I gave each student a sticky note and asked:

“What is your ‘stumbling block’ when it comes to regular and meaningful scripture study? What makes it tricky?”

We quickly had a board filled with sticky notes covered in thoughts like:

“I’m too tired.”

“I don’t have enough time.”

“It’s really hard focusing on what they mean.”

We looked and talked about the patterns we noticed.

But then I asked them:

“How can we remove each of these stumbling blocks?”

It was so cool to see the empowering look in their eyes as they realized they could quickly come up with ways to solve their problems!

The youth said:

“Read them at a different time of day.”

“Make it a priority before I do homework.”

“Get a study guide.”

An angel told Nephi that “. . . if the Gentiles shall hearken unto the Lamb of God in that day that he shall manifest himself unto them in word, and also in power, in very deed, unto the taking away of their stumbling blocks.” (1 Nephi 14:1) 

God wants to help us remove our stumbling blocks.

And I believe that one way He does this is by allowing us to identify them and then seek personal revelation for how to remove them!

So what is your current ‘stumbling block’ for keeping a commandment or doing good?

Try asking God how you can remove or diminish that stumbling block and see what you can come up with together!

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post Sticky note stumbling blocks first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

I didn’t realize that much thought work, planning, and research went into effective teaching!

But pretty soon I was spending my homework time crafting the perfect inquiry-based math lessons and engaging anticipatory sets for literacy.

And, with the super analytical brain that I have, I started seeing these teaching patterns everywhere, from my own professors to church teachers!

I started noticing what my Sunday School teachers, Relief Society teachers, and even bishopric members did great, and what they didn’t do so great on when it came to teaching gospel topics.

And you know what’s cool?

The church has totally made an effort to educate those who are called as “teachers” in the church how to become more effective, through teacher councils, newer high quality teacher manuals, and other trainings.

Because I do think that effective teaching strategies matter.

But at the end of the day, it’s not the most important thing, right?

I’ve learned the gospel from someone who didn’t ask any probing questions.

I’ve felt the Spirit listening to someone reading a quote completely out of context.

I’ve been bored during a lesson, only to have the Spirit bring one particular sentence the teacher says to my mind.

The gospel can be proclaimed by the weak and the simple.

There is no training needed. There is no lesson plan. There are no teaching tips that are necessary to feel the Spirit and to share the Spirit.

How cool is that?!

And in the most important setting, our home, teaching the gospel in the best ways that we personally can will always be good enough.

We are good enough to teach our families.

We are weak. Uneducated in many things. Simple and plain.

And yet, we can teach the fullness of the gospel.

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post The best teaching tips first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.