I am Shawnie
Writer and Creator of Digital Media
…A member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
About Me
Mom to 6, Nana to 2, Wife to 1.
I live in NW Missouri, USA on a 3-acre homestead (with lots of chores).
Words are powerful. They open our minds, build ideas, and increase awareness. The best words send us upward. Written truth generates energy, movement, knowledge, and even confidence. Truth has a life and power of its own. I live for words and swim in them. Stringing words together and sending them off into cyberspace until their vibes reach you is my great joy. Together we add something significant to the universe when we share time and thought space.
Your comments are read and valued. If you feel like connecting…please do.
Of course…visit again!
This blog expresses my personal views only; this is not an official publication of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Vision Statement
Create a helpful blog with inspirational gospel concepts. Lift & encourage people.
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Just want to thank you for the labor of love that is this website. I have found so much value and faith in it.
Thank you so much for that kind note.
Amanda, I agree with you. As I was planning a RS lesson, I stumbled across this! It is a labor of love that touches many hearts.
And your commments touched mine.
You are an amazing gift to the world. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for all you do. …I just noticed something and wanted to let you know right away. There’s a duplicated section in both Elder Cook and Elder Gong’s talks in “5 Highlights” from the most recent General Conference. Under the heading, “The Atonement,” and through the “Real Life Story shared by my Friend Tom F.” I don’t know if this is the right way to contact you, but I couldn’t find another way. Thank you again, so very much!! ❤️
That’s my own work and content, and I put it in both places to provide some understanding to a topic not everyone understands. How the Atonement of Christ takes away pain and suffering from other people’s actions is one of the best kept secrets of the gospel. I super appreciate your kind words. Godspeed you!
I’ve been looking for a way to send you a message that doesn’t go out to the whole world about your message of Feb 23rd on X about JD1:50. There is a lot more to consider from an orthodox LDS perspective regarding BY’s intent and meaning. The stained glass over the grand staircase in the SL Temple is related to it.
You are one of valiant daughters of God
Thank you for your thoughtful writing and putting this out there! Much appreciated
just popping on to say thank you. your lesson highlights are a gift and a blessing to so many. i’m so thankful for your site!
Thank you for your very kind comment. It was warm and very appreciated.
Hi Shawnie I am new to your site. So many helpful ideas. Thank you for sharing. Do you have lessons helps for D&C? Thank you
This year, I am doing lesson kits that help you walk through how to teach with the verses you pick out. They are PDF’s and printable.
Look at Youth – Come Follow me and scroll to the bottom.
Thank you for all you do. I am a teacher in our Elder’s Quorum class, and at 80+. Without your help I probably would not be able to keep what is most likely my last calling.
Shawnie,
I understand that your word press is limiting factor in on your entering more content.
If the additional capacity to be gained on your word press comes as an extra charge.
I would like to help you because at this time my financial situation is more than sufficient for my needs. If I can help you in this or any other way, I would be grateful for the opportunity.
You are so generous! My biggest challenge is time and energy. I’m grateful you found help on this site. Have confidence that you can pick 5 highlights and share them with your class. Many blessings to you.
I was wondering when this week’s CFM lesson would be posted? Thanks!
It’s finally up, sorry it is so late. Been traveling a lot lately.
Thank you. The art work is so beautiful
Loving your site. Great tips and formats. Thank you! I was wondering if you were posting one for this CFM week’s lesson. Sept 16-22nd ?
thank you for all you do on this site. I am hoping for 5 highlights for Elder Bednar’s talk! Anyway, you are doing great!
Shawnie, do you need remote help in preparing some lesson notes, plans, or even research? Thanks Steve Nicoll
You are very kind! I should be able to do much better once December is over.
hi,
just found your site. sounds interesting. before I get too deep,interested in your view of the trinity. I have my own biblical understanding but always ask before I get too deep into anyone’s teachings. hope to get a reply
Ted wagner
bristol tn
What is your question?
I just wanted you to know your lessons and insights have been such a help over the years. I noticed for April 2024 you didn’t do as many as normal. I hope every thing is OK.
I’m taking a break from an insane week to finish preparing my Sunday school lesson and thought I’d better spare a moment to thank you who has helped me so tremendously to handle my new calling, teaching youth Sunday school. As a full time educator, I really appreciate the work and thought you put into your lessons. Thank you dearly.
Hi I love your website I use it for my youth Sunday school lesson often. It is so great!
But I can’t find this weeks lesson Alma 43-52.
I found your website when I was called to be a Relief Society instructor. Your method/plan is EXACTLY what I wanted to accomplish but didn’t know how to get there on my own. THANK YOU for sharing your talents and especially for sharing your specific lesson plans. The discussion is definitely richer when I have one of your plans as a starting point instead of trying to create my own from scratch.
I’m hoping you will soon be outlining Elder Renlund’s latest talk about the Doctrine of Christ. 🙂 Thanks for all you do!
I just wanted to leave a big thank you, for your wonderful outline on Elder Kearon’s talk, “God’s Intent is to Bring You Home”. I was really struggling on how teach this lesson and felt inspired to search online for ideas. Your outline was perfect, and I was able to adapt it to my needs. I really appreciate too, your “5 steps for Creating RS Lessons” and your templates. This will help me so much in the future, as I always struggle to come up with discussion questions. I so appreciate your time and effort.
Shawnee, have you done a lesson plan for Elder Bowen’s April 2024 Miracles, Angels and priesthood power general conference talk?
Thank you so much for creating these wonderful lesson ideas! I love referring to them when I am working on my lessons and I get stuck. 🙂
Will you be creating one for the talk “All Will Be Well Because of Temple Covenants”?
If you wanted someone to become a “Better Bible Scholar” you would first of all mandate that they learn Greek & Hebrew. If you were a true bible scholar you would believe that Jesus is the “monogenes” – ‘The Only Begotten’ of The Father, and you would not subscribe to the mormon lie that He is ‘the spirit brother of Satan’.
Shawnie, I’m a professional editor and am helping online some original LDS BoM research content and may be in need of your assistance. Please contact me when you get a moment. Thx!
Thank you so much for preparing and sharing these lesson outlines, tips and suggestions for improving discussion in the classes, and thank you for helping me to invite great discussions in our Relief Society. This is an amazing resource! Any way to request lesson tips on Elder DeDeo’s talk “Rise! He Calleth Thee”?
Ha, Sara! I was just coming here to look for the same talk. I have to give the lesson in RS next week, and I love Shawnie’s lesson outlines. They provide so much guidance and make for great RS lessons in our ward.
I couldn’t “teach” RS without these insights. THANK YOU. I just went over the lesson helps for “Put Ye on the Lord Jesus Christ”. In the summary it mentions Elder Kearon’s talk…did I miss something? Are these connected? Just wondering. Thanks again!
Hi. I’m just wondering if there are more conference talk lessons for April 2024 on the way. You usually do quite a few and I’m only seeing 7
Thanks for all you do for all us less than confident teachers!
I was searching for a great resource for simple and clear teacher training for my teachers in Relief Society and yours was perfectly clear, to the point, and had all the ideas that are important to me in a lesson. Thank you so much for putting these together!
Thank you so much for the President Holland lesson plan. This really helped to give me some useful ideas for Elders Quorum.
I’m tickled to hear that it was useful for you in some way. I hope you had a wonderful lesson with your Elders!
Hello,
I love your lesson plans and ideas! You have helped me so much over the last two years that I’ve been teaching RS.
I think there may be an issue with the link for Sister Runia’s talk. Will you please check?
Many thanks!
-Brooke
It works for me…I don’t know!
It’s working now. Many thanks!
Thank you for doing the work of studying the talks and providing thoughtful and insightful questions. I also appreciate all your tips and reminders about how to be an effective discussion leader and how to encourage comments. You are making a difference in my life and in anyone who chooses to read, apply and learn from your blog/website.
hello neighbors! I’m in NE MO and I’m in the nauvoo stake!
literally was just quickly looking up the exact wording of a joseph Smith talk- and had to join in the neighborhood chit chat
once I’m finished writing what I’m working on I am going to binge read your blog woohoo!
with love to my neighbors,
– jl
Hello from Orange County! Thank you for your wonderful and inspired lessons! I love reading your insights on conference talks! Thank you for being a light!
Your comment made my day. I’m grateful you took time to leave it. Many, many blessings to you.
General Conference is not on 10/07/2023
Thank you, I’ll take a look at that.
I use your site every month for my RS lessons! I love your insight. Thanks for all your hard work!
You must be a kindred spirit! LOL. I’m very grateful you find it useful and I am thrilled to lend something that helps. Your calling is paramount to us all.
Hi Shawnie,
Thanks for all the great insights and lesson prep advise on your website. I am new as an instructor and your resources have been a great help.
Tonight, I was prepping for a lesson using your outline on Elder Uchtdorf talk for the strength of parents from last conference. I clicked out and then back in and it seems to have crashed. I tried to access it on several different devices and it has the same problem. Just wondering if you could check and see if there is any way to access your outline for this talk?
Any help would be appreciated. Thanks!
This is really helpful! Thank you for letting me know. I just tested everything, and four hours later it is all working. I apologize for the frustration! Would you check it again and see if it is still an issue?
I’m glad I found you! I was just searching how I can best understand what I as assigned to teach. This indeed is one of the amazing advantages of having modern technologies. You have indeed used it to further and hasten God’s work. Thank you again!
Florence,
Your sweet note made my day. I hope your lesson goes well and that your dear sisters love and appreciate your efforts to prepare. Thank you!
Being called as a Relief Society teacher was such a challenge for me because I feel so lost without a manual or structured lesson template. The lesson helps on your website are an answer to my prayers! Thank you so much for your time and effort in preparing them.
Heather – I’m thrilled you find them useful. I have such a love of gospel teachings, so this website is my joy. Blessings to you as you teach!
I just want to say thank you! I was recently called as a Relief Society teacher and your posts have been so incredibly helpful. I had no idea where to start when planning my lesson (I’ve never taught Relief Society before, or Sunday School for that matter) and now I feel like maybe I can do this. Thank you!
That is one of my favorite things to hear from people – is that this site is useful and helpful. It’s not easy to be called as a teacher and be the focal point. Bless your heart for giving your time and willingness.
Hi there Shawnee
This is our lesson plan for next year… I would be thrilled if you could do some lessons on any of them!
Much love
Wendy Bayles
October 2022 Conference
Jan 8th
Helping the Poor and Distressed Elder Dallin H Oaks
Jan 22nd
Follow Jesus Christ with Footsteps of Faith
Elder M. Russell Ballard
Feb 12th
Our Earthly Stewardship Bishop Gerald Causse’
Feb 26th
Lifted Up upon the Cross
Elder Jeffrey R. Holland
Mar 12th
Legacy of Encouragement
Elder Henry B. Eyring
Mar 26th
Seeing More of
Jesus Christ in Our Lives
Sister Tracy Y. Browning
Apr 9th
Be Perfected in Him
Brother Paul V. Johnson
Apr 23rd
Are you Still Willing?
Brother Kevin W. Pearson
May 14th
Happy and Forever
Elder Gerrit W. Gong
May 28th
That They Might Know Thee Brother Jonathan S. Schmitt
June 11th
Let Doing Good Be Our Normal Brother Rafael E. Pino
June 25th
The Doctrine of Belonging Elder D. Todd Christofferson
Wendy, I entered in a vote for each of these talks. The next ones I will be writing up are Pearson, Stevenson, Craig, Oaks, Eyring and Johnson in that order.
Hi Shawnie, could you do a 5 highlights on Sister Kristin Yee’s conference talk ‘Beauty for Ashes: The Healing Power of forgiveness’ I have this lesson assignment coming up in a few weeks…Thank you
I will definitely try and get that up by the end of the month or soon after.
Enjoy your website, but could not locate a print icon to print out your comments. 9 pages was w-a-y too long for any talk. No two-sided option. Please advise.
Which talk?
Hi Shawnie,
First of all I want to thank you so much for this site! I became a RS instructor in February. It has been life saving when preparing lessons. Could I ask a huge favor?? I have been asked to teach/instruct Jean Bingham’s talk “Covenants with God Strengthen, Protect, and Prepare Us for Eternal Glory” On July 24th. Any chance you would have the time to do a lesson help on it? I would be forever grateful. Thank you!!
Well…I’m in finals and drowning in that so probably not this time. I do hope you try ‘5 Steps to a Lesson.’ If you have taught before – this will walk you right through it. Please have faith in your ability to prepare a great lesson. You do wonderfully to research and prep like this!
I love this website!❤️ Helps me so much. Will you be doing President Eyring’s talk any time soon?
It should be up by Thurs evening or Friday morning.
I found your website for the last lesson I gave on a Dallin H Oaks talk. It saved me! Thank you so much for thinking outside of the box, which is hard for me to do. My next lesson is on Mother’s Day. It’s on Elder Uchtdorf’s talk from the recent conference: Our Heartfelt All. Will you have these on the site anytime soon? Thanks again for being so insightful and sharing with all of us!
It’s there. It’s the last one I wrote. You may need to refresh your page to find it? I loved the phrase you used “thinking outside of the box.” For me, that’s a great compliment. Thanking you so much for being here and for your nice note.
Have you reviewed Elder Gong’s talk Trust Again from the October 2021 conference anywhere. I so appreciate your help in preparing for the Relief Society lessons. Thank you
Yes, search for “trust again gong” in search box.
Sister Cannon, I just came upon your blog as I was preparing for a discussion in Elder’s Quorum on Elder Renlund’s most recent conference talk on the peace of Christ abolishing enmity. What a great blog, and what a help it was to help me prepare! Then, imagine my surprise when I clicked on your “About Me” page and discovered that we are neighbors! We live in the Hill Park Ward in the Independence, Missouri Stake. Thank you for letting your light shine!
Aww man! How wonderful. Thank you for connecting. Viva Missouri. I hope your lesson goes wonderfully.
What a wonderful resource. Thank you for sharing.
You are welcome!
Hi Shawnie! Would you be willing to do a relief society lesson on One Percent Better by Elder Dunn from October 2021 conference? Please let me know! Thanks so much!!
That was an awesome, awesome talk. I overloaded myself at school and will not be doing additional talks until the next Conference. Have faith in yourself! Please use “5 Steps to a Lesson” if you haven’t seen that resource already. Blessings to you (and you can do wonders).
I have used your 5 highlights general conference and they have been life savers!! I have the hardest time turning a talk into a lesson sometimes and these guides really help! Thank you SO much for all the work you put into this. Do you have Elder Cooks talk on personal peace during challenging times planned? I’m teaching that on the 23rd this month. 🙂
I won’t be writing up that talk but you know – Elder Cook divided his own talk into 5 highlights. Have you looked at it? Find his “First, Second,” etc and think of 1 or 2 questions for each and you are set. Shorten the quotes a bit but you are up to the task on this one – his is one of the most straightforward talks.
Thank you for your wonderful helps & insights! Do you have anything on Camille Johnson’s Oct Conference Talk “Invite Christ to Author your Story”?
Love that talk! I am traveling this week and won’t be able to get it up before Sunday. Bless your heart – your class will enjoy your preparations.
Sister Cannon,
Thank you so much for these beautiful highlights , it was so helpful for my RS lesson.
I can just feel the spirit as I was reading how you organized these words together for us teachers to teach.
May the Lord continued your writing to help us teachers out.
Mahalo!
Fia
Fia – you are a sweetheart and I can feel your beautiful spirit all the way in Missouri. Bless you, for preparing a faithful lesson for your sisters.
You are such a genius! Thank you for sharing your Knowledge.
Haha…genius is a most generous word. Honestly I spend half my day remembering where ai put things. Thanks so much for using this blog.
I am 26 and have been in student wards for what feels like a very long time. I have been called as a teacher before and, when called in my new family ward, I was maybe a little nervous, but mostly excited. In my previous student wards, class discussion had never been a problem. I was in for a rude awakening come my first lesson. I found myself completely unprepared, having run through the questions I’d thought would take up so much time, in less than 15 minutes.
This caused extreme anxiety as I read through the talk for my second lesson, trying and failing to understand and figure out good questions and how to encourage true participation, terrified of another occurrence of standing in silence, hoping someone would offer at least a token response to my discussion questions.
Your page/blog was such an enormous answer to prayer. The suggested quotes and related questions and activities, along with the Lesson outlines themselves were such a blessing to me. Giving my a jump off point and understanding of how to prepare a lesson that doesn’t rely quite so heavily on 98% discussion. I feel on somewhat more steady footing.
I cannot thank you enough
Oh Briana sweetheart – your note made me cry. I had the EXACT SAME THING happen to me at your age. Taught RS in a student ward – thought I was really good at it. Got called to teach Gospel Doctrine in a family ward after getting married and fell on my face…totally fell on my face. Same experience. No one volunteered or hardly did. And that experience went into the mix of this website. Love ya. Hope your lesson goes great.
Thanks for sharing such great insight! Awesome help for my relief society lesson!
Rachel, you are so sweet. Thank you for your kind words.
I’m so glad that I have found your website. There is so much valuable and helpful information here. Thank you for taking the time to do this – you are appreciated.
Thank you Susan! You are a sweetheart.
Thank you very helpful…keep it up!❤️
Aww…thanks. I try. So glad you visit.
Love your blog, thanks for your work!
Aww…thanks for that great note. I appreciate it a lot.
Thank you for your efforts with this website. I refer to it during my preparations for every lesson I teach in Relief Society. I especially appreciate your 5 Highlight for the General Confernce talks. Please keep it up!!!
Ann – thank you for your terrific, generous note. I apologize for the late reply – I’ve been out of the country, without wifi sometimes and I miss my prompts. I loved hearing from you – blessings to you as you teach.
I just wanted to let you know I appreciate your 5 highlights for conference talks! They’re great!
Erin – thanks for your kind words! They are so appreciated.
Dear Shawnie I wish to thank you for your insights it’s always great and I love the 5 insights on general conference its truly a great help. Thank you
Do you have any insights on ” Jesus Christ the Caregiver of Our Soul” by Elder Ulisses Soares please?
Shariefa
South Africa.
Let me see if I can get that done by Thursday? I’m so glad you reached out. Many blessings to you!
The lesson is up. 5 Highlights for Elder Soares – Jesus Christ Caregiver Best of luck to you and I will be thinking about you Sunday!
Conference highlights are wonderful. Helps you catch up. And see things again.
Awww…I’m so glad you were here. Thank you for your nice note.
Sister Cannon, thank you for posting your insights and commentary (Not as the World Giveth – Elder Holland). There were several points to consider and I enjoyed searching for more commentary. Elder Holland was always refreshingly direct and encouraging when he spoke at BYU (I attended when he was the president).
All the best to your continued success.
Respectfully,
Jackson
Thank you Jackson! I hope you find more insights here as you need them. So glad you stopped by.
I use your lesson outline to help guide my EQ lessons. Thank you so much for your time and thoughtful question. They’ve inspired so many good discussions in our Quorum.
That warms my heart! It says so much about you as a teacher that you value discussion and help others to have them. God speed you.
Love the 5 things about Conference Talks. Good insights.
Thank you, Becky – those are one of my favorite write-ups.
Thank you so much for these wonderful highlights, they are just marvellous and really bring out the true messages of the talks. They greatly assist me to put a meaningful lesson/discussion group together covering key points.
So very grateful for your wonderful ideas.
Cheers from Kathy in Australia
You are so welcome! What a lovely note to leave me, it made my day. Cheers to you too.
This is just great, I prepared a lesson for my elders quorum class . It was a great help , May heavenly father bless you
Victor, I’m so glad you visited and that it is useful! Best blessings to you as you teach. Your efforts to prepare will be felt by those you teach. I’m so thankful for teachers who take the time.