Prepare yourself spiritually
What scriptures and other resources will help the young men understand how the gospel can help with life’s challenges?
Richard G. Scott, “Make the Exercise of Faith Your First Priority,” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2014, 92–95
Jeffrey R. Holland, “Like a Broken Vessel,” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2013, 40–42
“Physical and Emotional Health,” For the Strength of Youth (2012), 25–27
Let the young men lead
A member of the quorum presidency (or an assistant to the bishop in the priests quorum) conducts the quorum meeting. He leads the young men in counseling together about quorum business, teaches them their priesthood duties (from the scriptures and the Duty to God book), encourages them to share their experiences fulfilling their duty to God, and invites an adviser or other quorum member to teach a gospel lesson. He could prepare by filling out a quorum meeting agenda during a presidency meeting.
Begin the learning experience
Choose from these ideas or think of your own to review last week’s lesson and introduce this week’s lesson:
- Ask the young men to share experiences they had during the week as they tried to live by what they have been learning this month about self-reliance.
- Invite the young men to name some challenges or problems youth their age are facing, and write their responses on the board. What are some unhealthy or unproductive things young men sometimes do to cope with these problems? Throughout the lesson, invite the young men to look for ways the truths of the gospel can help.
Each of the activities below can help the quorum members learn how to find solutions to their own challenges. Following the guidance of the Spirit, select one or more that will work best in your quorum:
- Invite the young men to think of a challenge or problem that young people today face. Ask them to browse the topic index in the most recent general conference issue of the Ensign or Liahona, looking for topics that could help address that problem. Invite them to search one of the talks related to those topics and share with the quorum a statement that could help someone overcome challenges. Encourage the young men to use the topic index to find help with their own challenges.
- Invite the young men to read the last two paragraphs of “Physical and Emotional Health” in For the Strength of Youth and look for counsel that could help them or people they know. What are some examples of “healthy solutions” we should seek when we have problems? What solutions does the gospel of Jesus Christ offer? Share an experience from your own life in which the gospel provided answers or assistance for a specific problem or challenge. Invite the young men to share similar experiences from their own lives.
- Share the following statement by President Thomas S. Monson: “How blessed we are, my brothers and sisters, to have the restored gospel of Jesus Christ in our lives and in our hearts. It provides answers to life’s greatest questions. It provides meaning and purpose and hope to our lives. We live in troubled times. I assure you that our Heavenly Father is mindful of the challenges we face. He loves each of us and desires to bless us and to help us” (“As We Close This Conference,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2012, 115). Ask each young man to read one of the scriptures from this outline and share how it could help someone who is facing a challenge or problem that is common among youth today. What does it mean to trust in the Lord or come unto Christ when we need help? Are there other scriptures the young men can think of that could help with specific challenges or problems?
- Ask the young men to think of someone they know who is struggling with mental or emotional challenges. Give each young man a copy of Elder Jeffrey R. Holland’s talk “Like a Broken Vessel.” Ask them to look for answers to his question “How do you best respond when mental or emotional challenges confront you or those you love?” Invite the young men to share what they learn and to discuss how these teachings could help the person they are thinking of.
- Ask quorum members to think of personal challenges or problems they are facing. List on the board the four tools Elder Richard G. Scott mentions in his talk “Make the Exercise of Faith Your First Priority,” and ask quorum members to study about one of the tools they feel could help them with their challenges. Invite them to share what they learn from Elder Scott’s counsel.
Ask the young men to share what they learned today. Do they understand how to find solutions to life’s challenges in the gospel of Jesus Christ? What feelings or impressions do they have? Do they have any additional questions? Would it be helpful to spend more time on this doctrine?
Invite to act
The young man who is conducting concludes the meeting. He could:
- Share how understanding and living the gospel has helped him overcome trials.
- Invite quorum members to use what they learned today to help or encourage someone who is struggling with emotional challenges.