Pres. Henry B. Eyring (Apr. '20): "Prayers of Faith"

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A NOTE:
Maintaining this blog at this time might be one of the most optimistic things I have done in recent memory :), although I am sure we will eventually be meeting together again for church.  I just have no idea when that will be.  Still, I want to continue this blog even in these times as an expression of hope.  In the meantime, I have begun a separate blog that focuses on sharing ideas to explore the messages of general conference in our homes.  That blog can be found here. 

Often when I am studying a conference talk, I find myself drawn to the specific scripture passages that are discussed in a particular talk.  I have discovered that studying these passages of scripture in light of the talk and vice versa is a powerful way to deepen my understanding of the topic at hand as well as the talk and scriptures themselves.  This activity is based on that idea.  So, if you want to stick closer to the specific words of Pres. Eyring you may need to alter this activity or do something different.

The Activity:

  1. Read and discuss par. 15 ("Throughout his prophetic . . . the same pattern") and par. 17 ("Such prayers offered . . . its continuing unfolding").
  2. Explain that in today's activity you are going to look at those scripture passages that Pres. Eyring shares to see what you can learn using both the scriptures and the talks.
  3. Divide the class into three groups.
    1. Ask one group to read the Joseph Smith account and identify key lessons about 'prayers of faith' (JSH 1:8-18)
    2. Ask the second group to read the account of Enos and identify key lessons about 'prayers of faith' (Enos 1:3-17)
    3. Ask the last group to read through Pres. Eyring's talk and idengify key lessons about 'prayers of faith.'
  4. Ask each group to try and condense what they learned into a small number of "commandments" to guide their prayers.
  5. Come back together and discuss the commandments each group came up with.
Using the Activity:

As always you could handle the logistics of the activity differently depending on your needs.  For example, if you have a larger class, you might create six or nine groups and assign multiple smaller groups to each passage.  The key is to make it easier for more people to participate in looking at the scriptures/the talk and in sharing their ideas.  As people participate, they are exercising faith.  As they exercise faith, they are in position to feel the Spirit.  

As always, I hope that this activity is beneficial to you in some small way as you teach.  May God bless you in your efforts to be an instrument in His hands and to teach with power and authority.

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