If you are a person of faith who feels called to share biblical teachings with others, you may be wondering, Should I go to seminary? But
When I taught seminary, a few times a year I used to love to give a "silent" lesson, and over the years I realized how much the students loved them.
While researching Skyped seminary, I found this old post on Early Morning Seminary at Segullah. I got really tickled. It's always a pleasure to hear other
Make a Bingo Grid on the Floor (5x5=25 Scripture Mastery verses) Make a "Sock-O" with any sock filled with beans, popcorn, etc. It is fun to use a sock with a seasonal pattern/print Divide in to 2 teams Place a card turned writing side down with a clue for each Scripture Mastery verse inside each square. Have a team member throw the "sock-o" to a square, turn over the card and read the clue. The team as 15 seconds to find the verse in their scriptures. They can use their Scripture Mastery cards or bookmarks to help them (I used the same clues as the cards and bookmarks) When a team member finds it, have them yell, "Contact" They must state the reference and they have the option of: 1) reading the scripture from the book 2) Reciting from memory the scripture (or having a team mate recite it from memory-but a team member can only recite 1 scripture by memory during the entire game, otherwise the same team member may recite it every time) If they read the scripture, the team gets 5 points If a team member recites it by memory, the team gets 10 points If they cannot find the scripture in 15 seconds, the other team has the option to "steal" and get 5 points for reading it or 10 for reciting it by memory. The first team with 5 in a row, wins. You can adapt this with other rules or for teaching review questions, etc. The "sock-o" can be used for many other purposes such as "hot potato" where it is passed around a circle while one student's back is turned to them. When that student says stop, the person with the "sock-o" recites or names the scripture using the key words or clues given by the person who is "it".
I was not going to blog about my seminary class, but after searching for ideas from other blogs I have decided to share my ideas. T...
The Savior's appearance in 3 Nephi is the central event of the entire Book of Mormon. The first words spoken by the Savior are packed with important meaning about who He is, what He had accomplished, and why He did it, including an explanation of His relationship to the Father. These words set the tone for the rest of the Savior's teachings in 3 Nephi.
Today we studied D&C 100. As the students came in I assigned each student a scripture from that section. They each were to read the scripture. Then they were to explain the scripture and tell us which words were important to that scripture. Then finally they were to ask a question about that scripture. It went really well so I thought that I would take the time to share this idea. Below is a copy of the assignment that I put up on the board. To print it out just click on the picture to make it larger. Then right click and save it into your pictures, or copy and paste it into your printing program. I am sure that you can do this with any Scripture block. Good luck with your class! To see all of my seminary ideas click here:
2 Nephi 26:33 states that “all are alike unto God, both Jew and Gentile.” Most people in Nephi’s time assumed that the gods of each nation only loved their own nation. Nephi taught otherwise. He also showed that the Gentiles would enthusiastically accept Jehovah as their God. This would take place because God simply lays down the conditions that people have to keep for Him to accept them, and those that keep His commandments become part of His kingdom, as was the case for ancient kings who laid down conditions for their subjects. It isn’t where people are from that matters to God, it’s what they do.
8 great questions that you can use in your next LDS class
April 2, 2024. Fully searchable library of doctrinal mastery games for Zoom and in-person LDS seminary classes. Get games for small classes, large classes, one scripture, or many scriptures
In Ether 12, Christ told Moroni that if men would come unto Him, He would show them their “weakness.” Some might assume this means that Christ would show us our weaknesses. However, the Book of Mormon authors never use the word weaknesses at all. Instead, they use the word weakness to refer to the actual condition of being weak: weak-ness. The Lord allows people to experience this weakness associated with mortality, “that they may be humble” (Ether 12:27). We all experience the weakened condition that is part of being human, and this is meant to invite us to experience Christ’s grace.
So, I should start this post with an apology. I noticed that it has been over a year since I last posted on this blog. Opps! As you can imagine this past year has been crazy busy. Here are a few highlights in a nut shell: Chris graduated from law school. Chris went through the temple for the first time at the LDS Temple in Oakland California. Christ took the CA State Bar exam...AND PASSED!!!!!!!!!!!! We got sealed for time and all eternity in the LDS Temple in Mesa Arizona. We had 2 wedding receptions, one in Mesa, AZ and one in Carmel Valley, CA (both were beautiful). I quit my job and moved to Monterey. We got our first apartment in Monterey, five blocks from Cannery Row. We started attending a new ward (as a newly married couple). I got 2 new jobs. And last but definitely not least...we were called to be the early morning seminary teachers! We are really hoping that 2013 is less "exciting". Through it all we have been extremely blessed! The reason I have revisited our crazy blog is that I needed to 1) do a better job with family/personal record keeping and a blog is a great way to do that, while allowing my family to keep tabs on us as we are all on our own out here in CA, and 2) with our calling as seminary teachers we have come up with a bunch of cool things for teaching seminary and are anxious to share them. We have found that the world of early morning seminary is small and we have garnered so much help from others in navigating our way through this new experience that we want to give back, if we can. Or better yet, pay it forward. Therefore, for our first seminary offering: Scripture Master Battleship Battle Stations: Check out the "Wall of Privacy" running down the center of the battlefield. We are constantly scouring the internet for Scripture Mastery Games. Every Friday we have Scripture Mastery Games and the students seem to really enjoy them. I found mention of the game Battleship for Scripture Mastery, but was unable to find a game board anywhere. Several sites walk through the game (with some variations), but NO ONE seemed to have a game board we could use. Then it dawned on me...I am a graphic design artist, I can make my own! Thus, the Scripture Mastery Battleship Game Board was born. I am including a picture of it for your reference. I would love to share the Scripture Mastery Battleship game board with you so feel free to download a pdf of the the file by clicking here. The seminary students LOVED it! In short, here's how it worked. Students each picked an opponent. I encouraged them to select someone who new the Scripture Mastery scriptures about as well as they did. Each team of two sat across from each other and ensured that their "wall of privacy" was structurally sound. Each person was given a Battleship game board with two "game board" components (see .pdf). In the top game board component they were to place their ships. The legend on the game board explains how to do this. The game board component on the bottom was where they were to record their "hits" and "misses" as they attempted to attack their opponent. Once they were all set up, the game began!! Bro. Marohn is declaring a winner between combatants. I, or Bro. Marohn, would call out a scripture reference. (i.e. - "No man can serve two masters..."). The team would scripture chase to find the scripture reference in their scriptures. Once they had it they would hold up their hand. The first partner to correctly find the scripture reference earned the right to "fire" upon their opponent. That winner would call out their guess, in the traditional Battleship lingo..."B5!" The receipient of the firing would then identify if it was a hit or a miss. The person firing was responsible for updating the appropriate game board. We continued playing for the whole period and when we stopped the students added up their points and decided who won. Here I am calling out more SM. NOTE: Different from the traditional game of Battleship, points have been allotted for sinking specific ship types, and for each hit/miss. This allows us to stop the game at any point and tally up the points to identify a winner. One of the reasons that I think this game was so successful was that it allowed students to satisfy their competitive nature, but doing so against someone who is similarly prepared in scripture mastery. Lest you think all we do is play games, we've had some great lessons too. I'll try to post information on them at another time. Hope you give Scripture Mastery Battleship a try!
Today we played a memory game. I had previously selected 8 scripture mastery scriptures that I felt needed review. Drawing a big sixteen-squ...
Lehi's teachings about the Fall are the most complete found in all scripture. Exploring the ancient, personal, and literary context of those teachings yields insights into his teachings on the Fall, its necessity in the plan of salvation, and the joy made possible through Adam's fall.
If you're a teacher, here is a list of ideas and activities for classrooms or other youth groups so students can get to know each other better.
PARALLELS IN THE LIVES OF JESUS CHRIST AND JOSEPH SMITH I suggest you read the list below without the title and ask your class who is being described. If you want more participation, print out and cut up the items and pass them among class members to read aloud. He was foreordained and his mission was prophecied of thousands of years before his birth. He was born of goodly parents and raised in a righteous home. He was born into poverty and stayed poor all of his life. He had many siblings. As a young teen, his spiritual vision confounded and surpassed that of religious leaders of the day. He traveled through the country preaching the new truths of the gospel. He depended upon others for room and board. He trained twelve apostles to help in the ministry. His actions directly affected our salvation He called those who followed him "brothers" and "friends." He treated children, women, and minorities with unusual kindness (for the culture in which he lived). He revolutionized religion and by so doing alienated himself from religious leaders. He was subject to temptation but was not overcome. He was never allowed much privacy because of his fame. He performed many miracles: healing the sick, giving sight to the blind, casting out devils. He was visited by angels. He was betrayed by friends. He was tried illegally and unjustly, convicted of crimes he did not commit. He prophesied of his own death repeatedly, yet it was still a shock to his followers. He went of his own free will to his death. He was comforted by friends and the singing of hymns in his last hours. He was martyred in the prime of his life, leaving his widowed mother to the care of others. The church was in turmoil at his death. At the time of his death, his vision for the church was only in its infancy. After his death, he appeared to church leaders to give them added counsel and direction. No one who met him had a neutral opinion of him: they either loved him or despised him, or sometimes they did both--one after the other. Some who testified passionately of his divine calling later denied the testimony. He forgave even those who turned against him or persecuted him even unto death. EYE-WITNESS DESCRIPTIONS OF JOSEPH SMITH Parley P. Pratt described Joseph Smith thus: "President Joseph Smith was in person tall and well built, strong and active, of light complexion, light hair, blue eyes, very little beard, and of an expression peculiar to himself, on which the eye naturally rested with interest, and was never weary of beholding. His countenance was ever mild, affable, beaming with intelligence and benevolence; mingled with a look of interest and an unconscious smile, or cheerfulness, and entirely free from all restraint or affectation of gravity; and there was something connected with this serene and steady penetrating glance of his eye, as if he would penetrate the deepest abyss of the human heart, gaze into eternity, penetrate the heavens, and comprehend all worlds. "He possessed a noble boldness and independence of character; his manner was easy and familiar; his rebuke terrible as the lion; his benevolence unbounded as the ocean; his intelligence universal, and his language abounding in original eloquence peculiar to himself--not polished--not studied--not smoothed and softened by education and refined by art; but flowing forth in its own native simplicity, and profusely abounding in variety of subject and manner. He interested and edified, while, at the same time, he amused and entertained his audience; and none listened to him that were ever weary with his discourse. I have even known him to retain a congregation of willing and anxious listeners for many hours together, in the midst of cold or sunshine, rain or wind, while they were laughing at one moment and weeping the next. Even his most bitter enemies were generally overcome, if he could once get their ears" (Parley P. Pratt, Autobiography of Parley P. Pratt, p. 31-32). A former mayor of Boston, Josiah Quincy, who visited Joseph Smith just a few months before Joseph was killed wrote: "It is by no means improbable that some future textbook for the use of generations yet unborn will contain a question like this: What historical American of the nineteenth century has exerted the most powerful influence upon the destinies of his countrymen? And it is by no means impossible that the answer to that interrogatory may be thus written: Joseph Smith, the Mormon Prophet. And the reply, as absurd as it doubtless seems to most men now living, may be an obvious commonplace to their descendants...Fanatic, imposter, charlatan, he may have been; but these hard names furnish no solution to the problem he presents to us. "Born in the lowest ranks of poverty, without book-learning, and with the homeliest of all human names, he had made himself at the age of 39 a power upon earth, His influence, whether for good or for evil, is potent today, and the end is not yet. If the reader does not known just what to make of Joseph Smith, I cannot help him out of the difficulty. I myself stand helpless before the puzzle" (B.H. Roberts, A Comprehensive History of the Church, 2:349-50, also quoted in Kelly, Latter-day History..., p. 271). A correspondent to the New York Herald stopped by Nauvoo, a place he called the nucleus of a Western Empire, and wrote the following description of the prophet: "Joseph Smith, the president of the Church, prophet, seer and revelator, is 36 years of age, six feet high in [heels], weighing 212 pounds. He is a man of the highest order of talent and great independence of character--firm in integrity, and devoted to his religion; in fact, he is a per-se, as President Tyler would say. As a public speaker he is bold, powerful and convincing...as a leader, wise and prudent, yet fearless as a military commander; brave and determined as a citizen, worthy, affable and kind; bland in his manners, and of noble bearing. His amiable lady, too, the electa cyria, is a woman of superior intellect and exemplary piety--in every respect suited to her situation in society, as the wife of one of the most accomplished and powerful chiefs of the age. "Hyrum Smith, the patriarch of the Church and brother of Joseph, is 42 years of age, five feet, eleven and a half inches high, weighing 193 pounds. He, too, is a prophet, seer and revelator, and is one of the most pious and devout Christians in the world. He is a man of great wisdom and superior excellence, possessing great energy of character and originality of thought" (Holzapfel, A Woman's View: Helen Mary Whitney's Reminiscences of Early Church History, p. 147-148). There is an excellent church video that coordinates with this lesson that could be played at this point: "Joseph Smith: The Prophet of the Restoration" from the video collection "Teachings from the Doctrine and Covenants and Church History." (This is not the hour-long movie the church made, but a 13-minute clip. Please see Lanise's comment at the end of this post for directions on downloading it from the Church's website. Thanks, Lanise!) DISCUSSION What impresses you the most about Joseph Smith? THE PROPHET'S HYMN In conclusion, you may want to sing, or have performed, the hymn "Praise to the Man." The lyricist of this hymn was William W. Phelps. Brother Phelps had been a stalwart member of the church, helping to print The Book of Commandments, The Doctrine and Covenants, and the first hymnbook, contributing $500 to the building of the Kirtland Temple, and writing "The Spirit of God" for its dedication, but when questions arose regarding his mismanagement of the purchase of lands in Missouri for the Saints, he was excommunicated. For two years, he was one of the Prophet's bitterest enemies, inflicting great harm upon the church and contributing substantially to a sentence to prison. But Brother Phelps fast realized his error and sought forgiveness in a letter to Joseph Smith. President Smith read the letter to the congregation of the church and then sent this reply to him: "It is true, that we have suffered much in consequence of your behavior--the cup of gall, already full enough for mortals to drink, was indeed filled to overflowing when you turned against us...'Had it been an enemy, we could have borne it'...'Come on, dear brother, since the war is past, For friends at first, are friends again at last..." (quoted in Gordon B. Hinckley, April 2006 General Conference; also see Susan E. Black, Who's Who in the Doctrine and Covenants, p. 224-225). Elder Phelps once again began publishing for the prophet, served as his spokesman, and rode with the prophet to Carthage, also visiting him in the Carthage Jail on the morning of his death. Shortly after the martyrdom, he wrote this hymn. Praise to the Man is Hymn no. 27 available at this link. Many lovely recordings of the hymn can be found on YouTube, including one by the MTC Choir (5 minutes long). FURTHER RESOURCE Wikipedia has an article which contains a lot of historical details about the martyrdom at this link.
April 2, 2024. Fully searchable library of doctrinal mastery games for Zoom and in-person LDS seminary classes. Get games for small classes, large classes, one scripture, or many scriptures
Pardon the photo quality as I explain how I used hula-hoops to teach the Plan of Salvation/ Plan of Happiness on our first day of Seminary. I lined up a few students at the front of the classroom and gave them hula hoops to replicate the pattern below. In between each person who was holding a hula hoop (circle), I placed another person to represent the lines in the design. The people represented: (left to right) Pre-Mortal Life (holding a hula hoop), Birth, This life (holding a hula hoop), Death, Paradise/Spirit Prison (holding a hula hoop), Judgement and Final Judgement (two people standing side by side), and finally, 3 people holding 3 smaller hula hoops representing Celestial, Terrestrial, and Telestial. We did not have a hula hoop for outer darkness, it was just "out there where we don't want to go" When I lined them up. at first, I did not tell them what they were representing. I asked them what they thought the circles and formation meant and how it may relate to Seminary, life, the gospel, etc. After some discussion and interesting answers, I then explained what each of them represented and brought out this pillowcase printed with the design they were representing. I had a pillowcase printed with this design for each student to have as a daily reminder that we are here on earth as one phase of our journey and that there is so much more than this life. With this knowledge, does it help us make wise decisions, etc? It was very effective. I cannot take any credit for the design and I wish I knew who to give original credit to. I just thought up a way to re-enact it using hula hoops. I have seen this design on several sites printed on T-shirts. I kept checking to see if it was copyrighted or who may have had the original idea, If you know please share so I can give credit to the right person(s). UPDATED NOTE: THE BLESSING OF POSTING THIS IS THAT NOW I KNOW WHO TO GIVE CREDIT TO AND NOW YOU CAN PURCHASE A T-SHIRT DIRECTLY FROM THE CREATOR OF THIS BRILLIANT LOGO, Mark at LDS HAPPINESS. CLICK HERE FOR INFORMATION. I decided to have pillowcases printed rather than T-shirts for several reasons. One was practical-I could not get the T-shirt sizeof each of my students before Seminary started. The other was that a pillowcase would be seen daily and be a reminder that "*you are here"- where are you going, what do you need to do to get there? We have not seen the last of these hula hoops for this Seminary year. I am certain they will show up during a learning activity or game. I may bring them to class when we are doing a review and ask the students to re-enact and re-teach the Plan of Salvation/Plan of Happiness I hope this is clear and easy to understand. After teaching this doctrine for many years, I must say this was my favorite and quite possibly the most effective and interactive/visual method to teach and internalize the Plan of Salvation. Happy Back To Seminary!
Some days I like to bring a little treat for my seminary students. I put the treats in a bowl and tape the sign to the back of the inside of the bowl. It's quick and easy. Here are some of the signs that I have made for my class. How to print: Right click on the picture and save it into your photos, or you can copy and paste it into your print program. Famous Amos Chocolate Chip Cookies Nutter Butter Cookies CIRCUS ANIMAL COOKIES DONUTS Here's a Valentine's version BLOW POP SIGN FRUIT MOON PIE SIGN RICE KRISPY TREAT SIGN General Conference Rice Krispy treat sign AIRHEADS Fruit by the Foot: Fruit Roll-Ups Gummy Bears Candy Corn Gummy Eyes or Eyeball Chewing Gum Cuties or Orange Candy minion candy
3 Nephi 27:20 reads, “Repent, all ye ends of the earth, and come unto me and be baptized in my name, that ye may be sanctified by the reception of the Holy Ghost.” Christ commanded that all things be done in His name, so His commandment to be “baptized in my name” emphasizes the importance of His name in making covenants. His invitation to all the earth to come to Him reflects the experience of all the people at the temple coming to him one by one. Like those who physically felt Christ’s healing touch at the temple in Bountiful, all of us can spiritually come unto Christ by being baptized into His church and following His gospel.
In Ether 12:6 Moroni taught that “ye receive no witness until after the trial of your faith.” Exploring the various definitions of the word *trial* in relation to Moroni’s chapter on faith can help demonstrate the diversity of our trials and the consistency of God’s blessings. A *trial* can mean (1) an “examination by a test,” (2) an “experiment,” (3) a testing “experience” (4) a legal “examination” or (5) a “temptation.” Through repeated and sometimes lengthy periods of trial and testing, we are given greater freedom to determine and then act out the truest desires of our hearts. If we endure these trials with faith, obedience, and patience, we become spiritually refined and purified.
In 3 Nephi 18:15, the Lord gave instructions for things that His followers should do, which would help them to always remember Him. He told them that they “must watch and pray always.” If we are “watching,” we are keeping ourselves “awake” and “vigilant,” avoiding evil and keeping ourselves ready for the return of Jesus. We also “warn” others of the need to stay close to the Savior’s teachings. Praying always, as Jesus instructed, also demonstrates that we are always remembering Him and His teachings.
Struggle getting your class to just open the book? Try these ideas.
The Book of Mormon’s rich accounts of warfare contain some of the most exciting and interesting material in the thousand-year narrative. These stories have captured the imagination of Latter-day Saints of all ages, from young children in Primary to popular fiction writers. Perhaps less recognized, these chapters have also caught the attention of some with both academic and professional military expertise. These scholars have found the Book of Mormon accounts of wartime strategy to be strikingly realistic.
HollysHome - Church Fun This blog is to share some of my ideas that I use in my church classes, in seminary and some that I have used in my home.
Do you know all the names of God or what the 10 plagues of Egypt are? Find out this and more with these awesome new resources for next year’s Gospel Doctrine Old Testament study.
New Testament Doctrinal Mastery Posters, Flash Cards, and Study Sheets - printable illustrated helps. Each illustration helps...
Joseph and Hyrum Smith were killed 170 years ago today. I have pulled some of my best photographs to help you journey with the Prophet and his brother to the Carthage Jail. I have drawn from eyewitnesses to help the story come alive for you. "Wake up the world for the conflict of justice. Millions shall know "Brother Joseph" again!-
This week I am substituting for a seminary class and the teacher asked me to teach about The Living Christ. This particular lesson isn’t in the Come Follow Me schedule […]
