THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO SAINT MATTHEW

Author: Matthew the son of Alphaeus was sometimes called by his surname, Levi (Mark 2:14; Luke 5:27). He lived in Capernaum and was a publican, or tax collector. Matthew was one of the Lord’s original Twelve Apostles and therefore was an eyewitness to many of the things he described (see Matthew 9:9). Matthew was well-versed in the Old Testament and made many references to Old Testament passages in his Gospel. As a publican, he needed to communicate with both Jews and Romans and would have spoken both Aramaic and Greek. One evidence that Matthew spoke Greek is his use of Greek names, such as “Esaias” for Isaiah (Matthew 12:17), “Jonas” for Jonah (Matthew 12:39–40), “Elias” for Elijah (Matthew 17:3), and even “Jesus” for Jeshua, the Aramaic form of the Lord’s name.

Audience: Matthew’s Gospel was likely directed to the Jews. Matthew assumed his audience was already familiar with Jewish traditions and customs. He frequently quoted Old Testament sources in an effort to help Jews recognize the promised Messiah. He emphasized the Savior’s Davidic lineage and arranged the material so the Jews could see a reflection of their history in the life of Jesus Christ.

Historical Background: At the time of the events described by Matthew, the Jews sought deliverance from Roman oppression. Many Jews saw Jesus as their deliverer until they realized He would not deliver them from the Romans.

Unique Features: Since Matthew wrote to a Jewish audience, he frequently recorded events and principles in his testimony that would appeal to them. He gave special emphasis to Old Testament prophecies about the Messiah that were fulfilled in the life of Jesus Christ (see Bible Dictionary, “Gospels,” 683). Some of these prophecies are that Christ would be born of a virgin (see Matthew 1:21–23; Isaiah 7:14), that He would be born in Bethlehem (see Matthew 2:6; Micah 5:2), and that He would flee to Egypt with His family (see Matthew 2:15; Hosea 11:1). Matthew is the only one of the Gospel writers to include the visit of the wise men to the Christ child and the star appearing in the east (see Matthew 2:1–12), the killing of the children in Bethlehem (see Matthew 2:16), several of the Savior’s parables (see Matthew 13:24–30, 36–52), the most complete record of the Sermon on the Mount (see Matthew 5–7), and the fact that “many bodies of the saints which slept arose, And came out of the graves after his resurrection” (Matthew 27:52–53).

Theme: Matthew testified that Jesus of Nazareth was the Messiah prophesied of in the Old Testament (see Bible Dictionary, “Matthew,” 729).

Matthew 1–2

Introduction

Matthew chapters 1–2 record information about the birth and childhood of the Lord. The unusual circumstances surrounding His birth show that He was different from all others who have lived on the earth. Many prophets have performed miracles similar to those the Savior performed. But the Lord’s birth, Atonement, and Resurrection are the events that most clearly witness of His divinity.

Prayerfully study Matthew 1–2 and consider the following principles before preparing your lessons.

Some Important Gospel Principles to Look For

• Jesus Christ is the divine son of Heavenly Father and Mary (see Matthew 1:18–25; see also Luke 1:32, 35; 1 Nephi 11:13–22; Mosiah 3:8; Alma 7:10).
• The birth, life, and mission of Jesus Christ fulfilled many promises made to ancient prophets (see Matthew 1:21–23; 2:6, 15–18, 23; see also Isaiah 7:14; Jeremiah 31:15; Hosea 11:1; Micah 5:2; 2 Nephi 10:3).
• Those who understand and follow the teachings of the scriptures will be better prepared to meet the Lord (see Matthew 2:1–11; see also D&C 18:34–36).
• The purposes of the Lord cannot be frustrated or stopped (see Matthew 2:13–21; see also D&C 121:33).

Additional Resources

• The Life and Teachings of Jesus and His Apostles, 21–23.

Suggestions for Teaching

Choose from the following ideas, or use some of your own, as you prepare lessons for Matthew 1–2.

Matthew 1:1–17 (see also Luke 3:23–38). Knowing our genealogies and where we came from is important. (10–15 minutes)

Invite a few students to come to the board and outline their genealogies. See who can list the most generations. Or ask a few students to tell something interesting about someone in their family history. (Since this lesson will come at the beginning of the year, if you have not taken the opportunity to introduce the class members, this might be a good way to do it. Invite all your students to tell their names and briefly describe an ancestor.) Tell a brief story from your own family history that illustrates how interesting family history research can be.

Explain that Matthew started his testimony by recording the genealogy of Jesus Christ. Ask students to quickly read Matthew 1:1–17 looking for names they recognize in the Savior’s genealogy (for example, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Ruth). Ask:

• To whom did Matthew trace the Savior’s genealogy?
• What two people in the Savior’s genealogy did Matthew focus on?
• What type of leaders were David and Abraham? (One was a king, the other a prophet.)
• Why would it be important that Jesus Christ be the heir of both an Israelite political leader and a religious leader?

Ask students to read Revelation 19:16 and consider how the titles used in this verse to describe the Messiah could apply to Him as both a political and a religious leader. (For additional information see the commentary for Matthew 1:17 and Luke 3:23–28 in The Life and Teachings of Jesus and His Apostles, p. 21.)

Have students identify the woman spoken of both in Matthew 1:5 and Ruth 1:4.

• From what country did this ancestor of Jesus come?
• Of what nationality was she?

Tell students that Jesus Christ had some ancestors who were valiant and others who succumbed to temptation. Consider asking the following questions:

• How important is it to be born into a family that has been in the Church for many generations?
• What advantages are there to having righteous ancestors?
• What effect do our ancestors’ mistakes have on our ability to do what is right?

Matthew 1:18–23. Jesus Christ is the divine son of Heavenly Father and Mary. From Mary He inherited mortality, which allowed Him to die. From His Heavenly Father He inherited immortality and the power to resurrect. (10–15 minutes)

Write the following phrases, without the scripture references, on the board:

Ask the students which of the miracles and experiences listed on the board were unique to the Savior. Help students answer the question for each item by showing them a picture of a prophet performing that miracle or having that experience or by reading the scripture references included above.

Ask: If others also performed these miracles, how was Jesus different? Read Mosiah 3:7 and Alma 34:8–10 looking for what the Savior did that no one else could do. Read Matthew 1:18–23 and Luke 1:32, 35 and look for what gave Him the ability to work out the Atonement. To help students visualize this principle, draw the following diagram. Help students understand that Jesus was literally the son of God, and that His ability to perform the Atonement and bring about the Resurrection are proofs of that divine sonship. (See “Points to Ponder” in The Life and Teachings of Jesus and His Apostles, pp. 23–25.)

Matthew 1:18–25. Certain qualities make good parents. (10–20 minutes)

Ask two students to describe a characteristic they like about their parents. Invite a father or mother of a student to come to class and speak for three to five minutes and describe their feelings when their child was born, tell what the child was like as a baby, and express their love for the child. (Or, if available, use a speaker phone in the classroom to call some parents and ask them to do the same. Or ask some parents to do so in writing or on audio- or videotape, and then share the parents’ responses with the class.)

Invite students to list the qualities of a good parent. Divide your class in half. Ask one half to read Matthew 1:18–25 looking for good qualities Joseph had as a husband and father. Invite the other half to read Luke 1:28–30, 38, 46–55 looking for good qualities of Mary.

Read Romans 8:16–17 and look for the relationship we have with our Father in Heaven as we are led by His Spirit. Read Ephesians 2:4 and look for how our Heavenly Father feels about us. Ask:

• How does being a good parent in this life help prepare us for godhood?
• What could you be doing now to prepare to be good parents in the future?

List the students’ answers on the board.

Matthew 1:22–23. The birth and life of Jesus Christ fulfilled many promises made to ancient prophets. (15–20 minutes)

Invite students to write a prediction of some future event on a piece of paper. Collect the predictions and share some of them with the class. Ask:

• How likely is it that some of these predictions will come to pass?
• How sure is it that all of them will occur?
• Does making a true prediction necessarily prove that someone is a prophet? Why or why not?

Help students understand that prophets don’t guess the future. Prophets have the future revealed to them by God, and their prophecies are always fulfilled.

Reproduce the accompanying chart, leaving the middle column blank. Invite students to read the verses and write in the blank spaces the fulfillment of the prophecy.

When they have finished, ask:

• What do these prophecies and their fulfillment show about Jesus?
• Why was it important that Jesus fulfill the prophecies of the Old Testament?
• How can prophecies from scriptures about the last days help us today?

Matthew 2:1–11. Wise men from the East were led to the Christ child. (15–20 minutes)

Ask students to draw a picture of the nativity scene, or invite a student to draw on the board the nativity as described by the other students. Tell them to include everything they can from memory alone to make it as accurate as possible. After a few minutes, read Matthew 2:1–11 and Luke 2:1–16, and have the students look for details they should add or subtract from their pictures to make them more accurate. (For example, many students will draw three wise men, though Matthew doesn’t refer to any specific number. Also, Matthew 2:11 seems to imply that the wise men came later, when Mary and the Christ child were staying in a house.) Discuss the following questions:

• Why do some people have misconceptions about Christ’s birth?
• Why are the scriptures frequently misunderstood? (People often don’t read the scriptures enough, or carefully enough. Errors in translation can also lead to misconceptions.)
• How can we avoid misunderstanding principles and stories from the scriptures? (We can search the scriptures and study the prophets’ and apostles’ interpretations of them.)

Matthew 2:1–9. Those who understand and follow the teachings of the scriptures will be better prepared to meet the Lord. (10–15 minutes)

Before class place a small paper star somewhere in view of the students. Begin class by drawing on the board the outline of a stop sign without the word stop. Ask students:

• What does this sign represent?
• Are seeing the shape of the sign and knowing what it means the same thing? (Not necessarily.)
• How many of you saw the new star in the room when you came in?
• Did anyone know what it meant?

Invite students to read Matthew 2:1–9 and look for where the new star signifying the Christ child’s birth appeared.

• Could there have been some who saw the star but did not understand its meaning?
• Why were the wise men able to discern the meaning of the star?
• Why didn’t many others recognize the significance of the star?

To help students understand how the wise men not only saw the new star but also understood its meaning, read the following statement by Elder Bruce R. McConkie, who was a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles:

“The probability is [that the wise men] were themselves Jews who lived, as millions of Jews then did, in one of the nations to the East. It was the Jews, not the Gentiles, who were acquainted with the scriptures and who were waiting with anxious expectation for the coming of a King” (The Mortal Messiah: From Bethlehem to Calvary, 4 vols. [1979–81], 1:358).

Invite students to read Joseph Smith—Matthew 1:29–31 and look for what signs God has revealed today. Ask:

• To whom are these signs meaningful today?
• How may we, like the wise men of old, find the Savior?

Read Doctrine and Covenants 18:34–35 and 45:39 and look for other ways we can find Jesus today.

Matthew 2:11. Just as the wise men gave Jesus gifts, we can give Him gifts too. (5–10 minutes)

Bring in a couple of packages wrapped as gifts. Ask students:

• What was the last gift you gave someone?
• Why did you select that gift?
• How does knowing someone influence the gift you choose to give that person?
• How does our love for someone affect the kind of gift we choose for that person?

Read Matthew 2:11 and look for what the wise men gave Jesus. Ask: Why do you think the wise men chose the gifts they did? (Gold, frankincense, and myrrh were all expensive gifts befitting a king. Frankincense was a type of incense offered to the Lord in the temple in Jerusalem. Myrrh, which was used in embalming, may have been a prophetic indication of Christ’s sacrifice.) Invite students to read Matthew 11:29–30; Alma 11:42–44; Doctrine and Covenants 14:7; 19:16–19 and identify the gifts the Savior has offered to us. (If desired, list their responses on the board.) Give students a piece of paper and invite them to write a list of gifts they could give Jesus today (for example, keeping the commandments and living righteously, treating others kindly, and being grateful for what Jesus does for us).

Matthew 2:13–21. The purposes and work of the Lord cannot be frustrated. (5–10 minutes)

Show the students a glass of water and a teaspoon of sugar. Stir the sugar into the water. Then invite a student to separate the sugar from the water. Read Doctrine and Covenants 121:33 and ask students:

• How is the difficulty of separating sugar and water like what is taught in this scripture?
• What power can stay the heavens?

Read Matthew 2:14–21 and ask:

• What did Herod do in an attempt to destroy the work of the Lord?
• What did the Lord do to foil Herod’s actions?
• According to verse 14, what role did Joseph and Mary play in stopping Herod’s plan?

To help students apply this principle, ask:

• How can we help to thwart the designs of Satan in our own lives?
• What difference does it make in your life to know that the Lord and His plans will be victorious and that His plan and purposes will all be fulfilled?

Matthew 3–4

Introduction

Matthew 3–4 recounts the preparations Jesus made prior to His formal ministry. His example of preparation reminds us that if we “are prepared [we] shall not fear” (D&C 38:30). During this period Jesus also experienced temptations similar to ours (see Matthew 4:3–11).

Prayerfully study Matthew 3–4 and consider the following principles before preparing your lessons.

Some Important Gospel Principles to Look For

• We must be baptized in order to receive celestial glory (see Matthew 3:13–15; see also 2 Nephi 9:24; 31:5–7).
• The Godhead is made up of three separate individuals: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost (see Matthew 3:16–17; see also Acts 7:55–56; D&C 130:22).
• Fasting helps us to draw closer to Heavenly Father, to gain spiritual strength, and to obtain blessings (see Matthew 4:1–2;  JST, Matthew 4:1).
• By being righteous we gain power to resist the temptations of Satan (see Matthew 4:3–11; see also James 4:7; 1 Nephi 22:26; Alma 48:17).

Additional Resources

• The Life and Teachings of Jesus and His Apostles, 27–31, 43–46.

Suggestions for Teaching

Choose from the following ideas, or use some of your own, as you prepare lessons for Matthew 3–4.

New Testament Video presentation 4, “New Testament Customs” (14:32), can be used to explain the culture and customs of New Testament times. You could use it during a single class period or show each of its sixteen brief segments as the scriptures they treat come up in the curriculum. (See New Testament Video Guide for teaching suggestions.)

Matthew 3:13–17 (see also Mark 1:9–11; Luke 3:21–22; John 1:32–34). We must be baptized in order to receive celestial glory. (15–20 minutes)

Invite the class to imagine that you are an investigator with sincere questions about the need for baptism. Have two students come forward to play the role of missionaries. Ask them:

• I was baptized as an infant. Why do I need to be baptized again?
• Why do I have to be baptized by immersion?
• Why is this ordinance essential to my salvation?
• What does the ordinance of baptism signify?

Write the following references on the board: Matthew 3:13–17; John 3:3–5; Romans 6:3–5; Mosiah 5:5–12; Alma 5:14; 3 Nephi 11:26; Moroni 8:25; Doctrine and Covenants 13:1; 20:73–74; 128:12. Invite the class to use the references to help the “missionaries” answer the questions.

Invite a priest in the Aaronic Priesthood to read Doctrine and Covenants 20:46. Ask him what authority he holds. Ask if he or any other priest in the class has had the opportunity to baptize someone. If so, invite that student to briefly share his experience with the class. Ask the priest how he would feel if he were asked to baptize the Savior. Have the class read Matthew 3:14–15, and discuss the following questions:

• What did John the Baptist say when Jesus came to him to be baptized?
• What was Jesus’ response?
• What does it mean “to fulfill all righteousness”? (see 2 Nephi 31:4–11).
• What do you remember most about your own baptism?

Have students read Mosiah 18:8–10, and discuss how their baptism continues to apply today.

Matthew 3:16–17 (see also Mark 1:10–11; Luke 3:21–23; John 1:32–34). The Godhead is made up of three separate individuals: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost. (5–10 minutes)

Show the class a triple combination (a Book of Mormon, Doctrine and Covenants, and Pearl of Great Price all in one book). Ask students:

• In what ways are the three books one?
• How are they different?
• How is the triple combination like the Godhead?

Invite students to read Matthew 3:16–17 and list the evidence this passage gives that the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost are three different individuals. Invite students to look in their Topical Guides under “Godhead” (p. 183) to find other scriptures that support the idea that the Godhead is made up of three different individuals (see especially Acts 7:55–56; D&C 130:22–23; Joseph Smith—History 1:17). Have the students share what they find with the class. Read the following statement from the Lectures on Faith, compiled under the direction of the Prophet Joseph Smith:

“Let us here observe, that three things are necessary in order that any rational and intelligent being may exercise faith in God unto life and salvation.

“First, the idea that he actually exists.

“Secondly, a correct idea of his character, perfections, and attributes.

“Thirdly, an actual knowledge that the course of life which he is pursuing is according to his will” (Lectures on Faith [1985], 38).

After sharing this statement, ask students:

• Why must we understand the true nature of God before we can have faith in Him “to life and salvation”?
• How can we grow in our understanding of the true nature of God?

Have students read John 17:3, and ask:

• How does this verse apply to the statement in Lectures on Faith?
• What does it mean to you?

Read Alma 34:38 and ask:

• What relationship should we have with the members of the Godhead?
• What can we do now to cultivate this relationship?

Matthew 4:1–2 (see also Mark 1:12–13; Luke 4:1–2). Fasting helps us draw closer to our Heavenly Father, gain spiritual strength, and obtain blessings. (5–10 minutes)

Ask the class to raise their hands if they look forward to fast Sundays. Why or why not? Read Matthew 4:1–2 and look for what the Savior did as preparation for His ministry.

Divide the class into four groups. Have each group read one of the following scripture references and report on what they learned about fasting: Matthew 17:14–21; Alma 5:46; Alma 17:2–3; Doctrine and Covenants 59:13–14.

Have students read the following passages and answer the questions:

• What does Matthew 6:16–18 say we should avoid when we fast?
• According to Isaiah 58:3–5, how much good does fasting do us if we fast without the proper spiritual motivation? (see footnote 4b).
• What do verses 6–7 say we must also do when we fast?
• What provision has the Lord made for His Church and people to help the poor?

Matthew 4:1–11 (see also Mark 1:12–13; Luke 4:1–13). By being obedient we gain power to resist the temptations of Satan. (20–25 minutes)

Put an orange into a large transparent container of water (it should float). Ask the students to guess what makes it float. Peel the orange and remove the pithy center, and then put the orange back in the water (it should sink). Ask:

• What do you think helped keep the orange afloat?
• How could the orange peel be likened to our ability to resist temptation today?

Have students read Matthew 4:1–11 (note the Joseph Smith Translation changes).

• What did the Savior do to overcome temptation? (He fasted, He sought to be with God, He quoted truths from the scriptures, and He left the tempter and the place of temptation; see also D&C 20:22).
• How can we apply these helps in overcoming temptation in our own lives? (Note: Spend some time with real-life situations that affect your students today. For example, discuss getting out of the place of temptation by changing the television channel, walking out of an inappropriate movie, or leaving a party.)
• What temptations does Satan use today to “peel away” the protection of the righteous?

Read Matthew 4:1–11 again, this time looking for the different kinds of temptations that Satan presented to the Savior. Read the following statement by Elder David O. McKay, then a member of the Quorum of the Twelve:

“Now, nearly every temptation that comes to you and me comes in one of those forms. Classify them, and you will find that under one of those three nearly every given temptation that makes you and me spotted, ever so little maybe, comes to us as (1) a temptation of the appetite; (2) a yielding to the pride and fashion and vanity of those alienated from the things of God; or (3) a gratifying of the passion, or a desire for the riches of the world, or power among men” (in Conference Report, Oct. 1911, 59).

Write three headings on the board: (1) Physical Appetites; (2) Pride, Fashion, and Vanity; and (3) Riches or Power. Invite students to name some temptations common to youth today. As each temptation is mentioned, ask students which category it should be listed under, and then write it under the appropriate heading on the board.

Remind students of the orange analogy and ask:

• In what condition is the fruit of the orange after it has lost its outer peel?
• How long will the fruit remain good and sweet without the peel as compared to fruit that keeps its peel?
• If we succumb to temptation, is there any way to regain divine protection? How?

Read Mosiah 26:29–32 and ask: What can we do if Satan has penetrated some of our protection and we have succumbed to temptation? Read Alma 34:32–34 and ask:

• What is the danger of putting off repenting?
• Which is the better way, to resist temptation or to give in to temptation and repent later?

Point out to the students that the Savior’s example in Matthew 4 teaches us that it is better to resist temptation than to give in and repent later. (For additional help with this concept, see Spencer W. Kimball, “God Will Forgive,” Ensign, March 1982, p. 7.) Assure them, however, that through the Savior’s Atonement, forgiveness is available to all those who sincerely repent of their sins.

Matthew 5–7

Introduction

Matthew 5–7 records what President Joseph Fielding Smith called the “greatest [sermon] that was ever preached” (in Conference Report, Oct. 1941, 95). This sermon is the first of five great discourses given by the Savior as recorded in Matthew (the other discourses are found in Matthew 10; 13; 18; and 24–25). It has come to be known as the Sermon on the Mount and was given near the shores of the Sea of Galilee.

Luke records a sermon known as “the Sermon on the Plain” which is similar but not identical to the Sermon on the Mount. Some have thought that the Sermon on the Mount was given before the selection of the Twelve Apostles, but Elder Bruce R. McConkie, then a member of the Seventy, pointed out that some of the material in the Sermon was directed specifically to the Twelve. Elder McConkie explained:

“It follows that the Sermon on the Mount and the Sermon on the Plain are one and the same” (Doctrinal New Testament Commentary, 3 vols. [1966–73], 1:213–14).

In this sermon, Jesus presented a higher level of living for His followers. Of the importance of this sermon, President Ezra Taft Benson said:

“The Ten Commandments and the Sermon on the Mount are the foundation principles upon which all civilized government and our present civilization are built (see Exodus 20:1–17; Matthew 5–7). To disregard them will lead to inevitable personal character loss and ruin. To disregard them as a nation inevitably will lead that nation to destruction” (The Teachings of Ezra Taft Benson [1988], 677–78).

Prayerfully study Matthew 5–7 and consider the following principles before preparing your lessons.

Some Important Gospel Principles to Look For

• Our treatment of others affects the way God treats us (see Matthew 5:7; 6:14–15; 7:2, 12).
• Christ fulfilled the law of Moses and restored the gospel fulness, bringing a higher law (see Matthew 5:21–48).
• We should strive to become perfect like Jesus and Heavenly Father (see Matthew 5; see also 3 Nephi 12:48).
• We should not boast of our righteous acts (see Matthew 6:1–23).
• Heavenly Father gave us prayer as a way to express our thanks and desires to Him (see Matthew 6:5–15). He answers our prayers and wants to bless us (see Matthew 7:7–11).
• We can discern the righteous from the wicked by their actions. Only those whose intentions and actions are righteous will “enter into the kingdom of heaven” (see Matthew 7:15–27; see also Moroni 7:5–6).

Additional Resources

• The Life and Teachings of Jesus and His Apostles, 57–62, 114.

Suggestions for Teaching

Choose from the following ideas, or use some of your own, as you prepare lessons for Matthew 5–7.

Matthew 5–7 (see also Luke 6:17–49). An introduction to the Sermon on the Mount. (3–5 minutes)

Ask students:

• When was the last time you went to a Sunday fireside?
• If you knew Jesus would be the speaker at the next fireside, what would you do to be there?

Explain that Matthew 5–7 is a sermon given by the Lord, and while we weren’t there to hear it from the Savior, we can read and study what He taught. To emphasize the importance of these chapters, share the quotes by Joseph Fielding Smith and Ezra Taft Benson in the introduction to this scripture block.

Matthew 5:1–12 (see also Luke 6:20–26). The Beatitudes are a guide to help us become more like the Savior. (15–20 minutes)

One by one hold up three or four different magazine or newspaper pictures of unknown people. As you hold up each picture, ask students if they think the person whose picture you are holding is righteous or wicked.

• Can we tell righteous people by the way they look?
• How can we know if someone is righteous or wicked?
• Which is more important, inner or outer beauty?

While we can change only so much of our outward beauty, we have a lot of ability to change our inner character. Explain that Jesus gave us a list of “beautiful attitudes” that are called the Beatitudes. Ask how many students have heard of the Beatitudes. If we develop these qualities or character traits in our lives then we will receive certain blessings. (The word beatitude means “blessedness.”) Invite students to read Matthew 5:1–12 and find each attitude that Jesus mentions and the corresponding blessing. Read the following statement on the Beatitudes by President Harold B. Lee:

“In that matchless Sermon on the Mount, Jesus has given us eight distinct ways by which we might receive . . . joy. . . . These declarations of the Master are known . . . as the Beatitudes and have been referred to by Bible commentators as the preparation necessary for entrance into the kingdom of heaven. . . . They embody in fact THE CONSTITUTION FOR A PERFECT LIFE” (Decisions for Successful Living [1973], 56–57).

Make copies of the following eight statements on the Beatitudes by President Lee, and invite eight different students to read them to the class.

1. Blessed are the poor in spirit: “To be poor in spirit is to feel yourselves as the spiritually needy, ever dependent upon the Lord for your clothes, your food and the air you breathe, your health, your life; realizing that no day should pass without fervent prayer of thanksgiving, for guidance and forgiveness and strength sufficient for each day’s need.”
2. Blessed are they that mourn: “To mourn, as the Master’s lesson here would teach, one must show that ‘godly sorrow that worketh repentance’ and wins for the penitent a forgiveness of sins and forbids a return to the deeds of which he mourns.”
3. Blessed are the meek: “A meek man is defined as one who is not easily provoked or irritated and forbearing under injury or annoyance. Meekness is not synonymous with weakness. The meek man is the strong, the mighty, the man of complete self-mastery. He is the one who has the courage of his moral convictions, despite the pressure of the gang or the club.”
4. Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: “Did you ever hunger for food or thirst for water when just a crust of stale bread or a sip of tepid water to ease the pangs that distressed you would seem to be the most prized of all possessions? If you have so hungered then you may begin to understand how the Master meant we should hunger and thirst after righteousness. It’s that hungering and thirsting that leads those away from home to seek fellowship with saints in sacrament services and that induces worship on the Lord’s Day wherever we are. It is that which prompts fervent prayer and leads our feet to holy temples and bids us be reverent therein.”
5. Blessed are the merciful: “Our salvation rests upon the mercy we show to others. Unkind and cruel words, or wanton acts of cruelty toward man or beast, even though in seeming retaliation, disqualify the perpetrator in his claims for mercy when he has need of mercy in the day of judgment before earthly or heavenly tribunals. Is there one who has never been wounded by the slander of another whom he thought to be his friend? Do you remember the struggle you had to refrain from retribution? Blessed are all you who are merciful for you shall obtain mercy!”
6. Blessed are the pure in heart: “If you would see God, you must be pure. There is in Jewish writings the story of a man who saw an object in the distance, an object that he thought was a beast. As it drew nearer he could perceive it was a man and as it came still closer he saw it was his friend. You can see only that which you have eyes to see. Some of the associates of Jesus saw him only as a son of Joseph the carpenter. Others thought him to be a winebibber or a drunkard because of his words. Still others thought he was possessed of devils. Only the righteous saw him as the Son of God. Only if you are the pure in heart will you see God, and also in a lesser degree will you be able to see the ‘God’ or good in man and love him because of the goodness you see in him. Mark well that person who criticizes and maligns the man of God or the Lord’s anointed leaders in his Church. Such a one speaks from an impure heart.”
7. Blessed are the peacemakers: “Peacemakers shall be called the children of God. The trouble-maker, the striker against law and order, the leader of the mob, the law-breaker are prompted by motives of evil and unless they desist will be known as the children of Satan rather than God. Withhold yourselves from him who would cause disquieting doubts by making light of sacred things for he seeks not for peace but to spread confusion. That one who is quarrelsome or contentious, and whose arguments are for other purposes than to resolve the truth, is violating a fundamental principle laid down by the Master as an essential in the building of a full rich life. ‘Peace and goodwill to men on earth’ was the angel song that heralded the birth of the Prince of Peace.”
8. Blessed are they which are persecuted: “May youth everywhere remember that warning when you are hissed and scoffed because you refuse to compromise your standards of abstinence, honesty and morality in order to win the applause of the crowd. If you stand firmly for the right despite the jeers of the crowd or even physical violence, you shall be crowned with the blessedness of eternal joy. Who knows but that again in our day some of the saints or even apostles, as in former days, may be required to give their lives in defense of the truth? If that time should come, God grant they would not fail!” (Decisions for Successful Living, 57–62).

Have students write on a piece of paper which of the Beatitudes they live the best and which they would like to apply more fully in their lives.

Matthew 5; 7:15–27 (see also Luke 6:20–36, 44–49). If we do our best to keep the commandments, the Lord can make us perfect. (25–30 minutes)

Ask the students: Which commandment do you think is the hardest to keep? List their answers on the board. Ask: Which is the hardest commandment of all? If being perfect isn’t listed, tell students Matthew 5:48 describes a harder commandment than any listed on the board. Read Genesis 6:9; Job 1:1; 1 Nephi 3:7; Doctrine and Covenants 107:43; and Moses 8:27, and consider whether being perfect is possible. Then read Moroni 10:32–33 and look for how it is possible for us to become perfect and how the men in the previous references became perfect.

Before class, take a large piece of paper or poster board and write in large letters, “Being Perfect like Heavenly Father.” Turn it over and draw seventeen puzzle pieces on the back. Write a scripture reference from the accompanying chart on each piece, and then cut out the pieces.

In class, write Being Perfect like Heavenly Father on the board. Distribute the puzzle pieces among your students, and explain that if the puzzle is put together correctly this is what it will spell. Tell students that the word perfect in Matthew 5:48 comes from the Greek word teleios, which can also be translated as “whole” or “complete.” Using this definition, the admonitions of the Savior in Matthew chapter 5 can be seen as pieces of a puzzle that must all be in place before someone can be whole, complete, or perfect.

Ask students to look up the references on the backs of their puzzle pieces. Have them write the characteristic of perfection described in their reference, first on the puzzle piece and then on the board under Being Perfect like Heavenly Father. (These don’t need to be identical to the ones on the chart.) Then have them work with the other students to put the puzzle together. When the puzzle is completed, remove one of the pieces and ask:

• Is the puzzle still perfect, whole, or complete if one piece is missing?
• How long are we to strive for perfection?
• How long do you think it will take to achieve it?

Read Doctrine and Covenants 67:13 and the following quote to help students understand that becoming perfect happens over a long period of time and only with the Lord’s help. Elder Bruce R. McConkie explained:

“Nobody becomes perfect in this life. . . . Becoming perfect in Christ is a process.

“We begin to keep the commandments today, and we keep more of them tomorrow. . . . We can become perfect in some minor things. . . .

“If we chart a course of becoming perfect, and, step by step and phase by phase, are perfecting our souls by overcoming the world, then it is absolutely guaranteed—there is no question whatever about it—we shall gain eternal life. . . . If we chart a course and follow it to the best of our ability in this life, then when we go out of this life we’ll continue in exactly that same course. . . .

“The Prophet [Joseph Smith] told us that there are many things that people have to do, even after the grave, to work out their salvation” (“Jesus Christ and Him Crucified,” 1976 Devotional Speeches of the Year [1977], 399–401).

To illustrate this point, set up the desks or chairs in the room to form an obstacle course. Blindfold a student and have him or her go through the course with only your instructions for guidance. When you are finished, ask:

• What help did you need to make it through the course?
• What would have occurred if you depended only on your own efforts?

Read Matthew 7:15–27 and look for how many times the Lord uses the word “doeth” in these verses. How important are our works and deeds to our salvation? Read 2 Nephi 25:23 and ask students to compare it with the experience of the obstacle course.

• What two people have a part to play in our becoming perfect?
• Who in this verse is like the blindfolded person?
• Who is like the guiding voice?

Matthew 5:7; 6:14–15; 7:2, 12 (see also Luke 6:37–42). Our treatment of others affects not only the way others treat us but also the way the Lord treats us. (10–15 minutes)

Invite three students to participate in a role play. Invite one of the students to stand outside the room for a minute where he can’t hear what you tell the others. When the student has left the room, explain to the other two students that when the first student comes back in, one of them should treat him in a friendly way (for example shake his hand, smile, look at him, and ask him how he is doing), and that the other student should ignore him (not look at him, turn his back on him, and so forth). After the student outside the room has been invited in and experienced the actions of the other two students, ask:

• How do you feel after “meeting” these two students?
• Which of the two would you rather be with?
• How did you want to treat the student who acted friendly?
• What kind of feelings did you have toward the student who acted unfriendly?

Invite the class to read Matthew 7:12 and look for how this verse might apply to the role play. Tell them that the admonition to do unto others as you would have them do unto you is know as the Golden Rule. Share the following statement by President Ezra Taft Benson:

“The formula for successful relationships with others boils down to that divine code known as the Golden Rule. . . . To serve others willingly and unselfishly should be one of our greatest virtues. It is not even a matter of choice. It is an obligation, a sacred command” (The Teachings of Ezra Taft Benson, 447).

• In your experience have you found this principle to be true?
• How should we treat those who have mistreated us?
• What reactions do people have when you treat them kindly after they may have been unkind toward you?

Read Matthew 5:7; 6:14–15; 7:2 and look for how the principle taught in these verses applies to our relationship with the Lord.

• What do these verses teach about the Lord?
• According to the verses, what is the Lord’s treatment of us dependent on?
• How does it make you feel to know the Lord will be fair and just?
• How can understanding this principle affect the way we treat others?

Matthew 5:14–16 (Scripture Mastery; see also Luke 8:16; 11:33). We must follow the light of Christ and let that example be seen by others so as to show others the way to come to Christ. (10–15 minutes)

Turn the lights out in the room and turn on a flashlight. Ask students to imagine that they are in a long cave and that the only way to find their way out is by the light of your flashlight. Invite a student to read Matthew 5:14–16 while you hold the flashlight on the book.

• How is the light of the flashlight in the cave like the light in these verses?
• How can our example influence others like a flashlight guides those in the dark?

Use the following questions to help students understand that Jesus Christ is the source of the light we must follow:

• Read Moroni 7:16–17. What are people born with that gives them a sense of right and wrong?
• According to Matthew 5:14–16, what light comes into the lives of the righteous and affects others for good?
• Read Doctrine and Covenants 88:5–13. Who is the source of this light?
• Read 3 Nephi 15:12. Who does He share that light with?

Tell students that when we receive that light, we have the responsibility to let it shine for others. But we must not forget whose light it is that we reflect to the world. The Savior explained, “Behold I am the light which ye shall hold up” (3 Nephi 18:24). Ask: How does our example affect others? Read Alma 39:11 and look for how Corianton’s example affected others. Invite students to share instances of people who have been affected positively or negatively by the example of others. Ask: According to Matthew 5:16, when others see our good works, to whom should they be drawn?

Matthew 5:21–48 (see also Luke 6:29–36). Christ fulfilled the law of Moses and restored the gospel fulness, bringing the higher law. (10–15 minutes)

Bring some children’s building blocks to class. Write on the board Christ fulfilled the law of Moses and brought a higher law. Invite a student to use the blocks to build something that represents the statement on the board and then explain how it relates to the statement. (For example the student might build a foundation to represent the law of Moses and then the rest of a building to represent the higher law of Christ.) Read Matthew 5:21–48 with students and look for examples of how Christ added new laws to what He had established through Moses. Write what you find on the board if desired (use the accompanying chart for reference).

Ask students: How many of these laws of Moses do we still believe and practice? Read Matthew 5:48 and ask: How does the new law instituted by Christ relate to becoming perfect?

Matthew 6:1–23. We should not boast of our righteous acts. (15–20 minutes)

Blow up a balloon for the class without tying it off. Tell students you want to show them the air inside the balloon. Let the air out. Ask: Of what use is a balloon without any air in it?

Tell students that some things are best kept to ourselves and not shared with others. Invite students to read Matthew 6:1–4 about offerings, verses 5–7 about prayer, and verses 16–18 about fasting. Discuss the following questions:

• How would making a show of righteous acts be like letting the air out of a balloon?
• How does boasting affect our giving to the poor, praying, or fasting?

Share the following story from Elder Thomas S. Monson, a member of the Quorum of the Twelve:

“Recently, I approached the reception desk of a large hospital to learn the room number of a patient I had come to visit. This hospital, like almost every other in the land, was undergoing a massive expansion. Behind the desk where the receptionist sat was a magnificent plaque which bore an inscription of thanks to donors who had made possible the expansion. The name of each donor who had contributed $100,000 appeared in a flowing script, etched on an individual brass placard suspended from the main plaque by a glittering chain.

“The names of the benefactors were well known. Captains of commerce, giants of industry, professors of learning—all were there. I felt gratitude for their charitable benevolence. Then my eyes rested on a brass placard which was different—it contained no name. One word, and one word only, was inscribed: ‘Anonymous.’ I smiled and wondered who the unnamed contributor could have been. Surely he or she experienced a quiet joy unknown to any other. . . .

“May we look upward as we press forward in the service of our God and our fellowmen. . . . Our hearts will then be lighter, our lives brighter, and our souls richer.

“Loving service anonymously given may be unknown to man—but the gift and the giver are known to God” (in Conference Report, Apr. 1983, 73, 76; or Ensign, May 1983, 55, 57).

Tell students that the Lord Himself exemplified this principle by frequently telling those He healed to “tell no man” (Matthew 8:4). Read Matthew 19:16–17 and look for the attitude of the Savior that we should try to emulate. Ask:

• Would you rather be around people who constantly brag about how good they are or people who keep those things to themselves? Why?
• How are we to live when in the presence of parents and Church leaders?
• How are we to live when we are not in their presence?
• Read Doctrine and Covenants 20:77. How can we show Jesus that we “do always remember him”?

Point out that one of the best ways to show the Lord we remember Him is “to keep his commandments which he has given” us all the time, not just when others are watching.

Note: The principle of not doing our alms before men may be confusing when compared with the principle of letting our light shine (see Matthew 5:14–16). Help students understand that we don’t sin when others see our good works unless we do them hypocritically or pridefully, merely to be seen of men.

Matthew 6:5–13; 7:7–11 (see also Luke 11:2–4, 9–13). Heavenly Father gave us prayer as a way to express our thanks and desires to Him. He answers our prayers and wants to bless us. (15–20 minutes)

Bring a telephone to class. Ask students how much time in a day they spend on the phone talking with their friends. Ask them what they would think if they received the following phone call from a friend. Pick up the phone and say: “Hello,” (say the name of one of your students). “I’m calling to see if you want to get together tonight to study for our history test.” (Don’t pause long enough for a response.) “And I really can’t decide what to do this weekend. Should I go to that movie we’ve been wanting to see or to the ball game? What do you think?” (Before there is time for a response, say good-bye and hang up the phone.)

Ask students:

• What problems would you have if you never waited for an answer when you talked to your friends on the phone?
• If your friends never had the chance to respond to your questions, how long would they continue to listen to you?
• How might this phone call resemble some prayers?

Explain that the Lord Himself instructed us in the Sermon on the Mount on how to pray. Read and discuss Matthew 6:5–13, using the accompanying chart as a guide. Or reproduce it as a handout, leaving the right-hand column blank. Have students read the references and fill in what each verse teaches about prayer.

Invite students to read Matthew 7:7–11 and look for what else the Lord taught in the Sermon on the Mount about prayer. Share the following statement by Elder Boyd K. Packer:

“No message is repeated more times in scripture than the simple thought: ‘Ask, and ye shall receive’ (D&C 4:7)” (in Conference Report, Oct. 1979, 30; or Ensign, Nov. 1979, 21).

Read Alma 29:1–4 and ask: What caution does Alma give that we should consider when we pray? Read Matthew 26:39 looking for how Jesus applied this principle in His own life.

Show students a picture of Moroni praying as he buries the golden plates (Moroni Hides the Plates in the Hill Cumorah [Moroni 10], item no. 62462). Sing or read the words of the hymn “Prayer Is the Soul’s Sincere Desire” (no. 145), and invite students to write on a piece of paper what they can do to improve their prayers.

Matthew 6:24 (Scripture Mastery; see also Luke 16:13). We cannot serve God and the things of the world. (10–15 minutes)

Put the word God on one wall and the word Worldliness on the opposite wall. Invite a student to stand in front of the class and face one of the two walls. Then have the student turn around and face the other wall. Ask: Is it possible to face both walls at the same time? Invite students to read Matthew 6:24, and ask how serving God and Mammon is like trying to face both walls at the same time.

Share the following statement by Elder Bruce R. McConkie:

“Mammon is an Aramaic word for riches. Thus Jesus is saying, ‘Ye cannot serve God and riches, or worldliness, which always results from the love of money.’” (Doctrinal New Testament Commentary, 1:240).

Read 1 Timothy 6:10 and ask students:

• According to this scripture, what is the root of all evil?
• How can we tell what we love the most?
• What do you think about when you don’t have to think?

Have students read Doctrine and Covenants 20:77 and list the covenants that they make that could help them love God more than worldliness.

Matthew 8–10

Introduction

Matthew often organized his Gospel account by topic rather than by a chronological recounting of the Savior’s ministry. For example, he grouped many of Jesus Christ’s miracles into chapters 8 and 9, many Sabbath activities into chapter 12, and many parables into chapter 13. Matthew frequently included Old Testament citations showing that Jesus Christ was the promised Messiah (see the introduction to the Gospel of Matthew, p. 20). As you study Matthew 8–10, watch for Matthew’s quotations from the Old Testament (see Matthew 8:17; 11:10, 14; 12:17–21; 13:35) and consider what we might learn from the way Matthew grouped events.

Prayerfully study Matthew 8–10 and consider the following principles before preparing your lessons.

Some Important Gospel Principles to Look For

• The different kinds of miracles Jesus Christ performed demonstrated His power over all things (see Matthew 8–9; see also Mosiah 4:9; Alma 26:35).
• Jesus Christ gave His authority to the Apostles and called them to be special witnesses of Him and His mission (see Matthew 10:1–15; see also Acts 4:33; D&C 107:23).
• As we receive (obey) the Lord’s servants, we receive the Lord. This is a fundamental part of the oath and covenant of the priesthood (see Matthew 10:40–41; see also D&C 1:38; 84:33–39).

Additional Resources

• The Life and Teachings of Jesus and His Apostles, 45, 52–55, 71, 79–83.

Suggestions for Teaching

Choose from the following ideas, or use some of your own, as you prepare lessons for Matthew 8–10.

New Testament Video presentation 5, “Thy Faith Hath Made Thee Whole” (16:42), can be used in teaching Matthew 9. Or to help balance video presentations throughout the school year, you could use this presentation to help teach Mark 5 instead. (See New Testament Video Guide for teaching suggestions.)

Matthew 8–10 (see also Mark 1:29–34; 4:35–6:11; Luke 4:38–41; 5:17–26; 7:1–9:5; 11:14). The different kinds of miracles the Lord performed show that He has power over all things. He shared this power with the Apostles. (15–20 minutes)

Ask students to imagine being promised power over sickness, over the elements, over devils, or over death. Then consider the following questions:

• Which of these powers would you choose? Why?
• What are some ways you could bless others by this power?

Explain that Jesus possessed all these powers and that the miracles recorded in Matthew 8–9 help show His power over all things (see also Mosiah 4:9; Alma 26:35).

Have students write the four headings from the accompanying chart on a piece of paper. List the scripture references from the chart in random order on the board. Invite students to look up each reference and write it, together with a brief description of the miracle, in the proper column.

Use the following questions to help students see the connection between Matthew 8–9 and Matthew 10:

• What would be a good title for the chart? (Possible answers include “The Miracles of Jesus” or “Christ Had Great Powers.”)
• How does it affect your faith to know that God has this kind of power?
• To whom did the Lord give this power or authority?
• Who holds this same power today? (see D&C 20:2).

Invite students to read Matthew 10:1–4. Ask the following questions, and list the students’ responses on the board:

• What are the names of the Twelve Apostles?
• What priesthood powers did the Savior give them?
• Read Matthew 10:7–8. What more do these verses say the Apostles were given priesthood power to do?

Share with the class the information found in the introduction to Matthew 8–10 about how Matthew grouped ideas and experiences together. Ask: Why do you think Matthew followed the account of a series of miracles with an account of the calling of the Twelve Apostles?

Matthew 10:1–15 (see also Mark 6:7–11; Luke 9:1–5). Christ gave His authority to the Apostles to heal the sick, cast out devils, and preach the gospel. They also had a special responsibility to be witnesses of Jesus Christ and His mission. (20–25 minutes)

Hold up the keys to your car, and ask a student to come to the front of the class. Tell the student, “Imagine that I forgot to bring something to class and that I asked you to use my car and go get it. Then imagine that the police stopped you on the way.” Ask questions like the following:

• Would you be in trouble? Why not? (Because you have permission, or authority.)
• Why is having proper authority important?
• How would the situation with the police be different if you took my car without permission?
• How might this experience be likened to receiving and using the priesthood of God?
• How important is it to have Christ’s authority to do His work?

Invite students to read Matthew 10:1–4, and ask: Who did Jesus share His authority with? List the names of the Apostles on the board. Read Matthew 10:5–8 and ask: What were the Apostles charged to do by the Savior’s power? (see vv. 1, 7). Have students cross-reference Matthew 10:5–8 with Acts 4:33 and Doctrine and Covenants 107:23, and ask:

• What are other responsibilities that accompany this authority?
• How is this authority to act for the Lord transferred? (see Articles of Faith 1:5).
• Where is this authority today? How did it come? (see Joseph Smith—History 1:72).
• What evidence do we have in the Church today that shows the priesthood has been restored?
• How have you witnessed the power of the priesthood in your life? (Note: Do not encourage answers that are too personal.)

Share the following with the students to illustrate the fact that the same priesthood power Jesus gave His Apostles exists today. In this incident, Ella Jensen, President Lorenzo Snow’s nineteen-year-old niece, had just died of scarlet fever. Ella’s parents sent for President Snow, who came together with Rudger Clawson, Ella’s stake president and later President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. President Clawson relates:

“As we entered the home we met Sister Jensen, who was very much agitated and alarmed. We came to Ella’s bedside. . . .

“Turning to me President Snow said: ‘Brother Clawson, will you anoint her,’ which I did. We then laid our hands upon her head and the anointing was confirmed by President Snow, who blessed her and among other things, used this very extraordinary expression, in a commanding tone of voice, ‘Come back, Ella, come back. Your work upon the earth is not yet completed, come back.’”

Ella’s father, Jacob Jensen, continues the account:

“After President Snow had finished the blessing, he turned to my wife and me and said; ‘Now do not mourn or grieve any more. It will be all right. Brother Clawson and I are busy and must go. . . .’

“Ella remained in this condition for more than an hour after President Snow administered to her, or more than three hours in all after she died. We were sitting there watching by the bedside, her mother and myself, when all at once she opened her eyes. She looked about the room, saw us sitting there, but still looked for someone else, and the first thing she said was: ‘Where is he? Where is he?’ We asked, ‘Who? Where is who?’ ‘Why, Brother Snow,’ she replied. ‘He called me back.’” (in LeRoi C. Snow, “Raised from the Dead,” Improvement Era, Sept. 1929, 885–86).

Ella recovered from her illness, served in the Church, married Henry Wright, and eventually had eight children.

Consider asking the following questions:

• How can knowing that the power of God is on the earth today affect us?
• How can that knowledge be a blessing to missionaries?
• How can it affect the father or mother of a sick child?
• What difference has this power made in your life?
• What ordinances of the priesthood have you received in your life?

Testify of the reality of God’s power on the earth today.

Matthew 10:5–15, 21–35 (see also Mark 6:8–11; Luke 9:3–5). The Lord chose His Apostles and gave them priesthood power. (20–25 minutes)

Display a picture of the current Twelve Apostles. If your picture includes names, cover them up. Have students identify as many of the Apostles by name as they can, and write or uncover the names as they do. When you have listed all the names, ask questions such as:

• What of importance do you know about any of the Apostles?
• What are some of your favorite stories about any of these men?
• What talks have they given that have affected your life?

Ask students to read the fifth article of faith and look for what it teaches about how an Apostle is called (see also Luke 6:12–13). Turn with students to Matthew 10:1–4 and look for the names of Jesus Christ’s original Apostles. As students find their names, list them on the board. Testify that these were real men, and, like our Apostles today, had a great impact on the lives of many people.

Ask students to read Matthew 10:5–7 and look for a possible reason that the Lord selected Twelve Apostles (see also D&C 29:12). Point out that the number of Apostles corresponds to the number of the tribes of Israel because the Twelve Apostles taught and will help judge Israel. Read the following statement from Elder Orson Pratt, a member of the Quorum of the Twelve:

“Why were there twelve Apostles chosen instead of nine, or thirteen, or any other number? Why that particular number? Because . . . the Lord ordained that . . . the twelve tribes should spring up in the earth, and he would have regard for them. He intended that they should not only be organized as tribes in this life, but also in the world to come. And in order that all may have judges, twelve were chosen to perform the work, instead of any other number” (in Journal of Discourses, 19:117; see also 1 Nephi 12:9).

Note: If students ask if Judas Iscariot, who betrayed Jesus, will be among the Twelve Apostles who judge the twelve tribes, point out that Matthias was chosen to take Judas Iscariot’s place among the Twelve (see Acts 1:21–26).

You may choose to spend a few minutes reviewing the background of Jesus’ Apostles (see chart in The Life and Teachings of Jesus and His Apostles, p. 55). Help the students memorize the names of the original Twelve or mark them in their Bibles. You may wish to have them learn the names of the modern Apostles in addition to or instead of the original ones.

Matthew 10:5–42 (see also Mark 6:8–11; Luke 9:3–5). Jesus gave His Apostles power over sickness, disease, and unclean spirits and taught them they would experience great persecution before their missions ended. (15–20 minutes)

Ask students:

• Can you list any of the instructions or rules given to missionaries?
• Why do you think they are given these instructions?

Read Matthew 10:5–14 and look for guidelines the Lord gave the Twelve prior to sending them out to preach the gospel. Ask some of the following questions:

• Why do you think these instructions would be helpful to the Twelve?
• What are some of the restrictions the Lord placed on the Twelve regarding their ministry?
• Why do you think Jesus told them not to take money or extra clothing on their mission?

Ask students to silently read verses 16–32. Consider asking the following questions as you discuss these verses:

• What impresses you most from this apostolic charge?
• If you were one of those Twelve, which of Jesus’ commissions or prophetic announcements would have given you the most comfort?
• Which of the Savior’s words would have sobered you most?
• Which of His teachings would make you feel the most humble?

Verses 35–42 clarify what the Savior required of those who would heed the teachings of the Apostles. Have students read those verses and look for the responsibility of those who received the Apostles. Discuss the following questions:

• Since we have Apostles on the earth today, how are we to regard them and their messages?
• What are some of the messages the Apostles give us today?
• How can we show our willingness to follow them?
• What blessings do you believe come to those who follow Apostles?

Much is required of Church members today. The following statement from the Lectures on Faith, compiled under the direction of Joseph Smith, may help:

“Let us here observe, that a religion that does not require the sacrifice of all things never has power sufficient to produce the faith necessary unto life and salvation. . . . It was through this sacrifice, and this only, that God has ordained that men should enjoy eternal life. . . . When a man has offered in sacrifice all that he has for the truth’s sake, not even withholding his life, and believing before God that he has been called to make this sacrifice because he seeks to do his will, he does know, most assuredly, that God does and will accept his sacrifice and offering, and that he has not, nor will not seek his face in vain. Under these circumstances, then, he can obtain the faith necessary for him to lay hold on eternal life” (Lectures on Faith, 69).

The sacrifice required of Jesus and His Apostles was enormous. They gave everything they had. Encourage your students to prepare themselves spiritually and temporally so they will be prepared to make every sacrifice God might require. If desired, have the students list some sacrifices they might be asked to make.

Matthew 11–13

Introduction

The powerful miracles Jesus performed (see Matthew 8–9) and His activities on the Sabbath day (see Matthew 12) caused a great stir among the people. Many of the multitudes who followed Him believed He was the “son of David,” the promised Messiah (see Matthew 12:23). However, most the Jewish leaders of the day accused Him of doing miracles by the power of the devil (see Matthew 12:24). They wanted Jesus to show them a sign to prove His claims (see Matthew 12:38–45). They condemned Him for His Sabbath activities and “held a council against him, how they might destroy him” (see Matthew 12:2, 14). At that time Jesus “withdrew himself from thence” (Matthew 12:15). Thereafter he often spoke in parables to the public (see Matthew 13:34). Speaking in parables allowed Him to teach those who were spiritually attuned while hiding truths that would enrage or condemn those who were unattuned.

Prayerfully study Matthew 11–13 and consider the following principles before preparing your lessons.

Some Important Gospel Principles to Look For

• The burdens we experience in mortality can be lightened through the Atonement of Jesus Christ (see Matthew 11:28–30).
• On the Sabbath day we are to rest from our daily labors and be anxiously engaged in good works (see Matthew 12:1–13; see also Exodus 20:8–11; D&C 59:9–10).
• If we don’t progress in our relationship with the Lord and further His work, then we become antagonistic towards Him and His work (see Matthew 12:30; see also Revelation 3:16).
• We can be forgiven for every sin except blasphemy against the Holy Ghost (see Matthew 12:31–32).
• In the last days the righteous will be gathered as they accept the gospel. The wicked will be destroyed at the Second Coming of Jesus Christ (see Matthew 13:1–52).

Additional Resources

• The Life and Teachings of Jesus and His Apostles, 65–67, 72–76.

Suggestions for Teaching

Choose from the following ideas, or use some of your own, as you prepare lessons for Matthew 11–13.

New Testament Video presentation 6, “Parables” (13:25), can be used in teaching Matthew 13 (see New Testament Video Guide for teaching suggestions).

Matthew 11:1–19 (see also Luke 7:18–35). Among those “born of women,” there was not a greater than John the Baptist. (5 minutes)

Explain to students that these verses will be covered in more detail during their study of the book of Luke (see the teaching suggestion for Luke 7:17–35, p. 81). The following is intended to preserve the flow of Matthew’s testimony.

Have students read Matthew 11:2 and find where John the Baptist was during this period. Have them read verse 11, and ask how Jesus described John the Baptist. Share the following statement from the Prophet Joseph Smith, who described three reasons for John’s greatness:

“First. He was entrusted with a divine mission of preparing the way before the face of the Lord. . . .

“Secondly. He was entrusted with the important mission . . . to baptize the Son of Man. . . .

“Thirdly. John, at that time, was the only legal administrator in the affairs of the kingdom there was then on the earth, and holding the keys of power. . . . These three reasons constitute him the greatest prophet born of a woman” (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, 275–76).

Matthew 11:28–30. The burdens we experience in mortality can be lightened through the Atonement of Jesus Christ. (10–15 minutes)

Bring to class a box of medium to large rocks. Invite a student to come to the front of the room and put on an empty backpack. Ask students to name things that cause stress and anxiety, and have another student list their answers on the board. (Responses might include the death of loved ones, moving to a new apartment or house, starting a new job, sickness, divorce, school, and sin.) With each response place a rock in the backpack. Ask the student with the backpack: How would life be different if you had to carry around that much more weight everywhere you went? Ask the class:

• Have you ever experienced any of these things? Could you share with the class which ones?
• When these things happened to you, what effect did they have on other areas of your life?
• Of the things listed that you have not experienced, which do you think you might experience in the future?
• What can you do now to prepare for when they come?
• Why would it be valuable if we had a way to gain relief from our burdens?

Invite students to read Matthew 11:28–30 and look for what the Savior offers us.

Write the following three questions on the board:

Take time to discuss these questions:

What are the heavy burdens we carry? Have students read Alma 7:11–13 and find words that describe the kinds of burdens we carry that the Lord suffered for (pains, afflictions, temptations, sicknesses, death, infirmities, sins). Ask: According to Alma, which of the causes of anxiety we wrote on the board earlier would be included in what Jesus suffered?

How does the Savior lift our burdens? Ask: When did the Savior suffer the burdens mentioned in Alma 7:11–13? (see Matthew 26:36–39). Share the following statement by President George Q. Cannon of the First Presidency on the results of the Atonement:

“If we are in sorrow, if we have heavy burdens, or are in any manner perplexed, He will hear us; He will lift our burdens, lighten our sorrows, dispel darkness, and fill us with light and with that heavenly feeling that comes from Him through the presence of the Holy Ghost” (“Blessings Not Appreciated,” in Brian H. Stuy, ed., Collected Discourses Delivered by President Wilford Woodruff, His Two Counselors, the Twelve Apostles, and Others, 5 vols. [1987–92], 4:12).

Draw on the board or show students this picture of a yoke for oxen.

[click for scalable version]

What is the lighter, easier yoke Jesus offers us in place of our burdens? Notice that the yoke has a place for two oxen. It takes two oxen working together to accomplish the task. Ask: What relationship do we enter into with the Lord when we are baptized? (A covenant relationship.) Read Mosiah 18:8–10 and look for one of the most important covenants we make with the Lord. Share the following statement by Elder Bruce R. McConkie:

“To keep the commandments and serve with fidelity and devotion in the Church is to wear the Yoke of Christ, the yoke of service and devotion. Those who love the Lord and desire salvation willingly shoulder this yoke, thereby finding rest to their souls (Matt. 11:28–30) and discovering that the Lord’s commandments are not grievous. (1 John 5:3.)” (Mormon Doctrine, 2nd ed. [1966], 853).

Help students understand that ultimately a righteous life leads to greater peace and happiness than a wicked life. Conclude by singing or reading the words to the hymn “How Gentle God’s Commands” (no. 125).

Matthew 12:1–13 (see also Mark 2:23–3:5; Luke 6:1–10). On the Sabbath day we should rest from our daily labors and be actively engaged in good works. (25–30 minutes)

Bring an ordinary object to class, such as a glass of water or a small houseplant. Set it in the middle of the room, and use masking tape to tape off a section of the floor around it. Ask students to imagine that the object is something dangerous, such as a vial of sulfuric acid or a poisonous plant.

• If this were really something dangerous, why would it be a good idea to place a barrier around it?
• If you cross the barrier, will you necessarily be burned or poisoned? Why or why not?
• Would it be fair, if some individuals crossed over the tape without touching the dangerous item, if we treated them as though they had been burned or poisoned anyway? Why or why not?

Explain that some religious leaders in the Bible did something similar. They built rules and regulations around the commandments to protect people from breaking them. While their original intent may have been good, they sometimes went too far. This would be like cordoning off the whole room for the “dangerous object” in the object lesson, or even the whole building. By Jesus’ day, the religious leaders felt that crossing one of these man-made barriers was the same as breaking the actual commandment.

Invite students to read Matthew 12:1–9, and ask:

• What commandment did the Pharisees claim Jesus’ disciples broke?
• Read verses 10–14. What did Jesus do then that enraged the Pharisees?

Read Exodus 20:8–11 and Doctrine and Covenants 59:9–10 looking for details in the commandment to keep the Sabbath day holy. According to these verses, was there anything wrong with what Jesus or His disciples did? Read the Joseph Smith Translation of Mark 2:27 and ask:

• What gave Jesus power over the Sabbath day?
• What general principle did Jesus teach to help us know what is appropriate on the Sabbath? (see Matthew 12:12).

Have students read Exodus 20:8–11 and Doctrine and Covenants 59:9–13 and list on a piece of paper appropriate activities for the Sabbath. Invite some of them to share their lists with the class. Ask:

• What are some of the blessings you receive by keeping the Sabbath day holy?
• According to the Lord, for whom was the Sabbath made?
• According to Doctrine and Covenants 59:9, 13–17, what blessings has the Lord promised if we honor the Sabbath day?

Matthew 12:30 (see also Luke 11:23). We are to cultivate our relationship with the Lord and further His work. We cannot be neutral or indifferent and still stand with the Lord. (20–25 minutes)

Bring a toy car, marble, or ball to class. Set up a table or large book on a slight incline. Label the top of the incline “Closer to the Lord” and the bottom of the incline “Further from the Lord.” Set the object in the middle and let it roll down to the end. Ask why the object won’t stay in the middle. Invite students to read Matthew 12:30, and ask: How is our relationship with the Lord like the toy car on the incline?

Share the following conversation with Joseph Smith, recounted by Daniel Tyler, an early member of the Church:

“Soon after the Prophet’s arrival in Commerce (afterwards Nauvoo) from Missouri prison, Brother Isaac Behunnin and myself made him a visit at his residence. His persecutions was the topic of conversation. He repeated many false, inconsistent and contradictory statements made [against him] by apostates, frightened members of the Church and outsiders. . . .

“When the Prophet had ended telling how he had been treated, Brother Behunnin remarked: ‘If I should leave this Church I would not do as those men have done: I would go to some remote place where Mormonism had never been heard of[,] settle down, and no one would ever learn that I knew anything about it.’

“The great Seer immediately replied: ‘Brother Behunnin, you don’t know what you would do. No doubt these men once thought as you do. Before you joined this Church you stood on neutral ground. When the gospel was preached good and evil were set before you. You could choose either or neither. There were two opposite masters inviting you to serve them. When you joined this Church you enlisted to serve God. When you did that you left the neutral ground, and you never can get back on to it.’” (Juvenile Instructor, 15 Aug. 1892, 491–92).

Invite students to read Revelation 3:16 and look for how it applies to this idea. Then share the following paraphrase of Matthew 12:30 by Elder Bruce R. McConkie:

“I am Christ; I cast out devils in my Father’s name; I heal the sick by his power; salvation comes by me. Let none of you longer stand neutral. Either ye are with me, or ye are against me. Unless you come unto me, and espouse my cause, and keep my commandments, ye are against me. There is no middle ground” (Mortal Messiah, 2:213).

Read Doctrine and Covenants 58:26–27 and ask:

• What principles mentioned in these verses help us continually move toward the Lord?
• What else can we do to show the Lord that we are on His side?

Encourage students to constantly strive to draw closer to the Lord.

Matthew 12:31–32 (see also Mark 3:28–29; Luke 12:10). All manner of sin and blasphemy may be forgiven unto men except blasphemy against the Holy Ghost. (15–20 minutes)

Ask: Which sin cannot be forgiven?

Ask students to read Matthew 12:31–32 and identify the only sin for which a person cannot obtain forgiveness. Read Doctrine and Covenants 76:31–36 and 132:27 and discuss how these verses define blasphemy against the Holy Ghost. Share the following statement from the Prophet Joseph Smith:

“What must a man do to commit the unpardonable sin? He must receive the Holy Ghost, have the heavens opened unto him, and know God, and then sin against Him. . . . He has got to say that the sun does not shine while he sees it; he has got to deny Jesus Christ when the heavens have been opened unto him” (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, 358).

Also share the following statement, in which Elder Melvin J. Ballard, a member of the Quorum of the Twelve, explains why sinning against the Holy Ghost is even more serious than sinning against Jesus Christ:

“Unto the Holy Ghost has been given the right and the privilege of manifesting the truth unto men as no other power will. So that when He makes a man see and know a thing he knows it better than he shall ever know anything else; and to sin against that knowledge is to sin against the greatest light there is, and consequently commit the greatest sin there is” (Millennial Star, 11 Aug. 1932, 499–500).

Write on the board: How does knowing that all sins except blasphemy against the Holy Ghost can be forgiven make you feel about the Atonement of Jesus Christ? How can this knowledge give us greater hope? Have students read Doctrine and Covenants 19:16–19 and the words to “In Memory of the Crucified” (Hymns, no. 190). Invite them to write in their notebooks their feelings about the questions on the board.

Matthew 13:1–52 (see also Mark 4:1–34; Luke 8:4–18). In the last days the righteous will be gathered as they accept the gospel. The wicked will be destroyed at the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. (45–50 minutes)

Draw the following symbols on the board (or substitute four of your own):

[click for scalable version]

Ask students to do the following:

• Raise your hand if you know what any one of the symbols represents.
• Keep your hand up if you know what two of them represent.
• Keep your hand up if you know three of them.
• Keep your hand up if you know the meaning of all four.

Let someone who knows all four identify what each symbol represents. Ask: Why do some students know the meaning of the symbols while others don’t? Have students read the first paragraph of “parables” in the Bible Dictionary (pp. 740–41). How are parables like symbols? Read Matthew 12:14 and look for why Jesus might want to veil His teachings from some.

Before class write the word gathering in large letters on a piece of paper. Cut the paper into several pieces, and then cut up a second piece of paper and mix all the pieces together. Give the pieces to a few students and ask them to separate the pieces of paper with writing on them from the other pieces. Have them assemble the pieces with writing to form the word, and have them throw away the other pieces. Read Matthew 13:27–30 and ask:

• What word appearing several times in these verses applies to the object lesson? (Gather.)
• What is the gathering of Israel?

Share the following:

“Gathering Israel in the latter days consists of the following: (1) the spiritual gathering, which includes coming to know that Jesus is the Christ and joining The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints; (2) the assembling of Church members to organized stakes; and (3) the gathering of the descendants of Jacob’s twelve sons—including the lost ten tribes (D&C 110:11)—to the lands of their inheritance” (“Israel: Gathering of Israel,” in Daniel H. Ludlow, ed., Encyclopedia of Mormonism, 5 vols. [1992], 2:351).

The Prophet Joseph Smith taught that the parables in Matthew 13 “afforded us as clear an understanding upon the important subject of the gathering, as anything recorded in the Bible” (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, 94). Divide the class into eight groups and assign each a parable from the chart on page 39. Explain that there are other possible interpretations for these parables, but ask them to spend 5–10 minutes searching their parable to see what it teaches about the gathering. Have them look for the answers to questions such as these:

• What kinds of changes do you note in the parable? What grows? What is sorted or gathered together?
• How are some changes that people undergo when they come into the kingdom of God similar to the changes in the parable?

Have a member of each group summarize their assigned parable for the class and tell how it relates to the gathering. Use the chart as an overhead transparency or handout to aid in your discussion if desired. Ask the students:

• How does the gathering apply to us today?
• What are we gathered to?
• Are there some who have been gathered who later stray? Why?
• How can we avoid straying?
• At the Second Coming of Jesus Christ, what happens to those not gathered?

For more information on the meaning of the parables, see The Life and Teachings of Jesus and His Apostles, pages 71–76.

Matthew 14–15

Introduction

The book of Matthew groups many of the Savior’s miracles in chapters 8–9, Sabbath activities in chapter 12, parables in chapter 13, and then a second group of miracles in chapters 14–15. As you read chapters 14–15 consider the different ways in which Jesus showed His power.

Prayerfully study Matthew 14–15 and consider the following principles before preparing your lessons.

Some Important Gospel Principles to Look For

• Those who unselfishly serve others and consider others’ needs before their own are more Christlike (see Matthew 14:3–23).
• When we center our faith on the Savior, we are more successful at accomplishing His will (see Matthew 14:24–33).
• God’s miracles are manifest in the lives of those who have faith in Him (see Matthew 14–15).

Additional Resources

• The Life and Teachings of Jesus and His Apostles, 81, 89–90, 95–99.

Suggestions for Teaching

Choose from the following ideas, or use some of your own, as you prepare lessons for Matthew 14–15.

Matthew 14:3–23 (see also Mark 6:17–46; Luke 3:19–20; 9:10–17). Those who unselfishly put the needs of others before their own are more Christlike and experience greater happiness. (10–15 minutes)

Present the following hypothetical situation to your students. You are traveling with your family on a train. Suddenly there is a terrible accident and the train derails and plunges down a steep ravine. Your younger brother and many others on the train are killed. While you feel terrible about the loss of your brother, many on the train are seriously wounded and need help. Ask:

• What do you think you would do if you found yourself in this situation?
• How difficult would it be to press on and encourage others?

Explain that something like this happened to someone in the scriptures. Read Matthew 14:10–23 with students and ask:

• What loved one did Jesus learn had been killed?
• How did John the Baptist die?
• What was Jesus’ reaction?

List on the board Jesus’ actions that show He placed the concerns of others before His own (see vv. 13–20).

Share the following statement by Elder William R. Bradford, a member of the Seventy, on selflessness. Ask students to listen for the blessings of being selfless.

“Selflessness is righteousness. It embraces the true spirit of companionship. It is the very essence of friendship. It is the portrayer of true love and oneness in humanity. Its reward is the freeing of the soul, a nearness to divinity, a worthiness for the companionship of the Spirit. Every requirement that God’s plan for our salvation places upon us is based on the giving of one’s self” (in Conference Report, Oct. 1987, 92; or Ensign, Nov. 1987, 76).

Read Mark 8:35 and discuss how it relates to being selfless. What can we do to develop the ability to put others first in our lives? (Try to think of how the Savior would act, try to imagine ourselves in others’ situations, try to think how others feel when suffering.)

Matthew 14:24–33 (see also Mark 6:47–52; John 6:15–21). When we focus our faith on the Savior, we can accomplish His will. (15–20 minutes)

Place a strip of masking tape about eight feet long in a straight line on the floor. Invite a student to walk along the strip blindfolded. Ask the student to invite someone he or she trusts in the room to guide the student along the strip of tape. After the student successfully walks along the strip, turn the student around and invite him or her to try to walk back along the strip of tape with no help from the friend. (The student will probably not be able to stay on the tape the whole length.)

Invite the class to read Matthew 14:24–33 and answer the following questions:

• Who in this scripture was like the blindfolded student?
• Who was like the friend who guided the blindfolded student?
• What did Peter do that was like walking on the tape while listening to his guide?
• What did he do that was like walking on the tape without listening to his guide?
• What made the difference between success and failure?

Share the following statement from President Howard W. Hunter, then President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles:

“‘While [Peter’s] eye was fixed on his Lord, the wind might toss his hair, and the spray might drench his robes, but all was well’ [Frederic W. Farrar, The Life of Christ (1964), 311]. Only when with wavering faith he removed his glance from the Master to look at the furious waves and the black gulf beneath him, only then did he begin to sink. . . .

“It is my firm belief that if as individual people, as families, communities, and nations, we could, like Peter, fix our eyes on Jesus, we too might walk triumphantly over the swelling waves of disbelief and remain unterrified amid the rising winds of doubt. But if we turn away our eyes from him in whom we must believe, as it is so easy to do and the world is so much tempted to do, if we look to the power and fury of those terrible and destructive elements around us rather than to him who can help and save us, then we shall inevitably sink in a sea of conflict and sorrow and despair” (in Conference Report, Oct. 1992, 24; or Ensign, Nov. 1992, 19).

• What are ways that we can “fix our eyes on the Lord” today?
• What are the blessings of doing so?

Matthew 16–18

Introduction

Matthew 16:15–19 records a powerful testimony Peter gave that Jesus is the Christ, as well as Jesus’ promise to give him the “keys of the kingdom.” Less than a week later, the Lord took Peter, James, and John into seclusion to give them these keys. Elder Bruce R. McConkie explained that the four of them “spent a sacred night enwrapped in the visions of eternity. This blessed night was one of those seeric periods when the mysteries of the kingdom, ‘which surpass all understanding,’ are shown forth to souls who are in tune with the Infinite. So marvelous are such revealed truths that it is ‘not lawful for man to utter’ them, ‘Neither is man capable to make them known, for they are only to be seen and understood by the power of the Holy Spirit.’ They are reserved by the Lord for those prophets and seers who, ‘while in the flesh,’ are yet able ‘to bear his presence in the world of glory.’ (D&C 76:114–118.)” (Mortal Messiah, 3:54).

Prayerfully study Matthew 16–18 and consider the following principles before preparing your lessons.

Some Important Gospel Principles to Look For

• Faith does not come from signs and miracles; signs follow those who believe (see Matthew 16:1–4; see also Mark 16:17; Mormon 9:20; Ether 12:6; D&C 63:9–12).
• False doctrine will corrupt those who are not on their guard against it (see Matthew 16:5–12).
• A testimony of Jesus Christ comes only by revelation (see Matthew 16:13–19; see also Helaman 5:12; Moroni 10:4–5; D&C 42:17).
• Peter, James, and John received priesthood keys (rights or authorities) from heavenly messengers so they could lead the Church after Jesus’ death. The Lord has restored those same keys through heavenly messengers to prophets and apostles in our day (see Matthew 16:19; 17:1–13).
• Sacred personal experiences should be shared only when the Spirit prompts us (see Matthew 17:9; see also Alma 12:9; D&C 63:64).
• Living the law of the land is part of the gospel of Jesus Christ (see Matthew 17:24–27; see also D&C 134:1, 5; Articles of Faith 1:12).
• Jesus taught that to enter the kingdom of heaven a person must become converted, be humble, and become as a little child (see Matthew 18:1–4; see also Mosiah 3:19).

Additional Resources

• The Life and Teachings of Jesus and His Apostles, 101–5.

Suggestions for Teaching

Choose from the following ideas, or use some of your own, as you prepare lessons for Matthew 16–18.

Matthew 16:1–4 (see also Mark 8:11–12). Faith does not come from signs and miracles, but signs follow those who believe. (15–20 minutes)

Put a piece of fruit in a paper bag. Without showing the fruit to the class, hold up the bag and explain to the students that you have something in the bag that has never been seen by the human eye. Ask how many believe you. Invite one of the students who believes to come up and look in the bag. When the student looks in the bag and sees the fruit, whisper that no one has seen the seeds inside the fruit. Ask the student to report to the class whether you were telling the truth or not. Ask the class:

• How many believe me now that there is something in the bag that cannot be seen by the eye?
• How many need proof before you believe?

Show the fruit to the class and explain about the seeds. Ask: Why is it so hard to believe in things we do not see or understand? Invite students to read Matthew 16:1–4 and ask:

• How do these verses relate to the object lesson? (Sign-seeking to gain knowledge is not the same as exercising faith to gain knowledge.)
• What basic principle of the gospel were the Pharisees and Sadducees lacking when they asked for a sign? (see Articles of Faith 1:4).

Read Ether 12:6 and Mormon 9:20 and ask:

• Why do you think I chose the student I did to look in the bag? (Because the student believed.)
• What purpose do signs and miracles serve?
• Can signs be interpreted by two people differently?
• What kind of people will the Lord show signs and miracles to?
• Why do signs not permanently persuade or convert?
• What is the difference between seeking a sign and being worthy to witness miracles in our lives?
• What difference do our motives make?

Testify to students that faith precedes miracles in the Lord’s Church.

Matthew 16:1–12 (see also Mark 8:14–21). False doctrine will corrupt those who are not on their guard against it. (20–25 minutes)

Bring some bread to class and show it to the students. Write the following references on the board: Matthew 14:16–21; 15:34–38. Ask students to find what these verses have to do with bread.

Tell students that a lack of bread provided Jesus with a teaching opportunity in Matthew 16. Have students search Matthew 16:1–4 and find answers to the following questions:

• What did the Pharisees and Sadducees want Jesus to do?
• Had Jesus ever given them any evidence of who He was? (Remind students of the feeding of the five thousand and the four thousand they just read about in Matthew 14–15.)
• What difference do you think Jesus’ performing another miracle would make to them?
• How does that help explain why Jesus called them hypocrites?

The “sign of the prophet Jonas” refers to Jesus being resurrected in three days, just like Jonah came out of the belly of the great fish after three days. Ask: How would that be a sign of Christ’s divinity?

Read Matthew 16:5–12 with your students, discussing the following questions as you read:

• What did the disciples forget to take with them?
• What did Jesus say that they misunderstood?
• Considering the feeding of the five thousand and the four thousand, why is it strange for them to think that Jesus was worried about bread?
• How was the false doctrine and the hypocrisy of the Pharisees and Sadducees like leaven (yeast)? (It takes just a little to affect the whole lump of dough.)

Have students list some of the false doctrines taught in the world today. Share with them the following counsel from Elder M. Russell Ballard, a member of the Quorum of the Twelve:

“We should work to stem the tide of sin and evil instead of passively being swept along by it. We each need to help solve the problem rather than avoid or ignore it. I like this simple little poem:

“All the water in the world
No matter how it tried
Could never sink the smallest ship
Unless it got inside.
All the evil of the world
And every kind of sin
Could never damn a human soul
Unless we let it in”

(in Conference Report, Apr. 1989, 101; or Ensign, May 1989, 80).

Matthew 16:15–19 (Scripture Mastery; see also Mark 8:29; Luke 9:20). Testimonies come by revelation through the Holy Ghost. (20–25 minutes)

Note: This teaching suggestion follows naturally from the one for Matthew 16:1–4.

Invite the students to think of Nephi and his brothers in the Book of Mormon. Ask:

• What did Nephi’s older brothers do to him after they failed the second time to retrieve the brass plates? (They beat him; see 1 Nephi 3:28.)
• What happened next? (An angel appeared; see v. 29.)
• Which of the brothers saw the angel?
• Read 1 Nephi 3:31. Do you think seeing an angel gave Laman and Lemuel a testimony? Why or why not?

Compare Matthew 16:1–4 with Matthew 16:15–17 and answer the following questions:

• Why do you think the Pharisees and Sadducees wanted to see a sign?
• Would seeing a sign have given them faith? Why or why not?
• How did Peter show his faith that Jesus was the Christ?
• What did Jesus say was the source of Peter’s knowledge?

Invite students to read 1 Kings 19:9–12, and ask them to apply what they learn in these verses to the Pharisees and to Peter. President Joseph Fielding Smith said that knowing that Jesus is the Son of God and the Savior of men “comes only through the testimony of the Holy Spirit. Men may believe Jesus to be the Christ, but to know it requires revelation from the Holy Ghost” (The Way to Perfection [1978], 158).

According to President Smith, what is the only way we can gain a testimony? Read Doctrine and Covenants 8:2; 9:8 and ask: How will we feel the Holy Ghost witness to us of the truthfulness of the gospel?

Ask students to read Matthew 16:18–19 and look for what blessings Peter received after sharing his testimony. Read the following verses to identify some additional blessings we receive from having faith and a testimony:

• Romans 5:1 (peace through Jesus Christ).
• Mormon 9:21 (the faith needed to receive answers to our prayers).
• Doctrine and Covenants 42:12–14 (the ability to teach by the power of the Holy Ghost).
• Doctrine and Covenants 52:9 (the ability to be taught by that same Spirit).
• Doctrine and Covenants 121:45 (confidence to stand before God).

Invite students to write on a piece of paper a list of changes they could make in their lives that would help them gain or strengthen their testimonies.

Matthew 16:19; 17:1–13 (see also Mark 9:2–13; Luke 9:28–36). The Lord has given the keys of the kingdom to His prophets and apostles. (20–25 minutes)

Hold up a driver’s license, or if you have a student with a driver’s license, have her or him show it to the class. Ask:

• What can we assume about a person who has a driver’s license? (That person has the “authority” to drive.)
• Does that mean if you have a license and your parents or your boss have a car, you can drive it whenever you want?

Now hold up a set of keys. Ask: If you have a license and your parents or boss give you the keys to their car and ask you to run an errand, can you now drive their car?

Invite students to read Matthew 16:19 and look for what Jesus promised to give Peter. Have them read Matthew 17:1–3. Share the following statement by the Prophet Joseph Smith:

“The Savior, Moses, and Elias, gave the keys [of the kingdom] to Peter, James and John, on the mount, when they were transfigured before him” (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, 158).

Ask: According to Joseph Smith, what happened on the Mount of Transfiguration regarding the priesthood? Share the following statement by President Joseph F. Smith:

“The Priesthood in general is the authority given to man to act for God. Every man ordained to any degree of the Priesthood, has this authority delegated to him.

“But it is necessary that every act performed under this authority shall be done at the proper time and place, in the proper way, and after the proper order. The power of directing these labors constitutes the keys of the Priesthood. In their fulness, the keys are held by only one person at a time, the prophet and president of the Church. He may delegate any portion of this power to another, in which case that person holds the keys of that particular labor. Thus, the president of a temple, the president of a stake, the bishop of a ward, the president of a mission, the president of a quorum, each holds the keys of the labors performed in that particular body or locality” (Gospel Doctrine, 5th ed. [1939], 136).

Ask:

• What is the difference between priesthood authority and priesthood keys?
• Who holds all the keys of the priesthood today? (see D&C 81:2).
• Who are some other men who hold priesthood keys?

Share the following account related by Elder Robert D. Hales, a member of the Quorum of the Twelve:

“At the Copenhagen Denmark Area Conference held August 3–5, 1976, President [Spencer W.] Kimball went to see Thorvaldsen’s beautiful sculpture[s]. . . . After a few spiritual moments admiring The Christus, President Kimball bore his testimony to the caretaker who stood nearby. As he turned to the statue of Peter and pointed to the large set of keys in Peter’s right hand, he proclaimed: ‘The keys of priesthood authority which Peter held as President of the Church I now hold as President of the Church in this dispensation.’ Then he stated to the caretaker, ‘You work every day with Apostles in stone, but today you are in the presence of living Apostles.’ He then introduced President N. Eldon Tanner, Elder Thomas S. Monson, and Elder Boyd K. Packer. He presented the caretaker with a Book of Mormon in Danish, and bore his testimony of the Prophet Joseph Smith. The caretaker was moved to tears in acknowledgment of the Spirit he felt in the presence of a prophet and Apostles. He acknowledged to me as we left the church, ‘Today I have been in the presence of servants of God.’” (in Conference Report, Oct. 1981, 27; or Ensign, Nov. 1981, 20).

• On what condition may individual priesthood holders perform sacred ordinances and other special priesthood functions?
• How do we honor and support those who hold the “keys of the kingdom”?

Matthew 17:1–13 (see also Mark 9:2–13; Luke 9:28–36). Other significant events happened on the Mount of Transfiguration. (40–45 minutes)

Hold up a book with an introduction or endorsement written by someone more well-known than the book’s author.

• Why do authors frequently ask a well-known person to write their book’s introduction? (To give the book more credibility and to promote sales.)
• If you wrote a book, who is the most famous person you know whom you could ask to write an introduction?
• Who would you ask if you could ask anyone?

Ask students to read Matthew 3:17 and answer the following questions:

• Who introduced (or testified of) Jesus to the people?
• What was the occasion of this introduction? (Christ’s baptism.)
• Why was this event so significant?
• On what other occasions has the Father testified of His Son? (see Joseph Smith—History 1:17; 3 Nephi 11:7).

Read Matthew 17:5 and explain to the students that today you will be studying another event so important that Heavenly Father again testified of His Son.

Ask students to carefully read Matthew 17:1–13 and answer the following questions:

• What happened to Jesus on the mountain? (see v. 2).
• According to Moses 1:11, why are mortals transfigured?
• What three Apostles were frequently with Jesus on important occasions? (see Mark 5:22–23, 37; 14:32–34; see also the commentary for Matthew 17:1–9 in The Life and Teachings of Jesus and His Apostles, p. 102).
• Which Apostles were with Jesus at the time of His Transfiguration?
• Who else appeared on the Mount of Transfiguration? (Note that “Elias” is the Greek form of “Elijah”; see footnote 3b; see also Bible Dictionary, “Elias,” p. 663.)
• What kind of bodies did Moses and Elijah have when they appeared?

Ask students to read Alma 45:19; 2 Kings 2:11; and Doctrine and Covenants 110:13 to find out how Moses and Elijah left mortality. (They were translated.)

Have students read the scriptures from the accompanying chart and list characteristics of translated beings.

Invite students to list on a piece of paper everything they can that happened on the Mount of Transfiguration. Share the following from Elder Bruce R. McConkie. Leave enough time after each point for students to add to their lists anything they missed.

“(1) Jesus singled out Peter, James, and John from the rest of the Twelve; took them upon an unnamed mountain; there he was transfigured before them, and they beheld his glory. . . .

“(2) Peter, James, and John, were themselves ‘transfigured before him’ (Teachings [of the Prophet Joseph Smith], p. 158). . . .

“(3) Moses and Elijah . . . appeared on the mountain; and they and Jesus gave the keys of the kingdom to Peter, James, and John. (Teachings, p. 158.)

“(4) John the Baptist, previously beheaded by Herod, apparently was also present. . . .

“(5) Peter, James, and John saw in vision the transfiguration of the earth . . . that is to take place at the Second Coming when the millennial era is ushered in. [D&C 63:20–21.] . . .

“(6) It appears that Peter, James, and John received their own endowments while on the mountain. ([Joseph Fielding Smith,] Doctrines of Salvation, vol. 2, p. 165.) . . .

“(7) Apparently Jesus himself was strengthened and encouraged by Moses and Elijah so as to be prepared for the infinite sufferings and agony [of the] atonement. ([James E. Talmage,] Jesus the Christ, p. 373.) . . .

“(8) Certainly the three chosen apostles were taught in plainness ‘of his death and also his resurrection’ [JST, Luke 9:31]. . . .

“(9) It should also have been apparent to them that the old dispensations of the past [symbolized by Moses and Elijah] had faded away. . . .

“(10) Apparently God the Father, overshadowed and hidden by a cloud, was present on the mountain, although [Peter, James, and John apparently] heard only his voice and did not see his form” (Doctrinal New Testament Commentary, 1:399–401).

Ask students:

• Which of the events of Matthew 17:1–13 are most likely to happen to you any time soon?
• How many of you have a goal to go to the temple? Why?
• What ordinances are performed in the temple? (see D&C 124:33).
• Read Doctrine and Covenants 97:15–16. What preparations are necessary for going to the temple?

Invite students to make a list on their paper of things that would help prepare them for the blessings and covenants of the temple.

Matthew 17:9 (see also Mark 9:9; Luke 9:36). Sacred personal experiences should be shared only when the Spirit prompts us. (10–15 minutes)

Ask students:

• Why could it be a problem to give a baby the only existing photograph of your great-grandfather?
• What would most babies do to a photograph?
• Why would it be better to wait until the baby is older? (An older child can appreciate a photograph more and take better care of it.)

Ask students to read Matthew 17:9 and look for what Jesus commanded the three disciples who were with Him at His Transfiguration. Have students read Alma 12:9 and Doctrine and Covenants 63:64, and ask:

• Why would Jesus command His disciples not to speak of His Transfiguration?
• How would telling about the experience of the Transfiguration be like giving a baby a valuable photograph?

Share the following statement by Elder Boyd K. Packer:

“I have learned that strong, impressive spiritual experiences do not come to us very frequently. And when they do, they are generally for our own edification, instruction, or correction. Unless we are called by proper authority to do so, they do not position us to counsel or to correct others.

“I have come to believe also that it is not wise to continually talk of unusual spiritual experiences. They are to be guarded with care and shared only when the Spirit itself prompts you to use them to the blessing of others” (“The Candle of the Lord,” Ensign, Jan. 1983, 53).

Tell students that the Transfiguration is recorded in every Gospel except John (see Mark 9:2–13; Luke 9:28–36). Read Matthew 17:1 with students and ask:

• Which of the four Gospel writers was actually present at the Transfiguration?
• Why might John have not recorded this event in his Gospel? (see Matthew 17:9).
• What kinds of experiences do people have today that they should probably share only when prompted by the Spirit? (Patriarchal blessings, father’s blessings, personal or family spiritual experiences, bishop’s interviews.)
• According to Alma 12:9 and Doctrine and Covenants 63:64, when is it appropriate to share sacred personal experiences?

Matthew 17:24–27. Living the law of the land is part of the gospel of Jesus Christ. (10–15 minutes)

Ask students if they know where to find the Articles of Faith (in the back of the Pearl of Great Price). Invite a student to read or repeat the twelfth article of faith. Invite another student to explain its meaning. Read Doctrine and Covenants 134:1, 5 and ask:

• For what purpose should governments be organized?
• For what reasons should governments make laws?
• What responsibilities do we have regarding our government?

Invite students to read Matthew 17:24–27 and look for what Jesus did that shows He kept the law of the land. Share the following statement by Elder James E. Talmage, who was a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles:

“Our Savior’s work on earth was marked throughout by His acknowledgment of the existing powers of the land, both Jewish and Roman. . . . When the tax-collector called for the tribute money demanded by the hierarchy, Christ . . . directed that the tax be paid, and even invoked a miraculous circumstance whereby the money could be provided” (The Articles of Faith, 12th ed. [1924], 416).

Ask students if people who do the following are living in harmony with the commandments:

• Exceed the speed limit.
• Cheat on their taxes.
• Take items from work.
• Give less than a full day’s work for a full day’s pay.
• Illegally copy computer software.

Ask:

• What are some other common ways people break the law of the land?
• Read Alma 39:3, 11. According to these verses, what is one reason that we should keep the law of the land? (Our actions, whether good or bad, affect others around us.)

Matthew 18:1–10 (see also Mark 9:33–37, 42–48; Luke 9:46–48). The Savior taught that to enter His kingdom we must become as a little child. (15–20 minutes)

Little children can say and do strange things. Ask students to name some of the funny things they have seen children say or do. Read Matthew 18:1–4 and ask:

• Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?
• Why would the Savior ask us to become like a child?
• What do you think it means to become as a little child? (see Mosiah 3:19).
• What is the difference between becoming “childish” and “childlike”?

Place the picture Christ and the Children (item no. 80243) or a large picture of a little child in front of the class. Make three columns on the board and label them Trait, What Little Children Do, and What I Can Do. Ask the students to name childlike qualities, and list their responses in the first column. Ask students to describe how little children manifest each of these qualities, and write their responses in the second column. (See the accompanying chart for examples.) Finally ask what we can do to develop these same qualities, and write those responses in the third column.

Have your students read Matthew 18:6, and ask: How serious is it to offend or harm the children of our Father in Heaven? You may want to show students a picture of a millstone or draw one on the board. Tell students that to physically or verbally abuse a child is one of the most serious of spiritual offenses. Another way to harm children is to teach them false principles or to fail to teach them correct ones.

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• Who might the term “little ones” apply to other than children? (see Mosiah 3:18–19).
• Who else should we not offend or harm?

Help your students understand how these principles apply to them. If we physically or verbally abuse our younger brothers or sisters or any of God’s children, we are guilty of an offense that the Savior severely condemned.

Matthew 19–20

Introduction

In Matthew 19–20 the Savior begins the trek to Jerusalem for the Passover to offer Himself as the sacrificial lamb. Along the way He continues to minister and teach, and multitudes follow Him (see Matthew 19:2). The teachings and events of these two chapters bring us to the time just before Jesus’ triumphal entry and the beginning of the last week of His life.

Prayerfully study Matthew 19–20 and consider the following principles before preparing your lessons.

Some Important Gospel Principles to Look For

• Marriage is ordained of God and is designed by Him to endure forever. While divorce is sometimes necessary in mortality, “from the beginning it was not so” (see Matthew 19:8; see also 1 Corinthians 11:11–12; D&C 131:1–3).
• We all fall short of perfection, but if we ask humbly, the Lord can lead us to perfection step by step (see Matthew 19:16–26; see also Moroni 10:32–33).
• Leaders have a great responsibility and opportunity to serve (see Matthew 20:25–28; see also Ezekiel 3:17–21; Jacob 1:19).

Additional Resources

• The Life and Teachings of Jesus and His Apostles, 130–33.

Suggestions for Teaching

Choose from the following ideas, or use some of your own, as you prepare lessons for Matthew 19–20.

Matthew 19:3–8 (see also Mark 10:2–9). Marriage is ordained of God and is designed to last forever. While divorce is sometimes necessary in mortality, “from the beginning it was not so.” (20–25 minutes)

Invite a student to the front of the class. Show him two different kinds of candy and ask him to choose one or the other. Ask the class:

• How many decisions do you make in an average day?
• What are some of the important decisions you have had to make today? (List responses on the board.)
• What do you think will be the most important decision you will make in this life?

Share the following statement by Elder Spencer W. Kimball, then a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles:

“The greatest single factor affecting what you are going to be tomorrow, your activity, your attitudes, your eventual destiny . . . is the one decision you make that moonlit night when you ask that individual to be your companion for life. That’s the most important decision of your entire life!” (The Teachings of Spencer W. Kimball, 301).

• How do you think some people of the world feel about the importance of marriage?
• What are some ways you have observed for couples to solve problems in their marriage?

Invite students to read Matthew 19:5–6 looking for what the Savior taught about marriage. Show the class a picture of a temple and ask students where they want to be married. Then read verses 7–9 and ask: What do we learn about marriage by understanding Jesus’ teachings about divorce? (Note: Be sensitive to students whose parents or family members may be divorced. The emphasis should not be on others’ problems but on helping the students prepare for eternal marriage.) Share the following statement by Elder Bruce R. McConkie:

“Celestial or eternal marriage is the gate to exaltation. To fill the full measure of his creation and obtain eternal life a man must enter into this order of matrimony and keep all of the covenants and obligations that go with it. If a couple is so sealed, the two persons become husband and wife in this life and continue in the same relationship in the world to come. (D. & C. 131:1–4; 132.) . . .

“Divorce is not part of the gospel plan no matter what kind of marriage is involved. But because men in practice do not always live in harmony with gospel standards, the Lord permits divorce for one reason or another, depending upon the spiritual stability of the people involved. . . . Under the most perfect conditions there would be no divorce permitted except where sex sin was involved. In this day divorces are permitted in accordance with civil statutes, and the divorced persons are permitted by the Church to marry again without the stain of immorality which under a higher system would attend such a course” (Doctrinal New Testament Commentary, 1:547).

Stress that although there is a lot of divorce in the world, even with members of our own families in some cases, it is important not to judge those who have had difficulties in their lives. Rather we should apply these teachings of the Savior in our own lives in a positive way. Ask: How can you prepare to make the right decision regarding marriage? (Set a goal to be married in the temple, live the way you would want your future spouse to live, associate with youth who are worthy to go to the temple.)

Matthew 19:16–26 (see also Mark 10:17–27; Luke 18:18–27). We all fall short of perfection, but if we ask humbly, the Lord can lead us to perfection step by step. (20–25 minutes)

Write the word Worship on the board. Ask students to define the word. (There are many correct answers.) After a few definitions, share the following definition Elder Bruce R. McConkie gave:

“Perfect worship is emulation” (The Promised Messiah: The First Coming of Christ [1978], 568).

Have students read 3 Nephi 27:27, and ask: How does this verse relate to Elder McConkie’s statement? Read Matthew 19:16–26 and ask: What did the young man need to do to become more like the Savior?

To give students ideas about ways in which we could be more like the Savior, sing or read the words to “More Holiness Give Me” (Hymns, no. 131). Ask students to write on a piece of paper the biggest single change they need to make in their lives to become more like Jesus. Ask: Do you think everyone wrote the same thing? Why not?

Share the following statement by President Harold B. Lee:

“The rich young ruler did not need to be taught repentance from murder nor from murderous thoughts. He did not have to be schooled in how to repent from adultery, nor from stealing, lying, defrauding, or failing to honor his mother. All these he said he had observed from his youth. . . .

“The Master, with His keen discernment and the power of a Great Teacher, diagnosed the young man’s case perfectly: His need and his lack were to overcome his love for worldly things. . . .

“Every one of us, if we would reach perfection, must one time ask ourselves this question, ‘What lack I yet?’ if we would commence our climb upward on the highway to perfection. The effective leader is one who helps the learner to discover that lack, to diagnose his basic difficulties, and then to prescribe his spiritual remedies” (Stand Ye in Holy Places [1974], 208–10).

Encourage students to put forth real efforts to change their lives to become better people. Encourage them to pray to know what else they can do to become more like the Savior.

Matthew 20:25–28 (see also Mark 10:42–45; Luke 22:24–27). Leaders have the greatest responsibility to serve. (10–15 minutes)

Ask students to pretend that they have just been made the leader of their country. Have them imagine that the press is about to interview them and will want to know what the focus of their administration will be. Ask: What would you say?

Ask them to list some of the characteristics of a good leader. Have students read Matthew 20:25–28 and list what the Lord says in these verses about leaders. Have them read Mosiah 2:11–19, 27 and count the number of times the words serve or service appear. Ask:

• How did King Benjamin feel about service?
• How do these verses compare to what the Savior taught in Matthew 25:34–40?

Read Jacob 1:19 and Ezekiel 3:17–21 and ask:

• What did you learn from these verses about the role of a leader?
• In what ways do you think you might be called to lead? (Point out that almost all of us are called on at some time in our lives to give leadership at church, school, work, or in our families.)
• What can you do now to prepare to be a leader?
• How can we support our leaders now in ways that help them fulfill their responsibilities?

Matthew 21–23

Introduction

Matthew 21–23 begins the last week of the Savior’s mortal life. (For a detailed harmony of these events, see “The Last Week of the Savior’s Life” in the appendix, p. 288.) For three years the Savior had taught, healed, encouraged, and shown such love that multitudes followed Him. At His triumphal entry and later in the temple, the people acknowledged Jesus as the promised Messiah (see Matthew 20:9, 15). This infuriated the Jewish leaders, who sought all the more to take away His life. After cleansing the temple, Jesus spent much time teaching the people there.

Prayerfully study Matthew 21–23 and consider the following principles before preparing your lessons.

Some Important Gospel Principles to Look For

• When we view Jesus Christ in His true majesty and greatness, we can better understand the importance of praising Him as our Savior and Redeemer (see Matthew 21:1–11; see also Mosiah 3:17).
• Jesus holds us accountable for our wrongdoing (see Matthew 21:12–16; see also D&C 97:15–16).
• The greatest commandment is to love God with all our heart, soul, and mind (see Matthew 22:36–38).
• The second great commandment is to love others as we love ourselves (see Matthew 22:39).
• We can influence others positively or negatively by the way we live (see Matthew 23:2–28; see also Alma 39:3, 11).

Additional Resources

• The Life and Teachings of Jesus and His Apostles, 143–49.
• “The Last Week of the Savior’s Life,” 288 in this manual.

Suggestions for Teaching

Choose from the following ideas, or use some of your own, as you prepare lessons for Matthew 21–23.

New Testament Video presentation 7, “Justice and Mercy” (6:28), can be used in teaching Matthew 21 (see New Testament Video Guide for teaching suggestions).

Matthew 21:1–11 (see also Mark 11:1–11; Luke 19:29–40; John 12:12–19). When we view Jesus Christ in His true majesty and greatness, we can better understand the importance of praising Him as our Savior and Redeemer. (15–20 minutes)

Ask students to imagine that an admired and respected leader of their country walked into the room.

• What would you think?
• How would you feel?
• How would you act?
• What would you say?

Have them imagine the prophet walked into the room and answer the same questions. Now have them imagine that Jesus Christ walked into the room and answer the questions.

• How would your responses to the three people differ?
• Why would they differ?

Explain that today you will read about a people’s reaction to a visit from Jesus Christ.

Invite students to read Matthew 21:1–11 and list what the people did to praise Jesus as He entered Jerusalem. Read the following scriptures and list reasons why we should praise Jesus Christ:

• Helaman 14:12
• 1 Corinthians 15:21–22
• Mosiah 3:17

Ask:

• How can we praise Jesus even when He is not here physically? (Possible answers include singing hymns about Him, keeping our covenants to always remember Him, thanking Heavenly Father for Him, expressing gratitude for the Atonement when we pray.)
• Read 2 Nephi 2:10. According to this verse, what will we all experience someday?

Ask students to silently consider the following questions:

• Will that be a happy or a sad day for you?
• What will you think, say, and do, when that day comes for you?

Matthew 21:12–16 (see also Mark 11:15–19; Luke 19:45–48). Jesus holds us accountable for our wrongdoing. (5–10 minutes)

Invite students to read Matthew 21:12–16 and answer the following questions:

• What was happening in the temple?
• What did Jesus do to change the situation?
• Why was this not easy for one person to do?
• Who was not pleased over what Jesus did?
• How can this experience apply to us today?

Read Doctrine and Covenants 97:15–16 and ask:

• What do you feel a person must do in order to have a pure heart?
• What makes it difficult to keep ourselves this way all the time?
• What do we have that can help us keep worthy of the blessings available in the temple?

Matthew 21:18–22:46 (see also Mark 11:12–12:34; Luke 20:1–40). Jesus taught many important doctrines prior to His death. (45–50 minutes)

Invite students to pretend they found out they were going to die in one week. Ask the following questions:

• What would you do the last week of your life?
• Who would you spend your time with?
• What would you tell your family?
• How would you want people to remember you?
• How would you prepare to meet your Heavenly Father?

Explain that this was the situation for Jesus in Matthew 21–22. He knew He would die in a few days and only had a short time left to teach. Jesus taught many important doctrines during these days before His death.

Divide the class into nine groups and assign each a block of scripture from the accompanying chart. (If you have fewer groups than nine, give some of the groups more than one block.) Allow students five to ten minutes to study their blocks and prepare to do the following:

• Identify the principles of the gospel that Jesus emphasized in the scripture block. (Note: The chart includes only a few of the principles found in these scriptures. The students may find many more.)
• Read or summarize the verses in the block that would be helpful in understanding the principles.
• Explain how these principles apply to us today.

Have each group report its findings. Encourage students to apply these principles in their lives.

Matthew 23:2–28 (see also Mark 12:38–40; Luke 20:45–47). If we do not live up to the gospel standards we profess, we can influence others negatively. (10–15 minutes)

Bring three nontransparent cups to class. Smear grease and dirt on the outside of the first cup and on the inside of the second, and leave the third cup clean. Show the class the cups (they should be able to see the outside only). Ask: Which of the three cups would you not want to drink from? Invite a student to come to the front of the class and look inside the cups. Ask this student to identify which of the three cups she or he would rather not drink from.

• Which is the only safe cup to drink from?
• In what ways are people like these cups?

Read Matthew 23:2–4, 15, 23–28 and ask:

• What two groups did Jesus warn the people about? (see v. 2).
• What were they doing that Jesus condemned? (List answers on the board if desired.)
• What did Jesus call those who did these kinds of things? (see v. 23).
• Which of the cups in the object lesson were they most like? (see v. 25).
• These scriptures teach about one kind of hypocrisy. What might be another kind?

Share the following statement from President N. Eldon Tanner, a member of the First Presidency:

“Harry Emerson Fosdick observed that there are two kinds of hypocrisy: when we try to appear better than we are, and when we let ourselves appear worse than we are. We have been speaking of the kind of hypocrisy where people pretend to be more or better than they are. Too often, however, we see members of the Church who in their hearts know and believe, but through fear of public opinion fail to stand up and be counted. This kind of hypocrisy is as serious as the other” (in Conference Report, Oct. 1970, 52–53).

Read Matthew 23:15 and Alma 39:3, 11 and look for the effect hypocrites can have on others. Read Matthew 23:8–12 and look for the counsel Jesus gave that can help us avoid hypocrisy.

Matthew 24–25

Introduction

Just days before the Crucifixion, the disciples asked Jesus about His Second Coming (see Matthew 24:3). Within Matthew 24 and 25 we find many explanations and prophecies about that time. The events of these chapters are of particular interest to us now because we are preparing the world for the Second Coming and because we live in a day when many of these prophecies are being fulfilled.

The Prophet Joseph Smith made a number of changes and additions to Matthew 24 in the Joseph Smith Translation. This chapter was reprinted in its entirety in the Pearl of Great Price as Joseph Smith—Matthew. The teaching suggestions for Matthew 24 will come from Joseph Smith—Matthew in the Pearl of Great Price.

Prayerfully study Matthew 24–25 and consider the following principles before preparing your lessons.

Some Important Gospel Principles to Look For

• A series of events will precede the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. Studying about these events can help prepare us for the Second Coming (see Joseph Smith—Matthew 1:22–37; see also Matthew 24:1–35; D&C 29:14–21; 45:16–53, 63–75).
• While no one knows the exact time of the Second Coming, the righteous can know in a general way when the time is near (see Joseph Smith—Matthew 1:38–54; see also Matthew 24:32–51).
• We show our love for God by the way we treat His children (see Matthew 25:40; see also Mosiah 2:17).

Additional Resources

• The Life and Teachings of Jesus and His Apostles, 141, 151–57.
• “The Last Week of the Savior’s Life,” 288 in this manual.

Suggestions for Teaching

Choose from the following ideas, or use some of your own, as you prepare lessons for Matthew 24–25.

Joseph Smith—Matthew (see also Matthew 23:39–24:51, Mark 13; Luke 12:37–48; 17:20–37; 21:5–36). It is better to study Matthew 24 from Joseph Smith—Matthew in the Pearl of Great Price. (5 minutes)

Ask students to imagine that they are lost. After wandering aimlessly for a long time, they see another person. This person has two maps of the area. Both maps were accurate when they were made and would be of help to them now. One map is 200 years old. The other is a current map. Ask: Which map would you rather have? Why?

Invite students to read the heading for Joseph Smith—Matthew. (If students don’t know what the Joseph Smith Translation is, invite them to read “Joseph Smith Translation” in the Bible Dictionary, p. 717.) Ask:

• How are Matthew 24 and Joseph Smith—Matthew like the two maps described above?
• Which block of scripture is like which map?
• How old is the book of Matthew? (Nearly two thousand years.)
• How old is Joseph Smith—Matthew? (It was translated in 1831.)
• Which of these is most accurate?
• Which block of scripture would you rather study from?

Joseph Smith—Matthew 1:5–20 (see also Matthew 24:4–22; Mark 13:5–20; Luke 17:31; 21:8–24). When the wicked refuse to repent, they bring upon themselves the condemnation of the Lord. (10–15 minutes)

Ask students what would result from doing the following:

• Putting your hand in a fire?
• Falling off a high mountain or building?
• Eating food when you are hungry?
• Watering and caring for a plant?

Point out that these things all have natural consequences.

Invite students to study Joseph Smith—Matthew 1:5–12.

• What are the natural consequences of people living wickedly?
• How do these verses apply to the way many people live today?
• Read verses 18–20. What consequences of living wickedly do these verses describe?
• Who was Jesus talking about in these verses?

Share Elder Marion G. Romney’s statement in The Life and Teachings of Jesus and His Apostles (pp. 151–52) to help students understand that this part of the scripture deals with the Jews in the forty-year period after Christ’s death.

• Read Alma 41:10. How does this verse relate to the question of the natural consequences of wickedness?
• Read Joseph Smith—Matthew 1:13–17. What did Jesus tell the righteous who lived in Jerusalem to do to avoid the natural consequences of the wickedness of their day?

Joseph Smith—Matthew 1:21–37 (see also Matthew 24:6–35; Mark 13:7–31; Luke 17:21–37; 21:9–32). A series of events will precede the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. Studying about these events can help prepare us for the Second Coming. (20–25 minutes)

Take from a magazine a picture of a famous person most of your students will know. Cut the picture into about seven or eight pieces. Stick one piece on the board and ask if anyone can tell who it is. Put up another piece, and then another until all the pieces are up or someone can guess who it is.

Read Joseph Smith—Matthew 1:1, 4 and have students look for what the disciples asked Jesus. Tell students that today they will look at another puzzle. The pieces of the puzzle will be events prophesied to precede the Second Coming as found in Joseph Smith—Matthew. Reproduce the accompanying chart as a handout with the “Signs of the Second Coming” column left blank, and invite the students to use the scriptures to fill in the information about the signs.

When they finish, ask:

• Which of these have you already seen happen, at least in part?
• Read Doctrine and Covenants 97:21–22, 25. According to these verses, what can we do now to prepare for the calamities that precede the Second Coming of Jesus Christ?

Joseph Smith—Matthew 1:38–54 (see also Matthew 24:32–51; Mark 13:28–37; Luke 12:37–48; 17:26–37; 21:29–36). While no one knows the exact time of the Second Coming, the righteous can know in a general way when the time is near. (10–15 minutes)

Bring a clear, carbonated soft drink, some raisins, and a transparent glass to class. Pour the soft drink in the glass. Hold up a raisin and explain that when you drop the raisin in the soft drink, bubbles will eventually accumulate on the raisin until there are so many that it will rise to the top. Tell students that it will work but that it is hard to know how long it will take. Invite them to guess how long it will take for the raisin to rise. Drop the raisin in the soft drink and record how long it takes. (Note: Be sure the soft drink is fresh—if there is not enough carbonation, the raisin will not rise.)

Invite students to read Joseph Smith—Matthew 1:38–54, and ask:

• How is learning about the events that precede the Second Coming of Jesus Christ like dropping a raisin into a glass of soft drink? (see vv. 38–39).
• What do these verses say about the exact time of the Second Coming? (see v. 40).
• Why do you think the Lord doesn’t want us to know the exact time of His Coming? (see vv. 47–54).
• Why would it be important to know about the events that lead to the Second Coming?
• What commandment are we given in verse 46?
• Since we don’t know exactly when the Second Coming will be, how can we best prepare for it?

Matthew 25. Jesus taught much about His Second Coming through parables. (15–20 minutes)

Divide the class into three groups. Invite each group to study one of the following parables: the ten virgins (vv. 1–13), the talents (vv. 14–30), or the sheep and the goats (vv. 31–46). Give the groups about five minutes to study their parables looking for the following:

• What happens in the parable?
• How does the parable relate to the Second Coming of Jesus Christ?
• How does the parable apply to us today?
• How can we better prepare for the Second Coming as a result of knowing this parable?

As they study, share with the first and second groups the explanations for their parables found in The Life and Teachings of Jesus and His Apostles (see the commentaries for Matthew 25:1–13 and Matthew 25:14–30, p. 154). When the groups are ready, have them report their findings to the class.

Matthew 25:40 (Scripture Mastery). We show our love for God by the way we treat His children. (5–10 minutes)

Ask students:

• What are the first and second great commandments? (Love God and love your neighbor; see Matthew 22:36–39.)
• What are some ways we can show our neighbors that we love them?
• What are some ways we can show God that we love Him?

Invite students to read Matthew 25:40 and look for what we could do to keep both the first and the second great commandments at the same time. Have students read and cross-reference Mosiah 2:17, and discuss how it relates to Matthew 25:40. Invite them to write on a piece of paper some ways they could better show love to their families, friends, leaders, and even strangers.

Matthew 26–28

Introduction

The final chapters of Matthew describe the last few days of the mortal life of Jesus Christ. Here are recorded such sacred events as the institution of the sacrament and Christ’s Atonement, death, and Resurrection. The Prophet Joseph Smith taught the supreme importance of these when he said:

“The fundamental principles of our religion are the testimony of the Apostles and Prophets, concerning Jesus Christ, that He died, was buried, and rose again the third day, and ascended into heaven; and all other things which pertain to our religion are only appendages to it” (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, 121).

These chapters contain the great doctrinal scriptures about the Atonement and Resurrection.

Prayerfully study Matthew 26–28 and consider the following principles before preparing your lessons.

Some Important Gospel Principles to Look For

• When we partake of the sacrament we promise to take upon us the name of Christ, to always remember Him and His atoning sacrifice, and to keep His commandments (see Matthew 26:26–28; see also 1 Corinthians 11:23–29).
• Jesus Christ suffered great agony to provide an Atonement for all mankind (see Matthew 26:36–46; 27:1–2, 11–50; see also Mosiah 3:7; Alma 7:11–13; D&C 19:16–19).
• With the example and blessings of the Lord, we can endure the difficult trials we face (see Matthew 26:46–27:35; see also Mosiah 23:21–24).
• Through the death and Resurrection of Jesus Christ, all mankind will also be resurrected (see Matthew 27:52–53; 28:1–10; see also 1 Corinthians 15:22; Helaman 14:15; 3 Nephi 23:11–12).
• Many are witnesses that Jesus Christ was resurrected and lives today (see Matthew 28:1–9, 16–20; see also 3 Nephi 11:15; D&C 76:22–23).

Additional Resources

• The Life and Teachings of Jesus and His Apostles, 131–32, 159–61, 172, 182–84, 191–94, 200–201.
• “The Last Week of the Savior’s Life,” 288 in this manual.

Suggestions for Teaching

Choose from the following ideas, or use some of your own, as you prepare lessons for Matthew 26–28.

New Testament Video presentation 9, “To This End Was I Born” (27:20), can be used in teaching Matthew 26–28 or as part of a harmonized lesson on the last week of the Savior’s life (see New Testament Video Guide for teaching suggestions).

Matthew 26:1–16 (see also Mark 14:1–11; Luke 22:1–6). Once we come to learn who the Savior is and what He did for us, we cannot be neutral in our feelings for Him. (10–15 minutes)

Bring a slice of lemon to class. Hold it up and ask:

• Is lemon flavor mild or strong?
• Does anyone in the class like the flavor of raw lemon?
• Who doesn’t like to eat raw lemons?
• Are there any who are neutral?
• Could you have an opinion on the flavor of lemons if you had never tasted one? Why?

Explain to students that there are few who have tasted a raw lemon who would be neutral. The flavor is so strong that most people either like it or dislike it. Ask: How would your responses be different if we were speaking of raisins instead of lemons?

Point out to students that it is also difficult to be neutral toward people with strong or powerful personalities. Have students read Matthew 26:1–16.

• How did the people in verses 1–5 feel about Jesus?
• How did the woman in verses 6–13 feel about Him?
• How did the man in verses 14–16 feel about Him?

Review the story of Isaac Behunnin in the teaching suggestion for Matthew 12:30 (p. 37) and ask if there is any neutral ground for us with regard to the Savior.

Matthew 26:26–29 (see also Mark 14:22–25; Luke 22:19–20). The Savior instituted the sacrament to remind us that He sacrificed His life to provide the Atonement. (10–15 minutes)

Ask a student in the class who has recently been on vacation:

• Did you bring back a souvenir from the place you went? What was it?
• Why did you pick out that particular souvenir?
• What do you think of when you see the souvenir?
• How does it remind you of your vacation?

Invite students to read Matthew 26:26–29.

• Why did Jesus provide His disciples with the sacrament?
• What did Jesus do with the bread before giving it to His disciples?
• How does broken bread remind us of the Savior’s body?
• How does wine (or water) remind us of His blood?

Point out to students that when we eat or drink something, it becomes a part of our body.

Ask: How might partaking of the symbols of the Atonement help us apply the Atonement in our lives?

Share the following statement by Elder Spencer W. Kimball, then a member of the Quorum of the Twelve:

“Every time we take the bread and water, there should be a reconsecration, a rededication. When we are not living the commandments, when we are in transgression, when we have angers and hatreds and bitterness, we should consider seriously if we should take the sacrament” (The Teachings of Spencer W. Kimball, 225).

Encourage students to ponder the sacrifice of the Savior and their spiritual condition when they take the sacrament each week.

Matthew 26:30 (see also Mark 14:26). Music is an important part of the gospel. (5–10 minutes)

Ask the class:

• What role does music play in your lives?
• Raise your hand if you have listened to some kind of music in the last twenty-four hours.
• Have you ever learned something by putting it to music? (The alphabet, the books of the New Testament.)
• How can music also be valuable even if it has no words to it?
• What evidence is there that music is part of the Lord’s plan?

Have students use their Topical Guides to find scriptures that show the importance of music. (There are many references under “music” [p. 334] and “singing” [p. 476].) Have students read Matthew 26:30 and look for what Jesus did with His disciples just before going to the Garden of Gethsemane to atone for the sins of all mankind. If desired, share information from the “First Presidency Preface” in the hymnbook. Consider ending this discussion by singing one of the students’ favorite hymns.

Matthew 26:31–35 (see also Mark 14:27–31; Luke 22:31–34; John 13:36–38). Jesus prophesied Peter’s denial.

If you wish to teach these verses, see the teaching suggestion for Luke 22:31–38, 56–62.

Matthew 26:36–45 (see also Mark 14:32–42; Luke 22:40–46). Jesus Christ suffered great agony to provide an Atonement for all mankind. (30–35 minutes)

Write AT-ONE-MENT on the board. If available, display the picture Jesus Praying in Gethsemane (Matthew 26:36–45) (item no. 62175). Invite the class to consider the meaning of the Atonement by reading the following verses and answering the related questions:

After discussing these questions, write under AT-ONE-MENT the following question: If we are cut off from God by our sins, how can we ever return to His presence? Share the following experience of Stephen E. Robinson:

“One day . . . my daughter Sarah, who was seven years old, came in and said, ‘Dad, can I have a bike? I’m the only kid on the block who doesn’t have a bike.’

“Well, I didn’t have enough money to buy her a bike, so I stalled her and said, ‘Sure, Sarah.’ . . .

“I said, ‘You save all your pennies, and pretty soon you’ll have enough for a bike.’ And she went away.

“A couple of weeks later as I was sitting in the same chair, I was aware of Sarah doing something for her mother and getting paid. She went into the other room and I heard ‘clink, clink.’ I asked, ‘Sarah, what are you doing?’

“She came out and . . . said, ‘You promised me that if I saved all my pennies, pretty soon I’d have enough for a bike. And, Daddy, I’ve saved every single one of them.’

“She’s my daughter, and I love her. My heart melted. She was doing everything in her power to follow my instructions. I hadn’t actually lied to her. If she saved all of her pennies she would eventually have enough for a bike, but by then she would want a car. But her needs weren’t being met. Because I love her, I said, ‘Let’s go downtown and look at bikes.’

“We went to every store in Williamsport, Pennsylvania. Finally we found it. . . . She got up on that bike; she was thrilled. She then saw the price tag, reached down, and turned it over. When she saw how much it cost, her face fell and she started to cry. She said, ‘Oh Dad, I’ll never have enough for a bicycle.’

“So I said, ‘Sarah, how much do you have?’

“She answered, ‘Sixty-one cents.’

“‘I’ll tell you what. You give me everything you’ve got and a hug and a kiss, and the bike is yours.’ . . . She gave me a hug and a kiss. She gave me the sixty-one cents. Then I had to drive home very slowly because she wouldn’t get off the bike. She rode home on the sidewalk, and as I drove along slowly beside her it occurred to me that this was a parable for the Atonement of Christ” (“Believing Christ: A Practical Approach to the Atonement,” in Brigham Young University 1989–90 Devotional and Fireside Speeches [1990], 122–23).

Invite students to read 2 Nephi 25:23 and compare it to this story. Where does the “grace” come from in the scripture and the story? Refer to the word AT-ONE-MENT on the board.

Explain that we can become “one” with God through the Atonement. Jesus began to fulfill the Atonement in the Garden of Gethsemane.

Read Matthew 26:36–45 and look for the circumstances surrounding Christ’s suffering in Gethsemane. Cross-reference these verses with Doctrine and Covenants 19:16–19 and Mosiah 3:7. Have the students look in these scriptures to learn how difficult and painful the Atonement was. Read Alma 7:11–13 and ask:

• What else did Jesus suffer and take upon Him in addition to our sins?
• How does it make you feel to know Jesus did this for you and me?

Share your testimony of the Atonement, and invite a few students to do the same.

Matthew 26:46–27:35 (see also Mark 14:42–15:25; Luke 22:47–23:33; John 18:1–19:18). With the example and blessings of the Lord we can endure the difficult trials we face. (35–40 minutes)

Ask students what difficult trials they have endured. (Some may have experienced the death of family members, severe illnesses, financial loss, lost friendship, or family or school challenges.) Ask a few to share their experiences.

Explain to students that in the hours between Gethsemane and His Crucifixion, the Savior endured terrible abuse. Invite students to take turns reverently reading verses from Matthew 26:46–27:33 and to reflect on the Lord’s suffering. These verses are powerful and will hold the students’ interest. As they read about Jesus, have them consider how He might have felt. Have them consider the meekness and restraint that the Lord showed in allowing wicked men to afflict Him when He had the power to stop them. You may wish to have students write on the board each of the trials as they read and highlight them in their scriptures. The accompanying chart is included for your reference.

Ask students:

• How can our sufferings and trials give us a greater appreciation for what the Savior suffered?
• How can we show our love and gratitude for what He did for us? (see John 14:15).

Invite a student to recite the thirteenth article of faith.

• Which part of this article of faith applies to what we have just studied about the Savior? (“We have endured many things, and hope to be able to endure all things.”)
• What kind of trials might you have to endure in the future?
• How can the Savior’s example help us in our trials?

Matthew 27:35–54 (see also Mark 15:24–39; Luke 23:34–47; John 19:23–30). Jesus Christ suffered a terrible and painful death. (20–25 minutes)

Sing or read the words to one or more of the following hymns: “Upon the Cross of Calvary” (no. 184), “Behold the Great Redeemer Die” (no. 191), “There is a Green Hill Far Away” (no. 194). Ask:

• What is your favorite hymn about the Atonement?
• Why do you like it?

Ask students to take turns reading aloud verses from Matthew’s account of the Crucifixion (Matthew 27:35–54). Invite them to ask questions and make comments as they read. You may also wish to share Elder James E. Talmage’s description of the Crucifixion from The Life and Teachings of Jesus and His Apostles (see the commentary for Matthew 27:35, p. 184).

If desired, sing another hymn on the Atonement. Then invite students to write on a piece of paper a letter to the Savior, describing how they feel about His suffering for us and how they can show their gratitude.

Matthew 27:52–53; 28:1–10 (see also Mark 16:1–14; Luke 24:1–12; John 20:1–18). Through the death and Resurrection of Jesus Christ, all mankind will also be resurrected. (25–30 minutes)

Ask students:

• How do you feel when you see a person with a disability, for example someone who is mentally retarded or missing an arm or leg or who is blind or deaf?
• How valuable would a cure for these ailments be?
• Have any of you lost a close friend or relative in death?
• Why is death such a difficult experience?

Tell the students that you know of a “cure” not only for these ailments but also for death itself. Invite students to read Alma 11:43–44 and find the remedy. Have them read Matthew 28:1–10 and 27:52–53 and answer the following questions. (If desired, give these to the students as a handout or write them on the board.)

• (Matthew 28:1) What day of the week was it?
• (Matthew 28:1) Who went to the sepulchre?
• (Matthew 28:2) Who appeared?
• (Matthew 28:2) How was the stone rolled away from the sepulchre?
• (Matthew 28:4) What happened to the soldiers?
• (Matthew 28:5–7) What did the angel say?
• (Matthew 28:8) Where did the women go?
• (Matthew 28:9–10) What happened to them on the way?
• (Matthew 27:52–53) What happened to some of the dead in Jerusalem after Christ was resurrected?

Use the following object lesson to help students better understand the Resurrection. Hold up one of your hands. Move your fingers and close them into a fist. Tell students that your hand could represent our spirit body. Put a glove on your hand and ask students:

• How can the glove represent our physical body? (Our spirit gains or “puts on” a body when we are born.)
• How can we represent death? (Remove the glove.)
• How can we represent the Resurrection? (Place the hand back in the glove.)
• What difference does it make to know that you will be resurrected and that after your resurrection you can never get sick or die?
• What difference does it make to know that you can live again with loved ones who have died?
• Who do you think will be the most excited for the Resurrection? Why?