Lesson 2-1 "Drawing Closer to Jesus Christ"

It's lovely to start the new year with such a foundational, well-written lesson. Amen.

This could be one place to work in material about the Magi, if you didn't use it last week. I'm not trying to hype my own post, I just think that it's relevant, because the first week of January is Epiphany, and the kings were on their way, coming unto Christ, drawing near to him, offering their gifts of love and worship, and there's no better way to begin our year than to do the same.

I'm also intrigued by the opening vignette: show a picture of a celebrity or church leader, and see what they know about him/her, and then make the point that knowing ABOUT someone is different from knowing him or her personally, and then move into ways to get to know Christ personally and not just know ABOUT him.

What famous person would you use?

The president of the US is an obvious choice, or the first lady - of course youth are going to know something about them & their biographies. I thought about Robert Pattinson, but then thought that might be too irreverent. Although some of the YW might know a lot about him off the top of their heads.

How about literary figures? Anyone? I just read an interesting article arguing for the return of "cultural literacy" education, based on a professor's experience with students in his class who couldn't identify references to Thoreau, Ghandi, or Hemingway. Which reminds me (this is a little off topic, but bear with me) of a very fun parlor game--ok, does that expression still mean anything to anyone but me?--invented by some friends of ours called "Celebrities." At the start of the game, you take a few minutes to write on little slips of paper all the famous people you can think of; literary, fictional, political, entertainment, Bible, comic books, superheroes, sports stars, anything. Put them in a big bowl. Divide into 2 teams. You need a timer. Each team gets 3 minutes (or 2, even). One person on the team pulls out a name, and tries to describe the person on the slip without saying their name (and no "sounds like" or "rhymes with" either). If the name is unfamiliar, you can put it back in the bowl and grab another. Keep giving clues until your team guesses it right, then grab another name. Go through as many as you can in a row, as fast as you can. At the end of the time, the number of celebrities that the team correctly named is the score for that round. It's actually fun to play this with a big multigenerational group, because strangely the adults tend to think alike and so do the teens.

Anyway. The take-home point for this lesson is key - that this year's lessons are all about coming unto Christ, and that it's up to us not just to know about Him, but to know Him personally through our own individual searching & encounters with Him. That He wants to draw close to us also, that He cares about us; that He has a personality and characteristics which we can emulate. And that the whole YW program, really, has that as its core purpose - to bring women and young women to Christ. This is what it's ALL about. Worth keeping in mind as we start a new year, to pare it all down to the beating heart at the center of everything.

Elder Neuenschwander's talk from the recommended resources uses the story of the woman with an issue of blood (from Luke 8). I like that one, because of the tactile details of the story, how she touched the hem of His robe, how He literally felt something when she did that, how He recognized that among the jostling crowd there was someone who bumped against Him not accidentally but with every fiber of her soul. I want to be like that, this year, touching the hem of Christ's robe for healing, to make Him even more real to me.


Image: "Touching the Hem of God," by James C. Christensen.

Personal Progress makeover

Posting thrice in one day...what is it, the day after Christmas or something? :)

I just got my January New Era in the mail, and there are new things afoot in Personal Progress. The YW homepage has an overview but the details (and pictures) are in the January 2010 New Era, 32-35.

Here's the scoop:

revised Personal Progress, in feminized pink, with some updating and more emphasis on preparation for temple covenants.

new class symbols: Beehive, Mia Maid rose, and Laurel wreath (Reese nailed that one months ago).

new medallions, which incorporate all those symbols, plus a "ruby" gem (Proverbs 31:10, the virtuous woman being far above rubies). In silvertone or goldtone.

after completing Personal Progress, you can earn an "honor bee" charm that slides along the same chain, by reading the Book of Mormon again & doing more service like helping another YW with her Personal Progress.

you earn a gold sticker for each value project/experience. As you complete each value, you earn a jeweled ribbon scripture marker; they slide into a keeper which inserts into the spine of your scriptures.

new theme poster (again, now with more pink).

wards should wait to get their new materials before planning New Beginnings.

I'm okay with the pink, and I think I can get the hang of all the new sparkly doodads, but my only complaint is with the description of the leadership opportunities the program provides: "doing this will help you learn the leadership skills for your future roles as a wife, mother, and homemaker" (34). End of sentence.

I'm still waiting/hoping/wishing for some recognition of feminine roles that are intrinsic to one's self as (say) a daughter of God, woman of faith, or Christian disciple. This list excludes single women (which all of our YW will be at some point after leaving the program and some will be throughout their lives), as well as the idea of a career or higher education, and ignores women's increasingly important role as leaders in the community and world - none of which, I note, depend on marriage, childbearing capacity, or domestic duties. Why must we always define women in relation to someone else? /rant. *sigh*

A Post-Christmas Christmas Lesson

Dec 20th was a snow-out here in New England, so the Christmas program and all the lessons got postponed to the next week. There was going to be a combined lesson with all three classes last week on the 20th (so I didn't prepare a Christmas lesson), but that leader is out of town this week, so now I am doing a class lesson about Christmas, but 2 days after the day itself. So I got one of those middle-of-night inspiration moments; and I thought I'd share my lesson with you - a Christmas gift from me to you.

Opener: The usual question after Christmas is "What did YOU get for Christmas?"
Using President Monson's 1995 article, "Christmas Gifts, Christmas Blessings" I am going to ask instead, What did you GIVE for Christmas?

Discussion: Gifts of the Magi

Who were the Magi, often called the Three Kings?
It's appropriate to talk about them after Christmas since it took them a while to get there, they weren't there at the night in Bethlehem when he was born (your nativity set notwithstanding). In other Christian traditions, the day that the Magi arrived is celebrated on January 6, as Twelfth Night or Epiphany.

Discuss cool double meaning for that word, by the way. Random House Dictionary definition = 1) a Christian festival, observed on January 6, commemorating the manifestation of Christ to the gentiles in the persons of the Magi; Twelfth-day. 2) an appearance or manifestation, esp. of a deity. 3) a sudden, intuitive perception of or insight into the reality or essential meaning of something, usually initiated by some simple, homely, or commonplace occurrence or experience. The root word for Magi is the same as magic/magical, also.

There are some really interesting foods and traditions throughout Christianity for Epiphany, like leaving hay or grass for the camels, cabalgatas, sternsingers, tirer les Rois (crowning the King), rosca de reyes, and New Orleans King Cakes.

So who were they? Well, we don't know, really. We sometimes call them "the Three Kings," but we don't know if there were really three, or whether they rode camels, or of they were indeed kings (or astrologers, or scholars, or wealthy Arabian merchants) or where they were from (three different continents, Persia, China). See helpful entry in WebBible Encyclopedia, and an LDS perspective on the magi (scroll down to question #2).

The magi arrived probably up to a year after Jesus was born, based on their study of the new star that had appeared. They inquired about him in Herod's court, which aroused Herod's suspicion. They visited Mary and Joseph in their house, and brought gifts. They warned them about Herod's plot, and then departed home by another way, and Joseph and Mary took Jesus into Egypt for safety (a trip funded, perhaps, by the expensive gifts). Scripture: Matthew Ch 2.

Discuss the meaning of their gifts:
Gold = valuable/ kingship
Frankincense = perfume/ priestship (it's burned on the temple altar, to make a sweet-smelling white smoke, ascending to heaven like the people's prayers, see Ps 141:2, Luke 1:10) - a symbol of the Divine name
Myrrh = (only found in Yemen, btw) an annointing/embalming oil (it was used on Jesus's body, donated by Nicodemus, see John 19:39) - Esther was purified with it for 6 months (Esther 2:12). Mixed with wine, it was administered to people being crucified to dull the pain, see Matt 15:23, sometimes rendered as "gall," perhaps related to laudenum/opium and other psychotropic plants of the Middle Eastern world...eg in Gen 37:25, which is a different word also rendered as myrrh.

Discussion: Being Wise (Wo)men

What made them wise? Paying attention to signs and promptings. Giving priceless gifts that recognized and acknowledged Christ. Expending all to search him out and come unto him. And, being warned by the Spirit, going home by another way. All of those can be likened to us.

In our family, we mark Christmas Eve with a pilgrimage to Bethlehem. We have a rambling New England farm property with woods, fields, and a barn. When our kids were little, we decided to use that to our advantage on Christmas Eve. We turned upturned flashlights into "torches" with yellow tissue paper, dressed in bathrobes and head coverings, and brought three gifts of gold coins, a perfume bottle, and a sprig of rosemary (closest thing I can find to myrrh). Our path around the property is lit by luminarias or candles in jars. One year in deep snow, my husband built snow sheep so we'd feel more like shepherds. Another year, a snow angel with gorgeous fluttering tissue paper wings. Our barn has a lighted star on it or in it, and inside is a manger or basket with a swaddled baby doll for Jesus. When the kids were small, the gift-giving usually ended in a tussle over who was first. Over the years it's become a very sweet tradition for us. We sing an appropriate carol at various stops along the way, as we see the star, or find the gifts, or watch over flocks by night. And afterward, we have a simple shepherd's meal for dinner, by candlelight: roast lamb, flatbread, olive oil, hummus, goat cheese, dried fruit, honey, olives, pomegranate.

This tradition really brings the meaning of Christmas home to us. There's something truly wondrous about tramping around in the dark with candle torches, seeing the star from far away, and falling on our knees by the manger with the curious animals coming in to the barn to see what's going on. It also gives us a chance each year to think about what we're bringing Jesus, what gifts we're offering him, what's of great value to us, what gifts (only) we can give. This year: tangibles = gifts to the anonymous ward "Angel Tree," a blood donation, an evening at a nursing home with some of our favorite older folks, treats and sweetness, the present of presence in the homes of friends, some gifts that had us digging deep into pockets. And intangibles = time, attention, obedience, love, forgiveness - that we can offer Christ.

Recount the O. Henry story, "Gift of the Magi" (it's too long to read, but I have a children's book version I will share part of). You know the story: Della sells her hair to buy the watch chain her husband Jim would treasure, while Jim sells the watch to buy beautiful combs for Della's incomparable tresses. Each gives the one thing most precious for the other, with reckless total love. O. Henry concludes:

"The magi, as you know, were wise men--wonderfully wise men--who brought gifts to the Babe in the manger. They invented the art of giving Christmas presents. Being wise, their gifts were no doubt wise ones, possibly bearing the privilege of exchange in case of duplication. And here I have lamely related to you the uneventful chronicle of two foolish children in a flat who most unwisely sacrificed for each other the greatest treasures of their house. But in a last word to the wise of these days let it be said that of all who give gifts these two were the wisest. O all who give and receive gifts, such as they are wisest. Everywhere they are wisest. They are the magi."

Ask what, as a wise woman, you can give to the Christ child? Provide little paper boxes (bejeweled with sequins, maybe) to place their ideas in as a take-home.

Photo from here.

the forgotten fifty: Lesson 1-50 "To the Young Women Adviser: Organizing Lessons from General Conference Addresses"

And so, ladies, we've come to the end of another YW manual - by this time next year, we will have gone through the entire YW cycle of all three manuals.

You might never even get to the back of your manual, and since "Lesson" 50 isn't a lesson really, unless your ward does what used to be called "inservice meetings" to train its YW teachers (mine doesn't), you might just ignore it altogether. So consider this a virtual inservice meeting, with Dos and Don'ts for making a lesson out of a talk. This is a skill that increasingly we seem to ask our members to have - the Prophet RS Manual lessons aren't written like lessons so they need to be turned into them, the Teachings for Our Time are talks that have to be turned into lessons, and often a Sacrament meeting talk assignment will be to base a talk on a General Conference talk. And putting all material since 1970 on lds.org makes this ridiculously easy for people with internet access to just mindlessly regurgitate/recycle talks. Like any skill, it's perhaps not obvious how to do this. (For a good post on Dos and Don'ts for a Sac Mtg talk, much of which is also applicable to lessons, see Aaron B's golden oldie from 2005). Your thoughts are welcome. Here are mine...

Don't give the talk. Someone else already did that. If you want us to hear the whole thing in a class, then play the video from a GC session and then comment/add thoughts, but don't just read the original to your audience. Yawn.

Don't be shackled to the talk's original structure or order (or length). Feel free to change it up, organize it differently, use your own personalized examples or stories.

Do distill ONE main principle or idea out of the talk. Distilling = "purify: remove impurities from, increase the concentration of, and separate through the process of distillation" (boiling, then condensing the steam back into water) - i.e. boil it down, condense into one pure doctrinal idea or nugget.

Don't make dumb/patronizing puns out of gospel subjects in an effort to be "relevant" or entertaining. I've ranted about this before, partly because it's rampant in YW classrooms (why is that, anyway?!). There's creative adaptation, and then there's dumbing down. And there is a difference.

Do think like an educator. We talk about this ad nauseum in our college's Center for Teaching and Learning, always asking, What is the "student learning outcome?" In other words, what do you want your girls to be able to do or know at the end of your lesson? What's the takeaway? Lesson 50: "For example, do you want to help class members understand a principle, increase in faith, develop an attitude, or be motivated to change their behavior?" Those are very different outcomes, each asking for a different approach or teaching technique. You couldn't do all of those effectively in one lesson.

Do read all the scriptures associated with the talk as your do your lesson preparation, not just the talk's pithy stories. Your own insights and promptings for your specific audience will come as you re-trace the speaker's path through the scriptures.

Do bear your own testimony, not just read the talk-giver's. The Spirit teaches through testimony and your youth need YOURS. That's the greatest gift, along with your unjudgemental love, that you can ever give them.

Lesson 1-49 "Delegating Responsibility to Others"

This may be one of those lessons that is secretly aimed at the YW leaders, many of whom are highly focused, get-it-done types who may have trouble sharing the workload, and who get consequently overstressed and burned out, or who have an overly developed sense of the way something "needs" to get done, and have a hard time bringing others into that vision, so they just end up doing it all themselves. Yeah, we all know the type.

It's kind of a shame, actually, that such an important skill gets buried in the lessons so late, and so near Christmas, that in most wards it won't get taught. Then again, it's such a skills-based lesson that it's maybe just as well; it's the sort of thing that could just as easily be covered in a BYC, or in a youth leadership training meeting, or in a short conversation when setting apart a new class presidency, or in a little "handbook for youth leaders" that you give with the decorated binders to the class presidency. It doesn't really seem like enough of a spiritual topic to base a Sunday lesson on.

But still, this lesson really could be a wonderful look at case studies of spiritual leadership. Think Jesus selecting and then delegating to his disciples, and not stepping in when they mess things up, but letting them learn and improve on their own. Think Jesus's parable of the talents. Think Brother Brigham, dividing the pioneers into companies of 100 and companies of 50 and so on down, because he couldn't possibly move a people to Utah all by himself. Think God the Father, letting some key individuals share in the work of creation with the instruction after each "day" to "return and report." Think of how delegation worked in the organization of Relief Society (first paragraph). See also N. Eldon Tanner's essay on "Leading as the Savior Led" for more on Christ's leadership style and how He delegated.

There's a parallel lesson in the AP manual, which is a good one, emphasizing the connection between stewardship and delegation. And there are a couple of good Church articles worth mentioning: one by Rebecca and Roger Merrill called "Giving Life to Leadership," one from the Ensign/Liahona on how to (and how NOT to) delegate, and one from the New Era in 1998, which tells about a useful acronym that the Dallas TX stake developed for its youth leaders: FUN, which stands for Focus Upon Needs. In other words, people are more important than programs.

In our ward, this lesson probably will fall off the calendar. But if I were going to teach it, I might combine it with a related skill, one that all Mormons should know how to do (and many are abysmally bad at), which is How to Run a Meeting. I find in my weekday job, now that I'm among the ranks of the full-time faculty, that I am expected to be involved in various college committees and I realize that one gets absolutely zero training on how to do this. Yet everyone can recognize when it's done wrong or poorly. It's a skill we can learn by doing at church, and one which is really transferable to and valued in certain secular settings - PTA, local government, volunteer organizations, academics, business, interfaith work... etc... If there's someone who knows how to write an agenda, conduct a meeting, take useful minutes, lead discussion, inspire consensus, end on time - that someone will use those skills her entire life.

For church meetings (of all kinds), the same rules apply as in all of gospel teaching (because all gatherings of Saints, even in 2s and 3s, are opportunities for spiritual teaching), namely:

thoughtful questions
scriptures
clear explanation of doctrine (or purpose)
testimony of doctrine
prayer

Every meeting should have a clear, prayerfully defined purpose. Contrary to appearances, we do not meet just for the sake of meeting. Begin with prayer. Briefly review where we've been, take stock of where we are, and set a goal for where we want to go or what needs to get done. Solicit, and then listen to, the opinions of others. Stay on topic. Don't let anyone derail the meeting's purpose and focus; steer it relentlessly back to the topic at hand (taking note, if needed, of other things that come up - promise to get back to them, and then keep your promise by putting them on the agenda or on the next meeting's agenda). Acknowledge but don't dwell on complaints or problems. Keep track of the passage of time. End with prayer. And make sure that when people leave the room, everyone knows the following three things:

what s/he is supposed to do next,
that the gospel is true,
and when the next meeting is.

What suggestions do you have about delegating, learning how to become a leader, or how to run a meeting?

Christmas lesson helps

Every year I try to plan a Christmas lesson, and every year I fail. This seems to be one lesson that the Spirit just wants me out of the way for.

So I've started just gathering a bunch of materials, saying prayers all day Saturday and Sunday morning, and then taking a deep breath and seeing what happens.

I do try to avoid an historical approach to the Christmas story, I figure that's probably been handled between Sacrament and Sunday School. For YW I come prepared to testify of the Atonement and Christ's mission on earth.

Here's some of what I'll be using tomorrow, but maybe not. Who knows. I might spend the whole time crying and just telling my girls how much I love Jesus.

President Uchtdorf's talk from this years Christmas devotional.

President Monson's talk from the Christmas Devotional with one of his signature stories. This made me start thinking of a list of gifts we could give others in the name of the Savior. A listening ear, a nonjudgmental heart, a shoulder to cry on, a feeling of safety, a knowledge of love.

The lyrics to Where Can I Turn For Peace. My favorite hymn. It speaks so strongly to me of my relationship with the Savior.

Elder Bruce C. Hafen has written my absolute favorite book on the Atonement. Here's an article he wrote for the Ensign that contains loads of goodness.

My second favorite book on the Atonement was written by Stephen Robinson. Here's a transcript of a speech he gave sharing lots of great stuff.

A rip your heart out story from President Faust. The message of Christ is more powerful than the atomic bomb.

The Exponent's lesson ideas from the Relief Society manual. I especially like the story about Mother Teresa, and the discussion of the condescension of Christ.

Tearjerking story about genuine service to teenage convicts. Found thanks to Times and Seasons.

Here's a whole bunch more Christmas stuff.

I don't know how I didn't know about this, but take a look! Jesus Christ, the Son of God.

Good luck everyone. I pray we all have the Spirit with us tomorrow to share the most important message the world will ever know.

Stepping Stones for 1-48

I taught lesson 1-48 today and (as usual) I got inspired by reese's suggestions in her writeup for this lesson. I started thinking about how different people get bogged down at different parts of the goal "cycle." Some people have a hard time beginning, or having the courage to start on an ambitious goal. Others (like me) lose focus somewhere in the middle and need to remind themselves to stay focused and persist/endure in working on a goal. Others may have trouble finishing - they get close to finishing but never actually wrap it up. Others may have challenges with reflecting on and reporting at the end of a goal, or celebrating their accomplishment and using it as a stepping stone to plan for the next one.


So I decided to give my girls their own "stepping stones" to keep in some visible place to help get over whatever is the "sticky" part of the cycle for themselves. I bought decorative smooth black rocks in the silk flower aisle and some silver Sharpies, and I wrote inspirational words on them. In class, the girls chose one and if there wasn't one that fit what they needed to tell themselves they wrote their own, like "Finish" or "Done" or "Persevere" or whatever. Mine (based on the Mary/Martha story) is to help me keep focus on what is both necessary and essential in the moment - so mine says "one needful thing." In this busy season of my life and of the year, this is what I need to tell myself the most.

Lesson 1-48 "Short-Range Goals as Stepping Stones"

I think this lesson would seriously benefit from some personalization. The stories are all perfectly nice, but this is one principle I think it would be really great for the girls to see up close. So few of the behaviors we try to encourage lead directly to what we want (they bring their own benefits, but no amount of reading my scriptures alone is going to get me the career/relationships/talents I want) I think it would be awesome to be able to testify of this idea through my own experiences and experiences of other leaders they know. I think I'll be grilling everyone around me.

The supplementary materials bring up the point that the personal progress program is a model of this system. One project or experience at a time, these girls are becoming women of faith. The talks included are a couple of talks by Elder Wirthlin. This one shares some funny football stories, and this one encourages taking the journey to become someone great.

I think this lesson is especially timely for my Laurels. They are all staring down college and adulthood and at times it completely overwhelms them. Especially because many of them will be putting themselves through college and the enormity of that task would scare anyone with sense in their head. I can't wait to explain this principle to them and tell them how I put myself through college. I figured that many of your girls would be in the same boat, so here's how I did it.

First, I studied and got good grades to be eligible for a good school
Then, I filled out applications and got accepted somewhere.
With that step done, the next hard part is paying for it. My younger sister got so intimidated by this part that she just didn't go to school at all. It's a big thing to overcome.

My best advice is to remember that they don't charge you for all four years at once. Don't think about how you're going to pay for EVERYTHING. Just focus on one semester at a time.

My first two years were at a community college which was way way cheaper, and also a way better learning environment for your general education classes. I pity the poor BYU students who take biology in a class of 900. My class had 20. Of course, this way being more beneficial depends on your major, so I don't think it's the best way for every case. But it sure was cheaper.

With the help of a high school counselor I looked into government programs and scholarships and paid for the first two years of tuition that way.

I worked as many jobs as I could over the summers and saved money.

When I was nearly done with an AA degree, I started applying for transfers and I got accepted to BYU.

I registered for classes and found housing

I wasn't eligible for government programs anymore, so I applied for federal student loans and used those to pay for the remaining two years. Going into debt was totally scary for me, it influenced what I allowed myself to study. I was convinced that I needed to walk out of college and into a career or else those loans would force me into the poor house. That's just not so. At least if all we're talking about is for an undergraduate degree. (The law school loans we're paying off are a little bit different.)

In America at least, after you graduate you have an entire year before loan payments start, and you can ask for more time if you need it. A few months ago I got a letter from the bank telling me that they were waiving the last $1500 as a reward for my continued payment, and my loan was paid off. I so wish I could go back and tell 18 year old me about this day. I spent so much time being scared, I wish I could tell myself that it's not that awful and that I would do it.

It really was just one step at a time, but every day people get too scared by the big picture that they don't take that first step. I'm so grateful I was just too stubborn to stop.

I think as we encourage these girls to try for big things, we need to add a little footnote, even just one sentence before they leave the room, explaining that hard work and good choices cannot guarantee everything we want in life and we shouldn't feel like it's our personal failing if life hands us adversity we couldn't plan on. Everyone seems to understand that on an intellectual level, but when things really hit the fan, I'd lay money down that each one of us thinks, at least on some level, that we could turn things around by being stricter with our worship. Admit it. On your hardest day ever, the thought at least crossed your mind that this never would have happened if you read your scriptures more. So let's address that with our girls.

Earlier this year I came across an old blog post encouraging readers to pick one word they wanted to govern their year. Her word was 'nurture' and she tried to keep that word in mind as she made choices about her family, her work, how to spend her time. I've been mulling it over ever since I read that, and I've decided my 2010 word of the year will be BEGIN.

I'm going to get it put on a necklace, I'm going to make something to hang near my computer. I just love how loaded with potential that word is. Maybe I'll make a little something for my girls too.

Lesson 1-47 "Encouraging the Development of Talents"

It's the Christmas season and okay, so this blog is run by two busy moms... both of whom get legitimately overwhelmed now and then, and whose wards are on totally different lesson schedules by this point in the year (don't worry, we'll all be in sync again when we start the new manual in a few weeks!). So, it's Jeans for lesson 47, since I happened to teach it today and Reese is stuck a couple of lessons back in her ward.

Unlike Lesson 2-44, which is a straightforward lesson about developing one's talents, this lesson is more about how it can be tricky to identify talents, and why it's important to encourage them in your families, among your friends, etc. How to be a "talent-enabler," basically. One of the teachers in my ward handed out little chiffon gift bags of coins to her girls, using the parable of the talents. The MM's loved this. For my Laurels, I decided to avoid the whole guilt trip that comes with the various scriptures on talents ("If you bury them, they will be TAKEN FROM YOU!" Doom! Gloom! Etc), and just focused instead on a couple of key points:

--there are lots of ways to be talented. Talent is not just "artistic"; people can be talented in many different ways. I was going to bring in some ideas from Howard Gardner's theory of multiple intelligences, but then I didn't end up using it (good background for me, though).

--people (including ourselves) need uncritical encouragement in trying new things, discovering talents, and need room to make mistakes, learn, and improve. While you might think that your talents are the things you are "naturally" good at, that's not necessarily true. Creative work is work. But don't be too hard on yourself in the beginning; don't get discouraged, and be supportive of the talents-in-progress of people in your family. Talents are gifts, but they're kits... the kind that come "some assembly required."

--I used a lot of quotes from an article/interview with LDS author Jack Weyland from a 1990 New Era, which humorously covers a lot of these points. The way I did the lesson was to write some open-ended questions on little slips of paper. I rolled them up quilling-style and tucked them into the multiple drawers of a pretty jewelry box. Each Laurel had a chance to pull one out, think it over, and offer an answer for the discussion. We had a really wide-ranging discussion just talking over these questions!

My questions:

Complete this sentence: “Creative people…”

Complete this sentence: “For me, creativity is….”

What talent do I see in one of my parents? What can I do to help develop it?

What talent do I see in one of my brothers or sisters? What can I do to help develop it?

What is a talent I am developing? What encouragement or support might I need for it?

Complete this sentence: “I am passionate about…”

What personal progress goal has helped you develop a talent?

Complete this sentence: “A talented person in the scriptures was…”

What talents might go unrecognized or unvalued?

Complete this sentence: “Time just flies by and I feel happy and fulfilled when I am …”

Complete this sentence: “A person who inspires me is…”