One of the best classes I attended at Symposium was "Every Page is Dynamic and Powerful: Teaching the Pearl of Great Price" by Jonathan H. Stephenson. I have posted my entire notes on Brother Gillming's website (snce they are different formats, I thought I would post them both. Dan), but I thought I would send some of these ideas directly to the email list as well, divided into the appropriate lessons! So here goes:
TEACHING IDEAS FOR EACH PAGE OF THE PEARL OF GREAT PRICE:
Brother Stephenson had teaching ideas for every single page of the book. Unfortunately he only
had time to present a few ideas!!
TITLE PAGE �
Show the students a pearl and review how pearls are created and formed.
Ask, �why are pearl considered rare and precious?�
Read together the parable in Matthew 13:45-46. Ask �what did the merchant
man do to obtain the goodly pearl?� Share favorite �pearls� of truth you
and your students remember from the Pearl of Great Price.
INTRODUCTORY PAGE �
Ask �What is in the Pearl of Great Price?� Skim through the books, reading
the chapter headings. Ask �how and when did the P of GP become a standard
work?� Have a student read 1 Nephi 13:38-40 and tell what these verses say
about what �other books� would do.
Read the story by Elder Fyans in the Nov. 82 Ensign, page 61. Testify of
the �pearl� of the P of GP � the �pearl� is Jesus Christ.
PAGE 1 � MOSES 1:1-6 � �MOSES AND HIS BOOK� �
Review the 8th Article of Faith and compare verses in the book of Moses with
Genesis. Have students write �Moses 1 - 8 replaces Genesis 1 - 6:13" at the
top of page 1.
Read Moses 1:3-6 and ask students who they think is speaking to Moses,
Heavenly Father or Jesus Christ. Teach the Doctrine of Divine Investiture
of Authority.
PAGE 2 � MOSES 1:7-18 � �MAN AND SATAN� �
Ask, �What did Moses mean when he said that man is nothing?� Invite
students to place a note on a mirror at home that says �Without God I am
nothing.�
Invite 3 students to do a dramatic reading of the confrontation between
Moses and Satan. What are some things Satan did to try and tempt Moses away
from the Lord?
PAGE 3 � MOSES 1:19-31 � �WHAT MOSES SAW�
Ask �What was Moses feeling when he saw the bitterness of hell (Moses 1:20)?
Why would the idea of hell be related to fear?� (Fear is the opposite of
faith)
What did Moses see in verses 25-29? Have students write a number that could
represent how many earths there are and a number that could represent how
many people are on those earths. Share thoughts on the glory and greatness
of God and his works.
PAGE 4 � MOSES 1:32-42 � �WHY AND BY WHAT?�
Have students find answers to Moses� question in verse 30. Look in verses
31-33, 39.
Ask �How can an understanding of why and how God does his work help us
assist in his work?� Have students re-write Moses 1:39 substituting their
name for �my� and the name of someone that they would like to help for �man�
PAGE 18 � MOSES 6:39-53 � �A MASTER TEACHER�
Compare things taught in the missionary discussions to the things taught by Enoch in Moses 6:43-52. Perhaps have the full-time missionaries come in to
assist. Which things are similar? Which are different? Write this statement on the board and ask students to complete the phrase
using ideas in Moses 6:48-50, 55-56. �Because of the Fall, _____________________.� Read quote from Pres. Benson in May 1987 Ensign, page 85.
PAGE 19 � MOSES 6:54-61 � �LITTLE CHILDREN�
Use this true/false quiz to begin discussion:
PAGE 28 � ABRAHAM FACSIMILE NO. 1 � �EGYPTIAN WRITING�
Ask students what they know about Egyptian history, writing, or religion
that may relate to the Facsimile. How does the person of Abraham relate to
the three facsimiles?
Invite students to read the explanations and write a story about what is
portrayed. Have the class suggest a title for Facsimile No. 1.
PAGE 29 � ABRAHAM 1:1-7 � �FATHER�S BLESSINGS�
Write a simple sentence on the board and ask a student to translate it into
a foreign language. Then draw a picture on the board and ask another
student how to translate it. Explain to the class that the Book of Abraham
was written in Egyptian picture-type language.
Compare what you are seeking in life to what Abraham was seeking. Quote
Pres. Kimball in the Ensign June 1975, page 7.
PAGE 31 � ABRAHAM 1:20-31 � �THE PRIESTHOOD�
Have a student study Abraham 1:20-27 and present an argument that represents
Pharaoh�s claim to the priesthood. Have another student study Abraham
1:3-4, 20-31 and present an argument that represent Abraham�s claim to the
priesthood.
Ask students what they think of the Pharaoh described in Abraham 1:26. What
blessings did he receive or not receive, and why?
PAGE 35 � ABRAHAM 3:10-23 � �STARS AND SPIRITS�
Try to teach the ENTIRE chapter! Ask, �Who likes to star-gaze?� If you are
teaching on a clear night, take students outside to look at the stars. Name
the brightest stars after your students. List things Abraham learned about
the stars in the heavens.
List things Abraham learned about the Lord. List the things he learned about
the pre-mortal spirits of Heavenly Father. Compare the two lists. Testify
that what is true of the stars in also true of the pre-mortal spirits,
including your students.
PAGE 36-37 � FACSIMILE NO. 2 � �KOLOB�
Read and/or sing Hymn #284, �If You Could Hie to Kolob�. Ask students to
find and explain ways in which Kolob is a symbol for Jesus Christ (Abraham
3:2-9, 16-17, and explanations of figures 1, 2, and 5)
Tell students what a �hypocephalus� is. (It�s a round disk that was place
at the back of a dead person�s head before he/she was mummified. It was
engraved with instructions needed to get into heaven.) Make a transparency
of Facsimile No. 2. Use explanations and other commentary to help students
understand and think about figures 1-8.
Penny