Elder Jonathan S. Schmitt (Oct. '22): "That They Might Know Thee"

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 This was one of my favorite talks from conference.  The idea of coming to know Christ better by studying his names is a powerful concept, and Elder Schmitt modeled that tremendously.  

The Activity:

  1. Before class, identify a number of names of Christ that feel appropriate for your class members' needs and write them on slips of paper (there is a list of potential names below).  You need enough slips of paper so that everyone in your class/quorum can have one of their own but you can repeat names on slips of paper.
  2. During class, read par. 7 ("Just as Jesus . . . to our lives").
  3. Give each class member a slip of paper (this could be done as they come into the class).
  4. Ask the class members to look at the name of Christ written on their slip of paper. 
  5. Invite them to spend a moment looking up that name in the Topical Guide and/or Bible Dictionary and reading about how it is used.
  6. As they do this, they are to consider two questions:
    1. What does this name of Christ teach me about Him?  How does it reflect Him?
    2. How might I take this name of Christ upon myself, i.e. how can I incorporate the characteristics encompassed in this name in my own life?
  7. Allow a few minutes for this.
  8. Ask the class members to share what they learned with a neighbor
  9. Come back together as a class and ask some class members to share what they learned.

Using the Activity:

There are a myriad of ways to alter this activity.  You could allow the class members to choose from a list of options what name to study.  You could use the 5 names that Elder Schmitt uses in the talk.  You could put the class members in groups and give each group a name to study and discuss.  

The key aim of this activity is to apply Elder Schmitt's counsel (and Pres. Nelson's counsel that Elder Schmitt cites).  Any time that we speak of Christ we know the Spirit will be present.  So, this activity will bring in the Spirit in a tangible way.  

Finally, here is a list of names that I took note of from Elder Holland's book Witness for His Names.  This is an excellent place to start your study of the names of Christ, if you are so inclined and want a place to start.  
  • Advocate
  • Buckler
  • Consolation of Israel
  • Deliverer
  • Faithful
  • Helper
  • Hope of Israel
  • Light
  • Messenger of Salvation
  • Physician
  • Refuge from the Storm
  • Servant
  • Witness
As always, thank you for visiting my site.  I hope that you have found this potential activity useful to either use or as a catalyst for your own idea.  Please drop a comment to let me know how it went.  

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