Tag Archive for: Teaching

Taught

You cannot teach without learning.
One day in every 6-week period, missionaries gather together to be taught at zone conference.
My experience is that these are times of great learning and understanding for everyone.
The ultimate purpose of everything in zone conference, every question, every scripture, every activity, everything taught, is to invite the Spirit to build faith and to strengthen the testimonies of each missionary as they come to know Jesus Christ even more.

In the scriptures we read, “The Holy Ghost … shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you” (John 14:26).

It is only through the Holy Ghost that we can accomplish the ultimate goal of gospel teaching, which is to build faith in Jesus Christ and to help others become more like Him.

𝓣𝓱𝓮 𝓐𝓻𝓻𝓸𝔀 𝓪𝓷𝓭 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝓢𝓸𝓷𝓰

I shot an arrow into the air,
It fell to the earth, I knew not where;
For, so swiftly it flew, the sight
Could not follow it in its flight.
I breathed a song into the air,
It fell to earth I knew not where;
For who has sight so keen and strong
That it can follow the flight of a song?
Long, long afterward, in an oak
I found the arrow, still unbroke;
And the song from beginning to end,
I found again in the heart of a friend.
– 𝓗𝓮𝓷𝓻𝔂 𝓦𝓪𝓭𝓼𝔀𝓸𝓻𝓽𝓱 𝓛𝓸𝓷𝓰𝓯𝓮𝓵𝓵𝓸𝔀.

Hopes and Dreams

For me, these words beautifully express the hopes and dreams of every teacher who has ever taught.
This is however especially true in zone conferences.
Every missionary comes prepared to learn and to be taught.
Each session is filled with such a tender spirit, as learning comes from on High.
All those who teach in such settings provide such sweet, delicate, yet powerful messages that penetrate the hearts of all attending.
My hope, like any other teacher is that the eternal principles taught, will live, not just for a day or two, but just as their own souls, will live forever.
Ultimately my experience is always this – their hearts are filled, and their notepads too.
How was your experience of being taught at a zone conference?

Simple Symbols & Formulas

Pondering after general conference weekend, it struck me this morning of a very obvious and intentional way that the Gospel of Jesus Christ is taught around the world.
There is in fact a very simple formula, a pattern if you will.
In the Book of Mormon, Jacob 6:3, we read “I speak unto you 𝒂𝒈𝒂𝒊𝒏 (just like our conference weekends every 6 months), for I am desirous for the welfare of your souls. Yea, mine anxiety is great for you; and ye yourselves know that it ever has been. For (1) 𝑰 𝒉𝒂𝒗𝒆 𝒆𝒙𝒉𝒐𝒓𝒕𝒆𝒅 𝒚𝒐𝒖 with all diligence; and (2) 𝑰 𝒉𝒂𝒗𝒆 𝒕𝒂𝒖𝒈𝒉𝒕 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒘𝒐𝒓𝒅𝒔 𝒐𝒇 𝒎𝒚 𝒇𝒂𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓; and (3) 𝑰 𝒉𝒂𝒗𝒆 𝒔𝒑𝒐𝒌𝒆𝒏 𝒖𝒏𝒕𝒐 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒄𝒐𝒏𝒄𝒆𝒓𝒏𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒂𝒍𝒍 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈𝒔 𝒘𝒉𝒊𝒄𝒉 𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒘𝒓𝒊𝒕𝒕𝒆𝒏, from the creation of the world”
Reflecting upon this scripture, (and others) what I witnessed over the weekend (again), has suggested strongly to my mind that there is an oft repeated simple pattern or formula that is used to teach the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Indeed it has been similarly replicated through all generations of time.

It is this….

1 – Personal Testimony
2 – Teachings of Living Prophets
3 – Teachings of Holy Scriptures
I hope that we can hearken to this simple pattern. It is a proven, powerful and potent way of teaching.
As we were reminded of again over the weekend it has been said that; “The Gospel of Jesus Christ is beautifully simple and simply beautiful.”
Formulas and symbols help us to see things 𝒄𝒐𝒓𝒓𝒆𝒄𝒕𝒍𝒚!
Look out for the pattern when the missionaries stop by to share the gospel and their testimony with you!
What other patterns have you found in the scriptures?

Teaching

How do you learn?

Experience has taught me that the best way to 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐧 something is actually to 𝐭𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐡 𝐢𝐭.

It is really a simple principle.

Several times recently whilst grappling with learning on virtual platform technologies, I was reminded about the very moment you feel that you’re responsible to teach something. In that moment, I know that I learn it so much better. At least I know I do ……do you?

Why is that?

I recognise I delve into things a little deeper, I pay more attention. I work much harder to understand. I’ve noticed too that I ask better questions to gain clarification. I study and explore more. In essence its because I feel much more responsible, not only for my own learning, but I recognise too that I need to convey that learning with power, conviction and understanding to others.

So – do you really want to learn something? Then go on, give it a go – 𝐭𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐡 𝐢𝐭!