Young Women · Aaronic Priesthood · 25 minutes
Chapter 11: Truth will make you free · John 8:32
If a youth is teaching
Keep this Sunday's lesson open in Gospel Library the whole time. Start by having someone read 1 Nephi 6:4–6, then pick just one activity, and skip the long list of six passages if you're short on time. To close, invite everyone to bring a favorite verse that has helped them come closer to Jesus Christ, then share in a sentence or two what the scriptures have meant to you.
Before Sunday
Sunday: Why did God give us the scriptures?
On Sunday we'll talk about why Heavenly Father gave us the scriptures and how to hold on to them. Open this Sunday's lesson in the For the Strength of Youth magazine and read 1 Nephi 6:4–6, where Nephi explains why he wrote. Bring one favorite verse that has helped you feel closer to Jesus Christ. Ponder this: when has a verse come to your mind right when you needed it?
Pick one opening
Have everyone open this Sunday's lesson in Gospel Library. Ask: "If you could only keep one book for the rest of your life, what would you want it to do for you?" Take a few answers. Then have someone read 1 Nephi 6:4–6 out loud. Ask: "Nephi said he wrote so people would come unto God and be saved. How is that different from why most books get written?" Point out that the scriptures were written on purpose to bring us to Jesus Christ.
Have everyone open this Sunday's lesson in Gospel Library. Ask: "If you could only keep one book for the rest of your life, what would you want it to do for you?" Take a few answers. Then have someone read 1 Nephi 6:4–6 out loud. Ask: "Nephi said he wrote so people would come unto God and be saved. How is that different from why most books get written?" Point out that the scriptures were written on purpose to bring us to Jesus Christ.
Hold the end of a pen, a jacket sleeve, or anything you can grab, and ask a volunteer to hold the other end. Ask the class: "If the lights went out and you had to cross a room full of chairs, would you rather have this to hold or have someone shout directions at you?" Then have everyone open this Sunday's lesson and turn to 1 Nephi 8:19–24. Have someone read it out loud. Ask: "What did the rod do for people in the mist of darkness?" Tell them 1 Nephi 11:25 explains what the rod stands for, and have someone read that verse.
Interactive activity — pick one
7–9 minutes
Materials: Chairs already in the room
Bring it back: Holding on the whole way and grabbing on once both got people to the tree, so why do you think only the people who kept holding fast stayed there, and what does holding fast to the scriptures look like in a normal week of your life?
7–9 minutes
Materials: Chairs already in the room
Bring it back: Holding on the whole way and grabbing on once both got people to the tree, so why do you think only the people who kept holding fast stayed there, and what does holding fast to the scriptures look like in a normal week of your life?
6–8 minutes
Materials: Chalkboard or whiteboard, markers or chalk, Gospel Library phones
Bring it back: Looking at the 'How we are blessed' column, which blessing do you need most right now, and what on the 'How we should read' side could help you get it?
Teach this first
Open this Sunday's lesson and have someone read its opening paragraph out loud: the scriptures testify of Jesus Christ, give us hope, and show the way to Heavenly Father. Then read 1 Nephi 6:4–6 and 1 Nephi 11:25 together. Nephi wrote so people would come to God, and in the vision the rod of iron, which is the word of God, leads people to the tree of life, which stands for the love of God. Because the scriptures were written to bring us to Christ, holding on to them keeps us moving toward Him even when things are confusing.
Ask the class
Last 3–5 minutes
Do what this Sunday's lesson invites: choose one verse that has helped you come closer to Jesus Christ, or find one this week. Share it with the class next Sunday or text it to a friend. Have someone read the line in the lesson about scriptures being friends you can call on anytime, anywhere.
Your witness: Think of a time a verse came to mind or steadied you when you needed it. In a sentence or two, tell the class how it helped you feel closer to the Savior, and why you keep holding on to His word.