I can’t find my notes for this lesson. This was a good lesson — as good as or better than last week — and so I don’t know why I can’t find my notes.
I’m wondering if I just taught this straight out of the manual. It’s all marked up in my online version…..
I pitched this on our Facebook group as “Come find out why there’s an almost 2 year gap between D&C 123 and 124”. I did a little bit of history at the beginning of this lesson, too. We talked about the kind treatment of the citizens of Quincy, the Day of God’s Power where Joseph healed many who were ill from malaria in the swampy area, and I explained that the Saints were super super busy starting a town, and while Joseph was still receiving revelations, they were just too busy to worry with keeping good records. This may not be the exact words I used. I was working a la Joseph Smith papers videos.
I mentioned that during this time the Twelve were send on the mission to Great Britain. It was an incredible harvest of members. For this part of the history, I used a Reader’s Theater I got from the manual and had four students “act” it out. This is a fun little program because it ends with a joke. Follow this link to get the Wilford Woodruff reader’s theather as a single page printable PDF with name tags.
To transition to the lesson proper, I used the envelope idea from the manual:
Before class, write the following principle on a piece of paper: If we hearken to the counsel of the prophets, it will be well with us. Place the paper in an envelope, and on the outside of the envelope write How we can be blessed now and always.
Begin the lesson by showing students the envelope. Tell them that it contains instructions for how they can be happy now, avoid unnecessary challenges in their lives, and receive other blessings. Explain that the instructions apply to each of them, despite their unique circumstances. Invite students to ponder the following questions:
- How important might it be for you to obtain the instructions in the envelope?
- If you could have the instructions, how closely would you follow them once you had them?
[We read the scriptures from the manual aloud — I have illiterate students, so we can’t do some of the silent manual activities.]
Read verses 89-90, 94-96, 111-114, and 115- 118.
- What similarity did you notice in the instruction given to these men?
I printed the quote in enormous letters so that my nearly blind student could read it. She is always so appreciative of the opportunity to participate.
According to my highlighted stuff, I talked a good bit about the importance of the temple and temple ordinances using the manual. I do remember we had a particularly good discussion about temple work at the end of the lesson because of our upcoming stake temple day.
