President Russell M. Nelson (Oct. 17): "The Book of Mormon: What Would Your Life Be Like Without It"

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The Activity:

Do steps 1 and 2 before class starts.

1.     Post three poster size sheets of paper around the room

2.     Label one poster with each of these three questions:

a.      What would your life be like without the Book of Mormon?

b.     What would you not know without the Book of Mormon?

c.      What would you not have without the Book of Mormon?

3.     Divide class into three groups and give each group a couple of markers (make sure that the markers will not bleed through the paper you have posted).

4.     Ask each group to go stand by one of the posters.

5.     Give each group 2 minutes at their poster to write down (on the poster) their answers to the question.

6.     Rotate groups.

7.     Again give the groups 2 minutes, but ask them to review what has already been recorded on the poster.

8.     Rotate and repeat step 7

9.     Rotate so that all the groups are back at their original posters.

10. Ask each group to review all of the responses recorded on their original poster and to look for patterns.  They are free to add more ideas to the poster, if they are struck by something new.  Give each group a few minutes to complete this task as needed. 

11. Have each group report on the responses to the question on their poster.



Using this activity:

This is a physical activity.  If you have a class that has members who have trouble moving around or standing for long periods of time (10 minutes or so), please be sensitive to their needs and find ways to alter the activity so that all can participate.  Also, please make sure that the markers and paper you use will not create marks on the walls behind the posters.  This activity is good because it gets people up and moving around.  Movement increases the blood flow to our brains and allows us to be more engaged in an activity mentally.  Some people will be concerned because their answers will be taken when it comes to write on a particular poster.  I understand this, but I also think about a training I was in with Elder Bednar.  We had discussed a topic for about 15 or 20 minutes and the responses seemed to naturally start to die out.  Elder Bednar’s response?  “Okay, now we have the easy answers.  Let’s get the good ones.”  Sometimes, the most open we are to the Spirit is when we have used up all of our own answers and must rely on seeing things as we have never seen them before.  The Spirit will help.

You could adapt this activity by not posting the papers.  You could have the groups sit together and write on a sheet of paper.  Then, pass the papers instead of moving the groups.

This activity is way out of the norm for what I have seen done in most Church classes, but that does not mean it is bad.  We are being asked to teach in new and more engaging ways—ways that increase participation and the Spirit.  I believe that this activity is one way to achieve those goals.  I hope that you find inspiration here—either in a way to use this particular strategy or simply as a way to do something entirely different.

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