Month: September 2017

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He Is The Vine, We Are The Branches

During the Last Supper, Jesus taught many profound truths. One principle, found in John Chapter 15, can be applied to us, as gospel teachers.

“I am the vine,” Jesus taught, “ye are the branches. He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.”

This message must have hit home with the Apostles, as evidenced in their post-ascension ministry. Let’s look at the case of Peter as an example of this principle in action.

On the day of Pentecost, just 53 days after the Last Supper, Peter powerfully taught and testified of the Divinity of Christ, His resurrection, and of the gospel of faith, repentance, baptism, and the gift of the Holy Ghost. His preaching was spiritually ratified with the gift of tongues, as well as the crowd being “pricked in their hearts.” The fruits, which were promised by Jesus, included the baptism of about 3,000 people.

How can we, as latter-day teachers of the gospel, tap into the enabling power of the True Vine, Jesus Christ?

Focus Your Teaching On The Atonement

“The fundamental principles of our religion,” Joseph Smith taught, “are the testimony of the Apostles and Prophets, concerning Jesus Christ, that He died, was buried, and rose again the third day, and ascended into heaven; and all other things which pertain to our religion are only appendages to it.”

Everything that you teach should tie into the central doctrine of the Atonement of Christ. To put it bluntly- if it doesn’t, don’t teach it. Trying to teach the gospel without connecting it to the Atonement is like trying to grow fruit on a branch that is not connected to the vine.

Teach By The Power Of The Holy Ghost

It can not be overstated- the Holy Ghost is the true teacher. It is the Holy Ghost that will “carrieth it unto the hearts of the children of men,” as Nephi taught. If you have the Spirit with you, and your class has the Spirit with them, the magic can happen. The Holy Ghost is what will tie you into the Vine, and it is the same thing that will tie, or bind, your students into the Vine. The Vine, or Jesus, has the power to save them; save them from sin, guilt, pain, suffering, temptation, and ignorance. Without the Spirit in the classroom, this connection to the Savior is lost. Unfortunately, it is possible for someone to have a spiritual experience in spite of your teaching efforts, rather than in concert with your teaching efforts. Truly, if you “receive not the Spirit ye shall not teach.” This Spirit, as promised in scripture is given by “the prayer of faith.”

Teach From The Scriptures

The scriptures are appropriately called the Word of God. Do you know what else, or who else, is called the Word of God? In John Chapter 1, we read, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.”

There is power in the scriptures, and only a foolish gospel teacher would not regularly tap into that power. Elder Richard G. Scott taught us that, “scriptures are like packets of light that illuminate our minds and give place to guidance and inspiration from on high. They can become the key to open the channel to communion with our Father in Heaven and His Beloved Son, Jesus Christ.”

As we use the scriptures as our source material, we provide a more pure connection to the True Vine. As we start to dilute it, through commentary and worldly opinion, even well-informed and well-intentioned, the word starts to lose it’s power.

Trust In Jesus

As we abide in Jesus, He promises we will bear fruit. As gospel teachers, this fruit shows up in many ways. It can be as simple as a “thanks for the great lesson!” Or, it can be a class where the spirit is so thick you can almost feel it.

Maybe you are facing the obstacle where it is hard to trust in this promise, that as you abide in Him, and He in you, that you will bear fruit. As emphatically as I can, I urge you to overcome this obstacle. You can do it! You can have the Spirit with you in your teaching. You can have this fruit that Jesus promised, and it is delicious. Once you experience it, you will learn to lean more and more on the Savior in your teaching, and the Spirit (and the fruit) will increase in the process.

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Be Thou Humble In Thy Calling

Humility is touted as among the highest of virtues, and rightly so. If pride is the great vice, then humility is the great virtue. In fact, an early Christian writer listed seven heavenly virtues, which are in opposition to the better known seven deadly sins. Humility, opposing pride, is listed as one of these seven virtues.

Humility is a trait we should all pursue in our walk with Christ. All of us, in our quest for eternal life, will have to pass through our own Gethsemane. There we are brought to declare, like Jesus, that the Father’s will has priority over our own will.

On a smaller scale, humility is an important characteristic for any gospel teacher to have. Don’t get me wrong here though. Humility is not synonymous with soft spoken. It isn’t a personality type. It isn’t even meekness, though they are closely related (maybe half siblings?).

Humility isn’t only for the religious, either. An article from a scientific magazine described humility in this way:

“Humility does not mean unconditional deference. Humility does not mean not standing up for what you believe in — including when you believe in your own scientific findings. Humility means being open to the possibility of being wrong, being willing to consider other people’s ideas and being respectful — of your seniors, your peers and your subordinates.”

One of my favorite answers to hear, in both the secular and religious worlds, is “I don’t know.” There should be no shame in these three words. As a teacher, it takes humility to admit you don’t know, or even- GASP!- that you were wrong.

Hopefully, the culture of your classroom is one of learning from each other. Even better, learning wisdom rather than learning information. Conversely, an undesirable classroom culture is one of fact-checking and nit-picking. One great way to improve this culture is when you, as the teacher, admit ignorance or mistakes.

Another way that humility is manifested in gospel teaching is through lesson flexibility. Part of being willing to consider other people’s ideas is allowing the lesson to morph, in real time, to meet the needs of those present. I’ve been in classes where a comment made by someone in the class changed the trajectory of the whole lesson. And it was an amazing lesson! Remember, the Spirit is working through others as well. When it does, the best thing for you to do may be to get out of the way. You may even have the rare moment where, while preparing the lesson, you get a prompting that you should leave some extra time in the lesson because someone will have something to share.

It takes humility to accept feedback from others. I know how it feels when someone gives you constructive criticism, it usually doesn’t feel good. But, consider yourself lucky to have someone care enough to give you some honest feedback. Being able to receive feedback is a great first step. The next step is to respond to the feedback, and try to find the truth in it. Remember, the goal is to help others come unto Christ, ultimately leading to Eternal Life. Looking good as a teacher is not a very noble goal. Take the criticism, find out what your opportunities for improvement are, and prayerfully seek out ways to be better. As you do this, you will grow as a gospel teacher, you will bring the Spirit into the classroom, and you will help others develop faith in the Savior.

 

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4 Ways To Be A More Interesting Gospel Teacher

Just because you are smart, it doesn’t mean you are interesting. You might know a lot of facts, figures, dates and scripture references. You might have memorized hundreds of scripture passages. While these can help you teach a lesson, they don’t guarantee anyone will pay attention to you. My Mission President would often say, “light yourself on fire with enthusiasm, and when people come to watch you burn… teach them!”

Here are 4 ways to be a more interesting gospel teacher:

Change Up The Tempo And Teaching Methods

To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven: …A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance; (Eccl 3:1,4). Changing the tempo throughout the lesson will keep more students engaged more of the time. A lesson that is only somber, quiet, and low energy will eventually lose the attention of the class as their minds start to wander. On the other hand, a lesson that tries to be fast paced and high energy eventually will tire out the class. By mixing up the tempo, with natural ebbs and flows in the energy, the lesson will be more interesting to the class.

Changing up the teaching methods is also a valuable way to keep the interest of the class. Different methods activate different parts of the brain, which is intellectually stimulating. If I’ve said it once, I’ve said it a million times, make a list of teaching methods, print it out, laminate it if you really want to go crazy, and keep it close at hand while preparing lessons. As you conscientiously prepare different teaching methods throughout the lesson, you will be a more interesting teacher.

Speak To Individuals, And Not The Group

Eye contact is important in communication, which I’m assuming you already know. Less commonly known is the importance of eye contact when in front of a group of people. Your default gaze may be at either whatever you are reading, the floor in front of you, the back wall, or looking “through” the group, avoiding eye contact with any individuals. This is a big mistake. You should make eye contact with individuals, and hold it for some time. A good rule of thumb is to initiate eye contact at the start of a sentence, and hold it throughout the sentence. As you start a new sentence, lock eyes with someone else. This way, you will engage several different students, but not creep any of them out. This excellent article gives 10 reasons why eye contact should be a major part of your presentation. I’ll give you one now, and I encourage you to read the rest. “When you don’t look people in the eye, they are less likely to look at you. And when they stop looking at you, they start thinking about something other than what you’re saying, and when that happens, they stop listening.” I absolutely agree with that statement. Try it out next time you teach, and see what results you get.

Have Your Body Language Match Your Speech

It’s confusing to your class if your body language doesn’t mirror the words coming out of your mouth. Picture Paul Revere, trotting along on his horse, mumbling about how the British are coming. It probably wouldn’t have inspired very many. It’s still true, and critically important. But, those listening probably would have been confused by the delivery.

It’s not difficult to improve your body language. But it does take work. The first step is to be comfortable. There are a few ways to get more comfortable and confident with your teaching. One way is to practice teaching. This can be done through video recording, talking to the mirror, or just finding some quiet place and talking out loud. Another way to become more comfortable is through visualization. As you envision yourself giving the lesson, which can be done almost anywhere, you will feel more confident when you are actually in the situation. Lastly, sometimes it comes down to “fake it until you make it.” Pretend you are comfortable in front of a class.

Once you are comfortable, your body language will come more naturally. So, moving on, let’s look at some tips for improved body language. One thing to always keep in mind is, “what is the emotional undertone associated with the point I am trying to make?” Then, simply match that emotion with your face and body. When you are talking about how much death occurred during Old Testament wars, a cheesy smile is likely not the appropriate delivery. Likewise, teaching about the joy of the resurrection probably shouldn’t be delivered in a   bored, tired manner.

Another tip is that being open is always better than being closed. Your class wants to know how you feel about the topic. Authenticity and vulnerability are much more important than a “perfect performance.” As you let your personality and testimony come through, you will be more effective, and more interesting. Open gestures, palms out, and not hiding behind a table, are all ways to convey openness.

Facilitate Discussion

When I am feeling the Spirit in a class, I am usually learning things I never knew before. Maybe that’s not even the best way to word it. I’ll let President Harold B. Lee say it, “When the time comes that your heart tells you things your mind doesn’t know, that is the Spirit of the Lord dictating to you.” Usually, I am excited enough about what I am learning that I want to share it with those in the class. A good teacher will recognize this fact, and let the class teach each other. Regardless of what teaching methods you use, there should usually be opportunities for the class to share spiritual insights with each other. The best teachers are able to walk the fine line between pure lecture, where participation is discouraged, and opening it up for people to talk about whatever they want, which can result in unedifying chaos. The operative word here is facilitate. As you guide the lesson along, facilitating good discussion, and keep things on a spiritual plane, you will have interesting lessons.

 

To put things into perspective, an interesting lesson does not mean it is a spiritual one, or that it isn’t priestcraft (another topic). Think of it like a good spice; it can help enhance the food (the gospel), but on it’s own it isn’t fulfilling or nutritious. The people in your class have some serious issues: sin, insecurity, hopelessness, sorrow, guilt, grief, and all kinds of spiritual maladies. These afflictions can be healed through the grace of Jesus Christ, which is administered through the Holy Ghost. Making a lesson more interesting should have in mind the goal to create a space where the Spirit can do it’s work.

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Doctrine, Principles, Procedures

Definitions

Understanding the difference between doctrines, principles, and procedures is a critical part of gospel understanding. Let me define these terms for the purposes of this post.

Doctrines are unchangeable gospel truths. A doctrine of the gospel reads like a statement of fact. An example of a doctrine is, “God created the heavens and the earth.”

Principles are one step further than doctrines. There is some type of instruction on how to live or think. Principles often can be expressed as an “if…then” statement. Some examples include, “If we pray in faith, God will hear us,” or “If we have faith in Christ and repent, we can be forgiven of our sins.” There is usually some overlap between doctrine and principles, as in the statement, “we are commanded to feed the hungry.” It’s a statement of fact (doctrine), but also includes some directive to obey (principle).

Procedures are even a step further than doctrine. Procedures are changeable. They are the way in which we live principles; the way it looks in action. Procedures are often expressed in “do’s and dont’s.” We are commanded to feed the hungry, but there are several ways to do this. One way, through fast offerings, is a procedure. It is not the only way, historically or currently, to feed the hungry.

Relationship Between Doctrines, Principles, And Procedures

 

Good procedures should be based upon solid principles which, in turn, are founded upon true doctrines. Let’s look at this relationship with a few examples, and hopefully you can make this connection with other doctrines, principles, and procedures.

Taking the Word of Wisdom as an example, let’s examine the doctrines, principles, and procedures associated with it. God has given us two important gifts: our physical bodies and agency. These are unchanging gospel truths. There are some principles associated with these facts. One, as we treat our bodies as sacred gifts from God, our bodies will be better suited instruments to help us fulfill our purposes. Also, as we use our agency wisely, we grow in light and truth, progressing to become more like our perfect Father. Now, there are some substances that hurt our physical bodies, as well as limit our agency through dependency or addiction. God, in His wisdom, has given guidelines that allow us to have healthier physical bodies, and prevent dependency and addiction. These principles guide the procedures. The procedures come in the form of do’s, dont’s, and general guidelines. For more detail, read section 89 of the Doctrine and Covenants.

Let’s consider another example, the Sabbath day. One underlying doctrine is that mankind is quick to forget the Lord. Another is that we are to worship Him only. Some principles regarding the Sabbath include: God has commanded us to rest from our labors on the seventh day, and we are to offer up our sacraments on this day. Procedurally, we can come up with guidelines of what we do and don’t do on the sabbath. As with most doctrines, procedures can vary from person to person, or from time to time. I hope this doesn’t give you anxiety. It shouldn’t. The purpose of the Sabbath day is to help us remember our Father, and to worship Him. It is not designed to be used as a measuring stick by which we determine who is righteous or not.

I believe that having a solid understanding of the relationship between doctrines, principles, and procedures will greatly improve your ability to teach the gospel. So will the habit of looking for these relationships in your own personal study.

Feel free to comment and share any doctrines, principles, and procedures so we can all learn from each other.

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There Is Such A Thing As A Bad Question

This is a continuation of a previous post. More specifically, it is the other side of the coin. I discussed some of the elements that make up a good question. Here, we will discuss some aspects of a bad question. Let me clarify something first. I am not talking about questions asked by those in the class. The old adage regarding no bad questions holds true here (don’t trust Dwight on this one).

Questions asked by you, the teacher, however, can be bad. Here are some question types that are bad or, at the very least, less effective.

 

A “Guess What I’m Thinking” Question Is A Bad Question

Have you ever been in a class where the teacher asked a question, and it was obvious that she was looking for a specific answer? It usually doesn’t go over well. I was in a class where the teacher asked, “Which temple is the most important one?” After shooting down such answers as Nauvoo, Salt Lake City, Jerusalem, the teacher claimed that “the Kirkland Temple is the most important, because the keys to perform temple ordinances were restored there.” This was probably not the best question he could have asked.

A Question That Only Has One Answer Is A Bad Question

This rule doesn’t always apply, but usually does. Remember, the purpose of teaching is to create an environment where students can open their hearts to the voice of the Holy Ghost. Factual, trivia type questions usually aren’t very effective at bringing in the Spirit. In fact, it tends to separate the class into those who know the answer, and those who don’t. And, honestly, it is probably an answer that isn’t very relevant. Knowing the names of the twelve tribes of Israel didn’t cause much of a mighty change of heart for me.

A Yes/No Question Is A Bad(-ish) Question

This also isn’t a hard, fast rule, but is something to be aware of and to limit. The typical yes/no question doesn’t cause much thought, or tapping into past experiences. For example, “Was it raining when Noah built the ark?” is not a good question. Sometimes, a good yes/no question can be used to set up a better, open-ended question. You could follow up the previous Noah question with, “what insights do we gain from the fact that it wasn’t raining when Noah built the ark?” Another way to use a yes/no question is to ask a question that will be answered by the scripture passage you just read, to get the class to read more critically.

A Too Easy Question Is A Bad Question

“How do you think Nephi felt when his brothers tied him up?” This question will probably be met with blank stares. Don’t insult the intelligence of the class. You may be tempted to ask an easy question, thinking that it will get the class warmed up. It won’t. It will probably get them to check their fantasy football scores.

A Too Hard Question Is A Bad Question

On the other end of the spectrum, we have questions that are too hard. Again, you don’t want to isolate part of the class. Like the Savior, a good teacher will craft questions that will apply to all, regardless of their level of gospel scholarship.

 

While not exhaustive, this should provide some good direction as we strive to ask better questions. I believe that asking better questions is the most important skill we can develop as gospel teachers. It is also one of the easiest skills to develop. So, go forward, asking better questions. Don’t beat yourself up for previous mistakes, but commit to improve from this point onward. You got this!

 

 

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Ways To Start A Lesson

First impressions are important. Here are some quick hit ways to start a lesson:

Tell a story

Ask a question

Use a statistic

Tell a joke

Take a poll

Use a quote

Share an experience

Pose a “what if” scenario

 

Do you have a favorite way to start a lesson? Are there any other ways that you like to start out a lesson? Comment below!

 

 

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4 Tips For Teaching General Conference Lessons

New Curriculum

Starting in January 2018, the curriculum for Priesthood and Relief Society will change. One of the changes involves teaching from General Conference talks. Instead of once a month, and selected by Stake leaders, we will have Gen Con lessons twice a month, and they are selected by the general Church leadership.

I have had some good lessons, and some bad ones, that are based on General Conference talks. There are a few concepts that I hope can help you teach these lessons.

Identify The Underlying Doctrine or Principle

General Conference talks are almost always centered around a specific gospel topic. I think it is important to identify and understand which doctrine or principle is being taught. This allows you to complement the general conference talk, rather than follow the over-used technique of “read, discuss, repeat.” Knowing what the underlying doctrine is also allows you to put a personal touch on the lesson without going off topic.

Identify The Concern Or Issue Addressed

Many General Conference talks come about as a result of current issues that the church faces. Church leaders are actively involved in current, real-time concerns. They travel around the world and meet with local members. Through these meetings, local concerns are discussed, contemplated, and addressed. This provides the leadership with a ground level perspective, and added experience. In addition to traveling, General Church leaders serve on committees. This gives a unique, large-scale perspective on the challenges that we face today. So, when General Conference talks are prepared, they do not spontaneously form out of thin air, but from a wealth of experience and tailored to current needs. As President Ezra Taft Benson taught, “The living prophet has the power of TNT. By that I mean ‘Today’s News Today.’ God’s revelations to Adam did not instruct Noah how to build the ark.”

Action Items

Most conference talks include invitations to act. When teaching from a conference talk, it’s a good idea to extend that same invitation. If the talk is about missionary work, for example, and the speaker extends the invitation to pray for missionary opportunities, it may be appropriate to also extend that invitation. For a talk that has several action items, listing them on the chalkboard is usually an effective teaching method.

Quotable Quotes

Perhaps more so than any other time, we live in a world of quick information. We want more information in a shorter amount of characters. General conference is full of powerful quotes. Here are just a few from the April 2017 conference:

Elder Dale G. Renlund taught, “We must guard against bigotry that raises its ugly voice toward those who hold different opinions.”

Elder Neil L. Andersen observed, “Overcoming the world is being less concerned with our online connections and more concerned with our heavenly connection to God.”

Quotes can be used in many ways. Digging into quotes, by discussion or by using supporting scriptures, can be a great way to teach from General Conference. A whole lesson could be built around the Elder Renlund quote above. Making typed up handouts is another way to use quotes. You can even put a curled ribbon in the corner.

My hope is that these tips will help you as you teach from General Conference addresses and that these types of lessons are edifying, for yourself as well as those you teach.