To reach our full potential as teachers of The Gospel, we need to look to our Savior’s example and teach as He taught.
One of the attributes of The Savior that made Him a Master Teacher was that He prepared Himself.
Most would think of lesson preparation as a given before teaching, but a Master Teacher has to go beyond that and prepare themselves too. Our personal preparation needs to focus on our own spirituality and testimony. We need to make sure that our relationship with the Lord is rooted in righteous living. We need to have confidence that when we teach, the Holy Ghost will be there to bear records of our words. In other words, a Master Teacher must also be a master follower of our Heavenly Father.
The four sons of Mosiah were some of the greatest teachers in the scriptures. In Alma 17:2-3 we are taught how they prepared themselves for their great work: “…they had waxed strong in the knowledge of the truth; for they were men of a sound understanding and they had searched the scriptures diligently, that they might know the word of God. But this is not all; they had given themselves to much prayer, and fasting; therefore they had the spirit of prophecy, and the spirit of revelation, and when they taught, they taught with power and authority of God.”
For more ideas on how to spiritually prepare ourselves to teach, please go to this page of the church website:
“How can I prepare myself spiritually to teach?
The Lord said, “If ye receive not the Spirit ye shall not teach” (D&C 42:14). As a teacher, you should seek to prepare spiritually before you teach. To do this:
Seek the gift of charity. Strive to develop charity for those you teach by serving them, praying for them, and looking for the good in them.
Seek the Holy Ghost. Elder Dallin H. Oaks said, “Teaching by the Spirit requires first that we keep the commandments and be clean before God so his Spirit can dwell in our personal temples” (“Teaching and Learning by the Spirit,” Ensign, Mar. 1997, 9).
Seek to study the gospel more effectively. We must seek to obtain God’s word before we can teach with the power of God (see D&C 11:21). As you read the scriptures and words of the latter-day prophets, take time to ponder what you read, seek to apply the principles to your life, and record your thoughts and feelings.”
Improve Quality of Our Teaching – Teach as the Savior Taught – Testimony Building, Not Information Sharing