Moving Up Breakfast 2016

The Moving Up Breakfast for my Seminary students is a wonderful tradition.
Students are seated at tables by grade.
At the end of the breakfast, the Seniors march out the door with everyone cheering for them. I give the Seniors their Scriptures, Journals, and any other supplies they have used during the year. (and I cry)
Once the Seniors table is empty, the other students "move up" to their next grade table.
We invite the incoming Freshmen and the current students give them advice on how to prepare for Seminary. Most of the advice involves sleep, getting enough sleep, going to be early, etc. along with some sweet testimonies of the blessings of Seminary.
The 8th graders love moving up to the Freshmen table. This builds their excitement for starting Seminary and introduces them to the morning routine in a fun way.
Click HERE for information on Moving Up Breakfasts from past years.

Zechariah and the Vision of Joshua in Dirty Clothes

Zechariah 3
Zechariah had a vision of Joshua wearing dirty clothes as he was standing by an angel
The dirty clothes were symbolic of sin and worldliness
The the clothes were made clean, representing the Jews return from captivity, removing the worldliness of Babylon, and once again becoming God's holy people.

To demonstrate this, I had 2 long strips of paper (from a roll) on the floor as my students arrived at class. I asked them to write as many sins as they could think of on the papers.
When we started the account of this vision, I put the two strips of paper on a student, using some pieces of tape, to make it look like clothing.
When Joshua clothing was cleansed, I slipped the "clothing" over the student's head, turned it over, and put it back on him with the clean side showing. This represented Joshua being cleansed and ready to officiate in the Temple.
It was a very effective.
Anything to get the students up and moving creates great discussion and creates an opportunity for personal application.

Amos and The Pie Face Game

Amos warned the Israelites that they would be destroyed if they did not repent.
If they continued to reject the Lord's Prophets, the Lord would remove Prophets from among them.

The Old Testament Seminary Lesson for Amos  (#150) suggests opening class with these questions:

1) Have you ever tried to warn someone who did not heed your warning? What happened to that person as a result?
2) Has someone ever tried to ward you, but you did not heed the warning? What happened to you as a result?

I added:
Do you think the counsel of the Prophet is for everyone else and you are fine to not follow certain counsel that may not fit your personal ideas? Do you "pick and choose" what you follow?

Do you know other people who don't think following the counsel of the Prophet is necessary? How does it affect their life?

Enter- The Pie Face Game
I fully informed my students about the game, what would happen if they turned the knob enough times, or even one time. I gave them all the option to not play the game, however, still knowing the consequences of turning the knob, several opted to play. Some did not get hit in the face with a pile of whipped cream and others did.

The discussion about listening to warnings fit perfectly with taking a chance of getting hit in the face with a pie during this game.

The Pie Face Game at Seminary? Who'd have thought? Well....me! I have been wondering how it would fit with a lesson for several months and last night, it hit me. This is the time of year, we need variety and a lot of change of pace. The Pie Face Game did not disappoint. Such FABULOUS discussion.