I didnt feel it was appropriate to take pictures today. But please share with your families the experiences you heard about today that strengthened your testimony.
We witnessed a miracle today in class. Jared Larsen came and shared his personal battle with stage 4 Leukemia and the miracle of God's healing power. He shared this scripture with us that helped him endure his treatments.
Joshua 1:9 Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord they God is with thee whithersover thou goest.
Faith in God sometimes is tested to the limits. Jared witnessed this to us and is proof that God has power to do anything.
Some things the class found last week in their studies:
Alex- asked lots of great specific questions about how to help others come unto Christ.
Hayden- Alma 26:12 Don't boast in own strength, but in Gods. It is by His power that we can do anything.
Will- His dad sent him a scripture to ponder each day to help him see Gods hand in his life.
Alejandro- He received a letter from his mission president that included things he wanted him to study and learn before he gets to England.
John- Alma 37:6 By small and simple things are great things brought to pass. There are no small things.They all make a big difference.
Jared- Joshua 1:9 With God everything is possible. All I need is God. We all have different missions. Put your trust in the Lord.
We talked about the last tracting experience. There were not many that showed up. Why? Scared. Didn't feel prepared. Takes me out of my comfort zone.
Those that have gone expressed that it was easier than they thought it would be. We committed the class to prepare this month with the goal of going out at the end of the month to teach the Restoration Lesson when we tract to members homes.
Then we read and discussed the first scetion in Chapter 10: How to Improve My Teaching Skills called "How To Begin Teaching". We will be including things from this chapter as we practice teaching the Restoration Lesson this month.
How to Begin Teaching
The first few moments with investigators are very important. Investigators must learn to trust you. Begin your first visit in a warm, respectful, genuine manner. Ask a few simple questions to help you understand their religious background and their expectations regarding your visits. For example, ask, “What role has religion played in your life?” Do not, however, ask personal questions that would make them uncomfortable.
Before you begin, ask all who are present to join with you in the lesson. Encourage them to turn off the television and remove other distractions so that the Spirit of the Lord will not be hindered.
Explain that you would like to begin and end each lesson in prayer. Suggest that you will offer the opening prayer. Pray simply but fervently that the Lord will bless the people you are teaching in every aspect of their lives, and especially that they can feel the truth of what you will teach.
Demonstrate sincere interest and love for the investigators and faith in the converting power of the gospel (see Moroni 7:43–48). As guided by the Spirit, you may express thoughts such as the following to your investigators:
- • Because God is our Heavenly Father, we are all brothers and sisters. We would like to refer to you as brothers and sisters.
- • Each person we teach has personal challenges and concerns. No matter what your needs or concerns might be, the Savior and His teachings—the gospel—will help you.
- • Our message will enable you to improve the quality of your lives. It will help you deal with the problems and challenges that we all face in life.
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Our message, which is centered in Jesus Christ, is of great value and importance. - • We all make mistakes in life, and these mistakes create feelings of guilt and shame. These feelings cannot be relieved without repentance and forgiveness. They can be fully healed through the Atonement of Christ.
- • Our message cannot be learned all at once. Understanding will come over time through prayer, study, experience, and keeping God’s commandments.
- • We have weaknesses, as everyone does. We may not speak the language very well or be able to answer every question you have. But we have been called by a prophet of God to share what we know. We know that our message is true.
- • We will be guides so that you can learn the truth of our message for yourselves. It is your choice to accept and act on the message. Therefore, you should feel free to ask questions.
- • As you sincerely seek to understand our message, you may face challenges, but God will help you.
- • As you accept our message, you will learn how to make covenants, or promises, with God. You will learn how to make changes to bring your lives in closer harmony with His teachings. You will want to follow the teachings of Jesus Christ and be baptized by proper authority (see John 3:5).
Assignment for Next Week:
Please go over these bullet points and become familiar with them so you can use them when you teach a lesson. Please study the Restoration Lesson and personalize it. How would you want it to be taught to you?
