Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf (Apr. '23): "Jesus Christ Is the Strength of Parents"

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 I love my kids, but I am far from a perfect parent, and that bothers me (probably not as much as it should, but it does).  This talk, though, was positive and filled with hopeful statements, which made me feel better about my efforts and the odds of me doing okay as a parent.  This activity is designed to highlight some of these moments of hope.

The Activity:

  1. Make sure that every class member has access to a copy of the talk either digitally or physically.
  2. Read par. 19 "Satan will oppose . . . to discourage you."
  3. Discuss why Satan would try to do this with parents.
  4. After a brief discussion, point out that this is a gospel of good cheer-- and this talk demonstrates that.
  5. Invite the class members to skim over the talk looking for passages/parts that give them hope/peace as parents (or members of families).  Ask them to pick one that really stands out for them.
  6. Give the class a few moments of silence to complete this.
  7. When everyone has had a chance to find a passage, ask them to share with those in their immediate vicinity what they found and to talk about what can be gleaned from all of the found passages.
  8. After a few minutes of sharing in smaller groups, come back together as a class and ask what overarching lessons they found in the quotes that were shared and the discussion that was had.

Using the Activity:

The first note on this activity is to be sensitive.  Statistically speaking, there are most likely people in your quorum/class who have had to deal with issues of fertility-- and you probably aren't aware of it.  These can be heart-wrenching and can leave people feeling disappointed and weakened.  A lesson on parenthood can increase these feelings.  So, be sensitive to this fact.  It might be good to begin a lesson like this by reviewing some of the promises and counsel that we have from the prophets about this issue.  Express love for any in this situation and confidence in the promises of the Savior.  Perhaps, as guided by the Spirit, discuss other ways of serving and ministering open to all of us beyond simply being a parent.

This activity is designed to really center what the class members get from the talk.  I have felt impressed as I have gone through the talks this time to really try to provide opportunities for class members to share what stands out to them in the talks as a way of guiding the class discussions and activities.  This activity is another example of that.  I feel this is one way we foster a home-centered, church-supported gospel learning environment.  By asking the class members to skim the talk, though, not only does it allow for them to guide the direction of the lesson by what they taught, but also it allows them to refamiliarize themselves with the talk as a whole, which will help them participate in more meaningful ways moving forward.

I hope that you find this activity useful.  God bless.

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