Sis. Tracy Y. Browning (Oct. '22): "Seeing More of Jesus Christ in Our Lives"

-

 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:

  1. 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).
  2. 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").
  3. On the board write 'scriptures/words of the prophets,' 'prayer,' 'the temple,' and 'the sacrament.'
  4. Point out these are the tools Sis. Browning mentions in this paragraph.
  5. Ask the class members to quickly divide into small groups (3-4 people each) and discuss this question:  How does each of those tools help us to see our lives more fully through Him?  And, consequently, to see Him more fully in our lives?
  6. A number of groups will identify some connections quickly.  Encourage them to stay with it a little longer, if need be, and find the best answers.
  7. After a few minutes, come back together as a class and discuss what the groups talked about.

Using the Activity:

This activity obviously uses many of the approaches other activities on this blog use-- namely, small discussion groups with focused topics and a reliance on the specific words used in the talks.  There is one difference in this activity though-- step 6.  This comes from a training led by Elder Bednar about 3 weeks before he was sustained as an apostle.  We were discussing some principle and had been talking for a pretty good amount of time when the conversation began to die out.  He looked at us, smiled, and said, "Well, now we've got all of the easy answers.  Let's get the good ones."  With that we began to talk some more and the conversation deepened and was more impactful.  I have used this strategy a number of times since then (in Church classes and other classes)-- and it has rarely, if ever, failed me.  

I hope you find this activity and the ideas in it to be useful.  Please feel free to leave a comment with any other insights or questions.  

Comments

  1. JonaApril 21, 2023 at 11:03 PM

    Thank you for the lesson help! A lot of these plans have been good jumping off places for me for plotting a discussion direction. What I really loved about Sister Browning's talk is how powerful her testimony came through in hearing her speak it herself. In our quorum discussion, we read some parts of her talk, but other parts we listened to her speak. Can't wait to hear more from her!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Tom SmithApril 24, 2023 at 9:54 AM

      I'm glad these ideas have been helpful. I'm with you on Sis. Browning. What a powerful testimony. I love to hear these good leaders share their testimonies in their own words. I think that using the available tech to make it possible for all of us to see/hear that again is a powerful tool for us. Thanks.

      Delete

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