we learn a Bible story, repeating it each Sunday for the entire month, and we also have a lesson on a basic principle of Christianity. Over the past year, I’ve learned a great deal about teaching religion to very young children.

It’s never too soon to start teaching our children. As a family, we can read the scriptures and make sure even our youngest children are in the room as we do. They are listening and will absorb whatever they are ready for.

When I teach my lesson, my toddlers often wander around the little classroom, seemingly ignoring me. Even when no one seems to be listening, I continue to teach, knowing small bits will connect with them, and periodically invite them to look at a picture or join me for an activity. Naturally, I can’t deliver a lecture to a toddler. I use pictures, finger plays, stick puppets, and songs to get my message across. I stay with the very simplest parts of the gospel of Jesus Christ: Heavenly Father loves me; I can be happy; I can pray, Jesus is the Son of God.

There are no heavy discussion in our ten minute lesson. If you look at a sample lesson from our manual, you’ll see how the gospel of Jesus Christ can be brought to the simplest level. This type of lesson can be easily prepared by a parent at home for a morning devotional.

I Will Be Thankful.

If you look at the lesson, you’ll see it includes some higher level information. This is for me to study so I understand the topic well before I teach it. In teaching this lesson, I would begin with the first optional activity, which suggests bringing pictures of things I am thankful for. Sometimes I bring real objects, and put them into a bag. Each child takes turns pulling something from the bag. I then ask them what it is and briefly mention how thankful I am for that item Heavenly Father gave me. Children love to take things out of bags and to handle real objects.

Next, I’d share the story of Jesus healing the ten lepers. I show them the picture, but I often retell it using flannel board pictures. The children enjoy helping me put the objects on the board. Other times, I tell a story using stick puppets and let the children each hold one of the puppets. By telling the story several ways, they are more likely to remember it.

Next, I’d let them color the picture included with the lesson and talk to them about it as they colored. This gives them an attention break, as they have something interesting to do while they listen. Often they listen better when their hands are busy. We’d finish up with the song.

Throughout the rest of the nursery time, I’d include the songs and other activities, repeating them often to make them more familiar.

Children love repetition. As I mentioned earlier, we also learn a Bible story each month. Currently, I’m focusing on Old Testament stories. At first, I tried to do this Scripture Story Time differently each week, but I quickly learned the children prefer to do it the same way each time. By the end of the month, they know what to expect and they often enjoy joining in, where they might have ignored me the first week or two. I do vary theme-related activities during the month.

Next month, we are doing Noah’s Ark, a story children love because it’s full of animals. I keep the telling very simple and generally ignore the information that all the bad people died. They are young, so they never wonder what happened to them. I tell it like this:

“Noah was a prophet. God was sad because all the people were being bad. God told Noah to tell them to stop being bad. Noah went to the people and said, “Stop being bad! Repent!” (I shake my finger as I say this in a deep voice and invite the children to imitate me.)

During this time, I am showing them a picture of Noah preaching, so there is something to capture their attention.

“The people said, ‘No! We don’t want to.’” (I fold my arms across my chest and look defiant, and again invite them to imitate me and say it along with me.)

“Noah was sad. God was sad. God told Noah that since they wouldn’t be good, he should build an ark just for his family and the animals. (I show a picture of the ark.)

I stop here and let the children pretend to build an ark. We gather wood, stretch to put boards up high, and hammer. This gives them a movement break.

Then I tell them God gathered two of each kind of animal. We have a large painted picture of an ark made by one of the parents. I set it on the floor and spread out an assortment of wooden animals. I choose one and ask the children what it is and what it says. Sometimes we stop and imitate it, crawling around the floor. I invite one child to find it’s friend—the animal that looks just like it. This teaches matching skills, but also lets the children participate. The teachers help as needed. When the mate has been found, the child places the two animals together on the ark.

When we’re done, I tell them that when the ark was finished, Noah and his family and the animals all moved onto the ark. Then the rain started. We pretend to make rain with our fingers. But Noah, his family, and the animals were all safe and warm and dry inside.

We finish this story with a song and an action rhyme. During playtime, we’ll do other rain or animal related activities. This is a very simple lesson and will be repeated all month. By the end of the month, the older children know the story and can help tell it and the little ones are cheerful from seeing something very familiar.

When you’re doing this with your children, you can do animal and ark related activities all day long. Sing songs about Noah in the car. Do the action rhymes while waiting in the doctor’s office. Retell the story often. Make a flannel board story or a stick puppet to use for variety once in a while.

When teaching your children about God and the Bible, find the simplest aspects of the doctrine or story to teach. Little children can learn to pray with help, to understand God’s love for them, to know Jesus is their Savior (even if they don’t quite know what that means) and that they should obey the commandments. They can learn the basics of Bible stories, just as they’ve memorized their favorite storybooks and television programs. The truths they learn when they are very small are likely to stay with them all their lives.

Take a virtual tour of a Mormon meetinghouse.

Each Mormon meetinghouse contains a large number of classrooms in various sizes. You’ve already seen the Relief Society and Primary. Today, we’ll visit a smaller classroom. On the map below the video, you’ll see a foyer. To the right of the foyer is an unlabeled silver dot inside a small room. Click the dot. This takes you to a classroom.

The classroom is very simple and undecorated, so it can be used by more than one class if needed. Teachers generally bring their own decorations each week, normally pictures or items related to the lesson, so nothing distracts from the topic. The room includes little more than a magnetized chalkboard, chairs suited to the ages of the students, a teacher’s chair, and a small table where the teacher can place her materials.

The teacher begins and ends class with a prayer. He or she teaches from a lesson manual prepared by the church, generally following a schedule. In most classes, you could show up in any church building and find the class exactly where your own class left off. This allows for continuity for travelers.

The teacher is always a volunteer. The Mormons have a lay church and there is enough work in their complex programs to keep everyone busy who wants a calling, as unpaid church jobs are known.

Read the lesson manuals taught by Mormons. The lesson manuals are available on the church website for anyone to read. This can be a good way to find out what Mormons teach members each week.

Let’s look at a sample lesson to see how a typical class might operate. We’ll use the following lesson:

Coming To Know the Savior

This lesson was written for girls ages twelve to seventeen. They are usually taught in classes containing two age groups (12-13, 14-15, 16-17) and the lessons are adapted to the ages of the students. Each manual is taught twice, the second time at a more adult level, since the girls are now older. Two adult teachers, a member of the presidency and the class advisor, are present in each class. In the Young Women’s classes, all teachers and leaders are women. In the Young Men’s classes, all leaders and teachers are men. Sunday School is taught in mixed gender classes and the teacher may be either gender.

As you can see, the manual is designed so even an experienced teacher will be able to present an interesting and age-appropriate lesson. The teacher is encouraged to pray to determine the individual needs of her specific students as she prepares.

Each lesson offers an objective. This helps the teacher remain focused as she teaches. For this lesson, the objective is to help each young woman become a friend of Jesus Christ.

The lesson uses standard methods for quality teaching. To focus the girls’ attention on the topic, the teacher tells a story that helps them to understand knowing about Jesus is not the same as knowing Him. She then gives them a moment to contemplate where they stand in this story and then guides them through a discussion. A picture of Jesus knocking at a door is shown to end the discussion and return them to the topic. If you examine the picture carefully, you discover there is no doorknob. The message is that Jesus cannot enter your life unless you let Him in.

The girls are led through a variety of scriptures to help them learn more, which teaches them to turn to the Bible and other scriptures for gospel knowledge. They are also taught stories from the lives of church leaders and read the counsel of leaders to them, including this counsel, originally given to adult men:

“He wants us to come to him as we are. We do not have to be perfect to go to him. While Jesus was on the earth he associated with publicans and sinners and his disciples asked him why he associated with them, to which question Jesus gave a beautiful and simple answer: ‘They that are whole have no need of the physician, but they that are sick.’ (Mark 2:17.) The Lord does not ask us to heal ourselves of our imperfections before we approach him, but to come to him with those imperfections and he will assist us in overcoming them. The Lord loves us and wants us to overcome our sins and he will help us as we exercise our free agency. We must initiate the process of repentance and strive with all of our might to overcome our weaknesses” (Gospel Doctrine [A Course of Study for the Melchizedek Priesthood Quorums, 1970–71], p. 57).

The teacher then guides the girls through the process of reflecting on what they’ve learned so far to create a list of things they can do to draw closer to Jesus Christ. By developing this list themselves from the materials, they learn how to apply the lessons they learn to their personal lives, a skill which will help them throughout their lives.

The lesson concludes with testimonies from the teacher and classmates about the topic of the lesson, allowing the girls to learn from each other.

This lesson is typical of those taught at any age. Naturally, lessons for children include flannel board stories, puppets, and games, and adults might read more scriptures, but generally, students are taught basic principles of truth and then guided to apply them to their lives.

Teenagers probably receive more instruction than any other group. They have two Sunday classes. In addition, they have a weekday religion class taught during the school year. Most students attend this class, called Seminary, early in the morning. It involves an in-depth study of the scriptures for four years. Two of these years focus on the Bible. Once a week, they meet in the evening for a youth group meeting, which usually involves putting the gospel into action through service projects, learning practical skills, or educational but fun activities. The boys do Boy Scouts of America some weeks, while the girls have a similar program called Personal Progress.

In addition to all of these, they have an annual youth conference over two or three days and a summer camp. The teenage years are perilous, and Mormon youth are given a great deal of support to get through them.

In an earlier article, we learned the women spent the last class session in Relief Society. The men, during the same time, are attending their priesthood quorums, learning most of the same lessons, but focused on their roles as husband, fathers, and priesthood holders. Between the basic service and these gender-specific meetings is Sunday School, held in mixed gender classes for everyone ages twelve and older. Teenagers have their own classes. People who are visiting the church and are not members, or who are new members have a class of their own called Gospel Principles. This teaches them the essential aspects of the gospel at a beginner’s level, so they are prepared to understand the regular class after one year.

The adult Sunday School class is called Gospel Doctrine. A different book of scripture is studied each year in a four year rotation, on the same schedule as the teenagers and older children. Two years are devoted to a study of the Bible. One year is given to the Book of Mormon. The final year is spent on the Doctrine and Covenants, a book of modern revelation, and is combined with church history.

As you can see, Mormon churches are a busy place on Sunday. Of course, gospel study is not just for church meetings. Each member continues to study at home as well, because Mormonism is not a Sunday-only religion.

Open the tour of the Mormon Meetinghouse in another window and look around. I’ll discuss some of the rooms here in more detail. By going to the map below the video, you can select any room you want to view.

Begin by clicking the foyer. The tour starts you outside the building. Although Mormon buildings tend to have a similar look in most areas, you will sometimes find buildings that are quite different, due to age or to a need to blend with the neighborhood. Mormons work hard to be sure their buildings fit in and are neatly kept up. Members are encouraged to be good neighbors.

Mormons usually enter their buildings through the “back door” since parking is often tucked behind the building. When you enter, you find yourself in a foyer with a sofa and several chairs. People use this foyer to greet each other before meetings. During the weekday meetings, you’ll often find parents socializing or reading while they wait for their children. If you are visiting a Mormon church for the first time, you will find people here who will be happy to show you around and sit with you through the meetings. You’ll often find missionaries here (identifiable by their name tags) who can answer your questions and help you make sense of your visit.

Take a moment to look at the artwork in the foyers. Each foyer typically contains pictures of Jesus Christ or other religious scenes.

Follow the arrows to the chapel. If you entered from the parking lot, the chapel is normally straight ahead as you enter the foyer. You’ll notice, as you enter the chapel, it is very plain. This is a surprise to many who are used to ornate chapels. There are no crosses, artwork, or other decorations. A clock may be the only thing on the wall, and sometimes there will be flowers on the podium. Our complete focus during services should be on the Savior and on the speakers and events in the service, so there is little to distract us. This promotes a quiet feeling of peace.

The pews are normally padded and you may sit anywhere you like. You’ll frequently find young families situated near doors, because even the smallest child is welcome in our service. There is no nursery during this portion of the day. Children snuggle with their parents or play quietly, eventually learning to listen to the speakers. Occasionally a toddler will escape and rush to the choir loft, hoping to reach the piano before his parents reach him. Mormons take this sort of thing, along with the giggles of small children, in stride. It’s all part of being a family church.

The service is quiet and you are not required to stand or kneel. There may be an occasional intermediate hymn where members are invited to stand, but other than that you may remain in your seat. The meeting will begin with a welcome by a church leader from the pulpit at the front of the room, and will include announcements, prayer and a song. Following this is the passing of the Sacrament, bread and water which reminds us of the Savior’s atonement and is based on the Last Supper in the Bible. This is blessed (prayed over) by two men or older boys and then taken to the members by young boys, or, if there aren’t enough, adults. When the tray comes to you, if you prefer not to participate, simply take it and turn to the person next to you. Hold the tray while they take and eat their piece of bread or drink the small cup of water. They will then take it from you to pass to the next person. If you are at the end of the row, hand it to the boy waiting to collect it. Normally, this is for baptized members, but no one will stop you if you’d like to participate, as some do. You reach for a single piece of bread or cup of water with your right hand as it’s held by the person next to you. When you finish the water, place the cup in the center section of the tray.

After this, you will listen to speakers chosen from the congregation. Mormons have a lay church and the bishop, who is like a pastor, does not preach each Sunday. Instead, anyone age twelve or older might be asked to speak. Normally, one or two teenagers speak, followed by several adults, on an assigned topic. They write their own talks which include their personal experiences with the topic, as well as appropriate scriptures and quotes from leaders. Following this, the meeting will conclude with a song and prayer.

What you won’t see during the service is the passing of a collection plate. Tithing is paid privately by members, and is done by placing the donation and donation slip into a pre-printed envelope and handing it to one of three approved church leaders whenever the member happens to encounter him on Sunday. You will not be asked for money during your visit.

In the next article, we’ll follow members around as they leave this Sacrament Meeting and go on to their classes.

Discipleship (Good Samaritan)

 (See Matthew 7:12.)

For members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, whose members are sometimes called Mormons, this penetrates every aspect of our lives. It is not an instruction just to be obeyed during church. While it seems easy in theory to practice this, in everyday life, it can be challenging to remember it in the heat of battle.

Recently, the Mormons released a plea for a return to civility in both public and private life, centered on the principle of the Golden Rule. The Mormon Ethic of Civility was a firm reminder that civility is a Christ-like principle applicable to all aspects of life. “Latter-day Saint ethical life requires members to treat their neighbors with respect, regardless of the situation. Behavior in a religious setting should be consistent with behavior in a secular setting.”

The statement focused in on politics, one place where even the kindest person might find civility to be a challenge, as he is faced with very strong opinions on how his nation ought to function. Church leaders reminded members the church is non-partisan and that it defies categorization into any single party. Leaders encouraged members to look to the Church’s example in deciding how to approach this challenge:

Civility is not only a matter of discourse. It is primarily a mode of engagement. The technological interconnectedness of society has made isolation impossible. Of all the institutions in the modern world, religion has had perhaps the greatest difficulty adjusting to the reality of give and take with the public. Today, and throughout its history, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints continuously encounters the legitimate interests of various stakeholders in its interaction with the public. Rather than exempting itself from the rules of law and civility, the Church has sought the path of cooperative engagement and avoided the perils of acrimonious confrontation.

A careful study of the Church’s commentary section in the LDS Newsroom can be enlightening for Mormons and others who wish to learn how to tackle controversial topics in a civil manner. While never shying away from proclaiming truth, and while calling for respect, they tackle attacks and sensitive issues in a Christ-like manner and all can benefit from studying their approach.

In a previous release called “The Publicity Dilemma,” the Church offered this counsel:

As Elder M. Russell Ballard and Elder Robert D. Hales of the Council of the Twelve Apostles have both said recently, when expressing themselves in the public arena, Latter-day Saints should conduct themselves with dignity and thoughtfulness.

Not only is this the model that Jesus Christ taught and demonstrated in his own life, but it also reflects the reality of the strength and maturity of Church members today. As someone recently said, “This isn’t 1830, and there aren’t just six of us anymore.

The call for civility referred Mormons to The Book of Mormon, which tells the history of a civilization that revolved often from prosperity to decline. The negative stages of the cycles always began with a decline in civility. Church leaders are concerned about the impact negative political behavior—lying, name-calling, and attacking, rather than polite expressions of opinion and a spirit of cooperation–will have on our nation.

Furthermore, the Church views with concern the politics of fear and rhetorical extremism that render civil discussion impossible.

This is not a new topic for the Mormons. Church leaders have spoken forcefully on this subject in the past. They warn of the dire consequences that can occur when civility is abandoned in favor of less Christ-like methods of politics. One Church leader pointed out we are endangering our entire democratic system when we focus on the negative.

Tirades against men in office or against one’s opponent tend to cause our youth and others to lose faith in the individual and others in government and often even our form of government itself.” (See N. Eldon Tanner, “‘Judge Not, That Ye Be Not Judged’,” Ensign, Jul 1972, 34.)

Gordon B. Hinckley, a former prophet of the Mormons, warned that while we can’t ignore the problems in our nation, we can control where we focus our attention and how we speak. In his mainstream book, Standing for Something, he warned everyone to search for balanced truth and to avoid cynicism. “A sustained diet of a negative point of view has serious repercussions,” he warned. He said such a method for coping with the challenges of the world created a cloud over the nation and made it difficult to find truth. “But if we will turn our time and our talents away from vituperative criticism, away from constantly looking for evil, and will emphasize instead the greater good, America will continue to go forward with the blessing of the Almighty and stand as an ensign of strength and peace and generosity to all the world.” (Hinckley, Gordon B.. STANDING FOR SOMETHING -. New York: Granite Publishers, Inc, 2006. Pgs. 102-103.)

By accepting the Mormon call to civility, we can avoid negativism, and continue to receive God’s blessings over our nation. We need only turn around the question: How would I feel if these words and this method of handling issues were turned against me? How would I want someone who disagreed with me to treat me and to handle the disagreement? The Golden Rule is an infallible way to handle politics wisely, allowing members to be actively participating citizens in the democratic process while maintaining their position as representatives of the Savior.

 11 For all have not every gift given unto them; for there are many gifts, and to every man is given a gift by the Spirit of God.

  12 To some is given one, and to some is given another, that all may be profited thereby. (See Doctrine and Covenants 46: 11-12.)

Everyone, male and female, can receive spiritual gifts. The scriptures list many of these gifts, and it can be interesting, as we read, to highlight each gift mentioned. The gifts bless the holder of the gifts if he uses them wisely, but they can also be used to bless others. A person who has the gift of faith can use it to find the truth among conflicting and confusing choices. This gift can be used to help that person become a member of the Savior’s church. It comes to her through the Spirit of Christ. After receiving the Gift of the Holy Ghost, her faith grows even more. She might then choose to use that gift to pray for others or to share her faith with those who were not given as strong a gift as she received.

We’re taught that it is appropriate to pray for certain gifts, if we are prepared to use them wisely in the service of others, rather than to glorify ourselves. A person who is invited to teach a class, but lacks the gift to teach can begin to pray for it. While praying, of course, she must do what she can to improve her teaching skills, but God will step in and honor righteous requests if they are part of His plan for us. A prayer to become the greatest teacher in the world is not likely to be honored, because this is a prideful request, but a prayer to have the ability to teach the class one has agreed to teach will be honored.

The diversity of the human race is one of God’s best ideas. If we all had the same talents, gifts, and assignments, most things wouldn’t get done. The world needs writers, but it doesn’t need everyone to be a writer. It needs gardeners, but everyone doesn’t need a talent for gardening. Because each of us has different talents and passions, everything that needs doing gets done. If we each had all the talents possible in equal proportion, we might find ourselves spread too thin, and most things wouldn’t get accomplished. We’d all be doing whatever was easiest or created the most wealth, given human nature.

In the same way, God divided up certain tasks and assigned them to specific genders. Only women were given the ability to give birth. This doesn’t mean God loves men less; it only means that doesn’t happen to be one of the tasks assigned to them. Only men hold the priesthood, but that does not say women aren’t worthy or capable of holding it. Priesthood is an office, not a gender, but assigning it to men keeps it focused, just as assigning childbirth only to women keeps that aspect of life focused.

Within the Mormon Church, there are a great many tasks to be completed, because we have a lay religion and very complex programs. Everyone is asked to take on his or her share of the work. Tasks are assigned in various ways that make the church run more smoothly. Some are assigned by age: Only a twelve or thirteen year old girl may serve as a youth leader in the Beehive Program. (Beehives are girls of that age in the Young Women’s program for teenagers.) Others are assigned by gender: Only women can serve as Primary or Relief Society Presidents. (These are, respectively, the organizations for children and women.) Some tasks are open to anyone who is an adult: Anyone may teach the children or the literacy classes, even though only women can lead those programs. Some tasks are assigned by office: Only a person who holds the office of a high priest can serve as a bishop (the leader of a congregation.) It might appear that the rule is that only men can be bishops, but actually, the rule is that only high priests can be bishops. A good and worthy man who does not hold the office of high priest in the priesthood cannot be a bishop, no matter how qualified he is otherwise.

While it’s true that only men are to hold the Mormon priesthood (as we see from even a casual study of the Bible), this does not limit a woman from serving God, anymore than not being able to be the Primary president limits a man’s ability to serve God. There are many ways to serve, and God does not love the priesthood holders more than the Primary president—or the door greeter. We don’t get bonus points for serving in certain kinds of positions. God asks us to serve wherever He needs us, and if we do this well, we are blessed for our attitude and willingness to serve, not for the specific task accomplished.

Men holding the priesthood receive no special blessings over the women. It isn’t about power or blessings, or God’s love. It is, rather, about our trust in God and His plan. If we have a testimony that the Savior is at the head of the church, and that He sees with a vision greater than our own, we won’t waste valuable mortality hours fretting over what gifts or offices we don’t have. Instead, we’ll work hard to develop those God has asked us to take on. As with every other aspect of the gospel, it really comes down to a testimony. How much do you trust God?

When I was first investigating the church, the priesthood issue concerned me. As a teenager raised in the 1970s, I thought women’s lib was what I was supposed to be living, even though I was known for my love of taking care of children. In other words, my nature was fairly traditional, if you leave out housework. The missionaries, when asked about priesthood at the first lesson, told me they’d be happy to discuss it with me, but I needed more background and training in prayer first. They asked me to learn to pray, and to continue to study, and then we’d discuss it. By the time I was able to understand the answers, I no longer needed to ask the question. I had learned to get my own answers through prayer and I had come to see how much God valued the woman’s place in His kingdom. I understood that being told I had to turn into a man was degrading to women and insulting to God, who created gender. It was no longer a problem for me. I had become proud of the person God created in me.

Over the years, I’ve longed for certain gifts. Some I’ve been able to receive, such as an improved ability to teach. Others were not my calling, such as a desire to sing. Over the years, as I’ve grown and matured, I’ve stopped wasting time fretting over what I don’t have, and have begun to be thankful for what I do have. God gave me a most interesting gift box of traits, talents, and experiences. I would be ungrateful and unworthy of those gifts if I wasted my life whining they weren’t good enough.

As we look at the history of this earth and at the history of the restored Church of Jesus Christ, it becomes obvious that women hold a special place in our Father’s plan for the eternal happiness and well-being of His children.

I hope that my dear sisters throughout the world—grandmothers, mothers, aunts, and friends—never underestimate the power of their influence for good, especially in the lives of our precious children and youth! Read more

Discipleship

Most people, at least at some point in their lives, wish they could make a difference in the world in which they live. Many Mormons wish they could convert hundreds at a time, as did a few of the earliest missionaries, or bring the world to live by gospel standards. Some may feel their small efforts can’t matter all that much, but history has shown one person can change everything. Spiritual heroism doesn’t have to be big and important. It can be small and personal. Read more

Your adopted LDS website should focus on the gospel, rather than on debate. It’s not a place to express a lack of faith or to debate politics beyond the church’s own involvement. Your goal should be to strengthen the existing testimonies of your readers or to guide people to gaining a testimony.

Elder Ballard recently offered wise counsel on this topic. He suggested we not let others direct the conversation into issues that are not important to our eternal salvation, but that we focus on core issues—our faith in Jesus Christ and on the restored gospel. He advised us to avoid sounding defensive or getting drawn into an argument. “Please remember you do not need to feel like you must justify your beliefs; you simply need to explain them in the spirit of love and kindness. The truth always prevails when true doctrine is taught (Elder M. Russell Ballard: Engaging Without Being Defensive).

Make it clear you are not an official representative of the church, but don’t be wishy-washy about your faith. Speak confidently with the full force of your testimony. Help people see the gospel in a positive way through your own example. Treat them as if they were a guest in your chapel, welcomed with open arms. If someone tries to debate, lead them gently back to the core of the gospel. Most importantly, make sure your readers know how you know what you know. Point out the blessings that have come to you through your obedience to the teachings of God and do so in concrete measurable ways sometimes. While you’ll share how the gospel brings peace and joy, sometimes people want, at least at first, something more practical.

“By carrying out the teachings on families, I’ve really developed a closer relationship with my children. Family Home Evening has made a big difference and my children now love spending time with their family, instead of always wanting to be with friends.” This is a goal many people have and with this kind of testimonial, readers struggling with family relationships will be drawn in and want to learn more about family home evening. Once they’ve learned about this program, they may encounter another program that also interests them, perhaps one you mentioned in your articles on Family Home Evening. If each article mentions a related topic, you can lead them from teaching to teaching until they’ve reached the core of the gospel.

Back up your statements with quotes from church leaders and scriptures. You don’t want to scripture-bash, but showing readers you’re teaching a Biblical concept can help. Additionally, quoting the Book of Mormon teaches them what is found inside that book.

You may receive email from readers, or they may post comments. These are the foundations for articles. Answer the question in-depth in an article instead of by answering the post—the post response can be brief and direct the reader to the article. This helps you avoid a direct argument and control what is discussed about the topic. Otherwise, it’s easy to find yourself becoming defensive and answering only the points they brought up, rather than explaining the answer in a logical, non-defensive manner.

Become a regular reader of the LDS Newsroom. Here, the church often answers complex questions. As Elder Ballard points out, studying how they approach these issues can teach you how to approach them yourself. You’ll notice, as you analyze their approach, they never go on the defensive or argue. They simply teach the doctrines of God’s kingdom without apology or hesitation.

When you’re deciding how to approach a gospel topic, or even choosing which one to write on, stop and look at your favorite picture of the Savior. What would He choose and how would He approach it?