Teaching a Lesson to an Audience of Another Language/Culture/Country: A Comparison
During my "tenure" as a R.S. teacher I became slightly well-known for a silly reminder that went something like this, "These lessons are supposed to be discussion-based, which means there should actually be (pause, pointed look) discussion. Questions are not rhetorical unless otherwise noted." Beginning each lesson this way seemed to help break the ice and add a little humor, while gently reminding the sisters that their involvement in the lesson was wanted. One of the things about the Almaty branch and this culture, is people aren't afraid to speak up, so no reminder was necessary. It takes just a moment after the first question for one, two, then three and more voices to perk up and give a comment, and subsequent questions are followed by even shorter pauses before discussion. As I mentioned before, no preparatory reminder was needed, but I'll be honest-- when starting the lesson I felt a little like a deer staring wide-eyed at oncoming headlights--I didn't know how to begin!
My past lesson preparations have always been a little... scattered. My method for lesson preparation normally consists of a lot of reading with a vague outline. When your lesson is going to be translated, there's no point in saying things twice if you don't have to, so I had to make more specific preparations than normal. I went through and prepared a few questions, found and numbered the answers to those questions in the body of the talk, then went to the talk in its Russian format and highlighted and numbered the corresponding sections. It was good to "need" more structured preparations as it required me to be a little more on top of things.
The presentation of the lesson went a little like this:
- When I asked a question, Svyeta translated what I said.
- Sisters would comment and Svyeta translated what they said.
- I may make a comment or two, which Svyeta would again translate, and then I would have Svyeta read the section of the talk that corresponded to the next point I wanted to address. (By not reading the sections in English and then reading it in Russian, we saved a lot of time.)
The Lesson
The Liahona takes a little while to travel across the world, so our lesson was based on Elder Quentin L. Cook's talk entitled "Hope Ya Know, We Had a Hard Time," from the fall session of Conference.
What are some trials we face in life?
"The challenges we face today are in their own way comparable to challenges of the past. The recent economic crisis has caused significant concern throughout the world. Employment and financial problems are not unusual. Many people have physical and mental health challenges. Others deal with marital problems or wayward children. Some have lost loved ones. Addictions and inappropriate or harmful propensities cause heartache. Whatever the source of the trials, they cause significant pain and suffering for individuals and those who love them."Who has trials?
"...many of the trials and hardships we encounter in life are severe and appear to have lasting consequences. Each of us will experience some of these during the vicissitudes of life.
"The novel A Tale of Two Cities opens with the oft-quoted line “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.” The scriptures make it clear that each generation has its own version of best and worst of times. We are all subject to the conflict between good and evil and the contrast between light and dark, hope and despair. As Elder Neal A. Maxwell explained, “The sharp, side-by-side contrast of the sweet and the bitter is essential until the very end of this brief, mortal experience.” We know from our doctrine that good will overcome evil, and those who repent and are sanctified shall be given eternal life."Why do we have trials?
"One of the essential doctrines illuminated by the Restoration is that there must be opposition in all things for righteousness to be brought to pass. This life is not always easy, nor was it meant to be; it is a time of testing and proving. As we read in Abraham, “And we will prove them herewith, to see if they will do all things whatsoever the Lord their God shall command them.” "How should we face our trials?
I actually summarized the example he used of two LDS pioneer women, but here they are as quoted in Elder Cook's talk:
"Sister Whitney recorded her expectations upon leaving Nauvoo: “I will pack away all my little ribbons, collars and laces, etc., for we are going where we cannot purchase them. We are going out from the world to live beyond the Rocky Mountains where none others will wish to go. There will be neither rich nor poor among us, and we will have none but the honest and virtuous.” Sister Whitney’s words resonate with an idealistic optimism.Obviously these sisters faced their trials differently. Was one better than the other? No. While they faced their trials with different attitudes (one optimistic, the other uncertain), they both had faith and continued through their trials with faith.
"Despite Sister Whitney’s optimism, her first three children died at or near birth—two of them during her extended exodus from Nauvoo to Salt Lake. Sister Whitney has blessed us with her writings in defense of our faith and was the mother of the Apostle Orson F. Whitney.
"Sister Bathsheba Smith’s recorded feelings are also full of faith but evidence some trepidation. She had seen the mobs arrayed against the Saints in Missouri and was present at the death of the Apostle David W. Patten.
"Recalling the evacuation of Nauvoo, she wrote: “My last act in that precious spot was to tidy the rooms, sweep up the floor and set the broom in its accustomed place behind the door. Then with emotions in my heart I gently closed the door and faced an unknown future, faced it with faith in God and with no less assurance of the ultimate establishment of the Gospel in the West and of its true enduring principles, than I had felt in those trying scenes in Missouri.”
"Sister Smith recorded the poverty, sickness, and privation that the Saints suffered as they made their way west. In March of 1847 her mother passed away, and the next month her second son, John, was born. Her record of that is brief: “He was my last child, and [he] lived only four hours.” Later in her life she was the matron of the Salt Lake Temple and the fourth general president of the Relief Society."
"Both of these LDS pioneer women remained strong in the gospel throughout their lives and provided wonderful service in building Zion, but they faced many additional trials and hardships, which they both faithfully endured."How can we face our trials with hope and faith?
"We know from the scriptures that some trials are for our good and are suited for our own personal development... Regardless of the challenges, trials, and hardships we endure, the reassuring doctrine of the Atonement wrought by Jesus Christ includes Alma’s teaching that the Savior would take upon Him our infirmities and “succor his people according to their infirmities.” "We can find hope as we remember that our trials are for our good and that the Savior can draw us closer to Him in these times of difficulty and spiritual need.
"Regardless of our trials, with the abundance we have today, we would be ungrateful if we did not appreciate our blessings. Despite the obvious nature of the hardships the pioneers were experiencing, President Brigham Young talked about the significance of gratitude. He stated, “I do not know of any, excepting the unpardonable sin, that is greater than the sin of ingratitude.” "We must remember in spite of hardships that we are greatly blessed (and focusing on blessings can help ease the weight of burdens).
The last point of the lesson drew on the experience and testimony of an Ellen Yates from Grantsville, Utah. Her story is in Elder Cook's talk, but in brief, her husband died in a car accident on the way to work some 10 years ago. His best friend happened to be acquainted with the family of the young man who was responsible for the accident (and also died) and arranged a meeting between the grieving spouse and parents:
"When Brother and Sister Willmore arrived, they expressed their great sorrow that their son was responsible for Leon’s death and presented her with a picture of the Savior holding a little girl in His arms. Sister Yates says, “When times become too hard to bear, I look at this picture and remember that Christ knows me personally. He knows my loneliness and my trials.” One scripture that comforts Sister Yates is “Wherefore, be of good cheer, and do not fear, for I the Lord am with you, and will stand by you.”There are times when our burdens may seem overwhelming but our Heavenly Father will never require us to take on more than we are able. If we will turn to him he will strengthen us and although our trials and their consequences may persist we will have the strength of the Lord with us and we will be able to endure with faith, hope, and love.
"[...] Sister Yates concludes, “Through this trial, I have felt the love of my Father in Heaven and my Savior in greater abundance than I had ever felt before.” She testifies that “there is no grief, no pain, no sickness so great that the Atonement of Christ and the love of Christ cannot heal.” "
I have a firm testimony that our Heavenly Father knows us individually and cares for each of us. We will each be called upon to bear trials and burdens which we likely can't yet imagine, but I am certain that He can be with us through those tough times and help us carry those burdens. He will never leave us comfortless.
