When I taught Seminary, I was surprised to find out how many students did not understand the resurrection. If you're teaching youth Sunday School, be sure to look back at the previous lessons and review that very core doctrine with your students. Adult Sunday School teachers will find this valuable as well. Understanding the reality of and reasons for the resurrection is key for understanding the Plan of Salvation.
This lesson combines easily with the previous lesson, as many themes are repeated, although the story changes. Junior Primary teachers can take this opportunity to be sure that children understand the concepts of resurrection clearly.
The theme of forgiveness is strong in the manuals. How can you encourage your students to use the power of God's forgiveness in their lives, both forgiving themselves and forgiving others?
Small group activities like the one in the manual (splitting into groups of two) may be difficult in adult Sunday School classes for a variety of reasons, including size, married partners excluding singles, worthiness issues, etc. Consider the dynamics of your class before doing exercises of this type.
The children's lessons for this section have a number of fun object lessons. If you're teaching adults, consider taking a few moments to check in with your students to see how they are using Come Follow Me in their own homes. Be aware that some members are not doing Come Follow Me. Why? Is there something you can do to help them feel more excited about CFM without scolding or using guilt?
This lesson deals with prophecies about the Second Coming that some of your classmates may find disturbing. Think about ways you can talk about events preceding the Second Coming in a way that helps students feel confident that righteousness will prevail. Also check the teaching techniques section for ideas on how to talk about disturbing subjects with your class.
If you are teaching adults, you may want to remind your class that the lessons taught in Primary differ greatly from the material emphasized in the manual for children this week. What have the families in your class found helpful in discussing the things they learn during Sunday School and Primary at home? How can they learn from each other during these discussions? If they aren't studying together, how can they start?
"We should trust the Lord's mercy, not our own righteousness" is a great way to describe grace. Older church members may be confused about the role of grace in our lives. Be ready to teach the concept of grace in your classroom. Teachers of youth may find that some students are resistant to the idea of marriage. Be respectful and kind to those students, recognizing that some people choose to reject marriage because they fear rejection by potential spouses or because of negative experiences at home. Listen carefully to everyone's thoughts, and be ready to share gospel truths about marriage and your own experiences. Avoid sharing your opinions on homosexuality, do not make guesses about the meaning of church policies regarding homosexuality, and be ready to (kindly!) share the church's stance on homosexual marriage in a non-judgmental way. Remember that many youth are confused on these topics, and they need your love and support to help sort through conflicting messages. They will not turn to you if they recognize that you will not treat alternate viewpoints respectfully. Teachers of adults should be sensitive to the feelings of single and divorced members about marriage. For example, you should not suggest that finding a spouse in the hereafter should provide relief to the single who are lonely now. You need not shy away from difficult discussions, but talk with your Sunday School presidency if you need help preparing to teach this or any other controversial topic. Above all, be kind.
Lenses is a great teaching technique to help students read the scriptures from different perspectives. Try it if you decide to use the lesson manual activity where students try to think about the resurrection of Lazarus through the eyes of different people in the story. Primary teachers of younger children may find their students do not understand what death is. Be sure your students understand what death is before you talk about resurrection.
The Sunday School manual suggests that you split your class into three groups to study one section. Remember that groups that are larger than 3-4 people in size are usually ineffective for teaching. Large Sunday School classes should look for a different activity to teach this principle. Everybody Writes or Scripture Tweet might be better for your larger group.
