[Teachldsseminary] TEACH: Testimony of Christ (continually)

[Julie Lowe]

We started a poster on our wall in January and continually add to it. This
is what I hope my students come away from seminary with this year - being
able to see how the stories contribute to our testimonies of the Savior.  I
noticed Dallin Oakes talk in Sat PM conference session (April 08) mentioned
that the youth should measure themselves by their growing testimonies and
not by their gospel understanding.  I thought it would be a good time
between now & the end of the year to look at this list we have made
& discuss how our understanding can change to testimony through personal
experience, trust in the Lord, faith, meaningful prayer as Elder Bednar put
it, the witness of the Spirit etc.
Our class brainstormed this list by first recalling things from memory and
then remembering more things using the OT stories, psalms, hymns, etc. as
prompts. (I am a little disadvantaged not having taught the first half of
the year to know what points were emphasized in the lessons about God & His
character & how He deals with His children) After some lessons we discuss
together  "What did we learn today about God that we can add to our
list?"  Since
I had a student-scribe, some of the thoughts are written more completely
than others.  But this should give you an idea to go with.  Like I said, the
point is to realize that our testimony of Christ begins with the things we
know about Him.  And where He is the God of the OT, there is a lot to gather
from our studies this year.  Hopefully the students will visually see that
their testimony of the Savior could be bigger than they thought.  I'm
considering giving them a nice copy of the list at the end of the year.



*"What I Know About God"*

Savior

Always has your back

He is our Light

He loves us

We are created in His image

All powerful

Perfect

Created the earth

His house is the temple

He visits us

He has a Spirit

He has punishments

We can depend on Him

He is our God & we are His people

He changes our hearts when we repent

He can change peoples' language (miracles)

Visions are given through Him

He gives rules

He has a mission for us

He does the impossible

He expects obedience

Merciful

He calls us by name

He can't speak to us unless we give him our attention

Sometimes other people have to tell us what the Lord is saying

If we do what He says, He changes us

God chooses His leaders

Christ is our greatest friend

God sends angels to protect and help us

God "plants us" where He knows is best

He knows how to deal with His children

God gives at least twice as many blessings as trials if we turn to Him

God develops our patience by giving us trials

He gets His work done in spite of men

Sometimes God gives the same message to more than one prophet

He is the same yesterday, today & forever

God has lots of names (Shepherd, Holy One, Redeemer, Prince of Peace, etc)