Jeremiah 31–33; 36–38; Lamentations 1; 3

Consider beginning by discussing the following statement from Preach My Gospel:

Hope is not simply wishful thinking. Instead, it is an abiding confidence, grounded in your faith in Christ, that God will fulfill His promises to you (see Moroni 7:42). It is the expectation “of good things to come” through Christ (Hebrews 9:11). Your ultimate source of hope is Jesus Christ. (Preach My Gospel [2023], 126).

• How does this definition differ from how we usually use the word hope in everyday conversation?

• What can make it hard to feel hope for the future?

Remind students that Jeremiah lived in a time of great wickedness, and the people of Jerusalem were facing the growing threat of Babylonian captivity. It may have been difficult to feel hopeful during this time. Yet the Lord taught Jeremiah important truths that provided hope. Encourage students to consider their own circumstances as they study today and to look for truths that can help them feel hope for the future, no matter the challenges they face.

You could use one or both of the following options to help students study examples of hope-filled messages in Jeremiah 31–32.

After you have completed one or both of the previous study options, consider asking questions like the following to help students share their insights:

• What messages of hope did you find in these verses?

• What do these verses help you learn or feel about the Lord? (As part of this discussion, students could identify a truth like the following: Because of Jesus Christ, we can have hope in our future.)

To help students better understand this truth, consider giving them time to learn more about the hope that comes through Jesus Christ. They could do this by choosing one or more of the following resources to study:

• Guide to the Scriptures, “Hope,” Gospel Library

• Topics and Questions, “Hope,” Gospel Library

• Neil L. Andersen, “The Triumph of Hope,” Liahona, Nov. 2024, 4–6

• Dieter F. Uchtdorf, “The Infinite Power of Hope,” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2008, 21–24

After sufficient time, invite students to share insights they gained from their study with a partner or small group. You could also discuss the following questions together as a class:

• What has the Lord promised to you that gives you hope?

• What advice would you give to someone who doesn’t feel hope for the future?

You might conclude by showing the video “The Power of Hope” (2:11) or sharing the following statement by President Dieter F. Uchtdorf, then of the First Presidency:

2:11

No matter how bleak the chapter of our lives may look today, because of the life and sacrifice of Jesus Christ, we may hope and be assured that the ending of the book of our lives will exceed our grandest expectations. …

We hope in Jesus the Christ, in the goodness of God, in the manifestations of the Holy Spirit, in the knowledge that prayers are heard and answered. …

… Hope teaches that there is reason to rejoice even when all seems dark around us. (“The Infinite Power of Hope,” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2008, 22, 23, 24)

Return to “Learning Activity Options.”

Have students think of a time when someone told them something that they needed to hear but did not want to hear. Then consider asking:

• What are some ways people might respond in this type of situation?

You might also share the following statement by President Ezra Taft Benson:

How we respond to the words of a living prophet when he tells us what we need to know, but would rather not hear, is a test of our faithfulness. (Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Ezra Taft Benson [2014], 152)

Invite students to think about how they typically respond when teachings of the Lord’s prophets and apostles challenge their current views or expectations. Encourage them as they study today to look for truths that can help them during such moments.

Explain that Jeremiah 36 refers to experiences Jeremiah had during the reign of Jehoiakim, who was king before Zedekiah. Invite students to read Jeremiah 36:1–3, looking for what the Lord commanded Jeremiah to do during this period. Invite students to report what they found.

Explain that Jeremiah was confined and unable to speak the Lord’s words at the temple. So he dictated God’s words to his scribe, Baruch, who wrote them down and read them at the temple. The message reached several princes of Judah. They became afraid and informed King Jehoiakim, who then had the scroll read to him (see Jeremiah 36:4–19).

Invite students to read Jeremiah 36:20–32, looking for how King Jehoiakim reacted and what the Lord asked Jeremiah to do next. Then consider discussing questions like the following:

• What might the king have been trying to show by cutting up and burning Jeremiah’s prophecies?

• What can we learn from the Lord’s instructions to Jeremiah after the scroll was destroyed? (As part of this discussion, students could identify a truth like the following: All the Lord’s words will be fulfilled. You could have students read Doctrine and Covenants 1:37–38 and discuss how these verses relate to the account in Jeremiah 36.)

Invite students to think of situations that young adults face where it would be helpful to remember the bolded truth listed in the previous paragraph. List students’ responses on the board.

Next, invite students to choose one of the situations from the board and imagine they have a close friend or loved one who is in that situation. Give the students time to write a short message that could help the person in that situation. (Inform them that they will be sharing their response later in the learning activity.)

As part of their response, they could include some or all of the following:

• A relevant scripture or statement from a Church leader.

• Truths about Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ that can be helpful to remember.

• A personal experience.

• Personal testimony.

After sufficient time, invite students to share their response with a partner or small group. You could then ask a question like the following:

• What experiences have helped you understand that all the Lord’s words will be fulfilled?

Invite the students to reflect on what they have learned or felt today that could impact the choices they make. Encourage them to record their thoughts or spiritual impressions in their personal notes.

Return to “Learning Activity Options.”

You could begin by discussing the following statement by Elder Neil L. Andersen:

Wounds of the soul … come to all and are part of the learning we receive from this mortal experience. (“Wounded,” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2018, 84)

• What kinds of life experiences can cause “wounds of the soul”?

• How can our spiritual wounds be sources of learning and growth?

Invite students to think about spiritual wounds they may have. Encourage them as they study today to pay attention to any impressions they receive from the Holy Ghost that can help them seek the healing and hope that comes through Jesus Christ.

Remind students that Jeremiah ministered in Jerusalem during a time when many of the people were deeply spiritually wounded because of their sins. During the reign of Zedekiah, the Babylonians destroyed Jerusalem and brought many people into captivity, fulfilling the Lord’s prophecies to Jeremiah (see Jeremiah 52). Sometime after these events, Jeremiah wrote the book of Lamentations. The term lamentation refers to words that express deep sorrow or grief. (For more, see “What is the book of Lamentations?” in Scripture Helps: Old Testament.)

Explain that while much of the book of Lamentations contains words of sorrow, Jeremiah also included words of hope. Display a chart like the following and invite students to study the references in the chart. Have them list on the board what they discovered under the appropriate heading.

After sufficient time, invite students to share what they learned from these verses. As part of this discussion, they could share truths like the following: Sin leads to sorrow, distress, and suffering. Though we may sin, as we patiently seek the Lord, His steadfast compassion will never fail us.

To help students better understand how they can experience the Savior’s compassion in their own life, invite them to find examples from the scriptures that teach about the Savior’s compassion. Or they could practice the skill “Using Teachings of Church Leaders to Understand the Scriptures” in Scripture Study Skills to find related teachings from Church leaders.

After sufficient time, invite students to share what they found with a partner or small group. You could then invite a few students to share their insights with the class.

Consider showing the video “Painted into a Corner” (3:41). Invite students to look for evidence of the Savior’s compassion as they watch the video.

3:41

To conclude, you could share the following statement by Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf:

Because of Jesus Christ, our failures do not have to define us. They can refine us. (“God among Us,” Liahona, May 2021, 9)

Invite students to reflect on what they have learned and felt as they studied today. Encourage them to write down thoughts or spiritual impressions they may have received.

Return to “Learning Activity Options.”