Author: Jenny Smith

Jenny Smith is a designer who started blogging in 2004 to share lesson and activity ideas with members of her home branch Mississippi. Her collection has grown, and she now single-handedly manages the world's largest collection of free lesson help for LDS teachers with faceted search. Her library includes teaching techniques, object lessons, mini lessons, handouts, visual aids, and doctrinal mastery games categorized by scripture reference and gospel topic. Jenny loves tomatoes, Star Trek, and her family -- not necessarily in that order.
September 12, 2014
My Lesson is Boring!

AC expressed a common concern on the LDS Seminary Teacher Facebook Group: "I'm a new teacher this year, not creative at all and need desperate help. I have my two boys in my class and they both tell me I'm boring." Here's what I said: Please know that everything I'm about to say is intended […]

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September 11, 2014
Between the Prayers

If you're struggling with students getting into sidebar or off-topic conversations during your lesson, you may try teaching them this phrase that has worked for me: "between the prayers". The concept is that once we've said the opening prayer, our time has been consecrated for the worship of God. We focus on the lesson at […]

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September 5, 2014
Evaluating A Gospel Lesson - 10 Questions to Ask

After a lesson is complete, you may feel elated or even discouraged.  Evaluating your teaching is an important, often neglected, step that can help you improve as a teacher.  Evaluating your lessons is the "report" part of the Return and Report pattern taught in the temple.  Reporting, by asking questions of yourself, prayerfully consulting the Lord, […]

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September 2, 2014
Can we stand to sing during sacrament meeting?

In short, yes, it's okay to stand to sing during an LDS sacrament meeting service.  I'm never sure where these weird rumors get started -- I blame the Utahns. Congregational Singing Most Church meetings are enhanced by the singing of hymns. Music provides a primary means by which members participate in Church worship services. Congregational […]

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September 2, 2014
Ward Music Chairperson - Handbook Information

Find out what instructions the Church Handbook of Instructions has for the Ward Music Chairperson. https://www.lds.org/handbook/handbook-2-administering-the-church/music?lang=eng#14.2.3

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August 2, 2014
2015 Mutual Theme Announced!

Notice To: General Authorities; Area Seventies; Stake, Mission, and District Presidents; Bishops and Branch Presidents From: Young Men and Young Women General Presidencies Subject: Mutual Theme for 2015 The Mutual theme for 2015 is “O ye that embark in the service of God, see that ye serve him with all your heart, might, mind and strength, […]

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August 1, 2014
It's been a while...

I have been struggling with motivation lately. The website has just been something I've not been excited to work on lately. This WordPress update is partially complete, but there are a few thousand images and documents to be uploaded.  I was hopeful that I could get Jared to help me with it while we were […]

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March 12, 2014
Peculiar People

Dress up in strange clothes. Pants, long skirt and a short skirt, Long sleeve shirt and a fishing vest, funny hat and have half your hair up and the other down, wear a snow boot and a high heel (be extravagant). Teach your lesson like you dress like this all the time. Then at the […]

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February 14, 2014
Alma 32 plus disaster recovery

Well.  This was not the best Seminary lesson.  I was so excited, too. I have to say that I'm not quite sure what went wrong. I have two new students, one of whom is testing me, another student who is trying to get the new student to notice her at any cost, another whose feelings […]

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February 7, 2014
Alma 31

Today's lesson went well despite a minor snafu -- I nearly slept in! I woke up rested, which as all you Seminary teachers know is an unusual and unfamiliar state in your life during winter.  It took a few moments to register that I was probably feeling good because somehow I had slept in.  It […]

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