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Five Factors to Fine Teaching
By C.S. Bezas
In D&C 88:78 we read:
Teach ye diligently and my grace
shall attend you, that you may be instructed more perfectly in
theory; in principle, in doctrine, in the law of the gospel, in
all things that pertain unto the kingdom of God, that are expedient
for you to understand.
This message is particularly potent
for those of us who teach youth. Youth are impressionable. They
are excited about life. They are, at times, most insecure regarding
who they are and where they fit in today's world. For those of us
who stand with them, we must listen and heed the instruction found
in D&C 88:78. We are to be diligent in our service in order
to have the Lord's assistance.
There are many factors that greatly
affect a teacher's ability to serve diligently in the classroom
or even in other scenarios. Among the important factors are five
that bear mentioning. They are diligent study, prayer, attention
to detail, restful moderation, and desire.
Diligent Study
Note the common theme in the following
scriptures:
Seek not to declare my word, but
first seek to obtain my word, and then shall your tongue be loosed;
then, if you desire, you shall have my Spirit and my word, yea,
the power of god unto the convincing of men (D&C 11:21).
And now, behold, I say unto you,
that ye ought to search these things ... Search the prophets (3
Ne. 23:1, 5).
...we had obtained the records which
the Lord had commanded us, and searched them and found that they
were desirable; yea, even of great worth unto us, insomuch that
we could preserve the commandments of the Lord unto our children.
(1 Ne. 5:21).
These were more noble than those
in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness
of mind, and searched the scriptures daily (Acts 17:11).
Counsel has come time and again for
all of God's children to study "the word." What word would
this be? It would be the Lord's word "which hath gone forth
among the children of men" (D&C 11:22). Personal scripture
study is imperative for those who teach the youth in spiritual settings.
This is especially true for those who teach seminary.
If we are not spending sincere time
stretching ourselves through personal scripture study, how on earth
can we be filled, endowed and buoyed by the Spirit when teaching
those same scripture blocks in class? How else can we testify of
their value, if it has been a while since we've experienced the
scriptures for ourselves?
Indeed, diligent personal study within
the pages of the scriptures is an essential factor to teaching the
Lord's word well to our youth.
Diligent Prayer
D&C 104:79-80 contains a remarkable
promise. When nothing else will soften a heart, look at what will!
And it is my will that you shall
humble yourselves before me, and obtain this blessing by your
diligence and humility and the prayer of faith.
And inasmuch as you are diligent
and humble, and exercise the prayer of faith, behold, I will soften
the hearts of those to whom you are in debt, until I shall send
means unto you for your deliverance.
The Lord is amazing. One may not be
able to understand the process, but the promise has been explicitly
stated: to affect those around us, the Lord tells us that through
the prayer of faith, coupled with humility and diligence, the hearts
of those we must interact with can be softened.
Indeed, in the midst of humility and
diligence, the prayer of faith will do much over time as we work
with our students. As such, diligent prayer is an essential factor
to fine quality teaching.
Attention to Detail
We read in Matthew 10:29-32:
Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing?
and one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father.
But the very hairs of your head are
all numbered.
Fear ye not therefore, ye are of
more value than many sparrows.
Whosoever therefore shall confess
me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which
is in heaven.
Our God is a God of detail. He notices
the infinitely small details of our lives. He knows when we cry.
He knows when we rejoice. He knows when we stumble. He knows when
we succeed. Without His ability to pay attention to detail, it would
be difficult to trust in such a God. For how would He then be able
to succor those in need?
It is His ability to be aware of each
tiny detail of our lives that embodies and builds trust. The use
of the word "succor" is amazing in the preceding verse.
According to Dictionary.com, succor originally meant to "go
beneath, run to help."1
The Lord stands willing to go beneath
all things to come to our aid; He is ready to run to help us. He
is able to do this due to His ability to be aware of the "very
hairs of our head" — to be aware of the minute details
of our lives. When we are in trouble, He is able to go beneath all
so that he can run to our aid.
If this is what He stands ready to
do for us (and does), should we not do the same for our students?
We can only stand ready for this kind of service if we fine-tune
and hone our personal attention to details in the lives of our students.
We need to pay attention to the finer
nuances of the kids we serve. Instead of coming to deliver a message
or a lesson, we need to deepen our service by coming ready to succor
our students.
Part of that detail is noticing and
seeking out those who are lost. We read in Ezekiel 34:6, 8, 11:
My sheep wandered through all the
mountains, and upon every high hill: yea, my flock was scattered
upon all the face of the earth, and none did search or seek after
them.
As I live, saith the Lord God, surely
because my flock became a prey, and my flock became meat to every
beast of the field, because there was no shepherd, neither did
my shepherds search for my flock, but the shepherds fed themselves,
and fed not my flock;
For thus saith the Lord God; Behold,
I, even I, will both search my sheep, and seek them out.
We increase in the ability to be true
shepherds for the Lord and our students as we increase our attention
to detail. This essential factor to fine teaching not only helps
us become more like the Lord, but it helps us serve our students
in better fashion with better teaching — teaching that meets
their present needs. Truly, fine teaching is found within noticing
fine details, in those early details that may indicate a growing
problem — a problem that may need succoring.
Diligent Rest
The Lord is aware that our bodies are
not machines. Even if they were, machines without adequate care
would (and do) break down. Our bodies are amazing and miraculous.
But they too will break down if we are not careful within our physical
resources.
Not only does the Lord pay attention
to fine details, within those details He also wisely teaches us
about balance and moderation in all things. King Benjamin, as one
of the Lord's oracles, states:
And see that all these things are
done in wisdom and order; for it is not requisite that a man should
run faster than he has strength. And again, it is expedient that
he should be diligent, that thereby he might win the prize; therefore,
all things must be done in order (Mosiah 4:27).
King Benjamin teaches that we are to
be wise and ordered and careful about energy expenditures in service.
And in that moderation, we are to be diligent. Is it not fascinating
that in the midst of teaching about wisely balancing efforts, King
Benjamin wisely illuminates that diligence can still be present
within moderation? What an eye-opener for those of us who think
sometimes that diligence is perceived or present only when we push
ourselves to the limit!
Speaking through the prophet Joseph
Smith, the Lord instructs again after the same fashion:
Do not fun faster or labor more than
you have strength and means provided ... but be diligent unto
the end (D&C 10:4).
Even within such urgent work as the
translation the prophet Joseph was working on, he still was reminded
not to "run faster or labor more than [he] had strength and
means provided."
This is an essential facet of fine
teaching. When we are weary from pushing too hard, even if from
a sincere desire to serve well, it becomes difficult to serve well.
It is then we must rest, both physically and emotionally.
Sometimes scenarios might make this
difficult. We might have many things tugging or tearing at us. It
may well be a challenge to know how to balance our efforts and to
be balanced. When this is the case, it would behoove us to approach
the Lord in diligent prayer so that we may have His counsel in that
situation. For truly, to teach well, we need to be rested.
Diligent Desire
Desire precedes action.
If we are thirsty, we tend to desire
a drink of water. When we desire water, we look for a drinking fountain.
If we are hungry, we desire food. When
we desire food, we look for food that is available.
If we are happy, we tend to desire
to share that happiness. When we desire to share, we instinctively
are led to activities that help us share in that happiness.
It seems that in so many choices in
life, the thing that preceded choice was desire. Desire is a powerful
fuel for outcomes. One missionary in Brazil taught a youth conference
class about missions. When she asked these humble youth as to the
single most important factor to serve a mission, one young man immediately
spoke up. "Money is the most important thing to be able to
serve a mission."
The other youth nodded. They all came
from impoverished families who never would have the money to send
their kids on missions. To these youth, money was a roadblock to
any future missionary service.
This sister missionary then wisely
shook her head and quietly wrote the Portuguese word "desejo"
on the board. "This," she said, "is the single most
important factor to serving a mission. When 'desire' is present,
miracles happen."
What a profound moment for these youth!
Yes, money to pay for room and board is a part of serving a mission.
But the God we worship is also a God of miracles and abundance,
in addition to being a God of details and a God of wisdom.
The essential factor she taught that
day to those youth was that with a desire for righteous obedience,
we can do all things in the Lord. With righteous desire, impossible
things become possible as the Lord opens the way to accomplish that
which He commands (1 Ne. 3:7). Desire precedes action and righteous
desire precedes miracles.
How does diligent desire apply in the
classroom as seminary teachers? We must cultivate a diligent desire
to serve. If that desire has waned, we must remember the preceding
four steps — those of diligent study, prayer, attention to
detail and to rest. As we build each of these factors into our lives,
it is possible to reignite the desire we felt previously to serve
the youth in front of us.
In fact, it is also through diligent
scripture study and prayer that we reignite our ability to pay attention
to the finer details within the lives of our students. It is through
diligent scripture study and prayer that the Holy Ghost will lead
us to great understanding of how to be diligent yet "rest-fully"
moderate in service towards our youth.
Summary
As we seek these five factors to fine
teaching — diligent study, prayer, attention to detail, rest
and diligent desire — we will more likely serve our youth
in the way the Lord intends. And they in turn will learn from our
example. They, in turn, can learn the value and uplift that these
factors will bring into their lives — now and in the future.
The Lord has promised us that His grace
will attend us and the Spirit will be present as we utilize these
five essential parts to effective teaching. And as we turn to Him
in all things, we will have moments of powerful spirit and brilliance
that is recognizably beyond our own capabilities, that will not
only teach our students, but that we can learn from. These kinds
of moments can come from no other source than our Heavenly Father.
C.S.
Bezas’ new book is now in LDS bookstores and has been called
perfect for parents of teens and those who work with them. Powerful
Tips for Powerful Teachers: Helping Youth Find Their Spiritual
Wings is also available by clicking here.
© 2007 Meridian
Magazine. All Rights Reserved
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