Elder Ulisses Soares (Apr. '21): "Jesus Christ: The Caregiver of Our Soul"

 In some ways this is a quintessential apostolic talk.  If you know little about the gospel, this talk will teach you in an accessible way the basics of the atonement.  If you are a seasoned gospel scholar, this talk will cover things you know in fresh ways so that your understanding is enhanced.  In both cases, the importance and centrality of the atonement are confirmed through the Spirit.

The Activity:

1. Make sure that everyone has access to a copy of the talk and some way to mark/highlight it.
2. Draw 2 lines down the board dividing it into thirds.  
3. Label the sections created on the board as follows:  resurrection, repentance, and relief.
4. Explain to the class members that Elder Soares identifies three broad ways in which the atonement blesses our lives.
5. Ask the class members to skim the talk and highlight/mark specific blessings associated with each of these three areas that Elder Soares mentions.  For example, in par. 12 Elder Soares says that repentance brings "a fresh attitude" towards life.
6. Give the class members a few minutes to skim and mark the talk.
7. Come back together and ask the class members to share those things they found that most stick out to them.
8. As they share their findings, write them on the board in the appropriate section and discuss those blessings.

Using the Activity:

If you are interested, the three areas mentioned in steps 3 & 4 are found and discussed throughout the talk.  However, insights on repentance come mostly from par. 12-15 and those on relief come mostly in par. 16-19.  

This is another activity that asks the class members to take a deep dive into the words of the apostles themselves and find what they said exactly.  It seems that in these latter days we need to be extra cautious that we do not attribute our own ideas to the apostles but that we know exactly what they have said.  

Also, I like this activity pedagogically because it provides an organizing principle the teachings inside the talk.  And the fact that that structure is summed up in 3 R's (resurrection, repentance, and relief) is even better. That type of mnemonic makes this principle easier to remember.  So, for those less familiar with the atonement this could be a powerful way to help them deepen their understanding and ability to recall this information.  

Thank you for visiting my blog.  May God bless you in your efforts to learn and teach the gospel.