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.