Training Meeting June 19, 2014

Weekly Training Meeting

June 19, 2014

Book of Mormon Reads —> A Progressive Experience

What it should look like

1. Missionaries have an experience in 2 Nephi 31 where personal paradigms are shifted of their relationship with the BoM; purpose; principles of Gospel
2. Missionaries should be able to have a powerful paradigm shifting experience with themselves and the BoM without a teacher 
3. Missionaries can begin to facilitate revelation for there, including members
4. Missionaries begin to facilitate revelation for others, including investigators

Applications/Practices to get there

1. 2 Nephi 31

Brooke demonstrates what this may look like in your classroom with 1 Teacher and 1 Missionary. 

Starts in verse 17

Brooke: Are there any words or phrases that stuck out to you as a group?… 

Class: Fire… 

Brooke: Go with me to the BD under holy ghost, why is the HG often accompanied with the word fire?, start with- more powerful then that which, READ,  What are you learning about the role of the holy ghost and why is it one of the first principles of the Gospel to receive the HG… 
Class: we have to have the HG to be clean… 

Brooke: It is important for your investigators to know that by the HG is how they will become clean… 

Brooke: What are more things that stick out…

Class: That ye might know the gate at which ye should enter…

Brooke: What are some paths that you think people are living in their lives right now without the gospel… 

Class: Misguided, horrible, unknown, stagnant… 

Brooke: What does the DOC have for us, what words would you use… 

Class: Clear, simple consistent, direction, understood

What did you learn from this demonstration? What did you feel?

(Class Insight)

• Unsure if I should comment or not
• Should I comment on something if it’s not what we are talking about?
• Someone else already said what I wanted to say
• Thinking of you (Brooke) as the teacher. Group readings seemed before like a guessing game.. now
• You had the direction in the way we were moving

Your missionaries feel all of these things. Make sure you practice this and talk with your missionaries so they can feel comfortable, so they can trust you and their district

Practice 2 Nephi 31 with someone- 1 teacher, 1 missionary

What did you learn from the practice? How will you teach this differently?

(Class Insight)

• Should I have an objective of what I am trying to learn or listen to what the missionary has in mind and try to go deeper with it? go in the direction that they are going but take it back to the purpose
• Jeffery R Holland quote in PMG- if they don’t read be devastated
• I try to do new things that I haven’t done before, now if I do it with missionaries I have an idea of what did and didn’t work. It helped established a need of practices between teachers

Practice- 1 Nephi 1- personal insight with revelation

Write down any time you receive any insight from it and the revelation it brought on

can you distinguish between insights and revelation

What did you learn from this?

(Class Insight)

• It’s hard work.. my mind is all over the place
• Try to go back to the missionary mindset and think about where you started from
• Thought maybe I read too fast and I wasn’t writing as much as the others
• I realized how distracted I got

Based on these insights what are you going to change as a teacher?

(Class Insight)

• working with them one on one to help them understand insights- coaching
• your revelation is your own and you shouldn't compare yourself to others

Practice- Pick 2 Scriptures out of Lesson Plan- 2 missionaries as themselves

Turn to page 180 in PMG

Introduce the scripture. 

Describe briefly the background and context of the passage you will use. Invite the investigator to look for particular points in the passage. When teaching people with a limited knowledge of the scriptures, you may need to begin by describing the contents of a passage, using language that they will understand. Below are examples of introducing a scripture:

• “Here in Joseph Smith’s history we have Joseph’s own words telling what happened to him as he went into the grove to pray. He said, ‘I saw a pillar of light …’”

• “In this passage the prophet Alma is teaching people who are poor to exercise their faith in the word of God. He compares the word of God to a seed that can be planted in our hearts. Will you begin reading verse …”

Read the passage. 

Read the verses aloud or ask the investigator to read aloud. Be sensitive to those who struggle to read. If a passage is difficult for them to understand, read with them carefully and help them understand the more difficult points. Or give them a simpler passage to read. You might also define difficult words or phrases:

• “Let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not [’upbraideth not’ means that God won’t find blame or fault] and it shall be given him” (James 1:5).

Some scriptural passages are clear and need no explanation. For others you may take time to explain what has been read.

Apply the scripture. 

“Liken” the scriptures to yourself and to investigators by showing how the principles are relevant today (see 1 Nephi 19:23). Show investigators how they can apply the principles in their lives. As they do, they will come to know that the doctrine is true. Bear your testimony of the principle, and promise them blessings. For example:

• “The people of Alma, like you, had heavy burdens placed on them, almost more than they could bear. But as they exercised faith and ‘cried mightily to God,’ He strengthened them so they could endure the challenges and then delivered them from their trials. Just as He did with these people, I know God will help you in your trials as you …”

• “Alma’s instruction to the people at the waters of Mormon applies to us today. John, are you willing to …”

The people you teach will differ widely in how they view sacred texts, how familiar they are with the Bible, how well they understand scriptural language, and how deeply they believe that the Bible contains God’s word. Help all investigators gain an appreciation for the scriptures. By effectively using the scriptures in your teaching, you can help investigators begin to study the scriptures on their own. After each visit, suggest specific chapters or verses for them to read. You might give them questions to consider as they read, which you can discuss in your next meeting. This will encourage them to study the scriptures daily in their homes and participate in Church meetings and classes where the scriptures are used.

What did you experience from this practice?

(Class Insight)

• Keeping in mind what a role play should looks like, 2 missionaries sharing with each other are role playing but not knowing it
• liken the scriptures and apply them
• you can never demo enough for you missionaries
• sometimes missionaries are on different levels of BoM progression- maybe go to each companionship and assign them different methods while adapting to where they are in their insights and revelations

Practice- Entire Chapter in BoM- 1 Missionary, 1 Investigator

The investigator did not read what their last assignment was.

Introduce, read and apply the chapter.

What did you experience from this practice?

• investigators are identifying the doctrine of christ independent of us

Practice- pick a lesson out of preach my gospel only out of the BoM

What did you notice about the way the practices were set up?

(Class Insight)

• We had times to prepare
• It’s progressive
• less talking and more doing
• draw upon things they may have already prepared or practiced 

Why did we do this in pairs and NOT as a group?

(Class Insight)

• Everyone can experience it and are engaged
• it allows your missionaries to be independent doer and thinkers 

Remember:

Remind your missionaries learning is messy! Be vulnerable! 

Give them birds eye view of this process.

Set up and communication with companion is everything

Invitation: Send an email of your own applications of what a progressive BoM lesson would be

Intro, Read, Apply