“Spiritually Whole in Him” by President Camille N. Johnson Lesson Help + Free Canva Template

If you’re preparing a Relief Society or Young Women lesson and looking for meaningful ways to teach President Camille N. Johnson’s powerful April 2025 General Conference talk, “Spiritually Whole in Him,” this blog post is for you. Inside, you’ll find a breakdown of the talk designed to help you inspire heartfelt discussion and spiritual growth—complete with engaging questions, simple object lesson ideas, and personal sharing prompts that connect her message to everyday life. Plus, we’ve included a free Canva presentation template to make your lesson visually inviting and easy to present. Let’s help those we teach feel the peace, hope, and wholeness that comes from turning to Jesus Christ.

You can access the free Canva Presentation Template by clicking here: https://otherthanamom.myflodesk.com/spiritually-whole-in-him

In order to more easily digest all the information we could take from this talk, we’ll be separating it by sections, focusing on one point from the talk at a time.

Ten lepers hollered to the Savior, “Have mercy on us.” And Jesus did. He told them to show themselves to the priest, and as they went, they were cleansed of the disease.

And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, shouted praises to God. He returned to the Savior, fell at His feet, and expressed gratitude.

And the Savior said to him who was thankful, “Thy faith hath made thee whole.”

Jesus Christ had healed ten lepers. But one, coming back to the Savior, received something in addition. He was made whole.

Nine lepers were physically healed.

One was physically healed and made spiritually whole.

In pondering this story, I have wondered if the converse is true. If healing and wholeness are not the same, can one be made spiritually whole by Him but not yet physically and emotionally healed?

Engaging Questions:

1. Why do you think only one of the ten lepers returned to thank the Savior?
2. What does it mean to you to be “made whole,” not just healed?
3. Have you ever experienced a time when you felt spiritually whole even while still physically or emotionally struggling?
4. In what ways does gratitude open the door to deeper healing?
5. What difference do you notice between being healed by the Savior and coming back to the Savior?
6. Can you think of a moment when you felt the Savior acknowledged your faith personally, like He did for the one leper?
7. How might regularly expressing gratitude to God help you feel more spiritually complete?
8. What does this story teach you about the relationship between faith, healing, and wholeness?
9. How can we help others recognize and return to the Savior after receiving His blessings?
10. What do you feel the Savior might want to offer you beyond just fixing what’s broken—how might He be seeking to make you whole?

Object Lessons:

1. Bandage vs. Balm
   • Materials: Band-Aids and small jars labeled “balm” (or lotion/ointment).
   • Lesson: Band-Aids represent surface-level physical healing; balm symbolizes deep, inner wholeness. Discuss how the balm, like gratitude and faith in Christ, soaks in and nourishes us spiritually, even if wounds remain.
2. Only One Came Back – Thankfulness Tokens
   • Materials: 10 tokens or small objects; remove 9 and leave 1.
   • Activity: Discuss how 10 were healed, but only one returned to Christ. What did he receive that the others didn’t?
   • Lesson: Returning to the Savior with gratitude brings spiritual transformation, not just relief.
3. Full Cup vs. Overflowing Cup
   • Materials: Two clear cups—one filled to the top (physical healing), one overflowing into a bowl (spiritual wholeness).
   • Lesson: Healing can fill us, but gratitude and turning to the Savior allow His blessings to overflow and reach others—that’s wholeness.
4. Puzzle with One Missing Piece
   • Materials: A nearly complete puzzle with one missing piece.
   • Lesson: Even when we look okay on the outside, only Christ can complete us. Gratitude and turning back to Him is often the piece that makes us whole.
5. Wounded and Whole (Mirror & Marks)
   • Materials: Mirror + washable markers.
   • Activity: Draw marks symbolizing emotional or physical pain, then wash them away slowly.
   • Lesson: Healing may be gradual and incomplete, but Christ can make us spiritually whole even when our “marks” remain visible.

Activities:

6. Wholeness Journal Prompt
   • Prompt: “What does being made whole look like in your life, even if your ‘leprosy’—your struggle—is not yet healed?”
   • Follow-up: Write a note of gratitude to the Savior for how He’s helping you grow or feel peace, despite unresolved pain.
7. Gratitude Walk
   • Activity: Walk quietly around the room, church grounds, or neighborhood. Each step, think of something you’re grateful for, especially spiritual gifts.
   • Lesson: Like the leper who returned, we come back to the Savior by walking in gratitude, no matter where we are on the path.
8. Healing or Wholeness Sort
   • Materials: Cards with different blessings (e.g., physical strength, peace, forgiveness, comfort, financial help, clarity, joy, etc.).
   • Activity: Sort into “healing” and “wholeness” piles.
   • Lesson: Discuss how some blessings ease suffering, and others change our hearts, helping us become whole.
9. Two Circles: Healing vs. Wholeness
   • Activity: Draw two circles. In one, list what it might mean to be physically or emotionally healed. In the other, list signs of spiritual wholeness.
   • Discussion: “Is it possible to be one without the other? Which lasts longer?”

Personal Sharing Prompts:

1. Think of a time when you felt God’s power healing your spirit, even if your physical or emotional pain remained.
2. Think of a time when expressing sincere gratitude to the Lord brought deeper peace or spiritual clarity.
3. Think of a time when you recognized that you were being changed—not just helped, but made whole—through the Savior.
4. Think of a time when you returned to thank the Lord after receiving a blessing. How did that deepen your relationship with Him?
5. Think of a time when you were still waiting for healing, but felt your faith grow stronger anyway.
6. Think of a time when your faith led you to act, even before the miracle came. What changed “as you went”?
7. Think of a time when you felt spiritually whole in spite of unresolved trials or unanswered prayers.
8. Think of a time when you realized the Lord had given you more than you asked for—He made you whole, not just better.
9. Think of a time when gratitude turned a hard moment into something sacred.
10. Think of a time when you felt seen and personally loved by the Savior, even if no one else understood your experience.

The Master Healer will heal all our afflictions—physical and emotional—in His time. But in the waiting to be healed, can one be whole?

What might it mean to be spiritually whole?

We are whole in Jesus Christ when we exercise our agency to follow Him in faith, submit our hearts to Him so He can change them, keep His commandments, and enter a covenant relationship with Him, meekly enduring and learning from the challenges of this earthly estate until we return to His presence and are healed in every way. I can be whole while I wait for healing if I am wholehearted in my relationship with Him.

Engaging Questions:

1. What do you think it means to be spiritually whole even if you aren’t physically or emotionally healed yet?
2. Can you recall a time when you felt close to the Savior during a trial, even if the trial hadn’t ended?
3. How does wholeheartedness in our relationship with Jesus Christ affect our ability to endure waiting for healing?
4. What does submitting your heart to the Savior look like in everyday life?
5. How have your personal challenges helped shape your covenant relationship with the Savior?
6. In what ways have you felt Christ changing your heart as you’ve chosen to follow Him?
7. How can we better support each other in becoming spiritually whole while waiting for healing?
8. What role does meekness play in finding peace during our trials?
9. Do you believe it’s possible to feel joy even in the midst of affliction? Why or why not?
10. What does being “whole in Christ” look like for you right now?

Object Lessons:

1. Cracked Pot with Living Water
   • Materials: A clay pot with a small crack + water + tray.
   • Lesson: Like the pot, we may have visible cracks or brokenness, but when we are filled with Christ, we can still pour out love, light, and testimony. We can be whole in Him even if not “repaired” yet.
2. Broken but Functional Tool
   • Materials: A tool (like a slightly chipped spoon or worn paintbrush) that still works well.
   • Lesson: Just because something isn’t perfect doesn’t mean it’s useless. Wholeness isn’t perfection—it’s purpose in Christ.
3. Puzzle with a New Centerpiece
   • Materials: A puzzle missing a central piece, replaced by a heart labeled “Jesus.”
   • Lesson: We may feel incomplete in some areas, but placing Jesus at the center makes us whole spiritually.
4. Thread and Needle – Mending While Waiting
   • Materials: Needle and thread, scrap fabric with a tear.
   • Activity: Begin mending the fabric slowly, one stitch at a time.
   • Lesson: Healing takes time. But each stitch (faith, prayer, covenant-keeping) brings us closer to spiritual wholeness while we wait for full restoration.

Activities:

5. Whole-in-Christ Affirmation Stones
   • Materials: Smooth stones + markers or stickers.
   • Activity: Write words like “Faith,” “Trust,” “Obedience,” or “He Knows Me” on the stones. Let each person take one as a reminder that wholeness comes through their relationship with Christ, not just by being “fixed.”
6. Waiting with Wholeness Timeline
   • Activity: Draw a line representing a trial or long healing process. At intervals, write things you can do to feel whole while waiting: e.g., pray, serve, study, repent, worship.
   • Lesson: Even in the wait, we actively choose to be whole by staying connected to Christ.
7. Mirror Reflection – Wholeness Inside
   • Materials: A mirror and dry-erase markers.
   • Activity: Write visible challenges or hurts on the mirror. Then write “Whole in Christ” in bold over them.
   • Lesson: Despite what we see, our identity and wholeness are rooted in our covenant connection with Jesus.
8. Heart Check Chart
   • Activity: Create a chart labeled “Wholehearted” vs. “Halfhearted.” List attitudes and choices (e.g., daily prayer, loving service, grudging obedience, sincere repentance) and decide which side they fall on.
   • Lesson: Spiritual wholeness is not about perfection—it’s about a whole heart.

Personal Sharing Prompts:

1. Think of a time when you were still waiting for healing, but felt peace because you were drawing closer to the Savior.
2. Think of a time when your faith helped you feel complete—even though your situation hadn’t changed.
3. Think of a time when you chose to trust God’s timing instead of demanding immediate answers or relief.
4. Think of a time when submitting your heart to the Savior led to unexpected spiritual strength or clarity.
5. Think of a time when your relationship with Jesus Christ became more wholehearted because of your trials.
6. Think of a time when meekly enduring something difficult taught you more about God’s love or plan.
7. Think of a time when you felt whole—not because your life was easy, but because your faith was strong.
8. Think of a time when you realized that being “whole” didn’t mean having everything fixed—but having Christ with you.
9. Think of a time when keeping your covenants helped you stay spiritually steady through pain or uncertainty.
10. Think of a time when you knew God was changing your heart, even while the trial continued.

Faith in Jesus Christ begets hope. I find hope in striving to be whole—a wholeness born of faith in Jesus Christ. Faith in Him increases my hope for healing, and that hope reinforces my faith in Jesus Christ. It is a powerful cycle.

The Lord told Enos his faith had made him “whole.” Wholeness came as Enos pondered on the words of his prophet-father, Jacob, as he hungered to understand the opportunity for eternal life, as he cried unto God in mighty prayer. And in that state of desire and humility, the voice of the Lord came to him, announcing his sins were forgiven. And Enos asked the Lord, “How is it done?” And the Lord responded, “Because of thy faith in Christ, … thy faith hath made thee whole.”

Through our faith in Jesus Christ, we can seek to be spiritually whole while we wait and hope for physical and emotional healing.

Engaging Questions:

1. When have you felt your faith in Jesus Christ increase your hope during a difficult time?
2. How would you describe the connection between faith, hope, and spiritual wholeness in your own life?
3. What stands out to you in the story of Enos and how his faith made him whole?
4. Have you ever asked the Lord, like Enos, “How is it done?”—and received a personal witness of His healing power?
5. What does it mean to be “spiritually whole” even if we are not yet physically or emotionally healed?
6. What practices help you deepen your faith when you’re struggling to feel hopeful?
7. In what ways can remembering past answers to prayer build your current faith and hope?
8. How can we support others who are striving to stay faithful while waiting for healing?
9. What lessons can we learn from Enos about the process of mighty prayer and patient trust in the Lord?
10. How can understanding this “cycle” of faith and hope help reframe our everyday struggles?

Object Lessons:

1. The Hope Cycle Spinner
   • Materials: Paper circle with “Faith ➝ Hope ➝ Healing ➝ Faith…” labeled in a repeating loop; attach it to a spinner or pinwheel.
   • Lesson: Spin the wheel to show how faith in Christ begets hope, which strengthens our faith again. Emphasize that even when healing hasn’t come yet, faith fuels hope—and that’s part of spiritual wholeness.
2. Wholeness Cup with a Crack
   • Materials: A cracked (but not leaking) cup labeled “Faith in Christ.” Fill with water.
   • Lesson: The cup is still functional and can hold living water. Just like Enos was forgiven before he was perfect, we can be spiritually whole through faith even while carrying imperfections or waiting for emotional healing.
3. Mirror of Enos
   • Materials: A mirror with cling or dry-erase labels like “burdened,” “unworthy,” etc. Wipe them off as you retell Enos’s story.
   • Lesson: As Enos exercised faith and mighty prayer, the Lord cleansed him. Through our faith in Christ, those labels are removed and we can see ourselves as whole again.

Activities:

4. Faith + Hope Paper Chain
   • Activity: Write examples of faith (e.g., prayer, scripture study, fasting) on one color of paper strips and hope-filled blessings (e.g., peace, comfort, spiritual clarity) on another. Create a chain alternating them.
   • Lesson: Show how faith and hope strengthen each other, building spiritual wholeness piece by piece, just like Enos experienced.
5. Prayer Walk of Wholeness
   • Activity: Take a walk with intentional pauses at marked spots (e.g., tree, rock, bench). At each stop, read a phrase from Enos’s story (e.g., “I kneeled down,” “I cried unto him,” “Because of thy faith…”).
   • Lesson: Reflect at each spot how faith, prayer, and spiritual hunger bring peace and forgiveness—even before physical answers come.
6. Hope Jar
   • Materials: Small jar or box + slips of paper.
   • Activity: Write down ways your faith in Jesus Christ brings hope: “I prayed and felt peace,” “I read about Enos,” “I remembered a time I felt forgiven.”
   • Lesson: Add to the jar often. Use it on hard days to remind yourself that hope is born of faith, and that you are being made whole through Christ.
7. “How Is It Done?” Scripture Activity
   • Read Enos 1:5–8 aloud.
   • Activity: Ask participants to write down or draw their own “How is it done?” moment—when they wondered how peace, forgiveness, or healing came—and then identify how faith in Christ played a role.
   • Lesson: Like Enos, we often can’t explain how spiritual wholeness comes, but we can trace it back to our faith in Jesus Christ.

Personal Sharing Prompts:

1. Think of a time when your faith in Jesus Christ gave you hope in the middle of a hard trial.
2. Think of a time when you felt spiritually whole even though you were still waiting for physical or emotional healing.
3. Think of a time when your desire to understand something led you to deeper prayer and a stronger testimony.
4. Think of a time when you cried out to God and felt comfort or clarity come in response.
5. Think of a time when hope gave you the strength to keep going even when there were no visible changes.
6. Think of a time when your understanding of eternal life gave you peace in a present struggle.
7. Think of a time when the Spirit confirmed to you that your sins were forgiven.
8. Think of a time when pondering the words of a parent or Church leader helped you draw closer to Christ.
9. Think of a time when you asked, “How is it done?” and the answer strengthened your faith.
10. Think of a time when your faith created a powerful cycle of hope that changed your perspective.

By virtue of His atoning sacrifice, and when we sincerely repent, the Savior heals us from sin, as He did with Enos. His infinite Atonement also reaches our griefs and sorrows.

But He may not provide healing from illness and disease—chronic pain, autoimmune disorders like multiple sclerosis, cancer, anxiety, depression, and the like. That kind of healing is on the Lord’s time. And in the meantime, we can choose to be made whole by exercising our faith in Him!

To be whole means to be complete and full. Much like the five wise virgins who had their lamps full with oil when the bridegroom came, we can be whole in Jesus Christ as we fill our lamps with the nourishing oil of conversion to Him. In that way, we are prepared for the symbolic wedding supper, His Second Coming.

Engaging Questions:

1. What does it mean to you personally to be spiritually “whole” even when you’re not physically healed?
2. How have you seen the Savior’s Atonement bring comfort to your emotional pain or sorrow?
3. In what ways can we choose wholeness today, regardless of our circumstances?
4. What are some of the “oils” that fill your spiritual lamp and keep your faith burning bright?
5. How can the example of the five wise virgins inspire our daily efforts to become more converted to Jesus Christ?
6. Have there been moments in your life when you were waiting for healing but still felt whole in Christ?
7. What does exercising faith during a trial look like in real, everyday ways?
8. Why do you think the Lord sometimes delays physical or emotional healing?
9. How can we support and uplift others who are choosing wholeness while waiting on the Lord’s timing?
10. How can preparing for the Savior’s Second Coming give you purpose and peace right now?

Object Lessons:

1. Oil & Lamp (Prepared vs. Unprepared)
   • Materials: Two small glass lamps or jars (or battery candles); one filled with oil or batteries, the other empty.
   • Lesson: Just like the five wise virgins, we can’t always control when healing comes, but we can keep our spiritual lamps full with faith, repentance, and daily conversion. Wholeness means being spiritually ready, even in the midst of waiting.
2. Wholeness Jar
   • Materials: Clear jar labeled “Whole in Christ,” and small items like marbles or beads labeled “Faith,” “Repentance,” “Scripture Study,” “Prayer,” “Hope,” etc.
   • Lesson: Slowly fill the jar as you name each spiritual habit. Point out that even if there’s still physical or emotional struggle, our spiritual wholeness can still be complete.
3. The Bandage Cross
   • Materials: A wooden or cardboard cross, and several sticky bandages.
   • Lesson: Write on the bandages things like “sin,” “grief,” “chronic illness,” “heartbreak,” etc. Place each one on the cross to symbolize how Christ’s Atonement covers it all. The cross becomes a symbol of both redemption and wholeness, even when physical healing is pending.

Activities:

4. Fill the Lamp—Conversion Tracker
   • Activity: Give each participant a cutout of an oil lamp or lantern. Each week (or day), let them color in part of the lamp for each action they take to grow in faith (e.g., praying, repenting, reading scripture).
   • Lesson: This visual progress helps youth or adults see that even during unchanging trials, they can grow spiritually whole and stay prepared for Christ’s coming.
5. “What Wholeness Looks Like” Reflection Cards
   • Activity: Have cards with prompts like:
     • What helps you feel spiritually whole even when life is hard?
     • What does your “oil” look like right now?
     • What small act of faith can you take today while you wait for healing?
   • Lesson: Lead a discussion or journaling activity on how wholeness in Christ is a process of daily choosing faith, not achieving perfection or perfect circumstances.
6. Faith While You Wait Timeline
   • Activity: On a poster or paper, draw a timeline titled “While I Wait.” Mark points like “prayed,” “trusted,” “repented,” “served others,” and “still waiting.”
   • Lesson: This shows that waiting is not wasted time—faithful action along the way is what builds wholeness. Healing may come later, but fullness in Christ can happen now.

Personal Sharing Prompts:

1. Think of a time when you were waiting for healing—physically, emotionally, or spiritually—and still chose to trust in Jesus Christ.
2. Think of a time when you felt peace despite unanswered prayers for relief or recovery.
3. Think of a time when your “lamp” felt full because you were living with purpose and spiritual preparation.
4. Think of a time when you felt the Savior’s love reach into your grief or sorrow.
5. Think of a time when your conversion to Jesus Christ helped you face a long-term trial with strength.
6. Think of a time when you chose to be spiritually whole, even though you were not physically healed.
7. Think of a time when a chronic struggle taught you more about Christ’s sustaining power.
8. Think of a time when you felt inspired to focus on becoming “full” in Christ rather than on what was missing in your life.
9. Think of a time when someone else’s quiet faith while waiting for healing strengthened your own.
10. Think of a time when you felt like one of the wise virgins—prepared and at peace because you had been filling your lamp.

In the parable all ten of the virgins were in the right location, awaiting the bridegroom. Every one of them came with a lamp.

But when He came, at the unexpected midnight hour, the five foolish did not have sufficient oil for their lamps. They were not described as wicked but rather as foolish. The foolish failed to adequately prepare to keep their lamps burning with the oil of conversion.

And so, in response to their petition to be permitted to enter the wedding supper, the bridegroom responded, “Ye know me not.”

Implying, then, that the five wise virgins did know Him. They were whole in Him.

Their lamps were full of the precious oil of conversion, which allowed the wise virgins to enter the marriage feast on the right hand of the bridegroom.

As expressed by the Savior, “Be faithful, praying always, having your lamps trimmed and burning, and oil with you, that you may be ready at the coming of the Bridegroom.”

Engaging Questions:

1. What do you think the “oil of conversion” looks like in everyday life?
2. Why do you think the Savior described the unprepared virgins as “foolish” rather than “wicked”?
3. What might it mean to “know” the Savior in a way that He would recognize you at His coming?
4. How can we tell if our spiritual lamps are running low? What refills them?
5. What are some simple ways you are trying to keep your lamp trimmed and burning?
6. Why do you think conversion is described as something we must prepare for in advance?
7. What do you think the wedding feast represents in your own spiritual journey?
8. How can we help one another prepare, even though we can’t share our own “oil”?
9. What does it mean to be spiritually alert and ready, even in the “midnight hour”?
10. When have you personally felt the Savior say—through the Spirit—“I know you”?

Object Lessons:

1. Lamps Without Oil
   • Materials: 2 lamps (or mason jars with tealight candles), olive oil or battery candles, one full and one empty.
   • Lesson: Light the lamp with oil; leave the other unlit. Explain: all ten virgins showed up with lamps, but only those with oil entered. Being in the right place (church, callings, lessons) isn’t enough—we must be converted. Personal spiritual practices (scripture, prayer, repentance) fill our lamps.
2. Oil Drops of Conversion
   • Materials: Clear bottle or lamp cutout labeled “My Lamp,” eye dropper or stickers representing drops of oil.
   • Lesson: Each drop represents one act of conversion: forgiving someone, listening to the Spirit, choosing faith in hard moments. Highlight that conversion is a process—we gather oil daily, not all at once.
3. The Locked Door
   • Materials: A box or door prop with a sign “Marriage Supper,” and a key labeled “Conversion.”
   • Lesson: Let youth try to open the door with random objects (symbolizing casual church attendance, good intentions, etc.), but only the “conversion key” works. Point out that the wise virgins knew the bridegroom—they had built a real relationship with Him through ongoing covenant living.

Activities:

4. Oil Gathering Challenge
   • Activity: Throughout the week, challenge participants to gather spiritual “oil.” Give them cards or a journal to record:
     • One moment of prayer
     • One act of kindness
     • One time they felt the Spirit
     • One scripture study session
   • Wrap-Up Idea: At your next meeting, let them share what “filled their lamp” and how they felt more prepared spiritually.
5. Trimmed and Burning Relay
   • Activity: In small teams, relay to “fill a lamp” with slips of paper labeled with gospel actions: prayer, repentance, serving others, forgiving, fasting, etc.
   • Lesson: Show that preparation takes daily action—just like the wise virgins didn’t wait until the last moment, we can’t “cram” conversion.
6. Know Him Matching Game
   • Activity: Create two sets of cards: one with actions (e.g., “forgave someone,” “served in secret,” “prayed sincerely”), and one with Christlike traits (“merciful,” “meek,” “loving,” “obedient”). Youth match the action to the trait.
   • Lesson: We come to know the Bridegroom by acting like Him. The more we emulate Him, the more we recognize His voice and feel ready for His return.

Personal Sharing Prompts:

1. Think of a time when you felt spiritually prepared for a challenge because you had been consistently nourishing your faith.
2. Think of a time when daily spiritual habits—like prayer or scripture study—helped you feel closer to the Savior.
3. Think of a time when you realized your spiritual “lamp” needed more oil. What did you do to refill it?
4. Think of a time when you felt the Lord say, in a personal way, “You know me”—and how that brought peace.
5. Think of a time when you were “in the right place” physically, but knew you needed to be more spiritually engaged.
6. Think of a time when you felt prompted to prepare spiritually for something that hadn’t yet happened.
7. Think of a time when you witnessed someone else whose “lamp” was brightly burning and it inspired you to seek more conversion.
8. Think of a time when the Lord’s timing felt like a “midnight hour,” and your preparation helped you stay calm and faithful.
9. Think of a time when you had to wait patiently with your lamp trimmed and burning, trusting the Lord would come.
10. Think of a time when you experienced joy from recognizing that your relationship with the Savior was growing deeper.

A magnificent sculpture depicting the five wise virgins was recently placed on Temple Square, just outside the doors to the Relief Society Building and in the shadow of the Salt Lake Temple.

It is a location befitting application of the parable. Because when we make and keep covenants, particularly those available in the house of the Lord, we fill our lamps with the oil of conversion.

Engaging Questions:

1. Why do you think this sculpture was placed near the Relief Society Building and the Salt Lake Temple?
2. What feelings or thoughts do you imagine someone might have as they pass by that sculpture?
3. How do temple covenants help us “fill our lamps” with the oil of conversion?
4. What are some specific blessings you’ve felt from making and keeping temple covenants?
5. How does your understanding of the parable of the ten virgins change when you connect it to the temple?
6. What might be the significance of this sculpture being visible to all who walk by—not hidden inside a building?
7. How can we help ourselves and others prepare for the Bridegroom by strengthening our relationship with the temple?
8. What “oil” are you currently working on adding to your spiritual lamp?
9. How do you feel when you leave the temple? In what ways does that feeling reflect spiritual wholeness?
10. What does it mean to be a “wise virgin” in today’s world?

Object Lessons:

1. Covenant Lamp and Temple Oil
   • Materials: A small oil lamp or jar labeled “My Covenant Lamp,” slips of paper labeled with temple covenants (baptism, endowment, sealing, etc.).
   • Lesson: Explain that the lamp represents our lives, and the “oil” is added as we make and keep sacred covenants. With each slip of paper, add “oil” to the lamp and discuss how living those covenants (not just making them) fills us with the light of conversion.
2. Temple Shadow Illustration
   • Materials: A flashlight, a cutout of the temple, and small figures representing the virgins.
   • Lesson: Show how standing in the light of the temple casts a strong shadow—the temple influences everything in its path. Then show that figures far from the temple cast no shadow. Emphasize: when we stay close to our covenants, we are continually influenced by the Lord’s light, like the sculpture “in the shadow of the temple.”
3. Empty Lamp vs. Sealed Oil Lamp
   • Materials: Two containers labeled as lamps—one sealed and full (symbolizing temple covenants), one unsealed and leaking (symbolizing casual discipleship).
   • Lesson: Discuss how casual efforts may leak spiritual strength, while covenant-keeping seals the Spirit in us. Temple covenants create lasting conversion when honored regularly.

Activities:

4. Temple Covenant Journey Map
   • Activity: Provide a visual timeline or map that outlines key covenants (baptism, confirmation, sacrament, endowment, sealing). Invite participants to draw their own “conversion path” and mark moments they’ve felt filled with light or prompted to grow.
   • Add-On: Encourage them to identify their “next step” on the covenant path.
5. Oil Drop Commitment Cards
   • Activity: Give participants cutout oil drops. Have them write one small way they will honor a covenant this week (e.g., attend the temple, keep the Sabbath holy, pray more intentionally).
   • Display: Collect the drops in a large poster lamp jar titled “Filling Our Lamps with Covenant Living.”
6. Visit or Virtual Tour + Reflect
   • Activity: Show a photo or take a virtual tour of the five wise virgins statue on Temple Square. Afterward, invite discussion:
     • What do you notice in their expressions?
     • Why might the sculpture be placed near the Relief Society Building and Temple?
     • How do you personally keep your lamp full?

Personal Sharing Prompts:

1. Think of a time when you felt your lamp of faith being filled as you made or renewed a sacred covenant.
2. Think of a time when temple worship brought clarity, strength, or peace during a difficult season.
3. Think of a time when keeping a covenant—big or small—deepened your relationship with the Savior.
4. Think of a time when you felt a change of heart as a result of consistently striving to live your covenants.
5. Think of a time when someone else’s covenant-keeping example helped strengthen your own testimony.
6. Think of a time when you prepared to enter the temple—how did that preparation change you?
7. Think of a time when you saw how the “oil of conversion” accumulated through small daily efforts.
8. Think of a time when returning to the temple helped you remember who you are and what you’re striving for.
9. Think of a time when you recognized that your spiritual preparation allowed you to receive revelation.
10. Think of a time when your testimony of temple covenants became more personal and powerful.

While the women represented as the five wise virgins are not sharing the oil of their conversion, they are sharing their light as they hold up their lamps, which are full of oil and burning brightly. Significantly they are depicted supporting one another—shoulder to shoulder, an arm around another, making eye contact and beckoning others to come to the light.

Indeed, “[we] are the light of the world.” The Savior declared:

“I give unto you to be the light of this people. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hid.

“… Do [we] light a candle and put it under a bushel? Nay, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light [unto] all that are in the house;

“Therefore let your light so shine before this people, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father [which] is in heaven.”

We are commanded to share His light. So keep your lamp full of the oil of conversion to Jesus Christ and be prepared to keep your lamp trimmed and burning bright. Then let that light shine. When we share our light, we bring the relief of Jesus Christ to others, our conversion to Him is deepened, and we can be whole even while we wait for healing. And as we let our light shine brightly, we can be joyful even while we wait.

Engaging Questions:

1. What stands out to you about the sculpture’s depiction of the five wise virgins supporting one another?
2. How does sharing light differ from sharing oil in the parable of the ten virgins?
3. When have you felt someone else’s spiritual light bring you peace or hope?
4. In what ways can we “hold up our lamps” to invite others to come closer to Christ?
5. How does sharing your light with others deepen your own conversion?
6. What does it look like to be shoulder to shoulder with others on the covenant path?
7. Can you think of a time when someone’s kindness or faith helped you keep your own lamp burning?
8. Why do you think Jesus commands us not just to have light, but to let it shine?
9. How can you let your light shine in quiet or personal ways, especially when life feels heavy?
10. What specific things help you keep your spiritual light burning brightly while you wait for healing?

Object Lessons:

1. Lamp vs. Flashlight
   • Materials: A lamp (or candle) and a flashlight.
   • Lesson: A lamp filled with oil takes time and care to fill and maintain—like the gradual conversion process. A flashlight (battery-operated light) can flicker or fail when it’s not recharged. Teach that true light—conversion to Jesus Christ—is steady, internal, and meant to be shared with others.
2. Sharing Light, Not Oil
   • Materials: Tea lights or battery candles, one already lit.
   • Lesson: Light one candle and use it to light others without losing its own flame. Explain: while we can’t share our oil (conversion), we can share our light through example, testimony, and love. As we do, our light grows brighter and blesses others.
3. Mirror of Christ’s Light
   • Materials: Flashlight and small mirrors.
   • Lesson: Shine the flashlight on one mirror, then reflect it toward others. Teach that our light is a reflection of Christ’s. As we stay turned toward Him, we reflect that light to those around us—especially when we act with kindness, testify, or lift others.
4. Bushel Basket Cover
   • Materials: A bowl or basket to cover a lit candle.
   • Lesson: Cover a small candle or LED light and show how the light is hidden. Remove the cover and read Matthew 5:14–16. Emphasize that fear, shame, or complacency can dim our light—but courage and testimony help us shine brightly.
5. Lamp Trim and Refill
   • Materials: A wick lamp or jar labeled “My Lamp,” small slips of “oil” representing conversion activities (e.g., prayer, scripture, temple worship).
   • Lesson: Trimmed lamps burn brightest. Invite participants to write how they’ve recently added to their conversion and what they can “trim” (e.g., distractions, sin) so their light shines stronger.

Activities:

6. “Five Wise Friends” Role Play
   • Activity: Have a group of 5 stand together, arms linked or hands on shoulders. One faces someone alone in the “dark.” The 5 invite the person to come into the light.
   • Debrief: Ask, Who helped you come into the light? How can we be that friend for someone else?
7. Shine Your Light Cards
   • Activity: Create cards with the phrase “Your light made a difference today.” Encourage participants to give them secretly during the week when they see someone letting their light shine (e.g., comforting someone, sharing a testimony).
   • Follow-Up: Share experiences in the next class or meeting.
8. Conversion Drop Jar
   • Activity: Create a group lamp display with a large paper jar or lamp. Every time someone shares their light or has a conversion moment during the week, they can add a flame or oil drop.
   • Goal: Fill the jar by the end of the month to represent a lamp trimmed and burning bright.
9. Group Light Hunt
   • Activity: Give flashlights to small groups and hide scriptures, quotes, or “conversion oil drops” in a dim room. As they find them, they tape them to a board or lamp silhouette.
   • Debrief: Just as we need light to find hidden truths, we need spiritual light to help others and ourselves stay on the covenant path.
10. Temple Square Sculpture Reflection

• Activity: Show a photo of the five wise virgins sculpture on Temple Square. Ask:
  • What do you notice about how they’re positioned?
  • What feelings or spiritual insights does this image bring?
  • How can we be like them—shoulder to shoulder—supporting each other in our covenant keeping and light sharing?

Personal Sharing Prompts:

1. Think of a time when someone else’s light helped guide you through a dark or confusing season.
2. Think of a time when you felt prompted to uplift or support someone spiritually—and followed through.
3. Think of a time when your efforts to live the gospel became a source of strength to someone else.
4. Think of a time when you felt shoulder-to-shoulder with others, united in faith and testimony.
5. Think of a time when you chose to be visible as a disciple of Christ, even when it wasn’t easy.
6. Think of a time when you realized your personal conversion was quietly influencing others.
7. Think of a time when you chose to keep your lamp burning by prioritizing spiritual habits.
8. Think of a time when you were surprised at the light others saw in you.
9. Think of a time when you shared your testimony or faith story and felt the Spirit confirm your words.
10. Think of a time when being “the light of the world” helped you feel whole—even before everything was healed.

The Apostle Paul had some kind of affliction—what he described as a “thorn in the flesh,” which three times he had asked the Lord to remove. And the Lord said to Paul, “My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness.” To which Paul declared:

“Most gladly therefore will I … glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

“Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, … in distresses for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.”

Paul’s example suggests that even in our weakness, our strength in Jesus Christ can be made perfect—that is, complete and whole. Those who wrestle with mortal struggles and turn to God in faith like Paul can receive the blessings of becoming acquainted with God.

Paul was not healed of his affliction, but he was spiritually whole in Jesus Christ. And even in his adversity, the light of his conversion to and strength from Jesus Christ was shining, and he was joyful. In his Epistle to the Philippians, he exclaimed, “Rejoice in the Lord alway[s]: and again I say, Rejoice.”

Engaging Questions:

1. What do you think Paul meant when he said, “When I am weak, then am I strong”?
2. Have you ever experienced Christ’s strength helping you during a time of personal weakness?
3. How can we learn to “glory in our infirmities” like Paul did?
4. Why might the Lord choose not to remove some of our thorns, even when we ask in faith?
5. In what ways have you seen the grace of Jesus Christ be “sufficient” in your life?
6. How does Paul’s example change the way you think about healing or strength?
7. What helps you continue rejoicing in the Lord even when circumstances are difficult?
8. What does spiritual wholeness look like when physical or emotional healing hasn’t come?
9. How might your own “thorn” be teaching you something about your relationship with God?
10. When have you felt closest to God—not because your problems were removed, but because you were strengthened through them?

Object Lessons:

1. Cracked Pot with a Candle
   • Materials: A cracked clay pot or a paper pot with “cracks” drawn on it; small candle or LED light.
   • Lesson: Light shines through the cracks. Teach that our weaknesses and afflictions can become vessels of light when we turn to Christ. Like Paul, we may not be “fixed,” but we can still shine.
2. Torn Fabric and Strong Thread
   • Materials: A piece of torn fabric, thread or yarn, and a sewing needle.
   • Lesson: Stitch the torn fabric visibly with thread. Emphasize that Christ’s grace doesn’t always remove the tear—but it binds us together with strength. His strength is made perfect in our weak spots.
3. Broken Crayon Still Colors
   • Materials: Broken crayons.
   • Lesson: Show that even broken crayons still create beautiful pictures. We may feel broken or limited, but our value and usefulness in God’s hands remain.
4. Weights and a Spotter
   • Materials: Small dumbbells or filled water bottles.
   • Lesson: Invite someone to lift the weights, and then demonstrate how having a “spotter” (Jesus Christ) helps when it gets hard. Teach that grace doesn’t mean we’re alone—it means His strength carries us when we cannot lift more.
5. Paul’s Thorn in the Flesh: Rose and Thorn
   • Materials: A rose with thorns or an artificial version with visible “thorn” stickers.
   • Lesson: Acknowledge both beauty and pain. Paul’s “thorn” wasn’t removed, yet his life still bore fruit and joy. Our struggles can coexist with rejoicing when Christ is at the center.

Activities:

6. Weaknesses Turned to Strength Wall
   • Activity: Create two columns on a poster board or whiteboard. One side says “My Thorn” and the other “Christ’s Strength”. Invite participants to privately write (or draw) something they struggle with, and then write or tape how Christ can help them endure or grow through it.
7. Grace is Sufficient Jar
   • Activity: Pass out small slips of paper with the phrase “My grace is sufficient for thee.” Ask each person to write a personal trial or challenge on the back and place it in a jar labeled “Given to Christ.” Discuss what it means to trust Christ instead of just wishing for removal.
8. “When I Am Weak, Then Am I Strong” Testimony Sharing
   • Activity: Break into small groups and invite participants to share (if comfortable) a time they felt weak but experienced the strength of Christ. Then read Philippians 4:13 or 2 Corinthians 12:10 aloud.
9. Joy in the Midst of Trial Challenge
   • Activity: Hand out cards that say “I will rejoice because…” and invite everyone to finish the sentence, focusing on how Christ brings joy even in weakness or adversity. Display the cards on a “Rejoice in the Lord Always” board.
10. Paul’s Prison Letters Reenactment

• Activity: Act out or read excerpts from Paul’s letters to the Philippians or Corinthians, emphasizing how he testified of Christ’s strength while imprisoned or suffering. Follow up with a discussion: What message does this send about being spiritually whole even when physically or emotionally struggling?

Personal Sharing Prompts:

1. Think of a time when you asked the Lord to remove a trial, but instead He gave you strength to endure it.
2. Think of a time when you discovered unexpected peace or joy despite unresolved challenges.
3. Think of a time when your weakness became a way to draw closer to Jesus Christ.
4. Think of a time when you felt spiritually whole even though something in your life felt broken.
5. Think of a time when your testimony grew stronger during a season of adversity.
6. Think of a time when you felt the Lord’s grace was enough, even when the answer you hoped for didn’t come.
7. Think of a time when someone else’s example of faith through hardship inspired you to keep going.
8. Think of a time when your weakness helped you better understand God’s power and love.
9. Think of a time when rejoicing felt like a choice of faith rather than a natural response.
10. Think of a time when, like Paul, you learned to “glory in your infirmities” because it brought you closer to Christ.

Sisters and brothers, the answer is yes, we can be spiritually whole, even while we wait for physical and emotional healing. Wholeness does not necessarily mean physical and emotional restoration in this life. Wholeness is born of faith in and conversion to Jesus Christ and in letting the light of that conversion shine.

“Many are called, but few [choose to be] chosen.”

All will be physically and emotionally healed in the Resurrection. But will you choose now to be whole in Him?

I declare with joy that I am converted to the Lord Jesus Christ. I am striving to be whole in Him. I am sure that all things will be restored and healing will come, in His time, because He lives.

Engaging Questions:

1. What does it mean to you to be spiritually whole in Jesus Christ?
2. Have you ever felt spiritually strong even while facing physical or emotional challenges?
3. Why do you think the Lord sometimes allows us to wait for physical or emotional healing?
4. How does focusing on conversion to Jesus Christ help us feel whole?
5. What helps you let your light shine, even in seasons of pain or uncertainty?
6. What might it look like to “choose now to be whole in Him”?
7. How can our testimony and conversion bring joy even when life feels incomplete?
8. What promises from the Resurrection bring you the most comfort or hope?
9. In what ways are you striving to be whole in Christ right now?
10. How has your faith in Jesus Christ helped you trust in His timing?

Object Lessons:

1. The Cracked Mirror
   • Materials: A cracked or imperfect mirror.
   • Lesson: Even though the mirror is cracked, it still reflects light. Teach that our lives may feel fractured, but the light of Christ can still shine through us. Spiritual wholeness is not dependent on physical or emotional perfection.
2. Puzzle with a Missing Piece
   • Materials: A jigsaw puzzle with one obvious piece missing.
   • Lesson: Though the puzzle isn’t fully complete, the image is still recognizable and beautiful. Our healing might not be complete yet, but we can still live with purpose and faith. Full restoration will come in the Resurrection.
3. Lamp Without a Shade
   • Materials: A lamp missing a lampshade or cover.
   • Lesson: The light shines just as brightly without the shade. We can still shine the light of conversion even in imperfection or weakness.
4. Bandaged Heart
   • Materials: A paper heart with visible tears taped or bandaged.
   • Lesson: Even though the heart is not “perfect,” it is whole in Christ. Talk about how repentance, trust, and faith bind us to Him and make us spiritually whole.
5. Fruit Tree in Winter
   • Materials: A photo or branch of a leafless tree.
   • Lesson: The tree looks barren now, but it’s alive and will bear fruit again. Just because healing or change isn’t visible doesn’t mean growth isn’t happening inside. Spiritual wholeness can thrive in waiting seasons.

Activities:

6. Wholeness vs. Healing Discussion Chart
   • Activity: Draw two columns labeled “Healing (in His time)” and “Wholeness (now in Christ)”. As a group, brainstorm examples of what fits in each column (e.g., healing = physical relief; wholeness = peace in trials). Emphasize the choice to be spiritually whole now.
7. Covenant Light Jar Craft
   • Activity: Have each person decorate a jar with words or symbols of conversion (faith, testimony, covenant, Jesus). Place a tea light or LED inside. Light the jars in a dim room and discuss how light shines even when healing is still pending.
8. Faith Timeline Activity
   • Activity: Ask participants to write or draw on a personal “timeline of wholeness”—marking past moments of growth, ongoing trials, and how they’ve seen Christ’s hand in both. Focus on spiritual progress, not physical outcomes.
9. “I Choose to Be Whole” Tokens
   • Activity: Give out small stones, tokens, or paper hearts with the phrase “I choose to be whole in Him.” Invite participants to keep them in a place where they’ll see them often as a reminder that wholeness is a choice rooted in conversion.
10. Resurrection Hope Tree

• Activity: Create a tree mural labeled “Healing in His Time.” Have participants write what they hope will be restored in the Resurrection on leaves, and add them to the branches. Celebrate the future promise while affirming current wholeness in Christ.

Personal Sharing Prompts:

1. Think of a time when you felt peace or purpose even though something in your life hadn’t been “fixed” yet.
2. Think of a time when you chose to trust Jesus Christ, even without knowing when or how healing would come.
3. Think of a time when your spiritual conversion gave you strength to endure physical or emotional pain.
4. Think of a time when you felt whole because of your relationship with the Savior—even if your circumstances hadn’t changed.
5. Think of a time when you let the light of your testimony shine during a hard season.
6. Think of a time when you felt hope not because your trial ended, but because you knew Christ was with you in it.
7. Think of a time when you made a conscious decision to stay on the covenant path, even while carrying a burden.
8. Think of a time when you felt spiritually “restored” before your body or heart was.
9. Think of a time when you realized that healing can come line upon line—even if not all at once.
10. Think of a time when you felt converted to Christ more deeply because of what you were going through.

Mary Magdalene was a woman healed of Jesus Christ. And she was a woman whole in Jesus Christ. As His disciple, she followed the Savior throughout Galilee and ministered to Him.

She was present at the foot of the cross, a witness to His death.

She went to His tomb to complete the burial preparations and discovered that the stone covering had been taken away, that the Lord’s body was gone. Mary was at the tomb weeping when she was asked, first by the angels and then by the Savior Himself, “Woman, why weepest thou? whom seekest thou?”

Mary cried, “They have taken away my Lord, and I know not where they have laid him.”

And Jesus tenderly called her by name, “Mary.” And she recognized Him and reverently replied, “Rabboni; … Master.”

Prophesying of the Savior, Isaiah said, “He will swallow up death in victory; and the Lord God will wipe away tears from off all faces.”

His Resurrection allowed Mary’s tears to be wiped away. Surely He will wipe away yours too.

Mary was the first witness of the resurrected Savior. And she was the first to witness to others of what she had seen.

I humbly add my testimony to Mary’s. He is risen. Jesus Christ lives. Ultimately all will be healed, physically and emotionally, in Him. And in the waiting for that healing, faith in the Master Healer will make us spiritually whole. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

Engaging Questions:

1. What stands out to you about Mary Magdalene’s relationship with the Savior?
2. How does it affect you to know that Jesus personally called Mary by name—and that He also knows your name?
3. Why do you think Mary was chosen as the first witness of the Resurrection?
4. When have you, like Mary, felt grief or confusion that was later comforted by the Savior?
5. How does Mary’s story help you better understand what it means to be spiritually whole in Jesus Christ?
6. What helps you hold onto faith while waiting for healing or answers?
7. How have you felt the Savior “wipe away your tears” during hard times?
8. What can you do to be a witness of the risen Lord in your everyday life, as Mary was?
9. How can remembering the Resurrection help you find hope in the middle of sorrow or uncertainty?
10. In what ways has your testimony of Jesus Christ deepened as you’ve waited on the Lord?

Object Lessons:

1. Name Tag Reflection
   • Materials: Blank name tags or paper strips.
   • Lesson: Have participants write their name, then read John 20:16 aloud: “Jesus saith unto her, Mary.” Emphasize how Christ calls us by name—personally, lovingly—and how that recognition helps us feel known, seen, and spiritually whole, even in pain.
2. Tear Jar
   • Materials: A small jar labeled “Tears,” cotton balls, or water drops.
   • Lesson: Psalm 56:8 says God puts our tears in His bottle. Place symbolic “tears” in the jar while discussing how Mary Magdalene’s sorrow was sacred to the Savior. Our sorrow is seen, honored, and ultimately wiped away by Christ.
3. Stone Rolled Away
   • Materials: A large rock or stone with “Sorrow” written on it.
   • Lesson: Let participants take turns physically rolling the “stone” away. As the tomb was opened, so are our hearts opened to healing through Christ. No obstacle is too heavy for the Savior to move.
4. Empty Chair
   • Materials: An empty chair set beside the lesson circle.
   • Lesson: Symbolize the presence of Jesus as a listener and healer. Encourage participants to speak as if to Him in moments of sorrow or seeking. Like Mary at the tomb, we can find Him close by—even when we feel alone.
5. Broken but Whole Vase
   • Materials: A cracked or repaired clay pot.
   • Lesson: Explain that Mary Magdalene had been healed of “seven devils” (Luke 8:2) and yet became the first witness of Christ. Just like a restored pot can still hold water, our brokenness doesn’t disqualify us from being disciples and witnesses.

Activities:

6. “Whom Seekest Thou?” Journaling Exercise
   • Activity: Read John 20:15 and invite participants to journal a response to: “Whom seekest thou?” Include reflections on how Jesus has shown up in unexpected places or quiet moments. Share if desired.
7. Resurrection Witness Roleplay
   • Activity: In pairs or small groups, act out Mary Magdalene’s experience at the tomb. Pause after she says “They have taken away my Lord…” and discuss how grief can cloud hope, and how hearing the Savior’s voice can restore it.
8. “He Called Her Name” Testimony Wall
   • Activity: On a large poster or wall, write “He called her name—Mary.” Invite participants to write their name underneath and one way they’ve felt known or loved by the Savior personally. Celebrate the individuality of testimony.
9. Scented Oil & Burial Spices Object Lesson
   • Materials: Essential oils or spices like frankincense or myrrh.
   • Lesson: Pass around the scents Mary might have used in burial rites. Invite reflection on her care for the Savior, even in death. Her devotion reminds us that caring for Christ (and others) in grief can open us to divine encounters.
10. Easter Stone Message Activity

• Activity: Provide small stones. Have each person write a word or phrase of hope on theirs (e.g., “He knows me” or “I will be healed”). Gather them in a basket as a symbol of stones rolled away and burdens lifted.

Personal Sharing Prompts:

1. Think of a time when you felt spiritually whole even though you were still waiting for physical or emotional healing.
2. Think of a time when you offered sincere thanks to the Lord and felt an added measure of peace or wholeness in return.
3. Think of a time when you recognized that your challenges were not removed, but your capacity to bear them was strengthened through Jesus Christ.
4. Think of a time when you kept your covenants during a trial and felt more “whole” or complete despite your circumstances.
5. Think of a time when you were filled with light while ministering to someone else, even though you were struggling yourself.
6. Think of a time when someone else’s testimony of healing or hope inspired you to continue waiting on the Lord with greater trust.
7. Think of a time when you felt like one of the wise virgins—spiritually prepared and full of light, even in uncertain or hard times.
8. Think of a time when you saw someone else’s faith in Christ increase even as they endured illness or sorrow.
9. Think of a time when you felt the Savior call you by name, like He did with Mary Magdalene, and knew He was aware of your pain.
10. Think of a time when your faith cycle—faith giving rise to hope, which strengthened your faith—carried you through a difficult waiting season.

Posted By: Lia · In: Relief Society