How to Teach in 25 Minutes

First, my apologies for missing a few lessons. I was just busy and didn't really feel any special inspiration for those. I'm sure you did fine without me.

However, I just gained some  marvelous insights into how to teach in 25 minutes from the Faith Matters podcast of August 23, 2026 with guests, Patrick and Melissa Mason. You can find it here on YouTube or on any audio podcast app, but for us visual learners, I thought I would just post the major points I received from their conversation here.

Patrick delved into the question of why we meet on Sundays. Why not just commune with nature or study the scriptures at home? 

PURPOSES OF GATHERING FOR CHURCH ON SUNDAY

1) Individual conversion

2) Love for God and each other

3) Healing

4) Preparation to build Zion

Adding to his thoughts, often we can "thicken" the Spirit's presence when we are in a worshipful group, physically gathered. 

"For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them" (Matthew 18:20). 

I think when you have a group that is actively loving each other, God's presence, His love, graces that group, and it shows up through the Holy Ghost. If your group is not spiritually healthy, if it's not friendly, if you don't fit in or feel noticed, or if it's just a boring talk or lesson, you can always turn to God in a silent prayer and say, "Teach me." The Holy Ghost will show up for you if your heart and mind are willing. 

PURPOSES FOR OUR THREE SUNDAY MEETINGS

Patrick then expounded a bit on why we have three separate meetings.

Sacrament Meeting

Here we all gather together--all ages, all abilities, all genders--to partake of the sacrament, to remember Jesus Christ's great love for us and recommit to our covenants with Him. 

Sacrament meeting is universal. Throughout the world, in every country, Sacrament meeting is held in the same basic format.

Sunday School

Here we divide into age-groups to "commune with the history of the saints" of all times, all ages, as recorded in all our standard works to learn how they responded to Jesus Christ's love. We study together. We learn from their examples and errors. We learn from what God said to them. We share our personal insights. 

The Sunday School hour is very different for different ages, from nursery age through Primary, youth Sunday School, adult classes. Sunday School is handled differently throughout the world. A Sunday School class in a new branch of new members and investigators will be very different from one full of religion teachers. An adult class will be very different from a youth class in the same ward. 

Relief Society/Priesthood/Young Women

Here we divide further, now into gender-specific groups, and discuss how we take that "fuel," that information, insight, new understanding we have gained collectively out into the world to build Zion. These classes should not be just another Sunday School class. They should be more actionable. 

The third block of Sunday worship time is very specific to age, gender, circumstance, and locale. For example, Young Women in different areas of the world, in different size classes, with different cultures and socio-economic backgrounds will manage their class very specifically according to what their lives are like.

A young teacher with a Primary class of 85 children in Sierra Leone. 

Photos by Mission Leaders Scott and Kathy Wyatt

HOW TO PRIME THE CLASSROOM

Melissa starts every adult Sunday School class with two questions on the board, which I think would also be excellent for youth Sunday School classes:

• What does this teach me about Jesus Christ?
• What does this teach me about myself?

I think another question might also be appropriate, even if added later in the lesson:

• What will I do this week with this knowledge?

HOW TO MAKE IT WORK IN THE SHORTENED TIMEFRAME

We may have to start a lesson by reminding people that we want lots of comments, but comments are best if they are concise. Sometimes we may have to cut a comment short--if the Spirit guides us to do so. Sometimes we will see a need in a person to share a longer story and the Spirit will tell us not to interrupt. This is one of the trickiest skills an adult Sunday School teacher has to learn.

Often it will be good to "warm up" the class with a story or personal experience. Coming straight in with a question for class members who just walked in is going to lead to some silent wasted time. 

Our general leaders have counseled us to be in the scriptures within 5 minutes. Some class members won't have read the lesson, some can't read and you don't know it, some have had a busy week with 3 toddlers and 2 soccer players and they can't even remember what the lesson is. That's life! But that doesn't mean you want to spend the class reading through the lesson as if none of them studied. That's boring for the prepared ones. Just hit a few key reminder scriptures and start your discussion from there. Let the class fill it in.

Speaking of members who can't read well, you can employ a tool to make Sunday School comfortable for adults with disabilities. If you are reading a string of scripture verses, have an item or a card that you pass around the class. Whoever is holding it will read the next scripture. Those who don't want to read can just pass it on.

Maybe take a moment to help class members download an alternate translation of the Bible onto their devices, something like Bible Hub, so they can go back and forth between versions and gain greater understanding of the Old Testament stories.

Plan on making only 1 or 2 points, not "covering all the material." The teacher is wise to put in a lot of deeper study so they can understand context and handle comments, but stick to a gospel principle that you feel inspired your class needs that relates to their life.

Don't worry about always wrapping it up beautifully; instead, end with an invitation to apply the principle to their week or refer to your third question on the board.

If you have more ideas, please add a comment below! (Commenting is not usually available on phones, but is on computers.)