WW Devo for YA Help

[Angel]

Long story short - mixed faith marriage, kids in the church, I am supposed to 'help' them study for their upcoming lesson from:

https://www.lds.org/study/broadcasts/wo ... l?lang=eng

I would like to send them the *full* lesson, and was hoping you could help me with relevant links etc.

• First Vision

** will talk through actual accounts of first vision, I agree with principles of prayer (but they should not be rooted in false stories). I believe direction comes from multiple sources - not just emotions or the spirit - that most direction comes through study, experience, and thought.

• If you are presently struggling with the residual effects of any kind of addiction or of major unrepented sin, I urge you to unburden yourself by talking with your bishop—today. He holds priesthood keys that can help you.

I would prefer my kids NOT talk to an untrained bishop...

• My question tonight to every one of you between the ages of 12 and 18 is this: Would you like to be a big part of the greatest challenge, the greatest cause, and the greatest work on earth today?

Are there any good examples where people like Hitler used similar techniques to recruit youth?

• I testify that the gathering is now, and it is real. In the year I was born, the total membership of the Church was less than 600,000 people, with no members in South America. Today there are more than 16 million members worldwide, with nearly 3 million members in South America.

Fact Check?

• “Are you willing to enlist in the youth battalion of the Lord to help gather Israel?”

A discussion around - do you think God loves some people more than others? Are there some people who are 'special' and need to be gathered, while others are to be ignored?

• The Book of Mormon is central to the gathering of Israel.7 In fact, if there were no Book of Mormon, the promised gathering of Israel would not occur.

I would like to encourage my children to read other books of scripture.

• First, disengage from a constant reliance on social media, in order to decrease its worldly influence upon you.

in other words, don't read anything on the internet kids! I would like to teach m children correct research methodologies - to look for peer reviewed, verifiable, primary sourced material...

• My fourth invitation is for you to pray daily that all of God’s children might receive the blessings of the gospel of Jesus

I want my kids to recognize that if there is a loving God, this being is already involved and supporting everyone.

Thanks in advance for any help you can give!

[Corsair]

You are in a tough spot. I am about to be in the same spot because the youth in the Phoenix area are all invited to a youth devotional next month (Feb 11). Nelson and Oaks and their wives will be in attendance and this is the kind of rhetoric they will likely receive. This is being held in the football stadium used by the Phoenix Cardinals.

In my entirely untrained opinion based on several wild guesses, I think my strategy will simply be to have the kind of relationship with my children that will allow them to simply feel comfortable talking about what they hear. I do talk about critical thinking. I have mentioned that things that are real will stay real even after deep investigation. Things that are true will actually stay true even if you try to prove them wrong. This is how the scientific method works. I want them to understand that "falsifiable" is a good word that means that a claim of any nature is willing to be subjected to scrutiny and questioning. This is a level of humility on the limits of knowledge.

The best I can do is get a private moment to ask them what they heard and what they felt about it. Also, was there anything that seemed difficult or challenging? Were any testable, material claims made by President Nelson or Elder Oaks? Was there anything said that a devout Catholic or atheist would be uncomfortable hearing? Did their messages make these youth want to change anything about their lives?

I can't just blatantly tell them that the church might be wrong. The youth really need to have the mental and emotional tools to investigate for themselves.

[Reuben]

Was there anything said that a devout Catholic or atheist would be uncomfortable hearing?

I love this question. It encourages them to think as if they're on the outside and helps reveal weak ideas, ignorance and arrogance.