Pres. Russell M. Nelson (Apr. '22): The Power of Spiritual Momentum"

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 I suppose it is no surprise, but this talk was, for me, a highlight of the conference.  I think a lot about prophetic priorities and what they are, but after listening to this talk, there really should be no doubt as to what those are for us the next 6 months.  While this activity does not directly bear on this, I appreciated the discussion about peace in hearts at the beginning of the talk and taking control of what we can-- ourselves and our own actions.

The Activity:

  1. Make sure that everyone has access to a copy of the talk
  2. Give everyone a slip of paper and something to write with
  3. On the board list the five actions that Pres. Nelson recommended to us.
  4. Ask the class members to skim through the parts of the talk under each of the five actions Pres. Nelson mentions and choose one phrase from that part of the talk.
  5. Ask the class members to write down the passage on their slip of paper and collect those when the class members are finished.
  6. Put these slips of paper in a bag (or something similar).
  7. Draw one of the slips of paper out and read what is written on it.
  8. Ask the class members which one of the five actions they think this applies to and discuss how that sentence is tied to that action.

Using the Activity:

It should be noted that the purpose of this activity is not to get the passages aligned with the "correct" action.  Those parts of the talk are loaded with powerful sentences and passages.  So, the important thing is to simply consider how each one fits into the overall message that Pres. Nelson is sharing.  Also, it is worth mentioning that it is not necessary to go over every passage submitted.  

This activity itself is designed to give the class members a lot of control in the direction of the lesson and to provide them with opportunities to consider and talk about the principles of gospel living in this talk.  By allowing them to select the passages to be discussed and to base that discussion in their thoughts and ideas you are inviting the class members to exercise their faith as they participate in the lesson-- thus, opening their hearts to the impressions of the Spirit.     

I'm glad to be back with you and hope that all is going well in these trying times.  Please let me know how this activity (or any of the others) works for you.  

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