Lesson Plans Put Together by a Prayerful Human

Exceptional General Conference Quotes Plus Discussion-Promoting Questions

Elder Christofferson covered: flourishing despite setbacks, looking to God, Book of Mormon promises, prospering, and priorities

Useful Links

• Tips for delivering a successful lesson are located at the end of the article.
• For other speakers, see General Conference Talks with 5 Highlights
• For printable copies of this lesson – click here.

All blue quotes are from D. Todd Christofferson’s October 2025 General Conference talk (unless otherwise noted).

Quote #1 (flourish)

Possible Intro: Elder Christoffers offers a rock-solid gospel lesson in just a couple of paragraphs. (This makes a great intro to the whole lesson.)

It is in the nature of a fallen world—where the devil rages and where everyone is imperfect—that there will be disappointments and offenses, suffering and sorrow, failure and loss, persecution and injustice. It is only by looking to God that individuals, families, and even nations can flourish. President Russell M. Nelson taught, “Because the Savior, through His infinite Atonement, redeemed each of us from weakness, mistakes, and sin, and because He experienced every pain, worry, and burden you have ever had, then as you truly repent and seek His help, you can rise above this present precarious world.”

—AND—

Alma explained that to look to God is to keep His commandments, cry unto Him continually for His support, counsel with Him in all your doings, and let your heart be full of thanks unto Him day and night. God’s commandments and counsel are found in the scriptures and the words of His servants.

flourish: develop, grow, bloom, thrive, prosper

Possible discussion questions: What does looking to God mean—how do we look to God? (Accept all reasonable answers – according to Alma, it’s keep commandments, pray continually, counsel with God, and be full of gratitude towards God.) Should we feel less than worthy if we do not have a worry-free, problem-free life? Does having trials and hardships mean we are not blessed or loved by God the Father or Jesus Christ? How does looking to God help us FLOURISH even when our lives are hard? What helps us rise above this “precarious world”? (Accept all reasonable answers – according to President Nelson, it’s repentance.)

Author’s takeaway: Repent. That’s what I hear loud and clear. Turn the focus back on yourself and what you set in motion that needs improving and changing. We need to repent of our “stuff,” no matter what it is or how unrelated it feels.

True repentance brings the power of God rolling through our lives. So amazing what changes when we focus on our own souls and re-chart our daily course.

For printable copies of this lesson – click here.

Quote #2 (promise)

Possible engagement tool: Elder Christofferson highlights a vital teaching from the Book of Mormon.

No promise is repeated more often in Book of Mormon scripture than this: “Inasmuch as ye shall keep my commandments ye shall prosper in the land; but inasmuch as ye will not keep my commandments ye shall be cut off from my presence.” The lived experience of the Book of Mormon peoples over centuries demonstrates the truth of these words. “Prosper” meant enjoying the guidance and blessings of heaven in their lives. “Prosper” meant achieving levels of economic well-being that enabled them to marry, raise families, and minister to the needs of others. “Prospering” included the capacity to rise above hardship and trial. Through the grace of Christ, “all things work[ed] together for [their] good,” refined them, and deepened their relationship with Him.

Possible discussion questions: What is the most frequent promise made in the Book of Mormon? What is the Book of Mormon’s message to us? What’s the best way to get help with hardships and trials?

Quote #3 (essential)

This may be an uncomfortable topic, but it often needs repeating! Prayerfully consider if this quote is helpful to your group of saints. It’s probably more helpful than you realize.

“Keep sex and sexual feelings sacred. They should not be the subject of jokes or entertainment. Outside of marriage between a man and a woman, it is wrong to touch the private, sacred parts of another person’s body even if clothed. In your choices about what you do, look at, read, listen to, think about, post, or text, avoid anything that purposely arouses lustful emotions in others or yourself.”

This calls to mind President Nelson’s recent admonition: “Few things will complicate your life more quickly than violating this divine law [of chastity]. For those who have made covenants with God, immorality is one of the quickest ways to lose your testimony.

“Much of the world does not believe this, but public opinion is not the arbiter of truth. The Lord has declared that no unchaste person will attain the celestial kingdom. … If you have been unchaste, I plead with you to repent. Come unto Christ and receive His promise of complete forgiveness as you fully repent of your sins.”

Possible discussion questions: How helpful is our society when it comes to staying chaste? What types of immoral influences interrupt your life, and where do they come from? What helps you have stronger defenses against unchaste influences? Why is it essential to handle mistakes and sins quickly when it comes to immorality? Who should we talk to regarding immorality? Can we repent and find favor with God again if we have sinned?

Quote #4 (prosper)

Possible engagement tool: Write “prosper” on the board. Ask your class to ponder what “prosper” means in the scriptures as we read the following quote.

Remember that in the Book of Mormon promise, the opposite of prosperity was not poverty—it was being cut off from the presence of the Lord. His presence refers to the influence of His Spirit in one’s life. All are imbued with the Light of Christ as they come into the world. In addition, some act to be baptized and receive the gift and added light of the Holy Ghost. He brings inspiration and guidance, enhances and refines one’s native gifts and abilities, and helps to avoid evil influences, poor decisions, and dead ends.

Possible discussion question: How would you describe “prosper” in your own words? In what ways do you feel like you prosper as a faithful member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints? How has the influence of the Holy Ghost helped you recently? What are some examples of the ways the Holy Ghost helps us?

Quote #5 (priority)

Possible Intro: One of Elder Christofferson’s closing remarks brought up priorities. Ask your class ot listen for his highest priority for Latter-day Saints.

In looking to God, we can find peace in difficulty, and our faith can continue to grow even in times of doubt and spiritual challenge. We can receive strength in the face of opposition and isolation. We can reconcile the ideal with the present reality. Truly, there is no other way than what God Himself has ordained: “Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else.”

Looking to God means that He is not just one of our priorities; it means, rather, that He is our one highest priority.

Possible discussion questions: What is the highest priority for Latter-day Saints? What is the most important thing we can teach our families and our friends? (Accept all reasonable answers – Commandment #1, Love God with ALL the heart, etc.) People who should not let us down, do let us down—what is the most important relationship for us to develop? Why do you love God—or why is He your most significant priority?

Summary

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

(You can find the full General Conference talk here.)

How to Teach Successfully and Give a Better Lesson

You have great content; now let’s ensure the lesson goes smoothly.

Unless you opt to spend a lot of time on a particular quote, try to pick around 2 questions per quote. Prayerfully select the questions that resonate the most with you and would make a meaningful discussion for your group of personalities.

The above “5 Highlights” quotes and discussion questions fit with Lesson Template 1 —OR— Lesson Template 2.

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 EVER worry about covering all the quotes. Rushed lessons are not as effective.
• If you want the discussion to be more robust and meaningful, hand out reading assignments ahead of time and ask the reader to answer one question about them (i.e. pick one of the questions from each quote 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 send it via text or email.
• Ask various people to read and participate, especially those who are not often asked to do so.

Lesson Delivery

• Ensure every class member has the conference talk and scriptures in front of them or on their phone. Always invite the class to read along—hearing and seeing the words together increases comprehension and engagement.
• Avoid videos – they shut down discussion. Save them for personal study.
• If the discussion gets too non-spiritual, pull it back by going to the next quote or question.
• 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.”
• Remember, spiritual discussion is golden. We want people to talk about the gospel together.
• Never say, “We haven’t got to that part of the lesson yet.” If the discussion takes a different turn than your planned lesson, roll with it. The Spirit intends for you to be successful.