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

[_consiglieri]

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.

During the half-hour I talked with the first counselor Wednesday evening, I mentioned how general authorities use outside sources all the time during conference, and that C.S. Lewis has become an especial favorite.

He said, "I know. I know."

I asked him if he knew why they would be allowed this liberty, and he said he didn't know.

I told him, "Because they are the adults and we are the children."

He didn't like the analogy.

But you should have seen his eyes bug when I told him the details on the how the Correlation Committe came into existence.

I asked him if he knew why all the manuals are the same and why they sound like they have been written by a committee . . .

All the Best!

--Consiglieri

[_Rambo]

But you should have seen his eyes bug when I told him the details on the how the Correlation Committe came into existence.

I asked him if he knew why all the manuals are the same and why they sound like they have been written by a committee . . .

All the Best!

--Consiglieri

I don't know these details. Do you have a link I could look at?

[_consiglieri]

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.

I mentioned something along that line during out conversation; that I can understand why SLC wants to have some control over lesson material to avoid just that kind of thing happening.

The funny thing is that you can teach a LOT of crack-pot ideas by using official church publications (especially the JoD).

I told him I think the problem is that SLC is assuming too much centralized authority over everything and trying to micromanage; that every stake is set up as a miniature version of the entire church with a stake president and a high council of 12; and that the structure is such that these issues can be handled on a more localized level.

The upshot is that many lower level callings such as ward (and stake) Sunday school presidencies become virtually meaningless because all their power has been arrogated by the COB.

All the Best!

--Consiglieri

[_consiglieri]

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

I was thinking of including at least a nod to D&C 88 which talks about teaching from the "best books words of wisdom."

All the Best!

--Consiglieri

[_consiglieri]

I don't know these details. Do you have a link I could look at?

Daymon Smith wrote a book about it recently titled The Book of Mammon. I read it and found it not as good as the podcast he did.

I think it was on Mormon Stories.

Here we go . . .

http://mormonstories.org/?p=980

This is wonderfully informative.

All the Best!

--Consiglieri

[_MrStakhanovite]

Sounds like somebody is putting the fox in charge of the henhouse.

[_why me]

What? We're not supposed to use any outside materials at all? I didn't realize that was the case. I teach often and nearly as often as i teach I at least refer to something that is outside the church publications and scriptures. 'course I don't strictly use those things, but usually throw them in as a side note, or supportive material.

Nothing wrong with using outside sources especially since the lesson manual uses outside sources. And these outside sources use other outside sources. I think that it has more to do with teachers using outside sources instead of what is in the manual. Then, there is a problem. How long is priesthood lesson? 45 minutes? Not even much time to include what is in the lesson which is another reason why outside sources shouldn't be used too much.

[_why me]

I told him I think the problem is that Salt Lake City is assuming too much centralized authority over everything and trying to micromanage; that every stake is set up as a miniature version of the entire church with a stake president and a high council of 12; and that the structure is such that these issues can be handled on a more localized level.

All the Best!

--Consiglieri

Have you read the letters of Paul? Most of those letters were written because of problems within the church. For paul the church needed to be of one mind. And this wasn't happening since churches were becoming too independent about what they were teaching and who they were following. It gave a great headache for Paul.

So, if we have guys like you cowboying it in the lesson and we multiply the cowboys by 1 million, we can see a problem which Paul was experiencing. Thus, the LDS church says stick to the manual as the basis for the lesson. It does make sense.

[_consiglieri]

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

I was hoping somebody would bring this article up. It still evokes a gag reflex, but I have printed it off and plan on sharing it with the class to give one perspective.

I am also going to look for Hugh B. Brown's commencement address in which he said something along the lines of, "We are not so much concerned what you think as that you have thoughts."

And then to show the difference between pre-correlation and post, I plan on bringing in my copy of Nibley's "An Approach to the Book of Mormon," which I imagine almost nobody knows was a priesthood manual before Correlation, and compare it with the gospel essentials manual we are commanded to use today.



All the Best!

--Consiglieri

[_consiglieri]

Sounds like somebody is putting the fox in charge of the henhouse.

Or the lunatic in charge of the asylum.