Whittling and Whistling Brigade

We learned about the Nauvoo Whittling and Whistling Brigade today.
Everyone can do their part to serve.
Even something as insignificant as whistling played an important role in protecting the Saints.

We did our own whittling and whistling with Ivory Soap.
I told the students yesterday to bring a pocket knife or carving knife to class today. One did. For the others, I had kitchen knives for them to carve with.
I told them to carve what they think a young boy in Nauvoo in 1844 would carve.
One of my students carved the shape of the state of Missouri, symbolizing his thoughts were on Zion.

A Piano

 A Person (from the front it looks more like a person )

Don't Be An Airhead

Doctrine & Covenants 130:18-19

18 Whatever principle of intelligence we attain unto in this life, it will rise with us in the resurrection.

 19 And if a person gains more knowledge and intelligence in this life through his diligence and obedience than another, he will have so much the advantage in the world to come.

We discussed the importance of gaining knowledge from many uplifting sources and how to avoid becoming and "AIRHEAD". As students shared, they received and Airhead candy.

When Life Gives You Lemons

We made lemonade out of lemons today as we studied the Saints arrival in Commerce, Illinois  and began to settle and build the city of Nauvoo after being expelled from Missouri.
The land was a swamp infested with mosquitos and many of the Saints contracted malaria, including Joseph Smith.
In spite of these circumstances, they cared for one another, worked to build their new home, dug ditches, and drained water from the swamps to the river, which made the land more usable and greatly reduced the mosquito problem.
Eventually, they built homes, businesses, schools, and other structures, including the Nauvoo Temple, which was considered by some to be one of the finest buildings in the country.

The Saints decided to improve the circumstances around them, which improved them as individuals, drawing them closer to Jesus Christ.

We discussed the lemons in our lives and how we can over come them and turn them into lemonade (strengths)

I gave each student a whole lemon and asked them how they could turn it in to lemonade.
A few answered, add sugar, etc.
Finally one said, cut the lemon.
I asked with what?
The student asked for a knife so I gave her a plastic knife and told her to cut it. At first it was difficult, but she got the job done.
She started to squeeze the lemon with her hands, with the juice dripping in to a cup.

We related this to using the tools that are available and making the best of our circumstances.
Then I brought out:
First, a better knife
Second, a hand juicer
Third, an electric juicer

We discussed each tool and how they would all get the job done, we just had to use them and have a positive expectation.

Each student  juiced their lemon with one of the tools, poured their lemon juice in a cup and added water.
I told them that was lemonade and to go ahead and return to their seats and enjoy it.

Quickly, they pointed out that it was sour and they needed sugar, to which I brought out a jar of "ATTITUDE": aka sugar.
I gave each of them a spoon and we related this to the positive attitude necessary to improve circumstances.
We did a lot of relating the Saints' circumstances to our own lemons vs lemonade experiences.
We concluded that a strong faith in Christ helped them through trials (lemons) just as a strong faith in Christ will help us do the same.

Adapt this lesson for teaching overcoming trials.

Zion's Camp

Doctrine and Covenants Sections 103 and 105-Zion's Camp

As my students  entered the building yesterday and today, they were greeted by these signs:
We started class with our prayer and devotional.
We sang Hymn #250 We Are All Enlisted
After devotional, I called them all to attention, asked if they had their supplies and if they had made arrangements for the care of their families, homes, crops, and businesses while they were gone. Then off we marched from room to room (see more details below)

Entrance Door

 Walls

 Up Close

Yesterday, I showed the movie Zion's Camp
and today we marched from room to room discussing the:

1) Miracles witnessed
2) Trails experienced
3) Warnings given
4) Lessons learned
Our discussions came from D&C  Sections 103 and 105 and this lesson from the Church History and the Fullness of Times Manual

In each room, we discussed another aspect of Zion's Camp.
Ultimately, they were to answer these questions as part of our conclusion:
1) What was the true purpose of Zion's Camp
2) Would you have joined Zion's Camp?
3) Will you join Zion's Camp (the Lord's Army) today?
4) How can you be a member of the Lord's Army every day?

We had some great discussions and moving from room to room was very effective.

School of the Prophets

The School of the Prophets was established and held in the upper room of the Newel K Whitney Store in Kirtland, Ohio during the winter of 1832-1833.
In his talk, A Principle With a Promise, President Ezra Taft Benson describes the conditions and dimensions of this room as a little under 11'x14'.
My students measured and taped off an area that was this size and then I asked them to sit shoulder to shoulder during our lesson.
If I had access to picnic benches for them to sit on, this would have been even more effective.
This is a great setting for teaching the introduction to the Word of Wisdom or any other lesson/principles taught at the School of the Prophets.

One Step at a Time

Grace to Grace
Doctrine and Covenants 93: 1-20 (Lesson 97 in Seminary Doctrine and Covenants Teacher Manual)
We have John's testimony of how Christ became like His Father and received the fulness of His Father's glory.
He became like His father, one step at a time, grace to grace
We, too, may become like our Heavenly Father, one step at a time, grace to grace.

To demonstrate this principle, I set up a ladder in our classroom and asked a student to climb to the top.
At first, the student was very willing, until I told him he could not use the steps.
We discussed how difficult this would be.
After some discussion, I had the students write on sticky notes the steps they need to take to receive the fulness of our Heavenly Father's glory.
We discussed the things they wrote down and then they placed the notes on the steps of the ladder, emphasizing the importance of each step.
As part of the discussion, we read this quote from the Prophet Joseph Smith.
(this is where I got the idea to use a ladder rather than have them just come up to the chalkboard and write their answers)
If you dont have access to a ladder, a small step stool will work or you can place stepping stones on the floor and ask them to go from start to finish without stepping off the stones, etc.
The students can label the stones just as we labeled the steps on the ladder.
There are lots of adaptations.

The following statement by the Prophet Joseph Smith clarifies one aspect of growing from grace to grace until we receive a fulness:

“It is not wisdom that we should have all knowledge at once presented before us; but that we should have a little at a time; then we can comprehend it. When you climb up a ladder, you must begin at the bottom, and ascend step by step, until you arrive at the top; and so it is with the principles of the gospel—you must begin with the first, and go on until you learn all the principles of exaltation. But it will be a great while after you have passed through the veil before you will have learned them. It is not all to be comprehended in this world; it will be a great work to learn our salvation and exaltation even beyond the grave” (Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Joseph Smith [2007], 268).

Happy Teaching!

Dispensation of the Fullness of Times

Doctrine and Covenants Section 27
This idea came from a member of the LDS Seminary Teacher Facebook group, Mark McCune. 
(seriously, if you are a Seminary Teacher-join that Facebook group). 

I took it one step further by attaching the names of the Prophets from the different dispensations.
I used this when teaching Doctrine and Covenants Section 27.
This will work well with Doctrine and Covenants Section 29 and a others regarding Apostasy, Restoration, Prophets, Dispensations, Fullness of Times.
If you have a specific suggestion of a Seminary lesson this goes with, please leave a comment below.

We met in the chapel and sat in front of the Sacrament table that was all draped in white cloths covering the Sacrament trays (this is a subject for another blog post)
After we discussed the emblems  and symbolism of the Sacrament, we moved to the other side of the chapel to discuss the Sacrament meeting that will be held at Adam-ondi-Ahman prior to the Savior's second coming.
I had the students search Section 27 to tell me who would be at that Sacrament meeting.
Some of the people who will be in attendance are the Prophets from each DISPENSATION along with Joseph Smith the Prophet of this DISPENSATION of the FULLNESS OF TIMES

To demonstrate DISPENSATIONS, First, line up the hymnals (I labelled mine) and name the Prophets who led during past dispensations...

NEXT:

Stack the dispensations up to show that we are living in the DISPENSATION of the FULLNESS OF TIMES. The dispensation that will usher in the Second Coming of the Savior, Jesus Christ.

If I do this again, I may leave a BLANK hymnal in between Peter and Joseph Smith to show the Apostasy. I discussed this verbally, but a blank would have been a more effective visual.

It was so powerful to see that our dispensation is so close to the Second Coming of Jesus Christ and that we need the fullness of the gospel to help us prepare for His coming.

This depicts the Prophet who headed each dispensation and other Prophets from that same dispensation. You could use this when you discuss Joseph Smith as the head of our dispensation and add the names of the Latter-day Prophets next to his name.

This visual can be used all throughout the Doctrine and Covenants lessons on Prophets, Restoration, Dispensation, Fullness of Time, Second Coming,  the 7 Seals, etc.

I have understood this concept for most of my adult life, but when I taught with this visual, it gave me clarity and understanding in a way I have never had.

Happy Teaching