Uploaded April 2026 | Updated September 2026, 1 week ago
"Stay strong, teachers! We’re on the home stretch."
As the school year winds down and the "April Slump" sets in, this episode of Seminary Teachers Helping Seminary Teachers is here to provide the inspiration and practical advice you need to finish the year with energy and purpose.
In this episode, our hosts discuss the unique challenges and opportunities of teaching in April—from the aftermath of General Conference and Spring Break to the excitement of mission calls and upcoming graduations. We dive deep into this week’s curriculum, focusing on powerful lessons about temple preparation and the transformative stories in the Book of Exodus.
Key Highlights from This Episode:
- Navigating the April Slump: How to keep students engaged during a busy month filled with state testing, finals, and beautiful (but distracting!) spring weather.
- Temple Preparation & Worthiness: Best practices for teaching the two life-prep lessons on the temple.
- We explore:
- Reframing worthiness not as perfection, but as a dedicated relationship with God.
- Helping seniors prepare for their temple endowment by focusing on the "Why" and the connection to the Atonement of Jesus Christ.
- Using the For the Strength of Youth guide to demystify temple recommend questions.
- The Power of Narrative (Exodus 15-17): Strategies for teaching the "Travel Montage" of the children of Israel.
- Using the "I like the account of... because it teaches me..." framework to help students find personal relevance in scripture.
- Creative ways to bring stories like the parting of the Red Sea, the manna from heaven, and the water from the rock to life through performance and art.
- Finding Christ in the Old Testament: How the stories of the Israelites' physical salvation mirror the spiritual salvation offered by Jesus Christ.
Resources Mentioned:
Elder Bruce C. Hafen’s insights on the Temple Endowment and the story of Adam and Eve.
https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/interpreter/vol46/iss1/11/
Elder D. Todd Christofferson’s General Conference talk on the character of Christ.
churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2026/04/51christofferson?lang=eng
Elder Dale G. Renlund’s talk: "Lifelong Covenantal Connection to God."
https://speeches.byu.edu/talks/dale-g-renlund/stronger-and-closer-connection-to-god-through-multiple-covenants/#:~:text=The%20covenants%20God%20established%20are,and%20everlasting%20covenant%20of%20marriage.
The Temple Tour video featuring Elder and Sister Christofferson.
churchofjesuschrist.org/temples/welcome-to-the-house-of-the-lord?lang=eng
The "AI Agent"—your digital collaborator for brainstorming classroom activities and lesson plans!
gemini.google.com/gem/1-plWEGao3Dvl2BWEmrGxL2sCyAdIsF3U?usp=sharing
Connect With Us:
Have a great idea for finishing the year strong? Reach out to your coordinator or share your thoughts in the comments below!
00:00 Intro and End of Year Advice
04:24 How to Teach the Temple
16:12 Temple Worthiness Reframed
23:38 Exodus Stories - Relevance and Variety
"Stay strong, teachers! We’re on the home stretch."
As the school year winds down and the "April Slump" sets in, this episode of Seminary Teachers Helping Seminary Teachers is here to provide the inspiration and practical advice you need to finish the year with energy and purpose.
In this episode, our hosts discuss the unique challenges and opportunities of teaching in April—from the aftermath of General Conference and Spring Break to the excitement of mission calls and upcoming graduations. We dive deep into this week’s curriculum, focusing on powerful lessons about temple preparation and the transformative stories in the Book of Exodus.
Key Highlights from This Episode:
- Navigating the April Slump: How to keep students engaged during a busy month filled with state testing, finals, and beautiful (but distracting!) spring weather.
- Temple Preparation & Worthiness: Best practices for teaching the two life-prep lessons on the temple.
- We explore:
- Reframing worthiness not as perfection, but as a dedicated relationship with God.
- Helping seniors prepare for their temple endowment by focusing on the "Why" and the connection to the Atonement of Jesus Christ.
- Using the For the Strength of Youth guide to demystify temple recommend questions.
- The Power of Narrative (Exodus 15-17): Strategies for teaching the "Travel Montage" of the children of Israel.
- Using the "I like the account of... because it teaches me..." framework to help students find personal relevance in scripture.
- Creative ways to bring stories like the parting of the Red Sea, the manna from heaven, and the water from the rock to life through performance and art.
- Finding Christ in the Old Testament: How the stories of the Israelites' physical salvation mirror the spiritual salvation offered by Jesus Christ.
Resources Mentioned:
Elder Bruce C. Hafen’s insights on the Temple Endowment and the story of Adam and Eve.
https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/interpreter/vol46/iss1/11/
Elder D. Todd Christofferson’s General Conference talk on the character of Christ.
churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2026/04/51christofferson?lang=eng
Elder Dale G. Renlund’s talk: "Lifelong Covenantal Connection to God."
https://speeches.byu.edu/talks/dale-g-renlund/stronger-and-closer-connection-to-god-through-multiple-covenants/#:~:text=The%20covenants%20God%20established%20are,and%20everlasting%20covenant%20of%20marriage.
The Temple Tour video featuring Elder and Sister Christofferson.
churchofjesuschrist.org/temples/welcome-to-the-house-of-the-lord?lang=eng
The "AI Agent"—your digital collaborator for brainstorming classroom activities and lesson plans!
gemini.google.com/gem/1-plWEGao3Dvl2BWEmrGxL2sCyAdIsF3U?usp=sharing
Connect With Us:
Have a great idea for finishing the year strong? Reach out to your coordinator or share your thoughts in the comments below!
00:00 Intro and End of Year Advice
04:24 How to Teach the Temple
16:12 Temple Worthiness Reframed
23:38 Exodus Stories - Relevance and Variety
