Relief Society · Elders Quorum · 25 minutes
Elder Neil L. Andersen · Of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles · Sunday Morning Session
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Elder Andersen teaches that faith in Jesus Christ gives us courage to choose the right, and each time we act with that courage, our faith in Christ grows stronger.
Skip the long list of commandments and the Peter and John account at the end so the class can spend its time on two or three stories and its own experiences.
Before Sunday
Sunday: Courage that comes from faith in Christ
On Sunday we will discuss Elder Neil L. Andersen's October 2026 talk, "Courage Born of Our Faith in Jesus Christ." He teaches that faith in Christ gives us courage to choose the right, and choosing the right strengthens our faith in return. Please read or listen to the talk on the Gospel Library app if you can. Ponder this: when has doing something hard because of your faith in Christ left your faith stronger than it was before?
Pick one opening
Elder Andersen says spiritual courage is overcoming obstacles, doubt, and fear so we can choose the right. Think of someone you know who has that kind of courage. You don't need to name them. What have you seen them do that shows it?
Elder Andersen says spiritual courage is overcoming obstacles, doubt, and fear so we can choose the right. Think of someone you know who has that kind of courage. You don't need to name them. What have you seen them do that shows it?
A month before conference, Elder Andersen went with President Uchtdorf to Spokane, Washington, where fires had destroyed more than 800 homes. They visited members whose whole neighborhoods were gone. Cody and Haylee Woodbury told him, "Our family is safe, and our faith is secure. We can build another house." Elder Andersen said their faith in Christ lifted their courage, and their courage made their faith stronger. Today we'll look at how that works.
When Dallin H. Oaks was a young attorney, he worked evenings and Saturdays at a busy law firm. Then his stake president called him to a stake mission presidency, a calling that would take three or four evenings every week. He said, "Gathering all my faith, I accepted the call." Elder Andersen notes that this decision brought President Oaks more faith. Ask the class what that phrase "gathering all my faith" suggests about how courage works.
Teach this first
Elder Andersen teaches that when we choose faith in Jesus Christ, He gives us courage to choose the right, sometimes in very hard situations. When we act on that courage, our faith in Christ grows. Every example in his talk, from accepting a calling to trusting the Lord after a disaster, follows this pattern.
"As we choose faith in Christ, He blesses us with the courage... to choose the right, and as we manifest our courage to choose the right, our faith in Christ strengthens." (Elder Neil L. Andersen)
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If time remains
Elder Andersen remembers spending whole days alone with his family's cows when he was a boy, with no phone, and says our spirits still need stillness to nourish faith in Christ. He teaches that when we kneel and pray to Heavenly Father in private, we receive more courage to choose the right.
Ask the class
Counsel together
Last 3–5 minutes
This week, set aside a few minutes with no phone to kneel and pray alone, and ask Heavenly Father for courage in one specific choice you are facing.
Elder Andersen promised that as you strengthen your faith in Jesus Christ by believing in Him, following Him, and keeping His commandments, your answers will come, your spiritual power will increase, and your courage in following Christ will define your eternal soul.
Your witness: Share a time when the Savior gave you courage to do something hard, and how that experience changed your faith in Him.