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Our purpose is to help youth and young adults deepen their conversion to Jesus Christ and His restored gospel, qualify for the blessings of the temple, and prepare themselves, their families, and others for eternal life with their Father in Heaven.
To achieve our purpose:
We live the gospel of Jesus Christ and strive for the companionship of the Holy Ghost. Our conduct and relationships are exemplary in the home, in the classroom, and in the community. We continually seek to improve our performance, knowledge, attitude, and character. We listen carefully to God’s living prophets and follow their inspired teachings and direction.
We center each learning experience on Jesus Christ and His example, attributes, and redeeming power. We help students learn the restored gospel of Jesus Christ as found in the scriptures and words of the prophets. We help students fulfill their role in learning for themselves. We strive to invite the Holy Ghost to fulfill His role in each learning experience.
We pattern our leadership after the example of Jesus Christ. We invite and encourage all youth and young adults to participate in seminary and institute. We seek to strengthen those we lead, effectively administer the work, and build unity with others. Our efforts assist and support individuals, families, and priesthood leaders.
© 2022 by Intellectual Reserve, Inc. All rights reserved. Version: 1/22. PD80008508 000. Printed in the United States of America
The Charted Course of the Church in Education, J. Reuben Clark Jr.
Which Way Do You Face? Lynn G. Robbins
Stand Forever, Lawrence E. Corbridge
The Ideal Teacher, Boyd K. Packer
A Teacher's Preflight Checklist, Dieter F. Uchtdorf
His Representatives, Chad H. Webb
We Talk of Christ, We Rejoice in Christ, Chad H. Webb
Angels and Astonishment, Jeffrey R. Holland
We Must Raise Our Sights, Henry B. Eyring
The Dangers of Priestcraft, Paul V. Johnson
By Study and by Faith, M. Russell Ballard
The Objective
The Objective
President Russell M. Nelson, The Temple and Your Spiritual Foundation.
“The foundation of any building, particularly one as large as this one, must be strong and resilient enough to withstand earthquakes, corrosion, high winds, and the inevitable settling that affects all buildings. The complex task of strengthening now underway will reinforce this sacred temple with the foundation that can and will stand the test of time.”
We are sparing no effort to give this venerable temple, which had become increasingly vulnerable, a foundation that will withstand the forces of nature into the Millennium. In like manner, it is now time that we each implement extraordinary measures—perhaps measures we have never taken before—to strengthen our personal spiritual foundations. Unprecedented times call for unprecedented measures.
My dear brothers and sisters, these are the latter days. If you and I are to withstand the forthcoming perils and pressures, it is imperative that we each have a firm spiritual foundation built upon the rock of our Redeemer, Jesus Christ.
So I ask each of you, how firm is your foundation? And what reinforcements to your testimony and understanding of the gospel are needed?
Chad Webb, Messengers of the Good News.
Now, let me go back to the change to our objective statement, which has been approved by the Church Board of Education. In an effort to position conversion as the direct objective of all our teaching and learning experiences, our objective statement will now read, “Our purpose is to help youth and young adults deepen their conversion to Jesus Christ and His restored gospel, qualify for the blessings of the temple, and prepare themselves, their families, and others for eternal life with their Father in Heaven.” This adjustment will help us organize our training and our efforts to create learning experiences in the hope that we can help students be lifelong disciples of Jesus Christ. The identified roles of a teacher in Teaching in the Savior’s Way will remain to help us better understand a teacher’s role in helping students deepen their conversion. We have also updated the Live, Teach, and Administer paragraphs associated with our directive, which you can find on the S&I website.
Live
Live
We live the gospel of Jesus Christ and strive for the companionship of the Holy Ghost.
We live the gospel of Jesus Christ and strive for the companionship of the Holy Ghost.
President Russell M. Nelson, Choices for Eternity. “The truth is that you must own your own conversion. No one else can do it for you. ...I plead with you to take charge of your testimony. Work for it. Own it. Care for it. Nurture it so that it will grow. Feed it truth. Don’t pollute it with the false philosophies of unbelieving men and women and then wonder why your testimony is waning.
Engage in daily, earnest, humble, prayer. Nourish yourself in the words of ancient and modern prophets. Ask the Lord to teach you how to hear Him better. Spend more time in the temple and in family history work.
...As you take charge of your testimony and cause it to grow, you will become a more potent instrument in the hands of the Lord.”
President Russell M. Nelson, The Temple and Your Spiritual Foundation. “Whenever any kind of upheaval occurs in your life, the safest place to be spiritually is living inside your temple covenants!
Please believe me when I say that when your spiritual foundation is built solidly upon Jesus Christ, you have no need to fear. As you are true to your covenants made in the temple, you will be strengthened by His power. Then, when spiritual earthquakes occur, you will be able to stand strong because your spiritual foundation is solid and immovable.
Chad Webb, We Talk of Christ, We Rejoice in Christ. There is power that comes when we connect our efforts to live the gospel to Jesus Christ. If we ever feel we are just going through the motions or that living the gospel has become a list of tasks to perform, we may have disconnected from the source of the grace and joy we seek. We might even be doing all the right things but find that we are missing the mark. The gospel is not a list of demands; it is the good news that Jesus Christ overcame sin and death. Jesus Christ is the central figure in our Father in Heaven’s plan to help us to become like Him. He is the perfect example of how we are to live and the source of the divine enabling power we need. As we learn to follow His example and connect our efforts to live the gospel to Him, we will find joy in being His disciples.
Our conduct and relationships are exemplary in the home, in the classroom, and in the community.
Our conduct and relationships are exemplary in the home, in the classroom, and in the community.
Boyd K. Packer, The Ideal Teacher. “I believe that to the degree you perform, according to the challenge and charge which you have, the image of Christ does become engraved upon your countenances. And for all practical purposes, in that classroom at that time and in that expression and with that inspiration, you are He and He is you.”
Jeffrey R. Holland, The Second Half of the Second Century of Brigham Young University. “We have to be careful that love and empathy do not get interpreted as condoning and advocacy. Or that orthodoxy and loyalty to principle not be interpreted as unkindness or disloyalty to people. As near as I can tell, Christ never once withheld His love from anyone, but He also never once said to anyone, ‘Because I love you, you are exempt from keeping my commandments.’ We are tasked with trying to strike that same sensitive, demanding balance in our lives.”
D. Todd Christofferson, The First Commandment First. “Putting the first commandment first does not diminish or limit our ability to keep the second commandment. To the contrary, it amplifies and strengthens it. It means that we enhance our love by anchoring it in divine purpose and power. ...Our love of God elevates our ability to love others more fully and perfectly because we in essence partner with God in the care of His children.”
Jeffrey R. Holland, Our Consuming Mission. “For the sake of the Church and your students and the gospel we love and teach, brethren and sisters, please work hard at staying balanced and steady, not given to extremism or rumors, sensationalism or fads of various kinds that often sweep through the land (and sometimes come among the members of the Church). In this regard you can be for us, and we hope with us, part of a solution, and never part of a problem.”
Dale G. Renlund, Vital Gospel Nutrients. “The second nutrient-enriched spiritual staple for students is a personal relationship with you. This is because a personal relationship with you can facilitate students being drawn to the Savior. He will always be the real source of spiritual nutrition. But the relationship between teacher and learner helps learners be open to the Savior’s words. Even years after your formal teaching of students ends, your relationship can continue to exert a positive influence in their lives. Your lasting influence will be because you have, out of deep love and concern for their welfare, pointed them to the Lord and His doctrine rather than to yourselves.
“I have experienced this.....
“Each student needs one or more Beckys in their lives—teachers who have a lifelong relationship with them, someone who has pointed them to the Savior, someone who affects their thinking and behavior, someone they do not want to disappoint. When students are wounded by crises that they will undoubtedly experience, you can provide a safe place for them to turn to for love and reassurance. Admittedly, there may be some who resist your attempts to know them, but that does not prevent you from loving them. You may have a greater influence on resistant students than you think.”
Boyd K. Packer, “You have to live worthily, and you have to ask for help. You can ask for help if you are parents. And then you have to keep the commandments and pray constantly, unceasingly for the ability and the inspiration to know what to do and when to do it. The Lord won’t fail you: “I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you” (John 14:18). “Whatsoever … ye shall ask in faith, believing that ye shall receive,” it will be given you (Enos 1:15). Then one of the scriptures adds a little—if it’s good for you (see Moroni 7:26). The gospel is very practical.
“Teaching is a sacred calling, a holy calling. The thing I think I would tell teachers is that they never teach alone. They never have to be alone. The Lord has promised that in the scriptures. Alma said the Lord granteth unto all nations, in every tongue, teachers (see Alma 29:8), and the Lord said, “Teach ye diligently and my grace [will] attend you” (D&C 88:78).
“I don’t know how to teach the gospel without a constancy of prayer. You can speak a prayer, but you can also think a prayer. A lot of times when I’ve been teaching a group or a class I’ve just been praying inwardly, “How can I get through?” And I don’t know how to do it other than having that power available.
We continually seek to improve our performance, knowledge, attitude, and character.
We continually seek to improve our performance, knowledge, attitude, and character.
President Russell M. Nelson, Choices for Eternity. “There are various labels that may be very important to you, of course. Please do not misunderstand me. I am not saying that other designations and identifiers are not significant. I am simply saying that no identifier should displace, replace, or take priority over these three enduring designations: ‘child of God,’ ‘child of the covenant,’ and ‘disciple of Jesus Christ.’ Any identifier that is not compatible with these three basic designation will ultimately let you down.”
President Russell M. Nelson, Choices for Eternity. “If you have questions—and I hope you do—seek answers with the fervent desire to believe. Learn all you can about the gospel and be sure to turn to truth-filled sources for guidance. We live in the dispensation when ‘nothing shall be withheld.’ Thus, in time, the Lord will answer all our questions.
In the meantime, immerse yourself in the rich reservoir of revelation we have at our fingertips. I promise that doing so will strengthen your testimony, even if some of your questions are not yet answered. Your sincere questions, asked in faith, will always lead to greater faith and more knowledge.”
Boyd K. Packer, The Ideal Teacher. When in a supervisory and an administrative position, it was my responsibility, and it is the responsibility of many of you brethren, to make appraisals and sometimes render judgments of your contributions as teachers. Sometimes we were heard to say to one another in rendering these appraisals, “He is too strict with his discipline,” or “He places too much emphasis on written work,” or, perhaps, “He pays too little attention to the students themselves,” or “He is not systematic enough,” or “He makes too little preparation.” Now, in the very saying of “there is too much” or “too little,” or “he is too something” or “not enough of something,” there is the implication that somewhere there is just enough—that somewhere there is just the right amount of whatever we are talking about. And so the teacher I would like to discuss with you is that teacher we carry in our minds—against whom all of you are measured by those of us who have the responsibility of appraising you. This teacher, of course, is the ideal teacher.
Dieter F. Uchtodorf, A Teacher’s Checklist. “And is that not the goal of all teachers? To make a lasting difference for good? To bless the lives of others in a way that extends far beyond a lesson or a classroom?
And Jesus of Nazareth has exactly that kind of influence—in the past, in the present, and in the future. So who better for us to study? If we learn from Him, we will improve not only as teachers, regardless of our situation in life, but we will also greatly improve as human beings.”
Henry B. Eyring, Converting Principles. “After a class, you might find a moment to pray that you might see clearly what happened in the class and what happened in the lives of the students. You may do it your own way, but the way I like to do it is something like this: I ask, ‘Was there something I said or did, or that they said or did, that lifted them?’ . . .
“If you ask in prayer, humbly and in faith, you will sometimes—perhaps often— have moments during that class brought back to your memory of a look on a student’s face, or the sound in a student’s voice, or even the way the student sat up and leaned forward at some point in the lesson that will give you reassurance that they were lifted.
“But more important than that, it can give you the chance to learn. You can learn what happened in the classroom and, therefore, what you can do to bring those lifting experiences to your students again and again”
Boyd K. Packer, The Ideal Teacher. “The attributes which it has been my choice privilege to recognize in you brethren and sisters over [the] years are no more nor less than the image of the Master Teacher showing through. I believe that to the degree you perform, according to the challenge and charge which you have, the image of Christ does become engraved upon your countenances. And for all practical purposes, in that classroom at that time and in that expression and with that inspiration, you are He and He is you”
Henry B. Eyring, The Lord Will Multiply the Harvest. “Most of us have had some experience with self-improvement efforts. My experience has taught me this about how people and organizations improve: the best place to look is for small changes we could make in things we do often. There is power in steadiness and repetition. And if we can be led by inspiration to choose the right small things to change, consistent obedience will bring great improvement.
“Now, because of that I will suggest three tools which most of us use, or decide not to use, every time we teach. A small change for the better in any or all of them could bring a multiplication in the harvest, which is the desire of our hearts. The first is the devotional. The second is the curriculum. And the third is the asking and the answering of questions.
“Now, I need to tell a little bit about the way I would look for the small changes—the little improvements I could make. I would follow the principles taught by President Clark. He told us that our students are spiritually hungry and we are to help them be fed. The only way they can be fed is for the Holy Spirit to confirm and expand the truths of the gospel that we teach. And the Lord has told us how to be sure that will happen. One place in scripture which makes that clear to me is in the sixth section of the Doctrine and Covenants, in the fourteenth and fifteenth verses. The Lord described a process which our students will know was true for Oliver Cowdery, will be true for them, and will be true for their children:
““Verily, verily, I say unto thee, blessed art thou for what thou hast done; for thou hast inquired of me, and behold, as often as thou hast inquired thou hast received instruction of my Spirit. If it had not been so, thou wouldst not have come to the place where thou art at this time.
““Behold, thou knowest that thou hast inquired of me and I did enlighten thy mind; and now I tell thee these things that thou mayest know that thou hast been enlightened by the Spirit of truth.”
“I take that statement as true doctrine and simple instruction. The small changes I would look for are those which would increase the likelihood that a person I was teaching would inquire of God in faith. That will surely, every time, bring enlightenment by the Spirit. And that is the feeding we seek for those we teach. That will help us find improvements we might consider in everything we do regularly as we teach.
We listen carefully to God’s living prophets and follow their inspired teachings and direction.
We listen carefully to God’s living prophets and follow their inspired teachings and direction.
Lynn G. Robbins, Which Way Do You Face? “Which way do you face?” President Boyd K. Packer surprised me with this puzzling question while we were traveling together on my very first assignment as a new Seventy. Without an explanation to put the question in context, I was baffled. “A Seventy,” he continued, “does not represent the people to the prophet but the prophet to the people. Never forget which way you face!” It was a powerful lesson. Trying to please others before pleasing God is inverting the first and second great commandments (see Matthew 22:37–39). It is forgetting which way we face.
Elder Lynn G. Robbins, Which Way Do You Face? Prophets through the ages have always come under attack by the finger of scorn. Why? According to the scriptures, it is because “the guilty taketh the truth to be hard, for it cutteth them to the very center” (1 Nephi 16:2), or as President Harold B. Lee observed, “The hit bird flutters!” Their scornful reaction is, in reality, guilt trying to reassure itself, just as with Korihor, who finally admitted, “I always knew that there was a God” (Alma 30:52). Korihor was so convincing in his deception that he came to believe his own lie (see Alma 30:53).
The scornful often accuse prophets of not living in the 21st century or of being bigoted. They attempt to persuade or even pressure the Church into lowering God’s standards to the level of their own inappropriate behavior, which in the words of Elder Neal A. Maxwell, will “develop self-contentment instead of seeking self-improvement” and repentance. Lowering the Lord’s standards to the level of a society’s inappropriate behavior is—apostasy. Many of the churches among the Nephites two centuries after the Savior’s visit to them began to “dumb down” the doctrine, borrowing a phrase from Elder Holland.
Neil L. Andersen, The Power of Jesus Christ and Pure Doctrine. Can you see the importance of constantly bringing the teachings of the prophets and the apostles into your classroom discussions? The Lord’s directions for questions and concerns in our modern world come from those who have been ordained with apostolic authority. If confidence in the prophets and apostles is waning, the distractions, the misdirections, and the sophistries of the world can detach one from his or her spiritual moorings. Eagerly anticipate general conference and discuss the important teachings that follow. Clearly identify the sacred role of the Lord’s anointed. As the world moves further away from the commandments of God, the Apostles’ role will be increasingly important.
Boyd K. Packer, The Ideal Teacher. I found first that this teacher has a deep sense of loyalty—a naive, simple, child-like loyalty. It is not insincere, and I say that such a loyalty cannot be counterfeited; there is no fabricating of it. This loyalty cost him something. If it had not, then he would not have earned it. It cost him viewpoints; it cost him philosophical positions; it cost him that which it takes to humble himself and to commit himself. I never noticed any attempt on his part to search for angles; he is not looking for the angles. I saw very little “I” trouble in him. That “I” trouble is not the kind of eye trouble you see on the physical examination form. It is the other kind. You know the kind. It becomes apparent in an interview with a prospective seminary teacher when one asks, “Why do you want to teach seminary?” Often the answer will be, “I think I would enjoy it; I will get a great deal of good out of it; it will do me a great deal of good; I have always liked . . .” And then there is the rare exception who says: “There is a service to be rendered; my qualifications are not so much, but I am willing to try.” I noticed very little “I” trouble in this teacher.
Teach
Teach
We center each learning experience on Jesus Christ and His example, attributes, and redeeming power.
We center each learning experience on Jesus Christ and His example, attributes, and redeeming power.
J. Rueben Clark Jr., The Charted Course of the Church in Education In all this there are for the Church, and for each and all of its members, two prime things which may not be overlooked, forgotten, shaded, or discarded:
First—that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, the Only Begotten of the Father in the flesh, the Creator of the world, the Lamb of God, the Sacrifice for the sins of the world, the Atoner for Adam’s transgression; that He was crucified; that His spirit left His body; that He died; that He was laid away in the tomb; that on the third day His spirit was reunited with His body, which again became a living being; that He was raised from the tomb a resurrected being, a perfect Being, the First Fruits of the Resurrection; that He later ascended to the Father; and that because of His death and by and through His resurrection every man born into the world since the beginning will be likewise literally resurrected.
The second of the two things to which we must all give full faith is that the Father and the Son actually and in truth and very deed appeared to the Prophet Joseph in a vision in the woods; that other heavenly visions followed to Joseph and to others; that the gospel and the Holy Priesthood after the Order of the Son of God were in truth and fact restored to the earth from which they were lost by the apostasy of the primitive Church; that the Lord again set up His Church, through the agency of Joseph Smith; that the Book of Mormon is just what it professes to be; that to the Prophet came numerous revelations for the guidance, upbuilding, organization, and encouragement of the Church and its members; that the Prophet’s successors, likewise called of God, have received revelations as the needs of the Church have required, and that they will continue to receive revelations as the Church and its members, living the truth they already have, shall stand in need of more; that this is in truth The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints; and that its foundation beliefs are the laws and principles laid down in the Articles of Faith. These facts also, and each of them, together with all things necessarily implied therein or flowing therefrom, must stand, unchanged, unmodified, without dilution, excuse, apology, or avoidance; they may not be explained away or submerged. Without these two great beliefs the Church would cease to be the Church.
Clark Gilbert, Stand Fast with Love in Proclaiming Truth. I conclude by reemphasizing once again his last point: to stay anchored in Jesus Christ.
President Nelson has emphasized this: “The Lord has declared that despite today’s unprecedented challenges, those who build their foundations upon Jesus Christ, and have learned how to draw upon His power, need not succumb to the unique anxieties of this era.” I used to read the prophet’s call to stay anchored in Jesus Christ as key to preserving our testimony. I believe that this is true, but I also believe when we stand for Jesus Christ, we will have the character, spirit, and demeanor to interact with others in proclaiming truth with love. I know Jesus Christ is our example. We can look to Him in all we do. I’m so grateful for His love and His teachings and I pray that each of us can stand fast with love in proclaiming truth. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.
Boyd K. Packer, The Ideal Teacher. The attributes which it has been my choice privilege to recognize in you brethren and sisters over these twelve years are no more nor less than the image of the Master Teacher showing through. I believe that to the degree you perform according to the challenge and charge which you have, the image of Christ does become engraved upon your countenances. And for all practical purposes, in that classroom at that time and in that expression and with that inspiration, you are He and He is you.
Boyd K. Packer, The Ideal Teacher. I believe that the most important answer to the question of who we are is that we are asked to be representatives of Jesus Christ. The focus of our efforts is to help youth and young adults come to know Jesus Christ and rely on Him and His atoning sacrifice. We look to Him as our exemplar and rely on His grace to do His will. Despite personal challenges and setbacks, we live with hope and optimism. Because we constantly repent, we have tasted of His love and mercy, and we extend that mercy to others as we teach from changed and grateful hearts. We speak often of Him, testify of Him, rejoice in His goodness and greatness, and help others to know “to what source they may look for a remission of their sins.” We strive each day to be His representatives.
Chad Webb, We Talk of Christ, We Rejoice in Christ. I have come to understand and believe that the single most important way in which we can help increase faith in the rising generation is to more fully place Jesus Christ at the center of our teaching and learning by helping our students come to know Him, to learn from Him, and to consciously strive to become like Him. Every day, we must “talk of Christ, … rejoice in Christ, … [and] preach of Christ.”
Many of you have already begun to respond to this invitation, intentionally preparing lessons with these ideas in mind and looking for opportunities to testify of Jesus Christ and of His divine attributes, His boundless power, and His unfailing love. In these classes there has been an increased influence of the Holy Ghost, more expressions of gratitude for the Savior, and more meaningful and relevant personal application, and more young people acting in faith.
Chad Webb, We Talk of Christ, We Rejoice in Christ. One of the titles of Jesus Christ is Creator. Under the direction of His Father, Jesus created the heavens and the earth. Creator is also one of His divine roles and speaks to His nature. As we study how and why Jesus created the earth, we might ask, “What does this teach us about who He is? What does it teach us about His motives, His love, and His power? What divine attributes of the Savior are revealed in His role as the Creator?”
You may remember that President Boyd K. Packer was an accomplished artist who enjoyed carving wooden birds. One day he was a passenger in a car driven by Elder A. Theodore Tuttle, and one of his carvings rested on the backseat of the car. At an intersection, Elder Tuttle slammed on the brakes and the carving tipped upside down on the floor and broke into pieces. Elder Tuttle was devastated, but President Packer was not. He simply said, “Forget it. I made it. I can fix it.” And he did. He made it stronger than it was and even improved it a bit. President Packer explained, “Who made you? Who is your Creator? There is not anything about your life that gets bent or broken that He cannot fix and will fix.”
When our students understand Jesus’s role as the Creator, and as they ponder the scripture accounts that witness of His incredible power to fix and heal His creations, their hearts will long to experience that power and promise in their own lives. They will then act in faith to experience His incredible power to fix what is broken in them.
Chad Webb, We Talk of Christ, We Rejoice in Christ. We need to speak of Him more often and more powerfully and with more reverence, adoration, and gratitude. We need to share our own testimonies, and we must find effective ways to invite our students to share their testimonies with each other. In a recent class discussion on the principle of prayer, a teacher invited students to consider what the Lord’s invitation to pray and His promise to answer teach us about the nature of our Father in Heaven. They were then invited to consider the attributes of the Savior, which allow us to pray in His name. With these simple questions, a lesson on prayer turned into the opportunity for students to bear testimony of the power and love of our Father in Heaven and His Son, Jesus Christ. Students left with increased appreciation for their relationship with Deity and for the incredible blessing we have been given to pray in the name of Jesus Christ, who is our Advocate with the Father.
Another essential way to testify of Jesus Christ is to allow the testimony of prophets, both ancient and modern, to be heard in our classrooms. The Apostle Peter said we are “witnesses chosen before of God. … He commanded us to … testify that it is he which was ordained of God. … To him give all the prophets witness.”
More recently, Elder Robert D. Hales made a statement that has caused me much reflection. He said, “We watch, hear, read, study, and share the words of prophets to be forewarned and protected. For example, ‘The Family: A Proclamation to the World’ was given long before we experienced the challenges now facing the family.” And then he added this thought, “‘The Living Christ: The Testimony of the Apostles’ was prepared in advance of when we will need it most.”
Henry B. Eyring, We Must Raise Out Sights. Whether the miracle comes in a moment or over years, as is far more common, it is the doctrine of Jesus Christ that drives the change. We sometimes underestimate the power that pure doctrine has to penetrate the hearts of people…. They taught that the pure gospel of Jesus Christ had been restored.
That pure doctrine went down into the hearts then, as it will now, because the people were starved and the doctrine was taught simply.
Jeffrey R. Holland, A Teacher Come From God. That is what our members really want when they gather in a meeting or come into a classroom anyway. Most people don’t come to church looking merely for a few new gospel facts or to see old friends, though all of that is important. They come seeking a spiritual experience. They want peace. They want their faith fortified and their hope renewed. They want, in short, to be nourished by the good word of God, to be strengthened by the powers of heaven. Those of us who are called upon to speak or teach or lead have an obligation to help provide that, as best we possibly can. We can only do that if we ourselves are striving to know God, if we ourselves are continually seeking the light of His Only Begotten Son. Then, if our hearts are right, if we are as clean as we can be, if we have prayed and wept and prepared and worried until we don’t know what more we can do, God can say to us as He did to Alma and the sons of Mosiah: “Lift up thy head and rejoice. … I will give unto you success.”
Chad Webb, Messengers of the Good News. To further improve our training materials, I would also like to announce an adjustment to the official objective statement of Seminaries and Institutes. Before I share with you the new language of our objective statement, let me provide some context. Over the past two years, we’ve been focusing on providing learner experiences that lead to conversion, relevance, and belonging, and making those experiences accessible to more youth and young adults. It is imperative that we recognize that these principles are not of equal value. The ultimate purpose is to provide experiences that invite our students to learn the gospel and deepen their conversion to Jesus Christ.
Relevance and belonging are important, but they are indirect outcomes. They are a means to an end that when used effectively can lead to our direct goal of conversion. Relevance that leads to conversion is more than simply talking about things of interest with our students. Nothing is more relevant for our eternal progression and happiness than Jesus Christ and His restored gospel. The plan of salvation is God’s plan for all His children. It has immediate relevance and eternal significance to every child of God.
Chad Webb, Messengers of the Good News. Whatever may change or might be emphasized in our efforts to effectively teach the gospel, what will never change is that we will be Christ-centered, learner-focused, and scripture-based. And we will always try to infuse our teaching and learning experiences with the inspiration and witness of the Holy Ghost. All we do should deepen our conversion to Jesus Christ and His restored gospel because He is the answer to their challenges and questions. He is the God of their deliverance and redemption.
Dale G Renlund, Vital Gospel Nutrients. The Apostle Paul declared, “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” Paul then asked a series of questions that helps us understand the importance of an authorized teacher teaching this essential staple. He asked, “How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach, except they be sent?” Paul then offered this conclusion: “So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” In order for your students to develop faith in Jesus Christ and His central role in the Father’s plan, teaching them about Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ is paramount. The theme for this conference says it all: “Seek this Jesus of whom the prophets and apostles have written.”
Today is a good day to do a self-inventory of our teaching. Please ask yourself:
Is my teaching centered on Jesus Christ?
Do I teach with testimony and love?
Do I seek to develop lifelong relationships with my students?
Do I help students answer their own questions and not leave them with more questions?
Do I show an example of a soft heart, expressing gratitude to God and standing firm in the faith?
What are my students learning from my example as well as my teaching?
Chad Webb, Reach and impact of Seminaries and Institutes. They did focus groups and surveys with over 5,000 young adults, including many who were not currently participating in institute or the Church. The study was done on five continents and provided extremely valuable information.
At the heart of what young adults told us was that they wanted and needed four things:
They wanted institute to be more relevant in meeting their needs and answering their questions.
They wanted to feel a sense of belonging—belonging to a group of people who help them live the gospel and belonging to a cause, to feel they were part of something important.
They also asked that we make institute more accessible so they could participate despite full schedules and demands on their time and attention.
The most common response was they wanted to feel Heavenly Father’s love and to feel closer to the Savior. This one we labeled as “conversion to Jesus Christ.” Elder Gilbert helped us realize that this one is inherently different than the others.
The purpose of institute is to deepen conversion to Jesus Christ and His restored gospel. The others are a means to that end. They must be connected to the goal of conversion, or they will never really have the long-lasting benefit that the young single adults need.
Neil L Andersen, The power of Jesus Christ and Pure Doctrine. With your service already so exemplary, my prayer today is that I can share one or two insights that will be spiritually lifting to you and will, in the smallest way, help you strengthen the righteous service you are giving.
Here is the first consideration for you: Let us teach and testify more frequently and more powerfully of Jesus Christ.
Think of how these words from President Russell M. Nelson in this past April general conference are so timely for the students that you teach: “Whatever questions or problems you have, the answer is always found in the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. Learn more about His Atonement, His love, His mercy, His doctrine, and His restored gospel of healing and progression. Turn to Him! Follow Him!”
Neil L. Andersen, The Power of Jesus Christ and Pure Doctrine. If ever you wonder what to say, speak the words of the Savior. Speak of His experiences; speak of His parables; speak the words of scripture and of prophets testifying of Him.
As we teach and testify of Jesus Christ, the Holy Ghost will confirm in the hearts of our young disciples the truth of His life and teachings with a power far more lasting than the power of our own teaching.
Let us humbly consider if we are doing all we should in teaching and testifying, as President Nelson asked, of His Atonement, His love, His mercy, His doctrine, His restored gospel of healing and progression.
Because our teaching pattern of the past may not be sufficient for today and what will come in the future, let us expand our own understanding and, as President Nelson counseled, “learn more” ourselves and encourage the youth and young adults of the Church to “learn more” about “the life and teachings of Jesus Christ.”
Dieter F. Uchtdorf, A Teacher’s Checklist, Teaching in the Savior’s Way. Focus on Jesus Christ
The first item on our preflight check is “Focus on Jesus Christ.” It’s an opportunity to reflect on whether the Savior is truly at the center of our teaching. Please consider these questions:
Do I teach about Jesus Christ no matter what I am teaching?
Do I emphasize the example of Jesus Christ?
Do I help learners recognize the Lord’s love, power, and mercy in their lives?
Do I help learners intentionally strive to become more like Jesus Christ?
These are profound questions!
Let’s face it: The gospel is so expansive that we could spend a lifetime of study and scarcely scratch the surface. Imagine painting a target as tall and wide as the side of a gigantic wooden building that could represent the breadth of the gospel.
We all have our favorite gospel hobbies—things that interest us. Periods of history, Church programs, doctrinal topics, or even single verses of scripture. And we might be tempted to mainly focus on these favorite topics of ours.
But as large as the target of gospel teaching is, the bullseye—the center of the target—we should never forget to focus on—it is small. And it is the center given to us not in commentary, not by opinion poll, not by debate. The Savior Himself gave it to us.
What is it?
Love God and love others.
That is the center.
Other things may be interesting to us. They may even be important. But they are not the center.
They are supporting cast. They are the side dish on our menu; maybe the salad to the main dish. They add spice or variety, and lots of vitamins perhaps, but they are not the main course.
What is our goal, then, in teaching?
Our goal is to help those we teach to come closer to Christ, increase in their knowledge and love of God, and serve God by reaching out in compassion towards all His children.
That is the center.
And where do we find our greatest example of loving God and others?
In the life and teachings of our Savior and Redeemer.
As we bring souls closer to Christ, we help them increase their faith and love for God. And we help them increase in their compassion and love for others.
Whenever we are tempted to veer off and get distracted by some other topic that may seem interesting to us, we should really ask ourselves:
“Do I focus on the Savior, no matter what I am teaching about?”
“Is what I am teaching helping others to grow in their love for God and to show that love by loving and serving, and by applying the Savior’s teachings in our lives?”
As teachers, we may speak with the tongues of angels; we may entertain, delight, amuse, and astound. But if we have failed in keeping our focus on Jesus Christ, we have missed the mark1 and our teaching is only a shadow of what it ought to be.
Always keep the focus on our Savior and Redeemer, Jesus Christ.
We help students learn the restored gospel of Jesus Christ as found in the scriptures and words of the prophets.
We help students learn the restored gospel of Jesus Christ as found in the scriptures and words of the prophets.
J. Rueben Clark Jr., The Charted Course of the Church in Education. May I now say a few words to you teachers? In the first place, there is neither reason nor is there excuse for our Church religious teaching and training facilities and institutions unless the youth are to be taught and trained in the principles of the gospel, embracing therein the two great elements that Jesus is the Christ and that Joseph was God’s prophet. The teaching of a system of ethics to the students is not a sufficient reason for running our seminaries and institutes. The great public school system teaches ethics. The students of seminaries and institutes should of course be taught the ordinary canons of good and righteous living, for these are part, and an essential part, of the gospel. But there are the great principles involved in eternal life, the priesthood, the Resurrection, and many like other things, that go way beyond these canons of good living. These great fundamental principles also must be taught to the youth; they are the things the youth wish first to know about.
The first requisite of a teacher for teaching these principles is a personal testimony of their truth. No amount of learning, no amount of study, and no number of scholastic degrees can take the place of this testimony, which is the sine qua non of the teacher in our Church school system. No teacher who does not have a real testimony of the truth of the gospel as revealed to and believed by the Latter-day Saints, and a testimony of the Sonship and Messiahship of Jesus, and of the divine mission of Joseph Smith—including, in all its reality, the First Vision—has any place in the Church school system. If there be any such, and I hope and pray there are none, he should at once resign; if the Commissioner knows of any such and he does not resign, the Commissioner should request his resignation. The First Presidency expect this pruning to be made.
J. Rueben Clark Jr., The Charted Course of the Church in Education. I repeat again for emphasis, your chief interest, your essential and all but sole duty, is to teach the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ as that has been revealed in these latter days. You are to teach this gospel, using as your sources and authorities the standard works of the Church and the words of those whom God has called to lead His people in these last days. You are not, whether high or low, to intrude into your work your own peculiar philosophy, no matter what its source or how pleasing or rational it seems to you to be. To do so would be to have as many different churches as we have seminaries—and that is chaos.
Chad Webb, His Representatives. We have each been given a sacred trust. When we pray or close our teaching and testimonies in His name, we are claiming that what has been said represents His mind and will. To be true to that trust, we must have a deep love for and understanding of His gospel and be willing to pay the price to truly know the scriptures and the doctrine they teach. Because we understand that the word of God has a “more powerful effect” than anything else and that it really does have the answers to life’s questions, the scriptures are the primary source of our experiences with our students. As we continue to innovate our teaching methods to connect with more students, we must never innovate away from being deeply rooted in the scriptures.
It’s equally important to rivet our minds and hearts on the Lord’s chosen servants—particularly the current members of the First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve Apostles—never apologizing for their teachings, explaining them away, or contradicting them with our own “philosophy, no matter what its source or how pleasing or rational it seems … to be.” In a world with so many enticing voices and social agendas, it is an incredible blessing to know the mind of God through His living prophet. As we align our teaching, our allegiances, and our priorities with the Lord and His prophet, we will be on a sure foundation, and like branches of the true vine, we will have power to bring forth much fruit.
D. Todd Christofferson, The First Commandment First. Nephi tells us to “feast upon the words of Christ; for behold, the words of Christ will tell you all things what ye should do.” It is a remarkable endowment in our day to have so much of the written word of God available at our fingertips—constantly accessible to us individually—as well as the current teaching of prophets and apostles published in a variety of formats and languages. It is unlike any other time in the world’s history. Ask yourself, What does God intend by this?
Chad Webb, We Talk of Christ, We Rejoice in Christ. When we focus on types and shadows of Jesus Christ, we can then help our students recognize His attributes and characteristics by asking questions such as:
“What Christlike characteristics do you see in the life of this prophet?”
“When have you been blessed because Jesus possesses this attribute?” Or, “How has the Savior demonstrated this characteristic on your behalf?”
“What could you do to become more like Jesus Christ and acquire this divine attribute?” Or, “What have you learned about your Father in Heaven and Jesus Christ that inspires you to act in faith to follow Them?”
And when students give answers like “pray” or “read the scriptures,” we would do well to help them connect those actions to Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ by asking them questions like:
“How will your prayers be different knowing who you are talking to?”
“How will you study the scriptures in a way that will help you know the Savior better and be more like Him?”
These types of questions will help our students develop greater power and capacity to know the Savior and to learn from Him.
Chad Webb, We Talk of Christ, We Rejoice in Christ. There are several occupational hazards we face…. Another challenge we have is to maintain doctrinal purity. Commenting on this hazard, Jeffrey R. Holland said:
“Brethren and sisters, please be cautious and restrained and totally orthodox in all matters of Church doctrine. This is, as you might suppose, of great concern to the Brethren, our employers in this great work. And while they love us and help and trust us individually and collectively—and they do—they cannot fail to respond to some anxiety expressed by a member of the Church who feels that some inappropriate doctrinal or historical position has been taken in the classroom. It is in light of this rather constant danger always before us … that I give you these cautions and reminders. …
“With this appropriate restraint, what we then teach must be in harmony with the prophets and the holy scriptures. We are not called upon to teach exotic, titillating, or self-serving doctrines. Surely we have our educational hands full effectively communicating the most basic and fundamental principles of salvation. … Continue to study for the rest of your life, but use caution and limit your classroom instruction to what the Brethren prescribe. Listen carefully and see what they choose to teach at general conference—and they are ordained” Paul V. Johnson quoting Jeffrey R. Holland in The Dangers of Priestcraft.
Nephi tells us that people set themselves as a light for the praise of the world. Some teachers have a strong desire for praise. In order to obtain that praise, they might begin to set themselves up as a light. When people look to them as a light, they are willing to give the praise they desire. This may increase their desire for more praise, and the cycle continues. It becomes dangerous because it can lead to teachers changing the doctrine or teaching things that shouldn’t be taught or using teaching methods that shouldn’t be used in order to appear as a light. Paul V. Johnson quoting Jeffrey R. Holland in The Dangers of Priestcraft.
Paul V. Johnson quoting Howard W. Hunter in The Dangers of Priestcraft. In 1989 in the Assembly Hall, President Howard W. Hunter, who was then President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, addressed us at our annual Evening with a General Authority. He said:
“Let me give a word of caution to you. I am sure you recognize the potential danger of being so influential and so persuasive that your students build an allegiance to you rather than to the gospel. Now that is a wonderful problem to have to wrestle with, and we would only hope that all of you are such charismatic teachers. But there is a genuine danger here. That is why you have to invite your students into the scriptures themselves, not just give them your interpretation and presentation of them. That is why you must invite your students to feel the Spirit of the Lord, not just give them your personal reflection of that. That is why, ultimately, you must invite your students directly to Christ, not just to one who teaches his doctrines, however ably. You will not always be available to these students. You cannot hold their hands after they have left high school or college. And you do not need personal disciples. …
“… Please make sure the loyalty of these students is to the scriptures and the Lord and the doctrines of the restored Church. Point them toward God the Father and his Only Begotten Son, Jesus Christ, and toward the leadership of the true Church. Make certain that when the glamour and charisma of your personality and lectures and classroom environment are gone that they are not left empty-handed to face the world. Give them the gifts that will carry them through when they have to stand alone. When you do this, the entire Church is blessed for generations to come.
Jeffrey R. Holland, A Teacher Come From God. We do have a legitimate worry about the new member, wanting each one to stay with us and enjoy the full blessings of the Church. I am just simple enough to think that if we continue to teach them—with the same Christlike spirit, conviction, doctrine, and personal interest the missionaries have shown them—new converts will not only stay with us but, quite literally, could not be kept away. The need for continuing such solid teaching is obvious. In times like ours we all need what Mormon called “the virtue of the word of God” because, he said, it “had [a] more powerful effect upon the minds of the people than the sword, or anything else, which had happened unto them.” When crises come in our lives—and they will—the philosophies of men interlaced with a few scriptures and poems just won’t do. Are we really nurturing our youth and our new members in a way that will sustain them when the stresses of life appear? Or are we giving them a kind of theological Twinkie—spiritually empty calories? President John Taylor once called such teaching “fried froth,” the kind of thing you could eat all day and yet finish feeling totally unsatisfied. During a severe winter several years ago, President Boyd K. Packer noted that a goodly number of deer had died of starvation while their stomachs were full of hay. In an honest effort to assist, agencies had supplied the superficial when the substantial was what had been needed. Regrettably they had fed the deer, but they had not nourished them.
Dale G. Renlund, Vital Gospel Nutrients. When we have eager students before us, we need to nourish them with the good word of God and not spiritual Twinkies that are devoid of spiritual nourishment. Those nourished with spiritual Twinkies are unlikely to become lifelong disciples of Jesus Christ—individuals who have grown up in the Lord and received “a fulness of the Holy Ghost.” Nourished by spiritual Twinkies, they are more likely, instead, to grow up to be spiritually stubborn, faithless, and bewildered.
To combat spiritual malnutrition, our students need at least four nutrient-enriched metaphorical staples. The first is a testimony of Heavenly Father and His plan, Jesus Christ and His Atonement, and the Restoration of the fulness of the gospel of Jesus Christ in these latter days. To do this, we must teach restored truth and bear testimony of those truths.
M. Russell Ballard, By Study and By Faith. As Church education moves forward in the 21st century, our educators need to consider any changes they should make in the way they prepare to teach, how they teach, and what they teach if they are to build unwavering faith in the lives of our precious youth.
Gone are the days when a student asked an honest question and a teacher responded, “Don’t worry about it!” Gone are the days when a student raised a sincere concern and a teacher bore his or her testimony as a response intended to avoid the issue. Gone are the days when students were protected from people who attacked the Church.
Fortunately, the Lord has provided this timely and timeless counsel to teachers: “And as all have not faith, seek ye diligently and teach one another words of wisdom; yea, seek ye out of the best books words of wisdom; seek learning, even by study and also by faith” (D&C 88:118).
M. Russell Ballard, By Study and By Faith. It was only a generation ago that our young people’s access to information about our history, doctrine, and practices was basically limited to materials printed by the Church. Few students came in contact with alternative interpretations. Mostly, our young people lived a sheltered life.
Our curriculum at that time, though well-meaning, did not prepare students for today—a day when they have instant access to virtually everything about the Church from every possible point of view. Today what they see on their mobile devices is likely to be faith challenging as much as faith promoting. Many of our young people are more familiar with Google than with the gospel, more attuned to the internet than to inspiration, and more involved with Facebook than with faith.
In light of these challenges, the Church Board of Education recently approved an initiative in seminary called Doctrinal Mastery. Building on what already has been done in Scripture Mastery, this new initiative focuses on building and strengthening our students’ faith in Jesus Christ and fortifying them with increased ability to live and apply the gospel in their lives. Drawing on the scriptures and the words of the prophets, they will learn how to act with faith in Christ to acquire spiritual knowledge and understanding of His gospel. And they will have opportunities to learn how to apply the doctrine of Christ and gospel principles to the questions and challenges they hear and see every day among their peers and on social media.
M. Russell Ballard, By Study and By Faith. The efforts to inoculate our young people will often fall to Church Educational System teachers. With those thoughts in mind, find time to think about your opportunities and your responsibilities.
Church leaders today are fully conscious of the unlimited access to information, and we are making extraordinary efforts to provide accurate context and understanding of the teachings of the Restoration. A prime example of this effort is the 11 Gospel Topics essays on LDS.org that provide balanced and reliable interpretations of the facts for controversial and unfamiliar Church-related subjects.
It is important that you know the content of these essays. If you have questions about them, please ask someone who has studied them and understands them. In other words, “seek learning, even by study and also by faith” (D&C 88:118) as you master the content of these essays.
You should also become familiar with the Joseph Smith Papers website, the Church history section on LDS.org, and other resources by faithful LDS scholars.
The effort for gospel transparency and spiritual inoculation through a thoughtful study of doctrine and history, coupled with a burning testimony, is the best antidote we have to help students avoid and deal with questions, doubt, or faith crises they may face in this information age.
As you teachers pay the price to better understand our history, doctrine, and practices—better than you do now—you will be prepared to provide thoughtful, careful, and inspired answers to your students’ questions.
Neil L. Andersen, The Power of Jesus Christ and Pure Doctrine. Weren’t we profoundly impacted in April general conference when President Dallin H. Oaks quoted Nephi’s words, “Feast upon the words of Christ; for behold, the words of Christ will tell you all things [that you] should do,” and then took the remainder of his powerful message to share “a selection of the words of our Savior—what He said” both in the New Testament and in the Book of Mormon. President Oaks concluded with this simply stated, prophetic declaration: “I affirm the truth of these teachings in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.”
There is a transcendent power in the words of Jesus Christ:
“Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find.”
“I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live.”
“Behold, I am Jesus Christ the Son of God. … I am the light and the life of the world.”
If ever you wonder what to say, speak the words of the Savior. Speak of His experiences; speak of His parables; speak the words of scripture and of prophets testifying of Him.
As we teach and testify of Jesus Christ, the Holy Ghost will confirm in the hearts of our young disciples the truth of His life and teachings with a power far more lasting than the power of our own teaching.
Neil L. Andersen, The Power of Jesus Christ and Pure Doctrine. Let us keep the doctrine pure and simple.
What we truly know about our Heavenly Father; our Savior Jesus Christ; our premortal life; our Father’s plan of happiness for us; the principles of faith and repentance; the saving ordinances, the commandments, covenants, obedience, and endurance; and our promised blessings beyond this mortal world—all these things are so beautifully clear, we should never feel the need to go “beyond the mark,” as the scriptures teach.
We center our teaching on our Heavenly Father, Jesus Christ, and their revealed doctrine to help our youth increase faith in Them, become converted to Them, and receive Their promised blessings.
The doctrine of Christ is found in the scriptures and in the teachings of the prophets, whose responsibility it is to communicate the will of the Lord.
The doctrine in the scriptures and taught by the prophets includes the principle of multiple witnesses, a principle you’ve heard often in general conference and one I shared more than 10 years ago: “A few question their faith when they find a statement made by a Church leader decades ago that seems incongruent with our doctrine. There is an important principle that governs the doctrine of the Church. The doctrine is taught by all 15 members of the First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve. It is not hidden in an obscure paragraph of one talk. True principles are taught frequently and by many. Our doctrine is not difficult to find.”
Neil L. Andersen, The Power of Jesus Christ and Pure Doctrine. Be wise as you balance the doctrine you teach. Give appropriate weight to a point of doctrine within the context of other related truths. Remember the Savior’s counsel about teaching the commandments: “These ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone.”
Elder Neal A. Maxwell explained, “Gospel principles are weaved together in a fabric which keeps them in check and in balance with each other.”
Think of it: God’s love and God’s laws, forgiveness and repentance, the love for God and the love for others, agency and accountability.
As has been said many times, teach not only to be understood, but teach so you are not misunderstood.
A Teacher’s Checklist Teaching in the Savior’s Way with Elder Uchtdorf
Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf Sunday, June 12, 2022
Teach the Doctrine
The fourth item on our preflight check is “Teach the Doctrine”—not just any doctrine, of course, but the doctrine that Jesus Christ received from His Father. The Savior said, “My doctrine is not mine, but his that sent me.” To evaluate how well you are following His example, consider these questions:
Do I learn the doctrine for myself?
Do I teach from the scriptures and the words of latter-day prophets?
Do I help learners recognize and understand truths in the scriptures?
Do I focus on truths that build faith in Jesus Christ?
Do I help learners find personal revelation in the doctrine?
In our dispensation the Lord has said: “I give unto you a commandment, that you shall teach one another the doctrine of the kingdom. Teach ye diligently and my grace shall attend you.”
What is the doctrine we are to teach?
It is the word that proceeds from the holy scriptures and the mouths of apostles and prophets. It is they who have the right and authority to expound and clarify doctrine. And it is through them that God has always declared His word, giving guidance and understanding to His children.
The central and saving doctrine of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is that Jesus Christ is the Savior and Redeemer of all. The Apostle Paul, who saw and communed with the risen Savior, wrote to the Corinthians, “I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you … that [Jesus the Christ] died for our sins … that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day… and that he was seen of Cephas, then of the twelve.”
We are commanded to “lay hold upon the word of God, which is quick and powerful … and [will] lead the man of Christ in a strait and narrow course … and land their souls, yea, their immortal souls, at the right hand of God in the kingdom of heaven.”
As teachers, we must not be ashamed of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Rather, we must joyfully raise our voices in teaching His doctrine even when it may seem a stumbling block to some and foolishness to others. “For it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth.”
Chad Webb, Reach and Impact of Seminaries and Institutes. A few years ago, I shared that the best thing we could do to innovate seminary is to continue to implement doctrinal mastery. The more that we can incorporate doctrinal mastery in the way it was intended, the more it will bless the youth of the Church. Doctrinal mastery will invite deepened experiences of conversion, relevance, and belonging for our seminary students.
Since then, we have included another significant initiative. Starting in 2025, we will introduce life preparation lessons globally in response to current needs our youth and leaders have identified.
These inspired lessons address topics such as missionary and temple preparation, education, physical and emotional health, teachings of modern prophets, and more. The lessons will complement our ongoing sequential scripture teaching and doctrinal mastery efforts.
We help students fulfill their role in learning for themselves.
We help students fulfill their role in learning for themselves.
J. Rueben Clark Jr., The Charted Course of the Church in Education. The youth of the Church are hungry for things of the Spirit; they are eager to learn the gospel, and they want it straight, undiluted. They want to know about the fundamentals I have just set out—about our beliefs; they want to gain testimonies of their truth. They are not now doubters but inquirers, seekers after truth. Doubt must not be planted in their hearts. Great is the burden and the condemnation of any teacher who sows doubt in a trusting soul.
J. Rueben Clark Jr., The Charted Course of the Church in Education. These students hunger and thirst, as did their fathers before them, for a testimony of the things of the Spirit and of the hereafter, and knowing that you cannot rationalize eternity, they seek faith and the knowledge which follows faith. They sense, by the Spirit they have, that the testimony they seek is engendered and nurtured by the testimony of others, and that to gain this testimony which they seek for, one living, burning, honest testimony of a righteous God-fearing man that Jesus is the Christ and that Joseph was God’s prophet, is worth a thousand books and lectures aimed at debasing the gospel to a system of ethics or seeking to rationalize infinity.
J. Rueben Clark Jr., The Charted Course of the Church in Education. I have already indicated that our youth are not children spiritually; they are well on toward the normal spiritual maturity of the world. To treat them as children spiritually, as the world might treat the same age group, is therefore and likewise an anachronism. I say once more, there is scarcely a youth that comes through your seminary or institute door who has not been the conscious beneficiary of spiritual blessings, or who has not seen the efficacy of prayer, or who has not witnessed the power of faith to heal the sick, or who has not beheld spiritual outpourings of which the world at large is today ignorant. You do not have to sneak up behind this spiritually experienced youth and whisper religion in his ears; you can come right out, face to face, and talk with him. You do not need to disguise religious truths with a cloak of worldly things; you can bring these truths to him openly, in their natural guise. Youth may prove to be not more fearful of them than you are. There is no need for gradual approaches, for “bedtime” stories, for coddling, for patronizing, or for any of the other childish devices used in efforts to reach those spiritually inexperienced and all but spiritually dead.
You teachers have a great mission. As teachers you stand upon the highest peak in education, for what teaching can compare in priceless value and in far-reaching effect with that which deals with man as he was in the eternity of yesterday, as he is in the mortality of today, and as he will be in the forever of tomorrow. Not only time but eternity is your field. Salvation of yourself not only, but of those who come within the purlieus of your temple is the blessing you seek, and which, doing your duty, you will gain. How brilliant will be your crown of glory, with each soul saved an encrusted jewel thereon.
Chad Webb, His Representatives. Sometimes, teaching truth and showing love may seem to be in conflict. That’s because there are counterfeits to both, which can confuse us. You may feel you’re on the front lines trying to help answer difficult and complex questions and that if you speak the truth, someone might be hurt or offended. To respond in a loving and helpful way, we must exercise our faith in Jesus Christ that He directs His Church through those He has ordained to lead it. We must pray for help and encourage our students to turn to Heavenly Father with their questions and doubts. Jesus Christ is the light to those who sit in confusion and darkness. He is the perfect example of teaching obedience with clarity, yet He is the balm of Gilead to those who are suffering from the consequences of their own mistakes. He is the perfect example of what we are striving to become as teachers who teach the truth in love.
Chad Webb, His Representatives. You can help your students who face challenges by helping them know they are loved by Heavenly Father. You can show your love for them with your time, your empathy, and your willingness to listen. You might ask Heavenly Father to help you see them as individuals and to recognize their unique challenges, opportunities, and needs. When they have questions or struggle with their testimonies, you can help them feel safe and know they can turn to you and to the Lord.
President Russell M. Nelson, Choices for Eternity. For example, if I were to rank in order of importance the designations that could be applied to me, I would say: First, I am a child of God—a son of God—then a son of the covenant, then a disciple of Jesus Christ and a devoted member of His restored Church.
Next would come my honored titles as a husband and father, then Apostle of the Lord Jesus Christ.
All other labels that have applied to me—such as a medical doctor, surgeon, researcher, professor, lieutenant, captain, PhD, American, and so forth—would fall somewhere down the list.
Now, let us turn the question to you. Who are you?
First and foremost, you are a child of God.
Second, as a member of the Church, you are a child of the covenant. And third, you are a disciple of Jesus Christ.
Tonight, I plead with you not to replace these three paramount and unchanging identifiers with any others, because doing so could stymie your progress or pigeonhole you in a stereotype that could potentially thwart your eternal progression.
Clark Gilbert, Stand Fast with Love in Proclaiming Truth. As Elder Jeffrey R. Holland has taught: “As near as I can tell, Christ never once withheld His love from anyone, but He also never once said to anyone, ‘Because I love you, you are exempt from keeping my commandments."
We are tasked with trying to strike that same sensitive, demanding balance in our lives.”
Notice the pattern of the Savior when He compassionately stood up for the woman taken in adultery. He reminded her public accusers it was not their role to judge. He then privately charged her to go and sin no more.
Boyd K. Packer, The Ideal Teacher. I noticed that he has a sincere compassion for his students; he knows them and loves them, and he cannot help himself. And the less they deserve his love, the more of it there seems to be sponsored within him. He has learned that young people need a lot of love, particularly when they do not deserve it. He has this characteristic about him. I have come to know, after having watched him operate in the classroom in Idaho, Arizona, California, or Wyoming, that this feeling of love is akin to and has a close relationship with discernment. It is an appropriate power he uses in his work which few other teachers display.
Jeffrey R. Holand, Angels and Astonishment. I never thought it was happenstance that we initiate our students into the seminary program at just the age Joseph Smith was when he received the First Vision. I assume our Father in Heaven felt that by age 14 Joseph had reached a level of maturity sufficient to start him on the path of his prophetic mission. Might we also assume, then, that this is generally about the age other young people can have the beginnings of a mature testimony of the gospel of Jesus Christ, watching that testimony develop (we hope) in future years into the powerful guiding force it is to be for the rest of eternity?
Surely that is why the Lord inspired our program to be structured as it is—touching the heart of a boy or a girl as they start that wonderful move into maturity, intensifying our contact with them, giving them substantial midweek experiences rather than depending solely upon one Sabbath school experience. As the Church moves toward a more home-centered, Church-supported curriculum, we can be proud that CES with its weekday and home-study focus has always been pointed that way. This current adjustment moves seminaries and institutes closer to the mainstream curriculum effort of the Church than ever in its history.
Henry B. Eyring, We Must Raise Our Sights. The spiritual strength sufficient for our youth to stand firm just a few years ago will soon not be enough. Many of them are remarkable in their spiritual maturity and in their faith. But even the best of them are sorely tested. And the testing will become more severe….
The pure gospel of Jesus Christ must go down into the hearts of young people by the power of the Holy Ghost. It will not be enough for them to have had a spiritual witness of the truth and to want good things later. It will not be enough for them to hope for some future cleansing and strengthening. Our aim must be for them to become truly converted to the restored gospel of Jesus Christ while they are young.
Then they will have gained a strength from what they are, not only from what they know. They will become disciples of Christ. They will be His spiritual children who always remember Him with gratitude and in faith. They will then have the Holy Ghost as a constant companion. Their hearts will be turned outward, concerned for the temporal and spiritual welfare of others. They will walk humbly. They will feel cleansed, and they will look on evil with abhorrence..
Henry B. Eyring, We Must Raise Our Sights. Our young people may not know that they are fainting from famine, but the words of God will slake a thirst they did not know they had, and the Holy Ghost will take it down into their hearts. If we make the doctrine simple and clear, and if we teach out of our own changed hearts, the change for them will come as surely as it did for Enos.
Dale G. Renlund, Vital Gospel Nutrients. The second nutrient-enriched spiritual staple for students is a personal relationship with you. This is because a personal relationship with you can facilitate students being drawn to the Savior. He will always be the real source of spiritual nutrition. But the relationship between teacher and learner helps learners be open to the Savior’s words. Even years after your formal teaching of students ends, your relationship can continue to exert a positive influence in their lives. Your lasting influence will be because you have, out of deep love and concern for their welfare, pointed them to the Lord and His doctrine rather than to yourselves.
Clark G. Gilbert, Helping Students take charge of their own testimony. In that spirit, I would like to focus on one of these recent prophetic emphases that has been on my heart. President Russell M. Nelson has invited young adults to take charge of their testimonies. Please note that if you want to follow the prophet, pay attention to two things. First, watch when he repeats a message, and second, pay particular attention when he pleads with us. You will see both of those patterns in President Nelson’s message to take charge of your testimony, which was first introduced in this devotional to young adults in May 2022, when he stated: “I plead with you to take charge of your testimony. Work for it. Own it. Care for it. Nurture it so that it will grow. Feed it truth. Don’t pollute it with the false philosophies of unbelieving men and women and then wonder why your testimony is waning. As you make your testimony your highest priority, watch for miracles to happen in your life.”
Then, later that same year, President Nelson gave an almost identical charge, this time to the entire Church in his October 2022 general conference address: “To this end, I extend to members of the entire Church the same charge I gave to our young adults last May. I urged them then—and I plead with you now—to take charge of your own testimony of Jesus Christ and His gospel. Work for it. Nurture it so that it will grow. Feed it truth. Don’t pollute it with false philosophies of unbelieving men and women. As you make the continual strengthening of your testimony of Jesus Christ your highest priority, watch for miracles to happen in your life.”
With President Nelson’s repeated plea that we take charge of our testimonies, I felt to share some of my own path toward testimony. This will be a personal expression, and while I have written it out, my hope is that you’ll be able to feel like we’re sitting together in a less formal setting. Each of us has our own personal journey to faith. So do our students.
Brothers and sisters, as religious educators, we must help our students to take charge of their testimonies. I’d like to focus on five ways we can teach our students to take charge of their testimonies. First, help them learn to exercise their agency. Second, teach them to be a light to others, especially those who struggle. Third, ask questions in faith. Fourth, look to truth-filled sources. And fifth, rely on the Spirit.
Dieter F. Uchtdorf, A Teacher’s Checklist Teaching in the Savior’s Way. The final item on our preflight checklist is “Invite Diligent Learning.” This item is a reminder that the diligent teaching we do is only half of the equation. The other half—in the long run, perhaps the more important half—is the diligent learning our students do. Here are some questions to help us evaluate whether our diligent teaching is leading to diligent learning:
Do I help learners take responsibility for their learning?
Do I encourage learners to study the gospel daily?
Do I encourage learners to share the truths they are learning?
Do I invite learners to live what they are learning?
Our spirits need constant nourishment so we can become the beings of light and glory God created us to become. When we study and ponder the words of the prophets of God, we drink of living water and feast upon the word of Christ.
It is not enough merely to read the words. We need to hearken unto them; we need to ponder and internalize them.
To paraphrase a proverb, “Teach a man the gospel and you have blessed him for a day. Teach a man to feast upon the word of God and connect with the Holy Spirit, and you have blessed him for a lifetime.”
It is through this process of inspiration and personal revelation that we build our lives on the rock of our Redeemer. It is then that the gospel of Jesus Christ can become “an anchor of the soul.”
Teaching the gospel is important. Teaching others to immerse themselves in prayer, seek the Spirit, and apply what they have learned is at least equally important.
Clark G. Gilbert, The Power Is in Them. Today I will draw on three ways we can invite diligent learning as outlined in Teaching in the Savior’s Way. First, “invite learners to prepare to learn.” Second, “encourage learners to share the truths they are learning.” And third, “invite learners to live what they are learning.”
We strive to invite the Holy Ghost to fulfill His role in each learning experience.
We strive to invite the Holy Ghost to fulfill His role in each learning experience.
J. Rueben Clark Jr., The Charted Course of the Church in Education. But for you teachers the mere possession of a testimony is not enough. You must have, besides this, one of the rarest and most precious of all the many elements of human character—moral courage. For in the absence of moral courage to declare your testimony, it will reach the students only after such dilution as will make it difficult if not impossible for them to detect it; and the spiritual and psychological effect of a weak and vacillating testimony may well be actually harmful instead of helpful.
The successful seminary or institute teacher must also possess another of the rare and valuable elements of character, a twin brother of moral courage and often mistaken for it. I mean intellectual courage—the courage to affirm principles, beliefs, and faith that may not always be considered as harmonizing with such knowledge, scientific or otherwise, as the teacher or his educational colleagues may believe they possess.
President Russell M. Nelson, Choices for Eternity. Know the truth related to your conversion. The truth is that you must own your own conversion. No one else can do it for you.
Now, may I invite you to consider a few questions? Do you want to feel peace about concerns that presently plague you? Do you want to know Jesus Christ better? Do you want to learn how His divine power can heal your wounds and weaknesses? Do you want to experience the sweet, soothing power of the Atonement of Jesus Christ working in your life?
Seeking to answer these questions will require effort—much effort. I plead with you to take charge of your testimony. Work for it. Own it. Care for it. Nurture it so that it will grow. Feed it truth. Don’t pollute it with the false philosophies of unbelieving men and women and then wonder why your testimony is waning.
Engage in daily, earnest, humble prayer. Nourish yourself in the words of ancient and modern prophets. Ask the Lord to teach you how to hear Him better. Spend more time in the temple and in family history work.
President Russell M. Nelson, Let God Prevail. When we speak of gathering Israel on both sides of the veil, we are referring, of course, to missionary, temple, and family history work. We are also referring to building faith and testimony in the hearts of those with whom we live, work, and serve. Anytime we do anything that helps anyone—on either side of the veil—to make and keep their covenants with God, we are helping to gather Israel.
Lawrence E. Corbridge, Stand Forever. When you act badly, you may think you are bad, when in truth you are usually mistaken. You are just wrong. The challenge is not so much closing the gap between our actions and our beliefs; rather, the challenge is closing the gap between our beliefs and the truth. That is the challenge.
So how do we close that gap? How do we avoid deception?
Begin by answering the primary questions. There are primary questions and there are secondary questions. Answer the primary questions first. Not all questions are equal and not all truths are equal. The primary questions are the most important. Everything else is subordinate. There are only a few primary questions. I will mention four of them.
1. Is there a God who is our Father?
2. Is Jesus Christ the Son of God, the Savior of the world?
3. Was Joseph Smith a prophet?
4. Is The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints the kingdom of God on the earth?
By contrast, the secondary questions are unending. They include questions about Church history, polygamy, people of African descent and the priesthood, women and the priesthood, how the Book of Mormon was translated, the Pearl of Great Price, DNA and the Book of Mormon, gay marriage, the different accounts of the First Vision, and on and on.
If you answer the primary questions, the secondary questions get answered too, or they pale in significance and you can deal with things you understand and things you don’t and things you agree with and things you don’t without jumping ship altogether.
Lawrence E. Corbridge, Stand Forever. Answers to the primary questions do not come by answering the secondary questions. There are answers to the secondary questions, but you cannot prove a positive by disproving every negative. You cannot prove the Church is true by disproving every claim made against it. That will never work. It is a flawed strategy. Ultimately there has to be affirmative proof, and with the things of God, affirmative proof finally and surely comes by revelation through the spirit and power of the Holy Ghost.
To His disciples, Jesus asked:
Whom say ye that I am?
And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.
And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Bar-jona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven.
. . . Thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.
The Church of Jesus Christ is grounded on the rock of revelation, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. We are the Church. You and I are the Church. We must be grounded on the rock of revelation, and although we may not know the answer to every question, we must know the answers to the primary questions. And if we do, the gates of hell shall not prevail against us and we will stand forever.
Chad Webb, We Talk of Christ, We Rejoice in Christ. Even when Jesus is not directly referred to in a story we’re teaching, we can still point to Him as the example of the principle that the story illustrates. For example, after identifying and analyzing a principle, we might ask, “Can you think of a time in the scriptures when Jesus exemplified this principle?” Or, “When have you seen Jesus exemplify this principle in your life or on your behalf?” One student was recently asked that question with regard to the Savior’s example of gentleness. Her thoughts and feelings raced to the gentle way in which the Savior has always treated her. This experience, right in a classroom, created in her a deep desire to be more Christlike and gentler with the people who depend on her, as she depends on the Lord.
You could scour all the books ever written and not find a better illustration of each gospel principle than is found in the scripture accounts of Jesus and His eternal ministry. Pondering examples of the Lord in His roles as Jehovah, the mortal Christ, and the resurrected Savior will increase our students’ power and capacity to take effective, righteous action. It will take our lessons beyond discussions about ethics and self-mastery and connect students to the power of the Savior and the eternal plan of happiness.
Jeffrey R. Holland, Angels and Astonishment. Seminary and institute teachers are not going to solve all of these problems overnight, but the Brethren do look to you to be well-versed, well-prepared, spiritually in tune, and significantly able to address questions on these issues when they arise and to deal with them if you have to in real time. With your midweek contact, you are more accessible to students than almost all of the other teachers in the Church are able to be, so be wise in how you do it, but be certain that the Brethren do want and expect you to help—formally and informally, in class and out—in teaching the policies, practices, and doctrines of the Church.
Stay open—stay open to the Spirit, especially. Leave some wiggle room in your lesson plan. If you need to shorten a lesson a little in order to bear your testimony and stimulate a discussion on a contemporary issue, please do so when the Spirit prompts and dictates that it is appropriate.
Jeffrey R. Holland, Angels and Astonishment. Obviously, with such incredible forces at work in our time, it is going to require gospel instruction so powerful that absolutely nothing can shake the faith or divert the path of our young people when they walk out of your class and reenter the world. That kind of teaching is easier said than done, but every one of us can be better. We can be more powerful teachers than we sometimes are. In approaching such a daunting task, please remember this one thing from my time with you today—remember that a student is not a container to be filled; a student is a fire to be ignited.
As teachers of the gospel, we are to be spiritual arsonists. Our lessons are to be incendiary devices. We are to be pyromaniacs, minus the “maniac” part—just “pyros.” Now, let me explain before you report me either to the Brethren or the police, okay?
I have always been impressed that in almost every significant teaching situation in the Book of Mormon, the phrase used to describe that moment is that the individual taught with “power and authority.” That is my greatest desire in my own teaching, and I hope it is in yours.
Please do not misunderstand. I am not talking about raising the decibels of your voice or about being theatrical in a presentation; I am especially not talking about false emotion. I am talking about something that is essentially, simply a matter of spirit, a spirit that will manifest in many different ways as different as you are. You have to be yourselves. You cannot be a Bruce McConkie or Boyd Packer or Russell Nelson, though we would do well to ask ourselves why those teachers affect us the way they do. Learn all you can from the great teachers (past and present), but of course, in the end, you have to teach naturally; you have to teach your way. However, whatever approach that may be, the result should be powerful, authoritative teaching.
Jeffrey R. Holland, Angels and Astonishment. What I think about, pray for, and hope can come to the Church Educational System is truly astonishing teaching. We need to astonish those students and do it with the “power and authority of God” that is given to a teacher—professional or volunteer—who teaches the gospel of Jesus Christ boldly and honestly….
This kind of teaching is a demanding thing to do, and it is very elusive. If I knew how to teach that way, I would certainly be more successful at doing it. But this I do know: unless you feel passionately about something, you cannot possibly, worlds without end, ever make your students feel passionately about it. May I repeat that? Unless you feel passionately about something, you cannot possibly hope to make your students feel passionately about it. Of course, the ultimate source of that passion is what was said of Abinadi: “For the Spirit of the Lord was upon him; and his face shone with exceeding luster.”
If the Spirit is the key to astonishing teaching—and it is—there is great risk in speaking from old notes or using one of your fellow teacher’s examples, or droning on with a rendition of one of the talks from general conference. Those are all good in their place and spectacular when they were given originally, so certainly use anything you can at anytime to bring life and variety to your teaching. But what will matter most will be how you feel when you say the words. Nothing is going to be a substitute for that. “O that I were an angel … that I might … speak … with a voice to shake the earth!” Remember, a student is not a container to be filled. A student is a fire to be ignited. And if we do that really well, we might be worthy one day to meet those who were burned at the stake precisely for just such an ability to put flint to steel and get flame. Please, go out there, you angels of glory all over this globe—mindful of the audience to whom we are speaking—please go and astonish your students. I testify of the divinity of this work. I testify of the divinity of your calling. My beloved brothers and sisters, this is the work of Almighty God. I have not given my life to a fairy tale. I have not given my life, nor have you, to what Peter said we would be accused of doing, that is pursuing a falsehood, pursuing a yarn, pursuing a cunningly cultivated untruth. This is the truth. It is not a cunningly devised fable. I have given my life, you are giving yours, the best people I know have given and are giving theirs. This is the truth of the Almighty God, and may He bless you forever in your teaching of it. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.
Henry B. Eyring, We Must Raise Our Sights. What we seek for our young people is this kind of change Enos experienced. We must be humble about our part in it. True conversion depends on seeking freely in faith, with great effort and some pain. Then it is the Lord who can grant, in His time, the miracle of cleansing and change. Each person starts from a different place, with a different set of experiences, and so a different need for cleansing and for change. The Lord knows that place, and so only He can set the course.
But for all of our youth, we can play a vital part. Enos remembered the words of eternal life that he had been taught. So did Nephi, and so did the people of King Benjamin. The words had been placed in memory in such a way that the Holy Ghost could take them deep into the heart. Our charge is to place those words so that when the young person chooses and pleads, the Holy Ghost can confirm them in the heart and the miracle can begin.
Henry B. Eyring, We Must Raise Our Sights. We can raise our sights by adding greater faith that the change promised by the Lord will come to our youth and that more of them will make the choices that lead to true conversion. The Lord always keeps His promises. We can exercise our faith that He will keep His word for our young people and for ourselves.
As a witness of Jesus Christ, I testify that the promises are true. Our Heavenly Father lives. Jesus is the Christ. By having faith in Him and keeping His commandments, we and our young people can have eternal life. I know that the word of God can be carried into the hearts of men and women by the power of the Holy Ghost. And I know that the blessing the Lord has given so freely since the world began, of a new heart, unspotted and filled with His pure love, is still offered in His true Church. I testify that He invites all to become His true disciples, His sons and His daughters.
There is great safety as the young people of the Church accept the gospel into their lives. There will be safety even in the times of great difficulty that are coming. There is a protection that they will have—because of the mighty change that has come in their hearts. They will choose righteousness and find that they have no more desire to do evil. That change will come. It will not come in an instant; it will come over time. And there will be a fortification created by the gospel of Jesus Christ through your faith and through your great efforts.
Paul V. Johnson, The Dangers of Priestcraft. They can teach the doctrine and the gospel simply and unadorned, and they can teach with the Spirit. In fact, if we can’t teach with the Spirit, we can’t accomplish what we have been asked to do. The only way to learn spiritual things is by the Spirit. It is the only way our students can have the power to live the gospel in these latter days.
If our teachers are free of priestcraft, the students will love them, but they won’t be dependent on them. They will love you, and they will be grateful for what you taught them, but they will be turned to the Lord. They will be turned to their parents and their priesthood leaders. There will be miracles in the lives of the students, and we will be able to witness them. We can do it.
David A. Bednar, Quick To Observe. The gift of discernment opens to us vistas that stretch far beyond what can be seen with natural eyes or heard with natural ears. Discerning is seeing with spiritual eyes and feeling with the heart—seeing and feeling the falsehood of an idea or the goodness in another person. Discerning is hearing with spiritual ears and feeling with the heart—hearing and feeling the unspoken concern in a statement or the truthfulness of a testimony or doctrine.
I frequently have heard President Boyd K. Packer, Acting President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, counsel members and priesthood leaders, “If all you know is what you see with your natural eyes and hear with your natural ears, then you will not know very much.” His observation should help all of us to appropriately desire and seek these spiritual gifts.
Jeffrey R. Holland, A Teacher Come From God. Satan is certainly not subtle in his teachings; why should we be? Whether we are instructing our children at home or standing before an audience in church, let us never make our faith difficult to detect. Remember, we are to be teachers “come from God.” Never sow seeds of doubt. Avoid self-serving performance and vanity. Prepare lessons well. Give scripturally based sermons. Teach the revealed doctrine. Bear heartfelt testimony. Pray and practice and try to improve.
Chad Webb, Messengers of the Good News. Relevance that leads to conversion is established as the Holy Ghost helps students understand God’s plan, Jesus’s central role in that plan, and the significance of the gospel in our daily lives. Relevance that leads to conversion helps students see how the scriptures and teachings of modern prophets relate to their circumstances and needs. It helps them recognize how the gospel answers the questions of their souls. It happens when they feel inspired to act with faith in Jesus Christ and experience the fulfillment of Heavenly Father’s promised blessings. That is relevance that leads to conversion.
Clark G Gilbert, Helping Students to Take Charge of Their Own Testimonies. One of the most important truth-filled sources we can turn to is the Holy Ghost. Teach students to understand how they feel when the Holy Ghost is present and to recognize its dissipation when truth is misrepresented. I had a formative experience on this topic in a recent BYU–Hawaii question-and-answer session with President Henry B. Eyring and President Keoni Kauwe. A student asked us where they would need the Holy Ghost in their lives. Quoting President Nelson’s statement “In coming days, it will not be possible to survive spiritually without the guiding, directing, comforting, and constant influence of the Holy Ghost,” President Eyring asked me to respond to the student’s question. This was a question I had answered hundreds of times as the president of BYU–Idaho. I responded that the students would need the Spirit as they made decisions about what to study, who to date, where to live, what job to take, and so many other life decisions that are hitting our young adults. President Eyring then asked the student to reread President Nelson’s statement. This time, he would pause on the word survive. President Eyring clarified that the prophet had used the word survive deliberately. He explained that the students were living in a time where the adversary was so effective at perverting truth that if they didn’t have the Holy Ghost, they would be deceived about the most fundamental of gospel truths. In his talk “Think Celestial!,” President Nelson declares: “There is no end to the adversary’s deceptions. Please be prepared. Never take counsel from those who do not believe. Seek guidance from voices you can trust—from prophets, seers, and revelators and from the whisperings of the Holy Ghost.”
Brothers and sisters, let us teach our students to take charge of their testimonies. Teach them to work for it, own it, care for it, nurture it so that it will grow. To this end, let us teach them to exercise agency, to be a light to others, to ask questions in faith, to look to truth-filled sources, and learn to rely on the Holy Spirit.
Dieter F. Uchtdorf, A Teacher’s Checklist Teaching in the Savior’s Way. Teach by the Spirit.
The third checklist category is “Teach by the Spirit.” Please consider these questions:
Do I prepare myself spiritually to teach?
Do I respond to spiritual promptings about the needs of learners?
Do I create settings and opportunities for learners to be taught by the Holy Ghost?
Do I help learners seek, recognize, and act on personal revelation?
Do I bear testimony often and encourage learners to do the same?
I try to remind myself often that in all my efforts to teach the gospel and bring people to Jesus Christ, I cannot convert anyone.
Only the Holy Ghost can do that.
We can speak the words, but conversion is a matter of the Spirit. It happens when the Holy Ghost touches the heart and a person responds to His influence by following the Savior.
If, because of persuasive words or well-reasoned arguments, someone is “convinced” to follow Jesus Christ, that conviction may be as fleeting as the seed that falls upon stony places.
Our job is not to convert. That is not our responsibility.
But what is our job? To teach the good news of Jesus Christ and His gospel that has been restored in our time! And it is our job to validate and support our words with our honest and sincere deeds! Our life, how we live and act.
Whether someone responds to what we teach is between them and God. But we can be the bridge that connects them with the Holy Ghost. We can be the window through which the Holy Spirit will enter into their lives. Our words and our actions can teach the doctrine of Christ in a way that helps students experience the intercession of the Holy Ghost.
As then Elder Dallin H. Oaks taught, “Study and reason can find the truth, … but only revelation can confirm it.”
Let me repeat that sentence: “Study and reason can find the truth, … but only revelation can confirm it.”
At times we kind of sleepwalk through life. We see things but scarcely remember them. Commercials, Pinterest quotes, even road signs. Most of it washes over our minds without penetrating our hearts.
But if the Holy Spirit speaks to your soul, to my soul, you and I, we cannot forget it, because it changes you; it changes us. Remember what Joseph Smith said after reading James 1:5: “Never did any passage of scripture come with more power to the heart of man than this did at this time to mine.”
The Spirit can take an ordinary thought spoken in an ordinary way and cause it to burn like fire.
Another person’s conversion is not dependent upon our eloquence or command of scripture. It’s not dependent on how well we teach or defend doctrine. It’s not dependent upon our intelligence, charisma, or command of the language.
All we need to work on is to know for ourselves. Then our Heavenly Father invites us to “open [our] mouth[s] at all times, declaring [His] gospel with the sound of rejoicing.”7 And if we do that, the Holy Spirit will testify of the truth.
We don’t have to “be” anything more or less than we really are, and that is children of God and followers of Jesus Christ.
Can you, with rejoicing, express your love for the Savior, His gospel, and His Church?
If we do our part, the Spirit will do His. That is the way we “teach by the Spirit.”
Lead
Lead
We pattern our leadership after the example of Jesus Christ.
We pattern our leadership after the example of Jesus Christ.
Robert D. Hales, Meeting the Challenges of Today’s World, The world today is changing. Above all, we need leaders who are courageous, who have courage, even if they become unpopular in the world.
Boyd K. Packer, The Ideal Teacher. The attributes which it has been my choice privilege to recognize in you brethren and sisters over [the] years are no more nor less than the image of the Master Teacher showing through. I believe that to the degree you perform, according to the challenge and charge which you have, the image of Christ does become engraved upon your countenances. And for all practical purposes, in that classroom at that time and in that expression and with that inspiration, you are He and He is you.
Jeffrey R. Holland, Angels and Astonishment, The Savior’s entire ministry was one of reaching out to individuals, loving them, teaching them, and helping them feel His mercy. That’s what we must do in our classrooms—reflect His love and His way.
M. Russell Ballard, The Opportunities and Responsibilities of CES Teachers in the 21st Century. The Savior’s leadership was rooted in His infinite love for each soul. Pattern your teaching after Him by seeing every student as He sees them—precious and worthy of your best efforts.
Neal A. Maxwell, Insights from My Life. Christ’s leadership was not coercive but persuasive, not domineering but divine. Lead your students with that same gentle power.
Kim B. Clark, Encircled About With Fire, The Savior taught with authority and love, always pointing to His Father. Lead your students to God as He did, with every lesson centered on Him.
Gordon B. Hinckley, CES Fireside. Jesus Christ led by doing the will of His Father. Your leadership must align with His, seeking always to do the Father’s work in teaching these youth.
David A. Bednar, Seek Learning by Faith. Jesus Christ led by inviting others to act in faith. Invite your students to act, as He did, and watch their testimonies grow.
Gerrit W. Gong, Room in the Inn. Christ’s leadership was an invitation to belong. Make every student feel they belong, as He did with all He met.
J. Reuben Clark Jr., The Charted Course of the Church in Education. The Master Teacher, Jesus Christ, taught with divine power and love. Your leadership must reflect His, bringing students to a knowledge of Him.
We invite and encourage all youth and young adults to participate in seminary and institute.
We invite and encourage all youth and young adults to participate in seminary and institute.
President Russell M. Nelson, Personal Invitation to Attend Seminary. Seminary can change the course of your life. It really can! https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/si/seminary/personal-invitation-to-seminary?lang=eng
President Russell M. Nelson, Personal Invitation to Attend Seminary. Seminary can help you learn to love and understand the scriptures. You can learn how to use the scriptures to help solve problems in your life and find answers to your questions. https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/si/seminary/personal-invitation-to-seminary?lang=eng
President Russell M. Nelson, Personal Invitation to Attend Seminary. In seminary, you can begin to learn how to receive personal revelation. And what a difference that will make in your life! You can learn how the Spirit speaks to you! https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/si/seminary/personal-invitation-to-seminary?lang=eng
David A. Bednar, The Blessing of Seminary. Seminary is a place where you can begin to learn how to receive personal revelation—what a difference that will make in your life. I encourage every youth to participate.
Clark G. Gilbert, Speak, Lord; for Thy Servant Hearth. These updates to seminary are a historic development to elevate the life preparation of youth across the Church. Invite every young person to be part of it.
Chad H. Webb, Spiritual Anchor. Our hope is to prepare a generation of disciples deeply converted to Jesus Christ. We encourage you to share this invitation with parents and leaders to enroll more youth in seminary.
Gary E. Stevenson, In a world of commotion, seminary and institute are lighthouses of truth. Encourage all youth and young adults to attend.
M. Russell Ballard, Seminary Blessed My Life. Seminary was the leading influence on lifelong Church activity, testimony, and personal devotion. I urge every youth to enroll and participate fully.
President Russell M. Nelson, To young adults, I say: Attend institute. If you want to stay on the covenant path and learn how to let God prevail in your life, institute is for you.
President Russell M. Nelson, You will grow in your confidence to share the restored gospel of Jesus Christ. Your desire to be an active part of the Lord’s youth battalion to gather Israel will increase. You will take responsibility for strengthening your own testimony. And your faith can become rock solid...As you do, I promise that you will receive answers to some of your most difficult questions. You will find friends you can trust. You will become a true disciple of the Lord Jesus Christ. https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/si/seminary/personal-invitation-to-seminary?lang=eng
We seek to strengthen those we lead, effectively administer the work, and build unity with others.
We seek to strengthen those we lead, effectively administer the work, and build unity with others.
Leading in the Savior’s Way, Regardless of an individual’s current performance, never lose track of their overall potential (see 3 Nephi 12:48; 27:27; Moses 1:39).1 As the children of God, we each have the capacity to learn, grow, and change—including those who may be struggling professionally.
Thomas S. Monson, See Others as They May Become. We must develop the capacity to see men not as they are at present but as they may become.
D. Todd Christofferson, As Many as I Love, I Rebuke and Chasten. When a person in a position to correct another fails to do so, he is thinking of himself.
Jeffrey R. Holland, Angels and Astonishment. As the world becomes increasingly secular, we must learn how to be ever more helpful and exemplary for our young men and women and young adults.
President Russell M. Nelson, President Nelson’s 100th Birthday Celebration. Teach them to understand and rely on the Atonement of Jesus Christ, for that is the source of their strength.
L. Tom Perry, Seminary and Institute Leadership Training. Your role is to fortify the youth against the storms of life by grounding them in the scriptures.
W. Rolfe Kerr, S&I Appointment Announcement Reflection. Our work must be carried out with precision and purpose, reflecting the sacred trust we’ve been given.
Paul V. Johnson, S&I Annual Training Broadcast. A Legacy of Change in CES Administer this work with clarity and focus, ensuring that every policy supports our purpose to teach the gospel.
Dieter F. Uchtdorf, S&I Annual Training Broadcast. Collaborate with families and wards to lift our youth together toward the Savior.
Quentin L. Cook, S&I Training Broadcast. Unity among teachers, students, and Church leaders amplifies the power of this work.
Boyd K. Packer, CES Symposium. Our strength lies in our unity with the priesthood and the family in raising a righteous generation.
Our efforts assist and support individuals, families, and priesthood leaders.
Our efforts assist and support individuals, families, and priesthood leaders.
Jeffrey R. Holland, Angels and Astonishment. As the world becomes increasingly secular, we must learn how to be ever more helpful and exemplary for our young men and women and young adults.
M. Russell Ballard, By Study and By Faith. Your role is to help each student feel the Savior’s love and find answers to their questions in a way that strengthens their faith.
L. Tom Perry, CES Broadcast. Your teaching helps young people bring the Spirit into their homes, blessing their families now and in the future.
Richard G. Scott, CES Broadcast. Your students will one day lead families—equip them with the knowledge and testimony to do so righteously.
Julie B. Beck, CES Broadcast. Support parents by helping their children understand their divine roles within the family.
Paul V. Johnson, CES Broadcast. A Legacy of Change in CES We fit into the kingdom by supporting priesthood leaders in their efforts to build faith among the youth.
Henry B. Eyring, CES Fireside. Your teaching strengthens the hands of priesthood leaders as they guide the rising generation.
Boyd K. Packer, CES Broadcast. The purpose of seminary and institute is to help students build a foundation of faith that will carry them through their lives.
David A. Bednar, CES Fireside. The doctrines you teach in seminary and institute fortify homes against the storms of the world.
Jeffrey R. Holland CES Fireside. Work hand in hand with priesthood leaders to ensure every student is known and nurtured.
Paul V. Johnson, CES Broadcast. We fit into the kingdom by supporting priesthood leaders in their efforts to build faith among the youth.
Foundational Core Direction Talks for S&I
Foundational Core Direction Talks for S&I
The Charted Course of the Church in Education
The Charted Course of the Church in Education
J. REUBEN CLARK JR.
first counselor in the First Presidency
Address to seminary and institute of religion leaders at the Brigham Young University summer school in Aspen Grove, Utah, on 8 August 1938
As a school boy I was thrilled with the great debate between those two giants, Webster and Hayne. The beauty of their oratory, the sublimity of Webster’s lofty expression of patriotism, the forecast of the civil struggle to come for the mastery of freedom over slavery, all stirred me to the very depths. The debate began over the Foot Resolution concerning the public lands. It developed into consideration of great fundamental problems of constitutional law. I have never forgotten the opening paragraph of Webster’s reply, by which he brought back to its place of beginning this debate that had drifted so far from its course. That paragraph reads:
Mr. President: When the mariner has been tossed for many days in thick weather, and on an unknown sea, he naturally avails himself of the first pause in the storm, the earliest glance of the sun, to take his latitude, and ascertain how far the elements have driven him from his true course. Let us imitate this prudence, and, before we float farther on the waves of this debate, refer to the point from which we departed, that we may at least be able to conjecture where we now are. I ask for the reading of the resolution.
Now I hasten to express the hope that you will not think that I think this is a Webster-Hayne occasion or that I think I am a Daniel Webster. If you were to think those things—either of them—you would make a grievous mistake. I admit I am old, but I am not that old. But Webster seemed to invoke so sensible a procedure for occasions where, after wandering on the high seas or in the wilderness, effort is to be made to get back to the place of starting, that I thought you would excuse me if I invoked and in a way used this same procedure to restate some of the more outstanding and essential fundamentals underlying our Church school education.
The following are to me those fundamentals:
The Church is the organized priesthood of God. The priesthood can exist without the Church, but the Church cannot exist without the priesthood. The mission of the Church is first, to teach, encourage, assist, and protect the individual member in his striving to live the perfect life, temporally and spiritually, as laid down in the Gospels, “Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect,” by the Master (Matthew 5:48). Secondly, the Church is to maintain, teach, encourage, and protect, temporally and spiritually, the membership as a group in its living of the gospel. Thirdly, the Church is militantly to proclaim the truth, calling upon all men to repent, and to live in obedience to the gospel, for every knee must bow and every tongue confess (see Mosiah 27:31).
In all this there are for the Church, and for each and all of its members, two prime things which may not be overlooked, forgotten, shaded, or discarded:
First—that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, the Only Begotten of the Father in the flesh, the Creator of the world, the Lamb of God, the Sacrifice for the sins of the world, the Atoner for Adam’s transgression; that He was crucified; that His spirit left His body; that He died; that He was laid away in the tomb; that on the third day His spirit was reunited with His body, which again became a living being; that He was raised from the tomb a resurrected being, a perfect Being, the First Fruits of the Resurrection; that He later ascended to the Father; and that because of His death and by and through His resurrection every man born into the world since the beginning will be likewise literally resurrected. This doctrine is as old as the world. Job declared:
And though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God:
Whom I shall see for myself, and mine eyes shall behold, and not another (Job 19:26–27).
The resurrected body is a body of flesh and bones and spirit, and Job was uttering a great and everlasting truth. These positive facts, and all other facts necessarily implied therein, must all be honestly believed, in full faith, by every member of the Church.
The second of the two things to which we must all give full faith is that the Father and the Son actually and in truth and very deed appeared to the Prophet Joseph in a vision in the woods; that other heavenly visions followed to Joseph and to others; that the gospel and the Holy Priesthood after the Order of the Son of God were in truth and fact restored to the earth from which they were lost by the apostasy of the primitive Church; that the Lord again set up His Church, through the agency of Joseph Smith; that the Book of Mormon is just what it professes to be; that to the Prophet came numerous revelations for the guidance, upbuilding, organization, and encouragement of the Church and its members; that the Prophet’s successors, likewise called of God, have received revelations as the needs of the Church have required, and that they will continue to receive revelations as the Church and its members, living the truth they already have, shall stand in need of more; that this is in truth The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints; and that its foundation beliefs are the laws and principles laid down in the Articles of Faith. These facts also, and each of them, together with all things necessarily implied therein or flowing therefrom, must stand, unchanged, unmodified, without dilution, excuse, apology, or avoidance; they may not be explained away or submerged. Without these two great beliefs the Church would cease to be the Church.
Any individual who does not accept the fulness of these doctrines as to Jesus of Nazareth or as to the restoration of the gospel and holy priesthood is not a Latter-day Saint; the hundreds of thousands of faithful, God-fearing men and women who compose the great body of the Church membership do believe these things fully and completely, and they support the Church and its institutions because of this belief.
I have set out these matters because they are the latitude and longitude of the actual location and position of the Church, both in this world and in eternity. Knowing our true position, we can change our bearings if they need changing; we can lay down anew our true course. And here we may wisely recall that Paul said:
But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed (Galatians 1:8).
Returning to the Webster-Hayne precedent, I have now finished reading the original resolution.
As I have already said, I am to say something about the religious education of the youth of the Church. I shall bring together what I have to say under two general headings—the student and the teacher. I shall speak very frankly, for we have passed the place where we may wisely talk in ambiguous words and veiled phrases. We must say plainly what we mean, because the future of our youth, both here on earth and in the hereafter, as also the welfare of the whole Church, are at stake.
The youth of the Church, your students, are in great majority sound in thought and in spirit. The problem primarily is to keep them sound, not to convert them.
The youth of the Church are hungry for things of the Spirit; they are eager to learn the gospel, and they want it straight, undiluted. They want to know about the fundamentals I have just set out—about our beliefs; they want to gain testimonies of their truth. They are not now doubters but inquirers, seekers after truth. Doubt must not be planted in their hearts. Great is the burden and the condemnation of any teacher who sows doubt in a trusting soul.
These students crave the faith their fathers and mothers have; they want it in its simplicity and purity. There are few indeed who have not seen the manifestations of its divine power. They wish to be not only the beneficiaries of this faith, but they want to be themselves able to call it forth to work.
They want to believe in the ordinances of the gospel; they wish to understand them so far as they may.
They are prepared to understand the truth, which is as old as the gospel and which was expressed thus by Paul (a master of logic and metaphysics unapproached by the modern critics who decry all religion):
For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God.
Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God (1 Corinthians 2:11–12).
For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit (Romans 8:5).
This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.
For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.
But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law (Galatians 5:16–18).
Our youth understand, too, the principle declared in modern revelation:
Ye cannot behold with your natural eyes, for the present time, the design of your God concerning those things which shall come hereafter, and the glory which shall follow after much tribulation (D&C 58:3).
By the power of the Spirit our eyes were opened and our understandings were enlightened, so as to see and understand the things of God …
And while we meditated upon these things, the Lord touched the eyes of our understandings and they were opened, and the glory of the Lord shone round about.
And we beheld the glory of the Son, on the right hand of the Father, and received of his fulness;
And saw the holy angels, and them who are sanctified before his throne, worshiping God, and the Lamb, who worship him forever and ever.
And now, after the many testimonies which have been given of him, this is the testimony, last of all, which we give of him: That he lives!
For we saw him, even on the right hand of God; and we heard the voice bearing record that he is the Only Begotten of the Father—
That by him, and through him, and of him, the worlds are and were created, and the inhabitants thereof are begotten sons and daughters unto God …
And while we were yet in the Spirit, the Lord commanded us that we should write the vision (D&C 76:12, 19–24, 28).
These students are prepared, too, to understand what Moses meant when he declared:
But now mine own eyes have beheld God; but not my natural, but my spiritual eyes, for my natural eyes could not have beheld; for I should have withered and died in his presence; but his glory was upon me; and I beheld his face, for I was transfigured before him (Moses 1:11).
These students are prepared to believe and understand that all these things are matters of faith, not to be explained or understood by any process of human reason, and probably not by any experiment of known physical science.
These students (to put the matter shortly) are prepared to understand and to believe that there is a natural world and there is a spiritual world; that the things of the natural world will not explain the things of the spiritual world; that the things of the spiritual world cannot be understood or comprehended by the things of the natural world; that you cannot rationalize the things of the Spirit, because first, the things of the Spirit are not sufficiently known and comprehended, and secondly, because finite mind and reason cannot comprehend nor explain infinite wisdom and ultimate truth.
These students already know that they must be “honest, true, chaste, benevolent, virtuous, and [do] good to all men” and that “if there is anything virtuous, lovely, or of good report or praiseworthy, we seek after these things” (Articles of Faith 1:13)—these things they have been taught from very birth. They should be encouraged in all proper ways to do these things which they know to be true, but they do not need to have a year’s course of instruction to make them believe and know them.
These students fully sense the hollowness of teachings that would make the gospel plan a mere system of ethics. They know that Christ’s teachings are in the highest degree ethical, but they also know they are more than this. They will see that ethics relate primarily to the doings of this life, and that to make of the gospel a mere system of ethics is to confess a lack of faith, if not a disbelief, in the hereafter. They know that the gospel teachings not only touch this life, but the life that is to come, with its salvation and exaltation as the final goal.
These students hunger and thirst, as did their fathers before them, for a testimony of the things of the Spirit and of the hereafter, and knowing that you cannot rationalize eternity, they seek faith and the knowledge which follows faith. They sense, by the Spirit they have, that the testimony they seek is engendered and nurtured by the testimony of others, and that to gain this testimony which they seek for, one living, burning, honest testimony of a righteous God-fearing man that Jesus is the Christ and that Joseph was God’s prophet, is worth a thousand books and lectures aimed at debasing the gospel to a system of ethics or seeking to rationalize infinity.
Two thousand years ago the Master said:
Or what man is there of you, whom if his son ask bread, will he give him a stone?
Or if he ask a fish, will he give him a serpent? (Matthew 7:9–10).
These students, born under the covenant, can understand that age and maturity and intellectual training are not in any way or to any degree necessary to communion with the Lord and His Spirit. They know the story of the youth Samuel in the temple, of Jesus at twelve years confounding the doctors in the temple, of Joseph at fourteen seeing God the Father and the Son in one of the most glorious visions ever beheld by man. They are not as were the Corinthians, of whom Paul said:
I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able (1 Corinthians 3:2).
They are rather as was Paul himself when he declared to the same Corinthians:
When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things (1 Corinthians 13:11).
These students as they come to you are spiritually working on toward a maturity which they will early reach if you but feed them the right food. They come to you possessing spiritual knowledge and experience the world does not know.
So much for your students and what they are and what they expect and what they are capable of. I am telling you the things that some of you teachers have told me, and that many of your youth have told me.
May I now say a few words to you teachers? In the first place, there is neither reason nor is there excuse for our Church religious teaching and training facilities and institutions unless the youth are to be taught and trained in the principles of the gospel, embracing therein the two great elements that Jesus is the Christ and that Joseph was God’s prophet. The teaching of a system of ethics to the students is not a sufficient reason for running our seminaries and institutes. The great public school system teaches ethics. The students of seminaries and institutes should of course be taught the ordinary canons of good and righteous living, for these are part, and an essential part, of the gospel. But there are the great principles involved in eternal life, the priesthood, the Resurrection, and many like other things, that go way beyond these canons of good living. These great fundamental principles also must be taught to the youth; they are the things the youth wish first to know about.
The first requisite of a teacher for teaching these principles is a personal testimony of their truth. No amount of learning, no amount of study, and no number of scholastic degrees can take the place of this testimony, which is the sine qua non of the teacher in our Church school system. No teacher who does not have a real testimony of the truth of the gospel as revealed to and believed by the Latter-day Saints, and a testimony of the Sonship and Messiahship of Jesus, and of the divine mission of Joseph Smith—including, in all its reality, the First Vision—has any place in the Church school system. If there be any such, and I hope and pray there are none, he should at once resign; if the Commissioner knows of any such and he does not resign, the Commissioner should request his resignation. The First Presidency expect this pruning to be made.
This does not mean that we would cast out such teachers from the Church—not at all. We shall take up with them a labor of love, in all patience and long-suffering, to win them to the knowledge to which as God-fearing men and women they are entitled. But this does mean that our Church schools cannot be manned by unconverted, untestimonied teachers.
But for you teachers the mere possession of a testimony is not enough. You must have, besides this, one of the rarest and most precious of all the many elements of human character—moral courage. For in the absence of moral courage to declare your testimony, it will reach the students only after such dilution as will make it difficult if not impossible for them to detect it; and the spiritual and psychological effect of a weak and vacillating testimony may well be actually harmful instead of helpful.
The successful seminary or institute teacher must also possess another of the rare and valuable elements of character, a twin brother of moral courage and often mistaken for it. I mean intellectual courage—the courage to affirm principles, beliefs, and faith that may not always be considered as harmonizing with such knowledge, scientific or otherwise, as the teacher or his educational colleagues may believe they possess.
Not unknown are cases where men of presumed faith, holding responsible positions, have felt that, since by affirming their full faith they might call down upon themselves the ridicule of their unbelieving colleagues, they must either modify or explain away their faith, or destructively dilute it, or even pretend to cast it away. Such are hypocrites to their colleagues and to their co-religionists.
An object of pity (not of scorn, as some would have it) is that man or woman who, having the truth and knowing it, finds it necessary either to repudiate the truth or to compromise with error in order that he may live with or among unbelievers without subjecting himself to their disfavor or derision as he supposes. Tragic indeed is his place, for the real fact is that all such discardings and shadings in the end bring the very punishments that the weak-willed one sought to avoid. For there is nothing the world so values and reveres as the man who, having righteous convictions, stands for them in any and all circumstances; there is nothing toward which the world turns more contempt than the man who, having righteous convictions, either slips away from them, abandons them, or repudiates them. For any Latter-day Saint psychologist, chemist, physicist, geologist, archeologist, or any other scientist, to explain away, or misinterpret, or evade or elude, or most of all, to repudiate or to deny the great fundamental doctrines of the Church in which he professes to believe, is to give the lie to his intellect, to lose his self-respect, to bring sorrow to his friends, to break the hearts and bring shame to his parents, to besmirch the Church and its members, and to forfeit the respect and honor of those whom he has sought, by his course, to win as friends and helpers.
I prayerfully hope there may not be any such among the teachers of the Church school system, but if there are any such, high or low, they must travel the same route as the teacher without the testimony. Sham and pretext and evasion and hypocrisy have, and can have, no place in the Church school system or in the character building and spiritual growth of our youth.
Another thing that must be watched in our Church institutions is this: It must not be possible for men to keep positions of spiritual trust who, not being converted themselves, being really unbelievers, seek to turn aside the beliefs, education, and activities of our youth, and our aged also, from the ways they should follow into other paths of education, beliefs, and activities which (though leading where the unbeliever would go) do not bring us to places where the gospel would take us. That this works as a conscience-balm to the unbeliever who directs it is of no importance. This is the grossest betrayal of trust; and there is too much reason to think it has happened.
I wish to mention another thing that has happened in other lines, as a caution against the same thing happening in the Church Educational System. On more than one occasion our Church members have gone to other places for special training in particular lines. They have had the training which was supposedly the last word, the most modern view, the ne plus ultra of up-to-dateness; then they have brought it back and dosed it upon us without any thought as to whether we needed it or not. I refrain from mentioning well-known and, I believe, well-recognized instances of this sort of thing. I do not wish to wound any feelings.
But before trying on the newest fangled ideas in any line of thought, education, activity, or what not, experts should just stop and consider that however backward they think we are, and however backward we may actually be in some things, in other things we are far out in the lead, and therefore these new methods may be old, if not worn out, with us.
In whatever relates to community life and activity in general, to clean group social amusement and entertainment, to closely knit and carefully directed religious worship and activity, to a positive, clear-cut, faith-promoting spirituality, to a real, everyday, practical religion, to a firm-fixed desire and acutely sensed need for faith in God, we are far in the van of on-marching humanity. Before effort is made to inoculate us with new ideas, experts should kindly consider whether the methods used to spur community spirit or build religious activities among groups that are decadent and maybe dead to these things are quite applicable to us, and whether their effort to impose these upon us is not a rather crude, even gross anachronism.
For example, to apply to our spiritually minded and religiously alert youth a plan evolved to teach religion to youth having no interest or concern in matters of the Spirit would not only fail in meeting our actual religious needs, but would tend to destroy the best qualities which our youth now possess.
I have already indicated that our youth are not children spiritually; they are well on toward the normal spiritual maturity of the world. To treat them as children spiritually, as the world might treat the same age group, is therefore and likewise an anachronism. I say once more, there is scarcely a youth that comes through your seminary or institute door who has not been the conscious beneficiary of spiritual blessings, or who has not seen the efficacy of prayer, or who has not witnessed the power of faith to heal the sick, or who has not beheld spiritual outpourings of which the world at large is today ignorant. You do not have to sneak up behind this spiritually experienced youth and whisper religion in his ears; you can come right out, face to face, and talk with him. You do not need to disguise religious truths with a cloak of worldly things; you can bring these truths to him openly, in their natural guise. Youth may prove to be not more fearful of them than you are. There is no need for gradual approaches, for “bedtime” stories, for coddling, for patronizing, or for any of the other childish devices used in efforts to reach those spiritually inexperienced and all but spiritually dead.
You teachers have a great mission. As teachers you stand upon the highest peak in education, for what teaching can compare in priceless value and in far-reaching effect with that which deals with man as he was in the eternity of yesterday, as he is in the mortality of today, and as he will be in the forever of tomorrow. Not only time but eternity is your field. Salvation of yourself not only, but of those who come within the purlieus of your temple is the blessing you seek, and which, doing your duty, you will gain. How brilliant will be your crown of glory, with each soul saved an encrusted jewel thereon.
But to get this blessing and to be so crowned, you must, I say once more, you must teach the gospel. You have no other function and no other reason for your presence in a Church school system.
You do have an interest in matters purely cultural and in matters of purely secular knowledge, but, I repeat again for emphasis, your chief interest, your essential and all but sole duty, is to teach the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ as that has been revealed in these latter days. You are to teach this gospel, using as your sources and authorities the standard works of the Church and the words of those whom God has called to lead His people in these last days. You are not, whether high or low, to intrude into your work your own peculiar philosophy, no matter what its source or how pleasing or rational it seems to you to be. To do so would be to have as many different churches as we have seminaries—and that is chaos.
You are not, whether high or low, to change the doctrines of the Church or to modify them as they are declared by and in the standard works of the Church and by those whose authority it is to declare the mind and will of the Lord to the Church. The Lord has declared that he is “the same yesterday, today, and forever” (2 Nephi 27:23).
I urge you not to fall into that childish error, so common now, of believing that merely because man has gone so far in harnessing the forces of nature and turning them to his own use that therefore the truths of the Spirit have been changed or transformed. It is a vital and significant fact that man’s conquest of the things of the Spirit has not marched side by side with his conquest of things material. The opposite sometimes seems to be true. Man’s power to reason has not matched his power to figure. Remember always and cherish the great truth of the Intercessory Prayer:
And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent (John 17:3).
This is an ultimate truth; so are all spiritual truths. They are not changed by the discovery of a new element, a new ethereal wave, nor by clipping off a few seconds, minutes, or hours of a speed record.
You are not to teach the philosophies of the world, ancient or modern, pagan or Christian, for this is the field of the public schools. Your sole field is the gospel, and that is boundless in its own sphere.
We pay taxes to support those state institutions whose function and work it is to teach the arts, the sciences, literature, history, the languages, and so on through the whole secular curriculum. These institutions are to do this work. But we use the tithes of the Church to carry on the Church school system, and these are impressed with a holy trust. The Church seminaries and institutes are to teach the gospel.
In thus stating this function time and time again, and with such continued insistence as I have done, it is fully appreciated that carrying out the function may involve the matter of “released time” for our seminaries and institutes. But our course is clear. If we cannot teach the gospel, the doctrines of the Church, and the standard works of the Church, all of them, on “released time” in our seminaries and institutes, then we must face giving up “released time” and try to work out some other plan of carrying on the gospel work in those institutions. If to work out some other plan be impossible, we shall face the abandonment of the seminaries and institutes and the return to Church colleges and academies. We are not now sure, in the light of developments, that these should ever have been given up.
We are clear upon this point, namely, that we shall not feel justified in appropriating one further tithing dollar to the upkeep of our seminaries and institutes of religion unless they can be used to teach the gospel in the manner prescribed. The tithing represents too much toil, too much self-denial, too much sacrifice, too much faith, to be used for the colorless instruction of the youth of the Church in elementary ethics. This decision and situation must be faced when the next budget is considered. In saying this, I am speaking for the First Presidency.
All that has been said regarding the character of religious teaching, and the results which in the very nature of things must follow a failure properly to teach the gospel, applies with full and equal force to seminaries, to institutes, and to any and every other educational institution belonging to the Church school system.
The First Presidency earnestly solicit the wholehearted help and cooperation of all you men and women who, from your work on the firing line, know so well the greatness of the problem that faces us and which so vitally and intimately affects the spiritual health and the salvation of our youth, as also the future welfare of the whole Church. We need you; the Church needs you; the Lord needs you. Restrain not yourselves, nor withhold your helping hand.
In closing, I wish to pay a humble but sincere tribute to teachers. Having worked my own way through school—high school, college, and professional school—I know something of the hardship and sacrifice this demands; but I know also the growth and satisfaction that come as we reach the end. So I stand here with a knowledge of how many, perhaps most of you, have come to your present place. Furthermore, for a time I tried, without much success, to teach school, so I know also the feelings of those of us teachers who do not make the first grade and must rest in the lower ones.
I know the present amount of actual compensation you get and how very sparse it is—far, far too sparse. I wish from the bottom of my heart we could make it greater; but the drain on the Church income is already so great for education that I must in honesty say there is no immediate prospect for betterment. Our budget for this school year is $860,000, or almost 17 percent of the estimated total cost of running the whole Church, including general administration, stakes, wards, branches, and mission expenses, for all purposes, including welfare and charities. Indeed, I wish I felt sure that the prosperity of the people would be so ample that they could and would certainly pay tithes enough to keep us going as we are.
So I pay my tribute to your industry, your loyalty, your sacrifice, your willing eagerness for service in the cause of truth, your faith in God and in His work, and your earnest desire to do the things that our ordained leader and prophet would have you do. And I entreat you not to make the mistake of thrusting aside your leader’s counsel, or of failing to carry out his wish, or of refusing to follow his direction. David of old, privily cutting off only the skirt of Saul’s robe, uttered the cry of a smitten heart:
The Lord forbid that I should do this thing unto my master, the Lord’s anointed, to stretch forth mine hand against him, seeing he is the anointed of the Lord (1 Samuel 24:6).
May God bless you always in all your righteous endeavors. May He quicken your understanding, increase your wisdom, enlighten you by experience, bestow upon you patience, charity, and, as among your most precious gifts, endow you with the discernment of spirits that you may certainly know the spirit of righteousness and its opposite as they come to you. May He give you entrance to the hearts of those you teach and then make you know that as you enter there you stand in holy places that must be neither polluted nor defiled, either by false or corrupting doctrine or by sinful misdeed. May He enrich your knowledge with the skill and power to teach righteousness. May your faith and your testimonies increase, and your ability to encourage and foster them in others grow greater every day—all that the youth of Zion may be taught, built up, encouraged, heartened, that they may not fall by the wayside, but go on to eternal life, that these blessings coming to them, you through them may be blessed also. And I pray all this in the name of Him who died that we might live, the Son of God, the Redeemer of the world, Jesus Christ, amen.
Which Way Do You Face?
Which Way Do You Face?
Elder Lynn G. Robbins
Of the Presidency of the Seventy
Trying to please others before pleasing God is inverting the first and second great commandments.
“Which way do you face?” President Boyd K. Packer surprised me with this puzzling question while we were traveling together on my very first assignment as a new Seventy. Without an explanation to put the question in context, I was baffled. “A Seventy,” he continued, “does not represent the people to the prophet but the prophet to the people. Never forget which way you face!” It was a powerful lesson.
Trying to please others before pleasing God is inverting the first and second great commandments (see Matthew 22:37–39). It is forgetting which way we face. And yet, we have all made that mistake because of the fear of men. In Isaiah the Lord warns us, “Fear ye not the reproach of men” (Isaiah 51:7; see also 2 Nephi 8:7). In Lehi’s dream, this fear was triggered by the finger of scorn pointed from the great and spacious building, causing many to forget which way they faced and to leave the tree “ashamed” (see 1 Nephi 8:25–28).
This peer pressure tries to change a person’s attitudes, if not behavior, by making one feel guilty for giving offense. We seek respectful coexistence with those who point fingers, but when this fear of men tempts us to condone sin, it becomes a “snare” according to the book of Proverbs (see Proverbs 29:25). The snare may be cleverly baited to appeal to our compassionate side to tolerate or even approve of something that has been condemned by God. For the weak of faith, it can be a major stumbling block. For example, some young missionaries carry this fear of men into the mission field and fail to report the flagrant disobedience of a companion to their mission president because they don’t want to offend their wayward companion. Decisions of character are made by remembering the right order of the first and second great commandments (see Matthew 22:37–39). When these confused missionaries realize they are accountable to God and not to their companion, it should give them courage to do an about-face.
At the youthful age of 22, even Joseph Smith forgot which way he faced when he repeatedly importuned the Lord to allow Martin Harris to borrow the 116 manuscript pages. Perhaps Joseph wanted to show gratitude to Martin for his support. We know that Joseph was extremely anxious for other eyewitnesses to stand with him against the distressing falsehoods and lies being spread about him.
Whatever Joseph’s reasons were, or as justified as they may appear, the Lord did not excuse them and sharply rebuked him: “How oft you have transgressed … and have gone on in the persuasions of men. For, behold, you should not have feared man more than God” (D&C 3:6–7; emphasis added). This poignant experience helped Joseph remember, forever after, which way he faced.
When people try to save face with men, they can unwittingly lose face with God. Thinking one can please God and at the same time condone the disobedience of men isn’t neutrality but duplicity, or being two-faced or trying to “serve two masters” (Matthew 6:24; 3 Nephi 13:24).
While it certainly takes courage to face perils, the true badge of courage is overcoming the fear of men. For example, Daniel’s prayers helped him face lions, but what made him lionhearted was defying King Darius (see Daniel 6). That kind of courage is a gift of the Spirit to the God-fearing who have said their prayers. Queen Esther’s prayers also gave her that same courage to confront her husband, King Ahasuerus, knowing that she risked her life in doing so (see Esther 4:8–16).
Courage is not just one of the cardinal virtues, but as C. S. Lewis observed: “Courage is … the form of every virtue at the testing point. … Pilate was merciful till it became risky.”1 King Herod was sorrowful at the request to behead John the Baptist but wanted to please “them which sat with him at meat” (Matthew 14:9). King Noah was ready to free Abinadi until peer pressure from his wicked priests caused him to waver (see Mosiah 17:11–12). King Saul disobeyed the word of the Lord by keeping the spoils of war because he “feared the people, and obeyed their voice” (1 Samuel 15:24). To appease rebellious Israel at the foot of Mount Sinai, Aaron crafted a golden calf, forgetting which way he faced (see Exodus 32). Many of the New Testament chief rulers “believed on [the Lord]; but because of the Pharisees they did not confess him, lest they should be put out of the synagogue: for they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God” (John 12:42–43). The scriptures are full of such examples.
Now listen to some inspiring examples:
First, Mormon: “Behold, I speak with boldness, having authority from God; and I fear not what man can do; for perfect love casteth out all fear” (Moroni 8:16; emphasis added).
Nephi: “Wherefore, the things which are pleasing unto the world I do not write, but the things which are pleasing unto God and unto those who are not of the world” (1 Nephi 6:5).
Captain Moroni: “Behold, I am Moroni, your chief captain. I seek not for power, but to pull it down. I seek not for honor of the world, but for the glory of my God, and the freedom and welfare of my country” (Alma 60:36).
Moroni had such great courage in remembering which way he faced that it was said of him, “If all men had been, and were, and ever would be, like unto Moroni, behold, the very powers of hell would have been shaken forever; yea, the devil would never have power over the hearts of the children of men” (Alma 48:17).
Prophets through the ages have always come under attack by the finger of scorn. Why? According to the scriptures, it is because “the guilty taketh the truth to be hard, for it cutteth them to the very center” (1 Nephi 16:2), or as President Harold B. Lee observed, “The hit bird flutters!”2 Their scornful reaction is, in reality, guilt trying to reassure itself, just as with Korihor, who finally admitted, “I always knew that there was a God” (Alma 30:52). Korihor was so convincing in his deception that he came to believe his own lie (see Alma 30:53).
The scornful often accuse prophets of not living in the 21st century or of being bigoted. They attempt to persuade or even pressure the Church into lowering God’s standards to the level of their own inappropriate behavior, which in the words of Elder Neal A. Maxwell, will “develop self-contentment instead of seeking self-improvement”3 and repentance. Lowering the Lord’s standards to the level of a society’s inappropriate behavior is—apostasy. Many of the churches among the Nephites two centuries after the Savior’s visit to them began to “dumb down” the doctrine, borrowing a phrase from Elder Holland.4
As you listen to this passage from 4 Nephi, look for parallels in our day: “And it came to pass that when two hundred and ten years had passed away there were many churches in the land; yea, there were many churches which professed to know the Christ, and yet they did deny the more parts of his gospel, insomuch that they did receive all manner of wickedness, and did administer that which was sacred unto him to whom it had been forbidden because of unworthiness” (4 Nephi 1:27).
Déjà vu in the latter days! Some members don’t realize they are falling into the same snare when they lobby for acceptance of local or ethnic “tradition[s] of their fathers” (D&C 93:39) that are not in harmony with the gospel culture. Still others, self-deceived and in self-denial, plead or demand that bishops lower the standard on temple recommends, school endorsements, or missionary applications. It isn’t easy being a bishop under that kind of pressure. However, like the Savior who cleansed the temple to defend its sanctity (see John 2:15–16), bishops today are called upon to boldly defend the temple standard. It was the Savior who said, “I will manifest myself to my people in mercy … if my people will keep my commandments, and do not pollute this holy house” (D&C 110:7–8).
The Savior, our great Exemplar, always faced His Father. He loved and served His fellowmen but said, “I receive not honour from men” (John 5:41). He wanted those He taught to follow Him, but He did not court their favor. When He performed an act of charity, such as healing the sick, the gift often came with the request to “tell no man” (Matthew 8:4; Mark 7:36; Luke 5:14; 8:56). In part, this was to avoid the very fame which followed Him in spite of His efforts to eschew it (see Matthew 4:24). He condemned the Pharisees for doing good works only to be seen of men (see Matthew 6:5).
The Savior, the only perfect being who ever lived, was the most fearless. In His life, He was confronted by scores of accusers but never yielded to their finger of scorn. He is the only person who never once forgot which way He faced: “I do always those things that please [the Father]” (John 8:29; emphasis added), and “I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me” (John 5:30).
Between 3 Nephi chapter 11 and 3 Nephi chapter 28, the Savior used the title Father at least 150 times, making it very clear to the Nephites that He was there representing His Father. And from John chapters 14 through 17, the Savior refers to the Father at least 50 times. In every way possible, He was His Father’s perfect disciple. He was so perfect in representing His Father that to know the Savior was also to know the Father. To see the Son was to see the Father (see John 14:9). To hear the Son was to hear the Father (see John 5:36). He had, in essence, become indistinguishable from His Father. His Father and He were one (see John 17:21–22). He flawlessly knew which way He faced.
May His inspiring example strengthen us against the pitfalls of flattery from without or of conceit from within. May it give us courage to never cower or fawn at the feet of intimidation. May it inspire us to go about doing good as anonymously as possible and not “aspire to the honors of men” (D&C 121:35). And may His incomparable example help us always remember which is “the first and great commandment” (Matthew 22:38). When others demand approval in defiance of God’s commandments, may we always remember whose disciples we are, and which way we face, is my prayer in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.
Stand Forever
Stand Forever
Lawrence E. Corbridge
General Authority Seventy
BYU Devotional, January 22, 2019
As part of an assignment I had as a General Authority a few years ago, I needed to read through a great deal of material antagonistic to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the Prophet Joseph Smith, the Book of Mormon, and the events of the Restoration. There may not be anything out there of that nature I haven’t read. Since that assignment changed, I have not returned to wallow in that mire again.
Reading that material always left me with a feeling of gloom, and one day that sense of darkness inspired me to write a partial response to all such antagonistic claims. I would like to share with you some of the thoughts I recorded that day, and although what I wrote was for my benefit, I hope it will help you as well.
I wanted to give a different talk today. I wrote other talks more entertaining, with more stories—more engaging than this one—but each time I wrote a new talk, I was directed back to this one.
Will You Stand Forever?
The prophet Daniel said that in the last days
shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever.
The kingdom of God is The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It will “stand for ever.”
The question is, Will you and I stand? Will you stand forever, or will you go away? And if you go, where will you go?
Deception Is a Sign of Our Time
When the Lord described the signs of His coming and the end of the world, when He described our day, He mentioned many things, including wars and rumors of wars, nations rising against nations, famines, pestilences, earthquakes, and many other signs, including this one:
For in those days [this day] there shall also arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall show great signs and wonders, insomuch, that, if possible, they shall deceive the very elect, who are the elect according to the covenant.
I am not sure of all that is implied by the qualification “if possible, they shall deceive the very elect,” but I think it means, at least, that everyone will be challenged in our day.
Paul said, “We see through a glass, darkly.” Similarly, one of the most prominent features of the vision of the tree of life is a “great mist of darkness [in which] they who had commenced in the path did lose their way, that they wandered off and were lost.”
The Broad Spectrum of Deception
There are many who deceive, and the spectrum of deception is broad. At one end we meet those who attack the Restoration, the Prophet Joseph Smith, and the Book of Mormon. Next we see those who believe in the Restoration but claim the Church is deficient and has gone astray. There are others who also claim to believe in the Restoration but are disillusioned with doctrine that conflicts with the shifting attitudes of our day. There are some who, without authority, lay claim to visions, dreams, and visitations to right the ship, guide us to a higher path, or prepare the Church for the end of the world. Others are deceived by false spirits.
At the far end of the spectrum we come to an entire universe of distractions. Never has there been more information, misinformation, and disinformation; more goods, gadgets, and games; and more options, places to go, and things to see and do to occupy time and attention away from what is most important. And all of that and much more is disseminated instantaneously throughout the world by electronic media. This is a day of deception.
Knowledge
Truth enables us to see clearly because it is the “knowledge of things as they [really] are, and as they were, and as they are to come.” Knowledge is crucial to avoid deception, to discern between truth and error, and to see clearly and chart a course through the hazards of our day.
The Prophet Joseph Smith said:
Knowledge is necessary to life and godliness. . . . Knowledge is revelation. Hear, all ye brethren, this grand key: knowledge is the power of God unto salvation.
People say, “You should be true to your beliefs.” While that is true, you cannot be better than what you know. Most of us act based on our beliefs, especially what we believe to be in our self-interest. The problem is, we are sometimes wrong.
Someone may believe in God and that pornography is wrong and yet still click on a site wrongly believing that he will be happier if he does or he can’t help but not click or it isn’t hurting anyone else and it is not that bad. He is just wrong.
Someone may believe it is wrong to lie and yet lie on occasion, wrongly believing he will be better off if the truth is not known. He is just wrong.
Someone may believe and even know that Jesus is the Christ and still deny Him not once but three times because of the mistaken belief that he would be better off appeasing the crowd. Peter wasn’t evil. I am not even sure he was weak. He was just wrong.
When you act badly, you may think you are bad, when in truth you are usually mistaken. You are just wrong. The challenge is not so much closing the gap between our actions and our beliefs; rather, the challenge is closing the gap between our beliefs and the truth. That is the challenge.
So how do we close that gap? How do we avoid deception?
Primary Questions and Secondary Questions
Begin by answering the primary questions. There are primary questions and there are secondary questions. Answer the primary questions first. Not all questions are equal and not all truths are equal. The primary questions are the most important. Everything else is subordinate. There are only a few primary questions. I will mention four of them.
1. Is there a God who is our Father?
2. Is Jesus Christ the Son of God, the Savior of the world?
3. Was Joseph Smith a prophet?
4. Is The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints the kingdom of God on the earth?
By contrast, the secondary questions are unending. They include questions about Church history, polygamy, people of African descent and the priesthood, women and the priesthood, how the Book of Mormon was translated, the Pearl of Great Price, DNA and the Book of Mormon, gay marriage, the different accounts of the First Vision, and on and on.
If you answer the primary questions, the secondary questions get answered too, or they pale in significance and you can deal with things you understand and things you don’t and things you agree with and things you don’t without jumping ship altogether.
Different Ways of Learning
How can we know the answers? There are different methods of learning, including the scientific, analytical, academic, and divine methods. The divine method of learning incorporates elements of the other three but ultimately trumps everything else by tapping into the powers of heaven. All four methods are necessary to know the truth. They all begin the same way: with a question. Questions are important, especially the primary questions.
The Scientific Method
With the scientific method, a hypothesis is framed in response to a question. Experimentation is then conducted to test the hypothesis. The results are then analyzed, and conclusions are drawn that either confirm, disprove, or modify the hypothesis—in which event the process continues. Alma invited us to “experiment upon [his] words.” The Lord said:
My doctrine is not mine, but his that sent me.
If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself.
In regard to tithing, the Lord also said, “Prove me now herewith . . . if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.”
Truth can be discovered by doing, which is faith. Experience plays a vital role in coming to know the truth.
The Analytical Method
The analytical method is also important. It involves gathering, organizing, and weighing evidence relevant to a question. Based on the weight of the evidence, conclusions are drawn as to what the truth may be. The Lord instructed Oliver Cowdery, saying:
Behold, you have not understood; you have supposed that I would give it unto you, when you took no thought save it was to ask me.
But, behold, I say unto you, that you must study it out in your mind; then you must ask me if it be right.
Evidence and reason also play a role in preparing us to know the truth.
The Academic Method
The academic method involves, of course, study of the written word. Study as well is essential. Mormon said that the word of God has a “more powerful effect upon the minds of the people [how we think] than the sword [which might be the fear or threat of death], or anything else.” The word of God is more powerful than anything. It is more powerful than fear, addiction, pornography, or anything else. It stands to reason, therefore, that the Lord would say, “Treasure up in your minds continually the words of life.” He also said, “And whoso treasureth up my word, shall not be deceived.”
The Divine Method
The divine method of learning incorporates the elements of the other methodologies but ultimately trumps everything else by tapping into the powers of heaven. Ultimately the things of God are made known by the Spirit of God, which is usually a still, small voice. The Lord said, “God shall give unto you knowledge by his Holy Spirit, yea, by the unspeakable gift of the Holy Ghost.”
The apostle Paul taught that men only know the things of men and that the things of God are known by no man except through the Spirit of God. He said, “The natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him.” We see that every day. Paul continued: “Neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.”
Of all the problems you encounter in this life, there is one that towers above them all and is the least understood. The worst of all human conditions in this life is not poverty, sickness, loneliness, abuse, or war—as awful as those conditions are. The worst of all human conditions is the most common: it is to die. It is to die spiritually. It is to be separated from the presence of God, and in this life, His presence is His Spirit or power. That is the worst.
Conversely, the best of all human conditions in this life is not wealth, fame, prestige, good health, the honors of men, security, or even—dare I say it—good grades. As wonderful as some of those things are, the best of all human conditions is to be endowed with heavenly power; it is to be born again, to have the gift and companionship of the Holy Ghost, which is the source of knowledge, revelation, strength, clarity, love, joy, peace, hope, confidence, faith, and almost every other good thing. Jesus said, “The Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, . . . shall teach you all things.” It is the power by which we “may know the truth of all things.” “It will show . . . [us] all things . . . [we] should do.” It is the fountain of “living water” that springs up unto eternal life.
Although the voice of the Spirit is usually a still, small voice, it is nevertheless ever sure, penetrating, pervasive, edifying, and sustaining—so much so that the Lord said:
And whosoever speaketh a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him: but whosoever speaketh against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world, neither in the world to come.
Pay whatever price you must pay, bear whatever burden you must bear, and make whatever sacrifice you must make to get and keep in your life the spirit and power of the Holy Ghost. Every good thing depends on getting and keeping the power of the Holy Ghost in your life. Everything depends on that.
“That Which Doth Not Edify”
So what was the gloom I felt several years ago while reading antagonistic material? Some would say that gloom is the product of belief bias, which is the propensity to pick and choose only those things that accord with our assumptions and beliefs. The thought that everything one has believed and been taught may be wrong, particularly with nothing better to take its place, is a gloomy and disturbing thought indeed. But the gloom I experienced as I listened to the dark choir of voices raised against the Prophet Joseph Smith and the Restoration of the Church of Jesus Christ—the gloom that came as I waded, chest deep, through the swamp of the secondary questions—is different. That gloom is not belief bias and it is not the fear of being in error. It is the absence of the Spirit of God. That is what it is. It is the condition of man when “left unto himself.” It is the gloom of darkness and the “stupor of thought.”
The Lord said:
And that which doth not edify is not of God, and is darkness.
That which is of God is light; and he that receiveth light, and continueth in God, receiveth more light; and that light groweth brighter and brighter until the perfect day.
Revelation from the Spirit of God supersedes belief bias because it is not premised only on evidence. I have spent a lifetime seeking to hear the word of the Lord and learning to recognize and follow the Spirit of God, and the spirit associated with the dark voices that assail the Prophet Joseph Smith, the Book of Mormon, and the Restoration is not the spirit of light, intelligence, and truth. The Spirit of God is not in those voices. I don’t know much, but I do know the voice of the Lord, and His voice is not in that dark choir, not at all in that choir.
In stark contrast to the gloom and sickening stupor of thought that pervades the swamp of doubt is the spirit of light, intelligence, peace, and truth that attends the events and the glorious doctrine of the Restoration, especially the scriptures revealed to the world through the Prophet Joseph Smith. Just read them and ask yourself and ask God if they are the words of lies, deceit, delusion, or truth.
You Can’t Learn the Truth by Elimination
There are some who are afraid the Church may not be true and who spend their time and attention slogging through the swamp of the secondary questions. They mistakenly try to learn the truth by process of elimination, by attempting to eliminate every doubt. That is always a bad idea. It will never work. That approach only works in the game of Clue.
Life, however, is not nearly as simple. There are unlimited claims and opinions leveled against the truth. Each time you track down an answer to any one antagonistic claim and look up, there is another one staring you in the face. I am not saying you should put your head in the sand, but I am saying you can spend a lifetime desperately tracking down the answer to every claim leveled against the Church and never come to a knowledge of the most important truths.
Answers to the primary questions do not come by answering the secondary questions. There are answers to the secondary questions, but you cannot prove a positive by disproving every negative. You cannot prove the Church is true by disproving every claim made against it. That will never work. It is a flawed strategy. Ultimately there has to be affirmative proof, and with the things of God, affirmative proof finally and surely comes by revelation through the spirit and power of the Holy Ghost.
To His disciples, Jesus asked:
Whom say ye that I am?
And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.
And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Bar-jona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven.
. . . Thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.
The Church of Jesus Christ is grounded on the rock of revelation, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. We are the Church. You and I are the Church. We must be grounded on the rock of revelation, and although we may not know the answer to every question, we must know the answers to the primary questions. And if we do, the gates of hell shall not prevail against us and we will stand forever.
Believe “with God All Things Are Possible”
Finally, believe. Believe “with God all things are possible.” We may all be taken back from time to time by the extraordinary—such as walking on water, multiplying bread and fish, raising the dead, translating gold plates with special lenses or a stone and hat, and the visitation of angels. Some people are hard-pressed to believe extraordinary things. While it is understandable that we may be challenged by the extraordinary, we shouldn’t be, because ordinary things are actually far more phenomenal.
The most phenomenal occurrences of all time and eternity—the most amazing wonders, the most astounding, awesome developments—are the most common and widely recognized. They include: I am; you are; we are; and all that we perceive exists as well, from subatomic particles to the farthest reaches of the cosmos and everything in between, including all of the wonders of life. Is there anything greater than those ordinary realities? No. Nothing else even comes close. You can’t begin to imagine, much less describe, anything greater than what already is.
In light of what is, nothing else should surprise us. It should be easy to believe that with God all things are possible.
The healing of the withered hand is not nearly as amazing as the existence of the hand in the first place. If it exists, it follows that it can certainly be fixed when it is broken. The greater event is not in its healing but in its creation.
More phenomenal than resurrection is birth. The greater wonder is not that life, having once existed, could come again but that it ever exists at all.
More amazing than raising the dead is that we live at all. A silent heart that beats again is not nearly as amazing as the heart that beats within your breast right now.
That one could see on a stone or through a special lens the modern translation of ancient text written on plates of gold is far less amazing than the human eye. The wonder is not what the human eye may see, rather, that it sees anything at all.
How can you believe in extraordinary things such as angels and gold plates and your divine potential? Easy, just look around and believe.
I don’t know if pigs will ever sprout wings and fly, but if they do, flying pigs will never be nearly as amazing as the ordinary pig in the first place.
Doubts and Questions
I heard someone say recently, “It is okay to have doubts.”
I wonder about that. The Lord said, “Look unto me in every thought; doubt not, fear not.” I have a lot of questions; I don’t have any doubts.
Conclusion
There is a God in heaven who is our Eternal Father. I know this by my experience—all of my experience. I know this by the evidence, and the evidence is overwhelming. I know it by study, and, most surely, I know it by the spirit and power of the Holy Ghost.
Jesus Christ is the Son of God, the Redeemer of the world. I know this by my experience—all of it. I know this by the evidence, and the evidence is overwhelming. I know it by study, and, most surely, I know it by the spirit and power of the Holy Ghost.
Joseph Smith was a prophet of God who laid the foundation for the restoration of the kingdom of God. I know this by my experience—all of my experience. I know this by the evidence, and the evidence is overwhelming. I know it by study, and, most surely, I know it by the spirit and power of the Holy Ghost.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the kingdom of God on the earth. I know this by my experience—all of it. I know this by the evidence, and the evidence is overwhelming. I know it by study, and, most surely, I know it by the Spirit and power of the Holy Ghost.
And with that I know everything I need to know to stand forever.
May we stand on the rock of revelation, particularly in regard to the primary questions. If we do, we will stand forever and never go away. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.
The Ideal Teacher
The Ideal Teacher
Boyd K Packer
Address to Seminary and Institute Faculty, June 28, 1962, Brigham Young University
I am grateful to be here, brothers and sisters. I know most of you personally, many of you intimately. Because I know that knowledge is reciprocal, I am doubly humbled and would appreciate an interest in your faith and prayers for the moments assigned me to visit here with you.
I would like to make just a comment or two about the assignments that are mine as one of the General Authorities. First, one of the things that intensified my apprehension at this moment is that I have learned firsthand how the General Authorities of the Church regard this group. I now know the importance of this body of men, and I do not know whether it is quite what I expected it to be. It is a good deal finer than I hoped it would be. And I know now, firsthand, how tremendously important this body is in reference to the destiny of the Church. …
In the last few days I have reviewed the twelve years I spent with you in the Department of Education, and in order to share with you some of the thoughts which came to me, I would like to talk about a teacher with whom I became acquainted. We all know him. Some of you know him intimately, some have just a casual acquaintance with him. But for the duration of this talk, I would like to discuss this teacher with you.
When in a supervisory and an administrative position, it was my responsibility, and it is the responsibility of many of you brethren, to make appraisals and sometimes render judgments of your contributions as teachers. Sometimes we were heard to say to one another in rendering these appraisals, “He is too strict with his discipline,” or “He places too much emphasis on written work,” or, perhaps, “He pays too little attention to the students themselves,” or “He is not systematic enough,” or “He makes too little preparation.” Now, in the very saying of “there is too much” or “too little,” or “he is too something” or “not enough of something,” there is the implication that somewhere there is just enough—that somewhere there is just the right amount of whatever we are talking about. And so the teacher I would like to discuss with you is that teacher we carry in our minds—against whom all of you are measured by those of us who have the responsibility of appraising you. This teacher, of course, is the ideal teacher. …
Now I would like to bring to your attention some of the things I learned about this teacher. No one of us, I am sure, is quite like him. Sometimes I felt I knew him intimately, and other times I was forcefully reminded how very casual my acquaintance was with this teacher. These are some observations regarding him that I would like to present for your consideration. These are things I noticed about him during the twelve years that it was my privilege, with you, to be a companion with him.
I found first that this teacher has a deep sense of loyalty—a naive, simple, child-like loyalty. It is not insincere, and I say that such a loyalty cannot be counterfeited; there is no fabricating of it. This loyalty cost him something. If it had not, then he would not have earned it. It cost him viewpoints; it cost him philosophical positions; it cost him that which it takes to humble himself and to commit himself. I never noticed any attempt on his part to search for angles; he is not looking for the angles. I saw very little “I” trouble in him. That “I” trouble is not the kind of eye trouble you see on the physical examination form. It is the other kind. You know the kind. It becomes apparent in an interview with a prospective seminary teacher when one asks, “Why do you want to teach seminary?” Often the answer will be, “I think I would enjoy it; I will get a great deal of good out of it; it will do me a great deal of good; I have always liked . . .” And then there is the rare exception who says: “There is a service to be rendered; my qualifications are not so much, but I am willing to try.” I noticed very little “I” trouble in this teacher.
This ideal teacher seems to be comfortable with his coordinators and supervisors. He is not afraid to call on them, especially when he is in trouble. He knows that their value to him is most important when he is having difficulty. He does not have a “parade” lesson in his desk drawer which he can bring forth the minute some stranger walks in the room. He has not prearranged with students a signal to be given when someone comes in, in order that the finest demonstration can be observed of what he (the teacher) is supposed to be doing.
And then this—he is willing to accept the decision of any one of the administration as though it were the judgment of all of them. He does not try to play one of them against the other. Because of this, it makes him unusually easy to work with, and we find ourselves depending upon him.
He is earnest about his preparation and the improvement of his qualifications academically and his capabilities otherwise. Although he is in the routine best described, I suppose, by saying that he is killing himself by “degrees,” he does not “aspire.” He is not a climber. …
This teacher of whom I speak is content to do with excellence the job which is assigned him. There are very infrequent glances up, if ever at all. And I often wondered, as I watched him work, if he realized that by so doing, by employing himself intensively at the thing he is assigned, he has almost no chance of staying there. The likelihood that he will stay in that assignment is very remote. When you do exceptionally well that which you are assigned, there is only one way to move, and that is up. And, I suppose, such is somewhat conditioned upon your not aspiring to do so.
He is efficient enough in his details. He answers correspondence promptly. One of the things which sets him apart from most of the teachers is that he never bargains over his salary. When hired, he forgets to ask what the salary is to be, he is so preoccupied with the job he will be doing, the service he can render, and the opportunity to be had. He may be discontented, but he never shows it, and he has never once agitated among his fellow teachers nor does he concern himself with what their salaries are. (And I may say here parenthetically that my viewpoint has changed. I think I listen with less sympathy now, having learned that the Brethren treat you better than they treat themselves.) …
My observation of this teacher indicated that he has the general respect of his colleagues. Some one or two of them are critical of him, but an honest judgment, I think, will find him guiltless of any disservice to them. Perhaps there are some misunderstandings, most probably built on the lack of knowledge. In one or two cases some regard him with outright jealousy.
He is positive in his attitudes and he seems to know— and this is important, I emphasize this, my brethren and sisters—he seems to know that the assignment of the teacher is not analysis; it is synthesis. It is not taking apart, analyzing, and looking for the flaws, the aberrations, the difficulties, or the problems. It is synthesis: the putting together, the organizing, the giving of meaning, the working towards wholeness. He is positive, looking for that which is right and, in consequence of his search, finding it— obtaining, just as the Lord has outlined for us in the Book of Mormon, the fruits of his labors and being rewarded according to that which he desires. Every man will be granted according to the desires of his own heart. Those who desire virtue and beauty and truth and salvation shall have it, and those who fail in that desire, or who unfortunately direct their desires in the opposite direction, shall have their agency respected.
I do not think I ever heard him use a nickname or speak a word of ridicule concerning his colleagues or concerning those who were called to administer his program. He never baits or tempts either his students or his colleagues. And I noticed this—that his colleagues make mistakes. So do those who are assigned to direct his work. And he has had reason to snipe, to heckle, to pick, but this he does not do. I recall when I was in high school, a friend of mine, who I think was a sophomore, was working for the telephone company. In the evenings he swept up the building. One night he found on the basement floor, in the dust in back of the furnace, a five-dollar bill—an old bill, dusty and dirty. He picked it up and looked at it. After wrestling with his conscience during the night, he returned to work the next day and gave the five-dollar bill to his employer. His employer said, “Well, thank you. I put it there yesterday. I was testing you.” I recall that this young man thoroughly resented the action of his employer, and then he made this observation, “I thought it was Satan who had the job of tempting.”
My observation of this teacher convinces me that, while he is ideal, he is certainly not perfect. I learned that once or twice, even with the best of intentions, he lost his temper, he broke a promise or two, and on a number of occasions he just plain did not do his best. Then he confided in me that he was not free from moral temptations. As a matter of fact, not infrequently, unclean thoughts enter his mind. He has learned, however, that the stage of the human mind is seldom bare. The only time the curtains go down is at night in sleep. If on that stage there is not a production that is wholesome, educational, developmental—or a light, purposeful, and entertaining presentation—if the stage is left bare, suddenly from the wings will steal thoughts of ugliness, darkness, and sin to hold the stage and dance and tempt. But he is ideal in the sense that he has developed the ability to combat this. He has chosen a fine hymn or two, and when these thoughts come he will hum them. This changes his attitude and his mind. He has learned to change his train of thought, to busy himself. … Thereby he practices virtue and purity.
Now everything is not always rosy for this teacher. There are moments of disappointment. In fact, there are moments of despair. But his mistakes, his depressions, his disappointments, and his problems seem to be a source of growth. He finds that they are not merely tolerable, but they are actually necessary. For there must needs be opposition in all things, and after much tribulation cometh the blessings. Whom the Lord loveth, he chasteneth. …
Then I observed that this teacher has a certain presence about him. When I visited the classroom in Idaho or in Arizona, I found it the same. The students refer to him in terms of respect. They call him “brother” and not “mister.” He has noticed that students do not need a friend—they have plenty of those. If they want advice from a friend, there are numbers of them around. They need a teacher, a counselor, an advisor. Now this distance that is between him and the students is always there, but it is crossed frequently from him to them. This distance, sometimes called dignity, secures him, both his office and his character and his kindness, from trespass by his students.
I was always grateful, when I met him, to notice that he has a very keen and alert sense of humor. It is just quietly there all the time. Now, it is human enough, and it is plain enough, but it does not depend on the vulgar or the commonplace for its funniness. And never is it the object of his humor to debase or degrade that most sacred and most personal of all human relationships that is so often in the world the centerpoint for all that is presumed to be funny.
I noticed that he has a sincere compassion for his students; he knows them and loves them, and he cannot help himself. And the less they deserve his love, the more of it there seems to be sponsored within him. He has learned that young people need a lot of love, particularly when they do not deserve it. He has this characteristic about him. I have come to know, after having watched him operate in the classroom in Idaho, Arizona, California, or Wyoming, that this feeling of love is akin to and has a close relationship with discernment. It is an appropriate power he uses in his work which few other teachers display. …
To a great extent, this teacher is what he is because he married “her.” She is not so concerned with status symbols. … She is there to comfort, bless, and love him, and to give him that tenderness and compassionate regard that only a wife can give a husband which inspires him to do that which otherwise he would be incapable of doing.
Now, he notices children. I was at quarterly conference in Preston, Idaho, with Elder LeGrand Richards. We were about five minutes late to go into the meeting. The congregation was waiting as we went across the foyer. As he was about to open the door to go into the chapel and to the stand, the door across the foyer opened. In came a little group of homespun youngsters, five or six of them in one family, dressed in the best they had. Brother Richards, with his cane, held up the meeting, walked back to the door, bent over and shook hands with each one of those little youngsters. He blessed them in his own way, stopped to greet their parents, then went in to start the meeting. Two weeks ago I was on a plane with Elder Harold B. Lee going to Washington State. We got off at Boise. There was a woman sitting on the right side of the aisle in the last seat nearest the exit holding a little boy about a year old. The other passengers waited for just a moment as Brother Lee fussed over the “little fellow,” as he called him. The mother was proud as he blessed the boy in passing.
I have had dinner in this teacher’s home at Rexburg. … Part of the genius of this teacher, I noted, is that he lives each particular day. However much he is searching for tomorrow, he takes time. You know, my brethren and sisters, we often say that if we can just get this done, then we will be free for a few weeks. If we can just get this project over with; if we can just get this thesis out of the way; if we can just get this pageant taken care of; if graduation were just out of the way; then we can relax. Have you not learned, yet, that it never will be over? that it never will be done? that unless you take time now, it is forever gone, forever forfeited? This teacher, with no slackening of his effort, reminds you, as you drive along, that the sunset is beautiful and that he sees the deer almost obscured by the foliage. He takes time to look at his children and be glad he has them, to love them, to hug them, to build a playhouse. He lives as he goes along. That is the genius of this teacher.
Where did I see him, this teacher of whom I speak? One morning I saw him down at Beaver, all covered with smudge, giving a lesson on the First Vision. He was kneeling on the floor in front of the classroom as he demonstrated the First Vision—something I would never recommend to any other teacher. But with him it was supernal. I chanced upon him one Saturday morning scrubbing the floors in the Arimo Seminary. The building was finished and in use, but a janitor had not been appointed; there he was, in some leftover army khaki coveralls, with a bucket of suds and a scrubbing brush. I watched him lead the singing at Reno, bringing out the untalented students’ backward, faltering voices and blending them together to complement weakness with strength to produce harmony and spirituality. I … saw the depth of his soul, the vibrance of his humor, the sincerity of the spirit within him.
… I saw him in the Pocatello Seminary. The windows were clear glass. Across the street a machine was demolishing a building. Suddenly I noticed that I was the only one who was conscious of what was transpiring outside the window.
In Preston, Idaho, I saw him giving guidance to a teenage couple who were fretful, out of harmony, in difficulty. I saw him, the mantle of bishop still upon him, and with the depth of his inspiration always apparent. I have ridden in his Chevrolet with him (not without cost). I saw him with his arm around a wayward boy up in Oakley, Idaho, bearing testimony, assuring this lad that if nobody else loved him, he did. I have knelt in prayer with him in the head office of this department, and felt his spirit. It has been a choice, rewarding association. You see, he sits here with you, next to you, behind me here on the stand, this teacher of whom I speak.
Now, as I met this teacher from time to time, I have sensed that there are some things about him, some depth to him that one from the outside can never probe and that he himself will never reveal. He alone knows the sincerity of his prayers, the honesty of his repentance, the reality and actuality of his love for other people, the sheer drudgery he has endured, and the struggle it has been to overcome and to improve. Only he knows the disappointments and the joys that are all a part of this truly great soul. Line upon line, precept upon precept, here a little and there a little, he works with you and me and improves others.
A quotation from Ralph Waldo Emerson’s essay “Spiritual Laws” suggests to me this teacher:
“There is no teaching until the pupil is brought into the same state or principle in which you are; a transfusion takes place; he is you and you are he; then is a teaching, and by no unfriendly chance or bad company can he ever quite lose the benefit.” (The Complete Writings of Ralph Waldo Emerson [New York: Wm. H. Wise & Co., 1929], p. 172.)
And because I believe that a transfusion does take place and that he is you and you are he, that there is teaching, I also believe that the image each of us presents should be most like this ideal teacher.
I said at the beginning that no one of us is quite like him, but I find much of him in many of you. We may ask these questions: What makes him ideal? Can we find whatever this is? If we can find it, can we isolate it? Can we get hold of it? I suggest that there is the simplest and most basic of all explanations for it, and that is faith. He has it. I repeat, he has it! You see, he is willing, without any assurance of any promotion or financial improvement or any assurance of betterment of his circumstances, to go ahead with faith and do that which he is assigned to do. He orders his life first. If I were to tell you one of the most important laws of life that I have learned, I should say this: The good things—those which are desirable, those which tend to elevate, glorify, and exalt—must be paid for in advance. The opposite items can be paid for afterwards. Good must be earned.
The attributes which it has been my choice privilege to recognize in you brethren and sisters over these twelve years are no more nor less than the image of the Master Teacher showing through. I believe that to the degree you perform according to the challenge and charge which you have, the image of Christ does become engraved upon your countenances. And for all practical purposes, in that classroom at that time and in that expression and with that inspiration, you are He and He is you. The transfusion takes place. By no unfriendly chance or bad company can you ever quite lose the benefit of it.
How do we achieve this transfusion? First, we ask for it. We pray that we might be ideal. We seek. Now I differentiate between saying prayers and praying. I would like to draw an example which some of you have heard. It is so commonplace. We have a cow. (We live on a little farm just a few miles north of here.) I had not been home in daylight hours for three weeks. One day I was catching a later plane and went out to see the cow. She was in trouble. I called the vet and he looked at her, tested her, and said, “She has swallowed a wire and it has punctured her heart. She will be dead before the day is over.” The next day the calf was to come, and the cow was important to our economy. Also, she kind of “belongs”—you know how that gets to be. I asked him if he could do anything, and he said he could but it would likely be useless, money down the drain. I said, “Well, what will it cost me?” He told me—and it did. I told him to go ahead. The next morning the calf was there but the cow was lying down gasping. I called the vet again, thinking the calf might need some attention. He looked the cow over and said she would be dead within an hour or so. I went in to the telephone directory, copied down the number of the animal by-products company, put it on the nail by the phone, and told my wife to call them to come and get the cow later in the day.
We had our family prayer before I left to go to Salt Lake to catch the plane out to the Gridley Stake. Our little boy was praying. It was to be his calf, you see. In the middle of saying his prayers, after he said all that he usually says, asking Heavenly Father to “bless Daddy that he won’t get hurt in his travels,” “bless us at school,” and so on, he started to pray. There is a difference, and this is the point I should like to make. He then said, “Heavenly Father, please bless Bossy so that she will get to be all right.” He said “please,” you see. While I was in California I remembered that story, and when we were talking about prayer I told of the incident, saying, “I am glad he prayed that way, because he will learn something. He will mature and he will learn that you do not get everything you pray for just that easy. There is a lesson to be learned.” And truly there was, but it was I who learned it, not my son; because when I got home Sunday night Bossy had “got to be all right.” She still is.
Now pray for this transfusion to take place; work for it! Work that you become worthy of it, morally and spiritually worthy.
I leave my blessings with you, my brethren and sisters, and tell you of the love I have for you. You mean much to me. I tell you how much the Master Teacher among you has influenced me. Now that my companionship with him has become more intimate, more certain, I bear witness that he lives; that he is all that we know him to be, and that the work in which we are engaged is at his insistence and his approval. This witness I bear in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.
A Teacher’s Preflight Checklist
A Teacher’s Preflight Checklist
Dieter F Uchtdorf
Teaching In The Saviors Way, June 12, 2022
My Favorite People!
My dear brothers and sisters, my dear friends, what a wonderful moment to be together and watch this great wonderful and beautiful video showing us how the members of the Church and the people of the world can teach every age, every generation the Savior’s way.
Well, my dear friends, I’m so grateful to be among my favorite people today: teachers—past, present, and future! Since all are teachers in one form or another, I should think my group of favorite people is quite inclusive. I love teachers. I love being around them. I love and owe more than I can ever repay to teachers in my life.
Scholars have been studying what makes an excellent teacher for hundreds of years and have extensively proposed, promoted, and published their theories as to what makes a successful learning experience.
We are all blessed to learn from the greatest teacher of all time, Jesus Christ. Over the better part of the past two thousand years, I don’t suppose there has passed a single second when—somewhere in the world—His teachings were not treasured, studied, pondered, repeated, and modeled.
And is that not the goal of all teachers? To make a lasting difference for good? To bless the lives of others in a way that extends far beyond a lesson or a classroom?
And Jesus of Nazareth has exactly that kind of influence—in the past, in the present, and in the future. So who better for us to study? If we learn from Him, we will improve not only as teachers, regardless of our situation in life, but we will also greatly improve as human beings.
So, it is my privilege and honor to speak to you today about the Savior—because the best way to become a better teacher is to become a better follower of Jesus Christ.
The Importance of Preflight Checks
When I was an airline pilot, each time I settled into the captain’s seat, I had one major goal—getting myself, my crew, and my passengers safely to our destination. This aim required focus and vigilance.
To maintain this focus, pilots perform a series of preflight checks, rehearsing safety procedures and examining instrument functionality and mechanical reliability. Each item on the checklist is something the pilot has done hundreds (if not thousands) of times.
An expert pilot never assumes that since he or she has flown hundreds of times, there is no need to bother with the preflight check or skim over it casually.
The preflight check disciplines pilots to keep their focus on the essential things that make a successful flight.
Just as a pilot has a specific guiding purpose, so do we as teachers of the Word: to bring souls closer to Christ. Whenever we approach a teaching opportunity, that goal should be foremost in our mind.
As teachers, do we have a checklist to help us focus on our sacred objective? Yes!
Teaching in the Savior’s Way
This month, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints will publish a revised version of Teaching in the Savior’s Way. It is a guide for all who teach the gospel—in the home and in church. It will be available in 70 languages on the Gospel Library app. Printed copies will follow in coming months.
This resource draws on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ as our guide and inspiration as teachers. It helps us focus on teaching the way He taught.
Teaching in the Savior’s Way will help all who are teaching. It can provide inspiration and instruction for parents, neighbors, ministering brothers and sisters, missionaries, and all disciples of Jesus Christ. Discipleship means loving, caring for, blessing, and lifting others, and that means teaching.
In other words, if you are trying to love and serve as Jesus did, then you are a teacher, and Teaching in the Savior’s Way is for you and me. I hope it will be a treasure to you, whether you are new on this journey or have been walking it for many years.
In part 3 of Teaching in the Savior’s Way, there is a self-assessment—a flight checklist, if you will—that can help us become more focused in our teaching efforts. It will lead to introspection, reveal blind spots, and prompt inspiration about ways we can improve. It can be as useful for teachers as the flight checklist is for pilots.
If you will allow me to take a seat beside you in the cockpit, so to speak, I would like to perform with you a preflight check for teaching. I invite you to pull out a metaphorical clipboard and consider how you would evaluate yourself on each item. This self-evaluation can be a great blessing—today and every time we prepare to teach in the Savior’s way.
Focus on Jesus Christ
The first item on our preflight check is “Focus on Jesus Christ.” It’s an opportunity to reflect on whether the Savior is truly at the center of our teaching. Please consider these questions:
Do I teach about Jesus Christ no matter what I am teaching?
Do I emphasize the example of Jesus Christ?
Do I help learners recognize the Lord’s love, power, and mercy in their lives ?
Do I help learners intentionally strive to become more like Jesus Christ?
These are profound questions!
Let’s face it: The gospel is so expansive that we could spend a lifetime of study and scarcely scratch the surface. Imagine painting a target as tall and wide as the side of a gigantic wooden building that could represent the breadth of the gospel.
We all have our favorite gospel hobbies—things that interest us. Periods of history, Church programs, doctrinal topics, or even single verses of scripture. And we might be tempted to mainly focus on these favorite topics of ours.
But as large as the target of gospel teaching is, the bullseye—the center of the target—we should never forget to focus on—it is small. And it is the center given to us not in commentary, not by opinion poll, not by debate. The Savior Himself gave it to us.
What is it?
Love God and love others.
That is the center.
Other things may be interesting to us. They may even be important. But they are not the center.
They are supporting cast. They are the side dish on our menu; maybe the salad to the main dish. They add spice or variety, and lots of vitamins perhaps, but they are not the main course.
What is our goal, then, in teaching?
Our goal is to help those we teach to come closer to Christ, increase in their knowledge and love of God, and serve God by reaching out in compassion towards all His children.
That is the center.
And where do we find our greatest example of loving God and others?
In the life and teachings of our Savior and Redeemer.
As we bring souls closer to Christ, we help them increase their faith and love for God. And we help them increase in their compassion and love for others.
Whenever we are tempted to veer off and get distracted by some other topic that may seem interesting to us, we should really ask ourselves:
“Do I focus on the Savior, no matter what I am teaching about?”
“Is what I am teaching helping others to grow in their love for God and to show that love by loving and serving, and by applying the Savior’s teachings in our lives?”
As teachers, we may speak with the tongues of angels; we may entertain, delight, amuse, and astound. But if we have failed in keeping our focus on Jesus Christ, we have missed the mark and our teaching is only a shadow of what it ought to be.
Always keep the focus on our Savior and Redeemer, Jesus Christ.
Love Those You Teach
The second checklist category is “Love Those You Teach.” This checklist category allows us to reflect on our own motives as teachers, and it reminds us to keep our hearts centered on loving and valuing those we teach. Here are some questions to consider:
Do I strive to see learners the way the Savior sees them?
Do I seek to know those I teach—to understand their circumstances, needs, and strengths?
Do I pray for learners by name?
Do I create a safe environment where all are respected and know their contributions are valued?
Do I find appropriate ways to express my love?
I heard about one woman who was a skilled high school teacher. She had spent years developing her approach to teaching and had contributed significantly to the lives of high school students. She knew how to handle this age group perfectly.
One year, she took part in a summer school program where she taught much younger, much different students, even five-year-old children. Of course, the children were excited and full of energy as they poured into her classroom. They were very noisy and full of laughter, shouting, running between desks, and chasing each other. This teacher, to bring the class to order, used her “teacher’s voice” that worked with high school kids to get them to settle down and take a seat. But what happened?
A hush fell over the classroom. The children immediately stopped what they were doing and, wide-eyed, rushed to an open desk. All except two.
The first child, a small girl, melted onto the floor and began sobbing. Although the teacher didn’t feel even a trace of anger toward her, the little girl felt she must have done something really bad and melted into a puddle of tears.
The second child, a small boy, but strong, looked at the teacher with fear and bolted for the doorway, where he disappeared down the corridor at warp speed. The teacher wondered if he would ever come back.
That day, the teacher learned an important lesson: the techniques she used with teenagers did not work well with very young children.
And that is a lesson for us, for you and me, as well.
Every person we teach is a child of God and has a personality.
Do we see them the way our Heavenly Father does—as unique individuals with their own thoughts, feelings, trials, and struggles? Are we creating a safe learning environment—a place where each person can feel secure and accepted?
Whatever our native language may be, do our students know that we speak the universal language of love? That we value them, that we have compassion for them, and that we respect them?
The Savior spent much of His life with the outcasts and castoffs of society.
He could have lectured and condemned them. Instead, He embraced, healed, and comforted them.
Yes, He taught them, “Go, and sin no more.” But to the sick, the sinners, and the disabled, He spoke and acted out of love, compassion, and respect.
He sees each of us as sons and daughters of Almighty God—not beneath Him, but with the eternal potential to walk beside Him in glory.
The great Christian writer C. S. Lewis echoed this perspective when he taught, “It is a serious thing to live in a society of possible gods and goddesses, to remember that the dullest and most uninteresting person you talk to may one day be a creature which, if you saw it now, you would be strongly tempted to worship.” And he continued, “There are no ordinary people. You have never talked to a mere mortal. … it is immortals who we joke with, work with, marry, snub, and exploit — immortal… everlasting splendors.”
When we treat others with this kind of respect, we reflect the example of Jesus Christ. As He loved, we love. As He lifted, we lift. As He taught, we teach.
Now, let us remember to love, respect, and lift those we teach.
Teach by the Spirit
The third checklist category is “Teach by the Spirit.” Please consider these questions:
Do I prepare myself spiritually to teach?
Do I respond to spiritual promptings about the needs of learners?
Do I create settings and opportunities for learners to be taught by the Holy Ghost?
Do I help learners seek, recognize, and act on personal revelation?
Do I bear testimony often and encourage learners to do the same?
I try to remind myself often that in all my efforts to teach the gospel and bring people to Jesus Christ, I cannot convert anyone.
Only the Holy Ghost can do that.
We can speak the words, but conversion is a matter of the Spirit. It happens when the Holy Ghost touches the heart and a person responds to His influence by following the Savior.
If, because of persuasive words or well-reasoned arguments, someone is “convinced” to follow Jesus Christ, that conviction may be as fleeting as the seed that falls upon stony places.
Our job is not to convert. That is not our responsibility.
But what is our job? To teach the good news of Jesus Christ and His gospel that has been restored in our time! And it is our job to validate and support our words with our honest and sincere deeds! Our life, how we live and act.
Whether someone responds to what we teach is between them and God. But we can be the bridge that connects them with the Holy Ghost. We can be the window through which the Holy Spirit will enter into their lives. Our words and our actions can teach the doctrine of Christ in a way that helps students experience the intercession of the Holy Ghost.
As then Elder Dallin H. Oaks taught, “Study and reason can find the truth, … but only revelation can confirm it.”
Let me repeat that sentence: “Study and reason can find the truth, … but only revelation can confirm it.”
At times we kind of sleepwalk through life. We see things but scarcely remember them. Commercials, Pinterest quotes, even road signs. Most of it washes over our minds without penetrating our hearts.
But if the Holy Spirit speaks to your soul, to my soul, you and I, we cannot forget it, because it changes you; it changes us. Remember what Joseph Smith said after reading James 1:5: “Never did any passage of scripture come with more power to the heart of man than this did at this time to mine.”
The Spirit can take an ordinary thought spoken in an ordinary way and cause it to burn like fire.
Another person’s conversion is not dependent upon our eloquence or command of scripture. It’s not dependent on how well we teach or defend doctrine. It’s not dependent upon our intelligence, charisma, or command of the language.
All we need to work on is to know for ourselves. Then our Heavenly Father invites us to “open [our] mouth[s] at all times, declaring [His] gospel with the sound of rejoicing.” And if we do that, the Holy Spirit will testify of the truth.
We don’t have to “be” anything more or less than we really are, and that is children of God and followers of Jesus Christ.
Can you, with rejoicing, express your love for the Savior, His gospel, and His Church?
If we do our part, the Spirit will do His. That is the way we “teach by the Spirit.”
Teach the Doctrine
The fourth item on our preflight check is “Teach the Doctrine”—not just any doctrine, of course, but the doctrine that Jesus Christ received from His Father. The Savior said, “My doctrine is not mine, but his that sent me.” To evaluate how well you are following His example, consider these questions:
Do I learn the doctrine for myself?
Do I teach from the scriptures and the words of latter-day prophets?
Do I help learners recognize and understand truths in the scriptures?
Do I focus on truths that build faith in Jesus Christ?
Do I help learners find personal revelation in the doctrine?
In our dispensation the Lord has said: “I give unto you a commandment, that you shall teach one another the doctrine of the kingdom. Teach ye diligently and my grace shall attend you.”
What is the doctrine we are to teach?
It is the word that proceeds from the holy scriptures and the mouths of apostles and prophets. It is they who have the right and authority to expound and clarify doctrine. And it is through them that God has always declared His word, giving guidance and understanding to His children.
The central and saving doctrine of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is that Jesus Christ is the Savior and Redeemer of all. The Apostle Paul, who saw and communed with the risen Savior, wrote to the Corinthians, “I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you … that [Jesus the Christ] died for our sins … that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day… and that he was seen of Cephas, then of the twelve.”
We are commanded to “lay hold upon the word of God, which is quick and powerful … and [will] lead the man of Christ in a strait and narrow course … and land their souls, yea, their immortal souls, at the right hand of God in the kingdom of heaven.”
As teachers, we must not be ashamed of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Rather, we must joyfully raise our voices in teaching His doctrine even when it may seem a stumbling block to some and foolishness to others. “For it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth.”
Invite Diligent Learning
The final item on our preflight checklist is “Invite Diligent Learning.” This item is a reminder that the diligent teaching we do is only half of the equation. The other half—in the long run, perhaps the more important half—is the diligent learning our students do. Here are some questions to help us evaluate whether our diligent teaching is leading to diligent learning:
Do I help learners take responsibility for their learning?
Do I encourage learners to study the gospel daily?
Do I encourage learners to share the truths they are learning?
Do I invite learners to live what they are learning?
Our spirits need constant nourishment so we can become the beings of light and glory God created us to become. When we study and ponder the words of the prophets of God, we drink of living water and feast upon the word of Christ.
It is not enough merely to read the words. We need to hearken unto them; we need to ponder and internalize them.
To paraphrase a proverb, “Teach a man the gospel and you have blessed him for a day. Teach a man to feast upon the word of God and connect with the Holy Spirit, and you have blessed him for a lifetime.”
It is through this process of inspiration and personal revelation that we build our lives on the rock of our Redeemer. It is then that the gospel of Jesus Christ can become “an anchor of the soul.”
Teaching the gospel is important. Teaching others to immerse themselves in prayer, seek the Spirit, and apply what they have learned is at least equally important.
Promise & Blessing
My dear brothers and sisters, my beloved friends, dear and precious teachers—and you’re all teachers; we all are teachers—thank you for your faithfulness and for your desires to do good. Thank you for the many hours you have spent preparing, ministering to, and teaching others about the gospel joyfully.
I invite you to study the new guide Teaching in the Savior’s Way and use the self-evaluation to remind you of your purpose.
By laying hold upon the word of God and teaching others to do the same—by teaching in the Savior’s way—we show our love for God and for our fellow men and fellow human beings. And as we walk that strait and narrow course, we take part in that holiest of callings to lead our own immortal souls and the souls of others towards the “right hand of God in the kingdom of heaven, to sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and with Jacob, and with all our holy fathers, to go no more out.”
May God bless you, my fellow teachers, my dear friends, my fellow servants, for your sincere labors to teach in the Savior’s name. In the holy name of the greatest teacher of all time, in the name of our Master, in the name of Jesus the Christ, amen.
His Representatives
His Representatives
Chad Webb
Annual Training Broadcast with President Ballard, Friday, January 21, 2022
I once found myself in line at an airport behind a Jewish rabbi. The person in front of him was a man holding a Mexican passport, traveling with his young daughter. And in front of him was an American wearing a jersey and a hat representing his favorite sports teams. I started wondering, With which one of these three individuals did I have the most in common? I first thought maybe the American. We probably had very similar experiences growing up, and we both probably spend too much time wondering about our favorite teams. Then I considered the second man in line. Because of my love for Mexico, it’s not a reach to think we might love the same food and the same mariachi bands. But more than that, I felt a connection to him as I watched him interact with his daughter and thought about being a father to my six daughters. Lastly, I thought about the rabbi. Most people seeing us in line may not have thought we had much in common. But he and I shared a common bond in our desire to dedicate our lives to the service of God, to learn and teach His word, and to strive to be obedient to His commandments.
Still thinking about my question as I boarded the plane, I pulled out a piece of paper and began writing. I started with the simple words “I am …” Then I wrote everything that came to my mind. I am a child of God, a disciple of Jesus Christ, a husband. I wrote down characteristics, relationships, Church callings, and work assignments. I included preferences like “I’m a fan of Motown music and raclette cheese.” Before I finished, I had written nearly 300 ways of answering the question “Who am I?” Then I placed my answers in order as to which ones are most significant in determining the focus and priorities in my life. For example, while I am both a grandfather and a frustrated golfer, the fact that I placed being a grandfather toward the top of my list and my enthusiasm for golf closer to the bottom reminds me where I need to spend my time and energy and what to choose if those roles ever come into conflict.
Sometime later, I came to better understand why this experience had been so meaningful to me when I read that President Henry B. Eyring had said, “How you answer the question of who you are will determine almost everything.”
More recently I was pondering this question and thinking about our students. I pulled out another piece of paper and began writing—starting this time with the simple words “Our students are …”
I believe our students are who prophets have said they are. They are beloved children of heavenly parents, who chose to follow the Father’s plan and overcame the adversary by their faith in the Lamb of God and the power of their testimony. The Lord reserved them, as President Russell M. Nelson said, to come to earth “at this precise time, the most crucial time in the history of the world.” He chose them to “help prepare the people of this world for the … millennial reign [of the Savior].” “[They] are the hope of Israel, ‘children of the promised day’ [”Hope of Israel, Hymns, no. 259].”!
They are “hungry for things of the Spirit; … eager to learn the gospel, and they want it straight, undiluted. … They are not now doubters but inquirers, seekers after truth. …
[They] crave … faith … [and] want to be themselves able to call it forth to work.”
It’s also true that some have forgotten their identity as children of God or have become too focused on temporary or less important secondary traits. Satan is the great identity thief. His deceptions have caused some to become confused or distracted by a turbulent and changing world that derides faith and virtue and where information is omnipresent and wisdom is rare—the prophesied day when people would be “ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth,” a world that calls “evil good, and good evil,” where many “walk in the light of [their own] fire and in the sparks which [they] have kindled” while rejecting the Light of the World.”
However, we know one other thing about our youth and young adults. The Savior said:
“Ye are the children of the prophets; and ye are of the house of Israel; … in thy seed shall all the kindreds of the earth be blessed.
“The Father having raised me up unto you first, and sent me to bless you in turning away every one of you from his iniquities; and this because ye are the children of the covenant.”
The Lord has promised He will reach out to them not to save them in their sins but to save them from their sins. That is why it is imperative that we help our students come to know Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ and have a correct understanding of the Father’s eternal plan and the Savior’s true doctrine. They need to know who they are and what the Lord would have them do —and how to do it.
I believe that helping our students know these things largely depends on us knowing who we are as people who teach, serve, and give support in seminaries and institutes. This thought led me to making a third and final list. I took out another piece of paper and wrote page after page of characteristics and attributes that I appreciate and admire in all of you. As I wrote, I found myself returning to one critical idea. I believe that the most important answer to the question of who we are is that we are asked to be representatives of Jesus Christ.
The focus of our efforts is to help youth and young adults come to know Jesus Christ and rely on Him and His atoning sacrifice. We look to Him as our exemplar and rely on His grace to do His will. Despite personal challenges and setbacks, we live with hope and optimism. Because we constantly repent, we have tasted of His love and mercy, and we extend that mercy to others as we teach from changed and grateful hearts. We speak often of Him, testify of Him, rejoice in His goodness and greatness, and help others to know “to what source they may look for a remission of their sins.” We strive each day to be His representatives.
As a young missionary I learned the importance of this idea as my companion and I were knocking on doors. At one house I began, “Hello, we are representatives of Jesus Christ.” Before I could go on, the man interrupted me by saying, “No, you’re not. You don’t even know what that means.” He explained that a representative is someone who stands in the place of another, who says and does what that person would say and do if he were there himself. He concluded by saying, “If you are His representatives, then you are about to tell me what He would say to me if He were personally here.” I listened carefully and then agreed with this man that his understanding of a representative was accurate. I then thanked him and asked if, given this understanding, I could begin again. I then said, “Good morning. This is Elder Aranda, and I’m Elder Webb. We are representatives of Jesus Christ, and we have come to share with you a message from Him.”
We have each been given a sacred trust. When we pray or close our teaching and testimonies in His name, we are claiming that what has been said represents His mind and will. To be true to that trust, we must have a deep love for and understanding of His gospel and be willing to pay the price to truly know the scriptures and the doctrine they teach. Because we understand that the word of God has a “more powerful effect” than anything else and that it really does have the answers to life’s questions, the scriptures are the primary source of our experiences with our students. As we continue to innovate our teaching methods to connect with more students, we must never innovate away from being deeply rooted in the scriptures.
It’s equally important to rivet our minds and hearts on the Lord’s chosen servants—particularly the current members of the First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve Apostles—never apologizing for their teachings, explaining them away, or contradicting them with our own “philosophy, no matter what its source or how pleasing or rational it seems … to be.” In a world with so many enticing voices and social agendas, it is an incredible blessing to know the mind of God through His living prophet. As we align our teaching, our allegiances, and our priorities with the Lord and His prophet, we will be on a sure foundation, and like branches of the true vine, we will have power to bring forth much fruit.
Sometimes, teaching truth and showing love may seem to be in conflict. That’s because there are counterfeits to both, which can confuse us. You may feel you’re on the front lines trying to help answer difficult and complex questions and that if you speak the truth, someone might be hurt or offended. To respond in a loving and helpful way, we must exercise our faith in Jesus Christ that He directs His Church through those He has ordained to lead it. We must pray for help and encourage our students to turn to Heavenly Father with their questions and doubts. Jesus Christ is the light to those who sit in confusion and darkness. He is the perfect example of teaching obedience with clarity, yet He is the balm of Gilead to those who are suffering from the consequences of their own mistakes. He is the perfect example of what we are striving to become as teachers who teach the truth in love.
One reason it is so important that we reflect the Savior’s love is the opposition our students face. A recent longitudinal study of Latter-day Saint youth showed that those who are struggling to hold onto faith and stay active in the Church are generally faced with one or more of three specific challenges:
They feel judged due to changes in their circumstances, such as the divorce of their parents or a family member leaving the Church.
They feel guilt and despair because of mistakes they have made.
Or they do not believe they have had spiritual experiences.
As we strive to love as the Savior loves, we will be able to help our students navigate each of these situations.
How would you help a young person who is feeling judged? It might start by understanding that major changes in relationships and circumstances can cause an identity crisis, making our students question who they are and how they fit in. In these moments, you can help them remember their unchanging relationship with their Father in Heaven. I know a young woman who based her self-worth on her circumstances and what others thought of her. She felt lost not knowing who she was. She began to pray for help. One day, she had a clear impression that if she wanted to know who she was, she would first need to know Heavenly Father and the Savior. This thought started her on a quest. She began studying the scriptures, praying, and serving, with the focus on coming to know God. Over the course of time, the Lord began to reveal Himself to her. She felt His love, comfort, and understanding. As she came to know Heavenly Father, she came to know herself and to understand her relationship with Him. She learned of her divine identity and worth as a child of God. This understanding has filled her with light and joy.
You can help your students who face challenges by helping them know they are loved by Heavenly Father. You can show your love for them with your time, your empathy, and your willingness to listen. You might ask Heavenly Father to help you see them as individuals and to recognize their unique challenges, opportunities, and needs. When they have questions or struggle with their testimonies, you can help them feel safe and know they can turn to you and to the Lord.
How do we help those who struggle with guilt and despair because of their mistakes? Like the Savior, we don’t give up on them. We honor their struggle to keep trying to do what is right in a difficult world. We teach them that worthiness is not flawlessness. We help them stay on the covenant path by testifying of the joy of repentance, helping them to know it is central to Heavenly Father’s plan. We help them know that He still loves them and stands ready to help them.
I love the lesson taught in Moses 4, which we all studied just last week. After Adam and Eve transgressed, their eyes were opened, and they realized they were naked. Their first attempt to cover their nakedness was to sew fig leaves. When they heard the voice of the Lord in the garden, they decided to “hide themselves from the presence of the Lord God amongst the trees (Moses 4:14).” It’s interesting to note who it was that told them to hide from God. Now, I don’t want to make light of this, but how is that going to work? Can you imagine our Father in Heaven making His way through countless creations, finding this solar system, this planet, and that garden, and not being able to locate Adam and Eve among the trees? At that point the Lord asked them a question: “Where goest thou?” (Moses 4:15). Or from the Old Testament, “Where art thou?” (Genesis 3:9). Do you think it’s possible He really didn’t know? So then what’s He asking? Maybe it was something like, Now that you’ve transgressed, where will you go? Will you hide from me, or will you come to me and let me cover you? The word atonement in its original Hebrew is kippur, which means “to cover.” Our Father in Heaven has a much better way than fig leaves and trees to cover our sins. But the adversary whispers lies to make us want to hide from God. He strives to convince us that God does not love us and that He will not forgive us because we should have known better or because our sins are too serious.
I once invited a young woman to go to the temple with a youth group. Her response was that she was not worthy to go into the temple. I told her we were just walking around the grounds and that I would love to have her come with us. Her response was, “Not yet. I don’t want God to notice me right now.” When we make mistakes, we often don’t want to pray, read the scriptures, or go to church. Maybe we’re hoping not to be noticed by God.
Please help your students know that when they make mistakes, they can find forgiveness and peace by going to the loving and open arms of a merciful Heavenly Father, who has prepared a way to cover us. He has prepared a way for our redemption.
How do you help a student who feels she has not had spiritual experiences? Sometimes our youth hear stories that seem miraculous and fail to realize that the Holy Ghost also speaks to them in a variety of simple ways, like when they have an inspired question or when they think to mark the scriptures. Let’s help them learn how the Lord communicates with them individually and not suggest that the way the Lord speaks to us is the only way He can speak to them. Let’s be careful not to tell our students when they’re feeling the Holy Ghost. Just because we may be feeling the Spirit as the teacher doesn’t necessarily mean that every student is feeling the same thing at the same moment. It’s also good to understand that those who experience anxiety and depression may feel it’s hard to have these experiences. But the Lord is not limited by mental illness. He knows and understands them and can find ways to communicate His love and guidance. There are very few things we can do that will help them more than to learn to receive and act on personal revelation.
I recently heard a story about a young man attending a prestigious university in the eastern United States. He was enrolled in a very difficult logics class. Because he wanted to do well, he decided to hire a tutor. He was able to hire a person who had been an assistant to the professor and had even taught that very class at the same university. The tutor was very helpful, but the young man was still nervous about the final exam. The professor told the students the test would be extremely difficult so he would allow them to bring one piece of paper and place on it whatever they thought they might need. The students began writing as small as possible, using magnifying glasses to write down and read what they might need for the final. The day of the final arrived, and the young man entered the classroom. At his side was his tutor. The professor asked what they were doing, and the young man pulled out a blank piece of paper and placed it on the floor. The tutor then stood on the piece of paper. The young man explained, “You said I could place whatever I wanted on this piece of paper. Well, I want my tutor.” The young man was allowed to take the test with his tutor next to him, whispering answers in his ear.
As members of the Church of Jesus Christ who have been given the gift of the Holy Ghost, why would we go through any test in life without the help that is available to us? Thank you for striving to be worthy of the Holy Ghost in all aspects of your lives and to seek His influence in all that you do.
My prayer is that our youth and young adults will come to know our Father in Heaven and that by knowing who He is, they will understand who they truly are. Because of His power to forgive, they can be clean. Because of His power to heal, they can become whole. And because of His power to refine, they can become like Him. As representatives of Jesus Christ—who teach His doctrine and share His love—you will be able to help them recognize their eternal identity. That does not mean you will always be perfect. You don’t have to be. As you strive to teach the restored gospel—centered on Jesus Christ, focused on your students, and rooted in the word of God—the Holy Ghost will give it life and relevance, and witness of its truthfulness. I testify that you, your families, and your students are children of the promise, the hope of Israel, and beloved of God. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.
We Talk of Christ, We Rejoice in Christ
We Talk of Christ, We Rejoice in Christ
Chad Webb
Seminaries and Institutes of Religion Annual Training Broadcast • June 12, 2018
Thank you, that was wonderful. We’re so blessed. It’s such a privilege to be together with all of you today. Thank you for all you’re doing. We love you and love serving with you.
With many of you, I think often of the opportunity that is ours to teach the youth and young adults of the Church and think often of how we might teach them with more power in helping them to build deep and abiding faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. As I’ve considered this important question, I’ve reflected on the idea that Elder Clark shared last January with us when he said that the Savior’s invitation to learn of Him first means that we must learn to know Him. And second, that we must learn from Him. He quoted Elder Neal A. Maxwell, who referred to the Savior’s invitation to “learn of me” and added, “There is no other way to learn deeply.”
I have come to understand and believe that the single most important way in which we can help increase faith in the rising generation is to more fully place Jesus Christ at the center of our teaching and learning by helping our students come to know Him, to learn from Him, and to consciously strive to become like Him. Every day, we must “talk of Christ, … rejoice in Christ, … [and] preach of Christ.”
Many of you have already begun to respond to this invitation, intentionally preparing lessons with these ideas in mind and looking for opportunities to testify of Jesus Christ and of His divine attributes, His boundless power, and His unfailing love. In these classes there has been an increased influence of the Holy Ghost, more expressions of gratitude for the Savior, and more meaningful and relevant personal application, and more young people acting in faith.
Of course, the most important way we can help our students come to know the Savior is to help them prepare for sacred priesthood ordinances and to keep their covenants. To help them qualify for the blessings of the temple is to help them know and follow Jesus Christ. But there are other things we can do, while they are with us, that will help them to rely on the Him and on His teachings and Atonement.
To this end, may I suggest four ways that we can place Jesus Christ more in the center of our learning and teaching every day.
1. Focus on the Titles, Roles, Character, and Attributes of Jesus Christ
First, focus on the titles, roles, character, and attributes of Jesus Christ. President Russell M. Nelson gave us an invitation to “let the scriptural citations about Jesus Christ in the Topical Guide become [our] personal core curriculum.” This invitation is intended to help us go beyond knowing about the things Jesus did and help us to come to know Him—His attributes and character.
For example, one of the titles of Jesus Christ is Creator. Under the direction of His Father, Jesus created the heavens and the earth. Creator is also one of His divine roles and speaks to His nature. As we study how and why Jesus created the earth, we might ask, “What does this teach us about who He is? What does it teach us about His motives, His love, and His power? What divine attributes of the Savior are revealed in His role as the Creator?”
You may remember that President Boyd K. Packer was an accomplished artist who enjoyed carving wooden birds. One day he was a passenger in a car driven by Elder A. Theodore Tuttle, and one of his carvings rested on the backseat of the car. At an intersection, Elder Tuttle slammed on the brakes and the carving tipped upside down on the floor and broke into pieces. Elder Tuttle was devastated, but President Packer was not. He simply said, “Forget it. I made it. I can fix it.” And he did. He made it stronger than it was and even improved it a bit. President Packer explained, “Who made you? Who is your Creator? There is not anything about your life that gets bent or broken that He cannot fix and will fix.”
When our students understand Jesus’s role as the Creator, and as they ponder the scripture accounts that witness of His incredible power to fix and heal His creations, their hearts will long to experience that power and promise in their own lives. They will then act in faith to experience His incredible power to fix what is broken in them.
Another of Jesus’s sacred titles is Redeemer. The scriptures refer to Him in this role 930 times. What does this title teach us about His character and attributes? What did His redeeming power mean for Alma, Saul, and the woman taken in adultery? What did it mean to Matthew, the publican and Gospel writer?
I find it interesting that we learn of Matthew’s call to the Twelve in the same chapter as the accounts of Jesus performing miracles and “healing every sickness and every disease among the people.” The motive for these miracles was that Jesus was “moved with compassion.” But why does Matthew alone, of all the Gospel writers, include his call in the midst of these miracles? It may have been a chronological account, but I think there is something else we can learn. Is it possible that Matthew recognized that the greatest miracle that Jesus did was to redeem us by forgiving, and loving, and lifting, and showing a person his or her true identity and potential, just as He had done for Matthew?
Another way to help students recognize Jesus’s attributes is to focus not just on scripture events but what those events teach us about the Savior. For instance, why do we teach the story of Ammon cutting off the arms of men who scattered King Lamoni’s sheep? Is it to talk about the greatness of Ammon? Or is this story actually about the greatness of God? What does this story teach us about the Lord and the way He blesses those who put their trust in Him? Ammon’s own account concludes with this enthusiastic testimony: “I do not boast in my own strength. … I know that I am nothing; … therefore … I will boast of my God, for in his strength I can do all things.”
A few months ago, I was with a group of wonderful teachers and asked them to choose any scripture story or event in Church history and to think about what it reveals about the nature of God. The first teacher responded with, “Polygamy.” My first thought was, “Thanks a lot! You couldn’t have chosen a more difficult topic.” But as we started to talk, a wonderful thing happened. People began to bear testimony to the fact that Heavenly Father loves all of His children and wants them to be cared for. Another talked about the Lord’s willingness to ask hard things of us, but that He always sustains us and rewards our obedience. Another spoke of God as someone who loves families and wants children to be taught by loving parents. As the conversation went on, I realized that the Spirit was witnessing of the nature and character of God, that we felt closer to our Father in Heaven and His Son Jesus Christ, and that we had come to know and love Them a little more.
Jesus Christ is our Creator. He is our loving and forgiving, compassionate Redeemer and Deliverer. He is also Immanuel, the Lamb of God, the Messiah, the Holy One of Israel, and the Author and Finisher of Our Faith. As we focus on His titles, roles, and character, and attributes, the Spirit will testify of Him, bringing greater understanding and love for who He truly is and a greater desire to become like Him.
2. Emphasize the Example of Jesus Christ
A second way to place Jesus at the center of our teaching is to recognize and emphasize that He is the perfect example, the embodiment and expression of all gospel principles. One of our teachers recently shared with me that for their family scripture study, they’ve decided to read the New Testament again. But this time, rather than focusing on what Jesus said, they’re focusing primarily on what Jesus did. Focusing on His perfect example also invites the Holy Ghost to testify of Him.
Even when Jesus is not directly referred to in a story we’re teaching, we can still point to Him as the example of the principle that the story illustrates. For example, after identifying and analyzing a principle, we might ask, “Can you think of a time in the scriptures when Jesus exemplified this principle?” Or, “When have you seen Jesus exemplify this principle in your life or on your behalf?” One student was recently asked that question with regard to the Savior’s example of gentleness. Her thoughts and feelings raced to the gentle way in which the Savior has always treated her. This experience, right in a classroom, created in her a deep desire to be more Christlike and gentler with the people who depend on her, as she depends on the Lord.
You could scour all the books ever written and not find a better illustration of each gospel principle than is found in the scripture accounts of Jesus and His eternal ministry. Pondering examples of the Lord in His roles as Jehovah, the mortal Christ, and the resurrected Savior will increase our students’ power and capacity to take effective, righteous action. It will take our lessons beyond discussions about ethics and self-mastery and connect students to the power of the Savior and the eternal plan of happiness.
By way of illustration, how might we teach the principle of honesty? Simply as the “best policy,” because people will trust us more if we are honest? Or is integrity central to the character of Christ? If we’re to be like Him, must we learn to follow His perfect example in being totally honest? The same types of questions could be asked for every principle of the gospel.
Arthur Henry King taught this idea beautifully when he said, “We symbolize [good] in a real individual—Jesus Christ, the Son of God. He is a man, not a principle, a man who includes all principles. … And following a man is very different from following a principle. … We do not have to work out philosophical complexities of ethics. It has nothing to do with that. We have to study the Gospels, see what Christ did, and try to identify ourselves with what he did. It is because we catch the spirit of the Master, the Master’s love, and because we have soaked ourselves in the gospel, that we know what it is that we must do. The gospel which we have stored within us enables us at any moment to feel what we should do in a certain situation.”
There is power that comes when we connect our efforts to live the gospel to Jesus Christ. If we ever feel we are just going through the motions or that living the gospel has become a list of tasks to perform, we may have disconnected from the source of the grace and joy we seek. We might even be doing all the right things but find that we are missing the mark. The gospel is not a list of demands; it is the good news that Jesus Christ overcame sin and death. Jesus Christ is the central figure in our Father in Heaven’s plan to help us to become like Him. He is the perfect example of how we are to live and the source of the divine enabling power we need. As we learn to follow His example and connect our efforts to live the gospel to Him, we will find joy in being His disciples.
3. Look for Types and Shadows of Jesus Christ
Third, we should look for types and shadows of the Savior in the lives of prophets and other faithful men and women as they are recorded in the scriptures. As the prophet Jacob taught, “All things which have been given of God from the beginning of the world, unto man, are the typifying of him.”
Because of this idea, when I taught the Old Testament in seminary, I placed large pieces of paper on the back wall of the classroom. On the top of each paper I wrote the name of an Old Testament prophet. When we had finished studying a section of the Old Testament, I asked the students to think of the things they had learned about the prophet we had been studying and how his experiences foreshadowed or reminded them of the Savior. After learning about Adam, students wrote things like, “Adam was a son of God.” “He was immortal.” “He went into a garden.” “He voluntarily took upon himself death that we might live.” It would not take long before someone would ask, “Are we still talking about Adam, or are we talking about Jesus?”
During that time, a student came early to class to share with me her experience studying the scriptures. The night before she had been reading about the consequences of the Fall of Adam in Moses 4, which says, “Thorns also, and thistles shall it bring forth to thee.” Since she had learned to ask the question, “How does this account testify of Christ?”, she was led to ask, “Did Jesus know when He was speaking to Adam that someday He would literally wear the consequences of the Fall as a crown of thorns?”
Our students found another example in the life of Joseph of Egypt, identifying over 60 ways in which he is a type of the Savior. Students pointed out that both of them were beloved by their Father, despised by their brothers, and sold for the price of a slave. They noticed the similarities in their temptations and in the fact that God was always with them. These connections are so much more than merely something interesting to note. The lives of the Lord’s chosen prophets are types of Him and teach us of His divine attributes. When used effectively, this set of lenses can help us come to know Jesus better and to be more like Him.
My wife, Kristi, was recently teaching this same scripture account of Joseph in Egypt and asked the class, “What Christlike characteristics do you see in the example of Joseph?” We talked of his ability to turn every trial into a blessing. We talked of his obedience, his patience, his willingness to remember those in need, and his willingness to forgive. The question caused me to remember a previous time studying this story and imagining what it was like when Joseph revealed himself to his brothers. The scriptures say they were “troubled at his presence.” Can you envision what that moment must have been like and how they must have felt, knowing what they had done? But Joseph responded to them, “Come near to me ... I am Joseph your brother. ... Be not grieved … for God did send me before you to preserve life.” As I picture that event in my mind, I better understand what it will be like when we stand before the Lord at Judgment Day. Certainly I can imagine that we will remember our sins and may feel “troubled” being in His presence. But I can also imagine Him saying as He lifts us from our knees, “Come to me, come near to me, I am your brother. God did send me to preserve life.”
When we focus on types and shadows of Jesus Christ, we can then help our students recognize His attributes and characteristics by asking questions such as:
“What Christlike characteristics do you see in the life of this prophet?”
“When have you been blessed because Jesus possesses this attribute?” Or, “How has the Savior demonstrated this characteristic on your behalf?”
“What could you do to become more like Jesus Christ and acquire this divine attribute?” Or, “What have you learned about your Father in Heaven and Jesus Christ that inspires you to act in faith to follow Them?”
And when students give answers like “pray” or “read the scriptures,” we would do well to help them connect those actions to Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ by asking them questions like:
“How will your prayers be different knowing who you are talking to?”
“How will you study the scriptures in a way that will help you know the Savior better and be more like Him?”
These types of questions will help our students develop greater power and capacity to know the Savior and to learn from Him.
4. Bear Pure Testimony of Jesus Christ
The fourth thing that we can do is to bear pure testimony of Jesus Christ.
We need to speak of Him more often and more powerfully and with more reverence, adoration, and gratitude. We need to share our own testimonies, and we must find effective ways to invite our students to share their testimonies with each other. In a recent class discussion on the principle of prayer, a teacher invited students to consider what the Lord’s invitation to pray and His promise to answer teach us about the nature of our Father in Heaven. They were then invited to consider the attributes of the Savior, which allow us to pray in His name. With these simple questions, a lesson on prayer turned into the opportunity for students to bear testimony of the power and love of our Father in Heaven and His Son, Jesus Christ. Students left with increased appreciation for their relationship with Deity and for the incredible blessing we have been given to pray in the name of Jesus Christ, who is our Advocate with the Father.
Another essential way to testify of Jesus Christ is to allow the testimony of prophets, both ancient and modern, to be heard in our classrooms. The Apostle Peter said we are “witnesses chosen before of God. … He commanded us to … testify that it is he which was ordained of God. … To him give all the prophets witness.”
More recently, Elder Robert D. Hales made a statement that has caused me much reflection. He said, “We watch, hear, read, study, and share the words of prophets to be forewarned and protected. For example, ‘The Family: A Proclamation to the World’ was given long before we experienced the challenges now facing the family.” And then he added this thought, “‘The Living Christ: The Testimony of the Apostles’ was prepared in advance of when we will need it most.”
I am not one who is given to gloom and doom, but it has become evident why the proclamation was given in advance of the strong winds that have been blowing against traditional families. And to hear a prophet say that the “Living Christ” document was given “in advance of when we will need it most” makes me think that additional winds will be blowing, battering the faith of our students and our children.
“The Living Christ: The Testimony of the Apostles” declares, “We offer our testimony of the reality of His matchless life and the infinite virtue of His great atoning sacrifice. … He was the Great Jehovah of the Old Testament, the Messiah of the New. … He walked the roads of Palestine, healing the sick, causing the blind to see, and raising the dead. He taught the truths of eternity. … He gave His life to atone for the sins of all mankind. … He rose from the grave to ‘become the firstfruits of them that slept.’ … He and His Father appeared to the boy Joseph Smith, ushering in the long-promised ‘dispensation of the fulness of times.’ … We testify that He will someday return to earth … [and] rule as King of Kings and reign as Lord of Lords. … Jesus is the living Christ, the immortal Son of God. He is the great King Immanuel, who stands today on the right hand of His Father. He is the light, the life, and the hope of the world. … God be thanked for the matchless gift of His divine Son.”
This witness of God’s prophets was given before the time our students and our children will need it most. We must help them plant this testimony deeply in their minds and hearts. There is nothing we can do that will bless our students more than to help them to come to know Jesus Christ. We must help them to love Him, follow Him, and intentionally strive to become like Him. To the witness of God’s prophets I add my humble testimony that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God and Savior of the world. In the sacred name of Jesus Christ, amen.
Angels and Astonishment
Angels and Astonishment
Jeffrey R Holland
S&I Annual Training Broadcast for 2019 • June 12, 2019
In Brother Peterson’s opening prayer, he used the word “family,” and I was touched then and I am touched now. I am thrilled to be with you in an annual event that is, for me, a family gathering. I have been inspired by every word Brother Webb, Sister Cordon, and Elder Clark have said. And I pray that I can be consistent with what those three have said.
As I greet you here in my reference to Brother Peterson, this idea of family is literally and truly how I feel about you, and I would like you to believe that. I know it certainly comes from the officers of the board, but in a very special way, from me.
Pat and I signed our first CES contract 54 years ago this very summer, and we have been affiliated with you one way or another virtually every year of our lives since—some way, some how. When she and I made the decision that we would try to make our life, way, and living through seminaries and institutes, we did not know what a strong, permanent bond that would be for us. Insecure as we were, if it had not been for the friendships and the truly brotherly/sisterly love that fellow teachers, supervisors, administrators, and others gave us in our first years, I really think we might not have had the confidence to continue. Those ties from our earliest moments in the program are still some of the sweetest friendships that we have now more than half a century later. And, of course, that says nothing of the hundreds—and I guess really it probably should be thousands—of students we have taught and loved along the way. I pray that we will never lose that feeling of family in the Church Educational System. It is one of the reasons we wanted to serve here.
And with that love as my opener to you, one of the things I want to convey today is how much all of the General Authorities and General Officers of the Church love you and count on you. As represented by the large number of General Auxiliary Officers here today (we do this together), we spend a very significant amount of our General Authority/General Officer time—I do not know how much, but I would guess that it would run to the level of 30 or 35 percent—is spent, one way or another, talking about the Church’s young people. We talk about those age groups, generally speaking, that you are working with, that you are employed to teach, plus those that are getting ready to come to you. We discuss the world they are in, the challenges they face, those special realities that seem to come to our young people at an ever younger age. Now, not all of those realities are evil, but some of them are. These young people need all the help they can get, and fortunately they can get it. God is at the helm of this ship, and it will come safely into port. He has made every necessary preparation for that.
For example, I never thought it was happenstance that we initiate our students into the seminary program at just the age Joseph Smith was when he received the First Vision. I assume our Father in Heaven felt that by age 14 Joseph had reached a level of maturity sufficient to start him on the path of his prophetic mission. Might we also assume, then, that this is generally about the age other young people can have the beginnings of a mature testimony of the gospel of Jesus Christ, watching that testimony develop (we hope) in future years into the powerful guiding force it is to be for the rest of eternity?
Surely that is why the Lord inspired our program to be structured as it is—touching the heart of a boy or a girl as they start that wonderful move into maturity, intensifying our contact with them, giving them substantial midweek experiences rather than depending solely upon one Sabbath school experience. As the Church moves toward a more home-centered, Church-supported curriculum, we can be proud that CES with its weekday and home-study focus has always been pointed that way. This current adjustment moves seminaries and institutes closer to the mainstream curriculum effort of the Church than ever in its history.
And while I am on that subject, let me note a nice compliment the presiding brethren have paid in asking us to have the seminary curriculum run in tandem with the Church’s four-year rotating scriptural curriculum calendar. It is one thing for us to receive such a compliment, but it is particularly rewarding to have the chairman of our board pay it. Let me remind you who the chairman of our board is. This is what President Nelson said in announcing this development:
“Beginning in 2020, the course of study for seminary will shift to an annual calendar and classes will study the same book of scripture used for the Come, Follow Me curriculum. This adjustment will enhance the home-centered, Church-supported approach to gospel study through a unified study at home, in Sunday School, and in seminary.
“As you ponder this change, I invite you to consider the following: your ability to have more impact on the world than any previous generation is completely dependent upon the level of your devotion to Jesus Christ. Each of you is responsible to help teach the gospel in your home to those with whom you live. Seminary and institute will help you remodel your home to become a sanctuary of faith—a place where the gospel of Jesus Christ is taught, learned, lived, and loved.”
I am not sure about you, but I have been banging around a long time in this program, and it has been years since I think we have had a president of the Church speak so specifically and so encouragingly on that very matter and address it to us personally. I am grateful for that, President Nelson. Now, let it be said that through this current period of adjustments large and small, the Brethren have talked more about, thought more about, and dealt more directly with seminary and institute personnel and policy than any time I can remember in my years of service here. What a thrilling time to be in the Church Educational System family.
Now, let me get to the object of all this, the reason for our meeting today and the reason for our teaching daily and weekly—the student, the center of our concern and affection.
As the world becomes increasingly secular, we must learn how to be ever more helpful and exemplary for our young men and women who have to defend their faith while living in a culture that often denies it or, worse yet, demeans it. The gap between our faithful young people and the sometimes-antagonistic world around them is, at least as an overall generalization, widening with every passing day. That is, of course, “a given” in the prophecies of the latter days, but that does not make it any more pleasant to address nor any more fun to face. In this little summary of the world, our students are endearingly referred to as Generation Z because of certain characteristics. These characteristics highlight some of our challenges in teaching:
They are always wired to something. “They’ve never known a world without the internet, or cell phones [or ear buds]. … Google has always existed [for them].” They may never have seen a rotary dial telephone or made a call from something called a booth. But that is okay because this group prefers to text anyway.
Through this ubiquitous electronic network, they have been exposed to flagrant, destructive pornography at very, very early ages.
They tend to “[support] gay marriage and transgender rights … [as] part of everyday life. It would be rare for a Z to not have a [close] friend from the LGBT community.” Because of this sociability, the thin line between friendship and condoning behavior begins to blur and is difficult to draw.
“They’re post-Christian. Almost a quarter,” (these are not our students, but they are in fact the world that we are looking at) “Almost a quarter (23 percent) of America’s adults—and a third of millennials—are ‘nones,’ claiming no religious identity at all. Many Zs are growing up in homes where there’s no religion whatsoever, [giving them] no experience [and no context for] religion [in their own lives].”
A recent study into Australian teens’ attitudes toward religion made headlines for its findings that 52 percent of them do not identify with any religion and only 37 percent believe in God.
Pastor and author James Emery White has written extensively on their spiritual circumstance. He said, “First, they are lost. They are not simply living in and being shaped by a post-Christian cultural context. They do not even have a memory of the gospel [or a gospel context]. The degree of spiritual illiteracy is simply stunning. … [Second], they are leaderless. Little if any direction is coming from their families, and even less from their attempts to access guidance from the internet.”
According to an article published in USA Today, Generation Z is the loneliest subgroup we have known in society. The article cited a 2010 BYU study that concluded, “Loneliness has the same impact on mortality as smoking 15 cigarettes a day, making it even more dangerous than obesity.”
Around 53 percent of 13-year-old American girls are unhappy with their bodies. This number grows to 78 percent by the time girls reach 17. Over 50 percent of teen girls and 30 percent of teen boys use unhealthy weight-control behaviors such as skipping meals, fasting, smoking cigarettes, vomiting, and taking laxatives.
Lastly, they have short attention spans. Some report the average attention span for Zs is about eight seconds. I would have lost them in the first three bullets we have shown here.
Seminary and institute teachers are not going to solve all of these problems overnight, but the Brethren do look to you to be well-versed, well-prepared, spiritually in tune, and significantly able to address questions on these issues when they arise and to deal with them if you have to in real time. With your midweek contact, you are more accessible to students than almost all of the other teachers in the Church are able to be, so be wise in how you do it, but be certain that the Brethren do want and expect you to help—formally and informally, in class and out—in teaching the policies, practices, and doctrines of the Church.
Stay open—stay open to the Spirit, especially. Leave some wiggle room in your lesson plan. If you need to shorten a lesson a little in order to bear your testimony and stimulate a discussion on a contemporary issue, please do so when the Spirit prompts and dictates that it is appropriate.
Of course, you must do this without stepping over your bounds into a quasi-priesthood or auxiliary leader role that is not yours to play. Walking that tightrope has been a challenge in our system from its beginning, and it always will be. It takes good judgment and the guidance of the Spirit to walk it, but it is a challenge worth accepting and the Brethren applaud you in your effort. All are needed, and the message at every level has to be clear and consistent.
“For if the trumpet give an uncertain sound, who shall prepare himself to the battle? … Seek that ye may excel to the edifying of the church.”
Obviously, with such incredible forces at work in our time, it is going to require gospel instruction so powerful that absolutely nothing can shake the faith or divert the path of our young people when they walk out of your class and reenter the world. That kind of teaching is easier said than done, but every one of us can be better. We can be more powerful teachers than we sometimes are. In approaching such a daunting task, please remember this one thing from my time with you today—remember that a student is not a container to be filled; a student is a fire to be ignited.
As teachers of the gospel, we are to be spiritual arsonists. Our lessons are to be incendiary devices. We are to be pyromaniacs, minus the “maniac” part—just “pyros.” Now, let me explain before you report me either to the Brethren or the police, okay?
I have always been impressed that in almost every significant teaching situation in the Book of Mormon, the phrase used to describe that moment is that the individual taught with “power and authority.” That is my greatest desire in my own teaching, and I hope it is in yours.
Please do not misunderstand. I am not talking about raising the decibels of your voice or about being theatrical in a presentation; I am especially not talking about false emotion. I am talking about something that is essentially, simply a matter of spirit, a spirit that will manifest in many different ways as different as you are. You have to be yourselves. You cannot be a Bruce McConkie or Boyd Packer or Russell Nelson, though we would do well to ask ourselves why those teachers affect us the way they do. Learn all you can from the great teachers (past and present), but of course, in the end, you have to teach naturally; you have to teach your way. However, whatever approach that may be, the result should be powerful, authoritative teaching.
Let me use a couple of examples recorded in the Book of Mormon. Helaman 5 marks the story of Nephi and Lehi, named for their earlier grandfathers, who had been given the charge to teach the Lamanites in the land of Zarahemla. In addition to teaching that challenging group, Nephi and Lehi also took on “the dissenters,” those apostate Nephites who had gone over and joined the Lamanites in their cause against the prophets of God. I do not know about you, but those two groups represent the kind of audience I would not particularly enjoy meeting first thing Monday morning. At this point, the Lamanites were hostile, angry, filled with determination to get retribution from those Nephites over an argument, the origin of which they had long since forgotten. And then, as if that were not enough, you get the ex-Mormons for Jesus (that is their use of the word Mormon, not mine), the local apostates who were once in the priests quorum, who in a case or two may have served faithful missions only now to have gone off the rails. They once taught for us and now they teach against us, against the kingdom of God.
Nevertheless, to those two very challenging groups the scriptures say of Nephi and Lehi, “They did preach with great power, insomuch that they did confound many of those dissenters who had gone over from the Nephites. … And it came to pass that [they] did preach unto the Lamanites [also] with such great power and authority, for they had power and authority given unto them that they might speak, and they also had what they should speak given unto them.” Now, pause with me for a moment. Pause to reflect on what a wonderful thing it would be if every teacher in the Church Educational System—or in the Church—could know those two things: how to speak and what to say when you do. That would be the true gift of tongues even if it were your native language. And as I understand it, that is explicitly the gift these two were given as they taught. They had great “power and authority given unto them that they might speak, and … what they should speak. … Therefore they did speak unto the great astonishment of the Lamanites.”
Does that word astonishment bring any kind of echo to you from an earlier account in the Book of Mormon? Consider Mosiah 27 where Alma and the sons of Mosiah “were going about rebelling against God.” There in verse 11, “The angel of the Lord appeared unto them; and he descended as it were in a cloud; and he spake as it were with a voice of thunder, which caused the earth to shake upon which they stood.”
Forgive me as I draw you into another little editorial comment almost immediately. Do you think that was really a full-blown earthquake? Do you think if you had a Richter scale planted every 40 feet that it would have been a five or a six or an eight or a nine, causing tsunamis in the great deep and the entire terrain of the earth changing on land? Well, maybe. It certainly could have been, but in this particular case with the context given, I tend to think not. I think this was one of those personal earthquakes that the Lord sends individuals, tailor made. I think the earth shook for Alma and the sons of Mosiah, but who knows if it shook for anyone else.
Surely, surely you have that experience teaching a class. Something you said struck a student so powerfully that he or she turned ashen, shed tears, or both, moved to the depths of their soul, and yet the student on the right and the student on the left does not seem to be particularly affected by it all. That happens in the mission field all the time. You know that; you have done that! A companionship is teaching a family in an apartment complex somewhere. They have an earthshaking, heart-changing lesson with a couple that lifts Apartment 106 clear off its footings, but the people next door in 105, they are blissfully watching American Idol, and the folks in 107 are trying to find the score of the Green Bay Packers/San Francisco 49er game. I do not know that a Richter-scale earthquake can be promised, geologically speaking, but I think the Lord and the scriptures always promise you personal earthquakes that change a student down to the very core of their being that the earth would tremble before their feet. But, forgive me—I digress!
Continuing with verse 12 of Mosiah 27: “So great was [the] astonishment [of Alma and the sons of Mosiah], that they fell to the earth, and understood not the words which [the angel] spake unto them. …
“ … And now Alma and those that were with him fell again to the earth, for great was their astonishment; for with their own eyes they had beheld an angel of the Lord; and his voice was as thunder, which shook the earth. …
“ … And now the astonishment of Alma was so great that he became dumb, that he could not open his mouth; yea, and he became weak, even that he could not move his hands.”
What I think about, pray for, and hope can come to the Church Educational System is truly astonishing teaching. We need to astonish those students and do it with the “power and authority of God” that is given to a teacher—professional or volunteer—who teaches the gospel of Jesus Christ boldly and honestly. Would you happen to know the root word for astonish? I have no idea what it is in reformed Egyptian or Hebrew, but in English it is taken from the root word “tonare”—meaning thunder.
Does that help you understand why after his conversion, Alma would say, “O that I were an angel, and could have the wish of mine heart, that I might go forth and speak with the trump of God, with a voice to shake the earth, and cry repentance unto every people!
“Yea, I would declare unto every soul, as with the voice of thunder, repentance and the plan of redemption, that they should repent and come unto our God, that there might not be more sorrow upon all the face of the earth.”
Well, my dear CES friends, it is pretty obvious why Alma wants angelic influence, a voice of thunder that sounds like the trump of God and shakes the earth. It is simple—what worked on him can work on others! Students flat on their backs repenting for three days, a purification so great they could not and would not ever stray from its impact, lives totally and completely devoted to building the kingdom of God forever after. Now, that is powerful teaching. We will realize, as Alma did, that we are not angels, and we will not have that impact every time we face a group of students. But the great thing about our CES callings and professions is that we have the opportunity to try to do it. We have repeated classroom settings in which we can try.
Now, back to Helaman 5. Remember that Nephi and Lehi were not angels either; they were just good, mortal teachers with a mission and a message who taught with “great power and authority.” These two saw 8,000 Lamanites “baptized unto repentance” and come into the Church of God. You remember the story. With fire coming down from heaven and the flame of the Spirit burning within, this entire gathering of “students,” if you will, had their souls ignited by the truth. In my experience, 8,000 would have been a pretty good weekly zone report from any companionship in any mission field anywhere in the world.
Would you, please, indulge me for one more moment to speak of one more teacher who not only had his soul set on fire but paid the ultimate price for his service with his body being set on fire?
From my youth upward, Abinadi has been one of my most admired prophets in our entire standard works of scripture. Abinadi comes on the scene as a virtual unknown, claiming no prophetic heritage nor revealing any famous family line. With things degenerating in Zeniff’s headstrong colony, Abinadi is called to cry repentance unto Zeniff’s son and pathetic successor, King Noah. You know the account.
Noah immediately puts out a death warrant, and Abinadi is forced to flee. After two years in hiding, Abinadi again steps forward to teach and testify. I pause here to smile at the prophet’s apparent childlike innocence in all of this. He has been in total seclusion for 24 months, now wears a disguise to give him further anonymity, and yet upon his return the first phrase out of his mouth is, “The Lord commanded me, saying—Abinadi, go and prophesy.” At this point I have to wonder about the effectiveness of the disguise, but we certainly do not wonder about his faith and determination.
Prophesying boldly against the abominations of King Noah and his court, Abinadi is arrested and eventually brought before the very tribunal that he has been condemning. Interrogated ruthlessly by this council, the mighty prophet “answered them boldly, and withstood all their questions, … and did confound them in all their words.” Then shifting from defense to offense, he begins some five and a half chapters of doctrine that rank among the most powerful given in the entire Book of Mormon. Scarcely had he begun, when Noah, guilt-ridden and detestable, calls for him to be slain.
All of that is to set the stage for a scene that is forever etched in my soul, not quite the way Arnold Friberg portrays it in his marvelous painting, but it is close enough. In any case, as a prisoner Abinadi certainly would have been in restraints, some kind of shackling current to the day. His age, we do not know. Friberg has him as an older man, but the text does not say that. I do not know how old he was. Strong physically? I do not know, but he has just come from two years of seclusion and there probably was not much food. Think of Elijah being fed by ravens. Have you ever seen a raven’s claw? I do not think those little winged fellows held many supersized orders of anything. We do not know, but perhaps Abinadi was hungry, tired, and at least a little weak physically given his circumstances.
“Away with this fellow, and slay him,” King Noah shouts, “for what have we to do with him. …
“ … And they stood forth and attempted to lay their hands on him; but he withstood them, and said unto them:
“Touch me not, for God shall smite you if ye lay your hands upon me, for I have not delivered the message which the Lord sent me to deliver. …
“ … For the Spirit of the Lord was upon him; and his face shone with exceeding luster, even as Moses’ did while in the mount of Sinai, while speaking with the Lord.
“And he spake with power and authority from God.”
“Power and authority.” There it is again. When I began to write this talk and wanted to use Abinadi, I did not remember, or maybe I did not know, that his account ended with that same phrase, that he taught with power and authority. Friends, it is one thing to read some ink on a page, but it is another thing to see in our mind’s eye and hear in our hearts as with the voice of thunder, “Touch me not, for God shall smite you if ye lay your hands upon me.” I can scarcely ever read those words without weeping. It still rings in my heart with such majesty, such courage, and monumental strength. There is no indication that he shouted. There is no indication that he moved a single muscle. Under armed guard and in restraints, he could not have moved much of anything. But apparently what he said and how he said it worked. I say “apparently” because there is no indication whatsoever that any of those guards made a single, solitary effort to remove him, nor did King Noah or any of his priests say another word for four more spellbinding chapters.
We cannot reflect on all the marvelous examples of that kind of teaching in the scriptures, but they are everywhere. I invite each of you to look for them, to reflect on them, and to ask ourselves for a portion of that gift consistent with our callings.
This kind of teaching is a demanding thing to do, and it is very elusive. If I knew how to teach that way, I would certainly be more successful at doing it. But this I do know: unless you feel passionately about something, you cannot possibly, worlds without end, ever make your students feel passionately about it. May I repeat that? Unless you feel passionately about something, you cannot possibly hope to make your students feel passionately about it. Of course, the ultimate source of that passion is what was said of Abinadi: “For the Spirit of the Lord was upon him; and his face shone with exceeding luster.”
If the Spirit is the key to astonishing teaching—and it is—there is great risk in speaking from old notes or using one of your fellow teacher’s examples, or droning on with a rendition of one of the talks from general conference. Those are all good in their place and spectacular when they were given originally, so certainly use anything you can at anytime to bring life and variety to your teaching. But what will matter most will be how you feel when you say the words. Nothing is going to be a substitute for that. “O that I were an angel … that I might … speak … with a voice to shake the earth!” Remember, a student is not a container to be filled. A student is a fire to be ignited. And if we do that really well, we might be worthy one day to meet those who were burned at the stake precisely for just such an ability to put flint to steel and get flame. Please, go out there, you angels of glory all over this globe—mindful of the audience to whom we are speaking—please go and astonish your students. I testify of the divinity of this work. I testify of the divinity of your calling. My beloved brothers and sisters, this is the work of Almighty God. I have not given my life to a fairy tale. I have not given my life, nor have you, to what Peter said we would be accused of doing, that is pursuing a falsehood, pursuing a yarn, pursuing a cunningly cultivated untruth. This is the truth. It is not a cunningly devised fable. I have given my life, you are giving yours, the best people I know have given and are giving theirs. This is the truth of the Almighty God, and may He bless you forever in your teaching of it. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.
We Must Raise Our Sights
We Must Raise Our Sights
Henry B. Eyring
Address delivered on 14 August 2001 at a Church Educational System religious educators’ conference at Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah.
"As parents, teachers, leaders, and friends, our goal must be for youth to become truly converted to the restored gospel of Jesus Christ."
The world in which young people live is changing rapidly. When their older brothers and sisters return to visit the same schools and campuses they attended, they find a radically different moral climate. The language in the hallways and the locker rooms has coarsened. Clothing is less modest. Pornography has moved into the open. Not only has tolerance for wickedness increased, but much of what was called wrong is no longer condemned at all and may, even by our Latter-day Saint youth, be admired. Parents and leaders have in many cases bent to the pressures coming from a shifting world to retreat from moral standards once widely accepted.
The spiritual strength sufficient for our youth to stand firm just a few years ago will soon not be enough. Many of them are remarkable in their spiritual maturity and in their faith. But even the best of them are sorely tested. And the testing will become more severe.
The youth are responsible for their own choices. But as faithful parents, teachers, leaders, and friends, we shore up the faith of young people. And we must raise our sights.
The place to begin is with our aim, our vision of what we seek in the lives of our young people. As teachers, we have always sought to inspire the young people in our classes. As parents and leaders, we have always had a goal that they will qualify for the mission field and for temple marriage and then remain faithful. Those are lofty, difficult goals, but we must raise our sights.
Too many of our young people want the blessings of a mission and the temple and yet fail to meet the qualifications to claim them. For many of our youth, next year is a long way away, and beyond a year looks like forever. To them, missions and the temple are far distant, in some future time when the joys of youth have flown away. Those goals are distant enough that too many, far too many, say to themselves: “Well, I know I may have to repent someday, and I know that a mission and temple marriage will require big changes, but I can always take care of that when the time comes. I have a testimony. I know the scriptures. I know what it takes to repent. I’ll see the bishop when it’s time, and I’ll make the changes later. I’m only young once. For now, I’ll go with the flow.”
Well, the flow has become a flood and soon will be a torrent. It will become a torrent of sounds and sights and sensations that invite temptation and offend the Spirit of God. Swimming back upstream to purity against the tides of the world was never easy. It is getting harder and may soon be frighteningly difficult.
The Pure Gospel Changes Lives
The pure gospel of Jesus Christ must go down into the hearts of young people by the power of the Holy Ghost. It will not be enough for them to have had a spiritual witness of the truth and to want good things later. It will not be enough for them to hope for some future cleansing and strengthening. Our aim must be for them to become truly converted to the restored gospel of Jesus Christ while they are young.
Then they will have gained a strength from what they are, not only from what they know. They will become disciples of Christ. They will be His spiritual children who always remember Him with gratitude and in faith. They will then have the Holy Ghost as a constant companion. Their hearts will be turned outward, concerned for the temporal and spiritual welfare of others. They will walk humbly. They will feel cleansed, and they will look on evil with abhorrence.
The Book of Mormon describes such a change and testifies that it is possible. The accounts are found everywhere in the book. One evidence is the experience of the people of King Benjamin, the master teacher:
“And now, it came to pass that when king Benjamin had thus spoken to his people, he sent among them, desiring to know of his people if they believed the words which he had spoken unto them.
“And they all cried with one voice, saying: Yea, we believe all the words which thou hast spoken unto us; and also, we know of their surety and truth, because of the Spirit of the Lord Omnipotent, which has wrought a mighty change in us, or in our hearts, that we have no more disposition to do evil, but to do good continually.
“And we, ourselves, also, through the infinite goodness of God, and the manifestations of his Spirit, have great views of that which is to come; and were it expedient, we could prophesy of all things.
“And it is the faith which we have had on the things which our king has spoken unto us that has brought us to this great knowledge, whereby we do rejoice with such exceedingly great joy.
“And we are willing to enter into a covenant with our God to do his will, and to be obedient to his commandments in all things that he shall command us, all the remainder of our days, that we may not bring upon ourselves a never-ending torment, as has been spoken by the angel, that we may not drink out of the cup of the wrath of God.
“And now, these are the words which king Benjamin desired of them; and therefore he said unto them: Ye have spoken the words that I desired; and the covenant which ye have made is a righteous covenant.
“And now, because of the covenant which ye have made ye shall be called the children of Christ, his sons, and his daughters; for behold, this day he hath spiritually begotten you; for ye say that your hearts are changed through faith on his name; therefore, ye are born of him and have become his sons and his daughters” (Mosiah 5:1–7).
That mighty change is reported time after time in the Book of Mormon. The way it is wrought and what the person becomes are always the same. The words of God in pure doctrine go down deep into the heart by the power of the Holy Ghost. The person pleads with God in faith. The repentant heart is broken and the spirit contrite. Sacred covenants have been made. Then God keeps His covenant to grant a new heart and a new life, in His time.
Teach in a Simple Way
Whether the miracle comes in a moment or over years, as is far more common, it is the doctrine of Jesus Christ that drives the change. We sometimes underestimate the power that pure doctrine has to penetrate the hearts of people. Why did so many respond to the words of the missionaries when the Church was so young, so small, and seemingly so strange? What did Elders Brigham Young and John Taylor and Heber C. Kimball preach in the streets and on the hills of England? They taught that the Lord had opened a new dispensation, that He had given us a prophet of God, that the priesthood was restored, that the Book of Mormon was the word of God, and that we had a glorious new day. They taught that the pure gospel of Jesus Christ had been restored.
That pure doctrine went down into the hearts then, as it will now, because the people were starved and the doctrine was taught simply. The people of England, and our young people, were seen long before by a prophet of God named Amos:
“Behold, the days come, saith the Lord God, that I will send a famine in the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the Lord:
“And they shall wander from sea to sea, and from the north even to the east, they shall run to and fro to seek the word of the Lord, and shall not find it.
“In that day shall the fair virgins and young men faint for thirst” (Amos 8:11–13).
Most of those early converts in England had known they were hungry for the true word of God. Our young people may not know that they are fainting from famine, but the words of God will slake a thirst they did not know they had, and the Holy Ghost will take it down into their hearts. If we make the doctrine simple and clear, and if we teach out of our own changed hearts, the change for them will come as surely as it did for Enos. Listen to his account, so similar to the others:
“Behold, it came to pass that I, Enos, knowing my father that he was a just man—for he taught me in his language, and also in the nurture and admonition of the Lord—and blessed be the name of my God for it—
“And I will tell you of the wrestle which I had before God, before I received a remission of my sins.
“Behold, I went to hunt beasts in the forests; and the words which I had often heard my father speak concerning eternal life, and the joy of the saints, sunk deep into my heart.
“And my soul hungered; and I kneeled down before my Maker, and I cried unto him in mighty prayer and supplication for mine own soul; and all the day long did I cry unto him; yea, and when the night came I did still raise my voice high that it reached the heavens” (Enos 1:1–4).
And then the miracle came:
“And there came a voice unto me, saying: Enos, thy sins are forgiven thee, and thou shalt be blessed.
“And I, Enos, knew that God could not lie; wherefore, my guilt was swept away.
“And I said: Lord, how is it done?
“And he said unto me: Because of thy faith in Christ, whom thou hast never before heard nor seen. And many years pass away before he shall manifest himself in the flesh; wherefore, go to, thy faith hath made thee whole” (Enos 1:5–8).
Then Enos describes the first effects:
“Now, it came to pass that when I had heard these words I began to feel a desire for the welfare of my brethren, the Nephites; wherefore, I did pour out my whole soul unto God for them” (Enos 1:9).
He ends with a description of the lasting effects:
“And it came to pass that I began to be old, and an hundred and seventy and nine years had passed away from the time that our father Lehi left Jerusalem.
“And I saw that I must soon go down to my grave, having been wrought upon by the power of God that I must preach and prophesy unto this people, and declare the word according to the truth which is in Christ. And I have declared it in all my days, and have rejoiced in it above that of the world.
“And I soon go to the place of my rest, which is with my Redeemer; for I know that in him I shall rest. And I rejoice in the day when my mortal shall put on immortality, and shall stand before him; then shall I see his face with pleasure, and he will say unto me: Come unto me, ye blessed, there is a place prepared for you in the mansions of my Father. Amen” (Enos 1:25–27).
What we seek for our young people is this kind of change Enos experienced. We must be humble about our part in it. True conversion depends on seeking freely in faith, with great effort and some pain. Then it is the Lord who can grant, in His time, the miracle of cleansing and change. Each person starts from a different place, with a different set of experiences, and so a different need for cleansing and for change. The Lord knows that place, and so only He can set the course.
But for all of our youth, we can play a vital part. Enos remembered the words of eternal life that he had been taught. So did Nephi, and so did the people of King Benjamin. The words had been placed in memory in such a way that the Holy Ghost could take them deep into the heart. Our charge is to place those words so that when the young person chooses and pleads, the Holy Ghost can confirm them in the heart and the miracle can begin.
Teach in Plainness
Much of the power of the Book of Mormon is that it presents the pure doctrine so plainly. For instance, as if He were speaking to us, the Lord through prophets gave us these words in 2 Nephi:
“And now, behold, my beloved brethren, this is the way; and there is none other way nor name given under heaven whereby man can be saved in the kingdom of God. And now, behold, this is the doctrine of Christ, and the only and true doctrine of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, which is one God, without end. Amen” (2 Ne. 31:21).
And the Lord repeats Himself, as if we might misunderstand:
“And this is my doctrine, and it is the doctrine which the Father hath given unto me; and I bear record of the Father, and the Father beareth record of me, and the Holy Ghost beareth record of the Father and me; and I bear record that the Father commandeth all men, everywhere, to repent and believe in me.
“And whoso believeth in me, and is baptized, the same shall be saved; and they are they who shall inherit the kingdom of God.
“And whoso believeth not in me, and is not baptized, shall be damned.
“Verily, verily, I say unto you, that this is my doctrine, and I bear record of it from the Father; and whoso believeth in me believeth in the Father also; and unto him will the Father bear record of me, for he will visit him with fire and with the Holy Ghost” (3 Ne. 11:32–35).
And He goes on to say it yet again:
“Verily, verily, I say unto you, that this is my doctrine, and whoso buildeth upon this buildeth upon my rock, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against them.
“And whoso shall declare more or less than this, and establish it for my doctrine, the same cometh of evil, and is not built upon my rock; but he buildeth upon a sandy foundation, and the gates of hell stand open to receive such when the floods come and the winds beat upon them.
“Therefore, go forth unto this people, and declare the words which I have spoken, unto the ends of the earth” (3 Ne. 11:39–41).
A Higher Vision
We can raise our sights by adding greater faith that the change promised by the Lord will come to our youth and that more of them will make the choices that lead to true conversion. The Lord always keeps His promises. We can exercise our faith that He will keep His word for our young people and for ourselves.
As a witness of Jesus Christ, I testify that the promises are true. Our Heavenly Father lives. Jesus is the Christ. By having faith in Him and keeping His commandments, we and our young people can have eternal life. I know that the word of God can be carried into the hearts of men and women by the power of the Holy Ghost. And I know that the blessing the Lord has given so freely since the world began, of a new heart, unspotted and filled with His pure love, is still offered in His true Church. I testify that He invites all to become His true disciples, His sons and His daughters.
There is great safety as the young people of the Church accept the gospel into their lives. There will be safety even in the times of great difficulty that are coming. There is a protection that they will have—because of the mighty change that has come in their hearts. They will choose righteousness and find that they have no more desire to do evil. That change will come. It will not come in an instant; it will come over time. And there will be a fortification created by the gospel of Jesus Christ through your faith and through your great efforts.
The Dangers of Priestcraft
The Dangers of Priestcraft
Paul V. Johnson
CES Conference on the Doctrine and Covenants and Church History 2002, 12 August 2002
I want to focus today on some safety training.
Before I went into the mission field, I worked in a manufacturing plant welding farm equipment. They taught us safety in the plant and around the machinery. There were certain safety standards and practices that were observed, which even included what type of footwear we had to use.
I have been in a few mines as a visitor. It is interesting that even visitors receive safety training and are equipped with safety equipment before entering the mine. Modern mines have devices to monitor air quality so that if there is a problem, the miners have some warning and can quickly leave the mine. Before modern monitoring systems were developed, miners used to take canaries down into the mines with them. Canaries are more susceptible to the poisonous gases and would be asphyxiated before the miners were affected. If the canary died, the miners knew to get out of there. It was a type of early warning system.
The goal for safety training in manufacturing and mining and other industries is to eliminate dangerous situations, cut down on accidents, and save lives. I have never really thought of Church education as being a dangerous profession, at least in regard to physical accidents. We do, however, have spiritual dangers.
When Jeffrey R. Holland was the Commissioner of Education, he gave us a message in which he referred to the care employers in industries take for the safety of their employees:
“Our own occupation has unique hazards, if I may call them that; and our employers have some of that same loving concern. I hope that these rather constant reminders that we put before you are not seen as any lack of faith or trust. They are clearly not that. They are, like the signs on the shack where the blasting powder is kept, a reminder. They are always there—for our good—and I suppose they must always be there” (“Pitfalls and Powder Sheds,” The Growing Edge, Nov. 1978, 1).
There are several occupational hazards we face. Some are not specific to our occupation but can affect our employment. For example, failing to keep current on financial obligations can lead to loss of employment in CES.
There are many divorces and marital problems in the world today. In most occupations an employee’s marriage and home life wouldn’t make any difference in whether the employee could keep a job. But because of the importance the Board of Education places on having good role models in the classroom, it does make a difference in CES.
Another hazard could be failing to maintain proper relationships with students. Every year we lose people because they are not careful and haven’t followed counsel. This has been talked about many times, so I won’t spend any time on it today. Just once more, please be careful in your conduct with your students.
Another challenge we have is to maintain doctrinal purity. Commenting on this hazard, Jeffrey R. Holland said:
“Brethren and sisters, please be cautious and restrained and totally orthodox in all matters of Church doctrine. This is, as you might suppose, of great concern to the Brethren, our employers in this great work. And while they love us and help and trust us individually and collectively—and they do—they cannot fail to respond to some anxiety expressed by a member of the Church who feels that some inappropriate doctrinal or historical position has been taken in the classroom. It is in light of this rather constant danger always before us … that I give you these cautions and reminders. …
“With this appropriate restraint, what we then teach must be in harmony with the prophets and the holy scriptures. We are not called upon to teach exotic, titillating, or self-serving doctrines. Surely we have our educational hands full effectively communicating the most basic and fundamental principles of salvation. … Continue to study for the rest of your life, but use caution and limit your classroom instruction to what the Brethren prescribe. Listen carefully and see what they choose to teach at general conference—and they are ordained” (“Pitfalls,” 1).
There is another concern we are facing. We are now getting Internet access on our computers at our seminaries, institutes of religion, and administrative sites. Brothers and sisters, as we open this door, we need to be very careful. The Church, not just CES, has a zero-tolerance policy on pornography and Internet use with Church equipment. You can lose your job in one day. And we just hate to see that happen and hope that you understand how serious this is. As a matter of fact, the filtering system that is used at the present time can generate reports that include every Internet site visited from every CES computer. We hope that you will be very careful. In the future, if you display a personal addiction or pattern of pornography use, whether it involves CES equipment or not, it will result in the loss of your job. This great plague is rampant in the world, but we can’t have it in our ranks. We must have the Spirit when we teach these precious youth. The prophets have warned us of this evil, and we must be examples of cleanliness in this area.
The Dangers of Priestcraft
There are a number of other hazards that may be unique to our type of occupation, but I would like to focus on only one of these today. It is the danger of priestcraft. I don’t know how much time we have spent in the past on training in this area—not much under that title. There are particular pitfalls with priestcrafts to which we as paid professionals are most susceptible. If we are aware of the dangers, we can more easily avoid them.
What are priestcrafts? Nephi gives us a very succinct and helpful definition:
“He commandeth that there shall be no priestcrafts; for, behold, priestcrafts are that men preach and set themselves up for a light unto the world, that they may get gain and praise of the world; but they seek not the welfare of Zion” (2 Nephi 26:29).
Nephi explained that they “set themselves up for a light unto the world” in order to “get gain” or to get “praise” and they do not “seek … the welfare of Zion.” There are various manifestations of priestcraft, including setting up churches or even becoming anti-Christs, as we see in the Book of Mormon. But let’s focus on manifestations that we are more likely to see in our profession as CES educators. These are probably a lot more subtle than cases like Nehor or Korihor, but they still fit under the definition of priestcraft as given by Nephi, and they will damage the work. They will damage our students. They will damage us.
Getting Gain
From Nephi’s definition we see that setting oneself as a light seems to be central to the problem of priestcraft. The reasons for setting oneself up as a light include getting gain and praise. Let’s look a little bit closer at each of these areas. A few weeks ago, I had a conversation with a man who said he had a brother who taught in CES for a few years and then left the system. He could never reconcile in his mind that he was teaching the gospel for money. This man asked me how I reconcile it in my mind. It is a great question. How do we reconcile that? Most of us have probably contemplated it, probably before we were hired and I suspect many times since then.
Elder Spencer W. Kimball, who was then a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, gave the best explanation I have heard:
“I want our youth never to be taught by mercenaries. Should any of you be teaching in this program merely as an occupation, almost wholly for the compensation, then I hope you will be assigned to one of the other areas. But if your salary is incidental and your grand and magnificent obsession is our children and their growth and development, then I hope you will be teaching in New York and Michigan and Wisconsin and Utah where my loved children are” (“What I Hope You Will Teach My Grandchildren and All Others of the Youth of Zion,” address to religious educators, Brigham Young University, 11 July 1966, 8).
That is a great key for us. Where is our heart? If it is for the welfare of Zion and its youth, I think we are in good shape.
The desire to get gain can be manifest in our regular duties and our salary. It can also be manifest with outside related interests such as publishing or continuing education. I ask a question: Can a person receive a salary in CES and not be involved in priestcraft? Yes, definitely. Can a person publish, get pay for continuing education, or take advantage of other opportunities and not be involved in priestcraft? Yes, they can. It is a matter of the heart. What is the motivation? What President Kimball said is a key in this area. When our hearts are set on money, it clouds our view and leads to bad decisions.
Praise of the World
Besides getting gain, Nephi tells us that people set themselves as a light for the praise of the world. Some teachers have a strong desire for praise. In order to obtain that praise, they might begin to set themselves up as a light. When people look to them as a light, they are willing to give the praise they desire. This may increase their desire for more praise, and the cycle continues. It becomes dangerous because it can lead to teachers changing the doctrine or teaching things that shouldn’t be taught or using teaching methods that shouldn’t be used in order to appear as a light.
In 1987 Elder Marvin J. Ashton of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles said:
“Be careful, be aware, be wise when people speak well of you. When people treat you with great respect and love, be careful, be aware, be wise. When you are honored, pointed out, and recognized, it can be a cross, especially if you believe what is said about you. …
“Praise of the world can be a heavy cross. How often I have heard it said over the years, ‘He was great until he became successful, and then he couldn’t handle it.’ I’m not talking about money and position. I’m talking about recognition, even in Church responsibilities. …
“I would pray that we would avoid being carried away by praise, success, or even achieving goals that we have set for ourselves” (“Carry Your Cross,” Brigham Young University 1986–87 Devotional and Fireside Speeches [1987], 141).
We are in an occupation that many times brings praise and adulation. It can come from students, from parents, priesthood leaders, from other teachers, and even from the Brethren. But as Elder Ashton said, we need to be careful, aware, and wise.
The First Presidency in a letter to stake presidents and bishops in 1952 referred to the harmful effect notoriety can have on new converts: “Too much attention and commendation frequently have a tendency to dull the edge of the faith and works that carry us to the exaltation we all seek” (30 June 1952, 4).
I think the principle applies to anyone who receives too much attention and commendation. In our endeavor, we can receive a lot of commendation and a lot of praise. If that becomes our goal or if we become intoxicated by it, we begin to set ourselves up as a light.
The Words of the Brethren
The Brethren through the years have addressed the danger of setting ourselves up as a light. Let’s review a few of their comments. In 1992 Elder Dallin H. Oaks said:
“Another illustration of a strength that can become our downfall concerns the charismatic teacher. With a trained mind and a skillful manner of presentation, a teacher can become unusually popular and effective in teaching. But Satan will try to use that strength to corrupt the teacher by encouraging him or her to gather a following of disciples. A Church or Church education teacher or LDS university professor who gathers such a following and does this ‘for the sake of riches and honor’ (Alma 1:16) is guilty of priestcraft.
“‘Priestcrafts are that men preach and set themselves up for a light unto the world, that they may get gain and praise of the world; but they seek not the welfare of Zion’ (2 Nephi 26:29).
“Teachers who are most popular—and therefore most effective—have a special susceptibility to this form of priestcraft. If they are not careful, their strength can become their spiritual downfall. They can become like Almon Babbitt, with whom the Lord was not well pleased because, as the revelation states,
“‘He aspireth to establish his counsel instead of the counsel which I have ordained, even that of the Presidency of my Church; and he setteth up a golden calf for the worship of my people’ (D&C 124:84)” (“Our Strengths Can Become Our Downfall,” Brigham Young University 1991–92 Devotional and Fireside Speeches [1992], 111).
In 1989 in the Assembly Hall, President Howard W. Hunter, who was then President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, addressed us at our annual Evening with a General Authority. He said:
“Let me give a word of caution to you. I am sure you recognize the potential danger of being so influential and so persuasive that your students build an allegiance to you rather than to the gospel. Now that is a wonderful problem to have to wrestle with, and we would only hope that all of you are such charismatic teachers. But there is a genuine danger here. That is why you have to invite your students into the scriptures themselves, not just give them your interpretation and presentation of them. That is why you must invite your students to feel the Spirit of the Lord, not just give them your personal reflection of that. That is why, ultimately, you must invite your students directly to Christ, not just to one who teaches his doctrines, however ably. You will not always be available to these students. You cannot hold their hands after they have left high school or college. And you do not need personal disciples. …
“… Please make sure the loyalty of these students is to the scriptures and the Lord and the doctrines of the restored Church. Point them toward God the Father and his Only Begotten Son, Jesus Christ, and toward the leadership of the true Church. Make certain that when the glamour and charisma of your personality and lectures and classroom environment are gone that they are not left empty-handed to face the world. Give them the gifts that will carry them through when they have to stand alone. When you do this, the entire Church is blessed for generations to come. …
“Let me offer a word of caution on [the subject of teaching with the Spirit]. I think if we are not careful as professional teachers working in the classroom every day, we may begin to try to counterfeit the true influence of the Spirit of the Lord by unworthy and manipulative means. I get concerned when it appears that strong emotion or free-flowing tears are equated with the presence of the Spirit. Certainly the Spirit of the Lord can bring strong emotional feelings, including tears, but that outward manifestation ought not to be confused with the presence of the Spirit itself” (Eternal Investments, address to religious educators, 10 Feb. 1989, 2–3).
In our Evening with a General Authority last February, Elder Robert D. Hales spoke to us. You will remember his words:
“Each of you who teach seminary and institute has the desire of the heart to be an angel. This is good, but it is a great temptation to play the part of the Pied Piper and to figure that you’re going to gather them all around you and love them into a testimony; or to feel that if you can become very popular, you can lead and be the role model and make a difference in the lives of your students. …
“There is nothing more dangerous than when a student turns his or her love and attention to the teacher the same way a convert sometimes does to a missionary rather than to the Lord. And then if the teacher or missionary leaves or conducts his life contrary to the teachings of the gospel, the student is devastated. His testimony falters. His faith is destroyed. The really great teacher is careful to have the students turn themselves to the Lord.
“Once we have touched the lives of the youth, we have to turn them to God the Father and His Son, our Redeemer and Savior Jesus Christ, through prayer, study, and the application in their lives of the gospel principles” (Teaching by Faith, address to religious educators, 1 Feb. 2002, 7).
In April conference of 1997, Elder Henry B. Eyring said: “One of the ways we may know that the warning is from the Lord is that the law of witnesses, authorized witnesses, has been invoked. When the words of prophets seem repetitive, that should rivet our attention and fill our hearts with gratitude to live in such a blessed time” (in Conference Report, Apr. 1997, 32; or Ensign, May 1997, 25). We have just reviewed one of those repeated warnings from the Brethren given specifically to us.
Recognizing the Signs
One of the challenges in recognizing and avoiding priestcraft is that it is a matter of the heart. It is like pride. In fact, pride is the root of the problem. If there is an accident in a manufacturing plant, usually there are visible signs, such as blood or hysteria. Most people immediately recognize that there has been an accident. But it is not that way with injuries of the heart. We need to be more sensitive in order to recognize the early signs of spiritual problems.
These signs may be a little like the canaries they used to take into the mines. If you were mining and saw that the canary looked really woozy, I guess you could take two approaches. One would be to leave immediately. The other would be to assume the canary had the flu. That second approach could be fatal to a miner. The same type of approach in our occupation could also be dangerous.
It might be useful to think about the following symptoms and review our own behaviors and what happens in our classrooms. These symptoms wouldn’t be conclusive proof—they are just symptoms. But it could be that the canary really has more than just the flu.
In relation to gathering a following, one of the symptoms is that we base our self-worth on praise from others for our lessons or talks. As I noted before, this is dangerous ground to be on because the accolades become the touchstone and then we can compromise ourselves in what we teach or how we teach it so that we can get more accolades.
Another symptom is that we feel there would be a huge hole in CES if they changed our assignment; we feel a little irreplaceable. Even if this were true, it might be better to allow those who make the changes to worry about that. If you really are irreplaceable, I’ll bet they know about it already.
Sometimes our students may get to the point where they refuse to take seminary or institute unless they can get one particular teacher.
Sometimes the numbers in some teachers’ classes are unbalanced with the rest of the faculty. We can even get focused on the competition of having more students than the other teachers in the building.
Sometimes a teacher may actually get a following of other teachers in a faculty or in an area. People might even have a stronger allegiance to that teacher than to their appointed leaders.
There may be an unusual number of demands to speak or teach different groups.
I’m sure there are other symptoms of a teacher gathering a following that you might want to ponder.
Let’s consider some symptoms of setting ourselves up as a light in the area of knowledge or scholarship.
Perhaps some of us feel we teach a deeper doctrine—more pure and plain than is found in any curriculum or than any of the other teachers teach.
Maybe we have special sources that others don’t generally have access to or we have some special study regimen that we feel puts us above the others.
What if we feel that CES or the Church are not emphasizing a certain doctrine enough, or even that they misunderstand it. In fact, there have been a few who feel the Brethren don’t understand a particular doctrine clearly. When it gets to that point, the canary has dropped over and is not breathing anymore.
Some of us have gospel hobbies that are taught in all of our classes, no matter what course we are teaching.
We may feel as if we have to know the answer to every question. We are embarrassed if a student asks us a question and we don’t know the answer.
We might look to certain General Authorities or CES teachers as the ones with the pure gospel, and discount or put down other General Authorities or other teachers.
We might teach our own philosophies about the doctrines.
There might be questions that have arisen from parents or priesthood or CES leaders about some of the things we have been teaching in our classes.
We might teach our own opinion strongly and try forcefully to sway the students to side with us.
Another symptom, not directly related to the CES classroom, is establishing ourselves as the expert in our own wards and stakes in gospel matters. If there is ever a difficult question in gospel doctrine class, do most of the people look to us for the answer? We may be subtly setting ourselves up as a light.
Do we feel frustrated with others because they don’t seem to understand the gospel as well as we do? In the Book of Mormon there was a time when “the people began to be distinguished by ranks, according to their riches and their chances for learning” (3 Nephi 6:12). We, as religious educators, probably have greater chances for learning the gospel than anyone in the world. Our employment includes studying and teaching the gospel. We need to be careful not to look down on others who don’t have the same opportunity.
Sometimes inservice presentations can become an unspoken competition about who has done the most in-depth research and come up with points that no one has heard before.
Sometimes we promote an “insight addiction syndrome,” in which the students just have to come to our class because we have the true insights into the gospel. One of the dangers with that, whether they are emotional insights or scholarly insights, is that the insight becomes an end in itself. It doesn’t necessarily translate into living the gospel.
We may become a so-called expert in a certain area of the gospel and may chafe at the policy of teaching different courses in institute.
We can get so focused on publishing or other scholarship that our own pursuit of knowledge takes priority over the students and over our teaching.
Now let’s take a look at a few symptoms where we may be setting ourselves up as a light in an emotional or spiritual sense.
We may become dependent on finding strongly emotional stories to use in our classes, or we may use stories that focus unduly on ourselves and on our personal lives.
We may stretch stories so that they are not totally true.
We may be very free with how often we tell the students the Spirit “told me to do” something. Or as President Hunter mentioned, we may manipulate emotions and label it as the Spirit.
We may become too involved with personal counseling with students.
The Results
So if there are priestcrafts in our system, what are the results? I think the great danger is that we don’t have power in our teaching. Or our teaching may be powerful, but it may not be the power of God (see D&C 50:13–23). Maybe it is emotionally powerful, or scholastically powerful, but it doesn’t help with the lasting changes that need to happen in a student’s life. And as you know, the Brethren have asked us to take a hard look at how we can get the scriptures and gospel knowledge from the head to the heart so that our students will do the right things in their lives.
We can also teach a wrong message if we are involved in priestcraft. The students might worship the teachers but not get the true connections with the gospel doctrine. It is like a father who forcefully teaches his children about honesty but cheats on his taxes. The words are there, but the power isn’t there. A student may not realize exactly what is going on, but something doesn’t click. It doesn’t click because the Spirit isn’t there like it could be there.
What if teachers can remain free of priestcraft? Well, then we have a powerful situation. They can teach the doctrine and the gospel simply and unadorned, and they can teach with the Spirit. In fact, if we can’t teach with the Spirit, we can’t accomplish what we have been asked to do. The only way to learn spiritual things is by the Spirit. It is the only way our students can have the power to live the gospel in these latter days.
If our teachers are free of priestcraft, the students will love them, but they won’t be dependent on them. They will love you, and they will be grateful for what you taught them, but they will be turned to the Lord. They will be turned to their parents and their priesthood leaders. There will be miracles in the lives of the students, and we will be able to witness them. We can do it.
Priestcraft is an occupational hazard. It can affect us, but it doesn’t have to if we are careful and humble. We can do the right things. We can have powerful classrooms because we have great people—you. You have great attitudes. You work hard. You have allowed the Lord to be a powerful influence on so many. I am grateful for the teachers I have had in Church education.
Recently I was involved in a question and answer session with some employees. One person made a comment to the effect that sometimes it seems the administration uses a shotgun when it should use a rifle. In other words, we may have a concern with a few people and instead of talking directly to those few people we take a shotgun to everyone in the system. Please know I intentionally wanted to talk with all our full-time employees about this topic. It is aimed at all of us. It is for me, for the zone administrators, and for every teacher in the system. It would be a mistake to make a little list in your mind of people you hope are listening very carefully to this message. Each of us faces this particular occupational hazard.
Since priestcraft is a matter of the heart, it is best battled and eradicated at a personal level. It is so much better to be self-regulating in these matters before they cause concern for priesthood leaders and supervisors. It is a matter that we must watch closely in our lives. It has a tendency to creep in if we are not diligent.
As we regularly reflect upon the dangers associated with our profession, we must continually think of the students. To quote Elder Holland once again:
“For your sake and theirs, go carefully and modestly and cautiously amidst the hazards. We thank you for letting us nail this sign to the wall of the powder shed one more time. We will undoubtedly do it again for your safety and ours” (“Pitfalls,” 1).
In Conclusion
I want to conclude with a scripture from the New Testament. The Apostle Paul is reviewing with the Thessalonians how he taught them the gospel. I think this is a beautiful example of a teacher who is not infected with priestcraft. As we read through this, I would like you to notice what Paul did, what he didn’t do (especially in light of the priestcraft concept), why he did it, and what the results were.
“For our exhortation was not of deceit, nor of uncleanness, nor in guile:
“But as we were allowed of God to be put in trust with the gospel, even so we speak; not as pleasing men, but God, which trieth our hearts.
“For neither at any time used we flattering words, as ye know, nor a cloke of covetousness; God is witness:
“Nor of men sought we glory, neither of you, nor yet of others, when we might have been burdensome, as the apostles of Christ.
“But we were gentle among you, even as a nurse cherisheth her children:
“So being affectionately desirous of you, we were willing to have imparted unto you, not the gospel of God only, but also our own souls, because ye were dear unto us.
“For ye remember, brethren, our labour and travail: for labouring night and day, because we would not be chargeable unto any of you, we preached unto you the gospel of God.
“Ye are witnesses, and God also, how holily and justly and unblameably we behaved ourselves among you that believe:
“As ye know how we exhorted and comforted and charged every one of you, as a father doth his children,
“That ye would walk worthy of God, who hath called you unto his kingdom and glory.
“For this cause also thank we God without ceasing, because, when ye received the word of God which ye heard of us, ye received it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which effectually worketh also in you that believe” (1 Thessalonians 2:3–13).
I know the gospel is true. I know that we are involved in a very important work. I know that it is crucial that we keep our lives pure, so that we can teach the youth of the Church and they can have the truths of the gospel witnessed to their souls through the power of the Spirit.
I know that President [Gordon B.] Hinckley is a prophet and that the scriptures are the word of God. It is a great privilege we have to teach from the scriptures and the words of the prophets. I pray for you good teachers. I express my gratitude for all you do. I am grateful for you spouses, too. I am grateful for my wife, Jill, and am so glad to have her with me. I say this in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.
By Study and by Faith
By Study and by Faith
Elder M. Russell Ballard
May you find the joy and the peace that come from knowing that through your teaching, you have touched a life and lifted one of Heavenly Father’s children on the journey back to His presence.
In a General Authority training meeting, President Gordon B. Hinckley (1910–2008) said regarding the teaching of Church doctrine: “We cannot be too careful. We must watch that we do not get off [course]. In our efforts to be original and fresh and different, we may teach things which may not be entirely in harmony with the basic doctrines of this the restored Church of Jesus Christ. … We had better be more alert. … We must be watchmen on the tower.”
As Church education moves forward in the 21st century, our educators need to consider any changes they should make in the way they prepare to teach, how they teach, and what they teach if they are to build unwavering faith in the lives of our precious youth.
Gone are the days when a student asked an honest question and a teacher responded, “Don’t worry about it!” Gone are the days when a student raised a sincere concern and a teacher bore his or her testimony as a response intended to avoid the issue. Gone are the days when students were protected from people who attacked the Church.
Fortunately, the Lord has provided this timely and timeless counsel to teachers: “And as all have not faith, seek ye diligently and teach one another words of wisdom; yea, seek ye out of the best books words of wisdom; seek learning, even by study and also by faith” (D&C 88:118).
This is especially applicable today because not all of our students have the faith necessary to face the challenges ahead and because many of them are already exposed through the internet to corrosive forces of an increasingly secular world that is hostile to faith, family, and gospel standards. The internet is expanding its reach across the world into almost every home and into the hands and minds of our students.
You can help students by teaching them what it means to combine study and faith as they learn. Teach them by modeling this skill and approach in class.
President Harold B. Lee (1899–1973) observed:
“We would remind you that the acquiring of knowledge by faith is no easy road to learning. It demands strenuous effort and a continual striving by faith. …
“Learning by faith is no task for a lazy man [or woman]. Someone has said, in effect, that such a process requires the bending of the whole soul, the calling up from the depths of the human mind and linking it with God—the right connection must be formed. Then only comes ‘knowledge by faith.’”
Knowledge by faith will produce a pure testimony, and a pure testimony has the power to change lives, as illustrated in the following brief stories.
Three Stories
Phoebe Carter left her home in Maine, USA, to gather with the Saints in Ohio in the 1830s. She recalled: “My friends marveled at my course, as did I, but something within impelled me on. My mother’s grief at my leaving home was almost more than I could bear; and had it not been for the spirit within I should have faltered at the last.”
Phoebe followed the Prophet Joseph Smith and gathered with the Saints in Ohio and later in Utah, where she died a faithful Latter-day Saint and equally yoked as the wife of Church President Wilford Woodruff (1807–98).
As a college student, Marion G. Romney (1897–1988) had decided he could not serve a mission because of his family’s financial situation. On one occasion, however, he heard Elder Melvin J. Ballard (1873–1939) speak. A biography notes, “Little did [Marion] know that the course of his life, in one very short moment, was about to be completely changed.”
The story continues: “For the first time Marion … fully understood what it was [like] to be under the influence of inspiration. A piercing, tingling sensation filled his soul. He … never had been so touched as he was now, listening to the words of this newest of the Apostles. …
“… The glow of the Apostle’s countenance and the sincerity of [his] testimony filled him with an irresistible desire to go on a mission. … He knew that his plans for further education must be postponed.”
Soon, Marion was on his way to Australia, where he served faithfully. Later he became a mighty Apostle and a member of the First Presidency.
The final story comes from President Boyd K. Packer (1924–2015), President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, about the impact of an aged teacher on William E. Berrett. The teacher, a convert from Norway, had imperfect English-language skills. Despite the teacher’s limitations, President Packer recalled, Brother Berrett testified of his teacher, “We could warm our hands by the fire of his faith.”
Later, William became the head of seminaries, institutes, and Church schools.
For Phoebe, Marion, and William, hearing a pure testimony became the catalyst that changed their lives forever. The same can be true for those you teach. However, given the realities of today’s world, pure testimony may not always be enough. Phoebe, Marion, and William were clean and pure and free from pornography and worldliness as they sat at the feet of inspired missionaries, teachers, and leaders. The Spirit easily penetrated their soft and pure hearts.
Today the story is much different. Some of your students are already infected by pornography and worldliness before they ever reach your classes.
It was only a generation ago that our young people’s access to information about our history, doctrine, and practices was basically limited to materials printed by the Church. Few students came in contact with alternative interpretations. Mostly, our young people lived a sheltered life.
Our curriculum at that time, though well-meaning, did not prepare students for today—a day when they have instant access to virtually everything about the Church from every possible point of view. Today what they see on their mobile devices is likely to be faith challenging as much as faith promoting. Many of our young people are more familiar with Google than with the gospel, more attuned to the internet than to inspiration, and more involved with Facebook than with faith.
Doctrinal Mastery
In light of these challenges, the Church Board of Education recently approved an initiative in seminary called Doctrinal Mastery. Building on what already has been done in Scripture Mastery, this new initiative focuses on building and strengthening our students’ faith in Jesus Christ and fortifying them with increased ability to live and apply the gospel in their lives. Drawing on the scriptures and the words of the prophets, they will learn how to act with faith in Christ to acquire spiritual knowledge and understanding of His gospel. And they will have opportunities to learn how to apply the doctrine of Christ and gospel principles to the questions and challenges they hear and see every day among their peers and on social media.
This initiative is inspired and timely. It will have a wonderful influence on our young people. However, the success of Doctrinal Mastery, and of all the other programs of study in the Church Educational System, will depend to an important extent upon our teachers.
In the face of these challenges, what are the opportunities and responsibilities gospel teachers have in the 21st century? Obviously you teachers must love the Lord, His Church, and your students. You must also bear pure testimony sincerely and often. Additionally, more than at any time in our history, your students also need to be blessed by learning doctrinal and historical content and context by study and by faith accompanied by pure testimony so they can experience a mature and lasting conversion to the gospel and a lifelong commitment to Jesus Christ. Mature and lasting conversion means they will “stay in the boat and hold on” throughout their entire lives.
For you to understand the doctrinal and historical content and context of the scriptures and our history, you will need to study from the “best books,” as the Lord has directed (D&C 88:118). The “best books” include the scriptures, the teachings of modern prophets and apostles, and the best LDS scholarship available. Through your diligent efforts to learn by study and by faith, you will be able to help your students learn the skills and attitudes necessary to distinguish between reliable information that will lift them up and the half-truths and incorrect interpretations of doctrine, history, and practices that will bring them down.
Teach them about the challenges they face when relying upon the internet to answer questions of eternal significance. Remind them that James did not say, “If any of you lack wisdom, let him Google!” (see James 1:5).
Wise people do not rely on the internet to diagnose and treat emotional, mental, and physical health challenges, especially life-threatening challenges. Instead, they seek out health experts, those trained and licensed by recognized medical and state boards. Even then, prudent people seek a second opinion.
If that is the sensible course to take in finding answers for emotional, mental, and physical health issues, it is even more so when eternal life is at stake. When something has the potential to threaten our spiritual life, our most precious family relationships, and our membership in the kingdom, we should find thoughtful and faithful Church leaders to help us. And, if necessary, we should ask those with appropriate academic training, experience, and expertise for help.
This is exactly what I do when I need an answer to my own questions that I cannot answer myself. I seek help from my Brethren in the Quorum of the Twelve and from others with expertise in fields of Church history and doctrine.
Gospel teachers should be among the first—outside students’ own families—to introduce authoritative sources on topics that may be less well-known or controversial so that students will measure whatever they hear or read later against what they have already been taught.
Spiritual Inoculation
We give medical inoculations to our precious missionaries before sending them into the mission field so they will be protected against diseases that can harm them. In a similar fashion, before you send your students into the world, inoculate them by providing faithful, thoughtful, and accurate interpretation of gospel doctrine, the scriptures, our history, and those topics that are sometimes misunderstood.
To name a few such topics that are less known or controversial, I’m talking about plural marriage, seer stones, different accounts of the First Vision, the process of translation of the Book of Mormon or the book of Abraham, gender issues, race and the priesthood, and a Heavenly Mother.
The efforts to inoculate our young people will often fall to Church Educational System teachers. With those thoughts in mind, find time to think about your opportunities and your responsibilities.
Church leaders today are fully conscious of the unlimited access to information, and we are making extraordinary efforts to provide accurate context and understanding of the teachings of the Restoration. A prime example of this effort is the 11 Gospel Topics essays on LDS.org that provide balanced and reliable interpretations of the facts for controversial and unfamiliar Church-related subjects.
It is important that you know the content of these essays. If you have questions about them, please ask someone who has studied them and understands them. In other words, “seek learning, even by study and also by faith” (D&C 88:118) as you master the content of these essays.
You should also become familiar with the Joseph Smith Papers website, the Church history section on LDS.org, and other resources by faithful LDS scholars.
The effort for gospel transparency and spiritual inoculation through a thoughtful study of doctrine and history, coupled with a burning testimony, is the best antidote we have to help students avoid and deal with questions, doubt, or faith crises they may face in this information age.
As you teachers pay the price to better understand our history, doctrine, and practices—better than you do now—you will be prepared to provide thoughtful, careful, and inspired answers to your students’ questions.
One way to know what questions your students have is to listen attentively to them. All good teachers must be good listeners. In addition to listening to your students, encourage them in class or in private to ask you questions about any topic. One of the most important questions your students may ask is “Why?” When asked with a sincere desire to understand, “Why?” is a great question. It is the question missionaries want their investigators to ask. Why are we here? Why do bad things happen to good people? Why should we pray? Why should we follow Christ? Often the “why” questions lead to inspiration and revelation. Knowing our Heavenly Father’s plan of salvation will help you answer most of the “why” questions.
Here is one final note about answering questions. It is important to teach your students that although the gospel provides many, if not most, answers to life’s most important questions, some questions cannot be answered in mortality because we lack the information needed for a proper answer. As we learn in Jacob: “Behold, great and marvelous are the works of the Lord. How unsearchable are the depths of the mysteries of him; and it is impossible that man should find out all his ways. And no man knoweth of his ways save it be revealed unto him” (Jacob 4:8; see also D&C 101:32–34).
A Word of Caution
Now I offer a word of caution. Please recognize that you may come to believe, as many of your students do, that you are a scriptural, doctrinal, and history expert. A recent study revealed that “the more people think they know about a topic, the more likely they are to allege understanding beyond what they know, even to the point of feigning knowledge … and fabricat[ing] information.”
Identified as overclaiming, this temptation must be avoided by our gospel teachers. It is perfectly all right to say, “I do not know.” However, once that is said, you have a responsibility to find the best answers to thoughtful questions your students ask (see D&C 101:32–34).
As you teach your students and respond to their questions, let me warn you not to pass along faith-promoting or unsubstantiated rumors or outdated understandings and explanations of our doctrine and practices from the past. It is always wise to make it a practice to study the words of the living prophets and apostles; keep updated on current Church issues, policies, and statements through mormonnewsroom.org
and LDS.org; and consult the works of recognized, thoughtful, and faithful LDS scholars to ensure you do not teach things that are untrue, out of date, or odd and quirky.
The authors of the overclaiming study noted that “a tendency to overclaim, especially in self-perceived experts, … may discourage individuals from educating themselves in precisely those areas in which they consider themselves knowledgeable.”
In addition to becoming lifelong learners, you must also be doing those things in your personal life that allow the Holy Spirit to work within you. Such things include sincere daily prayer, faithful fasting, regular study and pondering of the scriptures and the words of the living prophets, making the Sabbath day a delight, partaking of the sacrament with humility and always remembering the Savior, worshipping in the temple as often as possible, and, finally, reaching out to the needy, poor, and lonely—both those close by and across the world.
To properly fulfill your opportunities and responsibilities, you must practice what you preach!
Be courageous by seeking counsel and correction from those you trust: a spouse, priesthood leaders, or supervisors. Ask them where you can improve in your personal discipleship. Avoid anything that drives away the Spirit.
Additionally, may I suggest that you hold a personal interview with yourself on occasion and review 2 Nephi 26:29–32, Alma 5:14–30, and Doctrine and Covenants 121:33–46? Doing so will help you identify the kinds of temptations we all may face. If something needs to change in your life, then resolve to fix it.
Avoid the temptation to question the motives of your co-laborers. Instead, look deeply into your own heart and search your own desires and motives. Only then can the Savior change your heart and align your desires and motives with His.
The rising generation needs to know, understand, embrace, and participate in God’s plan of salvation. Understanding the plan will give them the divine insight through which to view themselves as sons and daughters of God, which provides a lens to understand almost every doctrine, practice, and policy of the Church.
Teachers of the gospel today need to accept the opportunity and the responsibility to teach the 21st century’s young people correct principles about the plan, including the divinely sanctioned doctrine of marriage and the role of the family as defined in the proclamation on the family.
The Doctrine of Eternal Marriage
The doctrine of eternal marriage and family is a crucial part of God’s plan of happiness. It includes our own temple-sealed families as part of Heavenly Father’s own eternal family in the celestial kingdom. Because this doctrine relates directly to His own family and to His own spirit children, we are taught in Genesis that “male and female created he them” and that He commanded Father Adam and Mother Eve to “multiply, and replenish the earth” (see Genesis 1:27–28).
It has been said that the plan of happiness begins and ends with family. Indeed, family began in the premortal world, where we lived as members of our Heavenly Parents’ family. And in the end, familial commitments and loving relationships will not only continue to exist but also proliferate through the process of procreation (see D&C 131:1–4; 132:19).
The hinge point that connects it all—on which God’s plan and our eternal destiny depend and on which all else pivots—is our Savior, Jesus Christ. His atoning sacrifice makes all things possible, including but not limited to a loving, caring, and eternal marriage and family.
The Lord teaches us that no single person, regardless of his or her righteousness, can obtain all our Heavenly Father has for His children. A single individual is half of the equation, unable to dwell in the highest degree of the celestial kingdom (see 1 Corinthians 11:11; D&C 131:1–4).
Your students need to understand that the purpose of mortality is to become more like God by gaining physical bodies, exercising agency, and assuming roles that previously belonged only to heavenly parents—roles of husband, wife, and parent.
The prophets have assured that all those who are worthy and who rely upon Jesus Christ but have not been able to be sealed to a companion or have children in this life will have those opportunities in the world to come.
Teach young people that in the Lord’s Church there is room for all to worship, serve, and grow together as brothers and sisters in the gospel. Remind them what Lehi taught—that God’s goal and hope for all of His children can be summed up as follows: “Adam fell that men might be; and men are, that they might have joy” (2 Nephi 2:25).
Heavenly Father wants us to accept His definition of marriage and obey His first commandment to “multiply, and replenish” (Genesis 1:28)—not only to fulfill His plan but also to find the joy that His plan was designed to give His sons and daughters.
As Church educators, help our youth to have a clear understanding of God’s plan of happiness wherein real joy comes to His children. Help them to know it, embrace it, participate in it, and defend it. From my 40 years of experience as a General Authority, I am concerned about the large number of our Church members, younger and older, who simply do not understand the plan for their eternal and divine destiny.
So, my fellow teachers, we should look for and relish these opportunities to explain, doctrinally and spiritually, why we believe that knowledge of God’s great plan of happiness will answer most of the “why” questions we may be asked. Expressing our belief in a premortal life where we lived as the spirit children of a Heavenly Father and a Heavenly Mother allows us to explain why this earth was created. One essential purpose of mortal life is that we can replicate that family experience ourselves, only this time as parents rather than just as children. Treasure your basic understanding of the doctrine and purpose of our Heavenly Father’s plan for our eternal happiness. And continue to teach it.
Conclusion
So, to conclude and to summarize, the points I have shared with you are:
Teach students to combine learning by study and faith with pure testimony.
Teach students to stay in the boat and hang on!
Teach students to control their mobile devices and focus on being connected more to the Holy Spirit than to the internet.
Inoculate students with the truths of the plan of salvation found in the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Remember that “Why?” can be a great question that leads to gospel understanding.
Master the content of the Gospel Topics essays.
Don’t overclaim, and don’t be afraid to say, “I don’t know.”
Become lifelong learners.
Seek counsel and correction from those you trust.
Consider holding a personal interview occasionally to review your spiritual preparation, your diligence, and your effectiveness.
Teach that the plan of happiness begins and ends with family. Keep the plan of salvation in mind at all times.
Teach that marriage and family bring long-lasting joy.
Remember, combining learning by study, by faith, and by pure testimony brings about true and long and lasting conversion. Above all else, strong faith in the Atonement of the Lord Jesus Christ is essential for our spiritual strength and growth.
May you find the joy and the peace that come from knowing that through your teaching, you have touched a life and lifted one of Heavenly Father’s children on the journey back to His presence.
Bibliography
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