Let the Holy Spirit Guide: Creating a Spirit-led Learning Environment

After attending a teacher training last week, I’ve been inspired to pull out my file and review some gems I’ve collected about gospel teaching. Here are some great LDS quotes about the importance of the Spirit in gospel teaching and learning. Without the Spirit, we shouldn’t be teaching, because the Spirit IS the teacher. 

THE SPIRIT IS SUPREMELY IMPORTANT IN TEACHING AND LEARNING

“The greatest education you can get is to learn the voice of the Spirit” (Boyd K. Packer, Mine Errand from the Lord).

“The real teacher is the Spirit. … We’re instruments, we’re tools, and it’s our tongues and our lips, but the real teacher is on high. … ‘And if it be by some other way it is not of God’ (D&C 50:18)” (Elder Holland, Worldwide Leadership Training, 2007).

“The ability to qualify for, receive, and act on personal revelation is the single most important skill that can be acquired in this life.” (Julie Beck, “And Upon the Handmaids in Those Days Will I Pour Out My Spirit,” Ensign, Nov. 2010). 

2 Nephi 33:1 – “When a man speaketh by the power of the Holy Ghost the power of the Holy Ghost carrieth it unto the hearts of the children of men.” 

D&C 100:6 – “It shall be given you in the very hour, yea, in the very moment, what ye shall say.”
 
WHY? BECAUSE THE SPIRIT CONVERTS – CHANGES MINDS, HEARTS, AND ACTIONS 

“True doctrine, understood, changes attitudes and behavior. The study of the doctrines of the gospel will improve behavior quicker than a study of behavior will improve behavior. Preoccupation with unworthy behavior can lead to unworthy behavior. That is why we stress so forcefully the study of the doctrines of the gospel” (Boyd K. Packer, Ensign Nov. 1986, 17).

“The goal of gospel teaching … is not to ‘pour information’ into the minds of class members. … The aim is to inspire the individual to think about, feel about, and then do something about living gospel principles.” (Thomas Monson, CR 10/70). 

Alma 31:5 – “As the preaching of the word had a great tendency to lead the people to do that which was just – yea, it had a more powerful effect upon the minds of the people than the sword, or anything else, which had happened unto them – therefore Alma thought it was expedient that they should try the virtue of the word of God.” (Elder Holland said about this verse, “Another word for virtue is power.” From Worldwide Leadership Training, 2007)

“The Spirit not only informs and increases mutual understanding, it convinces! The Spirit can convince the student to ‘experiment upon’ (Alma 32:27) the gospel, so that the prized personal verification will come and individuals come to know for themselves that these things are true.  Brigham Young said of the Spirit’s convincing power: ‘Anything besides that influence, will fail to convince any person of the truth of the Gospel of salvation’” (Neal A. Maxwell, “Teaching by the Spirit: the Language of Inspiration,” August 15, 1991). 

“For you teachers of the Church, the principal goal of your lessons is the conversion of hearts. The quality of a lesson is not measured by the number of new pieces of information that you give your students. It comes from your capacity to invite the presence of the Spirit and to motivate your students to make commitments” (Gérald Caussé, CR, Oct. 2008).

THE TEACHER’S CHARACTER TEACHES AND INVITES THE SPIRIT 

My husband teaching my seminary class last year about the duties of a bishop.

“We teach what we are” (Boyd K. Packer, The Ideal Teacher). 

“Paramount … in what they observe is the example of your own life – how you work; how you react to challenges in and out of the classroom; … how you treat [your families]. How you live is constantly under observation. … More than what you teach, more than what you show or say, the spirit that radiates from you will effect your students. A truly effective inspiring teacher of youth cannot be marginal in conviction, intermittent in testimony, or wavering on obedience” (Richard G. Scott, “Four Fundamentals for Those Who Teach and Inspire Youth,” August 14, 1987).  

“The greatest impact of all is what they feel in your presence in the classroom and elsewhere. Your commitment to teach the precious children of our Father in Heaven is … [also] the commitment to a life every hour of which is purposefully lived in compliance with the teachings and example of the Savior and of His servants. It is a commitment to constant striving to be evermore spiritual, evermore devoted, evermore deserving to be the conduit through which the Spirit of the Lord may touch the hearts of those you are trusted to bring to a greater understanding of His teachings” (Ibid).

WHEN STUDENTS PARTICIPATE THEY INVITE THE SPIRIT AND CONVERSION

My daughter during an interactive seminary activity.

“Never, and I mean never, give a lecture where there is no student participation.  A ‘talking head’ is the weakest form of class instruction. … Ensure that there is abundant participation because that use of agency by a student authorizes the Holy Ghost to instruct. It also helps the student retain your message.  As students verbalize truths, they are confirmed in their souls and strengthen their personal testimonies” (Richard G. Scott, “To Understand and Live Truth,” Feb. 4, 2005). 

“When you encourage students to raise their hand to respond to a question, they signify to the Holy Spirit their willingness to learn.  That use of moral agency will allow the Spirit to motivate and give them more powerful guidance during your time together. Participation allows individuals to experience being led by the Spirit. They learn to recognize and feel what spiritual guidance is. It is through the repeated process of feeling impressions, recording them, and obeying them that one learns to depend on the direction of the Spirit more than on communication through the five senses” (Richard G. Scott, “Helping Others to Be Spiritually Led,” August 11, 1998). 

“A person learns more rapidly from what he does than from what others do for him.  One expert has concluded that ‘the ratio of learning is: one by hearing, ten by seeing, and one thousand by doing.’  A person does not learn nearly so well by sitting and listening to someone talk as he does by participating.  He must be involved in the lesson.  The secret of successful teaching, therefore, is getting a person to do something for himself”  (President Monson, Favorite Quotations from the Collection of Thomas S. Monson, p. 266).

1 Nephi 19:23 – “I did liken all scriptures unto us, that it might be for our profit and learning.”

TESTIFYING –  FROM BOTH TEACHER AND STUDENTS – INVITES THE SPIRIT 

“Above all, testify to them. Love them. Bear your witness from the depths of your soul. It will be the most important thing you say to them in the entire hour, and it may save someone’s spiritual life. … Never let your faith be difficult to detect. … Avoid self-serving performance and vanity. Don’t try to dazzle everyone with how brilliant you are. Dazzle them with how brilliant the gospel is” (Elder Holland, Worldwide Leadership Training, 2007).

“We are to help students learn to explain, share, and testify of the doctrines and principles of the restored gospel. We are to give them opportunities to do so with each other in class.  We are to encourage them to do so outside of class with family and others”  (The Teaching Emphasis in the Church Educational System, November 14, 2007).

ASKING INSPIRED QUESTIONS – FROM BOTH TEACHER AND STUDENTS – INVITES SPIRIT-LED LEARNING 

“The more questions we can get from the learners about something, the more they are engaged in the learning” (Julie Beck, Worldwide Leadership Training, 2007).

“The very process of formulating a question, raising a hand, asking a question and listening attentively is an expression of faith. This principle of seeking learning by faith invites individualized teaching by the Holy Ghost”  (David A. Bednar, Address to Australian Saints, April 2008).

“As teachers, we must require our students to think. … After discussing each story, we were asked questions such as ‘What does that mean to you?’ ‘How does this scripture–or story or principle–relate to your life?’ ‘How can you apply this teaching in your home?’ ‘How do you feel about it?’ I found in my own home with my boys that once I asked these questions they began to live and feel what they were being taught” (Elder Robert D. Hales, “Teaching By Faith,” Feb. 1, 2002). 

“To ask and to answer questions is at the heart of all learning and all teaching. The Master asked, answered, and sometimes chose not to answer questions in his ministry. … Some questions invite inspiration. Great teachers ask those. Here is a question that might not invite inspiration:  ‘How is a true prophet recognized?’ That question invites an answer which is a list, drawn from memory of the scriptures and the words of living prophets. But we could also ask the question this way, with just a small difference: ‘When have you felt that you were in the presence of a prophet?’ That will invite individuals to search their memories for feelings. After asking, we might wisely wait for a moment before calling on someone to respond. Even those who do not speak will be thinking of spiritual experiences.  That will invite the Holy Ghost”(President Henry B. Eyring “The Lord Will Multiply the Harvest,” Feb. 6, 1998).

WRITING DOWN IMPRESSIONS FROM THE SPIRIT INVITES CHANGE AND MORE IMPRESSIONS

“Those who earnestly seek help through prayer and scripture study often have a paper and pencil nearby to write questions and record impressions and ideas” (Julie Beck, “And Upon the Handmaids … I Pour Out My Spirit,” Ensign, Nov. 2010). 
“Do you know how to get the most benefit from this time together?  Write down the impressions you feel…Spiritual moments in life often come when it seems difficult to record them.  Yet that special effort to crystallize in a permanent record sacred impressions of the Holy Ghost is powerfully rewarded.  Begin now even if you have to borrow paper and pencil to do it.” (Richard G. Scott, BYU-I Devot., Feb. 24, 2004)

“I encourage you to emphasize that we often leave the most precious personal direction of the Spirit unheard because we do not record and respond to the first promptings that come to us when the Lord chooses to direct us or when impressions come in response to urgent prayer” (Richard G. Scott, “Helping Others to be Spiritually Led,” August 11, 1998).

“Powerful spiritual direction in your life can be overcome or forced into the background unless you provide a way to retain it. … Knowledge carefully recorded is knowledge available in time of need. Spiritually sensitive information should be kept in a sacred place that communicates to the Lord how you treasure it. That practice enhances the likelihood of your receiving further light” (Richard G. Scott, “Acquiring Spiritual Knowledge,” Ensign, Nov. 1993).

IT’S BETTER TO REALLY DIGEST ONE PRINCIPLE THAN RUSHING TO COVER ALL YOUR MATERIAL

“Avoid … the temptation to cover too much material, the temptation to stuff more into the hour – or more into the students – than they can possibly hold! .. We are teaching people, not subject matter per se; … An unrushed atmosphere is absolutely essential if you are to have the Spirit of the Lord present in your class. … Don’t try to do too much. … If we can get one thing across, one idea, one principle, something sterling and significant … be assured” (Elder Holland, W Leadership Training, 2007).

PONDERING AND REVERENCE INVITE THE SPIRIT 

“The word ponder means to consider, contemplate, reflect upon, or think about. Pondering the scriptures, then, is reverent reflecting on the truths, experiences, and lessons contained in the standard works. The process of pondering takes time and cannot be forced, hurried, or rushed” (David Bednar, “Because We Have Them before Our Eyes,” New Era, Apr 2006, 2).

“Reverence is profound respect and love…As you become more reverent, you will notice a quiet transformation in your life.  The Lord will pour out His Spirit more abundantly on you.  You will be less troubled and confused.  You will be able to receive revelation to help you solve personal and family problems” (“Reverence”, True to the Faith – A Gospel Reference, p. 145)

The Spirit does not get our attention by shouting or shaking us with a heavy hand. Rather it whispers. It caresses so gently that if we are preoccupied we may not feel it at all. … Occasionally it will press just firmly enough for us to pay heed. But most of the time, if we do not heed the gentle feeling, the Spirit will withdraw and wait until we come seeking and listening and say in our manner and expression, like Samuel of ancient times, “Speak [Lord], for thy servant heareth.”  (1 Sam. 3:10.)  (Boyd K. Packer, “The Candle of the Lord,” Ensign, Jan 1983 )

WE CAN EXPECT A LOT FROM YOUTH, AND THEY NEED DEEP CONVERSION IN THIS DAY AND AGE

“One of the dangers of the times we are passing into is that we might be tempted to lower our expectations for ourselves and for those young people we serve.  As the world darkens, even a partial conversion and a few spiritual experiences may seem more and more remarkable, compared to the world.  We might be tempted to expect less.  The Lord has given another signal, clear and powerful.  It is that we can expect more, not less, of youth.” (Henry B. Eyring, “Raising Expectations,”August 2004)

THE SPIRIT CAN TESTIFY OF ALL TRUTH, NO MATTER THE SOURCE 

“If you can find a truth in heaven, earth or hell, it belongs to our doctrine. We believe it; it is ours; we claim it. … If the infidel has got truth it belongs to “Mormonism.” The truth and sound doctrine possessed by the sectarian world, and they have a great deal, all belong to this Church. As for their morality, many of them are, morally, just as good as we are. All that is good, lovely, and praiseworthy belongs to this Church and Kingdom. “Mormonism” includes all truth. There is no truth but what belongs to the Gospel” (Brigham Young, Teaching: Brigham Young, Chapt. 2: The Gospel Defined”).

PRAY FOR THE TEACHER TO PREPARE AND TEACH BY THE SPIRIT 

“I will talk to God about [the teachers] and tell him how much I desire for him to teach me through them. I am not sure I understand how this works, but I know it works. Last Monday night I was preparing to come here. I felt some impressions of something I was supposed to teach you. They came with more than the normal intellectual force. … As I received the idea for this talk, I felt it an impression that I was receiving it because of the prayers of one or more of you. … Perhaps it wasn’t so much that you were naming me, but you must have been pleading to be given some help, to be taught something, to be given some assurance. …  By your prayers you can and will bring down the blessings of heaven, and particularly the gift of the Holy Ghost, which will help your teachers and your leaders” (Henry B. Eyring, “Listen Together,” BYU Fireside, Sept. 4, 1988).


Click here to see quotes about getting students to participate in class. 

How to Get Students to Participate in Class: 17 Ideas and 17 Quotes

I agree with Elder Kim Clarke when he said: 

“Whatever level of spirituality we now enjoy in our lives; whatever degree of faith in Jesus Christ … commitment and consecration, whatever degree of obedience or hope or charity is ours … it will not be sufficient for the work that lies ahead. … You and I need to be much better than we are now. The scriptures teach us that the world is now and will be in commotion. Wickedness and darkness will increase. Yet in that darkening world there will be increased divine light. The Lord Jesus Christ has a great work for us to do with the rising generation. It is a greater work than we have ever done before. The Lord is working in power to strengthen teaching and learning in His true and living Church. He is hastening His work, and He is preparing the earth and His kingdom and us for His return” (“Encircled About with Fire,” Seminaries and Institutes of Religion Satellite Broadcast, August 4, 2015, emphasis added).

So How do we strengthen teaching and learning to raise us to the next level and help prepare the world for the Savior’s return? One way is to help students participate in their spiritual learning every time they come to class.   

17 Ideas to Invite Student Participation

1. When someone makes a comment, make sure they feel safe and appreciated. It takes a lot of courage for some people to participate, so be careful not to make someone feel embarrassed or unappreciated for their comment. Looking them in the eye and saying, “Thank you, that’s a great point! It reminds me of…” goes a long way in making people feel safe to share.   

2. Openly invite participation. At the beginning of your lesson, tell the class you’d love to hear their comments and questions. You may even dedicate a whole lesson to this, which is what we do at the beginning of each school year in seminary. 

3. Have them discuss with a neighbor or small group what a scripture or quote means to them, how it applies to their lives, or a time when it has blessed their lives.  

4. Have a student read a verse aloud then paraphrase it in his own words. That makes them think and internalize what they read.  

5. Have a student read a verse aloud then tell how it applies to a certain principle, or how it applies to her life.

6. Invite students to share a personal experience that relates to the topic. When you invite participation, pause longer than is comfortable. Some people need several seconds to process their thoughts, so if you’re too uncomfortable to pause, those people will never raise their hands to comment. 

7.  Invite a student to bear his or her testimony about a principle. Or ask a person after giving a comment, “Would you put an “I know” statement at the end of that?” For example, if the comment was about prayer, they may respond with “I know that when I spend more time thanking Heavenly Father in my prayers, I feel closer to Him.” 

8. When reading a passage, stop and ask questions along the way to make sure everyone follows the story or sermon.    

9. Have students brainstorm ways to apply a principle and list their ideas on the board. Invite them to set a goal by choosing one item that they plan to use to improve their own lives. If they write down their goal on an index card, set an alarm, or send themselves a message on their phone, they’re more likely to remember and do their goal. The next class period you could start the day asking who would like to share how it went doing their action. You could text your students with a reminder. 

10.  Play pass the chalk. One or two students can write on the board one way to apply the principle, and they pass the chalk to the next person until everyone has a chance to write their idea on the board. 

11. Invite them to write a short journal entry to paraphrase a verse into their own words, then write their thoughts about it, and how it applies to them. You may want to play instrumental hymn music as they write. 

12. Ask questions before reading a scripture or quote such as: 

• Look for…
• Notice…
• Find… 

13. Ask open-ended questions after reading a scripture or quote, such as: 

• What is the Lord trying to teach us here?
• What does it mean to you? How you feel about it?
• How does this scripture or story or principle relate to your life?
• Why do you think…
• What did you find…
• What do you think, In your opinion…
• Why is it, How is it…
• What is the difference…
• What are some ways…
• What life lessons can we draw from this? 
• Who’s willing to summarize the story so far?
• What blessings have you seen when you have…

(Notice what three words most of these questions start with)

14. When someone asks a question, rather than answering it yourself, invite the class to give answers.  Or ask the class to help find the answer in the scriptures or the manual. Teach them how to use study helps like footnotes, Topical Guide, Bible Dictionary, and especially the Joseph Smith Translation. 

15. What if you get too much participation from one or two people so other class members don’t get a chance? You could say before asking your next question, “Let’s hear from someone who hasn’t shared yet today,” or “How about someone on this side of the room?” or “We have time for two people to share.” 

16. At the end of a lesson I sometimes invite a student to close with their testimony of a principle or truth they learned today. These have been awesome! I gave my seminary students notice when I was going to start inviting them, and told them to come tell me privately if they didn’t want me to call on them. Another option is to ask, “Who is willing to stand up and share with us what you learned about prayer today?” 

17. Here is a method of class participation you can use if you have an emergency with no prep time, which happened once in Relief Society. I asked everyone to pull out their paper or digital manual, and assigned a section of the lesson to each row. I gave them several minutes to silently read their section and mark things they might like to share. I scanned the whole lesson while they read, and of course prayed for guidance that we’d all say what God would have us say. It turned out awesome! As we moved through each section of the lesson, that row shared what stood out to them and their thoughts or experiences about it. Sometimes I chimed in responses and sometimes others did. At the end I summarized the main point of the lesson in a testimony and we were all well nourished by the Spirit and a great discussion. 

17 LDS Quotes about Student Participation 

1. “Sometimes students come to the learning setting thinking that the responsibility for their learning rests only with the teacher. They want to sit passively and have education “happen” to them. This cannot be….Each person has a responsibility for his or her own gospel learning and living, and each will ultimately be judged by how they fulfill that responsibility” (Teaching the Gospel: A Handbook for CES Teachers and Leaders, p. 13).

2. “The very process of formulating a question, raising a hand, asking a question and listening attentively is an expression of faith. This principle of seeking learning by faith invites individualized teaching by the Holy Ghost”  (Elder David A. Bednar, Address to Australian Saints, April 2008).

3. “A person learns more rapidly from what he does than from what others do for him. One expert has concluded that ‘the ratio of learning is: one by hearing, ten by seeing, and one thousand by doing.’  A person does not learn nearly so well by sitting and listening to someone talk as he does by participating.  He must be involved in the lesson. The secret of successful teaching, therefore, is getting a person to do something for himself” (President Monson, Favorite Quotations from the Collection of Thomas S. Monson, p. 266).

4. “As teachers, we must require our students to think… After discussing each story, we were asked questions such as ‘What does that mean to you?’ ‘How does this scripture–or story or principle–relate to your life?’ ‘How can you apply this teaching in your home?’ ‘How do you feel about it?’ I found in my own home with m boys that once I asked these questions they began to live and feel what they were being taught.  We were asked to think” (Elder Robert D. Hales, “Teaching By Faith,” Feb. 1, 2002). 

5. “Never, and I mean never, give a lecture where there is no student participation.  A ‘talking head’ is the weakest form of class instruction… Assure that there is abundant participation because that use of agency by a student authorizes the Holy Ghost to instruct. It also helps the student retain your message.  As students verbalize truths, they are confirmed in their souls and strengthen their personal testimonies” (Elder Richard G. Scott, “To Understand and Live Truth,” Feb. 4, 2005). 

6. “Learning by faith cannot be transferred from an instructor to a student through a lecture, a demonstration, or an experiential exercise; rather a student must exercise faith and act in order to obtain the knowledge for himself or herself… Ultimately the responsibility to learn by faith and apply spiritual truth rests upon each of us individually… What, how, and when we learn is supported by–but is not dependent upon–an instructor, a method of presentation, or a specific topic or lesson format” (Elder David A. Bednar, “Seek Learning by Faith,” Feb. 3, 2006).

7. “We are to help students learn to explain, share, and testify of the doctrines and principles of the restored gospel. We are to give them opportunities to do so with each other in class. We are to encourage them to do so outside of class with family and others” (The Teaching Emphasis in the Church Educational System, November 14, 2007).

8. “The role of the teacher is “to help individuals take responsibility for learning the gospel—to awaken in them the desire to study, understand, and live the gospel” (David M. McKonkie, Gen. Conf. Oct. 2010, quoting Teaching, No Greater Call: A Resource Guide for Gospel Teaching, 1999, 61).

9.  “When you encourage students to raise their hand to respond to a question, they signify to the Holy Spirit their willingness to learn.  That use of moral agency will allow the Spirit to motivate and give them more powerful guidance during your time together. Participation allows individuals to experience being led by the Spirit. They learn to recognize and feel what spiritual guidance is. It is through the repeated process of feeling impressions, recording them, and obeying them that one learns to depend on the direction of the Spirit more than on communication through the five senses” (Elder Richard G. Scott, “Helping Others to Be Spiritually Led,” Teaching Seminary Preservice Readings (2004), 55–57).

 10. “One of the dangers of the times we are passing into is that we might be tempted to lower our expectations for ourselves and for those young people we serve.  As the world darkens, even a partial conversion and a few spiritual experiences may seem more and more remarkable, compared to the world.  We might be tempted to expect less.  The Lord has given another signal, clear and powerful.  It is that we can expect more, not less, of youth.” (Henry B. Eyring, “Raising Expectations,” CES Satellite Training Broadcast, August 2004)

11.  “Do you know how to get the most benefit from this time together?  Write down the impressions you feel. … Spiritual moments in life often come when it seems difficult to record them.  Yet that special effort to crystallize in a permanent record sacred impressions of the Holy Ghost is powerfully rewarded.  Begin now even if you have to borrow paper and pencil to do it.” (Richard G. Scott, BYU-Idaho Devotional, February 24, 2004)

12. “How easy it is for a teacher to respond quickly to simple questions, to close a conversation that might have ignited a sparkling and lively class discussion. . . . Few things are so agonizing for a new teacher as to want to start a discussion and then have everyone remain silent. The use of discussion, simple question and answer, is one of the basic, useful, and important teaching processes. It often does not go well simply because the teacher does not know how to ask questions or how to respond (or how not to respond) to those that are asked by the class”  (President Boyd K. Packer, Teach Ye Diligently [1975], 55–56). 

13. “To ask and to answer questions is at the heart of all learning and all teaching. The Master asked, answered, and sometimes chose not to answer questions in his ministry. … Some questions invite inspiration. Great teachers ask those. That may take just a small change of words, an inflection in the voice. Here is a question that might not invite inspiration:  ‘How is a true prophet recognized?’ That question invites an answer which is a list, drawn from memory of the scriptures and the words of living prophets. But we could also ask the question this way, with just a small difference: ‘When have you felt that you were in the presence of a prophet?’ That will invite individuals to search their memories for feelings. After asking, we might wisely wait for a moment before calling on someone to respond. Even those who do not speak will be thinking of spiritual experiences.  That will invite the Holy Ghost” (President Henry B. Eyring,The Lord Will Multiply the Harvest, [address to religious educators, 6 Feb. 1998], 5–6)
14. “The goal of gospel teaching … is not to ‘pour information’ into the minds of class members. … The aim is to inspire the individual to think about, feel about, and then do something about living gospel principles” (Thomas S. Monson, in Conference Report, Oct. 1970, 107).

15. “Testimony—real testimony, born of the Spirit and confirmed by the Holy Ghost—changes lives” (Elder Ballard, “Pure Testimony,” Ensign, Nov. 2004, 40). 

16. “[The students’] decision to participate is an exercise in agency that permits the Holy Ghost to communicate a personalized message suited to their individual needs. Creating an atmosphere of participation enhances the probability that the Spirit will teach more important lessons than you can communicate.” (Elder Richard G. Scott, “The Spirit is the Real Teacher,” lds.org)

17. “Oh, if I could teach you this one principle. A testimony is to be found in the bearing of it! … It is one thing to receive a witness from what you have read or what another has said; and that is a necessary beginning. It is quite another to have the Spirit confirm to you in your bosom that what you have testified is true” (Elder Boyd K. Packer,“The Candle of the Lord,” 54–55).

6 Ways NOT to Invite Participation

1. Just read the lesson from the manual. 

2. Just lecture. 

3. Try to impress the class with yourself–your knowledge or skills.

4. When students make comments or questions, you criticize, be unresponsive, look down instead of listening fully, tell them they’re wrong, or treat it lightly.

5. Do anything to push away the Spirit like using inappropriate language, jokes or examples.

6. Fail to center the lesson on gospel truths.

Click here for quotes and ideas for creating a Spirit-led learning environment. 

Why my family reads "For the Strength of Youth" every year

Here is how and why our family reads For the Strength of Youth booklet once a year. This is a small and simple habit that has brought big blessings to my family. 

You could add this to your daily scripture study, FHE, or a Sunday afternoon discussion. I invite you to try it too! This powerful little booklet isn’t just for teens – it is God’s will for kids and adults too. Here are some tips for reading, discussing, and marking to help your family get God’s standards into their hearts.

HOW we do it 

We make it part of our morning scripture study. Another idea is to study a topic each week as part of family home evening or on Sunday afternoons. In our family, the person in charge of conducting that day chooses which topic we’ll read. We invite everyone to bring their copy of For the Strength of Youth, along with their scriptures, so they can mark their own book and follow along.  We like taking turns reading the paragraphs. Once that topic has been read, each person shares something that stood out to them and we discuss it. Sometimes we ask questions to get them thinking and preparing for making the right decisions in a situation even if nobody else does. There are 18 topics or standards, plus an introduction from the First Presidency and an appendix. 


WHY does our family study this booklet every year?  

• Because these are God’s standards for us today, not just for youth, but for children and adults alike. 
• Because we need repetition of God’s standards, just like we need repetition of the scriptures and gospel doctrines and principles. Each year we get more out of it, just like we do every time we study the Book of Mormon. 
• This is an official publication from the First Presidency, so it is doctrine. It is truth. We will be blessed by learning and living it. 
• Because each year, each family member is in a new place with his or her own testimony, stage of life, circumstances, experiences, temptations, and friends. So people pull different things from it each time we read it. The Spirit can teach each person what they need right now. 
• If we aren’t studying the doctrine on a regular basis about issues and temptations that are part of our modern daily life, how can we know and do God’s will in each of these areas? 
• Because our kids (and adults, let’s be honest) will deal with peer pressure from friends and the media virtually every day of their lives. I think the peer pressure is the hardest to resist when it comes from fellow Church members whom we like. Some good LDS girls wear tight jeans or strapless prom dresses. Many church-going people watch movies or play video games that don’t fit the Lord’s standards. Most active LDS people in my area watch the Super Bowl on the Sabbath. Teens sometimes gossip or leave someone out at a youth activity. When most people around us are doing a certain thing, it’s easy to think it’s the right thing, and to start doing it ourselves. We all need repeated invitations to learn God’s will in these areas and then to raise our actions to a higher standard. 
• Satan has hastened his work and is trying his darnedest to pull good people down, and the standards in this booklet teach us how to protect our families from Satan’s attacks, and how to stay more fully on God’s side of the line.

If you want to mark your copy, here are some fun ideas: 

• Underline the DO’S and DON’TS for a given topic, and mark those in the margin. 
• Use another color to mark the BLESSINGS for obeying God’s standard, and write “blessings” in the margin. 
• If a good story or analogy or quote comes up in your family discussion, jot a note about that at the end of that topic. 
• If you choose to look up the scriptures at the end of each section, you could jot a note about the gist of each scripture.
• You could look for “if…then…” principles. At a training for young women leaders years ago at Temple Square, they gave each of us a new copy of the booklet and invited us to mark it in several ways, including this one. They even had us cross out words and write “If I…then I…” in sentences to help us see the cause and effect of our choices. 
• I have enjoyed writing the date that we study each topic.

I invite you to study For the Strength of Youth with your family too! I promise you’ll be blessed by studying and living these standards. 

32 Great quotes of God’s most important things. Plus an FHE guessing game.

Here are 32 power-packed quotes and a family guessing game that’s for older kids or couples. Whether or not you play the game, I invite you to invest a little time in reading these quotes and to feel the Spirit of what God is telling you. Which quote stands out to you the most? What do you feel God wants you to do about it?  

“Most important.” “Greatest.” “Ultimate.” “Most correct.” “Overarching.” 

President Monson recently said, “The greatest single lesson we can learn in mortality is that when God speaks and His children obey, they will always be right.”  (Ensign, Jan. 2015; May 2005; May 1986.)  This made me curious. What other “most important” type of statements could I find from the scriptures and Church leaders?  

Here’s what I found…

The guessing game: We did this guessing game for family home evening a couple times in a row. You read each question and see who can guess the answer. Don’t let anyone feel bad if their guess wasn’t accurate – acknowledge their good sense. There are many answers that could make sense for the questions. After telling them the answer each Church leader said, you can read some of the quotes and discuss some together. Have fun with it!  And as always, a family home evening lesson ends best with a testimony born and each person choosing one thing to act on. 

1. What do you think is the most important skill we can acquire in this life? 

“The ability to qualify for, receive, and act on personal revelation is the single most important skill that can be acquired in this life.” (Julie Beck, Ensign, May 2010) 

2. What do you think is the most important meeting? 

The ordinance of the sacrament makes the sacrament meeting the most sacred and important meeting in the Church. (Elder Dallin H. Oaks, Ensign, Nov. 2008)


3. What is a supremely important world event coming up?  “Today I have felt prompted to speak of the importance of preparation for a future event of supreme importance to each of us—the Second Coming of the Lord.” (Elder Dallin H. Oaks, Ensign, May 2004)


4. What do the scriptures say is the greatest of all of God’s gifts? 

“If you keep my commandments and endure to the end you shall have eternal life, which gift is the greatest of all the gifts of God.” (D&C 14:7) 


5. What is God’s most important work? (Hint: This is a seminary scripture mastery verse.) 

“This is my work and my glory—to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man.” (Moses 1:39).  “If they hold out faithful to the end they are received into heaven, that thereby they may dwell with God in a state of never-ending happiness.” (Mosiah 2:41) 


6. What do you think are some of Satan’s main threats today? 

“Satan’s greatest threat today is to destroy the family, and to make a mockery of the law of chastity and the sanctity of the marriage covenant.” (The Teachings of Harold B. Lee, 227)


7. In Nephi’s tree of life dream, what was the most important thing for the people to hold onto? And what was the most important thing to ignore? 

Hold onto the iron rod and keep your eyes on the tree! People who held onto the rod and made it all the way to the tree partook of the fruit. The only people who stayed at the tree and didn’t leave were the ones who ignored the mockers in the great and spacious building. (See 1 Nephi 15:30-36)

8. Besides God and the Spirit, who do you think it is most important to stay in harmony with? 

After Elder Faust was called as an Assistant to the Twelve Apostles, “President Hugh B. Brown counseled me that the most important thing I should do is to always be in harmony with my Brethren. President Brown did not elaborate.  He just said, ‘Stick with the Brethren.’ … Spiritual guidance in large measure depends upon being in harmony with [those who are] prophets, seers, and revelators. I do not know how we can expect to be in full harmony with the Spirit of the Lord if we are not in harmony with the President of the Church and the other prophets, seers, and revelators. (Elder James E. Faust, Ensign, November 2005)

9. Our most important and powerful assignments are in the _______ (fill in the blank). 

“Our most important and powerful assignments are in the family.”(President Henry B. Eyring, Ensign, May 2010)


10. Where do you think is the most important work we will ever do? (If you guessed temples, that’s an awesome answer, and it’s coming up soon, but guess again on this one.)

“The most important of the Lord’s work you will ever do will be within the walls of your own homes” (Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Harold B. Lee [2000], 134).

11. What do you think is the most important part of serving as a gospel teacher? (This is a tricky one.) 

“The most important part of your service [as a teacher] will be your own daily spiritual preparation, including prayer, scripture study, and obedience to the commandments. We encourage you to dedicate yourself to living the gospel with greater purpose than ever before.” (Teaching the Gospel in the Savior’s Way) 

12. What do you think is the most important ingredient in teaching? “The Spirit is the single most important ingredient in this work.” (President Ezra Taft Benson, Ensign, May 1987) 

13. What is a little paper that the prophet said is a most important goal? 

“There is no more important goal for you to work toward than being worthy to go to the temple.” (President Thomas S. Monson, Ensign, May 2011)

14. What is the most correct book on the earth? 

“I told the brethren that the Book of Mormon was the most correct of any book on earth, and the keystone of our religion, and a man would get nearer to God by abiding by its precepts, than by any other book” (Joseph Smith, History of the Church, 4:461; Book of Mormon introduction).

15. What do you think was the greatest event ever? 

“That Atonement, wrought in unspeakable pain, became the greatest event of history, an act of grace for which men gave nothing but which brought the assurance of the Resurrection to all who have or would walk the earth. No other act in all of human history compares with it. Nothing that has ever happened can match it. Totally unselfish and with unbounded love for all mankind, it became an unparalleled act of mercy for the whole human race.” (President Gordon B. Hinckley, Ensign, Nov. 1990)

16. What kind of learning do you think is the most important kind?  

“We must let spiritual training take first place? …The secular without the foundation of the spiritual is but like the foam upon the milk… The seminary courses should be given even preferential attention over the high school subjects; the institute over the college course; the study of the scriptures ahead of the study of the man-written texts; the association with the Church more important than clubs, fraternities, and sororities; the payment of tithing more important than paying tuitions and fees? Can you see that the ordinances of the temple are more important than the PhD or any and all other academic degrees?“ (Spencer W. Kimball, ”Beloved Youth, Study and Learn“, in Life’s Directions: A Series of Fireside Addresses [1962], 190)


17. Whose name is the most important name under heaven, and why is it important? 

“There is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.” (Acts 4:12, see also D&C 18:23)

18. Which do you think is most important in preparing for the Second Coming — food storage or spiritual preparation? 

“We need to make both temporal and spiritual preparation for the events prophesied at the time of the Second Coming. And the preparation most likely to be neglected is the one less visible and more difficult—the spiritual. A 72-hour kit of temporal supplies may prove valuable for earthly challenges, but, as the foolish virgins learned to their sorrow, a 24-hour kit of spiritual preparation is of greater and more enduring value.”(Elder Dallin H. Oaks, Ensign, May 2004)


19. What do you think is possibly the most important word in the whole dictionary? (Hint: This is from President Kimball.) 

“When you look in the dictionary for the most important word, do you know what it is? It could be remember. Because all of you have made covenants—you know what to do and you know how to do it—our greatest need is to remember. That is why everyone goes to sacrament meeting every Sabbath day—to take the sacrament and listen to the priests pray that they ‘may always remember him and keep his commandments which he has given them.’ Nobody should ever forget to go to sacrament meeting. Remember is the word. Remember is the program” (“Circles of Exaltation,” CES Training, June 28, 1968).


20. What do you think is central to God’s plan of happiness? (Besides the Atonement.)

“A most important part of God’s plan is families, by the First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. “The family is central to the Creator’s plan for the eternal destiny of His children. … Happiness in family life is most likely to be achieved when founded upon the teachings of the Lord Jesus Christ” (“The Family: A Proclamation to the World,” Ensign, Nov. 1995). 

21. When you’re studying the gospel, who or what is the most important thing to be taught by?  

“Your gospel study is most effective when you are taught by the Holy Ghost. Always begin your gospel study by praying for the Holy Ghost to help you learn. He will bring knowledge and conviction that will bless your life and allow you to bless the lives of others. Your faith in Jesus Christ will increase. Your desire to repent and improve will grow. This kind of study prepares you for service, offers solace, resolves problems, and gives you the strength to endure to the end. Successful gospel study requires desire and action. ‘For he that diligently seeketh shall find; and the mysteries of God shall be unfolded unto them, by the power of the Holy Ghost, as well as in these times as in times of old’ (1 Nephi 10:19). Like Enos, as you hunger to know the words of eternal life and as you allow these words to ‘[sink] deep into [your] heart’ (Enos 1:3), the Holy Ghost will open your mind and heart to greater light and understanding. Learning the gospel is also a process of receiving revelation (see Jacob 4:8).” (Preach My Gospel, [2004], 18)

22. What do you think might be the greatest spiritual gift to pray for? 

“Cleave unto charity, which is the greatest of all…” (Moroni 7:46) “And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.” (1 Corinthians 13:13). Here are my thoughts about this precious spiritual gift. 

23. What do you think is the very most important commandment for you right now? 

“The most important commandment is the one you have difficulty keeping today!  Now, if you have made mistakes, make today the beginning of a change in your lives.  Turn from the thing that you have been doing that is wrong.  The most important of all the commandments of God is that one you are having the most difficulty keeping today.  If it is one of dishonesty, if it is one of unchastity, if it is one of falsifying, not telling the truth, TODAY is the day for you to work on that until you have been able to conquer that weakness.  Put that aright and then you start on the next one that is most difficult for you to keep.  That’s the way to sanctify yourself by keeping the commandments of God.” (Teachings of Harold B. Lee, 73-74)


24. What do you think is the universal sin, and is really important to overcome? (Hint: this is from a classic conference talk by President Benson.) 

“Pride is the universal sin, the great vice. Yes, pride is the universal sin, the great vice.” (President Ezra Taft Benson, Ensign, May 1989)



25. What do you think Joseph Smith said is our greatest responsibility? 

“The greatest responsibility in this world that God has laid upon us is to seek after our dead” (Joseph Smith, History of the Church, 6:313).


26. What do you think Joseph Smith said is our most important duty?  “After all that has been said, the greatest and most important duty is to preach the Gospel” (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, sel. Joseph Fielding Smith [1976], 113).

Okay, let’s pause here for a minute. Does it seem to you that the last two statements contradict each other? I have no problem with them. Right now the Lord is hastening the work in both of these areas: family history and temple work, and missionary work. And aren’t those things leading to the same end — bringing souls to Christ, so they can return live as eternal families in heaven? 


27. What do you think is the ultimate purpose of all gospel teaching? 

“The ultimate purpose of all we teach is to unite parents and children in faith in the Lord Jesus Christ… that they are happy at home, sealed in an eternal marriage, linked to their generations, and assured exaltation in the presence of our Heavenly Father” (“The Shield of Faith,” Ensign, May 1995).

28. Which sin activates all the cardinal sins and breaking the ten commandments? 

“Selfishness is much more than an ordinary problem because it activates all the cardinal sins! It is the detonator in the breaking of the Ten Commandments.” (Elder Neal A. Maxwell, Ensign, Nov. 1990)

29. It’s really important that we put whom first?  

“We must put God in the forefront of everything else in our lives. He must come first, just as He declares in the first of His Ten Commandments: ‘Thou shalt have no other gods before me’ (Ex. 20:3). When we put God first, all other things fall into their proper place or drop out of our lives. Our love of the Lord will govern the claims for our affection, the demands on our time, the interests we pursue, and the order of our priorities. We should put God ahead of everyone else in our lives. (President Ezra Taft Benson, Ensign, May 1988)  “Men and women who turn their lives over to God will find out that He can make a lot more out of their lives than they can.  He will deepen their joys, expand their vision, quicken their minds, strengthen their muscles, lift their spirits, multiply their blessings, increase their opportunities, comfort their souls, raise up friends, and pour out peace. Whoever will lose his life to God will find he has eternal life.” (President Ezra Taft Benson, Ensign, Dec. 1988) 

30. It’s the daily _______ and ________ things that lead us to heaven. 

“The purposes of the Lord in our personal lives generally are fulfilled through the small and simple things and not the momentous and spectacular. . . . Do we realize that small events and choices determine the direction of our lives just as small helms determine the direction of great ships? (see James 3:4; D&C 123:16). . . . “. . . We need to have family and personal prayers; study the scriptures, particularly the Book of Mormon; hold family home evenings; follow the admonition of the Savior to love one another; and be thoughtful, kind, and gentle within the family. Through these and other similar small and simple things, we have the promise that our lives will be filled with peace and joy.” (Elder M. Russell Ballard, Ensign, May 1990)

31. Speaking of small and simple things, what do you think is one of the most important things to immerse ourselves in? 

“One of the most important things you can do…is to immerse yourselves in the scriptures. Search them diligently. Feast upon the words of Christ. Learn the doctrine. Master the principles.” (President Ezra Taft Benson, Ensign, Nov. 1986)

32. In the last General Conference, Elder Scott told us that one small and simple thing should be nonnegotiable. Do you remember what that was? Hint: We’re supposed to do it twice a day. 

“Parents, help safeguard your children by arming them morning and night with the power of family prayer. Children are bombarded every day with the evils of lust, greed, pride, and a host of other sinful behaviors. Protect your children from daily worldly influences by fortifying them with the powerful blessings that result from family prayer. Family prayer should be a nonnegotiable priority in your daily life.” (Elder Richard G. Scott, Ensign, Nov. 2014) 

Believe it or not, I found many more than 32 “most important” type of statements, but I didn’t want to have the world’s longest blog post. 🙂 

This was a fun way to study the scriptures!  Another idea I might try the next time I have a breather from seminary teaching is to find three word sermons, like “Come follow me,” “Come unto Christ,” “Feed my sheep,” “O be wise.”  I also like the idea of studying the last words of various prophets in the scriptures, or modern leaders. I like mixing up scripture study and studying by various topics or themes sometimes. Aren’t God’s words awesome?

P.S. I just found another one that is too good to leave out. So here’s a bonus quote. What do you think is the most important thing we can do, young or old? 

“The most important thing we can do–young or old–is develop a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.” (Elder W. Don Ladd, Ensign, Nov. 1994) Isn’t that a goodie? 


Feel free to leave a comment below with your favorite “most important” type of quote. Why did you like it? 

Five cool things we learned in my first week of teaching seminary

1. Coming unto Christ is the purpose. 

The Savior should be the center of our lives and our class. He has so much power to heal, nourish, strengthen, and teach us. Come unto Him. I invite you to watch the music video we watched. It’s this year’s LDS Youth theme song, Come Unto Christ. If you’re like me, get a Kleenex first.  

https://youtube.googleapis.com/v/uUAsy5ReP8Y&source=uds

2. God wants us to be active, not passive learners of the gospel.

Here are eight quotes of Heavenly Father inviting us to PARTICIPATE in class! You can use this as an easy FHE lesson with older kids or teens. Or to teach your church class how to be active participants. When students participate, they invite the SPIRIT, who is the ultimate teacher. If we don’t learn and teach by the Spirit, it’s not going to work. 

When people teach others, in their own words, principles and doctrines they find, it helps root these truths deeply into their hearts, and inspires us to apply them.

3. The point of scriptures is to find and apply PRINCIPLES. 

Here are some great quotes about finding principles in the scriptures. 

Just reading the scriptures doesn’t give us the spiritual power and nourishment we need. We need to FEAST, meaning looking deeper and finding principles that we can apply in our lives.

We played part of this fun and inspiring talk (with permission from the publisher) to teach the youth how to READ IT, FIND IT, USE IT!  In other words, how to look for and apply principles!

4. It’s important to bond as a class or a family. 

The Family Proclamation says that wholesome recreational activities are important in building relationships. We have played several get-to-know-you games to help everyone become friends, and to be united as a class.

This is a question ball. My daughter helped by writing down a bunch of quick-answer questions.  Whoever catches the ball gets to answer the question by their right thumb. We’ll play this game soon.

5. God is a God of miracles. 

I know this because I, Becky Edwards, got up at 5:30 AM this week. Those who know me well know that THIS IS A MIRACLE.  

I’ve seen other miracles in my life as I prepared to start teaching seminary. 

• Heavenly Father magnified my capacity to help me do more than I could on my own to prepare for teaching seminary. In the past couple months I’ve been able to read the whole Doctrine and Covenants as an overview, study the new Seminary & Institute teaching manual (can I just say whoa, awesome book), do an online training for seminary teachers, and attended several live trainings. I’ve been blessed with many resources for fantastic seminary ideas, like the handful of wonderful seminary teachers who are my friends, Pinterest, Facebook seminary teaching site, and other sites like The Redhead Hostess. I’m so grateful for all of these trainings and resources, because it’s been a couple years since I taught institute, and I needed the updates and the awesome fire back. I’m feeling the fire! 

• Another miracle has been that it felt important to me to put my home and systems and papers in order before I started teaching seminary. For you mothers who have felt the “nesting instinct,” that’s what I’m talkin’ ’bout.  In answer to many prayers, Heavenly Father helped me do more than I could on my own here as well. I was able to buy a new-ish lateral file, de-junk and update my filing system, create a weekly family chore system, update our home routines, my planner (yes, I’m one of the 62 left on the planet who still uses a paper planner). I got a shorter haircut for a 5:30 AM fast hair do. And we worked as a family to tidy up kitchen cupboards and drawers as well as bedrooms and the garage and basement. Ahhh… Now I can think straight again. 

• One way this is such a miracle is because I’m already a busy homeschool mom, wife of an LDS bishop, and we had a very full summer already filled with good things like serving at the new Ogden LDS temple, hosting out-of-town relatives, having some sacred missionary experiences, doing girls’ camp and youth conference and a family trek, among other things. I feel blessed that my three kids who will be homeschooling next year (oldest two will be gone from home) have fantastic groups with wonderful teachers, so I’ll be more of a supportive role instead of their main teacher, which will leave time for me to teach seminary. Heavenly Father has helped us work things out so I can serve His beloved seminary students. I KNOW that I have had heavenly help getting ready this summer!

Early church leaders and pioneers experienced many miracles too! 

Their struggles and experiences are recorded for us to learn from and apply principles. Their lives can teach us that God will help, strengthen, answer prayers, and work miracles in our lives just as He has in theirs. I am so excited to learn this year at the feet of these amazing heroes. 

God wants us to be ACTIVE, not PASSIVE learners, of His Gospel

Keys to being an active learner of the Gospel

We used this handout on our first day of seminary. I’ll invite you do to the same thing I invited my students to do. This would make a great FHE lesson, or use it in Sunday School or youth class to help your students up-level their learning. 

Read these quotes. Mark in one color what actions you’re being invited to take to obtain spiritual learning.   Mark in a second color the promised blessings of doing these things. 

1. “The very process of formulating a question, raising a hand, asking a question and listening attentively is an expression of faith. This principle of seeking learning by faith invites individualized teaching by the Holy Ghost”  (Elder David A. Bednar, Address to Australian Saints, April 2008).

2. “Assure that there is abundant participation because that use of agency by a student authorizes the Holy Ghost to instruct. It also helps the student retain your message.  As students verbalize truths, they are confirmed in their souls and strengthen their personal testimonies” (Elder Richard G. Scott, “To Understand and Live Truth,” Feb. 4, 2005).
3. “We are to help students learn to explain, share, and testify of the doctrines and principles of the restored gospel. We are to give them opportunities to do so with each other in class.  We are to encourage them to do so outside of class with family and others” (The Teaching Emphasis in the Church Educational System, November 14, 2007). 

4. “When you encourage students to raise their hand to respond to a question, they signify to the Holy Spirit their willingness to learn.  That use of moral agency will allow the Spirit to motivate and give them more powerful guidance during your time together. Participation allows individuals to experience being led by the Spirit. They learn to recognize and feel what spiritual guidance is. It is through the repeated process of feeling impressions, recording them, and obeying them that one learns to depend on the direction of the Spirit more than on communication through the five senses” (Richard G. Scott, “Helping Others to Be Spiritually Led,” 8/11/1998).

5. “Do you know how to get the most benefit from this time together?  Write down the impressions you feel…Spiritual moments in life often come when it seems difficult to record them.  Yet that special effort to crystallize in a permanent record sacred impressions of the Holy Ghost is powerfully rewarded.  Begin now even if you have to borrow paper and pencil to do it.” (Richard G. Scott, BYU-I Devot., Feb. 24, 2004) 

6. 1 Nephi 19:23 – …I did liken all scriptures unto us, that it might be for our profit and learning.

7.  D&C 88:122 – Appoint among yourselves a teacher, and let not all be spokesmen at once; but let one speak at a time and let all listen unto his sayings, that when all have spoken that all may be edified of all, and that every man may have an equal privilege.

8. “The person at the pulpit’s most important purpose is to teach by the Spirit.  Those in attendance must hear by the Spirit.  The best way to hear by the Spirit that I have found is simply to have in your heart a prayer for the person who is speaking.  If you will pray for the person who is speaking you will hear things you would not otherwise hear.  The Spirit will say things that He might not otherwise say.” (Elder Dunn, quoted by Kelly Haws in Priesthood training mtg) 

Please sign below. 

I Accept God’s Invitation to be an Active Learner this Year in Seminary. 

13 Fun Get-to-know-you Activities

I survived my first day of teaching early morning seminary today!  I already love these students, and I know I’ll love them more and more and more…

Here are 13 fun ways students can get to know each other. I’ll likely use a handful of these over first couple weeks of seminary. 

(Note: I didn’t create any of these…I’m just good at gathering others’ great ideas!) 

1. Question ball 

On a ball, write a bunch of questions like: What college do you want to attend? Favorite sport? Favorite movie? Pet peeve. Toss the ball. When the student catches it, they answer the question by their right thumb. 

2. Foodie names 

Each person says their name and a food that begins with the same letter as their name. The next person repeats the first person’s name and food, adding their own. Each additional person repeats all previous names and foods, and adds their own. 

3. Name and favorite ice cream…scripture…any other favorite

This game works the same as Foodie names. 

3. Toss the name ball 

Students sit in a circle. Say your own name and another person’s name, and then toss the ball to that person. That person says their own name and a different person’s name and then tosses the ball. If the ball is dropped, the group gets to start from the beginning. 

4. Two truths and a lie 

Each person tells three things about themselves: two truths and one lie. Others try to guess which one is the lie. This game goes more quickly when the kids write it down first. This is the game we played today for the first day of class. I set my watch timer to give each person 30 seconds to quickly say their three things and then let people guess. If people didn’t guess by then, the lie was revealed and we moved on. I had 28 students there, so I needed tricks to keep the game moving or it could have taken way too much class time.  

5. Which object describes you?

Bring five or so objects to class. They could be items like a spatula, a tool, a mirror, a toy ball, a journal, a band-aid…anything. Set the items in front of the class. Ask each member to choose one item that best describes themselves and why. They can get pretty creative with this one. 

6. Signature page

Create a list of descriptions that’s about the same number of students in your class. For example: I have my Young Women medallion, I had pizza in the past week, I can say all 13 Articles of Faith, I have my Eagle Scout, I’ve never had a cavity. Give a sheet to each student and have them get as many signatures as possible, but only one signature from each person. Also they can’t just say “Sign my page.” They have to ask questions like, “Have you had a cavity?”  When the time is up, you read the list and have everyone raise their hand who could have signed that line. 

7. Snowball fight 

Each person writes one thing they are excited about, one thing they’re nervous about, and one thing they want to learn. They crumple the papers and have a snowball fight! When time’s up, they each grab a ball and take turns reading it aloud, trying to guess who wrote  it. 

8. Ready, set group! 

Students form groups quickly with criteria given by the teacher. For example: Make a group of three people with the same color hair. Then give new criteria for them to mix up again. 

9. Silent line

Students organize themselves into a line silently according to criteria from the teacher. For example: height, birth month, how many siblings they have. 

10. Fruit basket 

The group sits in a circle with one person in the middle. The middle person sets a criteria, and everyone who meets it moves to another seat in the circle. The middle person tries to find a seat before the last person does, so the next person gets to choose a new criteria. 

11. A poem about me 

Each student writes a poem with five lines: 

• Three things they like 
• Three things they dislike 
• Three words that describe them 
• A place they’d like to visit 
• One thing their mom likes about them 

12. All about you page 

This is best given after a few days of class, when students feel safe to open up. List things like their name, cell phone or email they’d like to be given reminders with, and other questions like: 

• Tell me about your family
• What do you do for fun? 
• Favorite and least favorite food 
• Pet peeves
• Most embarrassing moment in 10 words or less
• Personal hero 
• Your best quality 
• Weirdest characteristic 
• Little-known ambition or desire 
• Your favorite book, movie, song 
• What do you like about seminary?

• What would you like to do when you grow up? 
• Write me a letter. What else would you like me to know about you? 

13. Integrate a get-to-know-you activity into the lesson 

You could create a page with as many short-answer questions as students in the class. They might be questions like: How old was Joseph Smith when he had his first vision? How many siblings did Joseph Smith have?  Then under each short question, add the question: Write something we probably don’t know about you.  Assign each person a question number. After they write their own two answers, students go around the room to fill in the rest of their questions. Then briefly go through the list with the whole class. 


If you have another get-to-know-you activity that you like, feel free to share it in a comment below! 

Tomorrow is my first day of teaching early morning seminary!

Do I feel ready? 

I’m not sure if I’ll ever feel ready…

Will I teach anyway? 

Yep. 

Will I love it? 

I’m 100% sure I will. 

Roles of the Holy Ghost in Teaching and Learning

When we teach the gospel it must be by the Spirit. If we teach by “some other way” than by the Spirit, then our teaching is not of God. (D&C 50:14-22).

From Gospel Teaching and Learning: A Handbook for Teachers and Leaders in Seminaries and Institutes of Religions.

The following list includes some functions of the Holy Ghost directly related to His role in gospel teaching and learning:

• •
  He bears witness of God the Father and His Son, Jesus Christ (see 1 Corinthians 12:3; Ether 12:41).

• •
  He edifies (lifts or builds spiritually) both the teacher and the student (see1 Corinthians 14:12; D&C 50:22–23; 84:106).

• •
  He bestows the “fruit of the Spirit,” which includes such things as joy, love, peace, patience, and gentleness (seeGalatians 5:22–23; Romans 15:13; D&C 6:23; 11:12–13).

• •
  He empowers a person to speak with authority and boldness (see1 Nephi 10:22; Alma 18:35; Moroni 8:16).

• •
  He testifies to the truthfulness of gospel doctrines and principles (seeJohn 15:26; D&C 21:9; 100:8).

• •
  He imparts truth, knowledge, insights, understanding, and enlightenment (see John 16:13; 1 Corinthians 2:9–11, 14; D&C 6:14;11:13–14; 76:5–10, 116).

• •
  He helps teachers and students remember ideas, concepts, or principles (see John 14:26).

• •
  He inspires a person in what to say or what not to say (see Luke 12:11–12; 2 Nephi 32:7; D&C 84:85; 100:5–6).

• •
  He carries truth to the hearts of people (see 2 Nephi 33:1).

• •
  He softens the hearts of people (see  1 Nephi 2:16; Alma 24:8).

• •
  He gives comfort (see John 14:26; D&C 88:3).

• •
  He sanctifies and changes hearts (see Mosiah 5:2; 3 Nephi 27:20;Moroni 6:4).

"A Classroom of Faith, Hope, and Charity" by Elder Neil L. Anderson

Elder Anderson addressed the seminary and institute teachers of the whole world on February 28, 2014. These are principles that apply to teaching in any setting — church classes, the home, or elsewhere. 

Click here to listen to or watch the whole talk. 


Here are my notes from his talk. 

The youth of today are amazing. 

Those who sit in your classrooms are some of the most spiritually sensitive sons and daughters of God that have ever entered mortality. Wow. How am I doing, as a teacher and a mother, to help young people listen to the Spirit and develop that sensitivity? 

Young people today are like young trees growing up in a very windy environment. The wind stimulates two compensating strengths: 

• The roots are stimulated to grow faster and spread further
• The trunk and branches become thicker and more flexible

Inspired teachers are part of what stimulates deeper spiritual roots and stronger resolve to resist temptation. How well are we strengthening this rising generation by bringing them to Christ? 

How to teach more like the Savior taught.

Faith is a big deal. 

As a teacher, you encourage faith, explain faith, show the fruits of faith, and bear testimony of your own faith.

Participation is better than lecture. 

“Spiritual understanding rarely comes from a lecture. It comes in classrooms where questions are welcome, where doubts and fears can be expressed, and where honest opinions are never dismissed. It comes from obedience, private study, and prayer. Spiritually, the classroom of faith becomes less like a lecture hall and more like a fitness center. Students do not get stronger by watching someone else do the exercises. They learn and then participate. As their spiritual strength increases, they gain confidence and apply themselves all the more.”

Elder Neal A. Maxwell said, “Do not be afraid of repetitious teaching. Ask inspired questions. Typically, but not always, two-way dialogue is better than one-way monologue.” 

“Use the scriptures; share simple stories, parables, and real-life examples; ask questions; invite students to teach and to share their feelings; encourage them to act in faith and to report on what they are learning.”

The Savior is our best example of teaching. 

“He loved them, prayed for them, and continually served them. He found opportunities to be with them and to express His love. He knew their interests, hopes, and desires and what was happening in their lives. He knew who they were and who they could become. He found unique ways to help them learn and grow — ways meant just for them. When they struggled, He did not give up on them but continued to love them and minister to them” (Teaching the Gospel in the Savior’s Way (2012), 4).

How well are we doing teaching with this kind of love and care? 

If you are not sure what to teach, teach about Christ. Teach the doctrine of Christ, the gospel of Christ, His life, His death, His Resurrection, and His Atonement. 

As darkness increases, here comes more light.

As the Gospel spreads, Satan’s influence is growing stronger, but God compensates by giving us more light and blessings. 

• Brigham Young said, “…In proportion to the spread of the Gospel among the nations of the earth, so would the power of Satan rise.” 
• Here’s the flip side of that coin. Elder Anderson said, “As evil increases in the world, there is a compensatory power of revelation and spiritual gifts given to the righteous. The Lord gives us added power as we are willing to remain righteous in a wicked world.” 

YES. 

Some of these direct “compensatory blessings” Elder Anderson mentioned include: 

• The 143 temples dotting the earth, and 27 more in process
• The modern technology that makes it super user-friendly for us to find our ancestors and do their temple work
• How easily and instantly we can hear from our modern prophets and apostles. 

“As the world grows darker, the light of the truth shines brighter. As the hearts of men become colder, the warmth of the Savior’s peace burns stronger. As the noise of tempting voices shout louder, the still, small voice of the Spirit comes with even greater clarity. As evil increases in the world, the Lord sends the power of revelation and spiritual gifts for the righteous.”