Question for You… PLEASE answer!!- The Red Headed Hostess

Happy Monday everyone!
IMG_8412

(This picture has nothing to do with this post… I just love it and wanted to start my own week off with it)

I have a question that I reallllly would like you to answer…

I want to know anything and everything you would like articles and posts about here on my site.

Anything that would help you to strengthen your home and family.

I am talking ANYTHING.  Even things I would have no idea about – I will find someone who does!

Seriously put it your two bits.  Do you have specific teaching questions?  Scripture study?  Finance?  Interior design?  Parenting?  Exercise?  Recipes?

Think of things that you would like to know more about, and I will reach out to others to help deliver the information.

And to help encourage you to leave your thoughts…

I am giving away THREE $10 certificates to my download store – and $10 goes a long way.

(And there are no “shipping” restrictions – it is a download so ANYONE in the world can enter)

If you win, you can use it now, or you can hold onto it because we are working on some amazing stuff.

You can leave as many comments as you want!  No restrictions!  The more you enter, the more chances you have in winning.

Ready, set, GO!

Thank You in Advance!

 

208 comments

  1. Oh boy do I need exercise?! You made scripture study a lot easier . . . can you make dropping a dress size a breeze?! LOL 🙂

  2. We are struggling to get our YW to complete their weekly challenges. I hate to reward with treats, especially when there is only one that usually does it and you’re just holding candy in front of all the others faces. We remind on facebook. Any suggestions?

  3. I would like posts about the new curriculum! Anything and everything to help teach these beautiful YW in my ward! 🙂

  4. Is there a way that you were able to keep your students from sleeping in seminary. I will admit that ours is really early in the morning (5:30 am) but I have one student that does nothing but sleep. What worked for you?

  5. I like the posts for Young Women lessons as well. I have loved the articles you’ve posted that expound on the topics we are teaching in YW. Thank you!!

  6. I’ve loved your site for unique hand out stuff. You seem not as caught up in the cute and more interested in the message–exactly what I am looking for. Not to say your handouts and helps are not super cute too! I like your favorite quotes and summaries about “every time I have taught this over the years, I’ve noticed that I need to…” that make my newbie teaching go so much more smoothly.

  7. Loving your thoughts that help out with the new curriculum. Any more of those would be lovely. and.. How about some thoughts on home and visiting teaching and the monthly messages?

  8. I need more lessons, etc. geared for jr. primary aged children. I am striving to really teach the Gospel to my little ones and could really use clip art, paper figures, etc. that reach the younger audience. I love the things you post for young women and young men, too.

  9. I love Family Home Evening helps, also I would like to know more about teenagers and agency (what to do when teenagers consistently choose wrong?), and since you said ANYTHING goes…painting! I need to repaint my home and don’t know where to start! THANK YOU!!! I am thankful for you and your blog.

  10. I love your posts about scripture study, and the new curriculum. We can get plenty of the other types of info from other blogs… I come to your blog for what you do best. Thanks!

  11. Also, like someone else already said, I also love when you give your input on things you have learned throughout your teaching years (on specific subjects and teaching methods). I am new to teaching, and your insights help me focus on what’s important and helps my classes go much better.

  12. I LOVE the posts that help me home-school and teach my Sunday School class (age 14-18). I LOVE your sight and the downloads make it more affordable!
    I would LOVE to win this certificate!!!

  13. I would love to hear about prayer. I have heard lots of stuff about it and would really love your input about prayer and the “right”. Way to pray and how to ask and get the answers we are seeking.

  14. I would love more in depth bom chapter explaining, and marking. I love the ones you have and have learned a lot. I would love to see more

  15. I would love help with motivating the YW to do their personal progress or motivating parents to help with personal progress. I love the new curriculum helps you are doing.

  16. I would love helps for the new Sunday School curriculum. I teach 13-14 year olds. My group last year was great. They were good at participating and had a lot to offer. This class is very different. I welcome tips to get them more involved – especially boys.

  17. I love your scripture study posts! I would love FHE ideas for teenagers. I also enjoy the new curriculum helps. The quotes you share are great.

  18. I love your scripture study ideas. They help me get more insight into what I am reading. They make me think more. Also, anything that would help with the youth. We teach seminary here on our mission and any ideas are more than welcome. I used your idea on reading a conference talk and the kids loved it. Thanks

  19. You made scripture study meaningful and doable. Can you teach me better time management. I feel like I run out of day before I run out of things to do!

  20. I am always looking for ways to teach the youth curriculum to a daughter (14) with Down Syndrome. I love your simple, clear illustrations for the important, basic doctrines of the church.
    Thank you for your good work.

  21. I know you aren’t “there” yet with your sweet Hannah… but how have you approached dating with the youth you have taught? …what has worked?!

  22. We had an interesting discussion yesterday in Relief Society about keeping little ones reverent in Sacrament Meeting. Many of the sisters that are past that stage in child rearing felt that “Quiet Book” is a misnomer, and that the mom struggles to keep all of her handmade pieces together…either with Velcro (which isn’t quiet) or plastic bags…also potentially disturbing. The point was made that little ones have very short attention spans. A second point was made that their attention spans never grow if they are always expecting entertainment and treats to keep them going.
    What ideas/input/suggestions do you have? How can little ones stay happy without Mom having to pack a suitcase each week, and at what age do you start to teach children that reverence does not include action figures?

  23. I have a 2 year old and an infant. FHE just doesn’t happen in our house. My husband and I are both converts and FHE is a new concept to us as well as it is just plain hard to find things that work with such small kiddos. I’d love some ideas to help with this. I’d like to see more of your recipes and crafts as well. Also, I love your insights on scriptures and would like to do a read-along (read ‘X’ amount of scriptures per week, and then hear your thoughts and have it open for discussion in the comments section). Basically, I want your filled in scripture study journal! 🙂

  24. I would really like to understand more about how blessings and prayers work. If we pray for something and it is the will of the Lord then we are told if we have faith it will happen. Does that mean if the blessing or prayer is something in line with the will of the Lord that it won’t happen if we don’t have that blessing or say that prayer? Or that it will happen regardless? Or, that if it is not the will of the Lord that a blessing or prayer will make any difference?

  25. I agree with Ginger, posted Feb. 11, at 3:19pm, in that I come to your blog for what you do best: scripture study and the new curriculum. I’m afraid that if you dilute your blog too much, it will become like all the others and you’ll lose me as a regular. You are my first stop in my never-ending search for more and I depend on your insights taken from your experiences.

  26. I would love to see and know that there are other one-member families. Sometimes I feel so alone and it is hard! I would love to hear their ideas on how they teach the gospel to their children and how they prepare for the milestones of the gospel such as baptism for children who will be 8.

  27. LOVE LOVE LOVE your site! Thank you for all the time and effort to help us be better!

    I would love to see basic doctrine teaching ideas for primary aged children. ie. The Fall.

    Unity ideas for wards, seminary classes and youth.

    Thank you again!

  28. I am the YW president in a branch where there are few members. It is hard to help the girls who are ready to date, but who have very limited options as far as upstanding YM to go out with.

  29. Adding to my previous post (above), I am not a seminary teacher and my parenting days are long past but I enjoy reading what you have to say about teaching seminary. I can–and do–go to the web for everything else. I so appreciate you, Shannon, that you are willing to work so hard for all of us.

  30. When it comes to gospel/scripture study – how to fit it all in? I am not currently teaching youth – but since I have youth, I am diligently studying the new curriculum. I want to be able to add to their learning and have meaningful discussions. BUT, I find that other things slip, like reading the Ensign, my SS lesson, the RS lesson, and just reading the Book of Mormon – How do others coordinate all that we should/could be studying each week?

    I would like to learn more about the millennium… how it fits into The Plan and connects with the series of resurrections. What kind of growth will happen then?

    FHE helps for teenagers

    VT helps

    Thanks for all you’ve already shared!

  31. I love your site for 2 things (so please keep these up!):
    -Teach me how to be a more effective teacher of teens (Oh, how I need more lessons, tips, tricks?!).
    -Tips that help my own gospel study.

    As a parent one big question I have right now is how to handle teaching kids skills relating to technology. Specifically, how can they learn to be surrounded by technology and not controlled by it. I think we are the first generation to have to figure this out…so I’m searching for ideas before my own kids get there! Also, how to deal with technology as a teacher of teens?

  32. I would love to hear how YM and YW can show their support for each other. Specifically, what activities or open support can YW give to YM to show that they value the service YM give to their priesthood callings. Many YM in our branch are not planning on serving a mission. What can they YW do to help the YM grow in their desire to serve others?

  33. I love the scripture study journals, with ideas of how to study topics (I spent forever on your Plan of Salvation posts), and different ideas how to help the scriptures come alive, for me and teaching my kids.

  34. I love your scripture journal/study posts! They really inspire me to try harder to get more out of personal scripture study.

  35. I have been extremely blessed by the information you have share since I found your site. I have been a Sunday School teacher for 15-year olds for 4 months. I used your lesson preparation sheet for my lesson on the 10th and I was so excited for how well it worked. Just the preparation pages got my mind and heart active in the learning process for me personally, before I even began to think about how to teach what I had just learned, to my girls.

    You are a very spiritually and mentally gifted woman. Thank you for sharing your many years of learning and teaching with us.
    I bought this year’s Study guide for Young Women and the larger version for myself and my husband so that we could study together (he is an advisor in the Priest’s group) as well as some of the single sheets for the girls to use in some of my lessons.

    I have appreciated the quotes that you have shared about the monthly topics. I have learned that the fun way you used conference talks in Seminary (making notes on the talk and then passing it to the next person) doesn’t really work for Sunday School because of the time limitation. The girls loved it but it was hard to bring it to a conclusion and still have time to discuss their feelings. In the future I will limit the number of paragraphs or give them a card, each with a different paragraph, that they can make notes on (I’m still trying to figure it out)

    I’m not sure that I want you to change what you are doing. I don’t think that adding recipes, is what I want from this site. I like that it is spiritual and family oriented. If you diversify too much, we will loose the bare truths that we need to focus on. There are plenty of food sites/blogs out there.

    Anyway, that is my two cents worth. I will forever be grateful that I was introduced to your site. Thank you.
    Janeen

  36. Parenting tips on fortifying your home/kids against pornography. With three boys coming up in the ranks, that one scares me.

    I also LOVE LOVE all posts on scripture study and journaling.
    Thanks for all you do!

  37. I pretty much just want you to post pictures of your scripture pages so I can copy the markings. I want a good system of scripture marking so I can find stuff and teach stuff better.

  38. One of the things I could really use help with right now is teaching a young toddler (like 12-18 months old) how to be reverent! How to teach them to fold their arms for prayer. How to help them play quietly next to mom or dad (without a pacifier) so that we can at least sit in the meeting and focus on the speaker somewhat. FHE and scripture study ideas for that age group.

  39. I would love any ideas on how to encourage and motivate:
    – I know that I need to have my class “DO” more for themselves, but I feel that when I have them read blocks of scriptures and find inspiration they tune out…. if what I ask them to look for is too easy – they won’t answer and if it is too deep they just let others do the work…
    – to encourage more participation in class discussions (I know to ask questions that don’t require absolutely correct answers, but more what do you think of this) but again I feel more students tune out and let others do the work
    -How to handle sleepers, late comers, and blatant talkers

  40. Sweet! I LOVE your blog and I truly use the resources, so I’m psyched you are giving an opportunity for feedback. Here are some of my thoughts in multiple comments. 1) LOVE all the insights related to the Come Follow Me doctrinal topics. I want much much more. Love the guest posts by CES guys/gals too!! I would actually like to get this stuff just a little earlier so I can prepare earlier. Sometimes an awesome post comes out on a lesson I have already prepped for or given. But seriously- these are my top priority requests. Musings about the YW lesson topics.

  41. 6) Specific topics I am interested in, aside from Come Follow Me:
    A post about dealing with teens and their smartphones in class (which are also now their scriptures) and are both helpful and distracting and disrespectful in some instances. Such an issue for us youth leaders right now! I want to know how seminary teachers are handling this, if I should reject or embrace the devices in class, and how to handle situations when kids are playing games, etc. Also, I want to know if you and others think it is important that they mostly use good old-fashioned hard copies of the scriptures so they can learn where things are, mark them up, etc etc. Help!

  42. Ideas for creative, interactive lessons for the new youth curriculum. Tons of printables are available, but we are working on getting the youth involved in the lessons.

  43. I also love that your blog is different and that I feel the spirit just by coming here.
    I would love to hear any thoughts you may have on getting more out of sacrament meeting talks. And also different ideas/suggestions you have for preparing to give a talk.

  44. First off I love your website and you do such a great job at it! Here are some things on my mind/heart lately & that I would love your insight, quotes and study notes on… 🙂
    *I recently realized that a TON of sisters don’t know how to visit teach. They don’t understand that it’s a balance of getting to know & love the sister and having a friendship and spiritually feeding her and challenging her in spiritual ways. I have a companion who had no idea there was an actual message we were asked to share. As Sister Beck said, “Visiting teaching is a way of life” and I feel like many of us need to know how to live that life.
    *I would personally love some help/info/motivation in the area of maintaining balance. Especially in this crazy go, go, go world. Balance is a challenge sometimes.
    *I love your doctrine saturated posts, especially the ones on the youth focus. I think we constantly need to know, study and be reminded of our doctrine. And your posts have inspired many of my own studies. Handouts are always appreciated too 🙂
    *I agree with the exercise suggestions too! Fitting it in is the tough one for me. Maybe some success stories and how others have made it work.

    Again, you do an amazing job! I love your blog and visit daily. Thanks for sharing!

  45. I teach YW in our ward, so I’m very excited about your new download store!
    We are having a lot of difficulty getting the girls to engage in discussions and actively participate in learning. (I loved the post by John Hilton III)! I would love more insights about how to help youth take responsibility for thier own learning. Truthfully, all of the fabulous handouts in the world can’t make a child pay attention and learn if they aren’t willing to engage and participate. (Agency is part of the plan, taught in our lesson yesterday, lol)!
    As someone else mentioned, we send out facebook and text reminders. Print out articles and scriptures a week ahead of time for them to read and prepare (we hand them out at the end of the lesson when we challenge them and then ask them to prepare for the next lesson)… They still show up without having done more than “glance” at the material, and usually they haven’t even done that.

  46. I love colors and making our home beautiful, but often feel unsure how to proceed. What to do with those blank walls!? How do I have cute, fun knick knacks with small children and toddlers around – keep them up high and leave everything down low empyt?! We are military and move frequently. (Sometimes two or three times in a year) It is not practical for me to paint walls or do window treatments that are permanent – but I want to make each house feel like our home – even if we’re only there for a few months. 🙂 Is it practical to ask for that kind of info?! lol

  47. I love the primary ideas and would love sharing time ideas. Also, lately I’ve found that when I journal my scriptures, I like a visual connection to help me remember what I read. I would love some templates that would help with this. Thanks for all you do!

  48. for Seminary: ANY ideas on how to get students to READ at HOME. I’ve tried incentives, committing to just 3 verses , texting, FOOD……nada…..
    Only 6 students, remote location, tiny branch, most kids 2nd generation LDS…thanks!

    I’m also always up for any good teaching ideas!

  49. I found your site a few years ago just prior to conference time, while looking for some conference “bingo” to keep my kids occupied. What a treasure trove of information I discovered! I came back again and again to read the posts on scripture study, marking scriptures, scripture journals, as well as your must read talks. I love how you seemed to have a bit more of the “big picture” when studying or teaching the Gospel to our children and youth.

    I struggle with family scripture study…..what time of day to have it, which scriptures to study/read, how to teach it in a way that keeps the attention of the younger two year old, yet is teaching my almost 13 year old in a way that the MTC is a review, not revelation. I need a ‘big picture’ myself, of family scripture study, what my goal is, and how to get there in the baby steps. (As I’m typing, I’m feeling that isn’t something you can tell me, and I need to get on my knees in prayer for those answers!)

    My husband and I each got the 2013 doctrinal study guide for Christmas, which I love, and can certainly be a springboard for scripture study, and FHE as well. Oh, where to start?!?!

    I also, have been pondering ways to have meaningful gospel conversation at mealtimes, rather than the chatter that we currently have.

    And visiting teaching. I get that it’s supposed to be watchcare, and it’s not about statistics, but it feels awkward to get a new route, and visit sisters that you don’t know, and truly get to know them, and their needs. I guess, that’s another matter for prayer. Maybe it’s time to start a prayer journal……

  50. With six children, I often find my greatest challenge is teaching all of those ages all at once. (If you teach to the youngest, the older ones are bored/ zone out/ don’t get to learn higher truths. If you teach to the oldest, the younger ones are lost/ zone out/ feel frustrated in their inability to grasp the concepts). I’d love to hear ‘tricks of the trade’, tips, ideas, about teaching a family with different age ranges.
    It seems to me that teaching a family needs to come at a different angle than teaching a class or group where there is one target audience or age range.

  51. I have a 20 month old and one on the way. I would love more ideas on teaching young kids the scriptures. I would especially love posts about parenting by using the scriptures and scripture study. Using teachings from modern prophets about parenting and stuff like that. I love your website. It has encouraged me to be more dedicated to my personal gospel study.

  52. I agree with previous poster- please don’t ‘dilute’ your site with too much extra! You have a great talent for teaching the gospel and many of us come here to learn that from you.
    That being said, I LOVE your plan of salvation printables. We have several adopted kiddos with developmental special needs and the printables have been a great teaching tool. So anything more like that 🙂
    Thank you for asking!

  53. I absolutely love the scripture study tips! They really help me dive into my scriptures. I also LOVE the quotes you have put up! They are always so amazing and inspired! It actually prompted me to send a quote to my brother who is on a mission each week, and he gets to choose the topic.
    Thank you so much for all your amazing posts and inspirations! You are an amazing woman, and I really look up to you! Thank you so much!

  54. My favorite is scripture related topics. We also struggle holding FHE with just one child (she is three). There are a lot of great ideas out there but mostly geared towards multiple children or a slightly older age.

  55. Love the ideas on how to teach the new curriculum. I LOVE the ideas on scripture marking and the scripture journals. But I would really love to see ideas on Personal Progress!!

  56. I love the scripture study posts. I have learned so much more about how to study the scriptures, how to mark them, really how to love them. These posts have been the most valuable to me and I would love to see more.

    I am going to second the technology one too. How to manage it, how to utilize it with gospel study (because there is a lot of good that can be had through it).

    Thanks!

  57. How do you effectively do family scripture study with a toddler? We’re really struggling with this. It feels like when we cater to the toddler, no one really gets anything out of it… Help?

  58. I love all the helps and guest posts for the new YW lessons. -even inviting people to show how they are using the youth and adult study guides would be great. Personal Progress ideas would also be great!!

    I have also loved all the scripture journal ideas you have done in the past (like the charity study using the trees) -I love when you give us enough information and an idea to get started so we can dig in the scriptures and find our own answers (I learn more that way than just trying to copy what you have done!). I also love when you show a way to make something visual that I would have thought of (the charity trees are again a perfect example of this!!)

    I also LOVE your page titles and hope that you will finish the bible (they help so much in understanding what is going on in the scriptures)

  59. I want to do a FHE lesson on service (I’m working on Personal Progress with the YW!), and I’d love something fun for my young kiddos. Thank you for all you do!

  60. I totally LOVE your work… you are One AMAZING Woman! My ? is, do you have any suggestions for when you are giving lessons (I am a YW leader) & the gals have to have their cell phones, because it doubles as their scriptures also, how to discourage them from using them for other reasons besided this SPECIFIC purpose? If they are on their person, they are using them to text ect… & are not really into the lessons we all prepare so hard for?

  61. Ideas on getting YW to “Share” at the first of class. I liked the recent idea with the donut… any more ideas like that? Very Clever!

  62. I have learned so much about better ways to study the scriptures and the gospel in general. Also teaching teenagers the gospel. I serve in church with the youth and as a mom to littles currently, your tips and advice help me so much. So please keep that stuff up. I have recently really appreciated the guests post about various gospel topics. They are all authors, speakers, educators, etc that I would love to read or hear speak however, as a mom to littles right now I don’t have much of a chance. The guests post give me food for thought in bite sized pieces. I would love to see that on going and more! Thank you!

  63. I would love General Conference study helps/suggestions. Also, anything to do with the Priesthood/Relief Society lessons (this year Lorenzo Snow)

  64. I agree with several other comments about not diluting your blog’s doctrinal/scriptural focus, but I have often found myself musing about you yourself and how you accomplish so much…are you an insomniac?? I would love for you to share as much as you can in a comfortable way about your own psyche, thought processes, drive and organizational skills. I am clearly not a “type A” so I find myself with many good intentions unexecuted and many unfinished projects…..and a big pile of my own unworthy feelings to deal with. It would be soothing to me to have a roll model (ie, a standard) that my mind could go to when I feel myself lost in “stuff”. Maybe this would involve your philosophy of living the “good, better, best” life. I love all of your efforts to bring the world closer to the Savior….you are truly the best! Thanks for being you!

  65. I would love to hear some of your favorite books/authors to read.. doctrinal and others. Books on parenting, finances and scripture study. Thanks for sharing!

  66. I would LOVE, LOVE, LOVE a scripture journal type thing to use in my study of General Conference, a few pages per talk where I could really dissect it all and make goals on how I can better live it. A real study guide I could use for that 6 months. Also anything else about scripture study. I bought a journal at the end of the year – I am already over halfway thorough and have lots of my friends using them too now. We LOVE them, they have made the hugest difference!!!

  67. I would really like to see ideas on Personal Progress, also help with Callings.
    Stake youth activities connected to this year’s theme.
    Seems a lot to ask when you already do so much!
    Thank you!

  68. I LOVE your posts on scripture journals, especially the in depth ones that give new insight and quotes to fill my scriptures and journals with. I LOVE marking my scriptures with added insight.
    I have seen a few ideas around the web and would love to start a preschool for my littles at home that includes the basics of reading and writing, but also incorporates the stories and doctrines of the Gospel, specifically the Book of Mormon, but maybe not. It have ideas mulling in my head, but would love to have some more ideas…I am thinking a letter a week, so to figure out what characters or doctrines to include for each letter and an activity that will teach the story as well as the letter. Along with a “treat” or craft for the week. (now I’m getting even more excited to get this going I can’t wait to get something figured out to start this coming fall).

  69. I hope you won’t dilute the gospel information of your site. I enjoyed the Gospel Basics study for couples and families..Plan of Salvation, Premortal, Mortal, Godhead, etc. lessons, ……more of these would be great. The scripture page titles are a wonderful help for scripture study…more of these for all the standard works would be great. The new curriculum study is wonderful… more of it would be nice. The ideas to interest the youth, at home or church/Seminary are so helpful. Thank you for all of your knowledge, experience, and effort for all of us.

  70. one thing on my mind lately is helping our youth who struggle with perfection. They need a better understanding of the Atonement and the role it should play in our lives…for that matter, so do many R.S. sisters!

  71. Another topic I really need help with: how to get the youth teaching lessons (without having them be lame, AND without micro-managing). And what is the proper way to TEACH them how to TEACH? I think a lot of people have answers to this that are not satisfactory to me. I have really tried a few different things and have thought a lot about it. How can I also avoid spending TONS of time working with the youth outside of all that I’m already doing? In other words, I am looking for functional, realistic ways to teach teaching to youth.

  72. Primary. Anything for Primary. I’ll admit I get frustrated with the lesson manual at times. Last week it suggested rolling paper up like trumpets, a VHS movie, a story about a girl with polio (6 year olds do not know what polio is) and hiding a beautiful object asking the kiddos “Do you wish it could be restored?”
    Printing out full color items from the Friend is a start but that eats up ink like nobody’s business.

  73. I am just recently getting into sewing and I would really like it if you would post some cute patterns and ideas on here. Mostly simple, but anything would be great! Thanks!

  74. I also really like to cook! I know you already have a few recipes on here, but MORE! They are so good, esp. the choc. chip cookies. HEAVEN! Thanks again!

  75. I would like some cute school organization things. So anything that will help to organize school things, like for locker decorations or binder organizers, or whatever. That would be great!

  76. I am decorating a new room for my thirteen year old daughter who wants a black and white zebra theme with maybe another color. Any cute ideas for this would be nice. Organization, decoration, or any cute stuff

  77. I would appreciate some more:

    1. Drawings or visual ideas to represent the doctrine like your triangle with the Godhead. That way, I can get my YW to use their 2013 Study Guides more.

    2. Interactive activities, games, quizzes for the YW to do during class based on the new curriculum lessons. I love getting them to participate more.

    3. Your insights on some great CHALLENGE ideas. The ones in the lesson outlines are sometimes a little too broad. I like measurable ideas. My challenges so far have been: bring a scripture story that shows how someone felt the influence of the Holy Ghost; share your plan of Salvation drawing with a friend, family member, etc; bring a quote about the spirit world to share with the class.

    Thanks!

  78. I would love even more post about the new curriculum, especially ideas about different ways to teach, and I love all your quotes!

  79. And what do you do with the cell phones in church? And getting everyone to really share their feelings while participating? Thank you!

  80. I love the scripture study helps, including how to mark scriptures. Your maps are my favorite, they really helped our family understand the book of Alma better.

  81. I just love your website. I appreciate all your hard work. Thank you for sharing. I would like to see something of food storage. How to store it all and date it and rotate it and cook with it. Thanks

  82. I know that most of your readers are parents with teenagers or young children. As a Sernior (over 65) I and my friends struggle with scripture reading. We are at a time in our life that we have time but need some kind of a structure. I would like you to devote maybe one day a week to those of us who are adult with no children and tell us ways to begin studying, ways to understad what we read, perhaps a meaningful study guide. I feel that in life and church that seniors are a bit forgotten. I love you and thank you for caring about your readers. I woud just say keep being prayerful and you will be guided.

  83. My son is a Blazer in the boy scouts and is losing interest quickly. What can I do to help him stay involved and interested?

  84. I just read all the above posts. You have more than enough people telling you what they want!!!! But I’m going to add my two bits too. I also am a senior and have followed you for years now. The biggest reason I have kept returning day after day is for your scripture journal/study information. The ultimate in my book was The Gospel Basic Study for couples and families. I think you were ahead of your time, as the new course of study for youth is now in this exact area. I think a Basic Study for each of the twelve listed would benifit everyone involved in teaching or learning at any age. You had the area for “your child” for the young mothers, very easy to pull a family home evening from, and goes right along with the Sunday School and Young Men Young Women program for lesson helps. My husband and I did the studys you had available and branched out some but loved your structure and additional information. Please keep your site “in the scriptures” as much as possible. Maybe you could also mention other sites people might be interested in for additional things they might find useful, like Sugardoodle for primary ideas and prepared family home evening lesson plans for young children. I love the visual learning helps, maps, Prideful Charlie, and the Godhead triangle. Keep up the good work… This is my favorite site.

  85. Helping our pre-teen children find their testimony- in our area, the older children in primary have entered into the middle school/jr high school ages where there are many impurities that are spoken and seen in the school that primary does not reach.. our kids are not taught until YW/YM about staying pure which unfortunately is about 2 years too late to what they have already be subjected to..

  86. Hi, love your website. I am thinking about having the girls make a quilt (wall hanging) using the logos for the 8 values. I wonder if you have (or could make) a pattern to represent the values that could be used in a quilt block and appliqued to the square?

  87. I love the downloads related to the Y W lessons and I’m currently using the Plan of salvation template on a flannel board which those girls had to put together along with accompanying scriptures. Would love more of this kind of thing. Thanks for your amazing and inspirational ideas that help me involve the YW’s in each lesson!

  88. I love everything you do! I taught a class on scripture journals in our RS Activity Night last November, and your resources were invaluable! So here’s my wish. My husband is now on disability and we are living with my son and d-i-l and two grands, 12 and 13. I have five children and NONE of them are active, including the son we live with. His children have never gone to church or been baptized, and he and his wife want nothing to do with the church. How do I go about trying to teach some gospel principles to my grandchildren without being too overt? I need to be kind of “sneaky”, if you get my meaning. I don’t want to cause problems, but I really don’t want those grandkids to grow up not knowing ANYTHING about the gospel and the Savior. I’m pretty sure I'[m not the only person out there with this kind of problem, and any help you can give would be great!

  89. Okay. That’s just wierd. I just posted at 6:30 PM but the time by my post says 2:30 AM! Where are you? Anyway, I would love some ideas for R.S. Activity Nights, scripture study, visiting teaching……things like that. Spiritual ideas, not fluff. I am a crafter, and I can come up with a million craft ideas, and sewing, too, but I have a hard time using the other half of my brain to come up with spiritual ideas. I agree with all those who say don’t dilute your website. There are thousands of sites out there where you can learn about decorating, or excercising, or even food storage! But you have the best and almost only website where we can get these kind of ideas and helps. Thank you so much for all you do!

  90. Pictures of your scripture journal pages — I LOVE your simple illustrations & can somewhat reproduce them, but am not artistic enough to come up with them on my own

  91. I would love to see what you would suggest for preparing sons for missions, especially in light of the new, earlier minimum age. I have three sons, with the oldest being nearly 15. I find myself wondering almost every day if he is learning and progressing enough, if his testimony is growing enough, if his practical skills will be there, if his emotional strength is developing well, etc. You have totally impressed me with ideas you have shared from teaching seminary, and I know you will have some great things to say about this topic!
    Thank you so much for all your wonderful work. It has made a difference in our family! (scripture journal, FHE ideas, etc.)

  92. I have learned so much from your scripture journal posts so I would love more of those. Posts on prayers and feeling the spirit everyday as well as heeding promptings.

  93. I am super-duper loving that you are talking about more than just the youth lessons lately. After teaching seminary for several years I find myself the teacher development coordinator in Primary (yah, that’s pretty much a made-up calling, but it’s a great one!) and I’m freaking out trying to line up my resources and find good info to point our teachers toward. Thank you!

  94. I would love to see ‘glimpses’ guest posts. It would be beautiful to hear about how different people find themselves living the gospel, teaching the gospel, experiencing the world. We all have a story to tell; how we came to be the way we are…those stories are my favorite.

  95. Love the scripture study stuff keep it coming!!!
    I’m studing the scriptures hand in hand with the Constitution and History for example liberty, free agency, government and our freedoms in general! WOW has it opened my eyes!!! I’d love to see you dive into that, and see what you come up with as well. I have found some really cool stuff. The paralles between Captin Moroni (his title of liberty) and George Washington are mind blowing! The 28 principles found in the constitution go hand in hand with the gospel. Our rights…Our responsibilites. Our Fore Fathers created this Nation using the bible to teach them how to develop a free and prospers country! With everything that is going on… We need to know these things and help our children understand them! Love ALL you do!!! You have been a blessing to me, my family and those I teach!

  96. Topics for lessons and or jurnals…

    Time managment- In today’s busy world we have to know when to slow down and when to speed up! We have to find the balance between not being overwhelmed and burdened and not being idle.

    Controling the Technology- in our lives and not letting it control us!
    How to teach our kids to use technology for good not idleness.

    Teaching Kids-Teens (and adults) How to self Govern!!!

    How to Walk in “soberness” like Captin Moroni and George Washington!
    To think before acting or speaking or typing, texting….

    Lets help them overcoming comon weakness in these latter days like laziness, selfishness, entitlement
    replace it with Work ethics, unity, service, and graditude.

  97. I think once a week you should put a journal topic you have studied and put a few of your favorite things from it on here and ask others to leave their favorite quotes/finds about it. Sometimes others find great things about a subject you didn’t find and have other ideas or comments to help us understand a topic better. I love the blogs where you have done this with a few of your favorite things from it and a picture of your graphic organizer or picture 🙂

  98. I too would love the rest of the page headings, those are wonderfull!
    I love studying the scriptures by topic. here are a few more ideas…
    -Missionary prep for our boys
    -More on the second coming
    -Being Self reliant means more than 3mo or a year food storage.
    -Decernment
    -Courage to stand up for what is right, to lovingly and respectfully speak up when need be, and to have each others back when others stand up for whats right, so they don’t feel alone.
    -American History
    -World History and how it relates to us.

  99. Baptism!! Our oldest child is getting baptized this year and I want him to understand why he is getting baptized, why it’s important, etc. I want him to gain his own testimony and figure out to do it in a fun way for an active boy!! =)

  100. The new Come Follow Me Curriculm for Sunday School. I been struggling with it, the lessons really don’t cover the Godhead or the Plan of Salvation. But, stuff like “how do we teach friends about the Godhead”. How do I teach that with out first teaching what the Godhead or Plan of Salvation is, which is the topic for the YW/YM?

  101. You once did a post on etiquette or dating do’s and don’ts for YM, that I can’t seem to locate. It was great info.

  102. I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE your website. You are a brilliant and gifted teacher. I come here for the scripture study ideas. I love that you have a very focused website. I have other places I go for recipes, exercise tips, etc. I would love it if you kept doing what you are so good at. I also am loving the download store. Keep expanding that too.

  103. I would love to have more resources for spouse study…
    When me and my husband sit down I feel like we talk a lot but don’t get a whole lot of deep studying done. I love following the study guides by myself but trying to do it with him kinda becomes pointless because we don’t talk, we just end up doing our own study next to eachother.

    Also FHE ideas for babies/toddlers when you DON’T have older children.

    Saving money on clothes and shoes for kids.

    Organizing

    Cooking

    Cleaning….

    Basically ANYTHING in the mom/wife department.
    Better ways to get the teenagers talking with the new curriculum.
    Come, follow me studying/ journal ideas.

    And I always always always appreciate any scripture journal posts!!!

  104. I would LOVE anything else you’ve got for Seminary. Right now I am sure wishing you had a map the kids could do about Paul’s Missionary journeys! lol.

  105. I didn’t notice this comment on any of the posts above – but about 3/4 of the way down I started skimming 🙂 The brethren have said and I firmly believe that teaching my children in the home is the first place they should hear about the Plan of Salvation and the Godhead and all the other topics they are studying this year. Since my boys were young a Sunday dinner tradition has been going around the table asking what was learned during their classes – now it is what was learned in Sunday School and Young Men classes – AND because we know that the teachers have been asked to invite or challenge our boys to do something during the week, we ask them what that challenge was for the week. We are 6 weeks in and not one of their teachers or advisers have asked them to do something during the week and report back. I have three boys – all with different teachers – that is 36 different opportunities missed by the teachers. We provide those opportunities at home – but to have it reinforced by someone outside of the family is crucial as well. So my question would be – do you have any help on how best to approach teachers who are not giving the challenges to our sons and ask them to do it? Maybe I just need to be blunt – but I hesitate for fear that might alienate the teacher from actually wanting to help and teach my sons. Hope that makes sense. Thanks for all you do.

  106. P.S. – Since I do have all boys – I’d love more boy stuff in your downloads section i.e. a boy version for the Chapter Review – the swirls aren’t that bad – but I have one son that would definitely balk at the swirls. Thanks.

  107. Thank you for the time you put in to share your thoughts with us…..even in lil ole NZ, your touching hearts, and expanding minds. ❤

  108. I love your scripture study posts. Especially when you help me really study and mark my scriptures. The way that you “teach” it to me through your posts is amazing! I am actually able to really understand what I am reading. I would love to see more of those…

    I also love all the printables that you share. The new store is amazing! I can’t wait to re-read the Book of Mormon and really use your scripture study journal.

    Thanks for all that you do!!

  109. Like so many others have mentioned, I love your offerings for scripture study. It has certainly helped me dig deeper into the scriptures than I have in the past.
    – So, I would enjoy more on that.
    – Also, how do you and your husband study together? We each study on our own but together as a couple – my husband is usually resistant. Any ideas would be wonderful.
    -VTing helps
    Thank you so much for the generous way you share with us!

  110. First off, I love all of your stuff. Anything you do is fine by me 🙂 But I would love to see some stuff to go along with the Primary D&C lessons that we are teaching this year. Your stuff for sharing time is great, but I’d love to have a few things as a teacher to enhance my lessons. Even if you just hit on some of the big topics that are taught during that year-that way they would be applicable to other areas of study and other scriptures.
    Thanks so much!

  111. I just love your blog and think you are amazing. When I found you here, I was really having a boring/ dry spell with scripture study and you inspired me and rekindled my love of the scriptures. I love all of the things you share about your scripture study journal. I love your drawings and your insights. It just really helps me and inspires me. You have incredible insights and love of the scriptures that I absolutely would love to hear every single day 🙂 if I could.

    I also love your diagrams and ideas for lessons that go along with the curriculum for ym/yw. My youth loved your Plan of Salvation printable. It is amazing. My yw also had amazing experiences with your scripture hero journals. All things like this help so much, thank you, Shannon!!

  112. I would love to know how to raise children that aren’t afraid to make mistakes…and how as a parent I can let them make those mistakes?

  113. Travel tips would be great! How safe is it really to travel to the Holy Lands? How does one prepare and what things to look for in a great trip?

  114. My oldest is preparing to get baptized this fall and although I’m a return missionary I’m a little lost on how to really get him ready. I’m not sure how to adapt the prepatory stuff to his age – any help, especially visually would be awesome.

  115. I love all the study aids that you have for the Book of Mormon. As a convert, they have helped me better understand what the scriptures actually communicate. I was wondering if you could maybe do similar evaluations and guides for Doctrine and Covenants since that is what they are doing in Sunday School this year. Though I am unable to attend because I am in Primary I try to stay on top of the lessons that they are doing in the other classes. Thank you so much for all your hard work, I’m working my way through your Stand in Holy Places and gaining so much. Thank you.

  116. I love the scripture marking/study posts, and the seminary help posts. I think your products are cute and useful, but have changed the whole atmosphere of your blog making it more commercial. I still love your blog but check it much less often now. Thank you for trying to help so many people with your talents 🙂

  117. I recently found your site through Pintrest, and just yesterday I really jumped into your scripture study posts. I love them! And I want more! 🙂 I’ve been good at *reading*, but not *studying and pondering*. I think I’ve read all your posts about general scripture study, and here are the questions I’m left with: 1) After writing titles on the pages, and “sectionalizing”, what is the next step? How do you dive in? I’ve read “Scripture Study Tip… 3 times then write”. Can you tell me more? 2) Color coding. Do you just do the color coding mentioned in the 3 Times post, or do you use color in other ways? 3) How do you push through the worry that you’ll “mess up” your scriptures? My husband got me a nice leather-bound set and I’m pretty new to marking them up.
    Thanks!

  118. Thanks so much for all your AMAZING ideas!! I am a huge journaler and I convinced my YW president to buy your journals and I LOVE them!! I am not having a hard time thinking of interesting ways to use it, but all the other leaders are kind of struggling.
    I would love to see lots of posts about ways to teach and use the journals every week so they can refer here when they’re stuck. I know you already do that, but we would love to see more!
    Love the downloads too! Keep em coming!

    Thanks
    Amanda

  119. Shannon, PLEASE! PLEASE! PLEASE! Share with us the MARKING GUIDES and SECTIONALIZING for the rest of the Book Of Mormon (2 Nephi 12 through Alma 35 and Alma 40 through Moroni 10). I have learned so much, and I have diligently taught and shared my new found knowledge and insights with my three teenage sons. It is amazing to watch our testimonies and our knowledge of the Book of Mormon grow! We have learned SO much from the scrupture marking guides and from the sectionalizing that you have shared with us thus far. I SO, SO, SO desire to know and learn just as much from the other parts of the Book of Mormon too. I want to continue to learn for myself, and continue teaching these three future missionaries, from the rest of the Book of Mormon so that our understanding and testimonies of this book will continue to grow!!! Your willingness to share your insights of the scriptures with us, has made a HUGE impact in our home and in our family. Thank so very much.

  120. My oldest son is now on a mission, and I am always trying to come up with fun and inspiring package and gift ideas for him. So . . . . anything related to emotionally and spiritually supporting and encouraging a missionary would be awesome! Thanks!

  121. We all started coming to this site because of scripture journals and scripture study tips. Stick with that! If this site gets too bogged down with other things, I will not be as enthusiastic about it. As parents and teachers, if we focus on our own preparation and study, the rest will come – whether it is FHE, our callings, whatever. We must know the doctrine ourselves and be prepared to teach no matter what the setting. If we are studying the scriptures and working in our own scripture journals, insights will come for our children, or our primary class, or our youth classes… Keep going with your original information about journaling and scripture study! Thanks so much for all you do to inspire us to LEARN FOR OURSELVES!!

  122. I would love to see more teaching aids for scripture story’s both from bible and Book of Mormon (like your pre existence and god head pkg.) Also teaching aids for jr. Primary that go with the lesson. I teach four year olds and I’m struggling because the manual seems way advanced and the kids are not grasping and most other sites just offer coloring pages. Any printouts for cub scouts would be fun too. I LOVE you quotes, the ones on per mortality made me ball my eyes out! Also when you share a favorite talk I love that, my new very favorite talk is The Bitter Cup and Bloody Baptism, life changing! Also remember lots wife is my new motto as well great talk.
    Thanks for all you share!

  123. I LOVE all you scripture helps and insights you give. I would like to see more examples from your journals that show your drawings and your insights.

  124. Ideas for using come follow me & preach my gospel for FHE.
    A women of the scriptures character journal with some info on some of the more obscure women like Lois and Tabitha.
    Faith in god help

    Family proclamation study guide?

  125. Teaching the gospel to toddlers…. I love the come follow me helps, so more of those….. organization…… tips to make gospel study a priority in my busy life……

  126. Scripture study, scripture study, scripture study! That is what I think of your site as and I agree with someone else who said it would all get lost if you tried to add in a ton of new things. I love the idea someone else gave of posting a journal topic you studied that week with a few of your favorite quotes. Those have been my favorites- great quotes, talks, study tips, etc. I know you are wealth of knowledge and have so much to offer, so anything you do will be amazing! But I personally LOVE LOVE LOVE the scripture study helps. THANK YOU for all you do. You have blessed my life tremendously! 🙂

  127. Wayward adult children. I need quotes, talks, scriptures to help me know how to continue to show love to an adult child who is making wrong choices. And how do I help his younger siblings understand that his life style isn’t “cool” even if it looks like it. I’m so afraid he is taking his younger brother with him to the great and spacious building. HELP!!
    PS: I just found you a week or two ago and am in LOVE! You must be the angel my mother sent when she passed away and we couldn’t share our gospel insights with each other anymore.

  128. Hello! I truly enjoy your blog, especially your Scripture guides and your posts about what you put in your journal (the illustrations are fun). It is sometimes difficult to come up with new ideas for journaling, so I appreciate seeing what you have done.

    I would like to hear more about the activities you did with your students when you taught seminary. What kinds of visual displays would you use?

  129. I enjoy your faith-filled posts on every topic. I would like to see more posts about: how you build up your relationships with your friends and family (outings, maintaining correspondence, etc.); how you reach out to neighbors and others in the community; what you like to do for service; and basically how your faith is making an impact in the lives of others in your area. Thank you for being an inspiration!

  130. I would like ideas on how to get my yw to open up and talk a little more. I loved your post on reading ideas and how to pass around the papers.

  131. I would love help studying the Book of Revelation. I know when I learned about it in seminary, I learned a lot about Hebrew and how numbers were symbolic, and a lot of things that helped clarify the Book of Revelation, so any help or insight would be awesome!

  132. I would love for the material on the youth curriculum to be posted earlier in the month. Several times I have returned to your site after teaching a specific lesson only to find the material I needed has finally been posted. I don’t know how to do this as we all teach different questions each week. I have still used the material, but it has only been beneficial to me in my own studies and not with my class.

  133. One of the things I need the most help with is coming up with family home evening (or just generally teaching) my small children. I don’t mean small like 8. I mean SMALL like 1 and 5. I’ve actually been thinking about this since my five year old was two. I do certain things with her, but I’d just like to hear more creative ideas I guess? Usually when I find sites with ideas for little children they are still older then my kids (this isn’t always true with my five year old now)

  134. The other thing that I’ve been thinking about recently, is getting up before the family to have my own study. Mom study, mom devotional. It’s not always easy and it doesn’t alway happen. When do you study, how do you manage to get it done. How do people do the early morning thing?

  135. Sadly I don’t have anywhere new I necessarily want you to go with your posts. I love that you go between YW and Sunday School helps. I would appreciate maybe more help in the participation area. I struggle getting my Sunday School class kids to participate. I have some gold star students but I can’t get more than just one or two.
    I love personal study helps too and I LOVE your doctrinal insight.
    I also wonder (I just realized) how you feel about object lessons? That gets the attention and sometimes participation of my class the best. (they were my favorite, and still are, in my gospel learning classes) I would love to see your take on object lessons or how you feel about them.

  136. Also I agree that I would love some information posted earlier so that I can use it in my lesson, easier. I know that probably means more work on your end but I so wish to give them the rounded lesson that your helps provide. Because I learn so much from your posts!

  137. I love the book “I Need Thee Every Hour” by David B. Van da Griff. It talks about using the atonement in your daily life. He gives examples. I listened to it on CD. I do not usually read/listen to a book several times but I have listened to this at least once a year to remind me how I can make the atonement part of my life every day. It is great!

  138. I’d like tips on how to feel part of the community when you don’t quite fit in, when you are not a typical Latter Day Saint, when you are an oddball. Sometimes wards are not perfect and not quite ready with open arms if you are one of the oddballs. Tips for both the ward, and for the oddball in this situation would be great!!! 🙂

Leave a Reply