{LDS How-to} Get Teens to Read the Book of Mormon

Tue, 18 Oct 2011 00:05:00 -0600

by Dennis Gaunt
source: MormonLife.com

Mormon Life says: Want your teens to want to read the Book of Mormon, but struggling with how to inspire them? Here are 5 simple ideas to help you.

The prophets have asked every Church member to read and study the Book of Mormon. But for some teens, reading every day becomes at best a chore and at worst a trigger for a fight with Mom and Dad. Here are five simple ideas to help increase your teen’s interest in reading the Book of Mormon.

1. Make it matter.
One of the most common reasons why teens aren’t interested in the Book of Mormon is because they have a hard time seeing how it has anything to do with their lives. We should always ask how a principle applies to them today.

For instance, King Noah chose friends who were bad influences on him (see Mosiah 11:1–15). Does it really matter who our friends are today? Are there any parallels between the Nephites wearing armor to battle and us dressing modestly today (see Alma 43:19–21)? How do things like pornography and drugs poison us “by degrees” (Alma 47:18)? Seeing how the teachings of the Book of Mormon apply to their lives can be quite powerful for teens.

2. Make it fun.
I don’t think there’s anything wrong with injecting a little appropriate humor into your study of the Book of Mormon. For instance, I can’t read about King Noah without comparing him to Jabba the Hutt. I always picture Sherem as a sleazy con artist—one part televangelist and one part used car salesman. Chemish’s lone verse in the book of Omni, where he basically rats on his brother for waiting 38 years before writing anything, cracks me up every time (see Omni 1:9). When Ammoron writes a letter to Captain Moroni in Alma 54:16, in which he swears to avenge his brother’s death, I can’t help but hear Mandy Patinkin’s voice from The Princess Bride:

“Hello, my name is Ammoron. You killed my brother. Prepare to die.”

A little humor can go a long way to breathing some life into the people of the Book of Mormon.

3. Make it spiritual.
Everyone needs to know for themselves that the Book of Mormon is true. A solid testimony is absolutely essential for our spiritual survival. We can help teens understand this by bearing our own testimonies of the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon. It doesn’t have to be a formal “I’d like to bear my testimony.” A simple “I know this is true” or “I have seen that scripture work in my life” can make all the difference. As appropriate, share your conversion story with your teens. Tell them how and when you came to know the Book of Mormon was true. Encourage them to find the truth for themselves by accepting Moroni’s challenge (see Moroni 10:3–5).

4. Make it a group effort.
Don’t dumb down the doctrine. Teens hate feeling as though they’re being talked down to. Invite your teens to study the sources and authors you enjoy. Refer often to the counsel of the living prophets as you study. You don’t have to “sneak up” on your teens and “ambush” them with the gospel. In a 2007 CES Fireside, Elder David A. Bednar said, “I believe this generation of youth is more immersed in the scriptures, more acquainted with the words of the prophets, and more prone to turn to the revelations for answers than any previous generation.”

5. Make it about Christ.
Nephi wrote, “And we talk of Christ, we rejoice in Christ, we preach of Christ, we prophesy of Christ . . . that our children may know to what source they may look for a remission of their sins” (2 Nephi 25:26). The main purpose of the Book of Mormon is to convince the whole world that Jesus is the Christ (see Book of Mormon title page). Therefore, the most important person in the Book of Mormon teens need to know is Jesus Christ. Point out how often He is mentioned.

Missionaries usually ask investigators to read about the resurrected Savior’s appearance to the Nephites in 3 Nephi first because of the powerful spirit that attends that sacred experience. Do the same with your teens. The Savior invited the people to come to Him “one by one” (3 Nephi 11:15), and He spent time with each person individually. Jesus Christ wants the same thing for the youth of today—He wants each of them to come to Him and spend time with Him individually. And reading the Book of Mormon can be one of the best ways to accomplish that.

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Dennis Gaunt is the author of Bad Guys of the Book of Mormon. He taught seminary and institute in CES for a number of years and currently serves as the Gospel Doctrine teacher in his ward.

{LDS How-to} Get Personal with Personal Progress

Fri, 15 Apr 2011 10:00:00 -0600

by LDS Living staff
source: MormonLife.com

To receive a Young Womanhood medallion, girls must complete six experiences in each value and then plan a ten-hour project for that particular value. The new program allows young women more freedom and creativity for creating their own ideas for projects and experiences. For each value, they are asked to complete three recommended activities and then to choose three additional projects, two of which they may design.

If you, as an adviser, are unfamiliar with the changes in Personal Progress, you may need some help orienting yourself and planning weekday activities to supplement the program. Here are some ideas for value-centered mutual activities.

Faith

1. Rejoice in Christ. Celebrate the life and mission of Jesus Christ by spending an evening learning more about Him. Assign specific research topics to girls in your class, such as “the Creator,” “the Man,” “the Resurrected,” “the Atoning One,” etc. The girls should study the topic in ancient and modern-day scriptures. Give each one a few minutes to share what she has found with the rest of the class. Discuss the Savior’s many roles and the qualities you admire in Him. Talk about what you can do to become more like Him. (Can be adapted to fulfill Experience 1, 5, or a Personalized Value Experience.)

2. Gospel Question Panel. In preparation for this activity, ask each girl to write her own questions about the gospel on a slip of paper. Give these questions to the bishopric and ask them to study and ponder them. Hold a panel discussion for a mutual activity where the priesthood leaders answer the questions and share different ways the girls can develop faith and find their own answers. (Have a young woman organize the event to fulfill a Personalized Value Experience.)

Divine Nature

1. Family Search Name Indexing. Have an activity where the girls set up an individual Family Search account. Teach them how to index. Work on batches of names and have the girls set goals to do a certain number of names. Be sure you are familiar with the system before the activity! (Can fulfill a Personalized Value Experience or Value project.)

2. Handy Handiwork. Teach your young women how to cross stitch, crochet, or knit—the disappearing arts! Discuss the importance of homemaking skills. (Can fulfill a Personalized Value Experience or Value project.)

Individual Worth

1. Family History Center. Go on a fieldtrip to the nearest family history center. Ask a volunteer to teach your youth ways to find information about their ancestors. Practice using computers, microfiche readers, and microfilm readers. You may also explore the different Internet databases available. Have a discussion on the importance of genealogy in the LDS Church and how doing family history work can help them gain an appreciation of their family and heritage. (Can fulfill a Value 6, a Personalized Value Experience, or Value project.)

2. Scrapbooks. Make a few scrapbook pages together during an activity. Ask your young women to bring photographs, letters, and other special memories they would like to include for their book. Discuss the importance of preserving memories and experiences, and the importance of individual personalities. Have the girls make scrapbooking goals to fulfill the value experience. (Can fulfill Value 7, a Personalized Value Experience, or a Value Project.)

3. Patriarchal Blessings Fireside. In a fireside, have your stake patriarch speak to the youth about the importance of patriarchal blessings. Ask him to explain what patriarchal blessings are, why they are given, when people receive them, and how the youth can prepare for receiving their own. Leave time for the kids to ask the patriarch questions or testify of their blessings. Have the girls set goals concerning their patriarchal blessing, for example, memorizing it (a possible value project), preparing for it, or teaching their family about what they learned. (Fulfills Value 2.)

Knowledge

1. Creative Cooking. Divide your class into two or more groups, and provide each group with a box of ingredients to make a meal or dessert. Have the groups prepare the food either from a recipe or their creativity. Enjoy the food together, and discuss cooking tips and resources–such as moms and cookbooks. (Can fulfill Value 2 or be adapted to a Value Project.)

2. First Aid Kits. Invite a nurse or doctor to discuss basic first-aid. Display various first-aid kits and suggest ways to collect and make first-aid supplies at home for their own kits. If you have enough time, let the girls make kits or practice first-aid. (Can fulfill Value 7.)

Choice and Accountability

1. Career Fair. Ask your ward employment specialist or a variety of professionals to give a presentation. You may include professionals from fields such as elementary education, media, firefighting, computer science, medicine, engineering, law, sales, homemaking, and photography. They can discuss the responsibilities of their job, what they enjoy at their work, and how their occupation contributes to the community. Have the girls ask questions,
and have them make plans about preparing future careers. (Can fulfill a Personal Value Experience.)

2. Make a Budget. Put the girls in pairs and give them a budget worksheet with an imaginary income and financial responsibilities. Have them work out how to pay for rent, utilities, food, car payments, gasoline, etc. Explain that they must be accountable for their decisions in order to come out ahead. Have the girls discuss budgeting goals and what they have learned. (Fulfills Value 7.)

Good Works

1. Adopt a Highway. As a youth group or ward, adopt a highway near your neighborhood. For a long-term project, the young women can organize service projects to clean up the stretch of road. (Can fulfill Experience 4 or a Personalized Value Experience.)

2. Family Home Evening Packets. Ask the girls to come to this activity prepared with one terrific family home evening lesson. Type up the ideas and include a visual aid, handout, object lesson for each. Also include ideas for an activity, song, scripture, and treat. Each girl can compile the different lessons into her own FHE binder for immediate or future family use. (Can fulfill value 6 or Value Project.)

Integrity

1. Oath of Honor. As a class, come up with an oath of honor and promise to live by it. Discuss certain standards to abide by, such as keeping the Word of Wisdom and law of chastity. Make copies of the oath for everyone. Come up with a motto and memorize it as a class. (Can be adapted to fulfill Experience 1 or a Personalized Value Experience.)

2. Music Lyrics. Sometimes girls are completely unaware that they listen to music with inappropriate lyrics. Discuss how these lyrics affect whether or not we have the Holy Ghost with us and how that can affect our choices. Find the lyrics to several popular songs that have positive and uplifting messages and beats. Demonstrate and discuss appropriate, fun, and popular music. Have the girls set goals about what they are going to listen to. (Can be adapted to fulfill value experience 2 or a Personalized Value Experience.)

Virtue

1. Babysit for a Good Cause. With the girls, arrange a group babysitting activity to watch the children of parents on a certain date so they can go to the temple. Help the girls plan activities for the children and a lesson about Jesus and children. While planning the activity, talk to the girls about what it means to be clean and virtuous like a little child. (Can be adapted to fulfill Value experience 4 or the Virtue Project.)

2. Fashion Show. Hold a themed fashion show! It could be a prom fashion show, musical-themed fashion show, Halloween fashion show, etc. While planning the activity, talk about the importance of modesty. Challenge the girls to rid their wardrobe of anything that is questionable. (Can be adapted to fulfill Value experience 2 or the Virtue Project.)

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{LDS How-to} Get Teens to Read the Book of Mormon

{LDS How-to} Get Personal with Personal Progress