The Savior wanted His disciples to really learn.
So He didn't just talk; He listened, answered their
questions, and invited them to discover the gospel for
themselves.
Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God, for no
man can do these miracles that thou doest,
except God be with him.
Jesus didn't lecture or teach a long sermon.
Instead, He invited Nicodemus to think about a simple truth.
Verily, verily I say unto thee, except a man be born
again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.
Because the Savior wanted the man to understand for himself,
His simple teaching invited real, heartfelt questions.
How can a man be born again when he is old?
Can he enter a second time into his
mother's womb and be born?
The Lord must have rejoiced to see the man question and seek.
He listened carefully, then taught a little more.
Verily, verily I say unto thee, except a man be born of
water, and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into
the kingdom of God.
That night the Savior helped Nicodemus discover the gospel
by inviting him to talk, listening to him, and
answering his questions.
Nicodemus listened, pondered, and wondered.
How can these things be?
Just like Nicodemus, we have questions.
You can help us discover the gospel for ourselves.
We are all familiar with the adage that giving a man a fish
feeds him for one meal.
Teaching the man to fish, on the other hand, feeds him for
a lifetime.
As gospel instructors, you and I are not in the business of
distributing fish.
Rather, our work is to help individuals learn to fish and
to become spiritually self-reliant.
As much as I want to pour into their heads everything I've
learned and have in my heart, I can't do it.
They have to find it for themselves.
And so that's what my challenge is, it's to help
them to feel and learn for themselves.
To follow the Savior's pattern, invite us to talk.
If we're really going to learn, we'll probably need to
talk even more than you do.
Before, you were not supposed to talk, but this you're
allowed to talk.
And I like that.
You're allowed to converse with other people.
Encourage us to ask questions and share our insights and
experiences.
So I'm wondering if any of you would like to share?
It made me think of an experience I had a few years
ago, where I was really sick and my whole family was
getting really stressed out about it.
And I turned to the scriptures.
When we talk, listen to us and respond to our ideas.
Our comments will show what we feel and understand and help
you know what to teach next.
You can't walk into a classroom and know exactly
what you're going to say.
But if you go in--obviously prepared; you have to be
prepared spiritually--and then you listen to what the
students are saying, then you go the direction that they
need to go.
More than anything, we need the Holy Ghost to help us
discover the gospel.
When you invite His influence, and we feel it, the principles
you teach will become a part of us.
And we'll become converted.