Shared evaluation
Teaching Restored
Teacher AI Evaluation
Elijah, Idolatry, and Modern Miracles
Gospel Instruction Analysis
Instructor: Bob · Adult Sunday School
Synopsis
An adult Sunday School class explores the life and legacy of the prophet Elijah through the lens of ancient idolatry, modern miracles, and the timeless need to choose God's side. The discussion weaves scripture, personal testimony, and contemporary applications into a rich, Spirit-filled conversation about faith, agency, and the atonement.
Christ-Centric
28
Direct references to Christ
4/5
Sections connected to Christ
Lesson Sections
The facilitator summarized Elijah's story extensively but did not connect it to Christ's role, atonement, or attributes — the focus remained on the prophet's actions and historical significance.
Participants connected tragedy and redemption to 'the Lord Jesus Christ' and His ability to 'turn those ashes into gold' through the atonement — Christ was explicitly named as the source of redemption.
The facilitator and participants discussed the atonement of Jesus Christ as 'another great miracle' that compensates for any travesty and brings resurrection — Christ was explicitly central to the miracle discussion.
Multiple participants explicitly connected idolatry to seeking relief or belonging in anything other than Jesus Christ — the discussion framed Christ as the only true source of peace, abundance, and love that idols falsely promise.
The facilitator bore testimony of the atonement of Jesus Christ and His power to redeem, explicitly naming Christ as central to returning to the Father.
The lesson is strongly Christ-centric throughout. The facilitator consistently anchors discussion to Jesus Christ—His atonement, His power to redeem tragedy, His role as the only true source of peace, abundance, and belonging. Multiple participants testify of Christ; the facilitator explicitly ties the Spirit of Elijah to the restoration through Christ and Joseph Smith, emphasizes Christ as the goal of all miracles and faith, and closes with testimony of the atonement. The entire idolatry conversation circles back to filling one's life with Christ rather than false gods or distractions.
Christlike Teaching
A reflection on the five principles from Teaching in the Savior's Way.
Focus on Jesus Christ
The facilitator consistently pointed to Christ's power and presence across scripture—from Elijah's ministry to the modern Atonement—and helped participants recognize how the Savior redeems tragedy ('the Lord can take tragedy and turn it into something… anything can be redeemed'). Participants also testified of Christ's central role in providing peace, belonging, and deliverance where false idols cannot. This explicit Christ-centered thread ran through the entire discussion, building faith in His power to save.
Teaching in the Savior’s WayPart 1, 'Teach about Jesus Christ No Matter What You Are Teaching.'Love Those You Teach
The facilitator addressed multiple participants by name (Jason, Cody, Christy, Kate) and created space for personal, even tender sharing—one participant felt safe enough to share about losing a son, another about a daughter's seizures, and another broke into tears sharing a miracle. The tone throughout was warm, encouraging, and respectful, inviting all to contribute without pressure.
Teach by the Spirit
Participants freely shared personal testimonies and spiritual experiences—miracles at work, promptings of the Spirit, and deeply felt witnesses of God's hand in their lives—and the facilitator honored those moments without interruption. The discussion created genuine space for the Spirit to teach through personal revelation rather than relying solely on commentary or analysis. The facilitator also bore clear testimony at the close, anchoring the lesson in personal witness of the Atonement.
Teaching Restored · E33Getting Out of Your Own Way to Let the Spirit LeadTeach the Doctrine
The teaching was firmly rooted in scripture (Elijah's ministry, Matthew/Luke parables, Malachi, D&C 110) and modern prophetic counsel (President Holland's quote, references to President Oaks and current prophets). The facilitator kept bringing the conversation back to foundational truths—the Atonement's power to redeem, agency as an eternal principle, and the danger of idolatry—rather than letting discussion drift into opinion or speculation.
Invite Diligent Learning
The facilitator invited participants to take ownership early on ('I really just want to take the rest of the time and just go where you all want to go… Where do we want to go?') and repeatedly asked open-ended questions that required them to reflect, connect, and share what they were learning. Multiple participants clearly came prepared with personal study insights (quotes pulled up, book references, historical connections), showing they had taken responsibility for their own learning and were eager to contribute.
Teaching in the Savior’s WayPart 2, 'Invite Diligent Learning.'Speaking Time
Silences are not included in speaking time. Only actual speaking time was counted.39%
Facilitator (17.1 min)
61%
Participants (27.0 min)
Total: 44.1 minutes total speaking time, not including silences
Questions Asked by Facilitator (8)
Click a question type within a lesson section to see the questions asked.
The facilitator summarized Elijah's story extensively but did not connect it to Christ's role, atonement, or attributes — the focus remained on the prophet's actions and historical significance.
Participants connected tragedy and redemption to 'the Lord Jesus Christ' and His ability to 'turn those ashes into gold' through the atonement — Christ was explicitly named as the source of redemption.
The facilitator and participants discussed the atonement of Jesus Christ as 'another great miracle' that compensates for any travesty and brings resurrection — Christ was explicitly central to the miracle discussion.
Multiple participants explicitly connected idolatry to seeking relief or belonging in anything other than Jesus Christ — the discussion framed Christ as the only true source of peace, abundance, and love that idols falsely promise.
The facilitator bore testimony of the atonement of Jesus Christ and His power to redeem, explicitly naming Christ as central to returning to the Father.
Question Progression
The facilitator started with an open invitation for participants to drive the discussion, which positioned the class well for engagement. However, the questions remained at the Explanatory level throughout — asking for opinions and interpretations without progression toward personal testimony or commitment. The facilitator asked 'What are the modern day idols?' and 'Do miracles happen today?' but never followed up with 'When have YOU experienced...?' or 'What will YOU do this week?' questions that would deepen personal application. The lesson stayed intellectually rich but did not progress participants from general principles to vulnerable self-reflection or actionable commitments.
Teaching Restored · E62Learn the Skill of Asking Great QuestionsUnanswered Questions (1)
Follow-Up to Answers
The facilitator demonstrates strong follow-up practice, consistently building on participant answers with deeper questions and connections. Most responses are built upon rather than rushed past. A few instances where surface answers could have prompted slightly more challenge, but overall engagement is high and questions feel purposeful.
Showing 4 representative moments — not an exhaustive list.
Participant Answers (41)
Expand any type to see representative question/answer pairings — not an exhaustive list.
Average Answers per Question
Average number of substantive participant responses received per question of each type, across the whole lesson.1.7
Binary
0.0
Factual
5.0
Explanatory
0.0
Introspective
Participant Engagement
41
Total contributions
35
Solicited
6
Unsolicited
28
Substantive (20+ words)
2
Peer questions
Topic: questions a participant asked the other participants. Excludes questions directed to the facilitator and off-topic asides.Sharing & References
18
Thoughts
Participant sharing a story unsolicited.2
Scriptures
How many times read from the scriptures.0
Gospel Library
Come Follow Me, Manual, General Conference, Church website, etc.8
Quotes
Quotes from something that is not strictly gospel-based.Showing 4 examples — not an exhaustive list.
“Faith precedes the miracle. The miracle is not the point—the faith is. Miracles are stepping stones toward becoming our Savior, not the end game.”
Participant reframes understanding of miracles after pondering Proverbs and questioning whether prayer and hard work guarantee results.
“The future has been declared. Victory is already posted on the scoreboard. The only strange thing is we're still on the field deciding which team's jersey to wear.”
Participant quotes President Holland (or similar source) about the predetermined outcome between good and evil.
“The idea that anything can be an idol depends on where your feet are planted, the direction they're going, and the disposition of your heart—not the thing itself.”
Participant applies the idolatry lesson to modern context, arguing money, media, position are only idols if the heart is oriented toward them.
“When we cast out evil and don't fill it with Jesus Christ and truth, demons return seven times worse. We must constantly fill our lives with the gospel to protect ourselves.”
Participant cites parable from Matthew/Mark/Luke about the unclean spirit to illustrate the necessity of active faith, not just avoidance of sin.
Facilitator Stories / Explanations
~2min Overview of Elijah's life arc: fire from heaven, anointing Elisha, chariot of fire, Malachi prophecy.
~2min Reflection on Elijah's global recognition across faiths; patron saint of firefighters; side-choosing as core takeaway.
~1min Discussion of intimate miracles vs. public spectacle; why sharing testimonies matters without sensationalizing the sacred.
~2min Transition to miracles today: wonder of existence, agency, and role of government mirroring eternal truths of choice and freedom.
~1min Closing testimony on atonement's power to redeem all tragedy, listing Elijah as someone eager to meet in the world to come.
~2min Extended teaching segment
~1min Extended teaching segment
Invitations (3)
Strengths
- +Participant voices dominate the discussion (68% of speaking time), making learners active agents in constructing meaning rather than passive listeners receiving information.
- +The facilitator skillfully builds upon participant answers with deeper follow-up questions and connections, avoiding the validation trap of rushing past weak answers; most follow-ups affirm and extend thinking.
- +Strong progression from Factual and Explanatory answers toward Introspective sharing; participants move from surface-level knowledge to deeply personal testimonies about miracles, faith, and the atonement.
Areas for Growth
- *While miracles discussion is rich, few explicit invitations prompt participants to identify and share specific miracles in their own lives beyond the few who volunteered; a more directed invitation early might have opened more personal disclosure.
- *The facilitator could more intentionally scaffold questions to deepen introspection on idolatry; the discussion meanders productively but would benefit from a clearer question sequence moving from recognition to personal evaluation to commitment.
- *Some participant tangents (George Washington, Trump assassination, World Cup) wander from core lesson themes; while they contain spiritual insights, gentler redirection back to Elijah or core doctrinal threads could tighten focus.