"Jesus Christ—the True Vine" by Elder Ulisses Soares

 

Overview: Which decision is connected to the True Vine/ Jesus Christ? Go over each decision and plug your phone into the right source to get the fruit/power.

Lesson Principle: The Power of Virtuous Thoughts

Elder Soares highlighted that staying connected to Christ requires filling our minds with righteousness. As Doctrine and Covenants 121:45 promises, when virtue garnishes your thoughts unceasingly, your spiritual confidence waxes strong.

Game Choices: Which Connection Holds the Real Power?

• Option A: "I'll switch off in 5 minutes..."

  • The Thought: "I know this video isn't good for my mind, but I'll finish watching this part and switch to virtuous thoughts in five minutes."

  • The Connection Status: Partial Short Circuit. Compromising or delaying righteousness leaves the door open to temptation and drains your spiritual strength while you wait.

• Option B: "I'll skip the bad parts when they happen..."

  • The Thought: "I'm going to watch this movie, but I'll just look away or skip past the explicit scenes as soon as they start."

  • The Connection Status: Intermittent Signal. Exposing yourself to harmful influences on purpose—even if you plan to react quickly—still lets unvirtuous imagery into your mind and disrupts your connection to the Spirit.

• Option C: "They have good ideas, even if some lead away from Christ..."

  • The Thought: "I follow this influencer because they post really inspiring content, even though some of their posts subtly criticize gospel standards."

  • The Connection Status: Faulty Wiring. Mixing spiritual truth with subtle worldly influence confuses your moral compass and gradually weakens your connection to the True Vine.

• Option D: "Call it for what it is and skip it immediately." (The True Vine)

  • The Thought: "This song has lyrics that don't fit a virtuous mindset. I'm calling it what it is and skipping it right now without negotiating."

  • The Connection Status: Fully Plugged In. Decisively guarding your mind keeps your spiritual channel clear, allowing the power of the Savior to flow directly into your life without interruption.

Reflection & Discussion Questions

1. Identifying Compromises: Looking at options A, B, and C, why is it so easy to make "small" excuses or bargains with ourselves when it comes to what we watch, listen to, or scroll through?

2. Immediate Action: Option D wins because it acts immediately. How does taking instant action (like skipping a song right away) protect our mind differently than trying to resist step-by-step?

3. The "Virtue" Promise: Read Doctrine and Covenants 121:45 again together. What does it mean for your confidence to "wax strong" when your thoughts are clean and virtuous? Have you ever noticed a difference in your personal peace or confidence when you guard what enters your mind?

4. Practical Upgrades: What is one concrete setting, habit, or boundary you can set on your phone today to make it easier to choose Option D during the week?

Activity Wrap-Up Message

"When we plug into the True Vine, we aren't just trying to avoid 'bad' things—we are actively inviting the Savior's power, guidance, and peace into our daily lives. Keeping our thoughts virtuous ensures that nothing blocks that divine power from flowing continuously to us."