings about President Holland’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.