This post may contain affiliate links meaning I may make a commission on products purchased through my links. See my full disclosure for more.

Leave it to President Russell M. Nelson to give us a short phrase to hold on to these next 6 months (Remember “Let God Prevail”, “Hear Him”, and “Peacemakers Needed”). His talk’s title from October 2023, “Think Celestial!” sums it all up. How can you continue to discuss the truths found in this beautiful talk? Read on!

Save it for later, pin it now!

First, can we just say how grateful we are that he spoke to us? Just a few days prior to October 2023 General Conference weekend, President Nelson announced he wouldn’t be joining us in the Conference Center due to an injury he received from a fall just a few days after his 99th birthday. He was going to try to record something for us but no guarantees. I held my breath the whole weekend! And then he spoke, and it wasn’t just a short talk. It was beautiful despite the pain he must have endured to give it. So grateful!

Questions to Ponder

What has already changed because you are choosing to think celestial?
What reminds you to think celestial when you are in the midst of the craziness of life (try to cite a specific example like getting out of a school parking lot with all your kids talking a mile a minute in the back)? What helps you to keep choosing celestial thoughts?
Why is it important to remember that it’s our choice where we live in the eternities, the type of body we will have, and the people we live with?
What other truths did you discover in this talk?
How does thinking celestial put Christ first? What does it look like to put Christ first in our lives?
What we do in this mortal life really matters. How can that give us hope?
How does thinking celestial help us treasure repentance?
President Nelson warns us to be prepared. How can thinking celestial prepare us for what’s ahead?
What are some things that help you think celestial? Habits, people, activities, etc.
It’s easy to forget about our end goal. How does remembering the plan change the way we do things, change the way we choose?
What are some things that can rob us of our agency? How can we lovingly help one another get out of these situations?
In what ways does the temple help us think celestial?
What do you learn about Jesus Christ because of this talk?
What are some scripture stories that show the benefit of thinking celestial? What application principles can we learn from them?
How does thinking celestial effect our family relationships?

Discussion Ideas

Read the scripture that “Think Celestial” comes from, 2 Nephi 9:39, where it says, “Remember, to be carnally-minded is death, and to be spiritually-minded is life eternal” then do a brain bubble. You can do this all together or break into groups. Take one of the scenarios President Nelson suggests and go about it both ways. What’s the biggest difference between the two ways? For me, when you think celestial, there’s hope! Hope because of Jesus Christ. Here’s a quote from his talk that lists some examples you could use:
- “When you are confronted with a dilemma, think celestial! When tested by temptation, think celestial! When life or loved ones let you down, think celestial! When someone dies prematurely, think celestial. When someone lingers with a devastating illness, think celestial. When the pressures of life crowd in upon you, think celestial! As you recover from an accident or injury, as I am doing now, think celestial!” How can thinking celestial be a benefit in those situations? How does it change you?
One of the main points that President Nelson has been reminding us of for years is to remember to begin with the end in mind. Where do we actually want to end up? He said it in his first talk as President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and has said it several times since including this talk- hence “Think Celestial.” Now that we know where we want to go, what cairns can help guide us on our journey? They can be people (like the Bishop or Relief Society President) or habits we have instilled in our lives (praying, reading the scriptures, etc.) as well as bigger moments in our lives like attending the temple for the first time, being sealed, etc. Why are these cairns important in your life? When we veer off the path, how can we find these markers and get back on? How do we know which cairns to trust? Note: Cairns are a big part of the 2023 youth theme- it’s those rocks stacked up on top of each other to mark the trail. The youth theme comes from Philippians 4:13 which you could also tie in here. One way to do it is to build your own cairn in class. Give a rock to a few people, and ask them one way they are thinking celestial or a way they can tell they are still on the covenant path. Then ask them to place the stone on the table and build it up (be careful!). You’ll want stones of various sizes and to try stacking them before class.
One of the great things about thinking celestial is that you don’t have to wait for the blessings. As you choose to be spiritually minded, you bring blessings into your life now including joy. It’s like making cookies! You can enjoy some of the dough and eat a cookie too. President Nelson stated, “Here is the great news of God’s plan: the very things that will make your mortal life the best it can be are exactly the same things that will make your life throughout all eternity the best it can be!” Happiness now and happiness later- that’s a no brainer! So what stops us from doing so? How can we get out of our bad habits and choose to think celestial instead? What obstacles do we put in our way or might distract us from our true goal? Stop choosing lesser things. Go for the gold- it’s attainable and you can do it! How can expecting opposition to come help us stand firm in choosing celestial thinking?
Put your shopping list on the board or ask people what’s on theirs this week. Then ask your class how our prayers can be like this. Obviously, this is not what we want! Why? What do we want our prayers to be like? How have you transformed your prayers into “living discussions” through the years? What has helped you most? What does a meaningful prayer look like to you? What’s one small way you can improve your prayers today?
Write THINK CELESTIAL nice and big on the board then as people come in invite them to write on the board what else that phrase makes them think of. For example, they could write: temple, love, forever, family, etc. You can have them write directly on the board or pass out sticky notes for people to write their answer on then stick it to the board. Quickly scan the answers and see if there are some similar ones that stick out. Read a few to the class and invite them to expand on their thought process.
What’s a personal story you can share that might help your class better understand this concept? Is there someone else in your class that you could invite ahead of time to share their story? What are some of the ones President Nelson shared?

P.S. Did you hear the announcement of the Colorado Springs, Colorado temple? We’re pretty thrilled to get one in our town! 20 more temples- just amazing!