Mormon Bloggers

Each month, LDS youth around the world study a different doctrinal principle that is coordinated across Young Men, Young Women, and youth Sunday School classes. The topic for April is the The Apostasy and the Restoration. Youth will come to understand the Great Apostasy and how Jesus Christ restored His Church and the fullness of His gospel through the Prophet Joseph Smith. They will learn about the key events of the Restoration and discover the relevance of those events in their lives. Parents, grandparents, siblings, and leaders can help the youth learn these doctrines if they will study the doctrines themselves and regularly discuss the doctrines with the youth during the month. Below is a list of the lessons that may be taught during the month.  Quorum and class presidencies and leaders will use the Spirit to determine what is taught. Aaronic Priesthood Young Women Sunday School You may also want to refer to the following resources: Read the Gospel Topic Apostasy. Read the... Read the rest of this entry »

Each month, LDS youth around the world study a different doctrinal principle that is coordinated across Young Men, Young Women, and youth Sunday School classes. The topic for March is the The Atonement. Youth will learn how to search the scriptures and words of the living prophets to strengthen their faith in Jesus Christ and His Atonement. They will gain stronger testimonies of the Atonement and more confidence in their ability to teach it to others. Parents, grandparents, siblings, and leaders can help the youth learn these doctrines if they will study the doctrines themselves and regularly discuss the doctrines with the youth during the month. Below is a list of the lessons that may be taught during March.  Quorum and class presidencies and leaders will use the Spirit to determine what is taught. Aaronic Priesthood Young Women Sunday School You may also want to refer to the following resources: Watch the video Atonement – Not a One-Time Thing (shown below) Read the Gospel... Read the rest of this entry »

Each month, LDS youth around the world study a different doctrinal principle that is coordinated across Young Men, Young Women, and youth Sunday School classes. The topic for February is the Plan of Salvation. Understanding this plan is fundamental to spiritual learning. Everything we learn about temporal things makes more sense when it’s viewed in the context of the plan of salvation. That helps us discern between that which is eternally significant and that which is not. When we truly understand the plan of salvation, we live with greater purpose. We see trials and adversity as opportunities to grow. We make choices based on their eternal consequences rather than seeking immediate gratification. We are more able to find happiness and joy. Parents, grandparents, siblings, and leaders can help the youth learn these doctrines if they will study the doctrines themselves and regularly discuss the doctrines with the youth during the month. Below is a list of the lessons that may... Read the rest of this entry »

We’re almost at the end of January–the first month of a new curriculum year in the Church. It’s a good time to ask ourselves if we’re making the most of our study of the Doctrine and Covenants and Church history. Many years ago, at the beginning of a curriculum year, Elder Carlos E. Asay wrote about the purposes of Church curriculum and the blessings of gospel study. (Carlos E. Asay, “For the Perfecting of the Saints: A Look at Church Curriculum“, Ensign, Jan. 1986, 14). He explained five ways we can take advantage of the Church’s instructional program. I summarize them below: 1. Understanding the premises upon which the curriculum is based. This will enable you to see purpose in the classes you attend and the materials you read. It will also enable you to harmonize more effectively personal, family, and quorum or class study. If you understand the purpose of something, you will generally be more inclined to become actively involved. Read the article... Read the rest of this entry »

This month, the New Era magazine published an article “How to Never Have a Boring Church Class Ever Again.” I recommend this article to the youth of the Church–and to the adult members. Someone once asked President Spencer W. Kimball, “What do you do when you find yourself in a boring sacrament meeting?” His answer was a little surprising: “I don’t know. I’ve never been in one.” Maybe he hadn’t ever been to your ward—or maybe he looked at going to church a little differently. Maybe he prepared differently, participated differently, and lived differently as a result of his experiences. Elder Dallin H. Oaks has said our ultimate goal is “far more than acquiring knowledge. It is not even enough for us to be convinced of the gospel; we must act and think so that we are converted by it. In contrast to the institutions of the world, which teach us to know something, the gospel of Jesus Christ challenges us to become something.” The... Read the rest of this entry »

How is your ward doing in having the Young Women, Young Men, and Sunday School teachers coordinate lessons? 1. Do they talk with each other and plan mutually-beneficial lessons? 2. Do they evaluate the success of lessons? 3. Do they give the youth learning activities to do during the week? 4. Do they follow up on these actions? Comment below or join the discussion on the LDS Teachers Facebook page. Learn more about the new learning model for youth.  Read More →

I’ve recently been reflecting on the significance of three events that happened regarding the youth over the past few months. On September 12, 2012, the First Presidency issued a letter to priesthood leaders announcing a new method for teaching youth in Aaronic Priesthood, Young Women, and youth Sunday School classes. The new method follows the pattern of teaching established by the Savior and focuses on a deeper understanding and conversion to basic doctrinal principles. The announcement letter stated that the “focus is on strengthening and building faith, conversion and testimony, using the most current teachings of the General Authorities and General Auxiliary Presidencies.” The First Presidency stated, “We are confident the new curriculum will bless youth in their efforts to become fully converted to the gospel of Jesus Christ.” On October 7, 2012, President Monson opened the October General Conference by announcing that men may now begin serving full-time... Read the rest of this entry »

Having trouble trying to show videos in classrooms in the meetinghouse? The new youth lesson outlines refer to many videos are that only available online. This article gives some guidelines that should help you know how to use these videos in the classroom. If you try to stream the videos using the Internet connection in the meetinghouse, it will probably pause, buffer, and even stop. This is because meetinghouses have limited, residential-level bandwidth–and you never know how many other members and teachers may also be trying to use the Internet at the same time. To have a good experience in the classroom, it is best to download the videos ahead of time. A new page on lds.org/youth/learn gives step-by-step instructions for showing videos in the classroom. The Church has also prepared a guide that explains how to download videos and play them in a meetinghouse classroom using a laptop computer, a tablet or smartphone, or a DVD. The guide includes several how-to videos. On that... Read the rest of this entry »

In 2013, adult priesthood and Relief Society classes will study the book Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Lorenzo Snow. The January issue of the Ensign and Liahona magazines has an article “Pickles, Turnips, and Testimony: Inspiration from the Life and Teachings of Lorenzo Snow” to help us come to understand a little better the life of President Snow. The Church makes this manual available in various formats to make it easy to access and study the teachings of this great prophet: Printed format available from store.lds.org in English, English large print, and in many other languages. On LDS.org in text, PDF (graphic layout with pictures), EPUB (for digital readers, tablets, and smartphones), or audio. Note: Clicking the link for EPUB and audio will automatically download the files to your computer. In the Gospel Library mobile app for Android, Apple iOS, BlackBerry, Palm webOS, and Windows Mobile. To learn about the other manuals to be used in 2013, see the Instructions... Read the rest of this entry »

A 7″ tablet computer is being purchased for schools in India. It is multi-touch and has a camera, microphone, and speakers. It costs $40. The government of India will subsidize half of the cost, making it available to students for roughly $20. It’s part of the Indian government’s commitment to equip all 220 million students in the country with low-cost computing devices and Internet access over the next 5 years. It’s amazing to see countries leap-frog on technology. While many in India are on par with first-world countries on access to technology, many of their students have not worked with computers much, if at all. Now they will have access to tablets and the Internet. Imagine the opportunity that is opening up for them to learn! Read more detail about the specifications and price. Imagine opening up an opportunity for members of the Church around the world–especially in less-developed countries. Imagine loading the scriptures, Church publications, videos,... Read the rest of this entry »

Each month, LDS youth around the world study a different doctrinal principle that is coordinated across Young Men, Young Women, and youth Sunday School classes. The topic for January is the Godhead. “We believe in God, the Eternal Father, and in His Son, Jesus Christ, and in the Holy Ghost” (Articles of Faith 1:1). Parents, grandparents, siblings, and leaders can help the youth learn these doctrines if they will study the doctrines themselves and regularly discuss the doctrines with the youth during the month. Below is a list of the lessons that may be taught during January. Quorum and class presidencies and leaders will use the Spirit to determine what is taught. How can I know my Heavenly Father? Heavenly Father loves us and wants us to draw near to Him. He has given us the opportunity to pray to Him and has promised to hear and answer our prayers. We can also come to know Him as we study the scriptures and the words of latter-day prophets and as we strive to become more like... Read the rest of this entry »

On September 12, the First Presidency announced that there would be a new way for youth to learn in Sunday classes beginning in 2013. Each month, LDS youth around the world will study a different doctrinal principle that is coordinated across Young Men, Young Women, and youth Sunday School classes. Rather than having a teacher stand and deliver a “lesson,” leaders will lead discussions where the youth teach each other from Come, Follow Me: Learning Resources for Youth. The goal is to help youth become more deeply converted to the gospel of Jesus Christ. The article “Helping Youth Become Powerful Learners and Teachers“ in the January issue of the Ensign and Liahona magazines helps us understand more about this new way of learning. It recommends four ways that parents, teachers, and leaders can effectively help youth to learn: we need to prepare ourselves spiritually, focus on the needs of the youth, invite the youth to discover gospel truths, and then... Read the rest of this entry »