I admire another teacher in our ward who taught yesterday, a Relief Society teacher who can ask a general question and whatever the response is, whatever direction the discussion goes, she can keep relating it back to the main topic of the lesson and keep us moving toward a definite goal. I need to keep things focused a little more tightly than that. But either of our styles works better, I think, than the more freewheeling style typical of most teachers I’ve known as an adult, where a class just talks *about* a topic without any direction or any end purpose in mind.

The class wrapped up with a great summary by one member who noted that we are too quick to be judgmental — if someone disagrees with me, then he doesn’t just have a different opinion. He is, rather, wicked and evil because *my* opinion is based on gospel principles. He called for us to recognize that differences of opinion are seldom matters of wickedness and righteousness, and to be more tolerant of each others’ differences. He was a lot more eloquent than this summary, and it was a very good way to close.

I knew it was risky, but I also don’t think it does any good for us to talk about problems as if they only occur out in “the world” among people who are not like us. If we can’t liken the scriptures to ourselves by identifying where our own weaknesses lie, then what’s the point of Sunday School.

(And I enjoy reading your lessons. I rarely get to go to Sunday School so it’s good to get a lesson anyway.)