Elder Quentin L. Cook (Apr. '22): "Conversion to the Will of God"

-

 I went into this conference with questions about conversion-- what was the process?  how could I deepen my own conversion?  how can I keep my conversion fresh? Etc.  So, this talk stood out to me for what it said about conversion.  As I thought and prayed about this activity I felt impressed to focus, however, on missionary work, which was also a large portion of Elder Cook's talk.

The Activity:

  1. Read par. 18 "In the Lord's . . . and His hands."
  2. (Optional) Discuss as a class this quote and why sharing the gospel was such a focus of this conference.
  3. Divide the class down the middle.  Explain that one half will discuss Elder Cook's counsel on how to share the gospel, while the other half discusses the blessing of sharing the gospel.  There will be time for discussions between the two groups after.
  4. Ask the class members in each half of the room to read their assigned quote (found below) and then talk about it-- what does it say?  how have you seen this in your life or the lives of others?  what questions do you have? Etc. 
    1. HOW group-- read par. 22 "For the Savior's . . . come and see."
    2. BLESSINGS group-- read par. 25 "The blessings of . . . the noble task."
  5. After four or five minutes, ask the class members to stand up and create new groups of 4 with 2 members from each half of the room (2 people who have talked about how to share the gospel and 2 who have talked about the blessings of sharing the gospel).  
  6. Have these groups discuss what was talked about in their groups for a bit.
  7. After a few minutes in these groups, come back together as a class and discuss what was talked about.

Using the Activity:

There are several modifications that could be done with this activity that are fairly easy.  First, depending on the size of the class, you may want to further divide the two halves into smaller groups.  Remember the purpose of small groups is to provide as many people as possible with a chance to talk and engage with gospel doctrine.  Second, you could also have the second groups simply be pairs (one from each half of the room).  Of course, you could also choose different passages.

One important aspect of this activity is that it provides two key elements to promote discussion and engagement.  First, by reducing the number of people listening it makes it easier for some to speak up.  Second, by providing an opportunity for all of the class members to come together and to focus on one part of the talk and then to regroup and represent that part of the talk to someone who is less familiar with it can make it easier for people to participate.  They "know" more than the other person about this topic (or this part of the topic).  When we speak up and share our thoughts we are exercising faith and that opens our heart to the Spirit.

Thank you for visiting my blog.  

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Elder Ronald A. Rasband (Apr. '23): "Hosanna to the Most High God"

-
 Like Elder Stevenson's talk, a quick reading of this talk might appear as if the talk were really about a holiday (Palm Sunday in this case).  However, it is really about so much more.  This is a powerful talk on coming to Christ and being prepared for His coming. The Activity: Make sure that everyone has access to a copy of the talk either digitally or physically. Read par. 24-25 "We, like the . . . Father in Heaven." Discuss this passage briefly as a class. Point out that Elder Rasband mentions four ways to fill our lamps with oil. Divide the class into four groups and assign each group one of the doctrines that Elder Rasband discusses: Prophecy (par. 13-15:  "First, prophecy.  For . . . shall rise again.'") The Gift of the Holy Ghost (par. 16:  "Second, the companionship . . . of all things'") Discipleship (par. 17: "Third, discipleship.  True . . . cried, 'Crucify Him'") The Atonement (par. 18-19:  "Fourth, the Atone
Read more

Bishop W. Christopher Waddell (Oct. '23): "More Than a Hero"

-
 This talk is custom made for today.  All around us we can see people who choose worldly heroes to focus on and follow with little, if any, thought given to Christ and Father.  The results are perilous to us and to society.  This talk in some aspects reminds me of some of Pres. Kimball's teachings ( here , for example).   The Activity: Draw a line down the middle of the board. Read par. 23 "For us on . . . Savior and Redeemer." Ask the class members to consider what would characterize too much trust placed in "the politician, the musician, the athlete, or the vlogger" or anyone. Invite them to share their ideas.  As they do, list them on one side of the board. Invite the class members to look over the list they have created and consider how they can either safeguard against these things or walk back from perilous positions. Allow a moment to think and then discuss. Point out that if this is too much attention placed on people, in what ways could we do the same t
Read more

Elder David A. Bednar (Apr. '23): "Abide in Me, and I in You; Therefore, Walk with Me"

-
 I have mentioned in other places in this blog that I am a newly called Elders Quorum president.  As such, this talk really struck home.  I feel woefully inadequate in fulfilling my calling.  This talk gave me comfort and confidence in moving forward.   The Activity: Explain Enoch's reaction to his calling and share your own experience with receiving a calling that overwhelmed you at first and/or invite some class members to share their experiences like this. Invite the class members to read paragraph 5 ("And the Lord . . . give thee utterance'") silently and ask them to identify 1) what God asks of Enoch and 2) what God promises Enoch.   Allow class members a moment to read the passage. Come back and discuss as a class what they found. Ask them to think about how these same commands and promises could apply to various callings (including those they currently have and/or those talked about at the beginning). Invite the class members to share experiences/testimonies
Read more