5 Quotes Plus Discussion-Promoting Questions

See also Teaching Helps

This is an ultra-powerful class experience in the making. President Nelson focuses on preparing his people for the Second Coming, and the temple plays a large part in that preparation. We are a covenant-keeping people.

Expect and allow for a lot of discussion and participation because the topics are quite energizing and full of Spirit.

President Nelson’s talk was 19 minutes long, nearly twice as long as some of the others. The talk has two main parts: a historical, doctrinal lesson about the different priesthood keys —AND— the great promises of the temple and what they can mean in your life. They are both fascinating and relevant. The first part of this lesson plan focuses on TEMPLE BLESSINGS, and Quote #4 summarizes his lesson on priesthood keys.

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 Nelson (unless otherwise noted).

Lesson Prep

At least a week ahead of time, I would assign 2 to 3 people to read a quote from the lesson and be ready to share their thoughts on that quote in class. Try to ask people who don’t speak up all the time. The discussion quality often increases when you give people time to think about the quotes and/or questions.

Please do not worry about covering every quote! Quality discussion makes a lasting impact; sometimes, your group needs to discuss one topic more than another.

Printable Files

• Teacher’s master copy
• 5 Quotes handout

Quote #1 (temple privileges)

Possible visual aid: Have a picture or model of one or more temples at the front of the room. Perhaps invite people ahead of time to bring a picture of their favorite temple to display.

Lessons From the Kirtland Temple Dedicatory Prayer

Quote A – That dedicatory prayer, which was received by revelation, teaches that the temple is “a house of prayer, a house of fasting, a house of faith, a house of learning, a house of glory, a house of order, a house of God.”

This list of attributes is much more than a description of a temple. It is a promise about what will happen to those who serve and worship in the house of the Lord. They can expect to receive answers to prayer, personal revelation, greater faith, strength, comfort, increased knowledge, and increased power.

List promises on the board:

• answers to prayer
• personal revelation
• great faith
• strength and comfort
• increased knowledge
• increased power

Note: Try to fit all temple promises from Quote #1 on the board and leave them there. You can also print them ahead of time and pin them to the board.

Possible discussion question: Which promise stands out to you today? (If they say, “all of them,” say, “Okay, let’s pick one and talk about it.”) Does anyone have a comment on any one of these? Why are they essential today and in the coming days?

Quote B – Time in the temple will help you to think celestial and to catch a vision of who you really are, who you can become, and the kind of life you can have forever. Regular temple worship will enhance the way you see yourself and how you fit into God’s magnificent plan. I promise you that.

List blessings on the board:

• help you think celestial
• catch a vision of who you really are, who you can become
• catch a vision of the kind of life you can have forever
• enhances the way you see yourself
• teaches how you fit into God’s magnificent plan

Possible discussion question: Which of these blessings especially stands out to you today? (If they say, “all of them,” say, “Okay, let’s pick one and talk about it.”) Does anyone have a comment on any of these?

Quote C – We are also promised that in the temple, we may “receive a fulness of the Holy Ghost.” Imagine what that promise means in terms of having the heavens open for each earnest seeker of eternal truth.

List promises on the board:

• receive a fullness of the Holy Ghost
• the heavens open for earnest seekers of truth

Possible discussion questions: Is it possible to have more powerful and more frequent experiences with the inspiration of the Holy Ghost?

Quote D – We are instructed that all who worship in the temple will have the power of God and angels having “charge over them.” How much does it increase your confidence to know that, as an endowed woman or man armed with the power of God, you do not have to face life alone? What courage does it give you to know that angels really will help you?

List promises on the board:

• armed with the power of God
• angels have charge over you and will help you

Possible discussion question: What helps you to have faith in these extraordinary promises?

Quote E – Finally, we are promised that “no combination of wickedness” will prevail over those who worship in the house of the Lord. Understanding the spiritual privileges made possible in the temple is vital to each of us today.

• No combination of wickedness will prevail over you permanently…you prevail in the end.

Possible discussion question: What does the word vital mean? When President Nelson said understanding spiritual privileges found in the temple is vital, what does he mean?

vital: crucial, critical, imperative, necessary

Possible discussion questions: We have just reviewed a list of powerful spiritual privileges that come from worshipping and serving in the temple. Which ones stand out the most to you today, and why? How will contemplating President Nelson’s list of spiritual privileges improve your experience in the temple? Which blessings would you most want to tell your children, grandchildren, and other family members so they understand what comes from temple worship and service?

Quote #2 (prophet’s promise)

Possible engagement tool: Tell your class President Nelson added promises of his own about the temple.

My dear brothers and sisters, here is my promise. Nothing will help you more to hold fast to the iron rod than worshipping in the temple as regularly as your circumstances permit. Nothing will protect you more as you encounter the world’s mists of darkness. Nothing will bolster your testimony of the Lord Jesus Christ and His Atonement or help you understand God’s magnificent plan more. Nothing will soothe your spirit more during times of pain. Nothing will open the heavens more. Nothing!

Possible Activity: Have your class help pull out the promises President Nelson made and write them on the board.

Better (if you have time): Print these up, cut them out, pass them out, and have people read them one at a time and describe what they think they mean. Allow other people to make comments.

• help you hold fast (hold tight and firmly) to the iron rod
• protection against mists of darkness
• bolster (aid, boost, reinforce, strengthen) your witness of Jesus Christ
• deepen your witness of Christ’s Atonement
• increase your comprehension of the magnificence of God’s plan
• soothe your spirit during times of pain
• Nothing Will Open the Heavens More. Nothing!

Possible discussion questions: These are profound, powerful teachings about the temple. Which one of President Nelson’s promises stands out for you today? Why?

Quote #3 (section 109)

This quote makes a great intro to this section, have someone read President Nelson’s invitation:

Joseph Smith’s dedicatory prayer of the Kirtland Temple is a tutorial about how the temple spiritually empowers you and me to meet the challenges of life in these last days. I encourage you to study that prayer, recorded in Doctrine and Covenants section 109.

Possible activity: Have one person read the scripture verse from Section 109, and a different person read President Nelson’s comment about that verse.

Pair 1

Verse: For behold, I have accepted this house, and my name shall be here; and I will manifest myself to my people in mercy in this house. (Doctrine and Covenants 109:7)

President Nelson: This significant promise applies to every dedicated temple today. I invite you to ponder what the Lord’s promise means for you personally.

Possible discussion questions: What is the Savior’s promise to us? What does this promise mean to you? Have you ever felt the Lord’s tender mercies while at the temple? Would anyone like to share? According to the Doctrine and Covenants and President Nelson, how much does the Savior prioritize temples?

Pair 2

Verse: 29 Abraham received all things, whatsoever he received, by revelation and commandment, by my word, saith the Lord, and hath entered into his exaltation and sitteth upon his throne.

30 Abraham received promises concerning his seed, and of the fruit of his loins—from whose loins ye are, namely, my servant Joseph—which were to continue so long as they were in the world; and as touching Abraham and his seed, out of the world they should continue; both in the world and out of the world should they continue as innumerable as the stars; or, if ye were to count the sand upon the seashore ye could not number them. (Doctrine and Covenants 132:29-30)

President Nelson: The temple is the gateway to the greatest blessings God has in store for each of us, for the temple is the only place on earth where we may receive all of the blessings promised to Abraham.

Possible discussion questions: What do we learn about where Abraham is right now? (Accept all reasonable answers – Abraham is exalted and sits on a throne; his posterity is innumerable) If we are to receive all the blessings of Abraham, what blessings might we receive too? President Nelson describes the temple as a gateway—how would you use that idea to encourage a friend who was hesitant to go to the temple?

Quote #4 (history of keys)

Possible engagement tool: Remind your class that the keys of the Aaronic and Melchizedek priesthood were restored earlier, around 1830. However, these were not all of the keys Joseph needed to finish setting up the Church for this dispensation. Invite your class to listen for the three additional keys.

Note: These quotes can be divided among 2-3 people.

Then in the Kirtland Temple in 1836, the conferral of these three additional priesthood keys—namely, keys of the gathering of Israel, keys of the gospel of Abraham, and keys of the sealing power—was essential. These keys authorized Joseph Smith—and all succeeding Presidents of the Lord’s Church—to gather Israel on both sides of the veil, to bless all covenant children with the blessings of Abraham, to place a ratifying seal on priesthood ordinances and covenants, and to seal families eternally.

The power of these priesthood keys is infinite and breathtaking. “Consider how your life would be different if priesthood keys had not been restored to the earth. Without priesthood keys, you could not be endowed with the power of God. Without priesthood keys, the Church could serve only as a significant teaching and humanitarian organization but not much more.

President Nelson added some context in the footnotes published with this General Conference talk:

Footnote 14: When the Lord told Joseph Smith that this dispensation is the time when “nothing shall be withheld” (Doctrine and Covenants 121:28), it was because these priesthood keys had been returned to the earth.

Possible discussion questions: What are the three keys that were added? (the gathering of Israel, the gospel of Abraham (see quote #3) and the sealing power.) How important is it to understand these keys and their significance to our lives? How does it feel to live in a dispensation and time when “nothing will be withheld”? Why does President Nelson call these priesthood keys a gift we should rejoice in? What would happen to the Church if it did not have these keys?

Summary

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

Final Comment

Let’s get back to the temple! We need to cultivate a love relationship with temple worship. Many good things will happen to us at the temple – timely, empowering experiences we need and will need as the world gets darker.

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.

PDFs for Download – click the blue word links to view online.