Sis. Amy A. Wright (Oct. '23): "Abide the Day of Christ"

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 When I first heard this talk (in the car on the way to a soccer game) I thought it was good, but when I returned to read it, I found that it was just what I needed.  I struggle with depression (not to the degree of some others, but enough to know that this is all I can handle sometimes), and several parts of this talk touched me deeply in connection with my own situation.  So, that is what this activity focuses on.

The Activity:

  1. Make sure every class member has access to a copy of the talk either digitally or physically.
  2. Ask the class to read over the talk quickly and choose a passage that they find especially meaningful/impactful.  Given that you may have some who have not read this talk at all, I would probably allow 5-7 minutes (even if they can't read it, that should be enough time to find a passage).
  3. Now, invite the class members to stand up and find someone not sitting near them.
  4. Give them a minute or so for each person in the new companionship to share their quote and talk about why they chose it.  
  5. After this, ask them to find someone else and repeat the process.
  6. Do this 3 or 4 times (or as many as you feel is appropriate for you and your class members).
  7. Come back together and invite them to share what they learned during their interactions.

Using the Activity:

This activity is a relatively common activity in classrooms so I have to admit to that this is not an idea that is original to me.  Nevertheless, this is an activity that I find quite helpful in a gospel classroom.  First, it asks class members to ponder on the words from a talk, i.e. to apply them to their own lives.  Also, it is a way to increase the sense of community in the class as people get to speak to some that they perhaps don't spend as much time with.  These interactions almost always lead to a greater appreciation for those that we speak with during this time as we see the depth of their insights and testimony.  Finally, it is an activity that is malleable in terms of time and number of people.  If you have fewer class members of less time, simply do 1 or 2 rounds of sharing.  If you have a lot of both, feel free to throw in an extra round or two.  

One thing to be aware of with this activity is mobility issues.  If a person has mobility issues or is unsteady on their feet when standing, make accommodations for this.  Those might include asking people to sit during their sharing time or to not get up and move at all to simply share with those around them.  Remember, do what works for you.

Please let me know how these ideas are working for you.  God bless.

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