Young Women · Aaronic Priesthood · 25 minutes
Chapter 11: Truth will make you free · John 8:32
If a youth is teaching
Keep chapter 11 open on your phone the whole time. Start by having someone read John 8:32, then teach just the integrity truth and run the Freeze Frame activity, and skip the education truth and the temple recommend questions. To close, have everyone open the Invitations section, pick one, and then share in a sentence or two what you know about Jesus Christ being the truth.
Before Sunday
Sunday: Truth will make you free (FSY chapter 11)
On Sunday the class will use chapter 11 of For the Strength of Youth, "Truth Will Make You Free." Open the chapter in Gospel Library and read the three eternal truths at the top, then read John 8:32. Choose the truth that matters most to you right now and be ready to say why. Ponder this: when has telling the truth, or doing what was right when no one was watching, left you feeling freer instead of more stuck?
Pick one opening
Have everyone open chapter 11 in Gospel Library. Ask someone to read John 8:32 out loud. Then ask: "Most people think freedom means nobody tells you what to do. Jesus says truth is what makes you free. What do you think He means? What does a lie, or a secret, take away from a person?" Let two or three people answer. Don't correct anyone yet. Write "truth makes me free from..." on the board and add their answers.
Have everyone open chapter 11 in Gospel Library. Ask someone to read John 8:32 out loud. Then ask: "Most people think freedom means nobody tells you what to do. Jesus says truth is what makes you free. What do you think He means? What does a lie, or a secret, take away from a person?" Let two or three people answer. Don't correct anyone yet. Write "truth makes me free from..." on the board and add their answers.
Hold up two sheets of paper. Write "PUBLIC" on one and "PRIVATE" on the other. Ask everyone to open chapter 11 and find the invitation "Live with integrity." Have someone read its last sentence out loud, the part about being the same follower of Jesus Christ in public and in private. Put the two sheets side by side and ask: "What happens to a person when these two pages tell different stories? What does it cost to keep them apart?" Then go to the eternal truths and have someone read the one about living with integrity.
Interactive activity — pick one
7–9 minutes
Materials: Chalkboard, chalk or markers, Gospel Library on phones
Bring it back: Jesus calls Himself the truth in John 14:6. Looking at the verses on the board, what does it teach you about Him that He wants you to love truth and live by it?
7–9 minutes
Materials: Chalkboard, chalk or markers, Gospel Library on phones
Bring it back: Jesus calls Himself the truth in John 14:6. Looking at the verses on the board, what does it teach you about Him that He wants you to love truth and live by it?
6–8 minutes
Bring it back: The guide promises that honesty brings peace and self-respect. In the scenes we just watched, what was the person freed from when they chose to be honest?
Teach this first
Open chapter 11. Have someone read the eternal truth about living with integrity, then read John 8:32 and Doctrine and Covenants 124:15 together. Integrity means loving what is right more than comfort, popularity, or convenience, and doing right simply because it is right. Jesus Christ is the truth (John 14:6), so when your words and actions match truth, you are walking with Him, and nothing is left to hide. To finish the beat, have someone read the promised blessing about honesty out loud and ask the class how the Lord keeps that promise.
Living with integrity means you love what is right in the sight of God, more than you love personal comfort, popularity, or convenience. (For the Strength of Youth)
Ask the class
If time remains
If you have time, stay in chapter 11 and have someone read the first question in the Questions and Answers section, about whether it is wrong to have questions about the Church. Point out that the Restoration began when 14-year-old Joseph Smith asked a question in faith, and that the guide tells you where to look for answers and to keep living what you already know while you learn line upon line.
Ask the class
Last 3–5 minutes
Have everyone look at the Invitations section of chapter 11 and choose one: Always be learning, Learn spiritual truths, or Live with integrity. Ask someone to read the one they picked out loud. Invite each person to write one specific action for this week in their Gospel Library notes, such as being completely honest on one assignment or test, or studying one teaching of the Savior each day.
For the Strength of Youth promises that honesty brings peace and self-respect, and that when your words and actions align with truth, people and the Lord can trust you. It also promises that when you stand up for the teachings of Jesus Christ, He stands with you.
Your witness: Think of a time when choosing the truth, even a small or uncomfortable truth, brought you peace or drew you closer to Jesus Christ. Share it briefly and say plainly what you know about Him as the truth.