Teaching Relief Society & Priesthood

 This was one of my favorite talks from conference.  The idea of coming to know Christ better by studying his names is a powerful concept, and Elder Schmitt modeled that tremendously.   The Activity: Before class, identify a number of names of Christ that feel appropriate for your class members' needs and write them on slips of paper (there is a list of potential names below).  You need enough slips of paper so that everyone in your class/quorum can have one of their own but you can repeat names on slips of paper. During class, read par. 7 ("Just as Jesus . . . to our lives"). Give each class member a slip of paper (this could be done as they come into the class). Ask the class members to look at the name of Christ written on their slip of paper.  Invite them to spend a moment looking up that name in the Topical Guide and/or Bible Dictionary and reading about how it is used. As they do this, they are to consider two questions: What does this name of Christ teach me about

 For me, one of the ways that the Spirit speaks to me most directly is through the scriptures.  So, this talk strikes close to my heart.  I have a strong testimony of "the virtue of the Word"-- in both of its meanings that Elder Eddy talks about.   The Activity: Make sure that everyone has access to a copy of the talk either digitally or physically. Ask the class members to spend a few minutes skimming over the talk to identify what they consider the most important phrase and to mark it. After a few minutes, divide the class into small groups (about 4 people in each).  For timing purposes, it is best to have equal sized groups as much as possible, but it is not vital. Ask the small groups to discuss each of the quotes in the following way: One group member reads her or his quote. The group quietly thinks about the quote for a moment. The other group members spend a couple of minutes discussing the quote. The reader then has one minute to respond to what has been said and/or t

 This is another talk that I felt really encapsulated one of the themes I felt/found/noticed in this conference-- flourishing through trials by relying on Christ.  I feel this has been a theme for the past few conferences, which given the times is unsurprising.  Still, these talks are helpful as we prepare to pass through trials that we know are coming in some form at some time. The Activity: Prepare three posters to be placed around the room.  On the top of each poster, write one of the following questions: What can we learn from trials? How are we blessed as we go through trials? Who is an example you look up to of someone who faced trials by turning to God? Bring markers/pens to write on the posters with.  Make sure they will not bleed through the paper and stain the wall behind the poster. During class, point out the posters to the class members. Invite them to stand up and write one word answers to any and all of the questions.   Allow the class members a few moments to write on t

 I know I'm getting old for many reasons but one is that Elder Olsen looks like a member of the Aaronic priesthood to me (I know he technically is, but you know what I mean).  😁  Nevertheless, the message of this talk is so needed in our world.  I work with young people and this is what so many are looking for-- even our young adults in the Church.  I hope that this message helps many of them stay close to Him. The Activity: Prior to class, collect several household items and bring them with you, e.g. a fork, broom, lighter, etc. Read par. 11 ("The answer to . . . found in Him). Divide the class members into small groups. Give each group one of the items you brought from home and ask them to discuss how remembering Elder Olsen's counsel is like the object they have been given.  Assure them there are no wrong answers. For example, if a group has a glass, they might say that remembering Jesus is the answer allows them to drink Living Waters or that it allows them to carry a

 First things first (and this might be a bit irreverent), but when they announced that Kevin Pearson would be speaking did anyone else think of someone much younger?  Just me?  Okay.   On to more important things.  What a powerful talk.  As I was studying it, I felt like I should underline less because I was underlining so much.  I find more and more in this talk with each reading.   The Activity: Make sure that everyone has access to a copy of the talk either digitally or physically. Point out the importance of being willing as outlined in the talk. Invite the class members to read over the talk and mark the parts of the text that specifically mention/deal with the principle of willingness. Ask the class members to form small groups and talk for about 5 minutes about what they learned about being willing from the talk and what they marked. Ask the groups to create a slogan for willingness that captures some aspect(s) of what Elder Pearson is teaching in this talk.  Allow the groups a

 It is always great to hear what led someone to the gospel.  So, I loved this talk.  I especially appreciated Elder Silva's frankness that after receiving the Book of Mormon from his friend, he put it on a shelf and forgot about it essentially as well as his acknowledgement that receiving that Book of Mormon was a "connection" between him and the missionaries who visited his house (par. 6). The Activity: If possible, ask a ward/branch member who has served as a senior missionary to share a brief testimony of that experience. Read par. 14 ("For those of . . . to one age-group"). Ask the class members to identify some ways to prepare for a mission that might be decades down the road for some of them.  As class members share, record these answers on the board. Once a number of answers have been listed on the board, invite the class members to consider the list and identify something that they could implement into their lives to help them prepare for a mission. Enco

 While this talk is not overtly this, it is another talk from this conference that is stressing (demonstrating) to us how we should learn from the way the Savior lived and apply those lessons in our own lives.   Activity: Divide the class into four groups Assign each group one of the Patterns discussed by Elder Sitati: Pattern of Faith, par. 1-9 Pattern of Humility, par. 10-17 Pattern of Love, par. 18-25 Pattern of Service, par. 26-30 Ask each group to discuss the following questions about their assigned Pattern: What actions/thoughts/feelings is this pattern made up of? What blessings come as we implement this pattern in our lives? How does this pattern relate to other gospel patterns (in this talk and others)? After a few minutes for the groups to discuss, come back together as a class. Ask a representative from each group to share what was discussed in their groups. Using the Activity: Sometimes, discuss can be facilitated by providing very concrete questions that allow people to st

 I think Pres. Lund is the type of president I would like to have over my organization-- enthusiastic, energetic, uses long, interesting words (so, maybe a little nerdy 😁), loving, and focused on the gospel.  His love of the youth and of the gospel really was on display during this talk.   The Activity: Ask Pres. Lund's question from par. 16 ("How can loving . . . into lasting discipleship?").  In other words, what are the things we can do to move ourselves from the beginning of this process towards the other end? Invite the class members to ponder this question for a couple of moments and perhaps talk about it with a friend.   After a few minutes, ask class members to share with the class some of their ideas.  As they do, write the ideas on the board. As the class members share these ideas, be prepared to make connections between what they say and Pres. Lund's counsel.  For example: Time immersed in the Spirit = par. 10 ("When you drop . . . be new creatures&qu

 I love talks like this.  Talks that teach a point (in this case, we should spend time learning of Christ's life, example, and atonement) and then illustrate it with an example that is almost another talk in and of itself (the four people taking their friend to be healed by the Savior).  I learned a great deal from both parts of this talk that I have been working on incorporating in my life.   The Activity: Read par. 4 ("For me, for . . . Resurrection, His gospel"). Ask the class members to think about the stories of Christ from "the five gospels" and to identify what they can learn from one of their favorites.  (NOTE:  Not everyone may have one for a variety of reasons.  Explain that this is okay. Invite the class members to thumb through their scriptures as they think about this for a couple of moments. Allow the class some quiet time to think and look. Invite the class members to share in small groups (3-4 people) their story and the lesson(s) they learn from

 I know no one is going through this site post by post, which is good.  Still, sometimes I feel silly that I want to write how much I love whatever talk I am writing about in case it sounds redundant.  Nevertheless, here we are.  I loved this talk.  The idea of designing a life that could help carry us through temptations, trials, and troubles is invigorating and to do so by design is empowering.   The Activity: Read par. 16-17 "But what is . . . our earthly life." Discuss the idea of having joy through hard times-- not just before and after.   Point out that Elder Zeballos teaches that such joy comes because of the gospel practices in our lives.  You may want to reference par. 11-13 where Elder Zeballos specifically mentions fasting and scripture study as two such practices.   Invite class members to identify gospel practices-- such as the ones above-- that can help us have joy at all moments of our earthly journey.  As these ideas are shared, write them on the board.  The

 Bishop Causse is one of my favorite speakers (I don't know if it is entirely righteous to have favorite leaders, but I do).  He seems to me to always be so joyful in addition to helping me see things in a new light.  Plus, he is the only General Authority that I know of who can say Antoine de Saint-Exupery correctly 😀.  This talk is no different.  It made me reconsider a lot of things in my life.   The Activity: Make sure that everyone has access to a copy of the talk either digitally or physically. Tell all of the class members that you are going to pose a question and you would like them to skim over this talk and find answers in the form of direct quotes.  They will have a couple of minutes to find their answers before you ask people to share. Pose the question:  Why does Heavenly Father ask us to be stewards of the Earth?  Why not owners?  Why not create a world doesn't need stewards?  Or some variation/extension of these questions.   Allow the class a couple of minutes t

 The story of Elder Johnson's grandsons was touching.  And it was a powerful way to understand more about the atonement.  At the end of this talk, I was grateful for my Savior and my Father who make my exaltation a real possibility. The Activity: Read par. 5 "A successful donor . . . of his life." Read par. 8 "Like the remarkable . . . creatures in Christ." Discuss the implications of the first quote-- the blood of both boys would be identical, indistinguishable even to our most sensitive instruments and tests. Now, discuss with the class how a true and perfect change of our hearts is similar.  (Spoiler:  our hearts would be identical to the Savior's and our Heavenly Parents. Discuss how having that kind of heart would change how we felt about things.  Trials? Our neighbors? Those we don't like?  Ourselves? Using the Activity: This activity is fairly straightforward, but all of the other things I kept trying to come up with were overly complicated or did

 In my professional life I spend a fair amount of time thinking about and dealing with issues of culture.  So, I found Elder Pino's first couple of stories really interesting.  Then, the way he ties the idea of culture (what is 'normal' to each of us) to the gospel is so much deeper and truer than his examples of food.  I thoroughly enjoyed this talk. The Activity: Read par. 21 ("There are many . . . in our lives." Point out that Elder Pino provides two ways for us to judge what some of the other traditions might be. Read and discuss par. 11-13 ("If there is  . . . merely a commentary.") and par. 22 ("How can we . . . in good works."). Invite the class members to think of and share other prophetically provided ways to judge these things.  These could be from the scriptures or modern prophets.  For example, the discussion might include Mosiah 4:27 or Moroni 7: 12-13.   Using the Activity: I have been assigned to teach on this talk in a couple of

 I am so grateful for the opportunity to study this talk (and all of them really).  As I studied this talk I saw much deeper what Elder Montoya was teaching in a talk that did not strike me as rich as it turned out to be.  I gained greater insight into love as a three-dimensional thing.  What a blessing. The Activity: Make sure that everyone has access to a copy of the talk either digitally or phyiscally. In the center of the board, write the word "love." Explain that Elder Montoya talks about four different manifestations of love-- and each one teaches something a little different about love.  Invite the class members to read over the first three of these sections (the last one is for later) and talk with those around them about what Elder Montoya teaches about love in general by focusing on a specific manifestation.  These sections are as follows: Par. 1-8 (Love they neighbor)  "The eternal principle . . . in this life." Par. 9-25 (Love God)  "Why is love . .

 What an absolute banger of a talk.  The principles and doctrines taught by Sis. Dennis have been the focus of an abundance of talks in the past.  If we could only apply them across the board, it would revolutionize us, the Church, and the world.  Unfortunately, the Church is apparently made up of people like me-- great desires to do good, less success in actually doing good.  😀 Every one of these talks, though, brings me closer to the ideal.   The Activity: Prior to class, choose a number of quotes from Sis. Dennis's talk that you feel are appropriate for your class/quorum.  For example, you might choose quotes such as these: Par. 15 "We are commanded . . . love and compassion." Par. 19 "Those He touched . . . kindness and love." Par. 23 "When we seek . . . journey of mortality." Par. 26 "Friends, let us . . . the Savior loves." Type the quotes and print them out.  Cut the printouts so that each quote is on a separate sheet of paper.   As t

 One of the themes I noticed in this conference is that trials will happen, but it is in our trials that we find God.  Sis. Craig says this beautifully in this talk, when she says, "Trials do not mean the plan is failing; they are part of the plan meant to help [us] seek God."  Also, in this talk, Sis. Craig lays out a vision for the type of discipleship needed in the last days.  That is the focus of this activity. The Activity: Explain that Sis. Craig is teaching us in this talk how to be better disciples.  Before giving us suggestions, though, she provides a vision of the type of disciples we should be. Read par. 7 ("Brothers and sisters . . . journey of discipleship." Ask the class members to call out some of the words from her description that catch their attention, e.g. dig deep, conviction, joyful, etc. Write these words down as they are called out. Invite the class members to identify one word that they would like to be a characteristic of their own personal

 What a great talk!  As someone else who wears glasses, Sis. Browning's analogy spoke to me clearly and powerfully.  I am always impressed by those who can see gospel truths in everyday things such as needing glasses.  That is a talent that I don't have; however, I have a pretty good memory so I can reference these analogies later.  So, I'm grateful that I have access to talks like this. The Activity: Point out that Sis. Browning encourages us to "see our lives through Him in order to see more of Him in our lives" (Par. 6; see also par. 8). Furthermore, she says there are several spiritual tools given to help us "see our lives through Him."  Read par. 5 ("As covenant children . . . may be cloudy"). On the board write 'scriptures/words of the prophets,' 'prayer,' 'the temple,' and 'the sacrament.' Point out these are the tools Sis. Browning mentions in this paragraph. Ask the class members to quickly divide into

 This talk along with a few others spoke directly to me of something I must deal with-- a person whom I must forgive-- a relationship I must work on.  This principle, forgiveness, may be the hardest part, but Sis. Yee provided wonderful counsel and an inspired path to follow in this talk. The Activity: Point out that Sis. Yee goes beyond simply telling us that we need to forgive others.  She shares several specific pieces of counsel to help us forgive others. Divide the class into 5 groups and assign each group one of the following passages to discuss Par. 20 "The Lord has . . . to be forgiven." Par. 21 "Please know that . . . away from them." Par. 24 "Over the years . . . believing the second." Par. 26 "The Lord has . . . a perfect Father." Par. 30 "To all who . . . succor we need." Ask the groups to discuss how each of these passages might provide hope, direction, and comfort to someone struggling to forgive. Give the groups a few min

 I am a bit biased but I love the Book of Mormon.  I was a young man preparing to serve a mission (rather lackadaisically) when Pres. Benson told us we should be studying the Book of Mormon each and every day.  I know it brings peace and steadiness to my life as I integrate it into my life.  Still, it can be a struggle to make studying the Book of Mormon a habit.  In that same talk, Pres. Benson urged us to flood the earth with the Book of Mormon.  It is still the best tool we have in introducing people to the restored gospel.   The Activity: Discuss the blessings Elder Rasband identifies as coming from the Book of Mormon.  You might choose to read on of the passages as part of that discussion: Par. 4 "There was more . . . of Jesus Christ." Par. 9 "The truth of . . . cheer our souls." Par. 16 "They need the . . . Book of Mormon." Par. 19 "They need your . . . of great joy." Invite the class members to open their copies of the Book of Mormon to a

 It feels to me in recent years that we have seen a fundamental shift in the Church.  Prior to this shift, we were asked to sacrifice, i.e. use our resources exactly as told; now we are to consecrate our resources, i.e. figure out how God would want them used and do that (think home/visiting teaching vs. ministering).  The new For the Strength of Youth pamphlet is another example.  I remember the old one that had hard and fast rules.  The focus of this one, though, is to learn to seek and receive revelation so that you are equipped to live the gospel in any time and in any place.   The Activity: Before class, create three posters.  Label one "see," one "feel," and one "know." Hand the posters around the room before the class members arrive and make sure you have some things to write on the posters with.  Make sure that whatever you use to write on the poster with will not bleed through and leave a mark on the walls. With the class, read par. 15 ("I b

 This talk restates many guidelines that have been given earlier, but it is so good to have them re-stated to us specifically in Elder Renlund's characteristic style.  These principles are especially important at a time when Church leaders are inviting us more and more each day to seek personal revelation in all aspects of our lives.   The Activity: Read par. 4 ("And like airplane . . . crash and burn) and par. 19 ("But within that . . . us to be"). Ask the class members to think about a time they or someone else has received direction through the Holy Ghost that provided needed "insight, direction, [or] comfort) (par. 4). In small groups of 2-3, ask the class members to share these stories and talk about how these experiences and others like them help us "become what Heavenly Father wants us to be" (par. 19). After a few minutes, come back together as a class and share what was talked about in the smaller groups.   Using the Activity: Pres. Kimball to

 What a rich connection we have to Church history through Pres. Ballard.  I love that in every conference he is encouraging us to not forget to tap into our heritage of faith.  As imperfect as it is, there is much of righteousness and wisdom there for us.    The Activity: Read par. 6-8 ("This year marks . . . bless your posterity"). Ask class members to name something they have learned from the pioneers. After some thoughts have been shared, re-read the last sentence in par. 8 ("Their footsteps of . . . bless your posterity"). Ask the class members to consider what they hope the coming generations learn from them.  (Note:  I would avoid the use of posterity here since for some people this might only speak of direct descendants, which they may want to have and cannot or who are currently off the covenant path).   Invite a few class members to share their thoughts. Invite all class members to think about how they could better ensure that they are leaving an example of

 I suppose it is part of spiritual growth, but at times I feel I'm doing pretty well in a particular spiritual area (in this case marriage), and then a talk like this comes along and my definition of doing well is completely altered.  As a result, I realize I can do even better.  This talk struck me this way.  It lifted my sites on what a good marriage really means and what I must do to be a good husband.   The Activity: Ensure that everyone in class has access to a copy of the talk either digitally or physically. Divide the class into smaller group of 4-5 people.  Give each group a small piece of paper and something to write with. Ask the group to look through the talk, identify one important way we can make our marriage into a "full partnership," and write it on their piece of paper.  Ask the groups to pass their papers in an orderly fashion one group to their side. Ask each group to spend 2 minutes talking about the idea on the piece of paper they just received.  This

 What an important message.  In an increasingly diverse Church, we need to constantly assess how well connected we are and how welcoming we are.  "We need one another" (par. 5).  Our biggest missionary tool moving forward may be a place where people feel welcome to come so they can feel the Spirit. The Activity: Ensure that every class member has access to a copy of the talk either digitally or physically. Point out that throughout his talk, Elder Christofferson identifies several reasons we belong to and attend Church. Ask the class members to skim the talk and identify some of those reasons. As a class member finds and shares a reason from the talk, write it on the board and discuss (examples of passages that share these reasons are par. 21 & 35). After several reasons are shared, discuss how these reasons each connect or are related to the three parts of the doctrine of belonging that Elder Christofferson identifies in par. 1 ("This doctrine has . . . Christ to be

 In every conference there are a number of themes that jump out to me-- messages, principles, and/or ideas that are found multiple times in the conference talks.  For me, this conference was no exception.  And this talk feels like the one talk that best encapsulates them all.   The Activity: After discussing the talk in its entirety, read par. 11 ("As we know . . . at His feet.").  Talk about the idea of growth in our journey. Divide the class into small groups of 3-4 people. Ask these groups to choose one of Elder Andersen's 3 ideas (Immerse Ourselves in the Life of Jesus, Make Covenants with the Lord, or Safeguard the Gift of the Holy Ghost).  Invite the groups to discuss how growth might occur in their chosen area or what changes might constitute growth in that area. After a few minutes of discussion, invite some people to share. Following the discussion of a few ideas, ask each class member to consider what their individual next step in one of these three areas would

 It's funny how hearing and reading a talk are completely different experiences.  When I heard, Elder Holland's talk in conference, I focused primarily on the first half of the talk and felt like it was a good defense of our beliefs but didn't really see application to my life.  After reading it, though, I realize that I must have missed over half of the talk.  I have no excuse for my previous understanding of the talk.  Now, I see that this talk does apply to my life. The Activity: Provide all of the class members with something to write with and to write on. Read par. 12 "To be a . . . very much alone." Ask the class members to take a moment and reflect on their lives and those of their family members.  When have they (or a loved one) been asked to go down such a dark road?  What was the outcome?  How did they persevere?  What was learned as a result?  How was God active in their life at that moment?  Etc.? After a few moments of quiet contemplation, ask the cla

 In the Church we talk a lot about the joy of family life and that families can be together forever.  That is good and true.  Nevertheless, there are many people-- in and out of the Church-- for whom eternity with some or any family members may feel less like heaven and more like some place a lot warmer.  Even in my own life, I have a sister that I am not close to because of some hard feelings that have come up through the years.  It feels like Elder Gong was speaking to me as I re-read this talk.  Ultimately, Elder Gong's talk is for me-- and for all of us-- to bring us hope and encouragement.  While we on our own can never heal all of our relationships, with Christ's help and power we "can do all things" (Phil. 4:13)-- even forgive and love. The Activity: (Optional):  Read par. 1-3 ("Friends, dear brothers . . . happy and forever.") (Optional):  Point out that this talk is about difficult situations that we may all find ourselves in but as this passage und

 As an English professor, I confess an affinity for talks that dig deep into a single relatively short passage of scripture.  So, obviously, this talk is right up my alley 😁.  Also, though, I love the emphasis on our need to make righteous choices so that we can, in turn, be chosen for God's kingdom. The Activity: Ensure that everyone has access to a copy of the talk either digitally or physically. Draw a vertical line down the middle of the board.  Label one side "called" and the other side "chosen." Read aloud the first sentence in par. 24 ("The invitation to . . . related but different."). Explain that you want to spend a few minutes exploring these labels and how they relate to our lives and the lives of all people. Ask the class members to briefly read over the last section of Elder Bednar's talk (entitled "Many Are Called, but Few Are Chosen"). Allow a few minutes of silence for them to complete this reading. Invite class members

 I think it is significant that at least two of the twelve spent a considerable portion of their talks in this conference focusing on our testimonies.  It must be important for that percentage of them to feel a need to consider it.   The Activity: Make sure that everyone has access to a copy of the talk either digitally or physically. Explain that you want to spend some time digging into the words of Elder Stevenson and considering the elements of a testimony. Invite the class members to work in partners to find a direct quote from Elder Stevenson's talk to complete each of the following phrases.  It is important to note that for many of them there are multiple option in the talk.  So, the idea is not to create a catalog of all the possible options in those cases, simply to identify they one that most speaks to each of you.   A testimony is made of . . .  A testimony replaces . . . A testimony is observable by . . . A testimony is created by . . .  A testimony helps us . . .  A tes

 Elder Cook's counsel on bridling our passions-- especially our anger and our lust-- feels like extremely timely counsel.  In the Church, we talk a lot about morality but not as much about anger, yet it feels like a large percentage of the signs of the times involve violence, anger, and contention.  So, I appreciated this double focus. The Activity: Before class begins, write the following statements on the board: A testimony is to spiritual survival as ______________ is to ______________. Repentance is to our testimony as _________________ is to ______________. Impressions of the Spirit are to angelic visits as _____________ is to _________. Contention is to a testimony as ____________ is to _____________. The Savior is to our salvation as ________________ is to _____________. Invite the class members to silently ponder how they might complete these sentences. Allow a few minutes of silent reflection. Come together and share thoughts as a class. Using the Activity: This activity u

I really enjoyed this talk-- it was probably one of my favorites-- because it lays out a pattern for how to be a more Christ-like parent/minister/friend/neighbor/etc.  I find it very easy to simply tell people (sometimes loudly) what they could do better; however, that doesn't seem to be the most Christ-like approach.  Instead, we should be focused on encouraging others into living better. The Activity: Provide writing materials to the class members or make sure they have access to their phones. Read par. 29 ("When you sit . . . them to emulate."). Discuss the various activities described by Pres. Eyring, e.g. sitting, inviting, encouraging, noticing, being. Point out that while Pres. Eyring mentions ministering, this is a pattern for all of our relationships in life-- parent, neighbor, friend, ward member, etc. Ask each class member to think of those in their lives that might need a helping hand on the covenant path, i.e. everyone Invite the silently ponder who they migh

 It feels like a number of talks in recent conferences-- those that have highlighted the Church's humanitarian efforts as well as others stressing cooperative/individual service-- have laid the groundwork for this talk in this conference.  Perhaps this is an issue we need to take more seriously as a people. Activity: Read the last sentence of par. 23 ("It also shows . . . to do so.") Discuss the importance of being actively engaged in service through organizations outside of the Church as well as through the Church itself Ask the class members to take out their phones and download the JustServe app (you might want to project the website up for the class, if you have the technology).   Walk the class members through the set up Ask them to look through some of the service opportunities that come up for them in the app. Ask the class members to share one or two interesting opportunities they saw with a neighbor. Using the Activity: The Church as invested heavily in the last

 Every line of this talk is drenched in prophetic insight.  When I marked it during my study, there was probably more marked than unmarked.  What a blessing it is to have a living prophet who is sharing with us God's will for us today.   The Activity: Divide the class into five groups Five each group a slip of paper with one sentence from par. 21 "It means overcoming . . . things of God." "It means trusting . . . philosophies of men." "It means delighting . . . followers of Christ." "It means choosing . . . the Spirit away." "It means being . . . our favorite sins." Explain that each of these is a sentence that Pres. Nelson uses to answer the question, "What does it mean to overcome the world?" (par. 21) Ask each group to read their sentence and then discuss the following questions: In very practical terms, how can we do this?  What practices will help us do this?  What practices have helped you to make this change in your