Focus on Prophetic Teachings

Skill: Thinking ahead—matching prophetic teachings to student concerns.

Introduction

President Henry B. Eyring taught, “There seems to be no end to the Savior’s desire to lead us to safety. And there is constancy in the way He shows us the path. He calls by more than one means so that it will reach those willing to accept it. And those means always include sending the message by the mouths of His prophets, whenever people have qualified to have the prophets of God among them. Those authorized servants are always charged with warning the people, telling them the way to safety” (Henry B. Eyring, “Finding Safety in Counsel,” Ensign, May 1997, 24).

Elder D. Todd Christofferson added, “In The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, ‘we believe all that God has revealed, all that He does now reveal, and we believe that He will yet reveal many great and important things pertaining to the Kingdom of God’ (Articles of Faith 1:9). This is to say that while there is much we do not yet know, the truths and doctrine we have received have come and will continue to come by divine revelation. … We value scholarship that enhances understanding, but in the Church today, just as anciently, establishing the doctrine of Christ or correcting doctrinal deviations is a matter of divine revelation to those the Lord endows with apostolic authority” (D. Todd Christofferson, “The Doctrine of Christ: Elder Christofferson,” May 2012).

To fulfill the objective of seminary and institute, teachers should take the time to become familiar with the words of living prophets, so their words flow naturally from the teachers to the students.

The words of prophets are the words of Jesus Christ, and the words of Jesus Christ are the words of prophets, seers, and revelators (Doctrine and Covenants 1:38).

Here are a few questions a teacher can ask throughout the school year:

1. What do I do to regularly study the words of living prophets?

2. How much time do I spend each week studying their words?

3. How often do I quote their words or use their words at home, at work, in school, or during leisure activities?

4. How familiar am I with what President Russell M. Nelson is saying this week?

5. What can I do to know the words of the prophets and their priorities?

This is one of four micro training courses designed to help teachers and students learn and use the words of the prophets. This is a process that will take time to develop. As teachers and students continue to study the content and context of prophetic teachings, the words of the prophets will become more familiar to them. They will also become adept at locating these teachings in Gospel Library and other resources. In time, they will be able to claim the promise in Deuteronomy 6:6: “And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart.”

What is my initial understanding or ability? (Assessment)

What do you do to identify student concerns and prepare in advance to address them?

What is it, and why is it important? (Define):

Thinking ahead with a desire to match prophetic teachings to students’ concerns can happen during semester breaks or on weekends. A teacher could think about potential concerns he or she anticipates students may have as they study upcoming lessons and scripture blocks. These concerns could be known already or anticipated. With a list of potential concerns in hand, a teacher can seek to match concerns with prophetic teachings that would help resolve those concerns. To do this, a teacher can ask two simple questions:

1. What potential concerns or questions could my students have as we study this chapter, block, or book?

Taking one concern or question at a time, the teacher can then ask:

1. What prophetic teachings address this concern?

As teachers do this, they will become an echo and a magnifier of the words of the prophets, and the classroom will become a place of answers for students.

Who or what provides a good illustration of this? (Model):

In preparing for the upcoming Book of Mormon year, a teacher reviews the weekly overviews in the curriculum and asks, “What potential concerns or questions will my students have this year as we study the Book of Mormon?”

She identifies six potential questions, one of which is, “Is repentance easy? Both Enos and Alma seemed to have done it within days.”

The teacher then asks, “What prophetic teaching(s) could address this potential concern?”

The teacher reviews President Nelson’s teaching on “daily repentance” found in his April 2022 general conference talk, “The Power of Spiritual Momentum.”

How can I practice using this skill or applying this principle? (Practice):

Ponder a concern or two that you know your students have or you anticipate they will have by asking, “What potential concerns or questions will my students have this week as we study ?”

When you have identified a concern or two, then ask, “What prophetic teaching(s) could address this concern?”

Ponder or discuss:

Why do you think this skill is important? Think of your own experience doing this. What benefits will come to you? Think of the student experience. What benefits will come to them? What difference do you think this could make in your teaching?

Incorporate:

Going forward, seek to anticipate questions or concerns your students will ask. Whenever you hear the prophets addressing a topic that may be helpful, record and organize it in a way that allows for future access with ease. In time, you will have a reservoir of truths to use.

Want More?

Alma 31:5: “And now, as the preaching of the word had a great tendency to lead the people to do that which was just—yea, it had had more powerful effect upon the minds of the people than the sword— … it was expedient that they should try the virtue of the word of God.”

An example of how a prophet’s answer can address a concern:

Russell M. Nelson, “Choices for Eternity” [worldwide devotional for young adults, May 15, 2022], Gospel Library.