[Teachldsseminary] OT: Losing Our Youth

[Shawn and Pam Meadows]

Thank you so much for this idea!  I've been struggling trying to think about 
how to incorporate the TE and the SM and I'm going to try this on Tuesday!
-Pam
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "laura owings" <lauraowings at sbcglobal.net>
To: "Free Email list for LDS Seminary Teachers" 
<teachldsseminary at latter-dayvillage.com>
Sent: Friday, September 01, 2006 6:24 PM
Subject: Re: [Teachldsseminary] OT: Losing Our Youth


> the teaching emphasis is a big part of the solution to this problem!!!  We 
> are having the MOST AMAZING things going on in class this year.  This is 
> my 3rd year with the same students, my 7th year as a teacher.  but now, 
> because of the teaching emphasis (hereafter "TE"), everything is 
> different.
>
> Elder Eyring, in a talked called "rasiing expectations" talks about 
> getting the gospel into the hearts of the students.  He talks about it in 
> "we must raise our sights" too.
>
> I was introduced to the TE when it first came out, a couple of years ago. 
> But this summer our training focused on it more than ever before.  So i 
> pondered a lot and worried and prayed and thought and asked leaders and 
> prayed some more.
>
> Let me tell you about something that happened the FIRST WEEK of class. 
> Then similar things have been happening during week 2 and 3.
>
> I wanted to spend a day on the first 5 scripture masteries.  They didn't 
> know enough to play a game.  so i figured we'd go through them. While i 
> was planning what to do, i had this thought about what to do.  At first I 
> dismissed it:  it could never work.  It came again, so i figured i'd give 
> it a shot.
>
> The very first day of class, we discussed the TE.  Each of my students has 
> a copy; i have the 5 bullet points of it on posters above the chalkboard. 
> They know i am serious about it and that we are expected to use it.  So on 
> that friday, i reminded them that the TE said they are to learn by the 
> spirit.  i told them that they would need to pay close attention to 
> thoughts, feelings and impressions. i told them it would be apporpriate to 
> pray and ask for help.  then i told them to mark all five of the 
> scriptures, reading carefully and slowly as they did, and then to write 
> down any impressions they had.  for those who were having a hard time 
> figuring out what to write, i told them to complete this sentence:  "If 
> this is true, then I . .. ."   that's it!  almost all of them were writing 
> a lot and i could tell they were really thinking about it.  when they were 
> done, we had about 15 minutes left.  i called on several students and 
> asked them to share what they had discovered.  it
> was amazing. we got so many different thoughts from the same scriptures. 
> i think they could tell that the scriptures were speaking to them as 
> individuals.  they were so excited.  we went over some of the TE again--i 
> asked if they had leaarned by the spirit.  most of them raised their 
> hands.  i asked if they had understood principles and doctrines, or done 
> any explaining, sharing, and testifying.  When all that was done we took a 
> look at in the JS History where Joseph talks about James 1:5 coming wtih 
> power to his heart and i asked them to explain why i would have them look 
> at that scripture today.  i was so amazed at the depth of the answers i 
> got.  then i told them that what we had just done was the key to changing 
> the scriptures from a book of hard-to-understand words into a powerful 
> tool to be successful in life's battle.  the TE works!!!!!
>
> If you haven't paid much attention to it, PLEASE do!  I know this document 
> was inspiried. I know it will help our students get the gospel into their 
> hearts!!
>
> Laura
> EMS Dallas TX
>
> ----- Original Message ----
>
> Sister Beck?... asked us, "Why do you think we are losing so many youth?" 
> It was quiet, and no one seemed to be saying anything, so I raised my 
> hand, and was immediately handed a microphone (yikes!)... and I said 
> something along the lines that the youth don't have a deep enough 
> testimony of who they really are as children of our Heavenly Father. They 
> know it in their heads, but that testimony hasn't reached their hearts... 
> once it reaches their hearts they will have an easier time making correct 
> choices. Also, I said that the youth do not have a deep enough 
> understanding of the power of the Atonement.
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