I love the scriptures as much as anyone, except for maybe Hans. I read the Old Testament in 40 days and 40 nights when I was in Seminary. The girls were so impressed I had three requests for the Sadie Hawkins dance that year. The look in my Seminary teacher’s eyes when I crossed off Malachi from my reading chart will always stay with me. In my many wonderful memories of Seminary, it is second only to the look in his eyes when he suspended me from Seminary two months later.
Because I love the scriptures so much, you might think that I love Gospel Doctrine and Sunday School. You would be wrong. Our Gospel Doctrine curriculum is the most correlated and boring of all of the manuals. Nobody bothers reading the scriptures in preparation for the lesson; you’re lucky if the teacher has read the chapters. Half of the lessons cover ridiculous amounts of material, like all 150 Psalms in one 50 minute class, and we waste half of that 50 minutes first waiting for everyone to show up, then singing all seven verses of A Poor Wayfaring Man of Grief and then listen to the old High Priest in the back praying for literally forever. The other half of the lessons covers just a handful of verses so that we can prooftext the Old Testament to say whatever we want it to say to prove that Mormonism is the Most Important Church of All Times.
I’ve heard the rumors about mystical lands far away where they only do two hours of Church instead of three. I’ve even heard the rumors that there are apostles behind the scenes pushing for two hours here in the US. However, these rumors are unlikely to come to fruition.
Do I think the up and coming new adult curriculum will help Sunday School? No. And not just no, but Hell No. With the current Gospel Doctrine lessons we at least pretend that we are studying the scriptures. If the youth curriculum is anything to go by, the new lessons will feature boring standard Mormon Doctrines and talking points, with prooftexted passages to bolster the lesson. With the current system we at least occasionally read the verses that surround our favorite passages. This is a recipe for even less thinking and even more of an echo chamber.
Despair?
So what can we do? We have no control over the curriculum. We cannot just decide to use another lesson manual. I’ve tried preparing for the lessons and contributing whenever I can. That is just a recipe for disappointment. The cool parts you read are never included. You wait patiently to make a point, and you have the option of interrupting the discussion to shoehorn it in or just sit disappointed while you keep it to yourself. When you share too many comments you are in danger of being yelled at by people in the ward. I always tell the Sunday School President that I’m ready to substitute when a teacher is unavailable but I never seem to be asked. I was very excited when one of my friends was called as a Sunday School teacher. She gave a couple of good lessons until the bishop asked her to stick to the manual and the lessons took a sudden drop in quality.
Foyer Sunday School
My ward does not have a foyer Sunday School class. These are not official classes, of course. They are usually the natural result of parents with noisy pre-18 month children and slackers who would rather not be in the classes. My own father goes home during Sunday School each week. Well I’m ready to be a slacker. I’ve given Gospel Doctrine everything I have and I’m ready to try something different. We can all bang our heads against the wall trying to make Gospel Doctrine different or we can sidestep it entirely.
How To Start Foyer Sunday School
Step number one: Sit out in the foyer during Sunday School.
…..
That’s it. Well, that could be all you do. There are some other things to get it to be a little more lively. Convince your significant other to sit out there with you. Invite a couple of friends to foyer Sunday School. There is no need to prepare a lesson. Anything is better than what is going on in Gospel Doctrine. Discussions can be focused or silent. The content is not the point. Creating a safe space for the bored masses of the Gospel Doctrine is the only goal.
A Little More Subversive
If you are called to be a Sunday School teacher, inform the person calling you that you are fully prepared to teach the class but that it will take place in the foyer and that the curriculum will be whatever you feel inspired to do that week. If you are told that that is unacceptable then politely decline the calling.
Offer donuts to anyone who will attend Foyer Sunday School (not purchased on the Sabbath of course).
If anyone asks you why you no longer attend Gospel Doctrine, make sure you tell them. Tell them why you are unfulfilled. Ask them what they get out of Gospel Doctrine. And as any good ward missionary knows, end your discussion by inviting them to foyer Sunday School.
If you are ever handed a Gospel Doctrine student manual: throw it on the ground.
Action Steps
Start a foyer Sunday School in your ward. Tell your friends. Tell people who aren’t your friends. Invite everyone. Share a link to this page. I’ll see you in the foyer.
Just make sure the posers don’t see you throw your manual on the ground, or they might tase you in the butt—-. You could say, “don’t tase me, bros,” but they probably wouldn’t listen.
This is s great idea! Plus if you use The Lonely Island to get your point across I’m sold.
Truthfully I’ve been saying our Sunday School system has been broken for awhile. I felt that way when I was Sunday School President, but I didn’t know how to fix it. This foyer class sounds perfect. Plus donuts! I’ve been saying we need donuts between scarament and third hour since I went to a different church and that’s how they did it. I might try to do this in my ward. It would at least give me something to do other than walk around trying to pretend to get my baby to sleep.
I’ve been doing this forever. Here’s my secret: Start a “conversation” with the Bishop’s wife (or with friends, or with old High Priest) about anything under the sun. Ensure the conversation goes for at least 15 minutes into the Sunday School hour. By the time you “notice” the time, it would simply be rude to interrupt Sunday School.
Et voile. Haven’t been to Sunday school in what seems like years.
Some things appear to be universal. I must admit that I have been a Sunday School Gospel Doctrine teacher and much of the lesson material presented is worse than staid and dull. I used it as a guide only. Never had a leader tell me to stick to the manual (although I never strayed from the doctrine). I think people enjoyed it more when I did all I could to “liken the scriptures to ourselves”. Sure, at times the “learned and wise” may have not always had their overflowing intellects fully sated but generally there was a vibrant feel in GD and class members felt confident in contributing. What I want to know is what people think they do when they raise their hand sustain someone in sacrament meeting whether that person is called as either bishop, primary teacher, ward greeter or even ‘lowly’ Sunday School (Gospel Doctrine) teacher. We’re all on different points on the road and to protest in this way, just to highlight what is essentially a selfish point of view, reeks of arrogance and brat-like pout.
I'd say the problem is with you.
"Our Gospel Doctrine curriculum is the most correlated and boring of all of the manuals. Nobody bothers reading the scriptures in preparation for the lesson; you’re lucky if the teacher has read the chapters. Half of the lessons cover ridiculous amounts of material, like all 150 Psalms in one 50 minute class, and we waste half of that 50 minutes first waiting for everyone to show up, then singing all seven verses of A Poor Wayfaring Man of Grief and then listen to the old High Priest in the back praying for literally forever. The other half of the lessons covers just a handful of verses so that we can prooftext the Old Testament to say whatever we want it to say to prove that Mormonism is the Most Important Church of All Times."
"Do I think the up and coming new adult curriculum will help Sunday School? No. And not just no, but Hell No. With the current Gospel Doctrine lessons we at least pretend that we are studying the scriptures. If the youth curriculum is anything to go by, the new lessons will feature boring standard Mormon Doctrines and talking points, with prooftexted passages to bolster the lesson. With the current system we at least occasionally read the verses that surround our favorite passages. This is a recipe for even less thinking and even more of an echo chamber."
My first answer is "Repent ye, repent ye" (the same think I tell myself each and every day).
My second answer, upon being rebuffed in relation to the above, is, of course, that there are other churches, we live in a free society, and all have agency.
We are all free to seek our own level, that level at which we are most comfortable.
And than, at the last day, to face and accept the consequences.
As to the second, more "subversive actions the author asks members to take:
"If you are called to be a Sunday School teacher, inform the person calling you that you are fully prepared to teach the class but that it will take place in the foyer and that the curriculum will be whatever you feel inspired to do that week. If you are told that that is unacceptable then politely decline the calling.
Offer donuts to anyone who will attend Foyer Sunday School (not purchased on the Sabbath of course).
If anyone asks you why you no longer attend Gospel Doctrine, make sure you tell them. Tell them why you are unfulfilled. Ask them what they get out of Gospel Doctrine. And as any good ward missionary knows, end your discussion by inviting them to foyer Sunday School.
If you are ever handed a Gospel Doctrine student manual: throw it on the ground."
I have the following response, as to the possible outcome vis-a-vis the restored Church if such behavior continues and attempts are made to subvert local priesthood leaders and sow discord and rebellion in one's ward, branch, and stake:
"There's the door."
Loran Blood,
“There’s the door”
Regrettably, with our current structure, people are finding the door by themselves. I’ve been teaching gospel doctrine for 5 yrs, and most of the time I just teach from the assigned reading and skip the manual outline because my private screaming at the stupid questions ruins the spirit.
I’m in full support of people “finding the door by themselves” if this is their attitude. “I’m too good for the manual and I’m too good to teach the class where I was asked. I find it boring. Maybe I’ll just leave!”
Yeah, don’t let the door hit you on the ass on your way out.
When I was on the High Council I was told I would also be the Stake Sunday School President. When I asked what that meant, the Stake President gave a wry grin and said,”Well, nothing. But we have to have one.”
During Stake Conference they’d sustain stake leaders an d they’d say “As Stake Sunday School President, Darren Bush.” I would jerk my head up to see what was up. Then I’d realize it was nothing and go back to playing “I’m gonna eat your toes” with a giggly baby I borrowed from one of the families in the ward.
I know some of this essay is hyperbolic, but there is truth in it. I rarely go to Sunday School, since I usually find someone in the foyer who needs a little love and attention. I’d rather do that and let someone feel that someone cares about them individually than argue (I mean discuss) whether Jonah was actually swallowed by a whale, and what was said whale’s stomach acid ph? The answer was between 1.5 and 3.5. I have had some wonderful experiences giving hope and a little empathy to members who felt a little on the edge and needed arms around them.
I agree the Sunday School system is in need of change, and the 2 hour block is the fix. Then add an hour to hang out and do yoga or eat jello salad or actually discuss the PH/RS lessons with each other, like I do with my wife when we get home from church.