My daughter taught the lesson in Young Women today. She hates plain boring lessons so we took a Jeopardy style approach to it. She made her game based off of this lesson: Why is the First Vision so Important?, but this could really be done for a lot of different topics. This is what her paper looked like (sorry I didn't save the questions we printed that we put on her poster board) I will add explanations in highlighted areas

Why is the First Vision important?

She used on of the attention activities from the lesson first.

Show a picture of the First Vision. Ask someone in the class to briefly describe what is happening in the picture. Invite the young women to ponder for a few moments the significance of this event. Ask them to look for insights during the lesson that will help them understand the importance of the First Vision.

Then she handed out her hand out and had a girl read it and the class discussed it briefly.

Then we started playing her game. She divided them into 2 teams and asked one of the leaders to be score keeper. Then she just let the girls choose from a category.

Complete the Scripture

In this category we left out the word highlighted in gray, we should have left off the scripture reference because she didn't let the use their scriptures. The question in ( ) was asked after each ? was answered for an additional 100 bonus points which was the most amazing thing about the game because it cot the girls discussing. This is from the second bullet under learning together in the lesson.

100- I was one day reading in the Epistle of James, first chapter and fifth verse which reads: If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God. -JSH 1:11

200- In accordance with this, my determination to ask God, I retired to the woods to make an attempt. -JSH 1:14

300- It was the first time in my life that I had made such an attempt...to pray vocally. -JSH 1:14

400- Immeditaley, I was seized upon by some power which entirely overcame me, and had such astonishing influence over me as to bind my tongue. -JSH 1:15

500- When the light rested upon me, I saw two Personages...One of them spake unto me calling me by name and said, pointing to the other- This is My Beloved Son. Hear Him!

(Why is it important to us?)

Truths learned by the

First Vision

We used the 2nd section again to come up with these ideas, and left out the gray words and just put in a line ______ or blank instead. And used the question and 100 bonus points to motivate a good (thoughtful) answer.

100- God hears and answers our prayers.

200- God's powers are greater than Satan's

300- Satan and his powers are real.

400- The Father and The Son are separate beings.

500- Revelation has not ceased.

(How are these truths different from what other religions believe?)

Flood of Revelation

No one had taught this lesson What was Joseph Smith's role in the restoration? and we were running out of material so we used this talk by Elder Lawrence E. Corbridge to add more info to our game. Again we took out the gray words and used the 100 bonus point question at the bottom of this category.

100- You are more than human. You are a child of God and may become like Him.

200- There is more after this life than only heaven and hell. There are degrees of glory, and it matters a great deal what we do in this life.

300- The billions who live and die without the gospel ordinances are not lost. The laws and ordinances of the Gospel can be administered for both the living and the dead.

400- Everything did not begin at birth. You lived before in the presence of God as His son or daughter and prepared for this mortal life.

500- Marriage and family are not conventions of men until only death do us part. They are intended to be made eternal through covenants we make with God. The family is the pattern of heaven.

(How would our lives be different if we did not know these things? )

God and Jesus manifest themselves

This category came from the 4th bullet in the original lesson. We used 2x3 inch printed pictures as our question and the team had to summarize the story for the points (Moses was really hard but the other worked great). And of course we used a bonus question again to encourage thoughts and discussion.

100- John the Baptist baptizes Jesus-One day when John the Baptist was baptizing people in the Jordan River, Jesus came to him. Jesus asked John the Baptist to baptize Him. John the Baptist knew that Jesus already obeyed all of the commandments. He thought Jesus didn’t need to be baptized. But Heavenly Father had commanded everyone to be baptized, so Jesus told John the Baptist to baptize Him. When Jesus came up out of the water, the Holy Ghost came upon Him like a dove. Heavenly Father spoke from heaven. He said, “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” John the Baptist also testified that Jesus was the Son of God.

200- Jesus appears to the Nephites- When Jesus died, there were earthquakes, fires, and storms. The Nephite people were very afraid. Some of the righteous people gathered at the temple.

After the earthquakes were over, a voice came down from heaven. It was the voice of Heavenly Father. He said, “Behold my Beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”

The people looked up and saw a Man coming down from heaven. It was Jesus.

Jesus let people come close to Him. He asked them to touch the nail prints in His hands and feet from when He had been crucified. How the people loved Him!

300- The Brother of Jared- When the barges were finished, the brother of Jared talked with the Lord about how they would have to cross the ocean in darkness. The Lord wanted the brother of Jared to tell Him how to light the barges. So he went up into the hills and smelted sixteen stones until they were as clear as glass. Carrying them to the top of a mountain, he asked the Lord to touch the stones with His finger so that they might shine in the darkness.

When the brother of Jared had finished praying, the Lord did as he had asked and touched the stones with His finger. The veil was removed from the brother of Jared’s eyes, and he saw the finger of the Lord. Then, because of the brother of Jared’s great faith, the Lord showed him the rest of Himself, teaching him that all men are created in the Lord’s image.

400- Moses - Before Moses led the children of Israel through the wilderness, he was called by the Lord to a high mountain. There he saw the glory of God and spoke to Him face to face.

“Behold,” the Lord said, “I am the Lord God Almighty, and Endless is my name.”

“And, behold, thou art my son.” He told Moses that He had an important work for him to do.

The Lord showed him a wonderful vision of the whole earth and all the people who were created.

Moses 1:1-4

500- Stoning of Stephen- Acts 7:54 When they heard these things, they were cut to the heart, and they gnashed on him with their teeth.

55 But he, being full of the Holy Ghost, looked up steadfastly into heaven, and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God,

56 And said, Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God.

57 Then they cried out with a loud voice, and stopped their ears, and ran upon him with one accord,

58 And cast him out of the city, and stoned him: and the witnesses laid down their clothes at a young man’s feet, whose name was Saul.

59And they stoned Stephen, calling upon God, and saying, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.

60 And he kneeled down, and cried with a loud voice,Lord, lay not this sin to their charge. And when he had said this, he fell asleep.

Summarize each story. (How was Joseph Smith’s First Vision similar to this?)

We actually had enough discussion that she didn't get done with the game. She still had 2 unanswered questions at the end. The quotes below were her backup time fillers that she didn't use. This one is the opening statement on the lesson page.

In the spring of 1820, God the Father and His Son, Jesus Christ, appeared to the Prophet Joseph Smith. This vision, which marked the beginning of the Restoration of the gospel, is the most important event since the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. Joseph Smith’s humble prayer led to the restoration of gospel truths, priesthood authority, and saving ordinances. “That one revelation answers all the [questions] regarding God and his divine personality. ... His interest in humanity through authority delegated to man is apparent. The future of the work is assured. These and other glorious truths are clarified by that glorious first vision” (Teachings of Presidents of the Church: David O. McKay [2003], 93).

This is part of the story Pres. Uchtdorf used in his talk (the 1st bullet in the lesson) that we really couldn't figure out a way to make into a category but did hand out a quote from it and intended to use this shortened version of his story.

While the congregation sang our beloved hymns of the Restoration, I pumped with all my strength so the organ would not run out of wind. I always felt honored by the importance of this duty and the trust that the organist had placed in me. It was a wonderful feeling of accomplishment to have a responsibility and to be part of this great work.

There was an additional benefit that came from this assignment: the bellows operator sat in a seat that offered a great view of a stained-glass window that beautified the front part of the chapel. The stained glass portrayed the First Vision, with Joseph Smith kneeling in the Sacred Grove, looking up toward heaven and into a pillar of light.

During the hymns of the congregation and even during talks and testimonies given by our members, I often looked at this depiction of a most sacred moment in world history. In my mind’s eye I saw Joseph receiving knowledge, witness, and divine instructions as he became a blessed instrument in the hand of our Heavenly Father.

I felt a special spirit while looking at the beautiful scene in this window picture of a believing young boy in a sacred grove who made a courageous decision to earnestly pray to our Heavenly Father, who listened and responded lovingly to him.

Here I was, a young boy in post–World War II Germany, living in a city in ruins, thousands of miles away from Palmyra in North America and more than a hundred years after the event actually took place. By the universal power of the Holy Ghost, I felt in my heart and in my mind that it was true, that Joseph Smith saw God and Jesus Christ and heard Their voices. The Spirit of God comforted my soul at this young age with an assurance of the reality of this sacred moment that resulted in the beginning of a worldwide movement destined to “roll forth, until it has filled the whole earth” (D&C 65:2). I believed Joseph Smith’s testimony of that glorious experience in the Sacred Grove then, and I know it now. God has spoken to mankind again!