Why Do We Need the Book Of Mormon?
This lesson called to me! I was so excited when I saw it as one of the monthly topics and after conference where Thomas S. Monson spoke of the importance and blessings from reading the Book of Mormon, I knew I had to talk on it.
I started planning three weeks early which is unheard of but I had a lot of time to prepare before my next lesson due to general conference. I felt the spirit so strongly that I needed to encourage the girls to try and read it.
Sadly but not really, they set apart a new Laurels presidency and I got a total of 12 minutes to do a lesson! I panicked and rushed and probably didn't do the topic justice. Plus the Bishop decided to join us so that added another layer of pressure. :)
When doing my lessons, I love to ask questions. I can research and bring quotes and ideas of what I want to share, but these girls are absolutely amazing and I am now old so I want them to help guide the lesson. I'm not sure the struggles or trials these girls are truly going through, so I want them to help tell me what they need to learn or hear through the answers to their questions.
I planned to start with asking Why do we need the Book of Mormon? I decided to skip that one for times sake so I could dive into getting the girls talking. However, because the bishop was there - I'm not sure the girls wanted to share much at all.
How do we make it matter? - the girls shared making it a group activity, accountability, or putting themselves in the Book of Mormon.
I shared the quote by Ezra Taft Benson -
"There is a power in the Book of Mormon which will begin to flow into your lives the moment you begin a serious study of the Book. You will find greater power to resist temptation. You will find the power to avoid deception. You will find the power to stay on the strait and narrow."
I wanted them to think about what stood out to them. For me, the serious part of the study is what made me pause. Reading the Book of Mormon shouldn't be a checklist. It's not a race or a bragging right to see how fast or how often you are reading the Book of Mormon. It's about receiving personal revelation to your life. Gaining a testimony that the Book is true and how it can help you in your life.
I asked Why is it so hard to read consistently. One of my amazing laurels talked about how hard it is sometimes to start and its because you want to feel some miraculous spiritual experience and if you aren't getting that every time. How can we get these girls to know that the still small voice will be in their lives if they just try and listen and yes it can be disheartening to not feel that strongly daily. It is possible, but lets be real - as a teenage in a high school - the Spirit can be hard to hear.
I wanted to get across to the girls that if you believe in the Book of Mormon, then you believe in the church and it is the basic foundation for your testimony and knowledge that this church is true. With so many people getting offended and leaving the church due to different things that the church stands for, having their own testimony will help them know that no matter what - they know the Book of Mormon is true. I used Sister Bonnie Oscarson's quote "DO YOU BELIEVE OR NOT?" and that's basically it. If you believe, then why aren't you?
I shared the most amazing video by Jeffrey R. Holland about his testimony of the Book of Mormon. So powerful. It's hard to follow up that, so I concluded with urging them to read the Book of Mormon. I didn't want to put a timeline or challenge them...I want them to read for themselves, so I gave them a reading chart that they can mark off each chapter as they go and hopefully the girls felt between conference and my lesson the urgency for them to gain that testimony and start that habit of reading daily.
I started planning three weeks early which is unheard of but I had a lot of time to prepare before my next lesson due to general conference. I felt the spirit so strongly that I needed to encourage the girls to try and read it.
Sadly but not really, they set apart a new Laurels presidency and I got a total of 12 minutes to do a lesson! I panicked and rushed and probably didn't do the topic justice. Plus the Bishop decided to join us so that added another layer of pressure. :)
When doing my lessons, I love to ask questions. I can research and bring quotes and ideas of what I want to share, but these girls are absolutely amazing and I am now old so I want them to help guide the lesson. I'm not sure the struggles or trials these girls are truly going through, so I want them to help tell me what they need to learn or hear through the answers to their questions.
I planned to start with asking Why do we need the Book of Mormon? I decided to skip that one for times sake so I could dive into getting the girls talking. However, because the bishop was there - I'm not sure the girls wanted to share much at all.
How do we make it matter? - the girls shared making it a group activity, accountability, or putting themselves in the Book of Mormon.
I shared the quote by Ezra Taft Benson -
"There is a power in the Book of Mormon which will begin to flow into your lives the moment you begin a serious study of the Book. You will find greater power to resist temptation. You will find the power to avoid deception. You will find the power to stay on the strait and narrow."
I wanted them to think about what stood out to them. For me, the serious part of the study is what made me pause. Reading the Book of Mormon shouldn't be a checklist. It's not a race or a bragging right to see how fast or how often you are reading the Book of Mormon. It's about receiving personal revelation to your life. Gaining a testimony that the Book is true and how it can help you in your life.
I asked Why is it so hard to read consistently. One of my amazing laurels talked about how hard it is sometimes to start and its because you want to feel some miraculous spiritual experience and if you aren't getting that every time. How can we get these girls to know that the still small voice will be in their lives if they just try and listen and yes it can be disheartening to not feel that strongly daily. It is possible, but lets be real - as a teenage in a high school - the Spirit can be hard to hear.
I wanted to get across to the girls that if you believe in the Book of Mormon, then you believe in the church and it is the basic foundation for your testimony and knowledge that this church is true. With so many people getting offended and leaving the church due to different things that the church stands for, having their own testimony will help them know that no matter what - they know the Book of Mormon is true. I used Sister Bonnie Oscarson's quote "DO YOU BELIEVE OR NOT?" and that's basically it. If you believe, then why aren't you?
I shared the most amazing video by Jeffrey R. Holland about his testimony of the Book of Mormon. So powerful. It's hard to follow up that, so I concluded with urging them to read the Book of Mormon. I didn't want to put a timeline or challenge them...I want them to read for themselves, so I gave them a reading chart that they can mark off each chapter as they go and hopefully the girls felt between conference and my lesson the urgency for them to gain that testimony and start that habit of reading daily.
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