Jeremiah 31

The world’s smallest Bible was produced using an ion beam. Scientists etched all 1.2 million characters of the Old Testament onto a surface the size of a grain of sugar. The text is so small that it must be magnified 10,000 times to be visible.

Other interesting formats for God’s word include clay tablets, gold plates, papyrus scrolls, and digital formats such as Gospel Library. However, Jeremiah taught that God is interested in writing His word somewhere different.

After warning of the consequences that the wicked would suffer in the last days (see Jeremiah 30:23–24), Jeremiah prophesied that the Lord would again gather His covenant people to Him.

Read Jeremiah 31:31–33 and look for where the Lord promised to write His law when He gathers His people.

You might want to link what you find to 2 Corinthians 3:3 to see how Paul taught a similar truth.

Former Young Women General President Bonnie L. Oscarson taught the following:

11:31

We need to get the gospel from our heads into our hearts! It is possible for us to merely go through the motions of living the gospel because it is expected or because it is the culture in which we have grown up or because it is a habit. …

We all need to seek to have our hearts and very natures changed so that we no longer have a desire to follow the ways of the world but to please God. (“Do I Believe?” Ensign or Liahona, May 2016, 88)

Answer the following question with a note next to Jeremiah 31:33:

• How is knowing God’s law different from having God’s law written in your heart?

Option A

What are some examples of people who had God’s law written in their hearts?

When people have God’s law written in their heart, they act differently.

Elder Kim B. Clark of the Seventy taught:

10:55

When we live our covenants, they influence everything we say and do. We live a covenant life full of simple, everyday acts of faith that focus us on Jesus Christ: prayer from the heart in His name, feasting on His word, turning to Him to repent of our sins, keeping His commandments, partaking of the sacrament and keeping His Sabbath holy, worshipping in His holy temple as often as we can, and exercising His holy priesthood to serve God’s children.

These acts of covenant devotion open our hearts and minds to the redeeming power of the Savior and the sanctifying influence of the Holy Ghost. Line upon line, the Savior changes our very nature, we become more deeply converted unto Him, and our covenants come alive in our hearts. (“Look unto Jesus Christ,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2019, 55)

Do you know anyone from the scriptures or your personal life who meets this standard?

Take a minute to think about what this person has done to dedicate themselves to the Lord, and then study one or more of these stories:

• The disciples in Jerusalem after the Savior’s Resurrection (see Acts 2:37–42)

• The Lamanites at the time of King Lamoni (see Alma 23:5–8)

• The Nephites after the Savior’s appearance (see 4 Nephi 1:2, 15–18)

What have you learned from Elder Clark and the scriptural examples about what it means to have God’s law written in your heart?

Lesson Purpose: To understand what it means to have the Savior’s gospel written in your heart.

Share one of the following with your teacher:

• Your favorite example of someone who has God’s law written in their heart.

• Your favorite promise from God’s law and how having it written in your heart would change the way you act.

• Something specific you did to achieve the purpose of this lesson.

• Any questions this lesson raised for you. How will you try to find answers to your questions?