Teachings of Church Leaders 1

This lesson has two parts. The first part will teach you two skills that can help you have a more meaningful experience studying general conference messages.

In the second part of this lesson, you will use the skills you learned to study the general conference talk assigned by your teacher. If a message wasn’t assigned, choose one from the most recent general conference.

One way to focus on Christ as you study general conference talks is to look for and mark His titles and attributes.

Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles taught the following:

To follow Christ is to become more like Him. It is to learn from His character. ...

… Christlike attributes are the basics. They are the fundamental principles. (“Christlike Attributes—the Wind beneath Our Wings,” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2005, 102, 103)

President Russell M. Nelson expanded that teaching when he taught:

Study everything Jesus Christ is by prayerfully and vigorously seeking to understand what each of His various titles and names means personally for you. For example, He really is your Advocate with the Father. (“Prophets, Leadership, and Divine Law” [worldwide devotional for young adults, Jan. 8, 2017], Gospel Library)

As you study a general conference talk today, follow the counsel of Elder Uchtdorf and President Nelson. Focus on the titles and attributes of Christ. Each time you find one, mark it in a unique way. You might choose a new color or an asterisk next to the passage.

Marking is a great way to identify the attributes of Christ that the speaker saw. To enhance your study, look for attributes of Christ that aren’t specifically mentioned in the talk you study. Tagging these attributes will help you recognize Christ in the talks you study and make it simpler to locate the statements when you need them later.

For example, Sister Kristin M. Yee, Second Counselor in the Relief Society General Presidency, shared a story about accidentally ruining a painting of Jesus Christ she had just finished. She then shared:

12:9

So I prayed and pled for help and painted through the night to repair things. And I remember looking at the painting in the morning—it looked better than it did before. How was that possible? What I thought was a mistake without mend was an opportunity for His merciful hand to be manifest. He was not done with the painting, and He was not done with me. What joy and relief filled my heart. I praised the Lord for His mercy, for this miracle that not only saved the painting but taught me more about His love and power to save each of us from our mistakes, weaknesses, and sins and to help us become something more. (“The Joy of Our Redemption,” Liahona, Nov. 2024, 57)

Sister Yee mentioned that Christ is merciful, loving, and powerful. You might mark those attributes as you study.

She also mentioned that He saved her painting and saves each of us. While she never specifically said the title or attribute, you might consider tagging the passage as “Savior” or “Redeemer.”

As you study today, look for titles and attributes of Christ that are either mentioned or implied. Tagging the attributes you find will make it easier for you to connect what you learn to Jesus Christ.

Today you learned two skills:

1. Marking the titles and attributes of Jesus Christ

2. Tagging attributes of Jesus Christ

Use these skills to study the general conference talk assigned by your teacher. If a message wasn’t assigned, choose one from the most recent general conference.