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, […]

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 […]

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

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, […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

I'm really not the superstitious type, but wow, twenty thirteen has proved a bad year for us.  Also age thirteen was a bad one for our son, though I suppose that's to be expected: ah, middle school.  But wow, this has been a lame few months.  I'm just plain tired. Last week I made an […]

The 2014 Mutual Theme is Come Unto Christ. [display-posts tag="come-unto-christ" posts_per_page="50" wrapper="div" show_excerpt="true" image_size="thumbnail"]

Electronic Device Use of Electronic Scriptures Survey Report, 2012-2013 By Jenny Smith Note from the Author: I originally gave Russell Simon permission to publish this paper on his blog this past summer. Due to some (frankly silly and inconsistently applied) requirements from Seminaries & Institutes, Brother Simon set all Seminary related items on his blog […]