Pres. Russell M. Nelson (Apr. 18): "Ministering with the Power and Authority of God"

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The Activity:
  1. Provide copies of the portion of the talk that recounts the story of Brother Cox.
  2. Ask class members to silently read that story and mark any words/phrases that teach us about how ministering.
  3. After an appropriate amount of time, ask class members to share what they marked with someone sitting beside them.  Encourage class members to "steal" the words/phrases that their partners have marked.
  4. After a couple of minutes, come back together and discuss as a whole class what was learned.
  5. Pass out notecards or small scripture size pieces of paper.
  6. Read Pres. Nelson's quote found in the third to last paragraph of his talk ("Brethren, there are doors we can open . . . to do this work").  Note to the class that there are seven things in this paragraph that Pres. Nelson says we can accomplish with Christ-like ministering.
  7. Ask each member of the class to record something they will do this week to do one of the seven things Pres. Nelson identified in the quote.  In other words, write down one way you will minister this week.
Using the Activity:
This activity is strong in four ways.  First, it pushes all of us to examine closely the words of our prophet.  This is a way of treasuring up what he tells us.  Second, by asking class members to mark the words and/or phrases that stand out to them, we are making it more likely that they will remember those words.   Also, when we ask class members to discuss an issue with one another we are accomplishing a couple of things-- A) the class members then have a greater opportunity to learn from one another and B) the class members, by sharing with one another, build bonds of friendship and community.  Finally, by asking them to write down one thing they will do this week, we are inviting them to put into practice immediately the words of the prophet.  By doing so they will draw closer to Father and put themselves in a position to receive a testimony that Pres. Nelson is a prophet.

Also, it should be noted that this activity is really two activities in one that could easily be separated.  Steps 1-4 are one activity and then steps 5-7 are another one.  They could be used one immediately after the other, or they could easily be separated from each other.  Or either of them could be used independently. 

Please let me know how this activity works for you.  Especially as you teach on these talks by Pres. Nelson, I pray that the Spirit will be strong in your classrooms so that everyone can receive a witness of his calling.  Even if we have received that testimony prior to this lesson (as I'm sure that many will have received), a testimony needs to be regularly renewed.  It is our privilege to be an instrument in the Lord's hands to help with the renewal of those testimonies.  May God bless you in all of your efforts.

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