Seminary
Lesson 164: Examining Gospel Topics and Questions with an Eternal Perspective—Striving to See Things As the Lord Sees Them
a young woman praying

Doctrinal Mastery: Finding Answers to My Questions: Lesson 164

Examining Gospel Topics and Questions with an Eternal Perspective

Striving to See Things As the Lord Sees Them

Visit “Studying the Scriptures” to help prepare yourself spiritually to learn.

left: houses in London; right: railroad tracks going underneath a fake house front

The houses at 23–24 Leinster Gardens in London have a near-perfect look. But they also have a secret: two of them aren’t real.

When London built the underground train in the 1860s, they needed to make space for vents. Two homes on Leinster Gardens were selected for demolition, but residents worried about how the vent would make the neighborhood look. Their solution was to build a facade across the front of the property. To this day, the front looks like an upscale home. However, the perspective from the back reveals weathered brick and a large hole, where trains go by every 10–15 minutes.

Like those houses, some gospel topics can only be understood when they are approached from a different perspective. An eternal perspective.

Lesson Purpose: This lesson can help you examine concepts and questions with an eternal perspective.

Learn How

The importance of an eternal perspective

As in the case of the houses at 23–24 Leinster Gardens, perspective impacts how we view gospel questions.

mark iconRead paragraphs 8–10 in the “Acquiring Spiritual Knowledge” section of the Doctrinal Mastery Core Document (2023). In each paragraph, mark what you learn about examining concepts and questions with an eternal perspective.

Examining your questions with an eternal perspective will help you see them more like the Lord does.

Learning tip: This section of the Doctrinal Mastery Core Document contains two questions that can help you see things from an eternal perspective. If you are using Gospel Library, it may be useful to tag (tag icon) the questions as “eternal perspective” or “gospel questions” so that you can easily find this resource next time you face a challenging gospel question.

President Russell M. Nelson explained how keeping an eternal perspective (“thinking celestial”) can bless us:

19:15
President Russell M. Nelson

When you are confronted with a dilemma, think celestial! When tested by temptation, think celestial! When life or loved ones let you down, think celestial! When someone dies prematurely, think celestial. When someone lingers with a devastating illness, think celestial. When the pressures of life crowd in upon you, think celestial! (“Think Celestial!,” Liahona, Nov. 2023, 118)

tag iconthink celestial, eternal perspective, gospel questions

Examples of an eternal perspective

tag iconChoose one of the following examples to read. Ponder how the individuals’ perspectives influenced their stories. Tag what you find as “eternal perspective.”

  1. Adam and Eve explain the Fall, Moses 5:10–11.

  2. Job shares his testimony during trials, Job 19:25–26.

  3. Jesus Christ expresses His feelings in Gethsemane, Luke 22:41–44.

note iconNext to the passage you read, make a note answering one of the following questions:

  • What evidence did you see that this person viewed his or her situation within the context of Heavenly Father’s plan of salvation?

  • How did this person’s feelings about God influence the way he or she saw the situation?

Practice

Watch the video “Examining Questions with an Eternal Perspective” (2:56). In this video, a young woman examines the question, “If there really is a loving God, why would He allow people to suffer?”

2:56

notebook iconWrite down a question or situation a teenager might face that would be helpful to view with an eternal perspective. You might consider the following topics to help you get started: chastity, Word of Wisdom, death, worth of souls, or marriage.

Answer the following questions from paragraph 8 of the “Acquiring Spiritual Knowledge” section in the Doctrinal Mastery Core Document. Focus on the question or situation you wrote down.

  • What do I already know about Heavenly Father, His plan, and how He deals with His children?

  • What gospel teachings relate to or clarify this concept or issue?

Heavenly Father can help us see things from His perspective as we turn to Him. When you feel you cannot yet see what He sees, you can still trust in Him (see Proverbs 3:5–6).

Share Your Thoughts

Lesson Purpose: To help you examine concepts and questions with an eternal perspective.

share iconShare the following with your teacher or class:

  • How keeping an eternal perspective can help when you have questions or concerns.