Relief Society · Elders Quorum · 25 minutes
Elder Thabo Lebethoa · Of the Seventy · Sunday Afternoon Session
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Jesus Christ is the light of the world, and He gives us that light through His Spirit and His words, so steady, sincere scripture study helps us know what to do in our everyday struggles.
Skip the Preach My Gospel quote and President Oaks's BYU quote, and save the repentance section for the second principle only if time allows.
Before Sunday
Sunday: Elder Lebethoa on the Savior's light
This Sunday we will discuss Elder Thabo Lebethoa's talk "Jesus Christ Is the Light and Life of the World." He tells how a verse in 3 Nephi showed him how to settle his first argument with his new wife. Please read the talk, or at least 3 Nephi 11:29–30, before class. Ponder this: when has a verse of scripture shown you what to do in a hard moment?
Pick one opening
Think of a conversation this month that didn't end the way you wanted, maybe with a spouse, a child, a coworker, or a neighbor. You don't need to share it. What feelings were you left with afterward? Elder Lebethoa says many of us know that feeling, and he tells us where he went to find out what to do next.
Think of a conversation this month that didn't end the way you wanted, maybe with a spouse, a child, a coworker, or a neighbor. You don't need to share it. What feelings were you left with afterward? Elder Lebethoa says many of us know that feeling, and he tells us where he went to find out what to do next.
Elder Lebethoa's name, Thabo, means "joy." His wife's middle name, Gadifele, means "eternal." Put together, their names mean "eternal joy." But soon after they married, a discussion turned into their first serious argument, and they ended up giving each other the silent treatment. While he wondered what to do, the Savior's words in 3 Nephi 11 about contention came to his mind and showed him how to make it right.
When Elder Lebethoa was a mission leader in South Africa, a missionary told him about a man they were teaching. After reading the Book of Mormon, the man took a shovel, dug a hole in his garden, poured a newly bought large tin of coffee into it, and buried it. Elder Lebethoa says the Spirit showed the man what he needed to change, and the man acted on it.
Teach this first
In 3 Nephi 11:11 Jesus Christ says, "I am the light and the life of the world." He lights our minds through His Spirit (D&C 6:15), and His teachings are "a light unto [our] path" (Psalm 119:105). That is why Elder Lebethoa found his answer in a verse. He teaches that there is no single right way to study the scriptures, and that being consistent and sincere matters more than the method, the time of day, or how long we study.
Elder Lebethoa taught that whatever concerns, challenges, and struggles we may have, "the answer is always Jesus Christ."
Ask the class
If time remains
Elder Lebethoa describes repentance as a change of mind and a turning of the heart to God. We do not have to change alone, because the Savior understands our weaknesses perfectly and is ready "to succor his people according to their infirmities" (Alma 7:12).
Ask the class
Counsel together
Last 3–5 minutes
This week, take one challenge you are facing to the scriptures. Choose a time and a way of studying that fits your life, and pray to know what the Lord wants you to do.
Elder Lebethoa testified that today can be a new day and tomorrow will be a better day for all who come unto Jesus Christ and receive His light in their lives.
Your witness: Think of a time the Savior's words or His Spirit showed you what to do in a struggle, at home or anywhere else. Share it briefly, and say what you know about Jesus Christ because of it.