The Love Languages of the Spirit and Come, Follow Me Activity Sheet for D&C 10-11 (Feb 16)

 This blogpost features some of my thoughts and  a half-sheet activity page to complement the Come Follow Me (CFM) reading for  February 10-16, which includes Doctrine and Covenants 10-11.    Click here for an index and links to my CFM blogposts for other weeks.

THE LOVE LANGUAGES OF THE SPIRIT

You remember the book, "The 5 Love Languages," by Gary Chapman?  It was talked a lot about 10-15  years ago and the main premise of the book is that each person feels and gives love in different ways.  The whole concept was related to speaking different languages.  For example, if we speak English and express our love sincerely to someone who only speaks French, that love may not be felt by the French speaker as deeply as it was expressed.  In much the same way, each person, because of their individual personality and life experiences, may express and feel love in very different ways...in ways that may not always be recognized by the recipient.    It went on to discuss the idea that we can strengthen our relationships with others by learning to better "speak {and recognize} the love languages" of our friends and loved ones.   It was a revolutionary concept for me and it's still something that I'm thoughtful about even many years after reading the book.  

Anyway, I am not here today to talk about interpersonal relationships, but to discuss more of the concept of "asking, seeking, and knocking" that we read so much about in the Doctrine and Covenants and how I think the concept of love languages relates to it.  I feel like the hardest part of  seeking  answers to the prayers of our hearts is the receiving part.   How do we know what the answer is after we've asked?  How can we sort out our own feelings on the matter and recognize the Spirit?  

I am not a person who tends to feel the Spirit in big ways and this used to bother me enough that I thought there was something wrong...like that the Spirit, for some reason, just didn't communicate with me.  It's taken me a lifetime of experiences, however, to understand that just like we, as humans, express and feel love differently, we also communicate with and feel the Spirit in our unique ways.  While many people do feel the Spirit in big visible ways {like crying or being able to eloquently share the feelings of their heart}...that's just not me.  Never has been, likely never will.   I am someone who stumbles over every word when speaking extemporaneously, whether that be over the pulpit or in a classroom setting. And if I cry, it's because I'm sad, not because the Spirit is speaking to me.  

So, how do I feel the Spirit?   I feel it when I write down the  thoughts of my heart {hence this blog}.   I feel it as an overarching sense of peace/calm when I'm pondering a question or facing a difficult time in my life.  I feel it as a voice of compassion in my head when my train of thought is taking me somewhere negative.  Learning to recognize the way I feel the language of the Spirit has been monumental to me and I encourage all that worry that they're not feeling the Spirit, to take some time to study the different ways that God can communicate with us.  

Taking the time to fill out this little spreadsheet...individually or as a class can be a helpful exercise to launch a discussion on this topic. 

Additionally, here are some quotes that you may find helpful as you study or discuss this topic.  In particular, I feel like quote #5 is hugely important in this day and age of endless streams of information.    

1. “The prompting that goes unresponded to may not be repeated. Writing down what we have been prompted with is vital. A special thought can be lost later in the day through the rough and tumble of life. God should not, and may not, choose to repeat the prompting if we assign what is given such a low priority as to put it aside.” Neal A. Maxwell

2. “President Monson has taught, “As we pursue the journey of life, let us learn the language of the Spirit.” The Spirit speaks words that we feel. These feelings are gentle, a nudge to act, to do something, to say something, to respond in a certain way. If we are casual or complacent in our worship, drawn off and desensitized by worldly pursuits, we find ourselves diminished in our ability to feel.” Ronald A. Rasband

3. “ We must be confident in our first promptings. Sometimes we rationalize; we wonder if we are feeling a spiritual impression or if it is just our own thoughts. When we begin to second-guess, even third-guess, our feelings—and we all have—we are dismissing the Spirit; we are questioning divine counsel. The Prophet Joseph Smith taught that if you will listen to the first promptings, you will get it right nine times out of ten.” Ronald A. Rasband

4. “We frequently may press forward hoping and praying—but without absolute assurance—that we are acting in accordance with God’s will. But as we honor our covenants and keep the commandments, as we strive ever more consistently to do good and to become better, we can walk with the confidence that God will guide our steps.” David A. Bednar

5 “It is important that our daily activities do not distract us from listening to the Spirit.” Richard G. Scott

Last, but not least, I wanted to share this video with you that I have found impactful as I've gotten bogged down in making big decisions and feeling like the answers weren't coming.   The whole idea of taking one step at a time with the light and knowledge we have in front of us is HUGE.  Sometimes one step is all we can see and we let our inability to see the whole plan at once to paralyze us into inaction. 




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And....here is the activity sheet....

These activity sheets are designed to print double-sided and cut in half.  They're perfect for reviewing or introducing the content found in the Come, Follow Me reading each week and would be great used in a classroom or home setting.   I have no children at home, nor do I have a calling working with youth, so I copy these to be handed out with the sacrament programs each week.  Kids, teens, and adults enjoy them...especially the word searches!  

THIS WEEK'S ACTIVITY PAGE  LINK (in case it's not showing below)



I hope that sharing these thoughts with you have been helpful as you engage in your personal study or in preparation for an upcoming lesson. 

Have a beautiful week!  💗

D&C / CHURCH HISTORY: Come, Follow Me Activity Page for D&C 2 and JSH 1:27-65 (Jan 26)

This blogpost features an activity page to complement the Come Follow Me (CFM) reading for January 20-26.    Click here for an index and links to my CFM blogposts for other weeks.

 It's another week and time for another Come, Follow Me activity sheet to help you introduce or review the material for the week.   If you print these double-sided, they're conveniently sized to be 2 to a page.

CFM Activity Page for D&C 2; JSH 1:27-65

This week it might be fun to do a little family history activity with your class or family.   Contact parents beforehand and find out where each student's ancestors come from (mostly).   Look at a globe or map and put a little sticker where each is from.  Use this as a jumping off point to discuss D&C 2:2. 

Have fun learning the gospel together! 

D & C / CHURCH HISTORY: Come, Follow Me Activity Sheet for the First Vision (JSH 1:1-26)

Hello, again!   I'm trying to get ahead of the game and publish these Come, Follow Me activity pages a little earlier than Saturday night!  We'll see how long I can keep it up.  haha.

Here is the activity sheet to go along with the First Vision (the Come, Follow Me lesson for January 19th).   Print them off double-sided and they make great 1/2 page review or introductory pages for the Come, Follow Me material for the week.

MODERN DAY APPLICATION
 In every lesson I teach, I try to find what the modern day application of that gospel topic might be and there are quite a few that can be gleaned from the First Vision.   Click here for some life lessons we can learn from Joseph Smith's experience in the Sacred Grove.

Click here for my index of Come, Follow Me sheets to go with other weeks. 

Have fun learning the gospel together! 

General Conference Packet for April 2020

Hello!   Here's a General Conference packet I created for older kids.   I had fun creating it and hope that your kids enjoy using it. 

I thought it would be easier to get blogging done during quarantine, but the lack of routine is doing a number on all of us!   Hope all of you out there are healthy and finding the blessings in the whole world being on pause. 

Enjoy Conference!

Why is Joseph Smith’s mission important to me?

When I read through the YW and Aaronic Priesthood lesson for Sunday, I was stopped up by the question it posed, “How did you gain your testimony of the Prophet Joseph Smith?” I thought for a long time and realized that I’ve never really had a huge moment where I just knew. My testimony of Joseph Smith, much like my testimony of the gospel in general, has come to me piece by piece, as if I were putting together a puzzle.

My puzzle definitely still has many missing pieces, but the more I read and study, the more the pieces fall into place. When I was younger, I used to feel like I might be broken or missing something important, when I didn’t feel anything big or earth shattering when others around me were visibly moved by the spirit. It took me many years to understand that tears and emotion are not generally how I feel the spirit and that’s okay. For me, it’s much more subtle--more like just a sense that that concept makes sense to me.

When I talk to my kids and teach youth classes, I like to make sure that they know that different people feel the spirit in different ways, and that’s totally okay. I don’t ever want a young person to wonder if they have a testimony just because they don’t cry or feel anything huge. Also, I want them to know that it’s not only okay, but completely normal to still have missing pieces of that testimony puzzle. You don’t have to know everything to have a testimony. In fact, I don’t believe there’s a person alive whose testimony is perfect. We all wonder about some things that don’t make sense to us and that’s okay, as long as we don’t focus so much on those missing pieces that it distracts us from the things we do know.

“When problems come and questions arise, do not start your quest for faith by saying how much you do not have, leading as it were with your “unbelief.” That is like trying to stuff a turkey through the beak! Let me be clear on this point: I am not asking you to pretend to faith you do not have. I am asking you to be true to the faith you do have."   

Jeffrey R. Holland

One of the other things I feel like we need to talk about in our class are some of the lessons we learn from the First Vision. It really was a remarkable event that changed so much of what we knew about God. And it’s many of those lessons that are a foundational part of my testimony. Is there anything you’d add to this list?


     1. We learn the Heavenly Father and Jesus are separate beings.
     2. We learn that Heavenly Father and Jesus have a body of flesh and bones.
     3.  We learn that we can be influenced by Satan.
     4.  We learn that prayers are answered and God knows us by name.
     5.  We learn that answers come by exercising faith.
     6.  We learn that the true church had been taken from the earth and had not been restored yet.
     7.  We learn that Jesus Christ was resurrected from the dead and still lives.
     8.  We learn that the scriptures provide guidance and answers for us.
     9.  We learn that God’s power is stronger than Satan’s.


The class I’m teaching is young, but I’m hopeful we can have a good discussion about testimonies, Joseph Smith, and his mission. Though we know that Joseph Smith was not perfect, his mission definitely was divine.

“Though Joseph was young and inexperienced, he had been foreordained from before the foundation of the world to be God’s prophet at this particular time. Joseph was tutored, trained, and prepared by heavenly beings." 

Russell M. Nelson

One more thing I just discovered that I want to talk about in our class too...check out Page 15 in the February 2020 edition of the "New Era".     "A Pattern for Seeking Truth" is a great way to apply what we learn about Joseph Smith to our daily lives. And isn't that what learning the gospel is all about?  Seeking truth, and then making it mean something in our everyday life. 

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Joseph Smith and the First Vision FHE Lesson

June 27th is the day of Joseph Smith's martyrdom, so I thought that this would be a perfect time to publish my lesson on the First Vision. I love the timeline that comes with this lesson and I love the fun diorama you can make out of a shoebox and popsicle sticks.

Click here to view the index of my other ready-to-print FHE lessons (with a new one published most Mondays).