Do's and Don'ts of Teaching in Church

Since the time I've graduated high school, every calling I've had has dealt with teaching in some way.

First, I was a Primary teacher for the summer in my home ward. I taught the 8-turning-9-year-old's, and I really enjoyed it. I team-taught with my old Young Men's leader. It was a new experience for me, trying to adjust teaching to younger kids. I miss my class, and love it when I still see them now. They'll be Deacons and Beehives this year!

Next, I was called to be an instructor in Elders Quorum in my Young Single Adult ward. I was pretty scared at first, but over time I came to enjoy it as well. I learned a lot and really established my "base line"for how I teach.

The next year, I was a Gospel Doctrine teacher. I still remember the day when I met with my Bishop and he extended the call. That calling, especially teaching the Old Testament, was "the one calling I never wanted." When he first said it, it took all I had to not laugh in his face. I never wanted to teach Gospel Doctrine, and I told him that. But I accepted. Honestly, once I started teaching, I didn't know what I was afraid of. Over time, I started looking forward to teaching.

This year, I'm a ward missionary, and with that comes teaching Gospel Principles every so often. Just can't get away from teaching, I guess. It's a good thing I love teaching, now.

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Over time, I learned quite a bit of what you should and shouldn't do as a teacher. After church today, I felt inspired to share what I know after listening to a talk (which was a good one, for the most part) that had a few of the "Don'ts" listed below. I'm not sharing these lists because I want to brag about all my cool teaching moments- that's not my intention. I share this because I want what I've learned to help you.

Don't...

Tell the story of how you got your topic. We all have been called by a member of the Bishopric, we assume that you got a phone call as well.

Give excuses about your lack of prep. "I only had a day to prepare this" is not a good way to start your lesson or talk. It's an invitation for those hearing your talk to pull out their phones, take a quick nap, or do anything but pay attention to you. If you're not as prepared as you'd like to be, they don't have to know. Be confident- fake it 'til ya make it.

Keep mentioning the time/stuff you won't have time for. "I only have ten minutes, so..." or "I have four more topics I want to cover, but I won't be able to." Once again, you don't need to let them know your entire outline.

Be afraid to go off the outline. If the lesson goes one way, go with it. Most of the time, it's the Spirit guiding your lesson in the direction it should go. You could be an answer to someone's prayer. So listen!

Ask no-brainer questions. Make sure questions are deep enough. Simple yes/no questions aren't the best if you're trying to get interaction.

Be afraid of awkward silences. Embrace it. Someone will speak up eventually! One time after I taught a lesson, a member of the Bishopric came up to me and said, "That was a great lesson! But you need to give more time for your class to answer. Don't be afraid to just let it be silent."

Look away from someone while they're talking. If you're using the time people are talking to prepare for the portion or something like that, you're doing it wrong. People like to know their comments are appreciated. So, make sure you are listening to the comment being made.

Do...

Testify. One of the most important moments in my time as a teacher in the Church have been those moments when I can testify of eternal truths. One time, my uncle and cousin came to my Gospel Doctrine class because they were in town. At the end of the lesson, they said they were impressed that I "was able to testify at important times during the lesson, and thus making an easy transition for other members in the class to comment and testify." Testifying more than once should be your goal for the lesson.

Take your calling seriously. In Teaching, No Greater Call (which everyone should look at, by the way), a resource for teachers from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, it says: "As you think of the role of gospel teaching in the salvation and exaltation of God's children, can you imagine a duty more noble or sacred?" Not to scare you, but teaching is a pretty big responsibility. So take it seriously.

Make it a discussion rather than a lecture. Unless you're speaking in Sacrament Meeting. Otherwise, leading a discussion helps the class to interact, give to the lesson, and make the lesson better than anything just the teacher could contribute. My favorite lessons have been ones when people comment and contribute immensely- not because I don't want to talk as much (because I can talk forever), but because I love hearing examples that one person has that others might not have.

If you teach Elders Quorum or Relief Society, check out the teaching helps at the end of each lesson in the Teachings of the Presidents books. They're really cool. And I've used them.

Pray for the Spirit. I would be sorely mistaken if I thought that I could get through an entire lesson without the Spirit- at least a lesson where hearts are touched. The Spirit knows exactly which way the conversation should go, so pray hard that He can be there when you teach. Your lesson can go so much better.

Invite the Spirit. This relates to the last point. Sometimes in Sunday School we didn't sing an opening song, but I loved having one, because it really set the spiritual mood. Invite your class to be open to the Spirit, because what they get out of the lesson/talk is entirely up to them.

Enjoy your calling. If teaching is scary, find a way around that. Gospel Doctrine Teacher was "that one calling I never want." I laughed a little when my Bishop extended the call to me, but honestly, it turned into one of my favorite callings, ever. Just like everything else in life, if you aren't enjoying it, change something.

Keep running.

Post-Mish & Pre-Logan

Wow. It's still weird to me that my mish is over. In fact, a month ago today, I was released.

July 15, 2014- Day I was set apart

July 19, 2015- Day [after] I was released

I loved the time I served. Absolutely loved it. And if I had the chance, I'd go back and do it all over again! I learned so much about the gospel, about myself, and about life. Here's an update of what I've been up to in the last month:

• I got a job. I'm an "Office Assistant" at Precision Development. I scan, file, clean, do odd-job tasks, and advertising. I'm the one that's been posting on social media lately! Huzzah. And yes, this is a job I got from my dad. It still counts. It's a legit job. Someone asked me yesterday if I got paid "under the table", and the answer is no. I'm on payroll, I get taxes taken out. (booo)

• I still love photography. Oh, guess what? I bought a new phone. My old S4 has a majorly cracked screen, and I found one for $20. Well, the $20 phone sucked. It did it's job, but I hated the picture quality. So, I spent $120 and bought a new S4 off of eBay. It's worth it to me, because it's basically like buying a new camera as well. And I love having a phone with a nice camera again. Here's some of my cool pictures.

• I'm still working on my Book of Mormon reading. Can I tell you how IMPORTANT it is to read the Book of Mormon every single day!? This book is many things: it is another testament of Jesus Christ, a great teacher for us, and most importantly-- truth. I love this book so much and I just want to share it with the world. Every time I reread it, I find new lessons and truths all the time. It's almost like God put something in there that wasn't there before. But that's the joy of it-- I learn something new every time I read. I've recently discovered a new way to study the Book of Mormon, and I love it. I've learned so much. I won't give you the details today- it deserves it's own special post. I will tell you this, though- it's really helped me focus more than I ever have on this blessed book.

• Prepping for Logan. I told you I'm moving to Logan, right? Well, yeah, that's next week. Time flies. I seriously am really excited. I'm so excited to move, but I am going to miss the heck out of my family and home. I've never lived more than 10 minutes away from my parents, so it'll be an adjustment. But that's life, right? Learning, growing, and experiences that teach us how to become like God. I'm jumping right into my major, I'm going to live in the most social apartment complex on campus (at least what I've been told), and I'll be in LOGAN. I mean, come on... Logan. I've been applying for jobs like a mad-man and hope to at least get something. I'll sure need it- I just paid the rest of my tuition last week. :/ [PS.... the greatest gift of moving to Logan is that the temple is a minute drive from where I live.]

• I've still been able to keep on my goal of attending the temple at least once a week. I cannot tell you how much I miss going four/five days a week, but one day is still really amazing. I love the blessings that come from the temple, and I know that we are blessed when we give service. Temples exist on the earth for a reason. Utilize it.

• RUNNING! Half marathon here I come. It's so great to get back into shape again. And health update: I've truly felt the best I have in months. I feel like the "same old Erik" again. Aah I love it. And as you can see from the picture above, my hair's grown in quite nicely. I still haven't cut it since chemo.

I have been so busy since my mission ended. Seriously, I get up, run, go to work, come home, play with the nephews, eat dinner, play with the nephews some more, read, go to bed, and repeat. But it's been a blessing. During my temple mish, I had no idea how slow/fast/busy/not busy the month between mish and school was going to be. But I'm grateful that I've stayed busy, made some money, and even went on a date. ;)

Once again, I'll testify to you that Heavenly Father loves us. I know that He knows me; He knows my strengths, my weaknesses, what I need to become, what I need to learn and grow. I am beyond grateful that He is involved in my life every single day. Not a day goes by where I don't notice God's hand in my life. If you look hard enough, I promise you that you'll see it, too.

Life is not all easy, but it is good. It's good with God.

Keep running.

The Cafeteria

What I learned from

... working in the Cafeteria

This is another part of a fun installment I decided to do. Because I worked for a year in the St George Utah Temple, I got to experience a lot. Some of the experiences I had are sacred, and I keep those experiences to myself. I've also had really fun, enjoyable experiences in the temple. I would serve every day for the rest of my life if I could- and if I lived closer to a temple. The history of Temple Cafeterias is kind of interesting. At least for St George, it used to cover a much larger area than it does now. Sometimes people would have to travel long distances to attend temples. As they did so, the temple provided a cafeteria so that patrons wouldn't have to go hungry or go without food. In that sense, it's really kind of humbling, isn't it? Today, the goal of the temple cafeteria is to make enough so that it can sustain itself. We aren't looking for profit. We're just trying to serve and provide a home-y meal. Because of the larger economy and that there are so many restaurants out there now, the newer temples don't have a need for cafeterias, because frankly- they're fine without it. And that's okay. If you're in Utah, the Monticello, Vernal, Brigham City, Oquirrh Mountain, Draper, and Payson Temples do not have a cafeteria for you to eat at.

I'll say it right off: THE FOOD THERE IS SO GOOD! 99% of the food there is homemade. Most of the workers there are volunteers. If you haven't gone there to eat, you seriously need to go try it now.

All of the soda is Caffeine-Free. I found that funny when I first started.

We have daily devotionals. Also known as prayer meeting. Such a good start to "work".

We bless the food. In prayer meeting, one of the things we make sure to pray for is a blessing on the food. Seriously, where else have you eaten that the workers all meet together and pray for the food?

The head chef, Joe, lives in Cedar. Need I say more? ;) [Go Cedar.]

Everyone there wants to be there. As I said above, most workers in the cafeteria are volunteers. They don't get paid. And everyone who is there truly wants to be there. There isn't the stigma of "I'm just working here so I can get paid- but I hate my job." And it's beautiful.

Sometimes you get free food. Technically, we're allowed to have a bowl of soup and a piece of bread free-of-charge. But sometimes you get a little sample of foods. DO YOU UNDERSTAND WHY I'M TELLING YOU TO EAT THERE, IT'S SOOOO GOOD.

Sometimes a lady you work with brings stuff to make cool desserts. Ckaz is so cool. She brought stuff to make Lava Cake once, and then stuff to make Trifle on my last day in the cafeteria. Request the Wednesday 8am-12pm shift. ;)

They give good portions. The server will make sure and give you a good amount. No skimpy plates here.

The food is moderately priced. Yeah, you've got your entrees that are usually $7-$8, but those come with sides as well. You can also get just a side, a bowl of soup, a sandwich, dessert, bread, salad bar, etc. And you can grab it yourself. The only thing you'll be served is the entree if you choose that.

Don't get a carton of milk. The batch we've had lately tastes a little sour before the expiration date. I'm not telling you to not get something, but maybe re-examine this issue in a few months.

Look at the napkin holders. Out in the seating area, all the napkin holders have a quote or scripture on one side, and a picture of a temple on the other. Different temples on each one.

If you're working there: Don't forget that you're serving in the temple. You may not be completing temple ordinances, but you are still in the House of the Lord. Your service helps those who come to the Cafeteria to eat. It is such a GREAT place to serve.

You should work in the temple. I recommend to everyone (that can) to work in the temple sometime in their life. You might work as a greeter, staff at the Family File Desk, recommend desk, Baptistry worker, Cafeteria worker, Grounds Worker, Ordinance Worker.

If you don't work at the temple... then be a patron. That's a GREAT way to serve! Doing the temple work itself. You are blessing others, and providing a reason to receive blessings for yourself by serving in the temple!

Keep running.

Two Days, People

After a six-month hiatus from my missionary service at the St George Utah Temple​ (with the exception of about three Fridays in January), I am excited to announce that I am resuming my mission on THURSDAY! Two days, people.

I'll continue on until the end of my mission in mid-July. It's been a long six months, but I've learned a lot and have never felt the missionary service stop- just come about in different ways. I know that my experiences in the last ten months as a service missionary have not happened by accident. The Church is true, God is good, and the gospel is amazing! Thanks for praying, fasting, hoping, believing in my behalf. See you at the temple... come often!!!

PS- Hallelujah, my hair is growing back!

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Some cool pictures I took last week at the Oquirrh Mountain Utah Temple in South Jordan, Utah.

Keep running!

I Wish I Could Tell You That It's Easy

April 13th, 2015 will go down in history as the last day of chemo- EVER. If you didn't see the joyous celebration, check out the video on my Facebook or Instagram feed. I rang the bell. I'm done. What a great feeling!  The day after my treatment, I was administered a shot designed to help boost white blood cells, typically given 24 hours after a chemo treatment. WBCs are what help with your immunity, fight off sicknesses, and allow me back into society. I had never gotten this shot before, so I wasn't exactly sure what to expect. The doctors explained that I'd feel achy in my joints because my bone marrow is going to town making these white blood cells. Suggested aid: Claritin. Take night before chemo treatment, day of treatment, and for a few days after.

I wish that I could tell you that it was all smooth sailing. I wish I could tell you that life was just joyful that week because my white blood cells were happily multiplying inside my body. Well, I'd be wrong to tell you that. I spent 90% of Thursday and Friday on the couch. I felt like crap. No question, it was the hardest week of treatment. What I felt can be compared to that feeling of taking a nap but wake up feeling achy and much worse off. (On the bright side, my nausea level was about a 3 out of 10) I assume that because my body went on a WBC spree, I'll bounce back to 100% faster than normal. I'll take the week of crap in order to feel better one week sooner.

We see all the time on social media the phenomenon of peoples' lives seeming so glorious and perfect, when in reality, no one's life is that perfect. Sorry, that's just the way it is. I have tried to treat my cancer journey the same way, especially with what I post. It's great to post that I'm feeling great, and it's fun to post all the good things that come out of this experience, but let me be frank with you: It's not all easy.

There have been many times where I get mad because I don't want to be the sick kid. I don't want a reason for people to do things like bring us meals or get me a nice gift card. I don't want to spend the day just watching Netflix because that's all I really feel up to. I remember the day where I had the biggest kick-in-the-stomach-and-crotch-at-the-same-time feeling; I sat in the library and unregistered for the following semester because of an upcoming surgery during Christmas break, and I would be out of commission for a while.

There have been times where I questioned. I questioned why things were happening. I questioned why I was still falling into the same bad habits. I questioned why someone my young age had to deal with something so big.

I consider myself happy and optimistic. I consider myself the person that always knows how to have a good time. Guys, I voted myself "Life of the Party" for Senior Favorites [I didn't get it, in case you were wondering]. It's not always easy. Not at all. But can I tell you the secret to my good life? The gospel and atonement of Jesus Christ in my life.

I want to shout it to the world how much I love the gospel of Jesus Christ. It is not just "something cool" that will suffice for a good thought of the day. It's a way of life, it's a way of happiness, and a way back home to our Heavenly Father. I know you've "heard it all before," but hear me out. I have quite the list of reasons to hate my life, yet I don't. My reason is my Savior.

Looking for the knowledge of why we have trials can be found in many places, but I'd like to share one with you today. Elder David A. Bednar, one of the current leaders on the earth of this Church, gave such an excellent talk on this subject. Read the first story from his talk here, or check out the video below (or through this link).

"Two guiding questions can be helpful as we periodically and prayerfully assess our load: “Is the load I am carrying producing the spiritual traction that will enable me to press forward with faith in Christ on the strait and narrow path and avoid getting stuck? Is the load I am carrying creating sufficient spiritual traction so I ultimately can return home to Heavenly Father?”Sometimes we mistakenly may believe that happiness is the absence of a load. But bearing a load is a necessary and essential part of the plan of happiness."

Cancer has been a part of my load. It is heavy and I hate it. But it has helped me lead a better life, be more grateful for the life I have, and treasure all my relationships that much more. If my load is what Heavenly Father sees as a way for me to grow, then bring it on. Again, I'll tell you: I wish I could tell you that it's easy. It's not. But it is worth it. So worth it, in fact, that our elder brother, Jesus Christ, paid the price for our sins, downfalls, injustices, and weaknesses so that we could come to this earth, gain a physical body, learn and grow, and return to our Heavenly Father again.

Because of my load, and because I've pushed through the uneasy, I have gained so much. I have a greater relationship with our Savior, Jesus Christ. I have a deeper understanding of His sacrifice on our behalf. I have a greater understanding for people. I have a deeper knowledge of the plan of salvation. If we are righteous, this life is the hardest it will get. Temples are really the House of the Lord. Good days come. God does heal. The sun will come out tomorrow, if not today- bet your bottom dollar on it. Had I not gone through cancer, I never would have met most of my friends, I wouldn't be in the exact spot I am today, I wouldn't already have my Associate's degree, and I might be headed down a career path.

[If you don't take anything away from your reading here, take this: Life isn't easy, but God is good. He is there to help you through the hard times so that we can rise above our weaknesses, trials, deficiencies, hardships, addictions, and pain.]

I'm ready to work my hardest to become the person that my Father in Heaven wanted and my Savior suffered for. Are you?

Keep running.

Social Media

I'm a service missionary.

But that's nothing new to you; well, 99% of you. I started serving as a Church-Service Missionary for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I was set apart in July of this year, and soon started my service at the temple.

It's been four months since that time. Four months, almost to the day, that I have been set-apart as a service missionary- July 15th. A service mission is a little different from the two-year and eighteen-month missions you hear about for men and women, respectively. The process of my mission started with my Bishop. From there, I met with my Stake President. My Stake President was ultimately in charge of my mission call, deciding and working out where I'd serve; a full-time mission call comes from Church Headquarters, assigned by inspiration from one of "the Brethren" (A member of the First Presidency or Quorum of the Twelve Apostles), who receive that inspiration from our Heavenly Father and Savior, Jesus Christ.
**And just for the record, my call is no less than a mission. It is inspired as well. My mission may be a little different, but it's still service.**

While preparing for my mission, I met with my stake president a number of times. One of those visits, we discussed that we'd like to make my mission as much of a "mission" as possible; in association with dating, movies, music, television, etc.

At first, I was hard on myself. I wanted to be a missionary, I wanted to serve, and I thought being pretty strict on my association with media would help me like I'd hope. It took me less than a week to realize how much of a challenge that was; working at the temple half-days, living at home with my family, and being in a YSA ward. With help from my parents, and from my Stake President, I have defined some rules for myself to be a missionary and to not drive myself crazy.

I put out my last post on both Twitter and Instagram, and decided I'd still be on Facebook, and post uplifting things. I came up with a system: my nephew, Camden, is three-years-old. If he could watch a certain movie, I could too. So in essence, wiped out the possibility of watching those "grown-up" movies and TV shows. I stand by the "Camden-appropriate" method. It was a good idea for a missionary wanting to live the best way, without being a full-time missionary in a new area, being with a companion and strictly focusing on the gospel- which is nowhere near a bad thing!

I've finally come to terms. I can't be a missionary like we always think of. And that's okay. There's nothing wrong with that. I'm not being disobedient and I'm really grateful that lately, I've been able to rely on the Spirit, and see the guidance from our Heavenly Father. My mission is specifically designed for me, and I feel like a big part of the missionary work I've done in my lifetime has been through social media- mainly this blog and Facebook.

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I was blog-hopping one day; I found a friend's sister's friend's blog. I don't know the writer of this blog, but I bookmarked the post because I found it perfectly in line with my thoughts today. The link can be found here.

My intentions were to stay off of Twitter and Instagram. You wouldn't see any posts from me for a year, the duration of my mission. I'd just get on Facebook to post uplifting things. But I'll admit, that's where I've fallen short. I browse my News Feed. I try to limit myself on Facebook. It's something I'm working on. I've been thinking about getting back on Instagram again for a while- with the same intentions as Facebook- post good things and don't stay on very long. While the big challenge is to limit my time, I finally decided improve my social media exposure- not to browse those sites, but to share goodness, using the internet for good while staying away from the bad. (Read something cool about sharing goodness here)

One reason I decided to start sharing goodness was because of the recent
news of my cancer treatments, I thought it would be good to express the
good I've found from the treatments. But that was not my main purpose.

There is a lot of bad out there. But there is also a lot of good. Satan wins that much more every time someone decides not to act for good. I am fighting against the adversary; I am fighting for the Lord; I am sharing goodness.

Join with me to share the good you see around you. If you are not religious, share something of good, with the intent to make the world a better place. It doesn't have to be with social media, it can be with anything. Do a service for someone. Improve a life. Maybe even your own.

As always,

#keeprunning

#sharegoodness

Hey! Guess What?

So guess what? I'm a missionary. Yup, it happened. For those of you who are uninformed, or just want to hear the whole story, here's how it went down.

Back in the spring, I knew that I wanted to serve a service mission. What exactly is that? Well, in simplest terms, part-time glorified volunteered work. I started the process with my Young Single Adult (YSA) ward Bishop and Stake President. With a service mission, you basically get to choose in which capacity you serve.

After months of meeting with my Bishop and Stake President, who deserve a HUGE thank you, everything had been set. I found out a week from last Sunday, July 6th. I am to be a temple worker in the St. George temple!

I will be down there 5 days a week- every day except Sunday and Tuesday, which is my Preparation day. I will be doing something different each day, which includes working in the cafeteria, grounds, baptistry, and being a patron for the "upstairs" ordinances. Once I am more familiar with those ordinances, I can eventually have the opportunity to be an official ordinance worker.

YAHOOO!!!! Right? The scariest thing about all of this is how fast is has come together. On July 6th, I had no idea when I would be called, when I would start, all of that information. I met with my Stake President that afternoon, and found out that my call would be coming in a few days in the mail, my set apart date would be the 15th, and my start date would be the 18th. I talked with my home ward Bishop to schedule a time for my farewell, which was the 13th, only a week away.

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If you did the math from that last paragraph, you realize that right now? Yes, I am officially a church service missionary. As of yesterday. As this isn't a full-time mission, my rules are a little different.

1) I will still be living at home. I am able to keep up with my health concerns if they come up, and able to maintain doctors checkups. I'll see my family everyday. Like I said- part-time gloried volunteer work. A full-time mission with a rigorous schedule might be too much for me to handle. With my mission, I am able to completely take care of my body, which is the most important thing for someone who has been through what I have, while still being able to serve! Thanks for watching out for me, Heavenly Father.

2) I will still be attending my YSA ward. I am excited to still be in the ward I have spent the last year in and be around some friends I have known and love. The only difference is this year, I won't be hanging out as often as I did last year.

3) As for dates? Nope. Friends, I can still do a little bit with. Not crazy adventures, but maybe some lunches or hikes here
and there, as long as it doesn't interfere with my call as a church service missionary and maintains an environment worthy enough for the Spirit to be in.

4) I can still watch TV and movies and go on the computer, but it is suggested that I only do those things that invite the Spirit to stay with me. So, I'm giving up "regular" music, all of the action movies, etc. I said goodbye to my Instagram and Twitter for the next year. As for Facebook, I won't be browsing my News Feed or getting on the site nearly as much. I've decided to post quotes and good things on there. And of course, links to this blog.

5) The normal missionary rights weekly to his parents and family, and any others that write him. Right now, I can tell you that I'm still working on this one. I don't know if I will send an email out, or just post once a week in that regard on this blog. Whatever I decide, I would love to still maintain this blog. It's been such a blessing for me to write down my experiences, especially to look back on in the future.

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I'm glad I am able to serve. I never thought I would serve in a capacity like this, but let me tell you, I am just downright excited. Thank you for all your kind words, support, and love you've shown me as I have gotten ready to serve this mission.

I won't really say goodbye. More like, see ya around?

I'm excited for my part-time glorified volunteer work! That's really what it is- glorified. The temple is an amazing place to serve. Stop by sometime!

Keep running!