I've Been Asked to Teach on a Very Strange Subject at Church

[_beefcalf]

Is this a setup for the beginnings of some church discipline against you? Are they handing you a rope and giving you a chance to hang yourself? Are they drawing a line in the sand and daring you to cross it?

I would actually pay cash-money to be there...

[_Buffalo]

Just tell them that the policy came about to prevent crackpots from teaching their theories on where Kolob is located, and that unless they're crackpots, they can safely ignore it. Kind of like the first polygamy manifesto.

[_DarkHelmet]

I think you should teach the lesson exactly how they want you to teach it, teachers should not use outside sources, but use only outside sources when you teach that lesson.

[_Fence Sitter]

Do I understand this correctly? There is actually a lesson that teaches people NOT to use "non-approved" material?

If so, does the lesson contain a list of "approved" material?

Does anyone have a link to this lesson?

[_The Nehor]

Base your talk on D&C 91. Scriptures are always approved. :)

[_karl61]

Why does the Maxwell Institute get to use other sources to promote truth.

[_Mortal Man]

Do I understand this correctly? There is actually a lesson that teaches people NOT to use "non-approved" material?

There certainly is. I taught it straight from the priesthood lesson manual.

If so, does the lesson contain a list of "approved" material?

I don't recall that lesson listing any other approved material. The whole lesson was about how we should always stick to the lessons in the manual and never deviate therefrom.

Does anyone have a link to this lesson?

I think it was somewhere in the 2005-2008 timeframe.

[_cinepro]

I echo Just Me's thoughts. Why is this subject of interest to class members? It sounds more appropriate for a teacher training.

But this editorial is classic:

http://www.ldschurchnews.com/articles/5 ... urces.html

As Church members, we are asked to prayerfully prepare Church lessons and activities. We are to seek personal revelation from the Lord and study Church materials and instructions. We can counsel with our presidencies or committees and seek advice from priesthood leaders as we strive to meet the needs of those we serve. The scriptures are an invaluable resource.

But we may be tempted to do more, to turn to unofficial lesson plans, resources and information found in books and on the Internet.

And this exceedingly poorly-written* related article is interesting...

http://www.ldschurchnews.com/articles/5 ... given.html


* ;)

[_consiglieri]

Is this a setup for the beginnings of some church discipline against you? Are they handing you a rope and giving you a chance to hang yourself? Are they drawing a line in the sand and daring you to cross it?

I would actually pay cash-money to be there...

Funny you should ask this, which leads into another interesting detail.

Last Sunday I drive up to church and I am accosted in the parking lot by the OTHER counselor in the high priest group leadership.

He tells me that after I was asked to take the lesson the prior Wednesday, he overhead the high priest group leader giving the first counselor heck about assigning his lesson to me. It was not clear whether this was a reprimand for not teaching his own lesson, or because it was given to yours truly.

The second counselor told me he thought it was a set-up. This puzzled me, and I asked, "What are they going to do to me?" (I mean, a set-up usually entails something that happens when the bait is taken.)

He said he didn't know, but said if he were I, he would go to the high priest group leader and say he was going to be somewhere else that day.

All the Best!

--Consiglieri

[_consiglieri]

So according to this lesson, what sources are allowed?

Another oddity--there is no lesson--just a subject that the lesson is supposed to be about.

The subject for the lesson came from somewhere up the food chain, and the first counselor said he didn't know from where.

I asked if it were the high priest group leader; the bishop; the stake president; Salt Lake.

He begged off on all of the above, saying he didn't know.

I think he must have some idea . . .

I mean, I doubt a carrier pigeon showed up on his window sill with the lesson subject tied to his ankle.

All the Best!

--Consiglieri