Many teachers struggle with how to teach Easter in seminary.
The story of Jesus Christ’s suffering, death, and Resurrection is familiar, but students often move through the lesson without feeling its meaning.
This episode of the Teach Ye Diligently Podcast explores how teachers can help students feel the meaning of Easter more deeply through Jesus Christ and experience His peace and hope.
The Easter story is powerful, but its impact can be lost if the lesson becomes only a review of events students have heard many times before.
Instead, teachers need to slow down and start with where students really are so the doctrine becomes meaningful as students begin to recognize what the Savior is doing for them personally.

In this episode, Mark and Travis discuss how teachers can help students:
• Help students feel the meaning of Easter through Jesus Christ• Connect peace and hope directly to the Savior• Start with students’ real experiences rather than assumptions• Use The Living Christ to center the lesson on Jesus Christ• Create opportunities for students to recognize and share what they feel

The conversation also addresses a common challenge: students may understand the Easter story but struggle to recognize what it means for them personally. Teachers will see how to guide students toward a moment where they become more aware of the Savior’s influence in their lives.

The second half of the episode focuses on extending that experience beyond a single class—helping students carry what they feel into future learning and preparation for experiences like General Conference.

Chapters

00:00 Intro — Why Easter Lessons Often Miss Their Purpose01:00 Easter Objective — Helping Students Feel Peace and Hope Through Jesus Christ02:59 Easter Objective — Connecting Peace and Hope to the Savior04:58 Relevance — Starting with Students’ Real Experiences06:59 Relevance — Building a Better Entry Point for Easter09:25 Scripture Use — Using The Living Christ to Center the Lesson
11:25 Student Experience — Helping Students Recognize and Share What They Feel
14:21 Extension — Carrying the Experience Beyond One Day
15:08 Extension — Preparing Students for General Conference
22:05 Outro — Why Easter Should Lead to a Personal Experience with Christ

About the Podcast

The Teach Ye Diligently Podcast helps seminary and institute teachers recognize three critical moments in every lesson:

• Where the lesson becomes relevant to students’ lives
• Where students see Jesus Christ in the scriptures
• Where students take responsibility for their learning

Each episode focuses on a specific scripture block and helps teachers structure learning experiences where students can understand truth, believe truth, and act on truth.

Many teachers struggle with how to teach Exodus 1–6.
The story of Moses and the Israelites can feel distant, while students are facing immediate pressure—competing voices telling them who to trust and how to live.

This episode of the Teach Ye Diligently Podcast explores how teachers can help students recognize those voices, see Jesus Christ as the One worth following, and understand why the Lord speaks through prophets.

The story of deliverance is powerful, but the doctrine can be lost if the lesson becomes only a summary of oppression and miracles.

Instead, teachers need to help students feel the real-life pressure of competing voices so the scriptures become meaningful when students begin reading.

In this episode, Mark and Travis discuss how teachers can help students:

• Create relevance before opening the scriptures
• Recognize the pressure of competing voices in their lives
• See Jesus Christ as the perfect example of standing for truth
• Understand why the Lord speaks through prophets
• Take responsibility for choosing which voice they will follow

The conversation also addresses a common challenge: students may understand the activity or discussion, but struggle to connect it to the scriptures. Teachers will see how to bridge that gap so engagement leads to real understanding.

The second half of the episode focuses on Exodus 5–6, where students wrestle with whether following Jesus Christ makes life easier or harder—and how the Lord’s promises give strength even when obedience makes life more difficult.

Chapters

00:00 Intro — Why This Podcast Helps Teachers Find Relevance, Responsibility, and the Savior
00:45 Exodus 1 — Helping Students Feel the Pressure to Stand Alone
01:40 Exodus 1 — Moving from Self-Evaluation to Christ-Centered Engagement
03:05 Exodus 1 — Using Technology or Stories to Help Students See the Savior
05:49 Exodus 2–4 — Helping Students Hear and Trust the Voice of Prophets
06:23 Exodus 2–4 — Using Preparation to Build Student Readiness
08:30 Exodus 2–4 — Creating Relevance with the Competing Voices Activity
11:00 Exodus 2–4 — Turning the Activity into a Spiritual Question
12:22 Exodus 2–4 — Discovering That the Lord Speaks Through Prophets
14:12 Exodus 2–4 — Seeing Jesus Christ in Doctrine and Covenants 1:38
16:27 Exodus 2–4 — Finding the Pattern of Why God Calls Prophets
17:48 Exodus 5–6 — Engaging Students with a Difficult Question
19:12 Exodus 5–6 — Using Movement to Drive Participation
20:30 Exodus 5–6 — Adapting for Small Seminary Classes
22:13 Exodus 5–6 — Using Prophetic Quotes to Deepen Understanding
23:55 Exodus 5–6 — Distinguishing Between Easier and Easy
24:44 Exodus 5–6 — Helping Students Understand the Scriptures
25:29 Teaching in the Savior’s Way — Learning from Christ’s Pattern

About the Podcast

The Teach Ye Diligently Podcast helps seminary and institute teachers recognize three critical moments in every lesson:

• Where the lesson becomes relevant to students’ lives
• Where students see Jesus Christ in the scriptures
• Where students take responsibility for their learning

Each episode focuses on a specific scripture block and helps teachers structure learning experiences where students can understand truth, believe truth, and act on truth.

Many teachers struggle with how to teach Genesis 42–45 and JST Genesis 50.

Joseph’s story moves from betrayal and family conflict to forgiveness—and then shifts to a lesson about the Prophet Joseph Smith.

This episode of the Teach Ye Diligently Podcast explores how teachers can help students feel the doctrine of forgiveness, see Jesus Christ in the scriptures, and strengthen their testimony of prophets.

The story of Joseph forgiving his brothers is familiar, but the spiritual power of the lesson can easily be lost if the class becomes only a summary of events.

Instead, teachers need to help students recognize the real-life problem forgiveness solves so the scriptures become meaningful when students begin reading.

In this episode, Mark and Travis discuss how teachers can help students:

• Create relevance before opening the scriptures
• Discover the doctrine of forgiveness in the story of Joseph
• See Jesus Christ as the true Deliverer
• Take responsibility for their learning by searching the scriptures
• Strengthen testimony of the Prophet Joseph Smith

The conversation also addresses an important reality when teaching forgiveness: some students may be dealing with serious hurt. Teachers need to help students understand the doctrine of forgiveness without ignoring wisdom, safety, and accountability.

The second half of the episode focuses on JST Genesis 50, where students learn why prophets matter and why every generation needs its own spiritual witness that Joseph Smith was called by God.

Chapters

02:04 Genesis 42–45 — Creating Relevance Before Opening the Scriptures
05:49 Genesis 42–45 — Bridging Real Life Problems to Scripture Study
09:44 Genesis 42–45 — Helping Students Discover the Doctrine of Forgiveness
12:18 Taking Responsibility for Learning — Letting Students Find Truth in the Scriptures
14:46 Teaching in the Savior’s Way — When Students Say “I Can’t Forgive”
18:35 Teaching Wisdom — Addressing Forgiveness Without Ignoring Abuse
20:31 JST Genesis 50 — Transitioning to the Lesson on Joseph Smith
21:14 Emphasizing the Savior — Jesus Christ as the True Deliverer
23:46 JST Genesis 50 — Helping Students See Why Prophets Matter
26:02 Strengthening Testimony — Why Every Generation Needs Its Own Witness of Joseph Smith
27:19 Taking Responsibility for Learning — Scripture Study Activity on Prophecies of Joseph Smith
30:03 Teaching Strategy — Observing and Supporting Student Discussion
31:28 Teaching in the Savior’s Way — Inviting Students to Teach and Testify
36:37 Lesson Focus — Measuring Success by the Spiritual Experience

About the Podcast

The Teach Ye Diligently Podcast helps seminary and institute teachers recognize three critical moments in every lesson:

• Where the lesson becomes relevant to students’ lives
• Where students see Jesus Christ in the scriptures
• Where students take responsibility for their learning

Each episode focuses on a specific scripture block and helps teachers structure learning experiences where students can understand truth, believe truth, and act on truth.