Lesson 18: Virtue-- A Cornerstone on Which to Build Our Lives

Given the assault by Satan on the virtue of people the globe over, this seems like an incredibly timely topic.  A couple of years ago I was in a stake priesthood leadership meeting with Elder Ballard.  He spoke about pornography and said quite simply, "There are some in this room who are struggling with this.  If that is you, stop it."  I know many of the men in that room.  They are great men who desire to serve and follow Christ; they are family men who are devoted to their wives and children.  In other words, these are issues that afflict the best of us.  I am presenting two lesson ideas in this post.  The basic lesson activities are fairly similar.  What is most different is the focus of each activity.  The first activity is focused on pornography, while the second activity is focused on virtue more generally (although there is a section on pornography).  In putting forth these activities, I want to add a word of caution.  At times, the ways we speak about sins of any types (except our own), but especially sins of a sexual nature, can hurt those struggling with those issues rather than help them.  As you approach this lesson ask yourself, "is the way I am talking about this likely to invite someone to repent and come unto Christ? or simply to feel trodden upon and more distant from Christ?"  Remember, there is no sin beyond the power of the atonement.

Activity 1:

1. Read paragraph #8 in section 3 ("You live in a world . . .")
2. Point out to the class that in this quote, President Hinckley compares pornography to three things-- a horrible, engulfing tide; poison; and a foul disease).
3. Divide the class into three groups and assign each group one of the comparisons
4. Ask each group to discuss how pornography is like the thing they have been assigned.  Note:  for each item, there are some easily seen connections.  Urge the group members to go beyond the most obvious connections and look for deeper connections.
5. Also, ask each group to think about what their assigned metaphor can teach them about pornography that they can apply in their own lives to help themselves and those around them avoid/escape the trap of pornography.
6. Ask the groups to report back what they discussed to the class.

Activity 2:

1. Begin with the story about the man hiring a stagecoach (I used to think this was famous, but maybe only in my mind.  I'm not sure where I first heard it and I can't easily find it on-line.  If anyone recognizes it and can provide a source,  please do, and I will make the appropriate edit.  Thanks).  Here's the story:  A man wanted to hire a stagecoach driver to drive his coach on a route over a dangerous mountain pass.  There were three candidates.  He asked each of them the same question, "How close can you come to the edge of the cliff without falling over?"  The first applicant looked confident and said, "I can come within one inch of the edge without falling over?"  The second looked even more confident, "I can ride with half the wheel over the edge without falling over?"  The third appeared slightly concerned, "I don't know how close I can get to the edge.  I always stay as far from the edge as I can."  The manager promptly hired the third driver.
2. With that as a backdrop explain that President Hinckley identified three threats to our virtue-- our thoughts, pornography, and immorality.
3. Divide the class into three groups and assign each of them one of the topics.
4. Ask the groups to discuss what they can do to be like the third driver and stay as far from the edge as possible in relation to their assigned topic.
5. Ask the groups to report back what they discussed to the class.

Using the Activity:

As I said earlier, these activities really are the same activity, just with different focuses.  One slight variation you could easily use is that instead of dividing the class yourself into three groups, you could ask the class members to divide themselves by going where they feel most comfortable being.  There are some advantages and disadvantages to this.  Some may feel that to select any particular group (especially in the second activity) could be seen as an admission of guilt.  On the flip side, if someone is struggling with a particular temptation or understanding, allowing them to choose allows them to exercise their faith that participation in a particular group will result in help. 

The reasons that these activities both work well are reasons that we have talked about before in this blog.  First, you are making it easier for class members to speak up and share their ideas and thoughts.  When we speak up, we are exercising faith.  When we exercise faith, we open ourselves up more to the Spirit.  Ultimately, it is the Spirit that is the only real teacher of value. So, increasing participation will increase conversion and testimony.  Secondly, both activities have some element of focus on application.  With a topic such as virtue, where most people want to believe they are immune to temptation (when in reality none of us are), I think it is especially important to directly ask our class members to consider how they can be proactive in avoiding temptation (being like the third applicant for the stagecoach job). 

As always, these ideas are designed to be usable but also to be seeds.  If they have sparked an idea in you, they are successful.  Mostly, I hope they help you to invite the Spirit into your classes.  Please let me know of any feedback you have.