Overcoming Come Follow Me Obstacles | An Interview with Shannon Foster

Leading Saints Podcast

Shannon Foster taught seminary full time for thirteen years in the Salt Lake area. Shannon has a passion for the scriptures and for discovering the best ways for children and youth to learn the gospel. She has written over twenty books to help people study the scriptures and creates helps for people to study and teach the Come, Follow Me chapters in their homes. Shannon and her husband Tyson have two amazing children and she is currently a Relief Society teacher. Highlights 02:00 Introduction to Shannon Foster. Shannon provides resources for Come Follow Me and teaching our families. 03:40 Shannon is also known as The Red Headed Hostess. 05:00 Best advice for gathering people What will make this feel special? What will help people feel comfortable? 07:00 If the youth feel like you strengthen them and that you care about them they will return again and again. 08:00 Shannon shares her story and how she started teaching. 13:30 The classroom is not the ideal learning circumstance. While it's a good place, it’s not the best. Parents know their children so much better and can teach them so much better. 16:00 Shannon is the creator of The Red Headed Hostess. It started as a blog and she now has 15 people on her staff. She offers scripture study help for families and for all ages. 18:00 Common obstacles that come with teaching in the home and with Come Follow Me. One of those obstacles is not having enough time and not everyone is home at the same time. 23:50 We all want the picturesque family scripture study and we think we are failing if that's not what it looks like for us. 29:30 How to adjust family scripture study and what to do to stay on track. 31:40 Another big obstacle in family scripture study is that they don’t understand the scriptures. It has to start with the parents. The parents have to learn to love the scriptures. You then become like a fire and want to share that with your family. 34:20 How would you coach someone that is in the beginning stages of trying to get into scripture study and is relying on podcasts and blogs to help them understand? Get a scripture journal Learn to slow down while reading. Remember it’s line upon line. 37:30 We underestimate the youth. Teach your youth to slow down and do their own journaling. 39:30 Advice for keeping a scripture journal. Topical journal Chronological journal 44:45 Making Sunday school or studying with family a more profound experience. Don’t only teach but invite them to act to help them get the evidence they need to know something is true. 58:00 Shannon shares her final thoughts on the importance of the scriptures and what a gift they are to have. 1:03:00 Shannon’s testimony and reflections on her time as a teacher Links TheRedHeadedHostess.com Read the TRANSCRIPT of this podcast Listen on YouTube Get 14-day access to the Core Leader Library The Leading Saints Podcast is one of the top independent Latter-day Saints podcasts as part of nonprofit Leading Saints' mission to help Latter-day Saints be better prepared to lead. Learn more and listen to any of the past episodes for free at LeadingSaints.org. Past guests include Emily Belle Freeman, David Butler, Hank Smith, John Bytheway, Liz Wiseman, Stephen M. R. Covey, Julie Beck, Brad Wilcox, Jody Moore, Tony Overbay, John H. Groberg, Elaine Dalton, Tad R. Callister, Lynn G. Robbins, J. Devn Cornish, Dennis B. Neuenschwander, Anthony Sweat, John Hilton III, Barbara Morgan Gardner, Blair Hodges, Whitney Johnson, Ryan Gottfredson, Greg McKeown, DeAnna Murphy, Michael Goodman, Richard Ostler, Ganel-Lyn Condie, and many more in over 500 episodes. Discover podcasts, articles, virtual conferences, and live events related to callings such as the bishopric, Relief Society, elders quorum, Primary, youth leadership, stake leadership, ward mission, ward council, young adults, ministering, and teaching.