Heavenly Father is happy when we learn
Friend August 2017 “Three Classrooms” There are three different classrooms in life.
Heavenly Father Wants Me to Learn.
Primary 5: Doctrine and Covenants and Church History “Lesson 24: The School of the Prophets and the Word of Wisdom,” The School of the Prophets Is Organized
In Doctrine and Covenants 88 the Lord instructed Joseph Smith to form a school to teach the leaders of the Church about the gospel and prepare them to serve the members of the Church. In this school, called the School of the Prophets, Church leaders were to teach one another about the gospel and other important subjects (see D&C 88:77–80). Leaders of the Church in the Kirtland area began attending the School of the Prophets at the end of January 1833. The school was held in the evenings, in an upstairs room of Newel K. Whitney’s store. The Prophet taught the men about the importance of learning and preaching the gospel and of learning about the world around them. In addition to studying the scriptures and the principles of the gospel, the men also studied Hebrew and Greek.
In 1831 the Lord had commanded Oliver Cowdery and W. W. Phelps to write and select textbooks for children (see D&C 55:4). After Joseph Smith organized the School of the Prophets for the priesthood leaders of the Church, he organized a school for children. Classes were held in the attic of the Kirtland Temple. One hundred forty children attended the school.
Doctrine and Covenants 88:77–80, 118
Come, Follow Me—For Primary: Doctrine and Covenants 2021 “Doctrine and Covenants 88”
“Education is an important part of Heavenly Father’s plan to help you become more like Him. … The education you gain will be valuable to you during mortality and in the life to come” (For the Strength of Youth, 9).
- Display a picture of a school, or draw one on the board, and invite the children to explain what a school is and what happens there. Tell about the school Joseph Smith started (see “Chapter 31: The Word of Wisdom,” Doctrine and Covenants Stories, 119–22). Show the children pictures of a home, a church, and a temple, and ask them how these places are also like schools.
- Sing a song about learning, such as “Search, Ponder, and Pray” (Children’s Songbook, 109). Ask the children what they enjoy learning about.
- Read Doctrine and Covenants 88:118, and emphasize the phrase “teach one another.” Share some wisdom that you have learned from each of the children in your class, and invite them to share wisdom they have learned.
You can help the children understand that learning about both spiritual and temporal matters can prepare them to serve the Lord.
- Write on the board What, Why, and How. Invite the children to read Doctrine and Covenants 88:77–79 in pairs and make a list of what the Lord wants us to learn about. Then ask them to search verse 80 to find out why He wants us to learn. They can then search verse 118 to find out how we should learn. What do we learn from these verses about how the Lord views education and learning?
- Display a map of the world, and read together Doctrine and Covenants 88:79. Why is it important for us to learn about other countries and cultures? If you or the children you teach have visited or lived in another country, show items that represent the culture, and share things you learned.
Bright Idea Poster: “Seek ye out of the best books words of wisdom; seek learning, even by study and also by faith.”(May 2013 Friend)
Family Evening Resource Book: “Learning” Learning Is Important
Discuss the following ideas to show the importance of gaining knowledge:
- Perfect knowledge is one of God’s attributes (see 2 Nephi 9:20).
- The commandment to study and learn is repeated many times in the Doctrine and Covenants (D&C 88:118, 130:18–19, and D&C 131:6).
- Peter said knowledge was necessary to become like Heavenly Father (2 Peter 1:5–9).
Discuss how learning can help us become more like our Father in Heaven.
“Learn!” (September 2011 Friend)
President Dieter F. Uchtdorf tells of how he loved learning as a child and how it is important for everyone to learn as much as they can.
Friend August 2021 “Scripture Time Fun for Little Ones” Help your littles ones say, “Heavenly Father wants me to learn.” Talk about good things we learn at church and school. Have your little ones draw something they have learned.
Friend September 2017 “Surviving the Homework Jungle“
Friend October 2021 “Meet Nathan from the Republic of the Congo” Nathan likes to help his younger siblings Stephy and Aaron learn to read. He helps them with their homework and reads Book of Mormon stories with them.
Nathan loves going to school. He follows Jesus by helping his younger siblings learn too.
Challenge: Getting an education is important! Make a list of all the things you have at home and in the community that can help you learn. How can you use each one to learn more? Friend October 2021 “Adventures in the Republic of the Congo with Margo and Paolo”
Friend September 2022 “Activity Time” Heavenly Father wants us to learn lots of good things. Find the matching books!
Friend October 2022 “Worth the Work” When Elder Alfred Kyungu was young his family couldn’t afford to end him to school. The family worked hard on the farm so they could afford to send him back to school. He learned that an education is worth working for. Later he learned that the Lord also teaches us that education is important.
Friend October 2022 “Learning Fun” Use the pictures to help you find the scriptures about the importance of learning!
Heavenly Father Wants Me to Gain Knowledge and Intelligence.
Doctrine and Covenants 130:18–19
Come, Follow Me—For Primary: Doctrine and Covenants 2021 “Doctrine and Covenants 129-132”
Many things we obtain in this life will not go with us into the next life. But our “knowledge and intelligence” will (Doctrine and Covenants 130:19).
- Ask the children to share with you something they are learning about in school or from their parents. Invite them to read Doctrine and Covenants 130:18–19 to find out what will happen to our knowledge and intelligence in the next life.
- What does verse 19 teach about how we gain knowledge and intelligence? How can we be diligent and obedient as we seek to learn? (For more on this topic, see “Education” in For the Strength of Youth [pages 9–10].)
Elder Neal A. Maxwell clarified what the word intelligence means in Doctrine and Covenants 130:18–19: “If we ponder just what it is that will rise with us in the resurrection, it seems clear that our intelligence will rise with us, meaning not simply our IQ, but also our capacity to receive and apply truth (applying the knowledge we obtain for righteous purposes). Our talents, attributes, and skills will rise with us; certainly also our capacity to learn, our degree of self-discipline, and our capacity to work” (We Will Prove Them Herewith [1982], 12).
How might you use these verses to help your family prioritize things that last eternally? Maybe you could pack a suitcase or backpack together with items representing things that, according to Doctrine and Covenants 130:2, 18–19; 132:19, we can take with us into the next life, such as family pictures or scriptures. What does Doctrine and Covenants 132:13teach us about things of the world? This could lead to a discussion about focusing on things that have eternal significance.
Friend August 2021 “Scripture Time Fun for Little Ones” Help your littles ones say, “Heavenly Father wants me to learn.” Talk about good things we learn at church and school. Have your little ones draw something they have learned.
Keep Trying
Friend March 2022 “Overcoming Your Challenges” President Dallin H. Oaks discusses the challenges he faced growing up, such as having his father die when he was seven, or being made fun of by other kids because he couldn’t spell or do math very well. Heavenly Father and Dallin’s family helped him and things got better. President Oaks wants the children to know that Heavenly Father will help them and to not give up. (Coloring page “I Can Overcome Challenges”)
Why is Learning Important
Friend April 2023 “Why is Learning Important?” By Elder David A. Bednar
For the Strength of Youth April 2023 “7 Hidden Benefits of Learning”
For the Strength of Youth April 2023 “God’s Gift to Help You Learn” The spirit of learning and knowledge is one of the many gifts of the Holy Ghost. He can help you in so many ways, including in your learning.
