Here is the link to the lesson I taught to my sunday school class last week:
Note to the teacher
Many youth are concerned most with what they want at the present moment. They may have difficulty thinking about the long-term consequences of their actions. Help class members see that most worthwhile things in life, both temporal and spiritual, can only be achieved by mastering ourselves.
Suggested Lesson Development
Living without Self-Mastery Is Dangerous
Picture discussion
Display the picture of a car (if you do not have a picture, describe such a car). Ask class members:
• Would you like to ride in or drive this car? Why? What do you like about this car?
Allow class members a few moments to comment on the car.
• Would you want to ride in or drive this car if it had no brakes? Why not?
Point out that no matter how beautiful a car is or how good its engine or tires may be, if it does not have brakes it will soon be the cause of an accident. It would be very dangerous to ride in such a car.
Explain that today’s lesson is about something that is as important to our lives as brakes are to a car: self-mastery (also called self-control or self-discipline).
Discussion and quotation
• What do you think self-mastery is?
Allow a few moments for comments, then have a class member read the following statement from Elder Russell M. Nelson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles:
“You consist of two parts—your physical body, and your spirit which lives within your body. You may have heard the expression ‘mind over matter.’ … I would like to phrase it a little differently: ‘spirit over body.’ That is self-mastery” (in Conference Report, Oct. 1985, 38; or Ensign, Nov. 1985, 30).
Explain that self-mastery is the ability of your spirit to control your body, the ability to do what you know you should do even if a part of you does not want to do it. You exercise self-mastery when you do God’s will instead of your own.
• How is a person without self-mastery like a car without brakes? Why is it important to exercise self-mastery?
Self-Mastery Brings Blessings
Scripture discussion
Explain that Jesus taught us that we must be able to master ourselves if we are to be his disciples.
Have class members read and mark Matthew 16:24.

Continue reading “Sunday School Lesson 24: Self Mastery” →