Teaching Restored

Kevin Jones

Exploring the HOW of teaching the restored gospel for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Think of this as your weekly Teacher Council Meeting.

  1. 1d ago

    E138: The "Why" Behind the 25-Minute Teaching Change (Pt. 1 of 5)

    Starting September 6th, Sunday lessons shrink to 25 minutes — and if your first reaction is "how am I supposed to teach anything in that?", this episode is for you. In Part 1 of our five-part series on the 25-Minute Adjustment, Kevin and Julie start where every good change starts: with WHY. Julie walks through the three purposes the Church has made crystal clear — focusing more on the teachings of Jesus Christ, strengthening gospel learning in the home, and increasing fellowship, belonging, and community at church — and shows why the methods are changing while the purpose never has. When your WHY is clear, the HOW stops feeling like a crisis. Along the way they trace how we got here (2018's two-hour block, Come, Follow Me, Teaching in the Savior's Way, counseling questions in Relief Society and elders quorum) and reframe these shorter lessons as a council, not a lecture. You'll hear why less time actually helps you focus more, why your prep should shift from content to connection, and why the teacher's job is now to create the conditions for people to have their own experiences with Christ — not to deliver an outline. If you're a teacher, a Sunday School president, or a bishop wondering what to do for that fifth-Sunday conversation, don't skip to the logistics. Start with WHY. Then come back for Parts 2–5, dropping every Monday this month. ______________ Subscribe for more free YouTube episodes: https://www.youtube.com/teachingrestored?sub_confirmation=1 Find all episodes: https://teachingrestored.com Ask a question for us to answer on our podcast: https://teachingrestored.com/contact-us/ Join us on: ✅ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/teachingrestored ✅ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/teachingrestored ✅ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@teachingrestored ✅ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@teachingrestored

  2. Jul 27

    E137: Let Them Draw It, Act It, Teach It: Primary That Actually Sticks

    Kevin and Julie make a confession: in almost 140 episodes, they've never once tackled Primary — mostly because it intimidates them. So they brought in someone who lives it. Whitney Boyer is a former fourth-grade teacher, a current Primary president, a mom of four, and the host of the new "Come and Do" podcast for Primary teachers. Whitney flips the whole idea of Primary on its head: instead of asking "how do I entertain these kids for 30 minutes?", she asks "what will my children DO to learn?" She makes the case that Primary kids are the biggest group of investigators in the entire Church — and that the same student-led learning we champion for teenagers belongs in the Primary room, where kids shift from passive consumers to active creators. From there it gets wonderfully practical. Whitney walks through drawing, role play, and imaginative play to turn abstract gospel principles into concrete action (wait until you hear how a child draws "gentleness"), a simple three-step lesson plan — hook, teach the story and doctrine, then apply and practice — and her two go-to classroom-management tools: clear, positive expectations paired with consistent follow-through, and specific positive praise that invites the Spirit. She and Julie also dig into including neurodivergent kids, partnering with parents, and getting children into the actual language of the scriptures. Best part? Almost none of it is exclusive to Primary — it'll make you a better teacher of youth, adults, and your own family. If Primary has ever scared you, this one's for you. ______________ Subscribe for more free YouTube episodes: https://www.youtube.com/teachingrestored?sub_confirmation=1 Find all episodes: https://teachingrestored.com Ask a question for us to answer on our podcast: https://teachingrestored.com/contact-us/ Join us on: ✅ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/teachingrestored ✅ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/teachingrestored ✅ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@teachingrestored ✅ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@teachingrestored

  3. Jul 24

    Coming in August: 25 Minute Teaching Tips

    September 6th the Church changes to 25 minute classes in the second hour. Are you ready? Do you know how to make this shorter time REALLY effective? In August, all our episodes will be focused on ideas of how to be effective in those 25 minutes. PLUS, we have a ton of resources.

  4. Jul 20

    E136: How to Teach Complicated Scripture Characters Without Excusing Sin

    We love a clean hero. But when we flatten Saul, David, or Solomon into a simple good guy or bad guy, we miss the whole point — and we set our own faith up for a fall. In this episode, Kevin and Julie are joined by guest Kyle Smith to talk about "simplicity on the other side of complexity": the idea that real, lasting understanding only comes after we climb the mountain of complexity instead of sliding back down and resenting it. They apply that framework to the scriptures, where the heroes turn out to be faithful but broken, courageous but flawed, repentant and inconsistent — in other words, a lot like us. Together they walk through the complicated lives of the Old Testament kings, why God preserved the failures of His prophets ("God's not creating propaganda — He's teaching redemption"), and the danger of either hero-worship on one side or "you are enough" moral relativism on the other. Most of all, it's a practical conversation for teachers and parents: how to develop a scripture character honestly, ask the questions that let students see themselves in the story, and point every messy, human life back to the one choice that changes everything — Jesus Christ. ____________________ Subscribe for more free YouTube episodes: https://www.youtube.com/teachingrestored?sub_confirmation=1 Find all episodes: https://teachingrestored.com Ask a question for us to answer on our podcast: https://teachingrestored.com/contact-us/ Join us on: ✅ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/teachingrestored ✅ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/teachingrestored ✅ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@teachingrestored ✅ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@teachingrestored

  5. Jul 13

    E135: Why Ammon Sat in Silence for an Hour (And What It Teaches Every Teacher)

    What does it mean that Ammon was "wise, yet harmless" — and how was King Lamoni "caught with guile"? In this episode, Kevin and Julie dig into Alma 17 and 18 and a detail most of us read straight past for years. After days of wrestling, praying, and rewriting his own answers, Kevin shares a possible reading that turns a familiar conversion story into a vivid picture of pride, power, feigned humility, and a teacher wise enough to see it all — and gracious enough not to use it. But the real payoff is for teachers and parents. Ammon let the king sit in silence for an hour before saying a word. He asked simple questions before teaching big truths. He made space for the wrestle instead of rushing to rescue. Kevin and Julie talk through "simplicity on the other side of complexity," why giving the Spirit room often matters more than having the perfect answer, and how being full of faith sometimes means getting out of the way — whether you're in a classroom, in a prayer, or sitting with your own child's hard questions. Subscribe for more free YouTube episodes: https://www.youtube.com/teachingrestored?sub_confirmation=1 Find all episodes: https://teachingrestored.com Ask a question for us to answer on our podcast: https://teachingrestored.com/contact-us/ Join us on: ✅ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/teachingrestored ✅ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/teachingrestored ✅ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@teachingrestored ✅ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@teachingrestored

  6. Jul 6

    E134: Teenager Church: What 25 Years With Youth Taught Dan Bikman About Real Teaching

    What does it actually look like to teach youth well? In this episode of Teaching Restored, Kevin Jones and Julie Hilliard sit down with Dan, a seminary and institute coordinator from southern Alberta, Canada, who has spent over two decades in the classroom and now trains teachers across the prairies. Dan shares the practical system he built for reaching teenagers — the "spiritual warm-up" of choral reading, hymns, and prayer that unites a class in the first 15 minutes, his commitment to confirming literacy before diving deep, and why he'd "rather teach four verses really well than forty misunderstood." Along the way, Dan tackles the real struggles every teacher faces: getting quiet students to participate, handling resistance without taking it personally, balancing structure with variety, and why he sticks with "caveman scriptures" (paper, no phones) in a digital age. Whether you teach seminary, institute, Sunday school, primary, or you're newly called and wondering where to start, this conversation is packed with usable tools and a refreshing reminder to slow down, set real expectations, and trust the Lord to do His work. Share it with a teacher who needs it. ______________ Subscribe for more free YouTube episodes: https://www.youtube.com/teachingrestored?sub_confirmation=1 Find all episodes: https://teachingrestored.com Ask a question for us to answer on our podcast: https://teachingrestored.com/contact-us/ Join us on: ✅ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/teachingrestored ✅ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/teachingrestored ✅ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@teachingrestored ✅ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@teachingrestored

  7. Jun 29

    E133: How to Respond to Hard Questions Without Contention: Teaching like Christ

    Do you have good ways to handle tough or adversarial questions—without creating contention—in your classroom, online, or even at home? In this episode, Kevin & Julie discuss real-life scenarios many LDS teachers and missionaries face, from "grenade" comments online to heated family discussions about faith. Discover practical, gospel-centered strategies to maintain love, invite the Spirit, and build relationships—even when you feel attacked or misunderstood. Learn from the example of Jesus Christ, and get three simple questions you can use as an instant check before you respond. Perfect for Sunday School, youth, Relief Society, Elders Quorum, missionary work, and more! ______________ Subscribe for more free YouTube episodes: https://www.youtube.com/teachingrestored?sub_confirmation=1 Find all episodes: https://teachingrestored.com Ask a question for us to answer on our podcast: https://teachingrestored.com/contact-us/ Join us on: ✅ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/teachingrestored ✅ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/teachingrestored ✅ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@teachingrestored ✅ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@teachingrestored

  8. Jun 22

    E132: Practical Ways to Teach Principles, Not Just Stories! With Kyle Smith

    Are you look for way to make your class more engaging and impactful? In this episode, Kyle Smith, Kevin and Julie break down how to find and teach gospel principles from the scriptures, not just share stories or facts. Learn easy, step-by-step methods to identify both stated and implied principles, discover powerful teaching tools like "if-then" statements, flag words, and how to help your students connect ancient truths to their real-life challenges today. You'll hear relatable examples, practical tips, and even a few laughs—plus, find out how you can get a free printable resource to use in your next lesson! Make your teaching deeper, more meaningful, and more memorable for your students. ______________ Subscribe for more free YouTube episodes: https://www.youtube.com/teachingrestored?sub_confirmation=1 Find all episodes: https://teachingrestored.com Ask a question for us to answer on our podcast: https://teachingrestored.com/contact-us/ Join us on: ✅ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/teachingrestored ✅ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/teachingrestored ✅ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@teachingrestored ✅ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@teachingrestored

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4.9
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About

Exploring the HOW of teaching the restored gospel for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Think of this as your weekly Teacher Council Meeting.

Information

  • Creator
    Kevin Jones
  • Years Active
    2023 - 2026
  • Episodes
    140
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Kevin Jones
  • Show Website
    Teaching Restored

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