Teach Ye Diligently

Teachers often feel pressure to carry the lesson—explaining clearly, preparing thoroughly, and making sure students understand everything. Over time, this turns teaching into content delivery and leaves students more passive than engaged. CONTEXT In this final episode of Teach Ye Diligently, we step back from specific lessons and focus on the deeper pattern behind effective gospel teaching and wha...

Review lessons often don’t create the impact teachers are hoping for. Students remember a few things, complete the activity, and move on—but never actually recognize what has changed in their lives. This episode reframes learning assessment. Instead of focusing on what students can recall, it shows how to help them see the growth that has taken place in their relationship with Jesus Christ. That s...

Students often see sacrifice in the Old Testament as something distant and unrelatable—animals on an altar with little connection to their own lives. When that’s the case, the doctrine never reaches them. In this episode, we show how to help students see beyond the animal and understand what sacrifice really means. The shift is simple but powerful: moving from an external act to an internal offeri...

Students don’t walk into class ready to learn. They walk in distracted—thinking about sleep, stress, friends, and everything else except the lesson. When that reality isn’t addressed, even strong teaching falls flat. In this episode, we focus on a simple but powerful shift: how to move students from distraction to engagement right at the beginning of class. Instead of starting with explanation or...

Problem Teachers often walk students through the details of the tabernacle, but students never actually see Jesus Christ in what they’re studying. The lesson stays at the level of information instead of leading to spiritual understanding. Context Exodus 25 and 35–40 describe the construction of the tabernacle, filled with sacred objects, patterns, and procedures. Without clear direction, these cha...

Students make commitments to God—but those commitments don’t always change how they live. In this episode, we focus on Exodus 24 and Exodus 32–34 to help teachers address a critical gap: moving students from knowing what covenants are to actually living them day to day. From the covenant moment at Mount Sinai to the breaking point of the golden calf, these chapters reveal a pattern students still...

You got them engaged. The activity worked. Students were talking, thinking, participating - and then you asked them to open Exodus 20:12-17, and everything stalled. That is the teaching problem this episode solves. In this segment, Mark and Will show how to move students from engagement activities into real scripture study so the activity becomes a bridge, not the destination. The focus is helping...

SPOTIFY DESCRIPTION What if your students understand God… but don’t actually want a relationship with Him? In this episode, we focus on a core teaching problem many teachers face: students can learn about God without developing any desire to connect with Him personally. We show how to shift from teaching information about God to helping students genuinely want a relationship with Him. This matters...

Most students have no idea what it means to be God’s “peculiar treasure.” And if they don’t feel that, this lesson becomes informational instead of transformational. In this episode, we show how to move from teaching the phrase to helping students actually feel their worth to God. Because when students don’t feel valued by Him, they won’t see why obedience matters—and they won’t connect personally...

ACTIVE MODE: PUBLISH ALLOWED ACTIONS: Generate Spotify Description using locked transformation and platform model PROHIBITED ACTIONS: Changing transformation, introducing new ideas, blending artifacts Many seminary teachers walk into class with a solid plan—but students never fully connect. The lesson moves forward, scriptures are read, questions are asked, but it feels mechanical. Students go thr...

Many teachers struggle with how to teach Exodus 7–13 in seminary. The plagues, Pharaoh, and the Passover are familiar stories, but students often move through the lesson without recognizing what they reveal about God and the Savior. This episode of the Teach Ye Diligently Podcast explores how teachers can help students move from engaging activities to real spiritual understanding and conversion th...

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 East...

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 s...

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 p...

About This Episode Many teachers know the story of Joseph in Egypt, but teaching the story alone does not automatically lead students to faith, understanding, or personal change. The real challenge for seminary teachers is structuring a learning experience that helps students understand the truth, believe it, and choose to act. In this episode of the Teach Ye Diligently Podcast, Mark Mason and Tra...

Seminary teachers often work hard to prepare meaningful lessons, yet students still sit quietly, wait for answers, or seem disconnected from the learning experience. Why does this happen, and how can teachers help students take responsibility for their own gospel learning? In this episode of the Teach Ye Diligently Podcast, Mark Mason and Travis Peterson explore one of the most important principle...

Teach Ye Diligently — Episode 11 Hosts: Mark Mason and Will Perez YouTube Episode: https://youtu.be/W3PvUJZOJJI In this episode, Mark Mason and Will Perez walk seminary and instituteteachers through four end-of-year lessons in the Doctrine and Covenantscurriculum. The focus is helping students handle doctrinal complexity,unresolved questions, personal reflection, and rising stress and anxiety bytu...

⏱️ Spotify Timestamps (00:00) Introduction (01:42) Segment 1 — D&C 135: Strengthening Testimony of Joseph Smith(17:24) Segment 2 — Life Prep 185: Building Emotional Strength in the Lord(38:33) Segment 3 — D&C 137: The Celestial Kingdom & “Degree of Difficulty”(52:10) Segment 4 — D&C 138 (Part 1): Salvation for All of God’s Children(01:12:40) Closing Remarks 📘 Segment Summaries D&a...

Chapters (00:00) Introduction (02:40) Life Prep 193 — Discovering Strengths & Abilities (18:20) D&C 133:1–40 — Preparing for the Second Coming (33:50) D&C 133:41–56 — Christ’s Attributes in the Last Days (49:10) D&C 134 — Government, Agency & Religious Freedom (01:02:10) Closing Thoughts Episode 9 — Life Prep 193 • D&C 133 (1–40 & 41–56) • D&C 134 This episode explo...

In this episode of the Teach Ye Diligently – PEEL Podcast , Mark Mason and Will Perez explore five inspired lessons from the Doctrine and Covenants and For the Strength of Youth to help teachers apply the PEEL model— Prepare, Engage, Empower, and Learn —as they guide students to strengthen faith in Jesus Christ. Chapters (00:00) Introduction(02:00) Doctrine and Covenants 130 – Teaching in the Savi...

Description In this episode, Mark Mason and Will Perez explore how faith in Jesus Christ builds self-reliance, strengthens diligence in the Lord’s work, and connects heaven and earth through temple ordinances. (00:00) Introduction (01:20) Life Prep 181 – Faith in Jesus Christ to Build Self-Reliance (08:09) Feeling Questions that Deepen Learning (13:11) D&C 126 – Laboring Diligently for the Lor...

Episode Title: Establishing Nauvoo, D&C 124, Life Prep Lessons on Temple Worship and Perfectionism! (00:00) Introduction Mark Mason and Will Perez introduce the PEEL model (Prepare, Engage, Empower, Learn) and the three lessons featured in this episode: Establishing Nauvoo, Doctrine and Covenants 124, and two Life Preparation lessons. (01:00) Establishing Nauvoo – A Lesson on Liken and Apply L...

Teach Ye Diligently — PEEL S3E5 Hosts: Mark Mason & Will Perez (00:00) Introduction(01:00) Life Prep 173 — Understanding the Context of Scripture(10:00) D&C 121–123 — How God Helps in Our Trials(21:00) D&C 121:34–46 — Accessing Heaven’s Power to Lift Others (DM)(33:00) Life Prep 210 — Studying Teachings of Church Leaders(41:00) Wrap-up & Invitations Today we walk through four lesso...

Teach Ye Diligently — PEEL Ep. 4 | D&C 115; 119–120; Life Prep 180; Expulsion from Missouri (00:00) Introduction Mark and Will set the stage for this week’s lessons, connecting real-world challenges with how the Savior strengthens and teaches His people. (01:40) D&C 115 — The Correct Name of the Church Will explores President Russell M. Nelson’s message, “The Correct Name of the Church” (...

Teach Ye Diligently S3E3 — Life Prep 209, Assess Your Learning #8, D&C 111–112 We walk through four lessons and share practical, classroom-ready tweaks that help students prepare, engage, be empowered, and truly learn —including a Talk Treasure Hunt PLA, an Assess-Your-Learning principle roundup, and a simple framework for teaching prayer fundamentals. Chapters (00:00) Introduction (01:10) Lif...