Friday, January 29, 2016

Lesson 3 - Chapter 2 Part 1 (Janine Thompson)

D&C 11:21 "Seek not to declare my word, but first seek to obtain my word, and then shall your tongue be loosed"

Who do we teach?  Non-members, family members, those we visit teach, others in our wards.  Sometimes we are called as actual teachers.  We realize that we are always teaching -- whether it is verbally or through our actions.

Where do we seek the word of the Lord?  Scriptures, magazines, general conference, personal revelation.  We also hear the word of the Lord when we attend our meetings -- not only from the speakers and the teachers, but from the comments of others.

In the manual, it says "to teach effectively, you need to obtain spiritual knowledge" 

What's the difference between spiritual and temporal knowledge?  Spiritual knowledge is a gift from the Lord, it comes through learning and faith. 

Why is it important to study the gospel?  We need to fill up our well of knowledge so that when needed, the Holy Ghost can bring it to our remembrance.  Feeling comfortable in our gospel knowledge can help us better articulate our beliefs.

How will my study affect those I teach?  At first, the better question seemed to be, how will my study affect my teaching?  But asking about the affect on others reminds us all that we study the gospel in order to be able to bless the lives of other people.

Sometimes the person who is affected is ourselves -- prior scripture study can help us with present trials and questions.

From the manual: "Effective daily study must always begin with prayer"  Why would this be important?  How has prayer help you be more effective in your study?  We discussed the idea that prayer leads us to open our hearts and be ready to listen to the Spirit.

Elder Larry Spackman, when he was president of the Calgary stake, taught that when we read our scriptures we need to pray to be ready to receive the revelations that the Lord wants us to hear. 

Elder Richard G. Scott taught this same method of receiving revelation in his conference talk "To Acquire Spiritual Guidance"

The manual teaches us that scripture study "prepares you for service, offers solace, resolves problems, and gives you the strength to endure to the end."

Finally, we discussed the 3 steps to effective scripture study:

1.  Read
2.  Pray and have faith
3.  Obey and act

This goes along with the 3 levels of questions that can be used in teaching/studying:

1.  Context -- what is going on
2.  Doctrines/principles -- what is the Lord teaching
3.  Application -- what does this mean for me

Wednesday, January 20, 2016

PMG Study Guide From Sandra Harding

Sandra shared this study guide with us -- we won't be following it but it's a great tool to use for your own personal study or family study.




























Friday, January 15, 2016

Jan 13 - Val Harker

Thanks everyone for a great first class. We were thrilled that so many were able to attend and thoroughly appreciated the lively discussion. We all learn if we contribute. 

1. These are the talks and articles that I referenced in our class today:

Carol F. McConkie

Quentin L. Cook
(Expanded version of the same talk available at  speeches.byu.edu)

President Henry B. Eyring

Elder Kim B. Clark



2. We hope you can attend next Wednesday. 

Our primary focus will be:

The Gospel
The Restoration 
The process of conversion and 
How to measure our success as missionaries

3. We will draw our discussion from parts of the following:


Activity: personal or companion Study
Study Doctrine and Covenants 109:13-15, 21-30, 38-39, 55-57 (excerpts from the dedicatory prayer of the Kirtland Temple. (Consider what blessings Joseph Smith has requested for the faithful?) 



The Message of the Restoration: The Foundation of Faith (p. 5-8)

Scripture study: How should you use the Book of Mormon in your missionary work?



In what ways is the gift of the Holy Ghost one of the greatest gifts we can receive?
Why should converts desire the gift of the Holy Ghost?

Helping others Make Commitments: The Door to Faith and Repentance