Lesson 3: Cultivating an Attitude of Happiness and a Spirit of Optimism

The activity that comes with this lesson is limited to some extent in that it requires some space to move around and perhaps the right group of people (although I have used this strategy successfully with some groups that I worried were not the "right" group for this).  It is an activity that could be used just about anywhere and is easily adaptable to fit various needs.  Enjoy.

Activity:

1. Prior to the lesson post several poster size sheets of paper around the room.  Label them "Family," "Friends," "Professional," "Talents," "Health," "Gospel," and "Other" in big letters at the top of each sheet.  Obviously, you can change these labels to fit your specific needs and what the Spirit directs.  These are just the labels that came to me immediately.
2. Give each class member some post-it notes and ask them to label them with things that make them happy or help them feel good about life.  Depending on size I would say 8-10 items each would be good, although that could certainly be changed.
3. Give everyone a couple of minutes to write something on each post-it.
4. When they are done, ask everyone to put their post-its on the appropriate poster.
5. Afterwards, ask everyone to take a few minutes and walk around the room reading what others put.
6. Provide class members with additional post-its so that they can write down anything else that occurs to them as they read what others have written.  They can put these on the posters as well.
7. Come back together as a class and talk about what stood out to them as they considered their own lives and/or read what others had written.
8. Tie this activity back into the discussion by reading a quote or tying this to a quote.  This would happen most easily by talking about how much we have going well in our lives (as a class-- be sensitive to some class members who are passing through particularly tough times at the moment).  The idea is to see that even in the face of so many difficulties in the world, the Lord is blessing us with many positives as well.  So, we can have "an attitude of happiness and a spirit of optimism,"

Using the Activity:

First, there are many different ways to use this activity depending on your needs.  I mentioned some above, but you could also put markers by each poster and ask the class members to write directly on the posters.  And there are other adaptations.  Follow the Spirit in determining what is best for your class/quorum.

What I like about this activity for this lesson is that it asks each person to spend time reflecting on the positive in their lives.  That can be tough at times; the world, by design, is a tough place to be.  Plus, the same forces that try us tend to make us feel like we cannot spend quiet time reflecting on our gifts and blessings.  So, this activity is an effort to provide a few moments of quiet for class members (and us) to ponder on what God has given us.  And if you need any reinforcement on the value of pondering, read D&C 138:1-5, 1 Ne. 11:1, and Hel. 10:1-3.  In other words, this activity is really a chance for us to "Count [our] many blessings."

Lesson 2: An Ensign to the Nations, a Light to the World

The lesson treats the worldwide, eternal mission of the Church and the ways in which our individual service contribute to and enhance that mission.  The specific activity in this post is about how going about our callings while focused on the eternal purposes of those callings (which can be hard to see at times) provides us with greater understanding and helps us to be a more effective instrument in God's hands to carry out this work.

Activity:

1. Read the quote that begins section 3.  It is a single quote, but the part that inspired this particular activity for me was paragraphs 2-4, but whichever part best fits the needs and personalities of the class/quorum is the one that should be used.
2. Divide the class into two groups.  Tell each group that they are to imagine they have been called to be a __________ (fill in the blank with any calling you wish, e.g. primary teacher, scout leader, ward clerk, RS teacher, etc.).
3. Ask the first group to imagine they have the narrow view of the imaginary calling you just assigned them.  How might they prepare?  What might they do if a problem came up that was difficult?  How might they think about those under their stewardship?  What if they had to miss a Sunday, how would that impact their actions?  How would they think about their calling?
4. Now, ask the second group to answer those same questions, but this group should imagine fulfilling this calling while having a "broader vision" of what it means in the grand work of the Church.
5. Let the two groups talk for 5 minutes or so.  You may need to give a little nudge to one or both groups, but a little extra thought on this will reveal greater insight.  So, don't be afraid of a little silence in a group.
6. Ask someone from each group to share what they talked about.
7. Lead the entire class in a discussion of the differences (and similarities, if there are any) in how each group answered the question.
8. If applicable, you might wish to share a story about how you and/or your family has been blessed by someone serving with the "broader vision" spoken of by President Hinckley.

Using this activity:

This activity is, of course, not a right out of the gates type of activity-- at the bare minimum you need to read a quote first to really set it up.  To me, this activity fits really nicely towards the end of the lesson, when the Spirit has been present in your class and has testified of the doctrines and principles being taught.  This is the part of the lesson that should help provide class members with at least one way to apply what they have learned from your lesson into their lives. 

This activity represents good teaching for a couple of reasons.  First, many people are more comfortable speaking in smaller groups.  So, by dividing the class in half, you are making it more comfortable for many people.  When they are more comfortable, they are more likely to exercise their faith through participating in class, which leads to them feeling the Spirit more powerfully.

The other part of this lesson that is beneficial from a teaching perspective is the idea of waiting a little bit longer after asking them to discuss something.  I was in a training with Elder Bednar once and he asked us to talk about some aspect of our callings (I don't remember his specific question-- what stuck with me is what came later, what I'm about to share).  We talked for quite a while, and then a natural lull came over us.  We had really said everything we were thinking.  At least I could think of nothing to add.  Elder Bednar looked at us and said, "Good.  Now we have the easy answers down, let's get the good ones."  And then he simply waited.  After a brief moment, we started talking more and the conversation went for another 20 minutes or so-- all of it based on new, more keen insights than what we had shared previously.  It is hard as a teacher to always do this, but I have used this idea a number of times in my professional and church teaching opportunities, it always works. 

Lesson 1: The Restoration of the Gospel

This lesson focuses on the role Joseph Smith played in the Restoration of the Gospel.  The purpose of this lesson seems to be increasing our testimony of Joseph Smith.  The purpose, then, of this activity is to remind class members of the great blessings that we enjoy as a result of the ministry of Joseph Smith.

Activity:

1. Ask class members to identify doctrines/truths/practices which set our church apart from the rest of the world's religions. 
2. As class members answer the question above, write their answers on the board.  You should fill up one side of the board, but don't make more than one column of answers. 
3. Then, ask the class members to identify how we know and/or have each of the things in our original list. 
4. Write these answers across from the corresponding item.  For example, if someone answers the first question with "The Priesthood."  Then, the answer to the second question is something like "Through Peter, James, and John restoring it,"  This second answer should be written across from the first one.
5. Once you have finished the pairs on the board, point out that each item in the second column can be traced back to Joseph Smith.

Using this activity:

This lesson feels like a great way to start the lesson, but it could be used later in the lesson. It gets people actively engaged in the lesson even if they have not read the lesson (and let's be honest; that's a lot of them).  By getting involved early, class members often feel more comfortable continuing to participate.  It's like pushing a car; once it's moving, things are fairly easy, but getting it started is a chore. 

The other advantage to using this early is that it helps to highlight the immense amount of work Heavenly Father carried out through Joseph Smith and to increase the class member's appreciation and recognition of what Joseph Smith did.  This can increase their attention to the rest of the lesson.  In all of this, remember that class member participation and attention increase their receptivity to the Spirit-- the real teacher of anything worth value.