Prepare to Hear Him: Helping Students Get Ready for General Conference

General Conference is coming October 3–4. We have a couple of weeks to help our students see conference as more than something that happens twice a year. We can help them approach it expecting that the Lord may have something specifically for them.

Listen With a Student in Mind

One simple practice suggested in our teacher training is to listen to General Conference with a student in mind.

As you prepare for and listen to conference, think about your students—the things they are struggling with, the questions they are asking, the decisions they are making, and the things they may be worried about. You might think about your class generally, or perhaps one particular student.

Then ask yourself:

“What will I hear from the prophets that could help this student or my class?”

Write down impressions when they come. You may hear a phrase, a story, a scripture, or a teaching that immediately makes you think of someone you teach. Those impressions can become powerful resources in your teaching during the weeks and months ahead.

This isn't necessarily about finding a quote to use in a lesson. It is about knowing our students well enough that we are listening for them.

Help Students Prepare to Listen Too

We can also help our students prepare before conference arrives. Over the next couple of weeks, take a few minutes in class to talk about conference and invite students to think about what they would like to hear from the Lord. Encourage them to identify a question they have, something they are worried about, a decision they are making, or an area where they need help. They might write it in their scriptures, their phone, or somewhere they will see it when conference begins. Then invite them to listen with that question in mind. We don't need to promise that a speaker will directly answer their question. Instead, we can teach them to listen for thoughts, feelings, scriptures, and impressions that may help them recognize what the Lord is teaching them.

A simple question in class might be:

“If the Lord had something He wanted you to hear during General Conference, what would you hope it would be?”

Give them a minute to think about it.

After Conference

Don't let conference end on Sunday.

When students return to class, ask:

“What did you hear that felt like it was meant for you?”

Then give them time to share.

If we prepare before conference, listen with our students in mind during conference, and talk about what we learned afterward, General Conference can become much more than a weekend event. It can become part of the ongoing conversation we are having with our students about following Jesus Christ and hearing Him through His prophets.

This week: Think of your students as you prepare for conference, and help them begin thinking about what they hope to hear.