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Teach the doctrine
Learn the doctrine of Jesus Christ for yourself
Illustrate
The Lord has commanded us to “teach one another the doctrine of the kingdom” (D&C 88:77) and to use the scriptures to “teach the principles of [His] gospel” (D&C 42:12). The scriptures and words of latter-day prophets and apostles are the source of the truths we teach.
Prayerfully studying the word of God puts us in tune with the Holy Ghost. He can then inspire us to draw upon what we have studied as we teach and lift others. For this reason, it is best to diligently study the scriptures and the words of the prophets before going to supplementary materials to plan a lesson. The Lord promises that if we “treasure up in [our] minds continually the words of life, it shall be given [us] in the very hour” what we should say and how we should teach (D&C 84:85).
Your ability to teach with power from the scriptures comes in large measure from the time you personally spend studying them. This often begins as you set an example of daily scripture study in your own life. Engaging in meaningful, personal scripture study every day qualifies you to offer personal testimony to your students of the value of the scriptures in their own lives. Such testimony can be an important catalyst in helping students commit to studying the scriptures regularly on their own.
You should consistently strive to study the context, content, and doctrine and principles contained in the scriptures and the words of the prophets. As you do, you will grow in your understanding of the Savior’s gospel and Atonement and will be better able to bless the lives of your students.
Here are two quotes from our Church leaders:
“We have more control over our own preparation. We feast on the word of God in the scriptures and study the words of the living prophets. We fast and pray to invite the Spirit for ourselves and the person we would teach.”
(President Henry B. Eyring, “The Power of Teaching Doctrine,” Ensign or Liahona, May 1999)
“Our efforts to teach do not begin with preparing a lesson or considering how it might be delivered or even reviewing the curriculum. Our efforts to teach do begin ad fontes, or ‘at the fountains.’ There is no better preparation for teaching than, as President Marion G. Romney said, drinking deeply from the spring right where the water comes out of the ground. If we want to teach the scriptures with power, if we want our students to feel the truth and importance of a passage, it surely must begin with a fresh, personal excitement inside ourselves.”
(R. Kelly Haws, “First Seek to Obtain My Word,” [S&I Annual Training Broadcast, Aug. 4, 2015], ChurchofJesusChrist.org)
Invitation to act
Think about how you study the scriptures and the words of the prophets, how much time you spend on them, how regularly you study them. How will this help you teach powerfully? How will you encourage your students to study the scriptures daily on their own?
To practice your skills on this subject, you can do the following exercises:
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