Week 1: Vision Week

On Jan 16th from 8-1 We will be going cross-country skiing and drinking hot cocoa while we discuss the book. I hope everyone will be at this vision day!

1. Read:  or listen to An Old Fashioned Girl by Alcott
2. Write: your thoughts about how this book might relate to your social system and situation
3. Write: a discussion question on the blog
4. Act: Guidepost 1 on The Gifts of Imperfection (GOI) (PDF attached for those who don't yet have the book)
    

You may be wondering why I am having you read this book.  It is a social commentary, but unlike Dickens who wrote to share what was wrong with the class system, or Stowe who helps us see the evils of the slavery system, Alcott wants us to see the problems with the teenage social system - your system.

I want our class to read this because a big part of why I mentor is to create a safe peer environment where youth can feel understood in a world and culture where morals and standards are far from ideal. I want you to be able to discern the good and not good in the common practices around you, and to associate with others who can discuss these things in a way that searches for truth and the ideal - instead of the popular and currently fashionable.

For this reason, I think it would be great to start the year with a commentary on your peer culture and how you can bless and improve it. This book is a great jumping point for that discussion. You will be amazed at how familiar the teenage social structure looks even though the book was written almost 150 years ago.

End of the Year Presentations

 Thank-you to everyone for an uplifting evening!. The presentations were edifying, many parents told me how impressed they were with your ability to share your testimonies. You are inspiring. Please remember to thank your parents for the work they put into the evening too. The decorations were beautiful, the coloring fun, the bread bowls and food were delicious and we were so blessed to use the video/sound equipment and the church.

Here is what I meant to say for when I introduced the presentations (what I actually said may have resembled it somewhat ;) )

I am glad you could all make it here tonight to watch these youth present what they have learned the last couple of months.

As you know, these youth are such a blessing to the world. They have strong testimonies and a light the touches and lifts those around them. I feel richly blessed to know them and to get to discuss these beautiful truths with them.

A lot of what we do in this class is look for evidence. We test a principle for validity as we see if it works in the lives of those we read about and in our own experience. We also read the words of great thinkers to see how they have reasoned these truths and we reason them out ourselves. We are also learning that true principles are all over nature and so nature can add another witness of their truth.

One of my favorite scriptures is in Hebrews 11:1 “Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” As we gather this evidence, our faith in Christ and His truth grows. This faith gives us the desire and power to change this world for the better.

I know these youth are witnessing that power each day in their homes. Their insights are profound. They make deep connections. One of my favorite quotes this year came from Carson when he said, “Happiness is family.” This simple truth is becoming lost in our world, but when I watch these youth working so hard to do right, I am excited to see the light they will continue to bring to these last days.

As you listen to these youth share the what they understand about happiness at this point in their lives, the Spirit may whisper something to you that you will want to improve or sacrifice in your life to grow closer to Him, it may be a good idea to write it down, test it, and see if it works in your life. At the end of class each week, I try to give the youth an opportunity to share any take home messages or ah-has they had during the discussion. Sometimes they prefer to keep those things personal and sometimes they share them with one another. After the presentations today, if anyone here has any ah-has or take home messages you’d like to share – we’ll also give you a chance to share before we close.

So, before I turn the time over to the youth, I just want to share my testimony of God’s great plan of happiness. As I have studied it more deeply the last few months, I felt the great love that our Heavenly Father has for His children in giving His perfect, obedient, loving Son as a sacrifice that we may all have the opportunity to experience a fullness of joy like His. I know that we can experience joy even now, away from our heavenly home, as we live in gratitude for Their unselfish love and as we strive to share it with others.

Here are your presentations (I accidentally didn't push "record" on Gracious' song, the end of William's thoughts, and for part of John's closing thoughts, but I think I got most everything else. I also ccidentally dropped the camera a few times during a couple of the presentations, sorry about that. They are king of in order except the first few. Gracious, if you would like to record your song and send it to me, I can add it on here).




Thanks to all of you for being who you are.

Fall - Final Week (and hike debrief and a bonus challenge)

 

I hope everyone had a happy, cold, wet, difficult hike! I hope it was an experience you can look back on and see parallels to your own life.

 Since we couldn't get a fire started, here is a picture of a fire where some "burdens" are being made "light."

 But don't worry, I will give you an opportunity to carry those burdens again on an upcoming hike, in the snow, to make them light (and warm us up!)

 Please do the following this week: 

1. Write a comment in the comment section below about something you learned on the hike. Feel free to comment on other people's comments.

2. Post your revised papers on the discussion blog and comment on some other people's papers. (At the end of the year, we will put together a yearbook that will contain, with your permission, pictures, some of your favorite quotes, your definitions of happiness, and your goals or happiness plans - so make this writing something you will want to look back on to help you move forward).

 3. Make a presentation to inspire others to seek happiness in the ways that really help it grow. You will present this to our families on Friday. I will try to film you for the blog too. This presentation should include:
A) Your testimony about happiness (how you understand it so far and why, as well as your experience with it) and
B) Something you are working on (a talent, a weakness, a goal) that grows your joy and your explanation of why it grows your joy.

4. Optional bonus challenge!!! During testimony meeting, share your testimony about God's Plan of Happiness, His Son's role, and the true nature of happiness as you understand it so far.

Answers to FAQ about presentations:
-Ideas for presentations: A memorized speech, a slide show, a video, a poster, art, poetry, a song, an object lesson, an activity, a game, or anything else that teaches others what you have come to know and experience about true happiness.
-Yes, you may combine A and B if you want to (your testimony with the talent that grows your joy). Please feel free to call me with any other questions!

 

Fall - Week 8: Due Oct. 23rd

From lds.org - A Summer with Great Aunt Rose

We won't have class this Friday, but your papers will be due that day. I will send feedback by the following Tuesday and you will be asked to comment on each others' papers by the following Friday the 30th - when we are meeting.)

1. Review this semester's readings and write a happiness plan:
For our final writing of the semester, we will be making a personal happiness plan. You can use your process paper and adapt it to yourself if you would like. Here is an example of what I mean: My Steps to Happiness. This final writing will need to include at least:

• One quote from Plutarch
• One quote from Plato OR Tolstoy
• One quote from Stevenson
• One scripture
• One quote from Maxwell, or another church leader
• What holds you back, personally, and what you plan to do about it.

This is easier than it may sound since most of you have already written your favorite quote from each of these readings. We will be using this final writing to help us with our final presentation to our families on November 6th.

2. Watch or read: A Summer with Great-Aunt Rose by Elder Uchtdorf. I am asking you to watch this, not only because of the happiness principles through the talk, but because I want you to pay attention to his method. Notice how he uses art and story to relay his message. Notice what that does for us as the hearers. You will be sharing happiness principles on the 6th in a creative way as well. People are becoming increasingly visual and guided by what "feels right and beautiful" in our culture, so it is important that we learn to share truth in a way that they can "see" through vivid stories, art, music, symbols, visual aids, etc.

3. Email me any ideas you have about what you would like to do for your presentation on November 6th:
For your presentations, I will ask you to share do two things: First, present your happiness plan in some way (speech, Prezi, song, poem, Powerpoint, skit, video, poster, craft, etc). Second, share something your are currently working on that gives you joy and share why it gives you joy (it could be a talent, or a weakness you are trying to improve).

Fall Week 7 - Biography and Scenarios Continued

We missed almost half of you in class on Friday, but since Friday's class was important in understanding the nature of happiness, I am asking for those who weren't there to do just a little make up work (it shouldn't take you longer than 15 minutes). Then you can work on next week's inspirements.  If you were in class, scroll down to "Inspirements" after the make-up work.

If you were not in class Friday:
Make up work-

Watch: In class we discussed the article Infinite in Love and conference. Some of the youth thought it would be fun to ask each other what scripture we have "Ponderized" that week in future classes. We then watched the following video that I would like you to watch at home (even if you've already seen it):



After the video, we talked about why a loving God would let these things happen and what it the refiner's fire has to do with happiness and whether we could be happy through a refiner's fire.
We talked about how sometimes videos about trials make us anxious about the trials that we will have to face some day. So we discussed what we could do so we could face the future without fear:

Write:
We had a reflection. Here is what you need to reflect on at home if you weren't in class:
a)What are some of your "selfishness triggers" -things that tend to put you in a selfish mindset (stress, overwhelm, hunger, being tired, free time being infringed on were some that were mentioned).
b)After identifying your selfishness triggers, list some principles of happiness that can help you when you notice one of these triggers is putting you in a selfish mindset.

Watch:
We then watched the following video that you can watch at home (even if you've seen it before):



We talked about how if we practice being unselfish with the triggers we have now, we will be strong and immovable when other, perhaps even bigger, trials come our way. Through anything we encounter through our lives, we can be calm, like Elder Nielson and we need not fear.


Everyone:
Inspirements:
1. If you have not yet done so, comment on 5 or more people's process papers on the discussion blog. If your final process paper is not yet on the blog - post it by Tuesday. You will be using your process paper for your final writing assignment  in a couple of weeks so be sure to get them finished!
2. Write the principles you would apply to last week's scenarios on this link on google docs (I added a couple more on the list) - we will have everyone's answers on the same page and start creating a class list of principles.
3. Read: A biography about someone who chose happiness in difficult circumstances.
4. Write: As you read, write down the principles of happiness they applied in their lives. Be prepared to share one experience from their life in which they chose real happiness over pleasure or ease and what the outcome was of that choice. It might be fun if you share it in some creative way - make a drawing of the situation, or a stick-figure cartoon (graphic summary), song, or whatever you think might be fun. This is optional, but it may make it a more interesting class time if we have some of you present the situation creatively.

Preview for next week:
If you would like to know what you need to do for our last week of class (Oct 23) before our final presentations to our families (Nov 6), here are the next week's inspirements. You don't have to complete these this week, but I am posting them so you can start thinking about them before next week and you can let me know if you have any questions. Some of you asked if we were having class the day of the "Into the Woods" performance (the 23rd). I will check with parents and see if we can move class that day to Thursday (October 22) or Friday (October 30th).

1. Review this semester's readings and write a happiness plan:
For our final writing of the semester, we will be making a personal happiness plan. You may use your extended definition paper or process paper and adapt it to yourself,  or you can write something new if that is better for you. I will post an example of this by Monday if you need one. This final writing will need to include at least:

• One quote from Plutarch
• One quote from Plato OR Tolstoy
• One quote from Stevenson
• One scripture
• One quote from Maxwell, or another church leader

 This is easier than it may sound since most of you have already written your favorite quote from each of these readings. The quotes can be put in quote boxes somewhere in your paper (as decorations to what you are saying) -  or you can add them as quotes if they fit in within the paper. We will be using this final writing to help us with our final presentation to our families on November 6th.

2. Email me any ideas you have about what you would like to do for your presentation on November 6th:
For your presentations, I will ask you to share two things: First, present your happiness plan in some way (speech, Prezi, song, poem, Powerpoint, skit, video, poster, craft, etc). Second, share something your are currently working on that gives you joy and share why it gives you joy (it could be a talent, or a weakness you are trying to improve).

Fall: Week 6 - Scenarios

I am sorry about cancelling class today. I was really looking forward to a cool activity I wanted to do with you. We had some things come up so I am going to ask you to do this activity at home and we will discuss it online and in class next week.

I was going to break you up into 3 groups and give each group different scenarios of unhappy people. Your challenge was going to be to find a principle that you have learned from any of your readings and experiences that would help the person in that scenario.

It might actually work better to do this at home because it will give you some more time to go through your notes and readings to remind yourself of the happiness principles you have discovered.

I will write the scenarios below. Again, your challenge is to find a principle that would help the person in that scenario. If you can reference where you learned that principle (scripture, reading, experience) that would be best.

Here are this week's inspirements:

1. Do the scenario worksheet below (I will also email these) and bring them to class.
2. Write one of your favorite quotes from conference below.
3. Rewrite your Process Paper after I give you feedback and put it on the discussion blog (I am happy to offer additional feedback if you'd like before you post it). If you need another invite to the discussion blog, let Cassia know: spicedoodle@gmail.com
*Note: Make sure you have evidence to back up your opinion when you rewrite your Process Paper. This doesn't have to be scientific evidence (though it can be), it can also be evidence from your own experience or the experience of others you have read about. Words of prophets or wise men are also evidence, but make sure you share your personal experience of living what they teach so you can add an additional witness of the truthfulness of their words. If you don't have personal experience of what you are writing  - apply what you are preaching this week so you can share your witness of it's truth.
4. Make comments on at least 5 other people's papers on the discussion blog before Friday.
5. After conference, refine your goals if needed and the way you want to track them. Bring your ideas to class.
6. If you have time this week, read the biography you chose. This will need to be read in two weeks.

Scenario Worksheet:

Your challenge:

Look for the happiness principles that would help you go through each of these situations with a joyful heart. Look for principles you have learned in your reading, discussions and notes. Another way to think of this is think of what advice you would give someone who was struggling with these situations.  As you discover or remember a principle you know to be true, write it down on a page you title “Happiness Principles”.

Last of all, write your own scenario in which you struggle to find happiness and look for a principle you can apply to your life that will help you live more after the manner of happiness. Write it down and work on it for the next few weeks.  

Scenarios:

You wake up determined to have the Spirit with you that day. You read your scriptures, say your prayers and are ready to go and do some good in the world. Then you leave your room and you remember an assignment due that day that your forgot to the night before, you realize it is your day to do the dishes and they are stacked up really high, you begin to feel really stressed and your siblings run into the room fighting. You yell at them to be quiet and then realize that you already failed in your determination to have the Spirit with you all that day.

Happiness Principle to Apply_____________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

You wake up and step in bowl filled with milk and cereal that was left on the floor by a sibling, you clean that up and go upstairs to find a list of chores your mom wants you to redo because they were not done to her standard. Then you go to seminary and everyone ignores you, even when you tried to start a conversation. You get home and you find that the paper you took 3 hours to write was not saved and someone cleared it off the computer.

Happiness Principle to Apply_____________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

You have worked hard to get into a prestigious school. You have done all you could to prepare and you think your chances are pretty good. You receive a denial letter.

Happiness Principle to Apply_____________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

You feel a deep gloom settling over your life for the last few days and you can’t seem to snap out of it. You have tried service, prayer and reading your scriptures, and while those things help you mentally know that things will be okay – you can’t shake the feeling of sadness, gloom and lack of motivation that are pushing on you.

Happiness Principle to Apply_____________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

You learn that a close friend has passed away. You know you will see them again, but you feel a deep sense of loss for the companionship you have lost in this mortal life.

Happiness Principle to Apply_____________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

You make a list of righteous goals and are excited for the challenge of improving yourself. You work hard on them the first day, you struggle with them the next day, by the 3^rd day you realize you are too weak to be the kind of person you long to be.

Happiness Principle to Apply_____________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

You hear some people talk about things they don’t like about you when they don’t know you are listening.

Happiness Principle to Apply_____________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

You are working hard all day long, but don’t seem to be happy. You wonder why, despite your diligence to do so much, you find yourself stressed and unhappy much of the time.

Happiness Principle to Apply_____________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

You notice that when you are pleased with your performance you feel good about life, but when you don’t like how you did on a certain assignment or how you behaved in a situation, you feel really miserable.

Happiness Principle to Apply_____________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

You worry about your finances a lot and don’t know how you will pay for the important things you need money for.  All of the jobs you have applied for and opportunities you have pursued haven’t yet worked out.

Happiness Principle to Apply_____________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Fall - Week 5 - Infinite in Love and Process Paper

Thank-you to all for your reverence at the temple. I loved being there with you, reflecting on how much I love you and how great it is to be living in these latter days with temples, prophets and revelation. Thank-you for the experiences some of you shared and the Spirit you brought with your testimonies. We did not have time to get to the discussion I wanted to have with you, but we will do that this next week, so review your notes before class.*

-If you haven't yet, email me (or post on the discussion blog) your final draft of your extended definition essay.

1. Why Read? (14:31)

2. Read Chapter 13 of The Infinite Atonement titled Infinite in Love by Elder Tad Callister. I hope connects some of what we have been discussing about the nature of happiness.

3. Read the following scriptures (with the "reaping happiness" theme in mind that we briefly discussed yesterday) to help you gain greater insight and get your creative juices going:
1 Nephi 8:10, 11:20-23
Alma 26:30, 35
Alma 32:28-43
Doctrine and Covenants 88:79-81; 97:7-9, 52:39
Galatians 5:22
Luke 6:43-45

4. Write: A Process Paper and email me your first draft by Thursday (the earlier in the week the better - the sooner I get it, the more time I have to really give thoughtful feedback). Topics might include “How to be Happy", "How to Live in the Manner of Happiness", "How to find Joy in Each Day" or whatever topic summarizes what you have learned through the term. I might suggest writing it in an organic way if you can, it tends to add depth - ask yourself questions such as: what seeds to we plant to reap happiness, what type of work does it take to nurture the plant, what are the fruits?  You have previously written about what happiness is, this paper is to tell the world how you can attain it. There are many people who are thirsty for some clarity on this. Think of them as you write. 

5. Keep tracking your goals and noticing what helps you accomplish them and what tactics Satan uses to keep you from accomplishing them. Each class, you will should a chance to share any war strategies that you find. We have not done this the last couple of classes so we will be sure to discuss it this week.

*Review some of your notes from last week's reading since we did not get a chance to discuss them very much last week.

**If you have time, start reading your biography. Almost all of you have let me know which biography you plan to read. If you have not done so, send an email this week with what you chose.

By the way, EVERY SINGLE ONE OF YOU remembered to write a discussion question! Yay! Well done. And almost all of you remembered to write a quote with it as well. They were great questions and quotes and we will discuss them in more depth this next week.