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Ok. here we go again. Im about to teach chapter 115 in the lorenzo snow manual:
http://www.lds.org/manual/teachings-of-presidents-of-the-church-lorenzo-snow/chapter-15-faithful-energetic-service-in-the-kingdom-of-god?lang=eng ” class=”bbcode_url”> http://www.lds.org/manual/teachings-of-presidents-of-the-church-lorenzo-snow/chapter-15-faithful-energetic-service-in-the-kingdom-of-god?lang=eng faithful-energetic-service-in-the-kingdom-of-god.
Dont know if you have read the article, but if you have, please throw some good sidenotes i can include, to broaden peoples perspectives regarding church (inauguration of the saints)
Thanks a million!
Quote:“Knowing our religion to be true we ought to be the most devoted people on the face of the earth to the cause we have embraced.”
How about reading that opening statement, closing the manual, and talking about “causes” that can be embraced in the area where you live?
Perhaps you also could quote, “Inasmuch as ye have done (and not done) it unto the least of these, my brethren, ye have done (and not done) it unto me” – and open a discussion about what you as a group and/or ward can to do live this principle and “do unto the least” in your own area.
I did that on the Sunday before last with a lesson taken from Pres. Packer’s “These Things I Believe” talk (reading a little from his poems and opening a discussion about things the men had learned in their lifetimes), and it was a wonderful experience.
Also, just as a personal aside, the following from the manual is particularly dear to my wife and our kids:
Quote:In February 1852, he placed the work there under the leadership of Brother John Daniel Malan, a recent convert,
Brother Malan is my wife’s 4th great-grandfather, and his conversion story (in the context of his ancestry) is as inspiring as anything I have ever read in my entire life.
Forgot to write how it went=great. I never really used the manual but felt really inspired when preparing the lesson.
People seemed genuinely interested and it was a great experience. I emphasized that we each have to get our own version of Mormonism in order to be really happy about being Mormon and loosely quoted the Greg prince book on McKay where a person points out that the pres is eating a rum cake and his reply is “well I’m not drinking it”.
Just as an example that we all are different and we find different ways.
:clap: :clap: :clap: :clap: I would have loved to be able to be part of that lesson.
Bear wrote:Forgot to write how it went=great.
I never really used the manual but felt really inspired when preparing the lesson.
People seemed genuinely interested and it was a great experience. I emphasized that we each have to get our own version of Mormonism in order to be really happy about being Mormon and loosely quoted the Greg prince book on McKay where a person points out that the pres is eating a rum cake and his reply is “well I’m not drinking it”.
Just as an example that we all are different and we find different ways.
I would have liked to hear that lesson. Thank you, even if I wasn’t there.
I would focus on the temple theology and the universalism of opening ordinances to all who ever have lived – and how the principle that all are beloved children of God with divine potential ought to blunt the natural arrogance of the common belief that we are better and “more evolved” than people were who lived prior to us. I could get away with this, especially since I served my mission in Japan, but I probably would talk about my time there and how much I love the Buddhist concept of reincarnation that ends with full enlightenment and “oneness” and how our concept of eternity, centered on temple ordinances, is much more like their understanding of the purpose of life than the traditional end goal of mainstream Christian theology – that this is a great example of “truth restored” and the central purpose of the Priesthood. I don’t accept all of the details of reincarnation, but, at the heart, it is another way to express eternal progression for all of God’s children – and most of Christianity lost that core concept long ago.
Thanks Ray – you always have great comments 🙂 I went to Sweden on my mission though… so no reincarnation for me:)I’ll keep your thoughts in the back of my head as i’m reading the lesson (….now).
Thanks again, and feel free to chime in people! This is a once in a lifetime experience! You have the chance to affect how a priesthood lesson in Denmark is going to be…
😆 New lesson: nr 17 Missionary work:
Don’t really know how to tackle that when I haven’t completely rebuild my faith yet. I can testify of things like Christ like love, service. That God loves us beyond our understanding etc even JS in general.. but there are some grey areas here and there that makes it hard for me to accept the white washed missionary presentation… But then again, when you talk about the gospel what would be the point in starting out with polyandry.
Feel free to comment/give hints that will make my listeners have a wider understanding of Mormonism.
Thanks a ton!
I like to start this sort of lesson with the analogy of fishing and hunting. I ask everyone to think about the last person they shared the Gospel with or invited to a church activity. I ask them why they talked with that particular person. I try to get three or four answers (which almost always center on a shared interest or friendship or determination of readiness), and then I explain the difference between fishing in Jesus’ time and hunting in our time.
Jesus didn’t bait a hook and cast a line into the water in the exact spot where he thought the fish were most likely to be hiding. Jesus threw out his net and gathered in whatever fish swam into it. He preached to the masses and let people follow him if they chose to do so. On the other hand, we tend to grab our rifles and try to find the perfect target for our message – saving our bullets for the right one and even praying that the right one will walk into our scope sights.
I tell them that I’m not talking about approaching everyone they see, like a full-time missionary, but rather talking with everyone they meet about whatever normal, everyday thing pops into their minds and seeing where the conversation leads.
My brother was raised in central, rural Utah. The hunting approach was the only possible approach, since each ward had about 500 members and maybe 5-10 non-members living within its boundaries. Thus, every non-member had been shot at multiple times and was adapt at ducking the bullets and/or finding good cover. When he moved to Oklahoma, he told me he was amazed at how naturally and openly everyone talked about church and religion and God. It was done in the course of normal conversation – no conversion motive and not awkwardly, just as part of regular life.
Likewise, my mother couldn’t carry on a conversation for more than about 10 minutes without having the discussion include some aspect of the Gospel, since it simply was part of how she viewed life. She never preached to people or overtly even talked about the Church; rather, she simply talked with them – and Gospel principles leaked into the conversation.
To me, that is the heart of pure Gospel sharing – when it just comes up naturally because of who you are as you talk about life.
I might share the following: Quote:Fellowship (v.) befriending others with the sole purpose of changing their beliefs to accord with your own
and then share about my best friends that are a non-member married couple. We have had many discussions about the church. One day I was feeling guilty for not doing more to give them the gospel, but also aware that they didn’t really want the gospel – they were doing fine as they were. I told them that they are my best friends and great people. I also believe in what my church teaches. I want to be an available resource for them always. They can ask a random question, I can help them investigate the church, they could join or decide it wasn’t for them. Whatever happens, our friendship will endure and I will support them in their decisions.
They told me thank you.
We have had many conversations since about the church, usually when someone characterizes Mormon beliefs as strange and they come to me for a second opinion.
“Let your light so shine before men that they will see your good works and Glorify your Father which is in heaven”
I figure that those that need the gospel will be drawn to it as we represent our faith in daily life.
church0333 wrote:Good luck with this. Just a few ideas.
Holy family relations: JS binding himself to other families by marring their daughters. Richard Bushman goes into great detail about this in Rough Stone Rolling.
Come to the temple: How the temple endowment has had many changes over the years and how the requirements to get a temple recommend has changed sense Presidents Snow’s time. Beer was never part of the WOW until the 1920’s. JS and the others in jail with him drank wine, BY sold whiskey in Utah. The priesthood band was put in place by Brigham Young when a black person wanted to marry a white person in the endowment house.
Just some thoughts.
I wouldn’t throw this into a lesson at all. As a professional teacher and a long-time HP and Gospel Essentials teacher, I would advise this model:
“Rock the boat without sinking the ship”.
This is how I would consider rocking the boat.
1. LImit it to one question per lesson that makes people think. Rely on a closing statement that is preferably a statement that a GA made.
2. Gauge how far you should take the discussion based on the reaction of the people there.
3. If there is someone in authority present (a SP, Bishop, or maybe Counselor of some kind, or the SS president), go lightly and don’t make waves.
4. Center any boat rocking in areas that are still matters of conscience. Sabbath Day, Attitudes toward people who are different, the role of personal revelation when deciding how to respond to leadership requests for help, work/family/church balance, avoiding judgmentalism.
See if you can relate any of the topics in #4 to Lorezno snow’s lesson topic. Avoid historical blights.
Hope that helps.
As an unorthodox church member who walks the fine line…
Gave a lesson from the lorenzo snow manual this sunday. It went great! It was mostly about not having too much false “trust” in our leaders otherwise we can set ourselves up for a major disappointment when we find out that they are just normal people with normal problems.
Whe talked a lot about JS attributes – and also the negative ones that he had.
I saw a lot of heads nodding and some people who where giving me the “what??? i didn’t know that about JS!”
Someone mentioned polygamy (also that he married a 13 year old) but i quickly shut it down by mentioning the law of adoption that was practiced earlier and said that it was HUGE topic that we couldn’t cover in 10 minutes (what was left off the lesson). but also mentioned you could go VERY deep into that subject. (On a side note – polygamy is one thing that i don’t understand AT ALL!)
I quoted JS:
Quote:I love that man better who swears a stream as long as my arm, and administering to the poor & dividing his substance, than the long smoothed faced hypocrites. I don’t want you to think I am very righteous, for I am not very righteous. God judgeth men according to the light he gives them.
And the BY quote where he talks about him being very afraid that we trust our leaders blindly and do not find our own faith and that that blind faith could lead to spiritual “sleepiness” (oh yes! i am paraphrasing very loosely here!!)
In the end i asked everyone to take the church leaders advice – but at the same time not using it as a pillow but to gain our own testimonies about whatever truth there would be – wherever it could be. Just as JS did – to wonder or doubt and SEARCH and go wherever truth would lead us and not base our belief on any prophet but truth and God. (but at the same time listening to the prophet)
Went great. I felt I rocked the boat a little but everyone seemed edified and they didn’t misunderstand me (i think); and all the rocking was done in a safe environment. In that way people know that they can think outside the box and ask questions and still feel welcome.
🙂 I think its pretty cool you shut down some discussions (even ones you admit yourself make no sense) because you are keeping a productive spirit to the discussion, yet making them think. Good for you. :clap: :clap: :clap: :clap:
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