Teachers: The lessons in the manual contain more information than you will probably be able to teach in one class period. Seek the Spirit of the Lord in selecting the scripture accounts, questions, and other lesson materials that best meet the needs of class members.

Basic Resources

• Do you want to see this week's Gospel Doctrine lesson? Lesson 48

• Would you like to see the class member study guide for this week? Lesson 48

• You can read the assigned scriptures for this week online: Zechariah 10–14; Malachi.

• Do you have an MP3 player? Try downloading Zechariah 10. For more Old Testament audio, click here.

• The official scripture study aids often have helpful information you can use in your lessons. For example, for this week's lesson, read the definitions of "Zechariah" and "Malachi" in the Bible Dictionary or in the Guide to the Scriptures.

Art

The picture in the upper-right corner of this page depicts the Second Coming of the Savior. This picture may be available in your meetinghouse library. You can also view it online in the Gospel Art Picture Kit, no. 238.

Recent Talks and Articles in Church Magazines

Would you like to see what a Church leader has said about a topic in this week's lesson? Click on the photograph or talk title below to read the complete talk.

In a recent general conference address, Elder Dallin H. Oaks helped us understand how the prophecies of the Second Coming apply to each of us: "Four matters are indisputable to Latter-day Saints: (1) The Savior will return to the earth in power and great glory to reign personally during a millennium of righteousness and peace. (2) At the time of His coming there will be a destruction of the wicked and a resurrection of the righteous. (3) No one knows the time of His coming, but (4) the faithful are taught to study the signs of it and to be prepared for it. . . .  "What if the day of His coming were tomorrow? If we knew that we would meet the Lord tomorrow—through our premature death or through His unexpected coming—what would we do today? What confessions would we make? What practices would we discontinue? What accounts would we settle? What forgivenesses would we extend? What testimonies would we bear? "If we would do those things then, why not now? Why not seek peace while peace can be obtained? If our lamps of preparation are drawn down, let us start immediately to replenish them. "We need to make both temporal and spiritual preparation for the events prophesied at the time of the Second Coming. And the preparation most likely to be neglected is the one less visible and more difficult—the spiritual. A 72-hour kit of temporal supplies may prove valuable for earthly challenges, but, as the foolish virgins learned to their sorrow, a 24-hour kit of spiritual preparation is of greater and more enduring value" ("Preparation for the Second Coming," Ensign, May 2004, 7, 9). Download or listen to this talk online in MP3 format.

Music

The hymn "Redeemer of Israel" (no. 6, especially verses 1 and 2) relates to this week's lesson. You could read the words from the hymn in class or have your class sing the hymn together.

Additional Helps

• If you follow the outline in the teacher's manual on pages 226–27 to present the material (a good plan), it might be helpful to know that there are quotations from early Church leaders that complement nicely the content of the passages being studied. Many of these prophetic comments are conveniently gathered in Daniel H. Ludlow's article "The Future of the Holy Land," Ensign, May 1972, 96–103. You may want to review this article and share some of the statements included in it.

• Both in the preparation and presentation of this lesson, it might be helpful to consider some application questions: Of what value is this prophetic information to each of us as we live our lives from day to day? How does the material motivate or help us live the gospel on a daily basis? (See the statement above by Elder Dallin H. Oaks.)

Historical Context

• Like others before him (see Jeremiah 1:1; Ezekiel 1:3), Zechariah was both a prophet and a priest. He was born in Babylon during the exile, returned to the Holy Land with others in 538 B.C., and carried out his prophetic ministry during the post-exilic period. Being a priest, he was anxious to see the temple rebuilt. His powerful preaching was instrumental in motivating the returning exiles to complete the second temple, which was finished in 516 B.C. (see Ezra 6:13–15).

• Being a product of the spiritual hardships and challenges of the exile, it seems only natural that Zechariah was so focused on what the future held for Israel, particularly the associated promises of God. Zechariah's name means "The Lord remembers." His book emphasizes the future comings of the Messiah—both the first and second comings. He foretold of the Messiah's first coming in lowliness (Zechariah 6:12), His triumphal entry into Jerusalem (Zechariah 9:9), His betrayal by Judas for 30 pieces of silver (Zechariah 11:12–13), and His Crucifixion (Zechariah 13:6–7).

• But Zechariah is now best known for his prophecies of the Second Coming and the culminating events of the difficult last days (see those listed in the teacher's manual on pages 226–27). Malachi's emphasis is also on the events associated with the Second Coming of the Lord (see Malachi 3:1–3; 4:1–5).