Month: August 2017

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That’s A Good Question

Many years ago, I attended an Elder’s Quorum class where the teacher only asked questions. He had a spiral bound notebook, and read questions from it. I could tell, by the way he was reading the questions, that he had given a lot of thought to each question, and in the order in which he asked them. I don’t remember any specifics, but I do remember it being an excellent class. It was evident in that the whole class was involved, and we were all edified together.

This class gave me a glimpse into the power of asking questions. Not just any questions, but questions that require the class to think deeply about the topic, and cause them to decide how they feel about the gospel.

The CES manual Gospel Teaching and Learning (you should read this manual, and often) says this about questions:

“Asking effective questions is one of the most important skills a teacher can develop. Questions can engage students in the process of understanding the scriptures and help them identify and understand important gospel truths. Questions also help students reflect upon how the gospel has influenced their lives and to consider how they may apply gospel principles now and in the future. Asking effective questions can encourage students to invite the Holy Ghost into their learning experience through exercising their agency and fulfilling their role in the learning process.”

Since that Elder’s Quorum class many years ago, I have tried to ask better questions. At the time, I used questions that I made up on the fly, mostly as a filler, or as an attempt to invigorate a clearly bored class.

Part of asking better questions involves understanding the elements of a good question.

Good Questions Cause Deeper Thinking

A good question will make your class think. Thinking during the three hour block, unfortunately, doesn’t always happen. Some people take the whole day of rest thing a little too far. It’s easy to be entertained, or to repeat trivia from the same lesson you had four years ago. Don’t believe me? Record your Sunday School class this Sunday, and watch it again in four years. You will probably hear the same people make the same comments.

The scriptures have some great examples of thought provoking questions. “Whom say ye that I am?” Jesus asked his disciples. Paul asked, “If God be for us, who can be against us?” In the Doctrine and Covenants, the Lords asks, “Unto what were you ordained?” In the Garden of Eden, Adam is asked by God, “Where art thou?”  These excellent questions caused deeper thinking by the listener. These are not Jeopardy style trivia questions. These aren’t on the same level as, “What color was Joseph Smith’s white horse?” Trivia questions either make us shut down, because we have no idea what the answer is, or make us search our brain’s file system for the stored away answer. Good questions make us reflect, they make us think of things that we haven’t thought before.

Good Questions Are Simple, But Not Easy

It pays to know the difference between simple and easy. Running a marathon is simple. Almost everyone knows how to run; just do it for 26.2 miles. But, running a marathon is not easy (not speaking from experience- but judging by how hard one mile is, I can make some assumptions).

Good questions do not require advanced education to understand. Most everyone should be able to get the point. However, the point should hurt a little. Good questions are usually hard. Changing your viewpoint (repentance), or analyzing your own motivations and desires, is hard. It’s usually uncomfortable. The best questions require mental, emotional, and spiritual exertion. Jesus used questions to “prick the hearts” of those he taught. Next time you read the New Testament, look at how Jesus uses questions. Then, go and do likewise.

Good Questions Are Personal

The questions you ask in class should not be used to separate the gospel scholars from the gospel know-nots. If you are regularly asking factual questions, you are regularly disconnecting part of the class. Rather, ask questions that don’t require memorized facts. Questions that have an element of personal introspection have power. They invite those in the class to look inside themselves, which hopefully allows the whisperings of the Spirit to work on them. Another way to word it is that it takes you out of the equation. Often, the best thing that you can do as a teacher is to get out of the way of the Spirit.

My hope is that you have a better understanding of what makes a good question, and that this understanding will translate to better prepared questions, and the better use of questions in your teaching. I believe that there is significant room for growth in the Church for better questions during lessons. I believe that as you ask better questions, you will see a greater impact in the lives of those you teach.

 

 

 

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Emergency Advice For The Unprepared Teacher

 

If you have 30 minutes until a lesson, and you have not prepared, put everything aside and read this post. Here are a few ideas you can implement instantly.

Speak From The Heart

Take a minute and do this mental exercise. Pretend you are out to lunch with a friend, and they ask how you feel about _________ (insert the topic for the lesson). What would you say to them? Are there any scriptures that have influenced you regarding the topic? Any personal experiences that have shaped your beliefs? This should give you some substance for the bulk of the lesson.

Another mental exercise: What gospel principle do you hold dearest? Is it the beauty of the plan of salvation? Maybe it’s the peace of the repentance process? Next, find a connection between this principle and the lesson. I’m confident that if you think for a minute, you will find a connection.

Start With Something You Are Passionate About

This is related to the first tip. Begin the lesson with some passion. What aspect of the lesson can you really get fired up about? Start with that, and pump some lifeblood into the classroom. It doesn’t need to be controversial, or some far out idea. It needs to be something that you could sell door to door if need be. And don’t think that a testimony is only for the end of the lesson. Starting with a sincere testimony can set the tone for the rest of the lesson.

Take a few minutes and plan out a solid introduction. Pretend the opening prayer for the class just ended, and you walk up to the front of the class. What are the first words out of your mouth? A story? A quote? A question? Picture delivering your introduction with some vigor. Picture yourself like Samuel the Lamanite on the wall. You have a message that you believe in, and are ready to deliver!

Know Your Audience

Take another few moments to think about your class. Are there any people that will most likely be there? What are they like? How will you be able to get them involved in the learning process? What time of day is the class? How tired/hungry is everyone going to be? What are your possible competitions for attention? Political events, sports, or the Batchelor season finale can all be competing for attention. You are going to have to give the class something to pay attention to. If you have been teaching this class for some time, think back on what has been successful in the past. Some wards love a good discussion, where some won’t talk unless there is a candy reward. Instead of going against the grain, work with what your class gives you. I’m not saying to resort to this every week, but if you are 10 minutes from game-time, you need to take what low hanging fruit you can.

If you are the kind of blog reader that didn’t do the above exercises when I told you to, but just read straight through, you should still have about 20 minutes to go. Do the exercises and then read on…. Really…

In Closing

Now that you have considered your personal feelings on the topic, have prepared a passionate introduction, and have considered what will work for those in your class, you should be prepared enough to give a passionate, testimony filled lesson. Now take the last 5 minutes and relax. Take some slow, deep breaths. Say a quick prayer of thanks for the blessings you have. The fact that you can read this post on an electronic device says something. Be in the moment, and go change the world for the better!

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Teach Individuals The Gospel Of Jesus Christ, From The Scriptures, By The Power Of The Holy Ghost

Mission Statements

I like mission statements. Most successful businesses, and many successful people, use mission statements. The hope is that a mission statement will provide the vision which will guide the decisions that are made.

Organizations with which I have worked in my profession take mission statements very seriously. Several drafts are made and modified, where each word is carefully considered. There is a constant seeking for a specific word which can be used to convey the correct vision, or increase the impact of the statement.

Several years ago I thought about making a mission statement to guide my teaching of the gospel. I made a few drafts before settling on what I thought accurately portrays the vision that I had for gospel teaching. I’d like to share my mission statement with you (hint: it’s the title of this post), and go over each part.

Teach individuals the Gospel of Jesus Christ, from the scriptures, by the power of the Holy Ghost.

Teach

Our calling is to teach. Teaching indicates learning. It hints at more than just lecturing, or asking people to read a few paragraphs from the manual. “Teachers teach what the preachers preach,” was a phrase that I heard often in a seminary preservice class (a story for another day, but I considered full time CES teacher as a career). This was explained to mean that we as teachers are not to make up the doctrine, but to explain the doctrine as revealed to prophets of God.

Individuals

The gospel is administered on an individual level. Living the gospel has a lot to do with how we interact with others, but it is our personal agency in action, and our own sins that need repenting of. Jesus paid for our sins individually.

The Gospel Of Jesus Christ

While there are a lot of good and worthwhile things to learn about, the church is designed to teach the principles of salvation and exaltation. Our teaching should not be reduced to positive messages or nice quotes. There is substance to the doctrine, which is centered around the saving grace we access through the Atonement of Jesus Christ; His suffering, death and resurrection. Faith, repentance, baptism, and the gift of the Holy Ghost are the foundational principles and ordinances of the gospel.

From The Scriptures

The primary source for our learning and teaching are the standard works. Repeatedly, the Lord and His servants have advised us to focus on His words as found in the scriptures. There is power to be found in the word of God. When we use sources other than the scriptures, we are drinking water that is further downstream.

By The Power Of The Holy Ghost

Conversion takes place only by the power of the Holy Ghost, and true conversion can not take place by any other means. As we open our hearts and learn to recognize the whisperings of the spirit, we use our agency to allow our hearts to be changed. No amount of external gospel teaching or church attendance can take the place of this spiritual internal process. In all of your teaching efforts, your goal is to invite and allow the spirit to be present.

Conclusion

So that’s my mission statement.  Is there anything that you would change?  Do you have a mission statement for your gospel teaching?  Comment below!

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Keep It Simple Smartypants

Simplicity Is A Good Thing

 

For a beginner, simplicity is a great way to reduce the fear of public speaking, and the anxiety of preparing a lesson. It also helps prevent the lesson from going off the rails.

To the experienced teacher, simplicity can create an environment where the Spirit can guide the lesson. Elaborate lessons may not allow flexibility or can stifle the influence of the Holy Ghost.

Here are a few ways to keep it simple:

Simple Doctrine

 

At it’s most basic, the gospel is simple. Mankind, although created in the image of God, is fallen. We have a tendency to do things that are contrary to the nature and will of God, things that hurt others and ourselves. We also live in a physical world that tends to fall apart, our bodies included.

The Atonement of Jesus Christ overcomes these things.  The hurt that we have caused, as well as the guilt and emotional suffering that accompanies it can be healed. Our physical bodies, in addition, will be made whole through resurrection. The way we access the Atonement is through faith, repentance, baptism, and the Gift of the Holy Ghost. God has also given guidelines to help us interact with others, and protect us. As we learn and adopt these guidelines, or commandments, we learn to live the way that God lives. This is called Eternal Life.

That is the simple message of the gospel.

Simple Lesson Outlines

 

The basic lesson format is:  an introduction, 3 main points, and a conclusion.

The introduction is designed to get the class’ attention, and introduce the topic. There are a few simple ways to do this.  An object lesson can be used easily.  Or a story.  Or a thought provoking question

For each main point, there should be supporting scriptures and quotes. The lesson manual often includes scriptures, quotes, and good questions to initiate a discussion. Most teacher manuals already break the lesson up into main points, along with scriptures and quotes.

There are several good ways to conclude a lesson. Summarizing, emphasizing the main idea, testimony, or extending an invitation are just a few simple ways to close the lesson.

Simple Teaching

 

A simple pattern for teaching is to teach a principle from the scriptures, use a story from your own life or from church history, ask questions that will elicit thoughts and feelings from the class, and bear testimony to the truth of the principle. This pattern is effective at bringing in the spirit, and usually has a good balance of rational and emotional substance. It also lends itself to increased participation.

 

Maybe now is a good time to simplify, and get back to the basics. May the Lord bless you with an increased measure of the Spirit as you do so.

 

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My Aha! Moment

If, by the title of the post, you are hoping I will tell you about the first time I heard Take On Me, you are going to be disappointed.

If you are hoping to hear about the most pivotal moment in my gospel teaching journey, then please read on.

Allow me to set the stage. I’m a nineteen year old missionary, around  9 months into it, knocking doors. I’m with my zone leader, basically an experienced missionary responsible for the training and coaching of a dozen or so other missionaries. We knocked on a door in an apartment complex, and were greeted by a woman- probably in her mid thirties. She let us in and allowed us to share a message with her. At the time, we had a guideline to not spend more than 30 minutes teaching a single female. So, we shared a few things, had a prayer, and unsuccessfully attempted to schedule a return appointment. Pretty typical for a missionary afternoon.

For some reason, I was thinking back on the lesson when- AHA! It dawned on me. During that lesson, I was fully engaged and constantly trying to see things from this lady’s perspective. When my zone leader was teaching, I was prayerfully searching her face to see how she was responding to the lesson. I was trying to understand where she was at in life, and what I could possibly say that would help her. I was filled with compassion for her, and a pure desire to say and do what was in her best interest. I was not at all thinking about my presentation of the lesson, but upon the reception of the message. Like a flash, I realized that I had actually been doing this for quite some time, I just hadn’t noticed it happening. I had shifted my focus away from myself, and to those I was trying to serve.

I have reflected often upon this moment, and have concluded that this is the most important aspect of teaching. And by far the most powerful lesson that I have learned. At some point, you must change your focus. It’s not about you. It’s not about your delivery, your tone, your body language. Yes, I believe these things are important. But, they are nowhere near as important as the person or people you are teaching. It is all about how the message is received. The great news is that as you focus on the listener, your delivery, tone, and body language become much more natural.

In his epistle to the Philippians, Paul counseled, “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves,  not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.”

I figure that this matter of empathic teaching, like so many other gospel topics, is a lesser law-higher law kind of thing. We probably need to start out by focusing on our delivery of the message before we can “graduate” to focusing on the receiving of the message. The trick is to be able to make this transition relatively quickly. As I have pondered this, I think there are a few practices that, if done consistently, will speed up this process.

First, praying for charity. This well-proven method, as advised by Moroni, really works. “Wherefore, my beloved brethren, pray unto the Father with all the energy of heart, that ye may be filled with this love, which he hath bestowed upon all who are true followers of his Son, Jesus Christ.” As our love for others increases, we naturally become less self-centered and more other-centered. This applies to everything, including teaching.

Second, thinking about those you teach while you prepare. Make it a common practice to consider the needs of those in your class. If you regularly are teaching the same group, try to really understand where they are at in life. Praying for class members by name is a great practice to implement if you want to be a more empathic teacher.

Third, get constructive feedback from someone that you trust. Have them attend a class that you teach, and let you know how they experienced it as a learner.  You may be surprised that your experience as a teacher and their experience as a learner didn’t quite match up. This will help you realize what works and what doesn’t.

Lastly, master some basic public speaking skills, and practice them until they are instinctive. Skills such as hand gestures, voice inflection, pacing, and eye contact can become stored as a muscle memory. As this occurs, you no longer need to focus on these things, and your attention can be spent on those you are teaching.

My teaching ability, and the satisfaction I receive from teaching, increased in proportion to the degree that I looked outside of myself, and towards others. I implore you to have this Aha! moment yourself, to your benefit and, most important, to the benefit of those whom you serve.

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My Ideal 1 Week Lesson Prep (pt 2)

In part 1, I explained my ideal 1 week lesson prep. Let me switch gears a little and put it into the real world a little more. I’ll present a hypothetical week of preparing a lesson as if it were in journal form. The kind of journal that I write in constantly throughout the day. Like a pioneer version of Snapchat.

Sunday 11:01 AM

I just finished a lesson in Sunday School. Lesson #13 in the New Testament manual. There was some good discussion regarding priesthood keys, and the “rock of revelation” that the Church is built upon. We finished with a discussion about the Kirtland Temple and the keys being restored then. Brother Jackson came up to me after the lesson and mentioned that the old “threefold mission of the Church” started at that point when priesthood keys were given to Joseph and Oliver to Proclaim the Gospel, Perfect the Saints, Redeem the Dead. I thought that was interesting and regret not having left enough time to flesh out that idea more in class.

Sunday 12:15 PM

Church is now over. I successfully tracked down the kids and waited patiently in the van while my wife Chatty Cathy’ed her way from the Relief Society room, down the hall, and finally out of the building. The drive home consisted of the kids explaining what they learned about in church… they couldn’t remember. I asked my wife how she felt the Sunday School lesson went. She liked how the class discussion brought out the importance of knowing that Jesus is the Christ by the Holy Ghost. She also mentioned that the part where I asked about all the times that the Father bore witness to the Son wasn’t a great question. “The Father testifies of the Son 4 times in scripture, can you name the other 3?” She’s right. It’s an either you know it or you don’t question that doesn’t edify, but just gives an opportunity to show that they know some facts. Point taken.

If I could go back in time to before the lesson, what would I do differently? I would have not asked the question about what other times the Father spoke from heaven to testify of His Son. I just would have mentioned the other three times. That also would have given enough time to allow Brother Jackson to share his insights into the threefold mission of the Church.

If I could go back in time a week ago, what would I do differently? I had toyed around with the idea of buying some Swedish Fish and looking up a magic trick to make it seem like I made many fish come from a few, and hand them out to the class. In hindsight, I wish I would have done it. Not only to mix things up, but to create the feeling of amazement that surely was present during the feeding of the 5,000.

Sunday 1:15 PM

I just finished up a plate of microwave nachos. My favorite after church snack. The dilemma that I face every Sunday is whether to change out of my clothes before making the nachos, or getting the nachos in the microwave and try to get changed before the 1 minute timer ends. I usually choose the latter, because time management.

I’m now at my desk, lesson manual up on the laptop in front of me, scriptures to my left, scratch paper and pen to my right. My trusty headphones are on blasting the Legends of the Fall soundtrack. My game face is on. I pull up lesson 14: “Who Is My Neighbor?” The stated purpose of the lesson is to help class members humble themselves, forgive others, and show charity for one another. I like that. That’s my kind of lesson. I immediately note that I believe that there is a connection between these objectives; part of being humble is recognizing our weaknesses. As we do that, we have more mercy towards others weaknesses. Our compassion for others leads to have and show charity for others.

As I survey the scriptures for the lesson: I see a lot of verses from Matthew 18, a chunk of Luke 10, Mark 9, and some King Benjamin found in Mosiah 2 and 3. Love King Benjamin. I plan to read Matthew 18 on Monday, Luke 10 on Tuesday, Mark 9 and Mosiah 2-3 on Wednesday, and scribble that plan down on the scratch paper.

Looking further down the lesson, I notice some things along the right side of the screen. There are a few pictures, 3 bible videos, and 2 clips from General Conference. I plan on looking at them throughout the week and see if I want to bring in the projector for some movie time.

There is a suggested attention activity. It involves bringing a child to class and having the parent describe some of the child’s admirable qualities. Not a bad idea when discussing becoming as a little child. I’ll keep this in my back pocket unless if I need it.

I scan the bullet points and see that the first major topic deals with children. The subtopics are that we need to become as little children, and to not offend little children. The admonition to become as a child is in response to the question “who is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven”? I’d like to explore that in more detail, the relationship between the question and the answer. The next topic is forgiveness. The scripture passage is the parable of the unmerciful servant. The final topic is the parable of the Good Samaritan. Is this the Superman of parables? The best among so many greats? I am reminded of a seminary lesson I had many years ago. The teacher retold the parable in modern terms. I think it had to do with a car out of gas and something about high school rivalries. Maybe I can come up with something like that. Like a Chicago Bears fan coming across a Green Bay Packers fan broken down on the side of the road on the way to the big game.

There are some additional teaching ideas at the bottom of the page. Pretty solid ones, too. I feel pretty confident that I will have more than enough material. The best lessons, in my opinion, are the ones where you have to trim down significantly, and it hurts to take some things out. The worst lessons are the ones where you are trying to find anything else to plug in to make it longer. Kind of like why the Lord of the Rings trilogy is far superior to the Hobbit trilogy, but I digress.

I notice that I have only been at the desk for 10 minutes, so I decide to jump into the scripture reading, starting with Matthew chapter 18. I only make it to verse 3 before I have to stop. I struggle with the concept of becoming as a little child to “enter into into the kingdom of heaven.” The majority of my day is spent telling my kids to start acting like adults. I do see a caveat that I hadn’t noticed before; except ye be converted, and become as little children…. So, is there a connection between conversion and becoming as a child? Maybe the answer lies in the next verse: “Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven.” Different wording a little bit. For one, it says greatest in the kingdom of heaven as opposed to enter into the kingdom of heaven. Is there a difference?

This goes on for a for about 20 more minutes, and I scribble down my thoughts on the scratch paper. Then it’s back to Sunday life, which usually consists of some type of board game. Today it’s Apples to Apples. Of course we let the youngest win so as to prevent a complete meltdown. Which makes me ponder the idea of becoming like a little child to enter the Kingdom of Heaven. I can picture it now: “Come on St Peter, if you don’t let me in I will hate you forever!”

Monday 7:32 AM

I’m all dressed up and ready for work, but I don’t have to leave for about 30 minutes. I plan to take about 10 minutes to prepare some more for the lesson. I start with a prayer, asking for better understanding with the becoming as a little child dilemma. I notice the footnote in Matthew 18:3 cross references to Mosiah 3:19. Of course it does! Why didn’t I think of that yesterday? “becometh as a child, submissive, meek, humble, patient, full of love, willing to submit to all things which the Lord seeth fit to inflict upon him, even as a child doth submit to his father.” Okay, that helps a little bit. I’m sure there is a conference talk or two that discuss this idea. I do a search for “becometh as a child” in the search bar on the conference page, and voila, there are a whole bunch of them. I’ll listen to one of them on the way to work today, courtesy of the handy dandy Gospel Library app.

Monday 5:32 PM

I just got out of work, and am on the drive home. I listened to a conference talk by Henry B. Eyring. One part stuck out to me: “We are safe on the rock which is the Savior when we have yielded in faith in Him, have responded to the Holy Spirit’s direction to keep the commandments long enough and faithfully enough that the power of the Atonement has changed our hearts. When we have, by that experience, become as a child in our capacity to love and obey, we are on the sure foundation.” I love the connection between humility and the Atonement. The change of heart that we experience, which comes through the Atonement, makes us fit for the kingdom of heaven. I’m pretty sure I’m using this quote on Sunday.

Tuesday 8:45 PM

It’s been a long day, and the kids have just been put to bed. Now, it’s time to put the dishes to bed. While loading the dishwasher, I have a minute to ponder some things. I read Luke 10 this morning, and a few things are ruminating. So, it’s the story of the good Samaritan. I hadn’t realized earlier that the parable came about as a series of questions by a “certain lawyer” trying to pick a fight. The first question is “what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” I’m starting to see a theme here. Being humble, and being a good neighbor are relating to eternal life. Not only does it make good sense in being a decent person here and now, but these characteristics prepare us for heaven. Or, is it that heaven is any place where the inhabitants have these characteristics?

This parable is so dense! A whole lesson could easily be dedicated solely to this passage. Being kind to those different than you. Taking care of the needy. Church position is less important than being Christlike. As with most of the Savior’s parables, there are deeper layers of meaning as well. I went on an online search this morning, and found a plethora of theories regarding this parable. The recurring theme was that the wounded man represents mankind, and the Samaritan represents Christ. The innkeeper is the Church, with the divine request to take care of mankind until the Lord returns. I’ll jot some of these thoughts down before bed tonight.

Wednesday 12:37 PM

Sometimes at work, I have a longer lunch break. Today is one of those days. I use ten minutes or so to read. Matthew 18:6 states: “But whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea.” The footnote indicates that offend can be taken to mean “cause to stumble”. Here is something to consider. How can we cause children to stumble? As a parent, my guilt meter rises slightly with this one. I am often aware of the great responsibility that it is to be a parent. Judging by the harshness of this verse, I guess Jesus is also.

Friday 8:25 PM

As my wife and I dig our spoons into a molten lava cake, I decide to take a breather and tell her some of my ideas for the lesson. I mention the fact that the parable of the good Samaritan has some symbols that relate it to the fall and redemption of mankind. I test out a question on her: “Do you think Christlike characteristics qualify us for heaven, or do you think that heaven exists because a group of people have Christlike characteristics?” She thinks for a minute and counters with a scripture: “For intelligence cleaveth unto intelligence; wisdom receiveth wisdom; truth embraceth truth; virtue loveth virtue; light cleaveth unto light; mercy hath compassion on mercy and claimeth her own.”

Touché.

Saturday 9:19 AM

It’s time to map out the lesson. After a week of search, ponder, pray, repeat, I have versus, quotes, and thoughts scrawled across 4 sheets of scratch paper. I take out a new blank sheet. In the center of this paper, I write humility, forgiveness, and charity, and a circle around them. From the word humility I draw a line towards the upper left of the page, and write the phrase become as a child. Under this I add some scripture references and also write Eyring quote. From forgiveness I draw a line to the upper right, and write Matt 18:15- go to the person, not behind their back, and under that Parable of the unmerciful servant. From charity I draw a line to the lower left, and write The Good Samaritan, and then What is the question asked? as well as Hunter Quote, Eternal Life, and Deeper Symbolism. There is now a blank space at the lower right quadrant of the paper. I plan to fill this with the extra ideas to supplement the 3 main concepts of humility, forgiveness and charity. I make a list with Offend little ones (cause to stumble), Mary and Martha- the good part, Lost Sheep- ninety and nine, Seventy- Luke 10:1, DC 107:25,34,38.

Along the bottom of the paper I write Atonement > Grace > Holy Ghost > Conversion/Repentance > Eternal Life. I feel good about ending the lesson with this concept of how the atonement relates to our sanctification and obtaining eternal life. I’ll plan to use up the last 5-7 minutes to hit this home.

Now, I need to start deciding upon teaching methods. I get out a red pen, and start writing different methods next to the principles that I have listed. I want to do a contrast between childish and childlike. I hope that this will force the class to focus on children, and extract those characteristics that we tend to lose as we grow up. I also can use this train of thought to dovetail into a conversation regarding how the Lord views little children. If we are doing well with time, I’ll explain how offend means to cause to stumble, and discuss how the Lord feels about those who offend children. I will finish up the children thought with the Eyring quote, testifying of the power of the Atonement as appropriate.

To teach the parable of the unmerciful servant, I’ve been thinking that I will give the class five minutes to read the parable individually, looking for symbols in the parable. I’ll do some chalkboard work to list out what the class comes up with. Hopefully, this will lead to a good 5-10 minute discussion. I feel it is important to read verse 15, which talks about going directly to those who have trespassed against you. I plan to do that after discussing the parable. I love how the parable ties into the mercy that we are seeking from the Lord. I’ll definitely emphasize that point.

By now, we will probably be past halfway into the lesson. If so, I’ll go directly into the Good Samaritan. If not, I’ll get into one of the supplemental ideas. I think the calling of the seventy has some benefit, by showing similarities between the New Testament Church and the Latter-Day Church.

As far as the teaching method, I’ll probably dig into the scriptures and ask some questions. What does the calling of the seventy teach us about the Church? Answers could include: that the Lord expects us to be involved in the work, that the Church is a missionary Church, that there is order in the Church.

This brings us to what I hope to be the meat of the lesson. I feel that it is important to leave plenty of time to cover the parable of the Good Samaritan. I’ll start with a Joseph Smith quote: “I have a key by which I understand the scripture. I inquire, what was the question which drew out the answers?” I’ll have someone read the 2 questions asked by the lawyer: What shall I do to inherit eternal life? and Who is my neighbor? I hope to do something cool with the parable. First, use the parable to answer the second question. I feel like this is the most superficial explanation of the symbolism in the parable. I’ll include discussion regarding priests, Levites, and Samaritans. I’ll have the class extract some application for us today. Then, I’ll switch gears and address the first question, the eternal life question. This is where the class may crash and burn. Hopefully the class will have walked down the path with me and see the symbolism regarding how the Savior is the Samaritan, and we mankind is the wounded man. That the rules of the law will not save us, nor our priesthood leaders; but only Christ.

I’ll finish up some board work. I’ll draw out a chain that looks like this: Atonement, Grace, Holy Ghost, Conversion/Repentance, Eternal Life. I am banking on the hope that by this point in the lesson, I’ll have taken the class through the experience that I went through this week, which is hard to put into words. However, through the Spirit, I have a deeper understanding and appreciation for the doctrine of our hearts being changed through the Atonement, which prepared us for Eternal Life.

I feel pretty good about the closing, and the timing of the different topics seems right. I now need to decide upon a solid opening. A potentially crazy thought pops into my mind. How about inviting a Primary class to sing “I’m Trying To Be Like Jesus” at the start of the lesson. I figure the 7-8 year olds are ideal; old enough to know the words, but younger than the age of accountability. Maybe that has some symbolic significance as well. I feel good about it and decide to go with it.

I type up the lesson in outline form, with a running time estimation on the side to help me maintain the sequence of the lesson. Now it’s pretty much wrapped up. I’ll pray on it tonight and tomorrow, and welcome any inspiration to alter it as needed.

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My Ideal 1 Week Lesson Prep (pt 1)

Most teaching callings in the Church consist of a weekly lesson, either Sunday School/Primary or Relief Society/Priesthood. Naturally, this gives about 1 week of preparation time for each lesson. I have found a way to prepare that works well for me. It maximizes the limited time that I have. I assume that I am not alone in that I don’t have a lot of discretionary time. After work, spouse, and children, my day is pretty much spent.

Let me walk you through what I would consider my ideal 1 week lesson preparation. I’ll explain it first, and in the next post I will illustrate with a hypothetical(ish) scenario.

My preparation starts immediately after my previous lesson. After the class, I try to engage some in the class regarding the topic and anything that was discussed during class. Maybe someone wanted to ask question that they were embarrassed to ask during class. Or, someone had a story that they wanted to share but didn’t due to time constraints. Either way, I like to talk about the lesson immediately afterwards to get realtime feedback from the most important people, those in the class. This typically lasts for no longer than 5 minutes.

After church, I will talk with my wife about the lesson I taught that day. Our drive to church is about 20 minutes. I’ll spend 10 of that discussing the lesson with my wife. We’ll discuss what went well. Before the lesson started, I had already discussed with her what I was hoping to accomplish with the lesson. We will discuss the positive aspects of the lesson first. Then, I will ask 2 questions. First, “If I could go back in time to immediately before the lesson, what would I do differently?” This allows me to critique my teaching techniques and methods, and evaluate if there was some room for improvement. The second question that I ask is, “If I could go back in time to a week ago, what would I do differently?” This allows me to critique my preparation. In answering these questions, I am able to hone my skills. Much like a professional athlete watching game film, this self assessment is a powerful way to improve your Gospel teaching.

We typically get home and eat a quick bite. Then, the kids run around like chimpanzees have some quiet play time. This gives me some time to myself. I’ll try to take 30 minutes to start the preparation for the next weeks lesson. Preferably, this would happen at the same place each week. This should be at a desk or table with some space to spread out. I usually have my scriptures, lesson manual, laptop, and my $100 noise cancelling headphones. I find that if I stay on task for 30 minutes, that’s all I need to accomplish the goal. What is that goal? To plan the preparation (I don’t know if that can be trademarked, but I call dibs). I will skim the entire lesson in the manual, identifying the scripture blocks, the main points, and the overall feel of the lesson. If you have been in the Church for at least 4 years, then you will already be familiar with the majority of the content in the manual. I will then plan out how I will prepare through the week. This is much simpler than it sounds. I try to read all the scripture blocks in the first 3 days, which is Wednesday for those keeping track at home. So, I basically divide the assigned reading in thirds- Monday’s reading, Tuesday’s reading, Wednesday’s reading. I am assuming that as a result of my reading and pondering, there will be additional scriptures or outside resources that I will want to study. I leave Thursday of Friday for that. In a nutshell, that is how to Plan the PreparationTM; review the lesson manual, divide the reading for Mon-Wed, leave Thur-Fri open. If I have any spare time on Sunday, I will start reading the scriptures for the lesson.

I feel that I need to insert here an explanation. To me, the magic happens during the week. I don’t spend much time formally preparing the lesson, about 10 minutes per day. I do, however, spend a significant amount of time pondering the lesson. If I can get some good source material in my head (ie scriptures), then I find myself thinking about it and getting flashes of inspiration throughout the day. I think I have received the majority of my inspiration while showering or driving. Washing dishes, mowing the lawn, and other low focus physical activities provide a great opportunity for pondering. Functional meditation, if you will (is that trademarke-able as well?).

Having said that, let’s move into the work week. Once Monday morning rolls around, life in general pretty much consumes every waking minute. I try to get a solid 10 minutes of study and prayer in the morning. That is enough to put it into conscious thought and allow the Spirit to work on it throughout the day. I usually get a few new or deeper insights each day. These insights often take my mind on a tangential thought, which can guide my preparation on a slightly different path than expected. Sometimes, it’s additional scriptures that I will want to incorporate, or a conference talk, or a life experience that supplements the lesson material.

After 5 days of this process, I usually have a significant amount of thoughts and ideas floating around my head. Hopefully, it is much more than could be conveyed in a 50 minute lesson. Note that I have not even mentioned teaching methods yet. At this point, I am formulating concrete thoughts and ideas. I am learning the truths that I will hope to convey to the class. I have not yet considered how I am going to do that. Okay, maybe a little bit, but I am intentionally trying to not box myself in at this point with some clever teaching technique that I want to do.

My brain undergoes a significant change after work on Friday. I try my best to put work behind me and have a good weekend with my family. After some good quality kid time comes the best time of the week: date night! The typical date night is the clichéd dinner and a movie, but most important a chance to converse. I’ll leave the importance of communication in a marriage for another day, but as part of the conversation, I’ll talk about the lesson with my wife. Just a few minutes is all, the things that I have learned and ask for her thoughts on the topic. This actually helps a lot in my preparation. After 5 days of rumination, I can sometimes get lost in the weeds. Getting a fresh perspective helps at this point.

This brings us to Saturday. Blessed Saturday. The “special day that we get ready for Sunday.” By this stage of the game, I have 2-3 major ideas that have crystallized, with several related ideas and illustrations. I’ll get out a blank sheet of paper and a pen and start an outline. I really like the “mind mapping” approach. Basically, you write the main point in the center of the paper in a circle. Then, you write branches coming off the circle for the ideas, and sub-ideas. The website mindmapping.com is a great resource if you are new to the concept. This takes about 10 minutes to get on paper the thoughts that I have accumulated throughout the week. The task now is to convert these ideas into a lesson plan. Another way to look at it is to find a way to replicate the personal experience that you had (in preparing for the lesson) for the individuals inside the classroom. I like to start at the punchline and work my way backwards. What is the underlying doctrine or principle taught? How is this illustrated in the scriptures? What teaching method will be effective in allowing the students to extract the principle from the scripture passage?

I have a list of teaching methods that I keep handy while preparing lessons. A few examples include: stories, likening, chalkboard use, guest speakers, drawing activities, comparisons, object lessons, pictures, panel discussions, role playing, work sheets. The list can go on. I try to use a variety of methods in each lesson.

Another matter to consider when making a lesson plan is to find a balance between the intellectual and emotional aspect of teaching. Maintaining a good balance and alternating between the two are some principles of public speaking that apply to Gospel teaching. A powerful teacher will appeal to the mind and the heart, as the Holy Ghost does (DC 8:2).

After making a paper and pen outline, deciding on the teaching methods, considering the emotional and intellectual components, I will make an electronic outline. This exercise represents what I consider the most difficult challenge of Gospel teaching; taking something that is eternal (the Gospel), beyond space and time, and translating it into something very much bound by space and time (50 minutes in a classroom). By reconstructing the outline from a free-flowing mind map into a linear word document, it forces a degree of organization. I try not to kill all of the creativity, which is a risk we take by over-structuring a lesson plan.

This entire process takes up about an hour of my Saturday. Then, I let it sit on the computer and give it one last nights sleep before a final touch up on Sunday morning and printing out the outline. This final touch should include seeking a confirmation from the Lord that you have prepared the lesson that He would have you give. Once you receive that confirmation, you should feel more confident and the burden of preparation is lifted. Now all that is left is to get up and deliver.

A good practice that was recommended to me years ago is to picture in your mind some of those that you assume will be in the class. Think of their needs, wants, fears, desires. Try to see them the way the Savior sees them; as flawed individuals that are in need of love and service. How will this lesson heal their wounds? How will this help them to become better people? This outward focus will improve your teaching exponentially. Once you come to the realization that teaching is about the student, and not about the teacher, you will prepare and give much more powerful lessons.

I haven’t mentioned enough about the role of the Holy Ghost in this whole process. From start to finish, the Holy Ghost is critical. Only the Spirit can take your feeble efforts and take the teaching deep into the hearts of those in the class. When we bring an old horse yoke to class to illustrate how the Savior shares our burdens, we rely on the Holy Ghost to touch the hearts of the class. Only the Spirit can build testimony, build faith, and bring about a mighty change. Constant prayer, pondering, and seeking for inspiration and confirmation are vital components to lesson preparation. While gospel teaching has a lot in common with secular teaching, if you neglect the importance of the Holy Ghost you will never be able to fulfill your calling as a teacher. It is though the Holy Ghost that our words become the words of Christ. The Lord spoke to Orson Hyde, as well as to us: “And this is the ensample unto them, that they shall speak as they are moved upon by the Holy Ghost. And whatsoever they shall speak when moved upon by the Holy Ghost shall be scripture, shall be the will of the Lord, shall be the mind of the Lord, shall be the word of the Lord, shall be the voice of the Lord, and the power of God unto salvation. Behold, this is the promise of the Lord unto you, O ye my servants.”

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How Deep Can I Go?

A common concern among Gospel teachers is going too deep, or talking about doctrines that they should leave alone. A great way to resolve this concern is to understand the difference between deep doctrine and fringe doctrine.

Deep Doctrine

Some synonyms of deep include: profound, immersed, heavy, and difficult. Instead of deep, the scriptural term most often used is mysteries. Mysteries are things that can only be understood by the Spirit, according to the will of God. We learn from the Book of Mormon, “It is given unto many to know the mysteries of God; nevertheless they are laid under a strict command that they shall not impart only according to the portion of his word which he doth grant unto the children of men, according to the heed and diligence which they give unto him. And therefore, he that will harden his heart, the same receiveth the lesser portion of the word; and he that will not harden his heart, to him is given the greater portion of the word, until it is given unto him to know the mysteries of God until he know them in full. And they that will harden their hearts, to them is given the lesser portion of the word until they know nothing concerning his mysteries; and then they are taken captive by the devil, and led by his will down to destruction. Now this is what is meant by the chains of hell.” In this context, the mysteries of God are something to be desired.

In the preface to the vision of the three degrees of glory, the Lord declares the following: “I, the Lord, am merciful and gracious unto those who fear me, and delight to honor those who serve me in righteousness and in truth unto the end. Great shall be their reward and eternal shall be their glory. And to them will I reveal all mysteries, yea, all the hidden mysteries of my kingdom from days of old, and for ages to come, will I make known unto them the good pleasure of my will concerning all things pertaining to my kingdom. Yea, even the wonders of eternity shall they know, and things to come will I show them, even the things of many generations. And their wisdom shall be great, and their understanding reach to heaven; and before them the wisdom of the wise shall perish, and the understanding of the prudent shall come to naught. For by my Spirit will I enlighten them, and by my power will I make known unto them the secrets of my will—yea, even those things which eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor yet entered into the heart of man.”

In your teaching of the Gospel, profound truths should be sought after and discussed, not avoided. The most profound truths relate to the Atonement of Jesus Christ. In fact, each and every lesson and talk you give should tie back to this central doctrine; the sacrifice offered to save mankind from physical and spiritual death.

I remember reading Lectures on Faith while preparing for a mission. I had never imagined how deep of a doctrine faith can be. This illustrates the difference between deep and fringe. The Lectures on Faith deals almost exclusively with the nature of God, and the principle of sacrifice. These are among the most basic of Gospel principles.

This dovetails nicely into the next thought regarding deep doctrines. The more that God has said on the subject, the deeper we can actually go, and also the safer the territory is. Such topics as faith, repentance, covenants, priesthood, Atonement, and the nature of God allow sufficient scriptures to delve deeply and find great hidden treasures. On the other hand, such topics as the decomposition of spirit matter in outer darkness, the location of Kolob, or predicting the second coming receive little to no treatment in the scriptures. This leads to speculation, which is no bueno. As we read in the Doctrine and Covenants, “And of tenets thou shalt not talk, but thou shalt declare repentance and faith on the Savior, and remission of sins by baptism, and by fire, yea, even the Holy Ghost.”

Fringe Doctrine

One definition of fringe is “something regarded as peripheral, marginal, secondary, or extreme in relation to something else.” In golf, the fringe is the area that separates the putting green from the rough.  Like this thicker grass, fringe doctrine is far from the target (the hole) and close to the undesired rough.

Elder Gene R. Cook used the word fringe in General Conference, “The teacher [of righteousness] will teach in simplicity, according to the true needs of the people, basic gospel doctrines like faith, repentance, and prayer, which all men—all men—can apply. (See D&C 19:31; Alma 26:22.) He will not look beyond the mark by exaggerating, by teaching in the fringe areas, by expanding on the scriptures, or by teaching exotic extremes in any principle…” (italics added).

A simple rule of thumb to follow is that if God hasn’t spent a whole lot of time talking about a subject, we shouldn’t either. This is another great reason to become familiar with the scriptures. We get accustomed to how the Lord speaks, what He speaks about, and the frequency with which He speaks about certain things.

Two Analogies

One way to look at this subject is to picture the Gospel as a big tree. The closer that you get to the trunk, the more solid your footing is. We can compare the trunk to the Atonement. All other Gospel principles are appendages to this central doctrine, and receive life from it. As we depart away from the trunk, we lose our solid footing.

Another analogy is to view the Gospel as a large lake. The closer to the center of the lake you get, the deeper it is.  The closer you get to the shore, the shallower it gets.

Some Tips for Teaching

Here are a few ideas that will hopefully help you in your teaching. First, spend most of your time teaching from the scriptures, and trying to convey the true intent of the scriptures. It can be tempting to try to use scriptures to support a point that you are trying to make, even though that is not the actual intent of the passage. I heard an example of this recently. Matthew 26:11 reads, “For ye have the poor always with you; but me ye have not always.” This was used to argue that we should not try to eliminate poverty, because Jesus himself said that we will always have the poor with us. If you look at the verse in context, it is clear that Jesus was not arguing against giving to the poor, which was what this person was proclaiming.

My second tip is to not ask speculative questions. You can easily lead a discussion down a strange path by asking poor questions. A question like, “Why do you think Heavenly Mother is not spoken of more in the scriptures?” could bring up who knows what type of speculation, and is not very useful.

Almost every class will have those who feel that they have reached a point in their gospel knowledge that they can only talk about fringe doctrines. More often than not, you will find that they, in reality, only have a superficial understanding of the core doctrines of the gospel. They actually have been lazy in their obtaining truth and light, and look for shortcuts to knowledge. Rather than pay the due diligence required to know the things of God, they resort to finding some new speculative theory. Ever learning, as Paul put it, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. Joseph Smith beautifully taught how we learn deep doctrine, “The things of God are of deep import; and time, and experience, and careful and ponderous and solemn thoughts can only find them out. Thy mind, O man! if thou wilt lead a soul unto salvation, must stretch as high as the utmost heavens, and search into and contemplate the darkest abyss, and the broad expanse of eternity—thou must commune with God. How much more dignified and noble are the thoughts of God, than the vain imaginations of the human heart!”

If you can show a class how exciting and deep the simple gospel doctrines can be, you will prove to be of great worth to those children of God that He has called you to feed. If you consistently teach the fundamental core doctrines in a powerful, spirit filled, way, you will change the culture of your classroom, your ward, and ultimately the whole Church. Picture a Church full of people that have a deep understanding and appreciation for the Atonement of Christ, of faith in His power to save, of the concepts of justification and sanctification, of taking care of our fellow man. This is a Church that the Savior can call His, when he comes to make up His jewels. This is a Church with whom He would be well pleased, collectively and individually.

This is His Church, but it is also our Church. It is not called only The Church of Jesus Christ, or The Church of the Latter Day Saints. It requires both parties, in concert, to succeed. A major component of this success includes high quality Gospel teaching. It requires teaching individuals the Gospel of Jesus Christ, from the scriptures, by the Holy Ghost. That is our call, and there is no greater.

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The Big Payoff

Teaching the gospel can be a stressful calling. There are times when we feel so good about a lesson… until the lesson actually happens. Hours of preparation, feeling great about what you prepared, and it flops. This post is not about those moments.

On the contrary, this post is about those sweet moments when everything goes perfect. By perfect I don’t mean without mistake, but that you actually see the light go on for someone in the class. I like to call this the big payoff.

It can look anywhere along the spectrum from staring blankly at the ground, to nodding their head enthusiastically at every comment made. On a side note, one thing I have learned is that a quiet class is either a good thing or a bad thing; either they are hearing the voice of the spirit, or they are super bored.

So, how can you know if you have achieved the big payoff? Alma gives us this tip: “And now my beloved brethren, do you believe these things? Behold, I say unto you, yea, I know that ye believe them; and the way that I know that ye believe them is by the manifestation of the Spirit which is in me. And now because your faith is strong concerning that, yea, concerning the things which I have spoken, great is my joy.” You’ll know when it clicks for someone because you’ll feel it. And boy does it feel good. Or, in Alma’s words, great is your joy!

One great thing about the big payoff is that it can happen regularly. As it happens, you will want it more, as will your class. This leads to an increased excitement as you prepare lessons, and a better prepared class. As you build your confidence and abilities, combined with a class that is primed for a spiritual experience, the “light will go on” with greater frequency and intensity. The Lord worded it this way, “Therefore, why is it that ye cannot understand and know, that he that receiveth the word by the Spirit of truth receiveth it as it is preached by the Spirit of truth? Wherefore, he that preacheth and he that receiveth, understand one another, and both are edified and rejoice together. And that which doth not edify is not of God, and is darkness. That which is of God is light; and he that receiveth light, and continueth in God, receiveth more light; and that light groweth brighter and brighter until the perfect day.”

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Expounding Scripture

One of the most fundamental, perhaps the most fundamental teaching skill, is expounding scripture.

Expounding scripture is, simply put, the ability to explain a passage of scripture. Great gospel teachers do this regularly and powerfully. The good news is that anyone can learn how to do it. The great news is that it will pay dividends in your life and in your teaching.

The first step to expounding scriptures is to learn how to study the scriptures.  Here are three tips to help you study:

  1.  Ask questions of the scriptures. In any given verse, you should be able to construct several questions that start with what, when, why, who, where or how.
  2. Look for “If… then” phrases. These are like mullets– after you see one, you see a million. These statements are low hanging fruit for gospel principles. Another way to view it is that these are all sub-covenants, or components of the New and Everlasting Covenant.
  3. Cross-reference. “Let scripture interpret scripture.” If you are new to the whole scripture study thing, use the cross references provided in the scriptures. As your gospel knowledge increases, you will make connections with other passages that you have studied.

The second step to expounding scriptures is to plan to expound the scriptures. In your preparation of the lesson, pick a passage that illustrates the doctrine you are trying to teach. If you are unsure where to start, give the topical guide a try. After you study the passage, prayerfully design questions that will cause your students to ponder the passage. A good generic question to ask is “what principle can we learn from this passage?” Another part of the plan is to decide which other passages you can use to cross-reference. Also, plan what method you will use to cross-reference. There are many ways to do this. You can write them out on the board and have the class take turns reading. You can hand out little papers with the reference written on them.  You can go through each cross-reference as a whole class together.

The third step to expounding scriptures is to do it. Now that you have extracted the doctrine through your personal study, and have taken the time to plan it out, you are ready to expound the scriptures in your lesson. Instead of just asking someone to read and comment on the passage, set the class up to extract principles. Let’s look at an example. Let’s say you are teaching from Mosiah 3:4:  “For the Lord hath heard thy prayers, and hath judged of thy righteousness, and hath sent me to declare unto thee that thou mayest rejoice; and that thou mayest declare unto thy people, that they may also be filled with joy.” One way to set it up is to prime the class with the question before having someone read it. You could ask, “As Brother Smith reads this verse, look for the purpose of the message that the angel delivered to King Benjamin.” After Brother Smith reads it, ask, “What is the purpose of the angelic message?” Answers would probably include something about joy. There are a handful of cross-references you could use that illustrate the joy of the gospel. Another question you could ask about this verse is, “What do you think ‘judging of our righteousness’ looks like?” A possible cross-reference is 2 Ne 9:18:  “But, behold, the righteous, the saints of the Holy One of Israel, they who have believed in the Holy One of Israel, they who have endured the crosses of the world, and despised the shame of it, they shall inherit the kingdom of God, which was prepared for them from the foundation of the world, and their joy shall be full forever.” You could also ask the class if they can think of any “if… then” statements in this verse, like “if we pray for it, and are righteous, the Lord will send messages that will cause us to rejoice.”

Hopefully, you can see that the gospel truly is inexhaustible. There is an endless supply of questions and cross-references at your disposal to expound scriptures in your lessons. By following these simple steps, you can develop this priceless skill and use it to the benefit of those you teach.