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Merciful, as Your Father Is Merciful

On a mountain and on a plain, Jesus described the character of His disciples and called us to love the way the Father loves

  • 📖 Adult Sunday School
  • Week 7
  • 📅 Sunday, February 14, 2027
💡 The big idea

The Beatitudes describe the character of Jesus Christ and of the disciples He is shaping. His higher law reaches past our actions to our hearts, and its summit is to love and show mercy the way our Father does, a perfection we grow into through His grace, not by our own grit.

I can let the Savior change my heart, not only my behavior, and show one person this week the kind of mercy the Father shows me.

Study it yourself firstRead Matthew 5; Luke 6 in Gospel LibraryCome, Follow Me manualOpen this week (Matthew 5; Luke 6)
Know the chapters

Matthew 5–7 is the Sermon on the Mount. It’s the longest block of the Savior’s teaching in the Gospels. Luke 6:17–49 has a shorter sermon given “in the plain.” Just before it, in Luke 6:12–16, Jesus “continued all night in prayer to God” and chose the Twelve. Matthew 5 moves in clear sections. The Beatitudes come in 5:3–12. Salt and light come in 5:13–16. Fulfilling the law comes in 5:17–20. In 5:21–47, six contrasts begin “Ye have heard that it was said… But I say unto you.” In 5:48 comes the call to “be ye therefore perfect.” In Luke 6:20–26, Luke pairs four blessings with four woes. He ends in 6:46–49 with the house built on a rock.

The Restoration adds light. The risen Savior taught this sermon again at the temple in Bountiful, in 3 Nephi 12–14. Some differences matter. In 3 Nephi 12:3 it’s “blessed are the poor in spirit who come unto me.” In 12:6, those who hunger and thirst after righteousness “shall be filled with the Holy Ghost.” In 12:22 the phrase “without a cause” is missing from the verse on anger. And in 12:48 He says, “I would that ye should be perfect even as I, or your Father who is in heaven is perfect.” The footnote to Matthew 5:48 explains the Greek word for “perfect.” It means complete, finished, fully developed.

Each “But I say unto you” moves a commandment from the hands to the heart. Not only no murder, but no contempt. Not only no adultery, but no lust. Not only fair payback, but turning the other cheek and going the second mile. In Jesus’s day, Roman soldiers could force a civilian to carry their gear a set distance. He says to carry it twice as far. The chapter’s highest command is to love enemies and pray for those who mistreat us. In 5:44–45 we do it “that ye may be the children of your Father.” He sends sun and rain on the just and the unjust. Luke 6:36 says it in one line: “Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful.”

Twenty-five minutes is enough to walk through Matthew 5 in five short readings. Use verses 3–7, 8–12, 13–16, 21–24 and 44–48. Bridge the gaps in a sentence, with one question at each stop. These are the Savior’s own words, so you read them. Handle Matthew 5:27–32 gently. Some in your room have been divorced or remarried. The verses on divorce shouldn’t become a discussion topic. Watch for perfectionism too. Many faithful adults hear “Be ye therefore perfect” as an accusation. The Savior meant it as an invitation He helps us fulfill.

Only have 5 minutes?

Walk through Matthew 5 in five short readings: 5:3–7, 8–12, 13–16, 21–24 and 44–48. Bridge the gaps, and ask one question after each. Open by asking what a post tagged “blessed” usually shows. Study Luke 6:36 beside Matthew 5:48 and its footnote. Spend the discussion on mercy we’ve received and can give. Close with Matthew 5:16 and one hard-to-love person this week.

What to bring2 items

Tick what you have. Forgot something? Every step that needs a supply has a no-supplies version in the plan below.

Before class

  1. Read Matthew 5 out loud once, then Luke 6:36 and 3 Nephi 12:48. Find the footnote on Matthew 5:48 so you can point it out.
  2. Think of someone who once showed you mercy you didn’t earn. If the room is quiet, your short, honest example opens the discussion.

Discussion tips

  • Quiet class? Wait a little longer than feels comfortable, then share your own answer first. People open up after the teacher does.
  • One question catches fire? Stay with it. A great discussion doesn’t cover every question. Let the rest go.
  • One voice filling every pause? Thank them warmly, then say, “Let’s hear from someone who hasn’t had a chance yet.”
  • “Love your enemies” can touch real wounds. Think abuse, betrayal or a painful divorce. Make it clear that loving and forgiving isn’t excusing harm or staying in danger. Healing often takes time and help.
  • Perfectionists may hear Matthew 5:48 as one more standard they’re failing. Read 3 Nephi 12:48 and the footnote together. Let the Holland quote do its work. Perfection is a gift we receive through Christ over time.
  • Visitors or new members? Explain that the Sermon on the Mount is in both the Bible and the Book of Mormon. Put references on the shared screen. Never ask anyone to read aloud without checking first.

The 25-minute plan25 min + bonus

Bonus steps are for when you have extra time. Each “On the screen” line is what the class sees on a shared screen in Teach Mode in the Gospel Sparks app; on paper, read it aloud or write it on the board.

1. Hook

Hashtag Blessed

3 min

Opens with the world’s idea of “blessed” so the Savior’s version stands out.

  1. SAY“If you saw a social media post tagged ‘blessed,’ what would the picture probably show?”
  2. Take a few quick answers without comment. A new car, a vacation, a promotion or a beautiful family photo are typical.
  3. SAY“None of those are bad. But when Jesus sat down to describe who is truly blessed, His list looked very different.”

On the screen: 📱 What does the world picture when it says “blessed”?

2. Story

Matthew 5 in Five Short Readings

10 min

Walks through Matthew 5 a few verses at a time, from the Beatitudes to the call to love as the Father loves, with one question at each stop.

  1. SAY“We’ll walk through Matthew 5 in five short readings. Listen for how Jesus turns our ideas of ‘blessed’ and ‘fair’ upside down.”
  2. Show one scene at a time. These are the Savior’s own words, so you read each passage slowly.
  3. Before each reading, give the one-line bridge on the screen. Afterward, ask the scene’s question and take two or three answers.
  4. Keep each stop to about two minutes. After the last reading, let the quiet sit for a few seconds.

On the screen: ⛰️ A night of prayer, a crowd reaching for Him, and a surprising list of who is blessed · Five short readings: Matthew 5:3–7 · 8–12 · 13–16 · 21–24 · 44–48

No supplies? Do this instead

Instead of: The shared screen (TV or device) with Teach Mode open

  1. SAY“We’ll walk through Matthew 5 in five short readings. Listen for what Jesus turns upside down.”
  2. Read verses 3–7, 8–12, 13–16, 21–24 and 44–48. Give each bridge in your own words first. These are the Savior’s words, so you read.
  3. After each reading, ask the scene’s question aloud and take two or three answers. Keep each stop about two minutes.
3. Scripture

Perfect, Merciful, Complete

4 min

Studies the sermon’s summit closely so class members see perfection as becoming like the Father through Christ.

  1. SAY“Luke ends this teaching with a different word.”
  2. Read Luke 6:36 from the screen, then Matthew 5:48.
  3. Ask, “What does Luke’s word ‘merciful’ add to Matthew’s word ‘perfect’?”
  4. Show the footnote to Matthew 5:48. It means complete, finished, fully developed. Read 3 Nephi 12:48, where the risen Savior adds, “even as I.”
  5. Share Elder Jeffrey R. Holland’s words below. Then ask, “How does it change things to hear this as an invitation He’ll help us fulfill?”

On the screen: 🌱 “Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful.” · Luke 6:36; Matthew 5:48; 3 Nephi 12:48 · Perfect: complete, finished, fully developed

4. Talk it over

As Your Father Is Merciful

5 min

Applies the Savior’s higher law of the heart to real relationships, especially the mercy we have received and can give.

  1. SAY“Jesus moves every commandment from our hands to our hearts, and ends with mercy. Let’s talk about where that lands for us.”
  2. Pick two or three questions. Ask one, wait, then ask its follow-up before you move on.
  3. Let silence work. Count to seven before you rescue a question. If needed, share your own experience first.
💬 Ask the class
  • Think of someone who showed you mercy you hadn’t earned. What did it do for you? Follow-up: Whom could you pass that on to?
  • Which Beatitude do you feel the Lord inviting you to grow into right now? Follow-up: What would one small step look like this week?
  • In 3 Nephi 12:3 He says, “blessed are the poor in spirit who come unto me.” How does “who come unto me” change the way you read the whole list? Follow-up: Where are you coming to Him right now?
  • Why can’t His higher law stop at behavior? Follow-up: Where might your actions be fine while your heart still needs Him?
  • What have you learned about forgiving someone without excusing what they did? Follow-up: What or who helped you get there?

On the screen: 💛 “Love your enemies… that ye may be the children of your Father.” · Matthew 5:44–45

5. Testimony

Let Your Light So Shine

3 min

Ends with testimony of Jesus Christ as the perfect example of the Beatitudes, and one concrete invitation for the week.

  1. SAY“Matthew 5, verse 16 says our light should lead people to ‘glorify your Father.’”
  2. SAY“Would one or two of you share where you’ve seen His mercy in someone’s life?”
  3. Bear a short testimony. Jesus Christ lived every Beatitude perfectly. He can make us complete.
  4. Invite: “This week, choose one person who is hard for you to love. Pray for them by name, and do one kind thing for them.”

On the screen: 💡 Let your light so shine, that they may glorify your Father. · Matthew 5:16 · This week: pray for one hard-to-love person by name, and do one kind thing.

6. Talk it over

The Mote and the Beam

4 minBONUS

A bonus look at Luke 6:37–42 and the Savior’s teaching on judging.

  1. SAY“Luke’s sermon turns to judging.”
  2. Read Luke 6:37–38, then 6:41–42. A mote is a speck of sawdust. A beam is a big timber.
  3. Ask one or two questions with follow-ups, then close on time.
💬 Ask the class
  • Why is it easier to see the speck in someone else’s eye than the beam in our own? Follow-up: What helps you notice your own?
  • Luke 6:38 promises “good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over.” How have you seen generosity come back to you? Follow-up: Did it come back the way you expected?
  • What helps you replace a judgmental thought with a charitable one in the moment? Follow-up: Who taught you that?

On the screen: 🪵 “Judge not, and ye shall not be judged… forgive, and ye shall be forgiven.” · Luke 6:37–38, 41–42

Read it together

The Sermon on the Mount

Matthew 5:3–7; Matthew 5:8–12; Matthew 5:13–16; Matthew 5:21–24; Matthew 5:44–48 ↗

Scenes

  1. ⛰️ “Blessed are they that mourn”

    In Luke 6, verses 12 to 19, Jesus prays all night and chooses the Twelve. Crowds press to touch Him. Then, in Matthew 5, He sits down to teach. Let’s read Matthew 5, verses 3 to 7. Notice who He calls blessed. The poor in spirit. The mourners. The meek.

    💬 Ask: Which of these runs most against what our culture calls “blessed”? Follow-up: Why do you think He started there?

  2. 🕊️ Blessed are the peacemakers

    Now verses 8 to 12. The last blessings are for people who pay a price for following Him. He tells them to rejoice. And He puts them in the company of the prophets.

    💬 Ask: Which Beatitude describes the Savior most clearly to you? Follow-up: Where do you see it in His life?

  3. 🧂 The salt of the earth

    Now verses 13 to 16. He tells ordinary people what they already are. Salt. A city on a hill that cannot be hid. Notice where the glory goes: to “your Father.”

    💬 Ask: Whose quiet light has pointed you to Heavenly Father instead of to themselves?

  4. 🤝 First be reconciled

    In verses 17 to 20, He says He came not to destroy the law, but to fulfil it. Now read verses 21 to 24. The first “But I say unto you” moves the law from our hands to our hearts. Leave the gift at the altar. Go make peace first.

    💬 Ask: How might verse 24 change the way we come to the sacrament?

  5. 🌦️ Rain on the just and the unjust

    In verses 25 to 43, the pattern repeats. In marriage. In speech. In retaliation. Turn the other cheek. Go the second mile. Now read verses 44 to 48. Here’s the summit. Love your enemies, as the Father sends sun and rain on everyone.

    💬 Ask: What would loving like that look like with a difficult coworker, relative or neighbor?

Key verse

Luke 6:36 ↗
“Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful.”
In plain words: Luke’s version of the Savior’s great command: become like our Father by treating others, even the ungrateful, with the same mercy He shows us.

More verses

Matthew 5:48 ↗
“Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.”
In plain words: The footnote explains that “perfect” means complete and fully developed. It is a destination the Savior leads us to over time, not a standard to beat ourselves with today.
Matthew 5:44 ↗
“But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;”
In plain words: Jesus asks for love that goes beyond what feels fair: blessing, doing good and praying for people who hurt us.
Matthew 5:16 ↗
“Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.”
In plain words: Our goodness is meant to point people to Heavenly Father, not to ourselves.
Matthew 5:24 ↗
“Leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift.”
In plain words: Making peace with others is part of worshipping God, so important that the Savior says to do it before bringing our offering.

From general conference

“Thus, the grace of Christ offers us not only salvation from sorrow and sin and death but also salvation from our own persistent self-criticism.”

— Elder Jeffrey R. Holland, “Be Ye Therefore Perfect—Eventually,” October 2017

Share in Perfect, Merciful, Complete, after reading 3 Nephi 12:48 and the footnote to Matthew 5:48.

Read the talk ↗

Songs

  • Count Your Blessings Hymns, no. 241

    A cheerful opening hymn for a lesson about what it really means to be blessed. Find it ↗

  • I Am a Child of God Hymns, no. 301

    The peacemakers “shall be called the children of God,” and loving our enemies makes us “the children of your Father.” Find it ↗

This week’s invitation

Mercy for One

Pick one person who’s hard for you to love right now. Pray for them by name every day this week. Do one kind thing for them, even a small one. Before Sunday’s sacrament, reread Matthew 5:23–24. Make peace wherever you can.

Take it home

In Sunday School we read the Sermon on the Mount. We read the Beatitudes in Matthew 5. We read the Savior’s call in Luke 6:36: “be ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful.” At home, read the Beatitudes together in two short parts, Matthew 5:3–7 and then 8–12. Let each person pick one Beatitude to practice this week.

📝 After class

What worked? Who needs a check-in this week? Jot it here on a printed copy, or in the app’s private class notes.

Got extra time?

🌾 Lord of the Sabbath · 4 min

  1. Read Luke 6:6–10. On the Sabbath, in the synagogue, Jesus heals a man with a withered hand while critics watch.
  2. Read verse 9, “Is it lawful on the sabbath days to do good, or to do evil? to save life, or to destroy it?”
  3. Ask, “How can our Sabbath focus less on what we avoid and more on the good we do?”

🏠 The House on the Rock · 4 min

  1. Read Luke 6:46–49. The wise builder “digged deep, and laid the foundation on a rock.”
  2. Point out verse 46, “why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?”
  3. Ask, “Digging deep means doing, not just hearing. Which teaching from the sermon will you actually do this week?”

📜 Not to Destroy, but to Fulfil · 4 min

  1. Read Matthew 5:17–20. Then read 3 Nephi 15:4–5, where the risen Savior says the law of Moses is fulfilled in Him.
  2. Ask, “Jesus didn’t lower the standard. He raised it and moved it to the heart. Why is that harder?” Follow-up: “Why is it better?”

Sources

Scripture quotations are from the King James Version, the Bible used by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Tap or click a reference to open it in Gospel Library. Start with the official Come, Follow Me manual; these ideas are here to help it come alive.

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