Elder Gary B. Sabin (Oct. '23): "Hallmarks of Happiness"

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 I was profoundly touched by this talk.  It seemed so full of wisdom and gospel plainness.  It is hard to know where to start when designing an activity for it.  I believe any of the five "observations" of Elder Sabin could stand for a good 20 minute discussion.  There simply is not enough time.  My first reaction is to counsel everyone to simply pick one or two and focus on those, ignoring the rest.  However, I also know from first-hand experience that it is not always easy to leave good gospel material untouched (and that is what you would be leaving by picking a focus).  So, this activity presents one way to 'cover' all of the aspects of the talk, while at the same time allowing class members the opportunity to sit with a single topic for a bit longer (sit with a topic = pondering; pondering = preparation for revelation).

The Activity:

  1. Make sure that every class member has access to a copy of the talk either digitally or physically.
  2. Divide the class into five groups.
  3. Assign each group one of the Elder Sabin's five "observations."  These are as follows:
    1. Building on the foundation of Christ-- par. 6-11
    2. Remembering our divine heritage-- par. 12-18
    3. Remembering the worth of all souls-- par. 19-28
    4. Maintaining an eternal perspective-- par. 29-33
    5. Being grateful-- par. 34-37
  4. Ask the class members to silently read over their assigned section and come up with a single word that effectively encapsulates not just the observation itself but also the lesson Elder Sabin teaches about his observation.
  5. Allow the class members time to read and ponder.
  6. Invite the class members to share and talk about their word with the other members of their groups.
  7. Allow the groups time to discuss these ideas.
  8. Come back together to share each group's learning with the rest of the class.

Using the Activity:

In the intro I mentioned the concept of pondering and that practice is at the heart of this activity.  The fact that the class members will spend time with a topic-- focused on it and attempting to capture in a single word what is taught in their section is a way of helping them to ponder more effectively but in an unusual way that may still feel fresh to them.

Thank you for visiting my blog.  May God bless you in your efforts to teach with power and authority.

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