Don't "Cheet" Yourself - YW General Conference Lesson

I have always taught a General Conference themed lesson the week before conference to get the girls geared up and minds focused on the importance of it... This year, I planned a lesson based around CHEETOS. Yup, you read right. Cheetos.  I found this fun idea for a conference treat over at Sugardoodle, my FAVORITE site for all things YW. (The idea was originally from Ondrea Slade) and I developed it into the following lesson.  

I'm starting the lesson by giving each girl the lesson's handout...instead of at the end! (Changing things up is always good!)

Just a lunchbag size bag of cheetos with my tag:

Then, the lesson proceeds:

Q: Why would not listening to general conference be considered cheating?
     Allow girls to think on this....and answer if they can.

[discussion prompts]:

·         Think about cheating at school. It's against the rules, right? Why?
School is there to help us learn...cheating gets around learning.

·         What are the downsides to cheating?
not learning; if you get caught, you’re in trouble.

So, let's compare cheating at school to cheating at General Conference. We are instructed to listen to prophets and apostles so we can learn about the gospel. If we “cheat” by not listening to conference.... not only are we held accountable for those things taught in conference, we also cheat ourselves out of great blessings that come from living in ways taught by the prophets and confirmed to us by the Spirit during conference. We are risking our salvation by not taking the messages of the Lord's prophets and apostles into our heart and applying them to our life.

To help us not "cheet" on this weekend's General Conference, we’re going to study up on some things we should know about General Conference.

[Each girl will be given a quote to read and all girls will be given this "No-Cheeting Guide to General Conference" to fill out when each quote is read]:

*the answer guide is included in the free download at the end of the post*

For the conclusion of the lesson, I will ask the girls to bring out their Personal Progress books and find which values they still need experiences for (specifically the optional "create-your-own" experiences).

I will ask them to choose at least 2 of the below experiences to complete during General Conference.

Finally, as I have done in year's past, I will give them the General Conference Youth Notebook designed by Melanie of Sugardoodle! You can download the packet for free HERE!

It helps the youth pay attention and gives a "notepage" for each speaker with prompts, puzzles, pictures, and other fun stuff to keep their focus on conference! 

And that wraps up my lesson...

Download Lesson Pack HERE.

(contains a zipped folder. includes the lesson text, cheetos bag tag, "no-cheeting guide", and Personal Progress experience idea list)

Happy General Conference!