Elder Walter F. Gonzalez (Oct. '19): "The Savior's Touch"

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The Activity:

  1. Ahead of time, preview the scriptures that Elder Gonzalez references in his talk.  Identify the verses that you feel would be most beneficial for your class.  Write each of these references on a slip of paper.  You should have one slip of paper for each class member.  It will be okay if more than one person has the same reference.
  2. Give each class member one of the strips.  Ask them to look up and read the passage on the slip of paper.  Ask them to think about what it teaches about Christ.
  3. Ask them to find a partner, read them their scripture, share their thoughts on it, and listen as their partner does the same.  They should spend a moment discussing common points or how the two scriptures work together to provide even deeper insight.
  4. After they are done talking, the partners should split up and find new partners to talk with.
  5. Repeat this process for a few minutes (until everyone has had a chance to share with a few other people).
  6. Come back together as a class and discuss what was learned.
Using the Activity:

I think it is valuable to look up and consider the scriptures that our leaders refer to as they give us counsel.  It helps us understand what part of the word of God they are drawing on for inspiration; it also puts us in direct contact with the source of their inspiration and facilitates our own learning as well.  This activity is designed to give class members this opportunity.  

Of course, you could change the logistical approach as needed in your class.  The important thing is that people are digging into the scriptures associated with the words of a leader and then seeking their own learning and insights.  Sharing these then with a partner is a form of exercising our faith, which will open us up to greater inspiration and revelation.  

I hope that this activity will provide you with a spark of good in your lesson.  Thank you for visiting my blog and God bless you. 

Comments

  1. FrankcwDecember 7, 2019 at 2:01 PM

    Thank You So Much. I'm teaching priesthood tomorrow using this talk. I really struggle with teaching from the talks rather than having the regular lessons. I'm probably not going use the strips of paper but go through the scriptures in class, we have a small quorum. This really helps me.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Tom SmithDecember 8, 2019 at 1:20 PM

      I'm glad to hear that this will help. It definitely is a world different just being given a talk as opposed to a manual. :) Also, I love small quorums. They are great.

      Delete
  2. UnknownMarch 7, 2020 at 4:40 PM

    This is a HUGE help. I'm going to be teaching Relief Society tomorrow and I was needing some inspiration for what I wanted to do to make the lesson more interactive and impactful. Thanks.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Tom SmithMarch 9, 2020 at 12:22 AM

      Thank you. I hope that this idea did work well for you.

      Delete

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