Lesson Helps

"Come, Follow Me" FHE: Understanding Godly Sorrow

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This week's FHE lesson topic comes from the Come, Follow Me reading in 2 Corinthians 1-7. Check out this week's Come, Follow Me study ideas on LDS Livingfor additional resources and suggestions.

Thought

“Godly sorrow leads to conversion and a change of heart. It causes us to hate sin and love goodness. It encourages us to stand up and walk in the light of Christ’s love. True repentance is about transformation, not torture or torment. Yes, heartfelt regret and true remorse for disobedience are often painful and very important steps in the sacred process of repentance. But when guilt leads to self-loathing or prevents us from rising up again, it is impeding rather than promoting our repentance.”

(Dieter F. Uchtdorf “You Can Do It Now!” Ensign or Liahona, November 2013)

Song

"Repentance," Children’s Songbook, no. 98

► You'll also like: FHE: The Difference Between Sorrow and Worldly Sorrow

Scripture

“For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death” (2 Corinthians 7:10).

Lesson

Ask your family: If I told you that a certain person was happy because another person was sad, what would you generally think of that situation or relationship? Read together 2 Corinthians 7:2–16 looking for who was happy because another was sad, and why. After reading, use the following questions to guide your discussion of what you read:

What words and phrases throughout these verses describe how Paul feels about the Corinthians? (See especially verses 3–4, 7, 9, 12–14, 16.) What reasons does Paul give for why he feels as he does? How do you think the Corinthians felt as they read these expressions of Paul for them? What seemed to be the biggest reason Paul was happy and rejoiced over the Corinthians? (See verse 9.) According to verse 10, what are two kinds of sorrow? How are they different?

Ask your family how they think a person becomes sorry in a “godly manner,” or in other words, what experiences have led them to be sorry in a way that leads to change or repentance?

(Adapted from: Dennis H. Leavitt and Richard O. Christensen, Scripture Study for Latter-day Saint Families: The New Testament, [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 2006])

► You'll also like:3 Ways to Combat Shame + the Difference Between Guilt and Shame and Why It Matters

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