Teaching Relief Society & Priesthood

 This talk is custom made for today.  All around us we can see people who choose worldly heroes to focus on and follow with little, if any, thought given to Christ and Father.  The results are perilous to us and to society.  This talk in some aspects reminds me of some of Pres. Kimball's teachings ( here , for example).   The Activity: Draw a line down the middle of the board. Read par. 23 "For us on . . . Savior and Redeemer." Ask the class members to consider what would characterize too much trust placed in "the politician, the musician, the athlete, or the vlogger" or anyone. Invite them to share their ideas.  As they do, list them on one side of the board. Invite the class members to look over the list they have created and consider how they can either safeguard against these things or walk back from perilous positions. Allow a moment to think and then discuss. Point out that if this is too much attention placed on people, in what ways could we do the same t

 What an important topic addressed here.  We know that the adversary acts in subtle ways to get us just a bit off course.  Over time, that small deviation has tremendous consequences.  To combat this we must constantly check ourselves to make sure that we are in line with the scriptures and the living prophets.  Elder Pingree here offers us great counsel to help us do just that. The Activity: Make sure that every class member has access to a copy of the talk either digitally or  physically. Invite the class members to take 4-5 minutes to look over the talk and mark the parts that really stand out to them. After the time has elapsed, ask them to turn and talk with a neighbor about one thing they noted as being impactful. Afterwards, come together as a class and ask the class members to share a quote they found meaningful. With each quote shared, ask the one who shared why they chose it and then discuss each quote for a moment. Using the Activity: This is an activity that demands a good

 I appreciated this talk.  Elder Cordon shares some great insight and applies the gospel well in drawing his conclusions.  This is a talk that I will return to again and that I will recommend to my oldest son now that he is a father as well (especially when studied in conjunction with some of the other talks/passages from this conference that addressed parenting). The Activity: Prior to class , choose several phrases from the talk that represent actionable items that class members could apply at home now.  Compile these phrases/passages into a single document and print out a copy for each class member.  Passages might include the following: Par. 5 "Adopting the gospel culture" Par. 15 "Create an environment where our children can feel [God's] influence" Par. 12 "Invite to Act" Par 8 "Teach [the gospel] liberally, generously, and without restraint" Pass out a sheet to each class member. Ask the class members to read over the ideas on the sheet

 What an inspiring story of the sister from Okinawa.  She is a giant.  In practical terms for this blog, this is a talk that I do not see being chosen often to be taught (although we would do well to remember this sister's story).  Not that it is not a great talk, but it would be more difficult to create a lesson for this talk alone.  The activity I share here is focused on the last 20% or so of the talk.   The Activity: Make sure that every class member has something to write with and write on. Read par. 25 "Through temple blessings . . . in his wings." Ask the class members to share any experiences they are comfortable sharing where they have been 'healed' through the power of the temple and temple covenants. Wait a moment for people to share.  This may take a moment and be a wee bit uncomfortable but this time will be important-- even if no one shares. Invite the class members to take a few minutes and either A) record an experience from their own life where th

I really loved this talk.  As with other conference talks it covers familiar ground but does so in a way that helps us to gain greater insight.  The activity I am sharing almost leaped off the page and I feel it is the one I am to share.  But in using it, please be careful to do so in a way that everyone feels loved and encouraged to do/be better and that no one feels attacked. The Activity: Make sure that everyone has something to write on and write with. Read par. 4-5 "When the scribes . . . to each one."  and par. 12-14 "President Russell M. . . . to our Maker!" Invite the class members to silently make a list of the labels that we use to divide people, e.g. Ute fan/Cougar fan (in Utah), liberal/conservative, stupid/smart, freshman/sophomore/junior/senior, etc.  Notice that not every label needs to be something serious. Allow the class members a few moments to create a list Come back together as a class and ask some of the class members to share what they wrote d

 I was profoundly touched by this talk.  It seemed so full of wisdom and gospel plainness.  It is hard to know where to start when designing an activity for it.  I believe any of the five "observations" of Elder Sabin could stand for a good 20 minute discussion.  There simply is not enough time.  My first reaction is to counsel everyone to simply pick one or two and focus on those, ignoring the rest.  However, I also know from first-hand experience that it is not always easy to leave good gospel material untouched (and that is what you would be leaving by picking a focus).  So, this activity presents one way to 'cover' all of the aspects of the talk, while at the same time allowing class members the opportunity to sit with a single topic for a bit longer (sit with a topic = pondering; pondering = preparation for revelation). The Activity: Make sure that every class member has access to a copy of the talk either digitally or physically. Divide the class into five group