Elder Ronald A. Rasband (Oct. 18): "Be Not Troubled"

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It seems that more and more the idea of fear and preparing for the second coming are becoming more pronounced in the conference talks.  The message of this talk, though, mirrors that of many of the others-- there is no need to fear.

The Activity:

  1. Make sure that everyone has access to the talk
  2. Divide the class into four large groups and assign each group 1/4 of the talk.  This will result in the entire talk being assigned to a single group.
  3. Ask each class member to silently skim over their assigned portion of the talk looking for things we can do to combat fear in our lives.  Also, ask them to note what paragraphs (they can number the paragraphs) they found each thing mentioned.
  4. After a few moments, ask class members to share what they found in small groups (3-5 people) who all looked over the same section of the talk.
  5. When the conversations are waning, come back together as a class and make a list on the board of all the items the class found.  Some of the items may be duplicates.  That is okay.  Alongside each item, note the paragraph numbers the groups identified.  Following this method, it would be possible to have a single item, e.g. exercising faith with multiple paragraphs noted beside it.
  6. After the list feels complete, ask class members to examine the list on the board and silently identify they item that seems most pertinent to them and their situation. 
  7. Now, ask class members to group up according to the item they chose.  For example, everyone who chose "following the prophet" comes together in a single group.
  8. In the new groups, ask the class members to discuss the following questions about their chosen item, after reading the passages identified on the board for their chosen item.
    1. How can __________ help me not feel fear?
    2. How can I, in turn, help other feel peace by utilizing this same thing?
  9. Come back together as a group and discuss what they talked about.
Using the Activity:

This activity requires a lot of classroom participation, which is as it should be.  The more class members participate the more they are exercising their faith, which leads to a greater portion of the Spirit.  Again, this activity asks the class members to apply the principles of the talk in their own lives-- and not simply to help themselves, but also to consider how they might use these principles to help others feel more peace.  

I hope this activity helps you in your efforts to magnify your calling.  God bless.  

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