{ "lessonDate": "2026-11-03", "lessonNumber": 140, "lessonTitle": "Ezekiel 37 — The Bible and the Book of Mormon Testify of Jesus Christ", "semester": "fall-2026-ot", "source": "Seminary manual, Lesson 140 — Ezekiel 37, \"The Bible and the Book of Mormon Testify of Jesus Christ\"", "scriptureBlock": "Ezekiel 1–3; 33–34; 36–37; 47", "bookName": "EZEKIEL 37", "deckType": "scripture", "lessonObjective": "Put the question 'why do you need the Book of Mormon if you believe in the Bible?' on the board at the start, let Ezekiel 37 and a pair of companion passages answer it, and have every student leave able to say their own answer in a sentence or two with one verse from each book.", "doctrinePrinciple": "The Bible and the Book of Mormon are both witnesses of Jesus Christ. Joined in one hand, each confirms the other — two witnesses, not two competing books.", "personalScriptureStudy": { "chapters": "Ezekiel 37:1–14, 15–17", "questions": "Ezekiel is still a captive in Babylon, and his people feel like they are already dead. Read verses 1 to 10 and find the two things that bring the dry bones back to life — one is something Ezekiel says, one is something the Lord gives. Then read 15 to 17, a doctrinal mastery passage, and find what is written on each stick and what happens to them in Ezekiel's hand." }, "teacherNote": "SUPPLIES: two paint stirrers or rulers and a rubber band, a Bible and a Book of Mormon (a quad works too, and is a nice visual — they really are one in your hand), and sticky notes. OPEN WITH THE QUESTION ON THE BOARD AND LEAVE IT THERE ALL LESSON: 'Why do you need the Book of Mormon if you believe in the Bible?' Frame it the way the manual does — somebody posts it under one of your posts, or a friend asks at lunch. Then the two self-assessment questions, silently: how confident are you that you could answer that, and what would you actually say? If students did the preparation and asked a friend or family member, hear one or two of those answers now. Tell them they will answer it themselves at the end. THE DRY BONES FIRST, AND KEEP IT SHORT — it is the setup, not the lesson. 37:1–14: a valley full of very dry bones; 'can these bones live?' (37:3); Ezekiel prophesies, 'O ye dry bones, hear the word of the Lord' (37:4), the bones come together, flesh comes, and then breath (37:9–10). Verse 11 interprets it: the bones are the house of Israel, and they are saying 'our hope is lost.' Verse 14: 'I shall put my spirit in you, and ye shall live.' The point to carry forward: what brought the bones back was the word of the Lord and then His Spirit. Ask what in the latter days would be the word that brings a scattered, spiritually dead Israel back. The answer is the next nine verses. THE TWO STICKS ARE THE LESSON. Read 37:15–20. 37:15–17 IS A DOCTRINAL MASTERY PASSAGE — have them mark it and say the key phrase: 'The Bible and the Book of Mormon shall become one in thine hand.' Explain the stick of Judah is the record of the Jews, the Bible; the stick of Joseph, or Ephraim, is the record of Joseph's descendants, the Book of Mormon (Guide to the Scriptures, 'Ephraim'; 'Judah'). Have them write that next to verse 16. Then do it physically: two sticks, write JUDAH and JOSEPH on them, bind them with the rubber band, and hold them up in one hand. Then hold up the quad. Ask what 'they shall become one in thine hand' could mean. PRESIDENT NELSON: 'The Bible and the Book of Mormon are both witnesses of Jesus Christ. … Scriptural witnesses authenticate each other' ('Scriptural Witnesses,' Liahona, Nov. 2007, 43). Mormon 7:9 is the Book of Mormon saying the same thing about itself: it was written 'for the intent that ye may believe that' — the Bible — 'and if ye believe that ye will believe this also.' The Book of Mormon does not compete with the Bible. It defends it. That is the sentence most students are missing. WHY TWO? Bring in the law of witnesses: 'In the mouth of two or three witnesses shall every word be established' (2 Corinthians 13:1), and 2 Nephi 29:8, 'the testimony of two nations is a witness unto you that I am God.' A single witness can be dismissed; two independent witnesses who agree cannot. THE COMPANION SCRIPTURES ACTIVITY, IN PAIRS, AND THIS IS THE MAIN BLOCK. Each pair picks one row and reads both passages: Atonement — Isaiah 53:3–5 and Alma 7:11–13; Resurrection — 1 Corinthians 15:20–22 and Alma 11:42–45; gathering — Ezekiel 37:21–23, 26–27 and 1 Nephi 10:14; His attributes — Isaiah 63:7 and Mosiah 4:11; baptism — Matthew 3:13–17 and 2 Nephi 31:5–12. Ask each pair to find what the Book of Mormon passage ADDS — almost always it is clearer, or it says why. Alma 7 says He suffered 'that he may know … how to succour his people'; 2 Nephi 31 says why a sinless Christ was baptized at all. That is the real answer to the question on the board: the Book of Mormon makes plain what the Bible says, and confirms that it is true. THE POST: each pair writes a short answer to the question on the board, like a social media post, with one verse from each book and one sentence on what the second one adds. Post them around the room. Everybody walks for two minutes and leaves one sticky-note 'comment' on somebody else's post: another verse, or a one-line experience. GO BACK TO THE BOARD AT THE END. Read the question again and ask who feels more confident than they did twenty-five minutes ago. THEME LINK, ONE SENTENCE: the dry bones are the desert at its worst — 'our bones are dried, and our hope is lost' — and what brings them back is the word and the breath, which is exactly what the two sticks carry. THE WEEK: yesterday the watchman warned, today the word comes in two books joined in one hand, tomorrow water comes out of the house of the Lord, Thursday you find out what you promise when you go in. TIMING: question on the board and self-assessment three minutes, dry bones four, the two sticks and Nelson seven, why two witnesses two, companion pairs eight, posts and comments four, back to the board two, journals at 7:05. If you are behind, cut the comments walk, never the pairs.", "cards": [ { "card": 0, "sectionName": "CONTEXT SETUP", "tagline": "Can These Bones Live?", "title": "EZEKIEL 37 — CONTEXT SETUP", "subtitle": "A Valley Of Dry Bones, Then Two Sticks In One Hand.", "columnHead": "THE CHAPTER AT A GLANCE", "bullets": [ "Ezekiel's people were captives who felt already dead.", "He saw a valley full of very dry bones.", "The word of the Lord brought them together.", "Then the Lord gave them breath, and they lived.", "Next he wrote on two sticks: Judah and Joseph.", "Joined together, they became one in his hand.", "The Bible and the Book of Mormon, one witness." ], "keyFacts": { "Author": "Ezekiel, a captive in Babylon", "Setting": "A vision in a valley of dry bones", "Stick of Judah": "The Bible", "Stick of Joseph": "The Book of Mormon", "Main Themes": "Restoration, gathering, scripture, witnesses", "Christ Connection": "Both books testify that Jesus is the Christ (Mormon 7:9)" }, "bandHeading": "SIX STEPS FROM THE VALLEY TO ONE HAND", "timeline": [ { "title": "DRY BONES", "ref": "Ezekiel 37:3", "text": "Can these bones live?" }, { "title": "THE WORD", "ref": "Ezekiel 37:4", "text": "Hear the word of the Lord." }, { "title": "THE BREATH", "ref": "Ezekiel 37:14", "text": "I shall put my spirit in you." }, { "title": "TWO STICKS", "ref": "Ezekiel 37:16", "text": "For Judah. For Joseph." }, { "title": "ONE HAND", "ref": "Ezekiel 37:17", "text": "They shall become one." }, { "title": "GATHERED", "ref": "Ezekiel 37:27", "text": "They shall be my people." } ], "scrollQuote": { "text": "They shall become one in thine hand.", "attribution": "Ezekiel 37:17" }, "artPrompt": "A warm painterly golden-hour landscape of a wide dry desert valley at sunrise, pale stones and dust across the valley floor, a soft wind stirring the sand and the first green appearing at the edges, distant hills beyond." }, { "card": 1, "sectionName": "DIRECT TEXT INTERACTION & AI", "tagline": "Two Witnesses.", "title": "EZEKIEL 37 — DIRECT TEXT INTERACTION & AI", "subtitle": "Find What Brings The Bones Back, Then Find What Each Stick Carries.", "focusHead": "OUR FOCUS TODAY", "focusText": "Find what gives the dry bones life, find what is written on each stick, then read one pair of passages and find what the Book of Mormon adds to the Bible.", "scripturesHead": "TODAY'S SCRIPTURES", "scriptureKey": "The key: Ezekiel 37:15–17", "scriptureList": [ "Ezekiel 37:3–5 — can these bones live?", "Ezekiel 37:11–14 — I shall put my spirit in you", "Ezekiel 37:15–17 — one in thine hand", "Mormon 7:9 — believe that, and believe this also", "2 Nephi 29:8 — the testimony of two nations", "Isaiah 53:4 and Alma 7:11–12 — one truth, two books" ], "aiUseHead": "HOW WE USE AI", "aiUse": [ "Explain: What were the two sticks?", "Compare: One pair of passages.", "Find: What the second one adds.", "Stay Spiritual: AI supports — the Spirit teaches." ], "aiPromptHead": "AI PROMPT TO TRY", "aiPrompt": "\"In Ezekiel 37:15-17 the Lord tells Ezekiel to write 'For Judah' on one stick and 'For Joseph' on another and join them so they 'become one in thine hand.' Latter-day Saints understand the stick of Judah as the Bible and the stick of Joseph as the Book of Mormon. Compare Isaiah 53:3-5 with Alma 7:11-13 and explain what the Book of Mormon passage adds to our understanding of what Jesus Christ suffered and why. Then explain how Mormon 7:9 describes the relationship between the two books.\"", "afterHead": "AFTER YOU GET A RESULT", "after": [ "Mark 37:15–17 as mastery.", "Write 'Bible' and 'Book of Mormon' by 16.", "Cross-reference your pair of verses." ], "rememberHead": "REMEMBER", "rememberText": "The Book of Mormon does not compete with the Bible. It was written so that you would believe the Bible — and then believe it too.", "bandHeading": "EXAMPLE QUESTIONS WE CAN EXPLORE WITH AI", "bandQuestions": [ "What brings the bones back?", "Who were Judah and Joseph?", "Why two witnesses?", "What does the second add?", "How are they one?" ], "scrollQuote": { "text": "O ye dry bones, hear the word of the Lord.", "attribution": "Ezekiel 37:4" }, "artPrompt": "A warm painterly golden-hour scene of two old leather-bound books lying side by side on a wooden table by a window at sunrise, a pair of hands resting gently on both of them, soft light across the pages." }, { "card": 2, "sectionName": "TALK ABOUT EXPERIENCE", "tagline": "Answer The Question.", "title": "EZEKIEL 37 — TALK ABOUT EXPERIENCE", "subtitle": "Why Do You Need The Book Of Mormon If You Believe The Bible?", "goalHead": "DISCUSSION GOAL", "goalText": "Work out together a real answer to the question on the board, using one verse from each book and one sentence about what the second witness adds.", "howHead": "HOW TO DISCUSS", "how": [ "Answer like a friend asked you.", "Use a verse from each book.", "Build on each other's posts.", "Keep the Savior at the center." ], "aiHead": "CONTINUE TO USE AI", "aiText": "Ask for one more pair of Bible and Book of Mormon passages on your topic, then bring back the one that helped most and say why.", "questionsHead": "THINK ABOUT THESE TOGETHER", "questions": [ "The dry bones came back to life by the word of the Lord and then His breath. What would it look like for a person who feels spiritually dry to come back the same way?", "Why does it matter to have two witnesses of Jesus Christ instead of one — and what does one witness say that the other makes plain?", "If a friend asked you today why you need the Book of Mormon if you believe the Bible, what would you actually say?" ], "bandHeading": "EXAMPLE QUESTIONS TO DISCUSS", "bandQuestions": [ "Where do I feel dry?", "Why do we need two?", "What does Alma add?", "What would I post?", "Which verse is mine?" ], "scrollQuote": { "text": "The testimony of two nations is a witness unto you that I am God.", "attribution": "2 Nephi 29:8" }, "artPrompt": "A natural photograph of teenagers in a classroom in early morning light walking past paper posters taped to the wall, reading them and sticking small sticky notes underneath, open scriptures on the desks nearby." }, { "card": 3, "sectionName": "CHRIST-CENTERED ACTION", "tagline": "One In Thine Hand.", "title": "EZEKIEL 37 — CHRIST-CENTERED ACTION", "subtitle": "Two Books, One Witness, And It Is Of Him.", "columns": [ { "head": "START WITH JESUS", "text": "Both books have one purpose: to testify that Jesus is the Christ. He is the One who breathes life into dry bones, and into people who feel their hope is lost.", "citation": "See Ezekiel 37:11–14; John 5:39; 2 Nephi 25:26.", "art": "A warm painterly golden-hour scene of the resurrected Savior in white robes standing in a green valley at sunrise, His hand outstretched, the valley floor coming alive with grass and flowers around Him, no other symbols in the scene." }, { "head": "TWO WITNESSES", "text": "One witness can be doubted. Two who agree establish the truth. The Bible and the Book of Mormon each confirm the other, and both point to Him.", "citation": "See 2 Corinthians 13:1; Mormon 7:9; 1 Nephi 13:40.", "art": "A warm painterly golden-hour scene of two ancient scrolls bound together with a cord resting on a stone ledge in the morning sun, a quiet hillside behind them." }, { "head": "BREATH IN THE BONES", "text": "The bones only lived when they heard the word and received His Spirit. Reading both books every day is how the breath comes back in.", "citation": "See Ezekiel 37:4–5, 14; Moroni 10:4–5.", "art": "A warm painterly golden-hour scene of a teenager reading an open book at a bedroom desk by a window at dawn, soft morning light falling across the pages." } ], "ideasHead": "IDEAS: WHAT COULD I DO TODAY?", "ideas": [ "Read a chapter of each.", "Cross-reference one pair.", "Post your answer.", "Ask a friend the question.", "Mark Ezekiel 37:17.", "Pray about Moroni 10:4." ], "planHead": "MAKE A PLAN", "planQuestion": "If someone asked you this week, what would you say — and which two verses would you show them?", "plan": [ "What is my answer, in two sentences?", "Which Bible verse and which Book of Mormon verse?", "Who might actually ask me, and when?" ], "challengeHead": "CHALLENGE THIS WEEK", "challengeText": "Every day until Monday, read one chapter in the Bible and one in the Book of Mormon, and write down one thing the second made clearer. Share your best one with one person.", "rememberHead": "REMEMBER", "rememberText": "The dry bones are the desert at its worst — 'our hope is lost.' What brought them back was the word and the breath. That is what the two sticks carry.", "scrollQuote": { "text": "I shall put my spirit in you, and ye shall live.", "attribution": "Ezekiel 37:14" }, "artPrompt": "" } ], "journalPrompt": "Write your own answer to the question from the board — 'Why do you need the Book of Mormon if you believe in the Bible?' — in two or three sentences, as if a friend had just asked you. Include one verse from the Bible and one from the Book of Mormon that teach the same truth about Jesus Christ, and say what the second one adds. Then write about one area where you feel a little like the dry bones, and what it would take for the word and the Spirit to bring it back to life." }