Buried Treasure!

Last week in seminary we were learning about how Joseph Smith received the golden plates. I wanted to do something memorable that would catch their attention. So at the beginning of class I told them that we were going to have a "visualization" exercise. I told them to close their eyes and imagine that they were Joseph Smith, they were 17 years old, and have been dealing with persecution for three whole years now. I turned of the lights (but only after they promised that they would not fall asleep) and the did the visualization exercise. But while their eyes were closed, Bro. Jones, dressed all in white, slipped in the back door of the room and stood on a chair in front of them. I shined a bright light on him as he called Joseph by name and said he was the Angel Moroni. He quoted some of what Moroni said on that first visit to Joseph, and the told them that the ancient record was buried, not in the Hill Cumorah, but near the East entrance of this building, under a stone near a tree. Then he disappeared out the back door again.

It worked! I really got their attention. It was so great!

They all wanted to go find the plates that the angel had told them about so we all headed out into the beautiful early morning. It was just daybreak and the sky was ablaze! (Oh the things you miss when you are in a classroom every morning!)

Following the directions the angel gave, they found the plates. I had come very early with a shovel and large piece of flagstone and dug a hole, wrapped the plates in fabric, put them in the hole, and covered it with the stone.

My freshmen class!

My parents had made the plates years ago when Mom was a seminary teacher. They worked out great.

It was definitely a memorable was to teach about this very exciting part of church history. The kids all told me that I should do this kind of stuff every day. That would be nice, but this took a lot of planning, and when you have to teach every day that is hard to do. But once in a while it is fun a do something special like this. (Next week I have something pretty cool planned! Can't wait. Hope it is just as successful.)

Thanks to Bro. Jones for doing this for me!

Teaching seminary is a whole lot of work, but oh so rewarding! I LOVE it.