Institute Uplifts Me...

I teach an Institute class at Church every Wednesday evening for those 18 to 31 years of age. At present, there are three young adults attending regularly. Our course of study this semester is "Jesus Christ and the Everlasting Gospel". It is a new course and is excellent material. 

Last Wednesday, October 7th, I had a wonderful experience teaching this class. After I returned home, I sent this eMail to Darin Griffith, our Church Education System Coordinator. He is teaching the same course on Tuesday at Noon in Lexington. I was able to substitute for him yesterday. I also sent this eMail to Ali Manwaring our Stake Seminary and Institute Supervisor. 

Had such a wonderful experience preparing and sharing tonight's lessons and felt I should share that with you. You will teach these lessons soon.

We covered Lesson 13 "Jesus Christ Called 12 Apostles" & Lesson 14 "Jesus Christ is the Messiah". As I studied and prepared and listened to this historic General Conference, I couldn't help but note the calling of 3 new Apostles in one General Conference and that tie in with Lesson 13. As I prepared, I felt impressed to call attention to the 3 new Apostles. 

I found their pictures on lds.org and downloaded them. Then I printed 8 x 10 pictures of each of them. 

Then I listened to their talks on lds.org focusing on the last 2 minutes where they bore their 'witness' of Christ and the gospel. I typed this up as they spoke and made a sheet for the kids journals with these 3 testimonies.

I posted the new Apostles picture and we went over their names and tried to learn just that much at the beginning of the lesson. As the lesson progressed and we talked of how Jesus prepared his Apostles using the scriptures in the lesson, I referred to the new Apostles and their preparation in coming to this new calling.

At the end of Lesson 13, as we covered the 'witness' scriptures, I then had us go to the printed testimonies of our 3 new Apostles and had each student read one of those testimonies. It felt so right and I'm know the Spirit was there for me and I'm sure the kids felt it as well. 

Our lesson about the Savior being the Messiah was short but tied in beautifully. We watched the video and I showed pictures of Nazareth when it was much smaller painted by an artist that I just love. Then I showed a picture of our trip there in 2005 and how much larger it is. I explained that my picture was taken from Mt. Precipice which is where it is believed those men in the synagogue took Jesus to throw him over the edge for blaspheme. With the video and the pictures we felt the importance of that story in the scripture and the Savior bearing his witness that he was the Messiah. 

For their journal entry I simply gave them the incomplete sentence that was the 3rd Principle of the lesson and the question "What think ye of Christ?" They took a few minutes and filled the blank in and then wrote their feelings and understanding of their relationship with Christ. 

It felt so good to me tonight. I just felt I should share that with you in case it might be helpful to you with your lesson when you teach it.

I am very grateful for this calling at Church which gives me help in studying the Gospel so carefully. It strengthens me and helps me feel my Savior's love for me personally as I deal with all that life tosses at me. I am grateful for this and many other tender moments serving the Lord in this small way.