Why are ordinances important in my life?

These resources are to help you prepare for the “Learn together” section of the meeting.

• Matthew 3:13–17 (Baptism of Jesus Christ)

• Acts 19:1–6 (Paul rebaptizes individuals who had not been baptized correctly)

• 3 Nephi 11:21–26 (Jesus Christ gives authority to baptize and instructs about the proper procedure)

• Moroni 8:10–12 (Mormon teaches about baptism)

• Doctrine and Covenants 84:19–21 (The power of godliness is manifest in the ordinances of the priesthood)

• Articles of Faith 1:3–5 (Ordinances are essential for salvation)

• David A. Bednar, “Always Retain a Remission of Your Sins,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2016, 59–62

• Gary E. Stevenson, “Your Four Minutes,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2014, 84–86

• Taniela B. Wakolo, “Saving Ordinances Will Bring Us Marvelous Light,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2018, 39–41

• “Priesthood Ordinances and Blessings,” Handbook 2: Administering the Church (2010), 20.1

• “Ordinances,” True to the Faith (2004), 109–10

• “Faith in the Power of the Priesthood” (video)

What ordinances of the gospel have you received? How have these ordinances blessed your life? Why are they important to you?

What ordinances have the young women received? What ordinances are they preparing to receive? Why do they need to understand the importance of the ordinances of the gospel?

What can the young women do to prepare to learn? For example, they could read a talk, watch a video, or study a scripture related to this doctrine.

Lead a discussion about items such as the following:

• Our class: Who is missing today? What visits do we need to make? Who should we invite to an upcoming activity? Who needs our help and prayers?

• Our responsibilities: What assignments do we need to make? What assignments have we fulfilled? How have we invited others to come unto Christ, and how can we invite others now?

• Our lives: Remind the class of the discussion from the last meeting. What experiences have we had with applying what we learned? What experiences have we had in the past few weeks that strengthened our testimonies of the gospel?

If possible, discuss these items beforehand in a class presidency meeting.

After studying the above resources and following the inspiration of the Spirit, you may select one or more of the activities below to help class members understand the doctrine.

• In Elder David A. Bednar’s talk “Always Retain a Remission of Your Sins,” the section “Obtaining and Retaining a Remission of Sins through Ordinances” describes the blessings of the ordinances of baptism, the laying on of hands for the gift of the Holy Ghost, and the sacrament. To help the young women learn about how these ordinances can help us, invite each young woman to pick one ordinance and list everything she learns about it from this section. Then invite the young women to teach the rest of the class what they learned in a creative way—perhaps by using pictures or playing a game.

• Invite a guest speaker or a young woman who has accomplished something significant to share what the requirements of the accomplishment were and how she fulfilled them (perhaps she received a Personal Progress award, earned an academic achievement, or successfully auditioned for a part in a play). Then invite the young women to read the paragraph beginning with “In the same way” from Elder Gary E. Stevenson’s talk “Your Four Minutes.” How are ordinances like the requirements the guest speaker shared? You could also read the rest of Elder Stevenson’s talk, looking for what else he teaches about ordinances.

• Review as a class the list of four requirements for performing ordinances in section 20.1 of Handbook 2. Invite the young women to read 3 Nephi 11:21–26 and identify how these requirements are met in the Savior’s description of baptism. Ask them to think of an ordinance they have witnessed recently and describe how it met these four requirements. What happens if an ordinance is performed without meeting these requirements? Ask the young women why it is important for them to know about these requirements.

• Invite the young women to imagine that they are teaching someone of another faith about baptism, and he or she says, “I was already baptized in my church.” How would the young women help this person understand, in a sensitive way, why he or she would need to be baptized again? What scriptures or experiences would they share? You may refer them to the list of requirements in section 20.1 of Handbook 2; Matthew 3:13–17; Acts 19:1–6; 3 Nephi 11:21–26; or Moroni 8:10–12. If possible, invite the full-time missionaries to attend the class and share how they explain to their investigators the importance of ordinances (obtain permission from the bishop first).

• Share with the class the following statement from President Spencer W. Kimball: “Ordinances serve as reminders. That is the real purpose of the sacrament, to keep us from forgetting, to help us remember” (Teachings of Spencer W. Kimball, ed. Edward L. Kimball [1982], 112). Ask the young women to list the ordinances of the gospel (such as those on pages 109–10 of True to the Faith) and discuss what each of these ordinances helps us remember. Elder Taniela B. Wakolo’s message “Saving Ordinances Will Bring Us Marvelous Light” could provide additional insights about the importance of ordinances.

• Ask the young women to discuss any feelings or impressions they had during the meeting. What was meaningful to them? Is there something they can do personally or as a class to apply what they have learned?

• Give the young women a few minutes to record what they will do in the coming weeks to act on their impressions. Invite them to share their ideas.

• Remind the young women that they will have the opportunity to share their experiences at the beginning of the next meeting.