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.