Lesson 40

Lesson Title: "Self-Mastery"

OTHER RESOURCES:

• Resource Guide for Young Women Manual 2 at lds.org.

OBJECTIVE:

Each young woman will learn that self-mastery brings true happiness.

PREPARATION:

1. Bring a pencil and paper or card for each young woman.
2. Bring five or six small balls or other small items.
3. Bring a doll or paper doll to use in the Introduction. Also, bring a chain (could be jewelry) or drawings of chains to add to the doll.
4. Make a poster of the fill-in-the-blank game, omitting the words in parentheses, but leaving appropriate spaces. Make wordstrips of the omitted words.
5. Prepare four pieces of paper to pass out to class members, each containing one of the four steps to self-mastery outlined in the section “The Scriptures and Church Leaders Teach How to Develop Self-Mastery.” Omit the words in parentheses.
6. Assign young women to present any scriptures, stories, or quotations you wish.

ATTENTION GETTER:

Demonstration Display the doll or paper doll. Explain that it represents a young woman who began to develop some bad habits. Mention such habits as lying, procrastinating, overeating, laziness, and profanity. As you do, place the jewelry or paper chains over her shoulder, around her neck, and around her body, binding her tightly. Discussion Discuss the following: • What has happened to this young woman? • What effect do bad habits have in our lives? • How can these chains be broken? • Can someone else break these chains for you? Scripture Read 2 Nephi 1:13 . Explain that this lesson will help us know how these chains of bad habits can be broken.

LESSON:

CONCLUSION:

Suggest that the young women apply the methods outlined in the lesson to the area of weakness they have identified.

HANDOUT:

Copy a handout for each of your young women.