Aaronic Priesthood Manual 3
"Lesson 41: Becoming More like Our Savior," Aaronic Priesthood Manual 3, 167
Each young man will understand that Jesus Christ is his Savior and will strive to be more like Him.
1. Prayerfully study Mark 2:17; John 14:6-7; Mosiah 3:17; 5:7-8; Alma 5:14-16; 3 Nephi 9:14; and Doctrine and Covenants 88:63, 67-68.
2. Materials needed:
Ask the young men to find and read John 14:6 and Mosiah 3:17.
* What do these scriptures teach about the way we obtain salvation?
* What has the Savior done to provide salvation for us?
Explain that this lesson will teach the young men more about the Savior so they can love him more and strive to be more like him.
Explain that a father is one who gives life. Heavenly Father gave us life as his spirit children. The scriptures explain in what way Jesus Christ can be considered our Father.
Ask the young men to read Mosiah 5:7-8.
Explain that the covenant King Benjamin mentioned is the covenant of baptism. The Savior has taught us that we should have faith in him, that we should be baptized, and that we should be worthy of the constant companionship of the Holy Ghost to guide us. As we do these things, our hearts are changed so that we desire to become more like the Savior and do not desire to participate in sin.
The process of having our hearts changed so that we become like the Savior is called being spiritually born of Christ. When we are spiritually born of him, we become his sons and daughters.
Explain that the young men in your class have already been baptized. But not everyone who has been baptized has also been spiritually born of the Savior. Ask the young men to consider the questions that Alma asked to a group of Church members.
Ask the young men to read Alma 5:14-16.
Suggest that the young men consider privately how much like the Savior they are becoming. They may want to consider these questions:
* Do I have a great desire to do good?
* Am I losing any desire for sin?
* Do I have great faith in the Savior and his promises of eternal life to the faithful?
Explain that another reason Jesus Christ is sometimes called the Father is because his will and the will of the Father are identical. Jesus Christ "received all power, both in heaven and on earth" (D&C 93:17) from Heavenly Father. He speaks and acts in the same way that our Heavenly Father would speak and act.
Ask the young men to read John 14:7.
Show picture 15, Jesus at the Door.
* What is different about this particular door? (There is no handle on the outside of the door.)
* If Christ is to come in, what must happen? (We must each open the door from our side and invite him in.)
Ask the young men to locate 3 Nephi 9:14. Read, mark, and discuss the passage with the quorum.
Help the class members understand that Christ has personally invited each of us to come to him. But we must make the decision to do so.
Read the following experience:
"The prospect of two years without warm sand and blue-green waves ahead of me sent me surfing with my friend Gaven. At the end of the summer I'd be leaving for my mission in Iceland.
"As Gaven and I carried our surfboards down a steep slope, we saw that an offshore wind was shaping six-foot waves into smooth, hollow barrels, beautiful to surfers' eyes.
"At the foot of the hills, cliffs dropped 50 feet down onto a narrow beach. We followed an eroded gully down the bluffs and easily climbed the last ten feet to the sand. Leashing our surfboards to our legs, we paddled out through kelp beds to the distant surf line.
"I got in some of the best surfing of my life that day. The air and water sparkled clear and warm, and salt spray felt fresh on our faces. Seabirds wheeled and cried constantly, and the rides were long, fast, and perfect. Gaven and I stayed until after sunset.
"As the twilight began to fade, my friend caught a last ride to shore. I looked at the horizon, which promised yet another set of extra-large waves, and waited for one more. I was rewarded by a last long, pounding ride.
"I began the long paddle back, but a current pulled against me, and light faded to almost nothing. I finally reached the cliff's base and discovered that the tide had risen much higher than I'd expected and now covered the beach. Waves rolled in and crashed directly against the cliff I had to climb. At first I shrank from the foaming water and tried in vain to discover an easier way; then I finally got up the courage to try.
"The climb up was nothing like climbing down had been that afternoon. Then the cliff had been dry and high above the surf. Now it was slick as sushi, and white water roiled around me as I climbed.
"Just short of the safety of the gully, I could go no farther. One last handhold lay just above my right hand, but I couldn't reach it. That hand held my heavy surfboard, which a leash still attached to my leg. If I dropped it to the water, the waves would catch it and pull me off the rock. I needed my left hand to hold me in place. I was truly stuck.
"Gaven, who had already reached the cliff top, suddenly appeared above me. For a moment, my foolish pride told me not to accept the hand he offered. 'I've come so far on my own,' I thought. 'I can make it myself.' But then I gratefully handed him the surfboard that burdened me, and with my right hand freed, I grasped the last handhold and reached the top.
"Summer ended, and I found myself flying off to Iceland. The weather was atrocious, the work was hard, and after the first cold, wet month, I was overcome with discouragement.
"I tried to save myself by concentrating on work and studying more, but my confidence continued to sink.
"One dark day, when the Icelandic police required everyone to stay inside because of Arctic cold and high winds, I sat on the couch in our apartment. Running through my cross-referenced collection of memories, I stumbled across the image of myself clinging to the cliffs at home. I looked at the blizzard outside and realized I was once again in just that position. I'd swum to the cliff and done all that I could, but my own strength could carry me no more.
"I remembered the scripture in Matthew that said, 'But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me. And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him' (Matt. 14:30-31).
"My confidence in myself exhausted, unable to climb farther, I had no choice but to humble myself and reach for the Savior's hand. My mission president gave me a priesthood blessing that I would find the assurance I sought. I trusted him. Although I saw no angels or pillars of light, and although the storms continued, I discovered that I had received the gift of strength I needed.
"I know that my Savior lives and that he will lift us all above the waves. The hand that was extended to me is extended to all" (Thomas J. Eastman, "Saved from the Surf," New Era, Apr. 1994, pp. 12-14).
* How does this story make you feel about the Savior?
* Is it necessary to be totally free from sin to have a strong personal testimony of Christ?
Explain that our Savior wants us to come to him as we are. We do not have to be perfect to go to him.
Have someone read Mark 2:17.
Explain that the Lord does not ask us to heal ourselves of our imperfections before we approach him. As we come to him with those imperfections and a desire to repent and overcome them, he will help us.
Emphasize that each of us can know the Savior of the world and feel his power and influence in our lives. He does not require that we be perfect, but he does require that we do all we can to be like him.
Have the young men find and read Doctrine and Covenants 88:63. Ask them to look at the words describing what we must do in order to find the Savior: "draw near unto me"; "seek me diligently"; "ask"; "knock." Explain that these words make clear that we must put forth great effort if we are to draw near to the Savior.
Write on the chalkboard, How can I draw closer to the Savior? Ask the young men to consider this question; then write the answers that you receive. They may include repenting of our sins, keeping the commandments, seeking to draw close to the Savior through prayer, and striving to serve others as the Savior did.
Explain that if we do love the Lord and draw near to him, we will receive the promise recorded in Doctrine and Covenants 88:67-68. Have the young men read these verses and discuss their meaning.
Testify that Jesus Christ is our Savior and Redeemer. He came to earth and lived and died for us. We draw near to him as we do all we can to become like him.
Challenge the young men to try throughout the coming week to act as much like Jesus Christ as they can. Suggest they pray for the Holy Ghost to guide them as they try to become more like Christ.
^ Back to top« Previous Chapter: Lesson 40: Doing Missionary Work
Next Chapter: Lesson 42: Being Humble and Teachable »
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