In case it’s helpful as an example (of something to follow, or to avoid), one might call my approach to engaging the youth in Isaiah (or other OT books, or ancient texts in general) as “hands-on historical.”

For instance, over the last several months, we have had the following class modules components (usually while also covering the lesson material at a basic level):

“Gaining greater appreciation for the story of Job by feasting together.” (Job’s family is portrayed as eating at a couple feasts. We feasted with period-appropriate food and drink in class).

“Old Testament-era weapons.” We made leather slings, practiced slinging stones and eggs, and reviewed scriptures that discussed sling weaponry. In a different week, part II included a presentation and discussion of other biblical-era weapons (atlatl, macahuitl, battle-ax, arrows, mace, jawbone of an ass, etc. We had planned to include a quick flint-knapping lesson, but ran out of time, though I’ve previously done that with younger classes.)

“Hooking the Leviathan” (reference comes from Job, this is a discussion and presentation of ancient fishing technology, including some hands-on bone carving).

“Understanding Isaiah by eating the foods Isaiah ate.” (We ate period-era cheeses (goat and sheep) and fish on not-so-traditional crackers. This included a quick summary of the 10,000 year hold history of the domestication of sheep, goats, cows, and the related human evolutionary changes that overcame lactose intolerance).

“Piscine practices in the OT.” (Discussion of what fish were caught and eaten in Old Testament waters, with loosely accurate fish samples (herring, snapper)).

The kids (and parents) have seemed to appreciate the historical approach.

Another thing we try to do in each class is ask the most interesting questions the lesson matieral seems to raise. Given the texts, that has been an engaging exercise.

Just one of the keys to understanding Isaiah is understanding the past events Isaiah spoke of. Understanding those past events enables us to understand the significance of the events occuring in the latter days.

The first four parallels that come to mind: Enoch, Moses, Elijah, and John the Baptist.

The next four parallels: Melchizedek, Abraham, Cyrus, and Hezekiah.

Now Shebna is a type of one man in particular: Lucifer, but also all unrighteous claimants to the throne or the keys of the Priesthood. So that means just about any unrighteous / worldly king since the world began, or any comparable combination.

I have always found that the more challenging I make the thinking, the more attention I get from my class, from Primary on up. I like to ask the questions [and I do NOT mean factual questions] and then put my class on the front line for answers. As teachers we may need to give them the resources and support to come up with those answers. The best thing about hard thinking with teens is that they are confronted with the stunning insight that they DON’T know everything. In fact, it is a lesson in becoming teachable, and in avoiding the glib answers they have (unfortunately) been taught to give. I believe they will respond to the respect they perceive, the respect that is based on the faith that they are capable and responsible moral beings.

That’s why I intend these materials as study materials rather than lesson materials. I hope they will help those who read them study the material better, will help them get more out of their study of the material assigned for Sunday School, but I don’t have any illusions that using them will make our lessons, whether for youth or adults, any better.

Balancing the needs of these groups can be challenging.

The number one thing I try to think of is how to make my lessons valuable to the kids. The best Lessons I have had was when I used the idea of David and Bathsheba to teach the kids to think before they speak or act and challenge them that week with the good old committment pattern. Kids actually came back remembering their committment weeks later and saying they were trying.

For Isaiah 1-6, I did a very technical lesson(I had ten pages of material and went over ever difference between Isaiah and the Nephi chapters), which got a mixed response, but ended ok but not great. My kids and I have a good relationship (I am in Texas, so on average I only have 5-6) so I got solid feed back that the majority prefer more about how the scriptures apply to them and their life right now than to what their historical significance and context are.

This week, I’ll be teaching this lesson, but I am going to focus on the Idea that Christ can wipe away all of our tears and how we can help that happen. I’ll probably discuss how the atonement covers sins against us, and what the Arbinger Institute calls “Self-betrayal”.