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I'm going to start with Brother Callister and have him join me
as we introduce this topic, because the Sunday School
general president, as with Sunday School presidents
locally, is responsible not only for some Sunday School activity
and the organization of the Sunday School experience,
but also--in a broader way, in a larger way--the whole idea
of learning and teaching.
And Brother Callister, as we think
of teachers and your Sunday School counterparts
out there who are going to be helping everybody teach,
it's no small skill.
It is no small talent to get the exchange and the involvement
and not dominate--and a teacher isn't just lecturing for 45
minutes--to let the dynamic happen,
but also make sure that what you wanted to come across comes
across.
That takes a gifted, inspired teacher.
I think there's a lot to that.
Sometimes I think we may feel if we had a discussion,
we did the job and it's over.
And it seems to me, these discussions
all need to lead to an inspired conclusion that's doctrinally
based.
It may not be the one we started with, but it ends there.
But it often starts with a good question.
And I think we've learned that the caliber of the answers
is often related to the caliber of the question.
Good point.
Someone could be teaching the First Vision,
and they might ask, "Well, how old
was Joseph Smith when he went into the grove?
And what year was it?"
And maybe those are foundational things.
But somewhere they've got to get to
"What were the truths that Joseph Smith learned when
he emerged from the grove of trees?
And how do those truths make a difference
in our lives, those doctrinal truths?"
That they're--
And that's what we need.
Teachers who are leading us to the doctrine
and how it relates to our life.
I think this is a huge cultural shift, too.
I think sometimes it's easier to teach material
because then nobody's going to ask us
a question we can't answer.
When I was a Relief Society instructor,
that scared me that someone might ask something
that I don't know.
And I think teaching to needs would certainly--if
we're thinking about who it is that we're teaching or who it
is we hope is going to learn something or that will spark
a question ...
I think it's very critical.
A lot of being able to bring it to that spiritual plane
and ensure the doctrine is understood
is in asking questions, the right questions, the inspired
questions.
A teacher thinking ahead of time of, number one, the questions
that will elicit the real learning,
the doctrinal learning, is the right kind of preparation.
And secondly, thinking ahead of time about application.
What kind of application does he or she want
to talk about that will carry out home and elsewhere?
Good point.
Great point.
Between questions and application,
that kind of preparation on the part of the teacher
really makes it doctrinally centered and--
Terrific.
--and spiritual, as you're talking about.
So what if on Sundays, what if when we went to church, what
if that were the place where we could light the fire,
and that we could come home and share what we've learned
and what we're going to do this week to go back next week
and build on that?
Get the bellows.
Fan the flames!
Yeah.
Right.
Fan the flames of the spiritual core.
And keeping it centered in the scriptures, too.
Sometimes we've visited classes and have
noticed they don't even have the youth open their scriptures.
And to me, we need to tie the doctrine--"This is where
the doctrine is found."
Yeah.
Right.
And to keep them back in there.
And--
'Cause that's what they're going to take home.
It won't be enough just to have a good social exchange
or an energetic response and reply
between this student and that student.
That's kind of the dynamic of it.
That's sort of the process of it.
But I think we want to make sure that what they're learning
and discussing and having some "a-ha"
moments about will be the doctrine of the Church.
We need to make sure that there's
doctrine laced into all those conversations.
One of the great scriptures, I think,
that we read that ushered the Restoration was found
in section 1, verse 17: "Wherefore, I the Lord,
knowing the calamity which should come
upon the inhabitants of the earth,
called upon my servant Joseph Smith, Jun.,
and spake unto him from heaven, and gave him commandments."
Yeah.
And that's part of the doctrine of which you speak.
Yeah, it is.
It is, yeah.
For us to be able to then take what was given to Joseph Smith,
these commandments, and make certain that those are taught.
Along with the discussion, the doctrine
is taught, which includes the commandments.
And one of those commandments, in section 88, the Lord said,
"I give unto you a commandment that you ...
teach one another the doctrine of the kingdom."
The doctrine, that's right.
That is one of the commandments.
Yeah, yeah.
That we anchor that teaching.
I think one other point, you said--you talked about teaching
the doctrine, bearing testimony.
I think bearing testimony has one level of effect.
But if you're bearing testimony and it's confirming doctrine,
it has a much higher effect.
Yeah.
Good point.
And Joseph F. Smith said the real reason
we bear testimony is to seal the truth of the doctrine--
Of the doctrine being taught.
--that we've taught.
So they ought to go hand in hand.
And one without the other only gives you half a loaf.
Yeah, good point.
So to speak.
You need them both.
Great point.
I could weep.
I could weep at the times I've been in a class and people
have--again, sometimes because of the rush,
sometimes because it's getting through material--have somehow
gotten clear up to the end and say, "Well, there's the bell.
And we'll see you next week."
And the primary chance, the fundamental opportunity
to have borne testimony was missed.
Sometimes I think that's what the student--whoever
the students are, for the ones in the class--that's the thing
we may remember more than anything else,
was the faith and the fervor and the emotion of that teacher
saying, "I know that this principle is true.
I know the doctrine we've discussed is true."
I think there's another part of that, too.
It's hard to testify of what you haven't lived yourself.
So as a teacher and as a learner,
I think that's why the invitation to act
is so critical.
Our missionaries learn from Preach My Gospel
that this is one of the most important elements
of conversion, is to extend an invitation
and, once an invitation is extended,
articulate promises that are associated
with that invitation and then to testify about that.
And so I think it's such an important thing
to invite action and then a testimony
to motivate towards that, to seal the action.
And another thing the teacher can do,
in addition to inviting them to act
or asking them or giving them ideas about what
to do at home, with Come, Follow Me,
you can invite them to come back and report.
I think that's a great point.
I think when someone expresses an interest in class,
raises a question, that's a good point in time
to trade off that question and, rather than give the answer,
maybe invite them to go research that and bring it back.
Speaking of the interaction between home and church,
one other thing I'd like to mention
is that there's nothing that says a teacher can't interact
directly with parents and can't go to, in some cases,
an individual parent where there's a specific need that he
or she's identified, or parents generally of their class
members.
On the other hand, parents can certainly do it with
teachers--say, "Here's what we're doing at home,
and can you help me with that?"
I agree with you that there needs
to be a lot more interaction between those who are teaching
and the parents of those they're teaching so that they
understand those needs.
And you come to know that child or that youth
when you can get into their homes and have a visit there.
That's when you really come to know them and know their needs
so that you can teach to their needs
rather than teach the lesson.
That's when the Holy Ghost really
speaks, as you're testifying.
And that's clearly what--we all know that.
We know that sitting around this table.
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And inviting the youths to bear their testimonies
of their experiences to one another.
There's a statement that I love by Marion G. Romney, who
said, "I always know when I'm speaking
under the influence of the Spirit
because I always learn something from what I say."
And I think as the youth learn to bear testimony
to one another, they feel that confirmation.
Great.
Thank you.
Thanks to all of you.
I love you so much.
And if every ...
if every council out there loves each other as much
as I love you, we'll be teachers and we'll be learners
and we'll be disciples.
Excuse me.
Two concluding thoughts from the scriptures.
When the Savior was faced with the crisp, final, declarative,
and fairly limited instruction He could give to the Twelve,
as He left and they continued--left physically,
and they continued--this is what He chose to say:
"Go ye therefore, and teach."
And I just do believe this is about as fundamental a task
as we have in the gospel, from earliest childhood
to our senior citizen days.
And I think that fits in part with something
that Paul said: "God hath set some
in the church, first apostles, secondarily prophets,
thirdly teachers," and then, interestingly enough,
"after that miracles."
Ah, good.
The miracles come from apostles and prophets and teachers.
And I'm here because of teachers.
My parents, Primary teachers, seminary teachers,
Aaronic Priesthood advisers, bishops, stake presidents,
mission presidents, mission companions.
I've been taught all of my life.
I'm taught today.
I've been taught today, and I'm taught every day.
I'm taught in these councils at Church headquarters
with our brethren and sisters.
I'm taught by my children.
I'm now taught by my grandchildren.
We're all here.
We're all the product of whatever it is we were taught.
And I'm grateful for all of us.
I leave my testimony and my invitation
of the power of the gospel in our lives,
the power of the gospel to change lives.
And that means teaching and learning it.
And I bless all of those out there
that you'll be blessed and rewarded for your efforts
to teach, your efforts to keep learning.
God bless you all.
I testify that this is God's truth,
this is God's work, that the Savior was the Master Teacher.
He's the master example for all of us in everything.
And I pray that we can teach the way He taught
and live the way He lived, as Elder Christofferson said.
In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.
Amen.
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