Opening question
Think of a hard time in your life. Someone probably showed up for you then: a call, a meal, a few kind words. Without naming anyone, what did that person do, and how did it help you feel that the Lord knew about you?
Relief Society · Elders Quorum · 25 minutes
“Fear Not, I Am with Thee”Relief Society & Elders Quorum lesson
President Henry B. Eyring · First Counselor in the First Presidency · Sunday Morning Session
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A 25-minute class
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The Lord promises to be with us in our trials, not to remove them, and He usually keeps that promise by sending His faithful disciples to comfort and help those who are struggling.
Skip the separate examples about missionaries and Church leaders. Mention them in one sentence and spend the time on the story of President Eyring's mother and on how the Lord sends people to help one another.
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Before Sunday
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Sunday: "Fear Not, I Am with Thee" (President Eyring)
This Sunday we'll discuss President Henry B. Eyring's talk "Fear Not, I Am with Thee." He teaches that the Lord's promise is to be with us in our trials, not to take them away, and that He often keeps that promise through other people. Read or listen to the talk on the Gospel Library app if you can. Ponder this question: when has the Lord sent someone to help you in a hard time?
Pick one opening
Opening question
Think of a hard time in your life. Someone probably showed up for you then: a call, a meal, a few kind words. Without naming anyone, what did that person do, and how did it help you feel that the Lord knew about you?
Story hook
When young Henry Eyring asked his mother why life was so hard, she smiled and told him, "Of course it's hard. It's supposed to be. Life is a test." She was living with serious illness for most of her life. Near the end she was bedridden, and the only picture on her wall was of the Savior. Her husband slept on a cot beside her hospital bed so he could help her during the night.
Hymn question
Read the verse from "How Firm a Foundation" that begins "Fear not, I am with thee." President Eyring points out that these lines come from Isaiah 41. Look carefully at what the Lord promises in them. What does He promise to do, and what does He not promise?
Teach this first
The Lord keeps His promise to be with us, often through other people
The Lord does not promise to remove our trials, because mortal life is a test that helps us grow to live in His presence. He does promise to strengthen and help us. The Savior has borne our griefs and knows us perfectly, and He usually sends faithful disciples to carry that help to us.
President Eyring quoted President Spencer W. Kimball: "God does notice us, and he watches over us. But it is usually through another person that he meets our needs."
Ask the class
- 1.President Eyring's mother faced lifelong trials, yet he says the Lord's promise was fulfilled for her. What do you think it looks like for the Lord to be with someone when the trial does not go away?
- 2.President Eyring's father thanked every nurse who had helped his wife. When has the Lord answered your prayers or someone else's through another person, and what did that teach you about how He works?
If time remains
We can pray to know whom the Lord wants us to help
President Eyring describes members who pray in faith to know whom to help and then reach out when a face or a name comes to mind. Alma taught that people who want to be called the Lord's people are willing to bear one another's burdens and comfort those who need comfort (Mosiah 18:8–9).
Ask the class
- 1.President Eyring says that even simple attention can comfort someone. What small kinds of help have meant the most to you, and why do you think they mattered so much?
Counsel together
Quorum / Relief Society business
- •Who in our ward or quorum may be going through a hard time right now, and how can we pray to know who should reach out to them?
- •How can we better support the missionaries and the people serving in callings in our ward, as President Eyring encourages?
Last 3–5 minutes
Close
This week, pray to know whom the Lord would have you help. When a face or a name comes to mind, reach out to that person with a call, a message, or a visit.
When you reach out to someone because you felt prompted to, President Eyring teaches that your reaching out shows them the Lord knows and loves them.
Your witness: Share a time when the Lord kept His promise "Fear not, I am with thee" in your life, especially if He did it through another person, and what that taught you about the Savior.