Ideas to Help You Teach Elder David A. Bednar's "In the Path of Their Duty" (October 2023)
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Elder David A. Bednar’s October 2023 General Conference talk, “In the Path of Their Duty” was a delightful change of pace. We so often hear the talks about going after the one lost sheep or someone like Captain Moroni, it’s a great reminder that those ”who today are pressing forward in the path of your duty are the strength of the Savior’s restored Church” (see the second to last paragraph of Elder Bednar’s talk). But how do you teach from this lesson? Read on.
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Questions to Ponder
What one-liners stood out to you in this talk? Why?
What scriptures or scripture stories came to your mind as you studied this talk?
How can we do a better job of lifting those around us and helping them not feel forgotten as they continue to press forward with faith?
Have you ever felt unimportant in the gospel? How did you overcome that feeling? What did you discover as you searched for the truth?
What does this talk teach us about the importance of small and simple means?
In what ways did Elder Bednar’s words give you hope and peace?
What experiences can you share where you have chosen to trust in God even though your righteous desires have not been realized?
How can we continue in the path of our duty? What keeps you going?
What ways have you been blessed because someone was quietly doing their duty?
Who does “in the path of their duty” describe to you?
Teaching Ideas
There is a wonderful Micheal McLean song called, “One of the Ninety and Nine” that would go great with this talk. Try starting or ending your lesson with it (with approval).
Invite your class members to write letters to themselves, reflecting on their current and future roles within the church and how they plan to fulfill their duties. Seal the letters and mark them with a future open date to revisit and evaluate.
Invite a few people in your class to come prepared to share a story of someone who simply did their duty and blessed their life because of it. It shouldn’t be something big but small and simple. We are continually blessed by people willing to do the small and simple things every day. For example, your class came to church today. Because of that, we all feel a little better- we remember we aren’t alone, we feel the strength of each other’s testimony and love, and we might make a comment that is exactly what someone needs even if no one nods in agreement as we say it.
Go on a treasure hunt… searching for blessings that Elder Bednar says the faithful receive. Let people skim the talk and shout out answers as they dig deeper into the talk. Then discuss the promised blessings and how they give us hope to keep going when we are feeling forgotten.
Have more ideas? Share them in the comments or come join our Teaching General Conference Facebook group.
Looking for more ideas?
Check out the lesson packets available from Olive Tree Media. They have study sheets, handouts, and more to get you started.
