Elder Jeffrey R. Holland (Oct. 18): "The Ministry of Reconciliation"

Be sensitive with this lesson.  There might be some who are currently in a state of anger and who might react negatively if they feel they are being preached at or singled out.  I think of Elder Scott here, who told abuse victims a few years back (and I'm obviously paraphrasing), "you may not be able to forgive your perpetrators at the present moment.  Don't worry about it.  Keep working on coming unto Christ and the day will come when you will be able to.  In the meantime, don't let it hold you back."  Sometimes, it is tough to forgive because there are horrible things in the world.  Like with most things, love is a greater motivator than anger and accusations. 

The Activity:

1. Prior to the lesson:  Prepare strips of paper with scenarios such as the following on them (these are based on true stories with which I am familiar, but you can simply make them up):
1. You operate a franchise and one year when signing the contract, you accidentally sign that you will be open a certain number of days that will ultimately require you to be open on a Sunday.  You choose to work that day as opposed to requiring others to work that day.  When you are working a member of the ward drops by and purchases something from you.  The next Sunday, when you enter the chapel, that person sees you and asks why you are there if you are going to keep your business open on Sunday.  
2. As a young adult, you are shunned by the other youth in your group.  Then, your family prepares to move out.  On your last Sunday at church, the youth approach you with a present to make amends, they say.  When you open it up, it is a can of dog food.  They all laugh hysterically.
3. Your non-member spouse comes with you to church almost every Sunday.  You move to a new town and no one greets you or speaks to you for five weeks.  On your sixth Sunday in church, the bishop approaches you after sacrament meeting and talks to you.  He asks you a few questions about your membership in the church and jots some notes in a small notebook.  When he asks your spouse a question, she/he responds with, "I am not a member of the Church."  The bishop then replies, "Oh," closes his notebook, and walks away without another word.  Your spouse looks at you and says, "I will be in the car when church is over," and walks out the door.
2. Divide the class into small groups (4-5 people per group)
3. Give each group a scenario and ask them to discuss the following questions:
1. Why might this be difficult to forgive?
2. How might you overcome something like this?
3. How might you help someone offended in this situation forgive the others?
4. After a few minutes, come back together as a class and discuss what was talked about in the small groups.  
5. Focus on the last question and create a list of idea on the board
6. Read paragraph 18 "My beloved brothers . . . who shed it."
7. Discuss how the Atonement helps us in this work (the work of helping us forgive and helping us to help others).

Using the Activity:

In some ways, as a teacher, the most difficult part of this activity is coming up with scenarios.  The three I shared are all based on true experiences that I am familiar with from an Institute teacher, a talk, and my own father/mother.  This may be the best source for other scenarios, although you may be able to make them up.  

This is a valuable activity because it asks the class members to imagine themselves in the shoes of the people who are offended as well as the shoes of someone whose friend was offended.  And it asks them to imagine how they might help their friend.  Ultimately, part of this is also to help the class members feel more empathy for those who struggle with this-- sometimes, if you have not had to deal with hard things like this or if you simply don't hold grudges, it is difficult to understand why others would react differently than you do.  Also, by putting the class into small groups, you are encouraging them to all actively take part in the activity.  Again, participation in class-- in any way-- is a way of exercising faith.  Exercising faith opens our hearts to the Spirit.  So, this activity is designed to help the class members feel the Spirit.

As always, I hope this activity is of use to you either as an activity or as the jumping off point for an activity of your own.  God bless.