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Just now, several of us in the EQ seem to think that it’s incredibly boring. I tried to be more charitable, and said it was too dry right now. When there was a previous presidency, it was similar. We did have one break, when a guy broke us up into discussion groups, and we came back at the end. That worked well. I reckon we should do that kind of thing once a month. But I’m afraid the Albert Smith stuff isn’t teaching me much, and I’m getting little out of it. When it was at the beginning of the block, it was dull too, and it has the lowest turnout rate of the three bits, in my experience. Now it’s at the end, and it’s like a long haul.
Thing is, we feel that we should talk to the EQP, and say something about this, but I don’t want it to seem like some kind of mounted coup. The guy’s really nice, and none of us want to back stab him as a person or look that way. What should be done?
Two suggestions: 1. Just talk to the EQP in a casual manner, 1 on 1, and bring up things you liked and didn’t like. Be prepared to volunteer to pitch in and make changes. I think it goes over better when you bring solutions with the problems.
2. Lessons are as exciting or boring as the class members make them too. It isn’t just the teacher. A recent EQ teacher was really boring and basically tried to read straight out of the manual like a robot. I think he cringed a little whenever he saw me show up to class. If it gets to boring for me, I throw out a problem in the form of a question. That usually gets a couple of brothers to wake up and start debating with each other, with only some minimal pokes from me
i’m with brian. Stir the pot occasionally – once per lesson. but do so respectfully to the teacher. It’s true that the participation can really make or break the experience, especially with an inexperienced or boring teacher (as ours is now). How many of there are you in the several? Would it smack of secret combinations if you arranged together beforehand to start a discussion? Brother so-and-so, you throw out a question about this and I’ll answer with that . . . too much preparation? I served as EQ pres a few years back. I like to think I was nice, but I was also indecisive and useless. Having no idea what yours is like, I will say that if someone had come to me and said “I wonder if we could share some ideas on how to improve the instruction” I would have responded positively. In our ward we put together a teacher improvement class thru SS for the benefit of new EQ instructors. Not sure how effective it was; I would have liked to arrange a less formal get-together for the purpose but I am quite lazy when it comes to church business outside of the meeting block.
Riceandbeans wrote:It’s true that the participation can really make or break the experience, especially with an inexperienced or boring teacher (as ours is now). How many of there are you in the several? Would it smack of secret combinations if you arranged together beforehand to start a discussion? Brother so-and-so, you throw out a question about this and I’ll answer with that . . . too much preparation?
I served as EQ pres a few years back. I like to think I was nice, but I was also indecisive and useless. Having no idea what yours is like, I will say that if someone had come to me and said “I wonder if we could share some ideas on how to improve the instruction” I would have responded positively. In our ward we put together a teacher improvement class thru SS for the benefit of new EQ instructors. Not sure how effective it was; I would have liked to arrange a less formal get-together for the purpose but I am quite lazy when it comes to church business outside of the meeting block.
I’d say three or four. We’re the ones that have talked about this. A lot of other people, well, I simply couldn’t bring this up with them.
The EQP is really nice. Like I say, I’ve no interest in backstabbing and undermining, so it’s really a question of how to go about it.
Quote:Would it smack of secret combinations if you arranged together beforehand to start a discussion? Brother so-and-so, you throw out a question about this and I’ll answer with that . . . too much preparation?
I don’t know how some people would go with that. The truth is that in a lot of our discussions, the answers are there beforehand. I don’t think our education should be regurgitation. That’s for elementary school
EQ is the most boring forum for a class in the church. Plain and simple. It’s the equivalent of General Conference’s statistical report. While I attend Sacrament Meeting regularly, I rarely attend EQ. You could try to volunteer for a calling in Primary or YM. Depending on your age, perhaps try going to HPQ for a change. At least those guys have real (not theoretical) life experiences. If you really want to stir the pot, don drag and try attending RS. On Own Now wrote:EQ is the most boring forum for a class in the church. Plain and simple. It’s the equivalent of General Conference’s statistical report. While I attend Sacrament Meeting regularly, I rarely attend EQ. You could try to volunteer for a calling in Primary or YM. Depending on your age, perhaps try going to HPQ for a change. At least those guys have real (not theoretical) life experiences. If you really want to stir the pot, don drag and try attending RS.
Is Relief Society as/more boring, I wonder?
Quote:Depending on your age, perhaps try going to HPQ for a change. At least those guys have real (not theoretical) life experiences.
To be fair, apart from the fact some of the HPQ are younger than me, the EQ here does have a lot of older people…
SamBee wrote:I don’t know how some people would go with that. The truth is that in a lot of our discussions, the answers are there beforehand. I don’t think our education should be regurgitation. That’s for elementary school
I agree whole-heartedly. My suggestion was hastily expressed and maybe ill-formed to begin with, but still if there are three or four of you that are bored, it seems like the bunch could at least resolve to take leading roles in steering discussions in a useful direction.
For one, I think it’s about time that the “thou = respect” myth got knocked on the head. I hear people coming out with that all the time. There’s a whole load of other ones. Really, if we just spout the answers we read in the approved books all the time, then we deserve the appellation of “cult”. I feel the books on the Teachings of the Presidents are horribly sanitised. Can’t we hear about any of these prophets getting something wrong, and/or making up for it occassionally? At least they admit that Joseph lost over a hundred pages…
SamBee wrote:For one, I think it’s about time that the “thou = respect” myth got knocked on the head. I hear people coming out with that all the time.
Oh, dude! I hate that one. And even when people get it right and say “thou” is more intimate that still doesn’t change the fact that nobody uses Early Modern English regularly except for Shakespearean actors and Renfaire folk. People who have been members all their lives still can’t conjugate verbs for “thou” or decline it properly – they can’t conjugate verbs in EME at all!
Sure, plenty of other languages have the informal/intimate 2P singular pronoun. That’s great, let ’em use it; they don’t have to hear that bunk about respect. But either stop asking English speakers to hold onto a long-outdated speech convention or start giving regular EME grammar lessons as part of Primary. It sure would help people understand the King James Bible a lot better at least.
Shoot, maybe the Church should put on its own Renfaire-type events where everyone speaks in dialect. It could help us do better Christmas pageants. And think of the missionary possibilities. The cleavage could be a problem though.
Ok sorry for the rant. Dang it, maybe next time I get asked to give a talk I’ll give the whole thing in Early Modern.
Quote:I feel the books on the Teachings of the Presidents are horribly sanitised. Can’t we hear about any of these prophets getting something wrong, and/or making up for it occassionally? At least they admit that Joseph lost over a hundred pages…
Someone somewhere mentioned George Albert’s problems with depression and how the manual committee missed a chance to include that. And didn’t GBH once write about getting his mouth washed out with soap for using a racial slur? That was great.
Quote:Someone somewhere mentioned George Albert’s problems with depression and how the manual committee missed a chance to include that. And didn’t GBH once write about getting his mouth washed out with soap for using a racial slur? That was great.
George had terrible eyesight problems too, which is why the braille BoM was produced. Those kind of details make them more endearing. They weren’t all supermen. How many church members deal with depression? Quite a few, I believe.
Even Jesus said “take this cup away from me”, and “why have you forsaken me?” as well.
Quote:People who have been members all their lives still can’t conjugate verbs for “thou” or decline it properly – they can’t conjugate verbs in EME at all!
Thou wist right in what thou sayest.
😆 Good news, seems that the EQP has been listening to the spirit. Last Sunday, he sat us around in a circle, broke us up into groups, and then we returned and reported. It meant that we could all give an honest opinion, and not feel like backstabbers. I thanked the EQP afterwards. SamBee wrote:Someone somewhere mentioned George Albert’s problems with depression and how the manual committee missed a chance to include that. And didn’t GBH once write about getting his mouth washed out with soap for using a racial slur? That was great.
George had terrible eyesight problems too, which is why the braille BoM was produced. Those kind of details make them more endearing. They weren’t all supermen. How many church members deal with depression? Quite a few, I believe.
I loved Margorie Hinkley’s statement that she had spent some nights during the days of her marriage to GBH crying into her pillow. I found it relieving that even they could fight, that Margorie’s feelings could get hurt, and that it may have taken some time (hours, days) before they reconciled. If good marriages between decent, loving, and godly people can have such strained moments – then there is hope for me.
:angel: I loved President Hinckley, but sometimes I think he was called as an apostle just so Sister Hinckley could end up influencing so many people. She was an amazing woman. Glad to hear about the change this week, Sam – and you did the right thing by thanking your EQP.
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