Comments on: 2012 Priesthood/Relief Society Course: Teachings of Presidents of the Church: George Albert Smith

By: Researcher

Researcher — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 16:53:50 +0000

What’s the lesson topic? The Holy Priesthood. For Relief Society, you’d want to pull out a unifying theme. That could be hard with this lesson since it’s a very straight set of quotes about the priesthood with very little surrounding material. Pres Uchtdorf is very good with unifying themes: the forget-me-not, the “happily ever after,” etc., that give people something to organize their thoughts around. (A good one for this lesson might be to show a copy of a Priesthood Line of Authority.)

If you can come up with a secondary unifying theme, great; if not, rely on personal experience. Start the lesson with a story about an influential home teacher or a time when you or your family have been blessed by the priesthood. Stories are more memorable than quotes, and they will prompt memory and allow the sisters to be ready to share their own thoughts and experiences.

Very important for these lessons: prayerfully choose the materials to present. Don’t try and get through too much reading.

If I were to teach this lesson (instead of the one I’m teaching in Young Women) I’d choose three or four quotes and then prayerfully consider questions to ask the class. As Ardis has explained repeatedly on this blog, coming up with good questions is key to a good lesson.

Consider the needs and circumstances of your sisters. If your ward is primarily made up of retired people, don’t bother talking about how to prepare sons for the priesthood. But if it’s a young marrieds ward, that could be a vital part of the lesson. If there are single sisters or women without priesthood holders in the home, you would want to structure at least part of the discussion around that.

In presenting the lesson, talk about one of the principles outlined the manual, present a quote, and ask some discussion questions about peoples’ experiences and the things they’ve learned about this gospel principle. Give them time to share. If people don’t speak up immediately, either wait, or share another experience and then ask the question again. Don’t worry about “getting through” the material you prepare. Use the scriptures, too, at least once!

Well, that’s how I would do it. Figure out something that works for you and your ward.

Best wishes!

By: Joni Sittler

Joni Sittler — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 15:41:06 +0000

Help! I’ve been asked to teach on Sunday(lesson 5 2012) and I am looking for some ideas..lesson helps! I’m not very creative and I don’t want to bore the sisters! Thanks!

By: andrewh

andrewh — Sun, 28 Aug 2011 09:31:50 +0000

Left Field – Don’t confuse the George Alberts (hey even “The New Era” has done it).

George Albert Smith the Church President was born in 1870 and married Lucy Woodruff (Granddaughter of WW) in 1892. There is no record I am aware of that there was a post manifesto plural wife (neither Quinn nor Hardy mention one).

In fact, one unique thing about George Albert Smith was that he was single when he was President of the Church, his wife having died in 1937. It will be interesting to see if this is brought out in the manual.

By: Ardis E. Parshall

Ardis E. Parshall — Sat, 27 Aug 2011 15:04:22 +0000

There will be problems somewhere if it suggests otherwise, Left Field.

By: Ray

Ray — Sat, 27 Aug 2011 15:04:11 +0000

#28 – Yeah, especially since the manuals are focused on the teachings of the prophets.

I’m looking forward to this manual, for the same reasons as others have mentioned. I don’t know enough about him.

By: Left Field

Left Field — Sat, 27 Aug 2011 14:35:05 +0000

Of course, what everyone will want to know is if the manual portrays George Albert Smith as a monogamist.

By: Justin

Justin — Sat, 27 Aug 2011 02:00:35 +0000

G.A. Smith served the first four months or so of his mission in the Middle Tennessee Conference before moving to the mission office.

By: BHodges

BHodges — Fri, 26 Aug 2011 21:35:58 +0000

Especially looking forward to lessons 7, 9 and 23. I actually think it would have been great if there was a lesson on mental illness. We could use it.

By: The Other Clark

The Other Clark — Fri, 26 Aug 2011 19:16:22 +0000

Like Grant, I’m perpetually stuck in Aaronic Priesthood, but I’m one of those for whom GAS is the “least known.” (Well, as president of the church maybe a three-way tie with John Taylor and H.B. Lee).

I can tell I need to do some extracurricular reading.

By: andrew h

andrew h — Fri, 26 Aug 2011 16:14:19 +0000

The Mormon History Association published a very well done article on Smith’s breakdown in the Fall 2008 JMH. It was by Mary Jane Woodger and is titled “Cheat the Asylum of a Victim”: George Albert Smith’s 1909–12 Breakdown”

If you have access to the JMH I would highly suggest reading it. The U of U has digitized the JMH at least through 2004 but I do not know if this issue is online.

The Fall 2008 issue of the JMH is a very good one overall. Other excellent articles include:

- “Temple Pro Tempore”: The Salt Lake City Endowment
House by Lisle G Brown

- “They Shall Be Made Whole”: A History of Baptism for Health by Jonathan A. Stapley and Kristine L. Wright

- Under the Gun at the Smoot Hearings:Joseph F. Smith’s Testimony by Michael Harold Paulos

and

- Buchanan’s Thrust from the Pacific: The Utah War’s
Ill-Fated Second Front by William P. MacKinnon