5 Quotes Plus Discussion-Promoting Questions

See also Teaching Helps

This powerhouse lesson was packed with stellar quotes. Picking between them was hard work. This lesson plan narrows it down to five quotes that are most representative of the talk. I hope you teach this lesson with the same enthusiasm I feel for it. Excellent job, Elder Bednar!

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 David A. Bednar (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 (to us)

Possible engagement tool: Have your class “think about what it means to them to read the Book of Mormon this year” as you read the following quote.

President Benson continued: “Each of the major writers of the Book of Mormon testified that he wrote for future generations. … If they saw our day, and chose those things which would be of greatest worth to us, is not that how we should study the Book of Mormon? We should constantly ask ourselves, ‘Why did the Lord inspire Mormon … to include [this account] in his record? What lesson can I learn from [this admonition] to help me live in this day and age?’”

President Benson’s statements help us to understand that the Book of Mormon is not primarily a historical record that looks to the past. Rather, this volume of scripture looks to the future and contains important principles, warnings, and lessons intended for the circumstances and challenges of our day. Hence, the Book of Mormon is a book about our future and the times in which we do now and will yet live.

Possible discussion questions: What have you noticed about reading the Book of Mormon this year? What parallels have stood out to you between Book of Mormon times and our times? Why is it important to recognize that the Book of Mormon is specifically put together for our benefit?

Quote #2 (helaman)

President Bednar called out the Book of Helman, filled with tumultuous spiritual, physical, and political events. But most of all, it teaches us the pride cycle (“in the space of not many years”).

As we follow President Benson’s counsel and ask ourselves why the Lord inspired Mormon to include in his abridgment of the book of Helaman the accounts, admonitions, and warnings that he did, I promise we will discern the applicability of these teachings to the specific conditions of our individual lives and families today. As we study and ponder this inspired record, we will be blessed with eyes to see, ears to hear, minds to comprehend, and hearts to understand the lessons we should learn to “beware of pride, lest [we should] enter into temptation.”

Highly recommended activity! Give them a week if you can. Have five people pick a verse from Helaman – and share why they feel it’s relevant to us today.

Possible discussion questions: What teachings from Helaman are especially applicable today? Does anyone have a favorite scripture marked in Helaman? Who would like to share? What did pride do to the people of Book of Mormon times? Can anyone describe the pride cycle?

Quote #3 (prosperity)

“Pride … began to enter … into the hearts of the people who professed to belong to the church of God … because of their exceedingly great riches and their prosperity in the land.”

…Therefore, if we are not faithful and obedient, we can transform the God-given blessing of prosperity into a prideful curse that diverts and distracts us from eternal truths and vital spiritual priorities. We always must be on guard against a pride-induced and exaggerated sense of self-importance, a misguided evaluation of our own self-sufficiency, and seeking self instead of serving others.

Note: Prosperity refers to wealth. It also refers to “when people have the opportunity and freedom to thrive.” It can also refer to ease of existence and a lack of significant challenges like war, famine, disease, etc.

Possible discussion questions: Into whose hearts did pride enter? (Accept all reasonable answers – make sure they know it’s about church members.) Why would both Mormon and Elder Bednar pick this topic for us today? What are the curses listed in the quote that pride and prosperity bring?

(Or turn this question into a blackboard activity and write them as they are pulled out of the quote.)

Possible activity: Have your class help pull out the pride curses that Elder Bednar mentions. The list doesn’t have to include every item or be worded the same. Write them on the board.

Pride + Prosperity

• Diverted and distracted from vital spiritual priorities
• An exaggerated sense of self-importance
• Misguided evaluation of self-sufficiency
• A cycle of seeking self
• Not serving others

Quote #4 (not me)

Elder Bednar hits it out of the park with this quote. It will have everyone squirming in their seats.

May I suggest that if you or I believe we are sufficiently strong and stalwart to avoid the arrogance of pride, then perhaps we already are suffering from this deadly spiritual disease? Simply stated, if you or I do not believe we could be afflicted with and by pride, then we are vulnerable and in spiritual danger. In the space of not many days, weeks, months, or years, we might forfeit our spiritual birthright for far less than a mess of pottage.

If, however, you or I believe we could be afflicted with and by pride, then we consistently will do the small and simple things that will protect and help us become “as a child, submissive, meek, humble, patient, full of love, willing to submit to all things which the Lord seeth fit to inflict upon [us].” “Blessed are they who humble themselves without being compelled to be humble.”

“Lord, is it I?” is a soul-scrubbing question we all must ask.

Possible Questions: How can we get rid of pride? Have you ever realized you had too much pride? What are the opposite qualities of pride? (Accept all reasonable answers – it’s the list from the scripture that Elder Bednar shares.)

Possible activity: Have your class help you identify the qualities that help us overcome and eliminate pride.

• become as a child
• submissive
• meek
• humble
• patient
• full of love
• willing to submit to all things which the LORD sees fit to inflict

Possible discussion question: Which of these is most challenging for you and why? How can we develop these attributes more fully? (Accept all reasonable answers – stop complaining and criticizing; service, prayer, repentance, confession, and scriptures all help shed light on our souls and what we need to work with.)

Quote #5 (church)

It’s important to note that Joseph Smith said the Church would not fall and would endure until the Savior comes again.

Apostasy can occur at two basic levels—institutional and individual. At the institutional level, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints will not be lost through apostasy or taken from the earth.

The Prophet Joseph Smith proclaimed: “The Standard of Truth has been erected; no unhallowed hand can stop the work from progressing … ; the truth of God will go forth boldly, nobly, and independent, till it has penetrated every continent, visited every clime, swept every country, and sounded in every ear, till the purposes of God shall be accomplished, and the Great Jehovah shall say the work is done.”

Possible discussion questions: Why is the Church important to you? How does belonging to Christ’s church impact your life? What is your favorite thing about Church? Why is it essential to help the missionary work in whatever way we can?

Summary

Summarize class discussion highlights and/or share your testimony and feelings about Elder Bednar’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.