Elder David A. Bednar (Apr. 18): "Meek and Lowly of Heart"

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I think this is an activity that would work best after a good discussion of the doctrines and principles contained in this talk. 

The Activity:
  1. Review the quote at the beginning of the 4th paragraph in the section entitled "Meekness"  ("Meekness is a . . . strong self-restraint").
  2. Ask the class members to think of a recent incident in their lives that called for a meek response, even if they did not choose to be meek in that situation.
  3. Have the class members consider how that incident might have gone differently, if they had made a different choice. 
  4. After a moment, ask the class members to make a mental list of the blessings (earthly and celestial) that come from increased meekness.
  5. Have them discuss this quickly with a partner.
  6. Discuss these blessings as a class.
  7. Following this discussion, ask the class members to think about practical ways they might use to remember to be more meek.
  8. Discuss these strategies.
  9. Challenge class members to choose one of these strategies to incorporate into their lives this week and then to record their efforts in their journals.
Using the Activity:

In Alma chapter 5, Alma asks the Nephites to imagine the last day.  In King Benjamin's discourse, he asks his people to imagine themselves being faced with someone who is asking for help.  Much of the Savior's teaching was aimed at helping the people to imagine how gospel principles would look applied to their own lives.  That is what this activity is trying to do.  In this activity, we want the class members to imagine a situation differently than it actually happened and, based on that imagining, to consider how it might have been different.  Then, we are further asking them to consider practical ways they can use to remember to be more meek in their daily lives. 

In the last part of this activity, I do not want to demean or play down the centrality of the atonement.  However, in my own life, sometimes it helps to have practical strategies for ways that I can counteract my natural inclinations and act on my better parts.  For example, counting to ten when mad is one way that people often help themselves to behave better than their first reactions.  Similarly, this activity is designed to help people identify ways that they can remember (another important thing we are asked to do by the Savior and his servants) to be better than our first, natural-man reactions.

Thank you for checking out my blog.  I hope it is helpful.  Please let me know how things go, if you use these activities. 

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