Prepare yourself spiritually
As you prepare, prayerfully study these scriptures and resources. What do you feel inspired to share with the young women?
D&C 20:38–60 (Duties of priesthood holders)
Henry B. Eyring, “The Comforter,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2015, 17–21
Dallin H. Oaks,“The Keys and Authority of the Priesthood,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2014, 49–52
“Relief Society: A Restoration of an Ancient Pattern,” Daughters in My Kingdom: The History and Work of Relief Society (2011), 3–7
At the beginning of each class, invite the young women to share, teach, and testify about the experiences they have had applying what they learned in the previous week’s lesson. This will encourage personal conversion and help the young women see the relevance of the gospel in their daily lives.
Introduce the doctrine
Choose from these ideas or think of your own to introduce this week’s lesson:
- Write on the board, “What are the duties of priesthood holders?” Ask the young women to list as many duties as they can think of and then add to their list the duties they find in Doctrine and Covenants 20:46–60. Invite them to consider which of these responsibilities they share with young men.
- As a class, read the paragraph at the beginning of this outline, and invite the young women to write on the board words and phrases that help them understand what the work of the priesthood is. What connections do they see between the Young Women theme and the duties of priesthood holders listed in Doctrine and Covenants 20:46–60?
Each of the activities below will help inspire the young women to be participants in the work of the priesthood. Following the inspiration of the Spirit, select one or more that will work best for your class:
- In Doctrine and Covenants 20:53 and 59, we learn that the duties of the priesthood include being with and strengthening Church members and inviting all to come unto Christ. Invite the young women to review portions of President Henry B. Eyring’s talk “The Comforter.” What does he teach about how the Holy Ghost can help us keep our covenants and participate in the work of the priesthood?
- Before class, invite the young women to learn about an influential woman—in the scriptures (such as those suggested in this outline), in Church history, or in their own families—who has been an example of ministering, teaching the gospel, or inviting others to come unto Christ. At the beginning of class, invite them to share what they learned. In what ways were these women participating in the work of the priesthood? What inspires the young women about these stories? How do they see themselves in the work of the priesthood?
- As a class, read “Relief Society: A Restoration of an Ancient Pattern.” Invite the young women to share their impressions about the role of women in the work of the priesthood. How does reading about what women have done throughout history inspire the young women to participate in this work today? Encourage the young women to read the rest of Daughters in My Kingdom on their own. If possible, you may want to provide copies for them.
- Read together section IV in Elder Dallin H. Oaks’s talk “The Keys and Authority of the Priesthood,” and ask the young women to share statements that impress them. With permission from the bishop, invite a sister in the ward to talk with the class about how priesthood authority has increased her capacity to fulfill her calling. You may want to invite this sister several days in advance.
- Show one of the videos suggested in this outline and invite the young women to identify ways in which women in the videos are participating in the work of the priesthood. How do these examples and the counsel of Church leaders in these videos inspire them to participate more fully in this work?
Ask the young women to share what they learned today. Do they understand how they can participate in the work of the priesthood? What feelings or impressions do they have? Do they have any additional questions? Would it be helpful to spend more time on this doctrine?
Live what we are learning
Invite the young women to consider how they will live by what they have learned today. For example, they could:
- Make a plan to fulfill their responsibilities in the work of the priesthood.
- Share with their families what they learned today about the work of the priesthood.