Lesson Ideas for Elder Gary E. Stevenson's October 2023 talk, "Promptings of the Spirit"

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Do you want to teach from Elder Gary E. Stevenson’s October 2023 General Conference talk, “Promptings of the Spirit”? You’ve come to the right place! Discover some great questions to ponder as well as a few discussion ideas to get you started on your next lesson for Relief Society, Elders Quorum, Young Women’s, or Young Men’s.

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Questions to Ponder

Let these questions help you on your quest to brainstorm the right ones for your class.

• The gift of the Holy Ghost is one of the greatest spiritual gifts we can receive and it’s urgently needed. How has the gift of the Holy Ghost blessed you?

• What are some holy places for you? How does it help you feel the presence of the Holy Ghost more? How can we make our places of security places where the Holy Ghost can easily dwell? What does that mean to you?

• Who are some holy people in your life? Why is the Spirit naturally in these gatherings? What does it mean to be holy?

• How have you been blessed with the power of the Holy Ghost by sharing holy truths?

• How do we listen for the Holy Ghost? How do we heed and hearken to what we hear? How can we strengthen our listening muscles and more easily recognize when it’s the Holy Ghost speaking to us?

• How can we know if we are being deceived?

• When has the Holy Ghost whispered in your ear?

Discussion Ideas

• Start out similar to Elder Stevenson by talking about physical exercise routines. You can talk about different ones for different athletes, goals, or simply leg day versus ab day. Lead this into what spiritual exercises are required to possess the best spiritual gifts. Do we have a spiritual exercise routine? What does that look like? Does it change according to our goals or different spiritual athletic abilities? What keeps us going when we don’t want to work out? For example, when it’s leg day and you know you are going to have to climb a whole lot of stairs later that day, how do you convince yourself to do the exercises anyway? Why do we want to have a spiritual workout routine? Follow this up by reminding your class that “the constant companionship of the Holy Ghost is one of the greatest spiritual gifts Latter-day Saints enjoy” (Elder Stevenson). Are we doing the workout required to fully enjoy it?

• Why does Elder Stevenson tell us to stand? We are to stand in holy places and stand with holy people. What does stand mean here? It means to be firm and immovable- even when we are the youngest or smallest or only one. What does that look like for you in your life? How do you stand in holy places and with holy people? What if feel often that you are the last one standing? What can you do to surround yourself with holy people? One way is by surrounding ourselves with the people in the scriptures and those giving General Conference talks.

• What are some examples of us surrounding ourselves with holy people? When do we do that? For example, in our Relief Society or Elders Quorum classes, in sacrament meeting. We can surround ourselves as we go ministering, with the people we choose to invite into our homes (and actually have people come over). What can’t be present in these gatherings? For example, gossiping, ill will for another, jealousy. What helps us keep these gatherings holy and not just another meeting? How can we prepare ourselves to participate in these holy gatherings?

• Elder Stevenson ends his talk with some great affirmations that we can say daily to ourselves. Why do you think he included these? Have you tried it? How can telling us these important things every day make a difference? How have the words you have said to yourself mattered? Brainstorm together some other great affirmations we can say because we know we are members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. What are some other truths in Elder Stevenson’s talk that would be great to add? If you can, type these up later and email/hand them out to the members of your class (including those not in attendance).

P.S. President Henry B. Eyring also spoke about the Holy Ghost in the October 2023 General Conference. See his lesson helps and consider teaching these two together.

Need more help?

Try one of the lesson kits available on Etsy such as this one from Olive Tree Media. It has handouts, study sheets, ideas, and more.

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