Becoming a Godly Teacher: 8 Qs from D&C 88:122-123

What manner of men [teachers] ought ye to be?

Verily I say unto you, even as I am. [3 Nephi 27:21, 27]

This is not a brief post.  But it is organized (Part 1 of 3).  In this first installment, you'll find my responses to eight questions I thought of as I pondered Doctrine and Covenants 88:122-123.

Overarching Questions

I approached my personal study with two questions in mind.

• How can I pattern my teaching after the Savior's?
• What modern-day teachings has God declared about teaching?

Questions to Ponder

While there are countless scripture I could have turned to, I chose to limit my study to two verses of scripture: D&C 88:122-123.  With these two verses and my two overarching questions in mind, eight key questions came to mind.  I list and responded to each of these in their respective subheadings below:

1. What is this scripture essentially saying about teaching?
2. What do these verses reveal about the role of a gospel teacher?
3. What is the role of love in teaching?
4. What can we learn about edification?
5. Can there be more than one teacher at a time?
6. Why are less-qualified people appointed to teach?
7. How can one know you are being taught truth?
8. How does one integrate truth?

Section 88 of the Doctrine and Covenants addresses these questions.  D&C 88, the "Olive Leaf" section, is a collection of revelations received by the LDS Prophet, Joseph Smith, at Kirtland, Ohio, on December 27 and 28, 1832, and January 3, 1833. It was given in answer to Church leaders' earnest inquiries concerning the upbuilding of Zion. This Section is riddled with instruction related to how we are to improve as teachers (and learners) of the gospel. I found the highlighted verses to be particularly poignant.

   1.  Teaching Implications in a Nutshell

Teaching [also a form of learning] is the means by which one deepen their own understanding by sharing what one knows and understands to be true [believes] in an organized and vulnerable way.  In doing so, the Holy Spirit will confirm the truth of what is being shared to the minds & hearts of all those participating.

   2.  Role of a Teacher

The Triangle of Teaching Relationships

What is a teacher? Under the topic entitled, Teach/Teacher*  the Scripture Guide states, "To give knowledge to others, especially about gospel truths, and guide them to righteousness. Those who teach the gospel should be directed by the Spirit."

In any teaching situation I find myself it, I always remember that while I may be the (lowercase) teacher, if I want my learners to actually take my message into their hearts it is the (uppercase) Teacher that does that.

The way I see it, the teacher has two key responsibilities:

1. Create a class structure (or architecture) in which learning experience functions.  This includes introducing establishing rules and expectations, giving a vision, supplying foundational tools and resources (e.g. for intra-class communication, grading, etc.)
2. Encourage learner engagement.  This deals with that mystical "human element" that is so important in the research—the reason why machines can never replace human teachers. Jered Borup developed a Community of Engagement framework that states that "in order for learners to be fully engaged in learning activities, they must be affectively, behaviorally, and cognitively engaged." (These criteria are also known as the ABCs of student engagement.) Teachers play a key role in encouraging learner engagement on all three of these levels.

The role of "the teacher" is unique.  Unique, not in the scarce-economic-commodity sense of the word, but in the sense that means special or sacred.  One's learning is not diminished due to someone else's increase in learning.  It's actually the opposite.  When one person learns, new potential opportunities are created for that knowledge to be shared, and edify others—kind of like a virus. :)

Final thought. Teaching is a classification of learning.  If thought of in this way, the idea of edification has greater meaning—it could be thought of as learning that is being augmented and multiplied, both individually and across learners.

*Interestingly, in a footnote just under the title, Teach/Teacher, it says "See also Holy Ghost."

   3.  What is the Role of Love in Teaching?

A godly teacher fosters a heart (and a learning environment) of mutual respect and love.

• Christ actually commands, in D&C 88:123, that we should "love one another." Why?Fundamentally, because He wants us to progress to become perfect, like He is. [Matt 5:48, Moro. 10:34, Moro. 7:46]

• Additionally, the Holy Spirit uses a still and small "voice."  When our hearts are distracted with ungodly feelings, we are become less sensitive to the Holy Spirit's promptings [Ps. 46:10 1 Kgs. 19:11–12, D&C 85:6, 1 Ne 17:45].

• The Holy Spirit resides in us.  Without love, He cannot be reside in unholy/hateful places [1 Cor. 3:16-17, D&C 1:31]. If we desire for God to help us know if something is true or not, we'd better make an effort be fostering the best of feelings towards those present.
• A teacher's love prepares his or her learners' hearts to be open to allowing new ideas to enter in. (These ideas can be spiritual or secular.) Academic literature substitutes the term "love" with the antiseptic "teacher-student affective engagement."

   4.  What is Edification?

The dictionary definition of edify is "to teach (someone) in a way that improves the mind or character." Also, "to instruct and improve especially in moral and religious knowledge." (See also, Build, Establish, Uplift) (Merriam-Webster).  This implies positive behavioral change, as a result of the learner to "getting it."

Too often, action is driven by lesser motivations (such as fear or obligation). Edification drive action founded on Godly motivations—knowing and feeling true doctrine and principles.

How does edification function from a religious perspective? Edification is the moment when the Holy Spirit confirms the truth of what we already know in our minds.  This confirmation yields understanding, which—scripturally—transpires in the heart (Proverbs 2:2; Psalm 49:3; Job 38:36; Mosiah 2:9).

From the Topical Guide: "For thou wilt light my candle: the Lord my God will enlighten my darkness" (Psalms 18:28).

For edification to occur, according to D&C 88:122, everyone in the learning environment must have an equal opportunity to speak, but only one should be assigned the role of teacher at a time (v.122).

    5.  No.  You're the Breakman. (The Cool Runnings Metaphor)

Sanka Coffie: "I'm the driver." Irv: "You're not. You're the brakeman" (Hilarious quote from Cool Running, IMDB). The Savior instructs us in v.122 to appoint a solitary teacher from among our fellow gospel learners. But then what? Is it important that only a one teacher be appointed? Why can't all learners be teachers at the same time?  The experience could be much more exciting (interactive) with many teachers teaching at once! Plus everyone would then enjoy the benefits of having the "teaching experience." These were tough questions for me.  I'm still not sure about what I think, but here's a stab at trying to understand the Lord's command.

One teacher? Or Multiple teachers? Having a single teacher might be similar to having a single, 30-man bobsled on the ice.  While having multiple teachers at once might be akin to having 30 pushcarts all vying for space on a bumpy, Jamaican hillside. Perhaps the key issue is order vs. chaos. I know God loves order. When there are multiple teachers at once, the structure of the learning environment breaks down.  No one knows who is in charge. The teaching/learning experience becomes a free-for-all and nothing get's done as a result. There is no question that the bobsled is faster, more efficient, and a more unifying experience than the pushcart.

When the learning environment has a solid infrastructure, the Holy Spirit can do His job.  When there a one teacher, there is a definite structure, in which he or she is accountable for the ideas being expressed. If ideas are being thrown about, willy-nilly, perhaps it becomes more difficult for the truth seekers to organize their own thoughts, inhibiting the Spirit to either confirm or deny their truthfulness. As long as there is someone ultimately responsible for what is being taught (either directly taught or simply endorsed by the teacher), learners are equipped to make judgements. (See section, "How Do I Know?" to learn how to discern when they are hearing eternal truths vs. mens' opinions mingled with scripture.)

So who get's to drive? While all lesson participants [teacher and learners] (or athletes, in this metaphor) might be equally gifted or qualified, only one can be the teacher (driver) during a lesson (run). The teacher (driver) is the one who prepares for that specific lesson (practices visualizing the course's unique turns in the bathtub simulator). The teacher (driver) offers the class structure, and architecture for the lesson (handles the steering and yells out the turns).  The rest of the learners (team) work equally hard and thus they all earn an substantial reward at the end of class (finish line). In other words, all are edified (become champions).

Sidenote: This was going to be The Highlander Metaphor, but I didn't want to associate teaching with the genocide of pre-immortals. "THERE CAN BE ONLY ONE!"

Okay—so we'll have only one teacher (driver) at a time, but what about changing teachers mid-lesson? Here's a principle to consider—the longer an infrastructure is in place, the more efficient the learning environment.

• Just as blobsledders improve their times when they repeatedly practice together in the same order (as opposed to switching positions all the time), learners are able to streamline their learning process when the grow accustomed to a regular routine.
• How many times have you felt frustrated because a teacher got pulled, or a student got moved to a different class, "right when things were warming up." (e.g. LDS home teachers, visiting teachers.)
• It seems to me that a compromise exists between giving the greatest number of learners a change to teacher (deepen their knowledge and understanding), and maintaining an efficient learning environment.  That is to rotate individuals into the role of teacher, while minimizing all other structure changes to the learning environment. (e.g. class rules & expectations, class vision/purpose, etc.)  Let changing teachers BE the expectation.

But I still have more questions—

• What does this mean for simultaneous team or co-teaching?
• How long does a "teaching session" have to be?
• Are group activities okay, where learners temporarily take on the role of teaching?

I will examine these questions in the second installment of this series. BYU-Idaho's Learning Model does an amazing job digging into the doctrine of "teaching one another" even more.

    6.  Why Aren't the Most-qualified Candidates Always Appointed to Teach? 

We've all been in teaching/learning situations wherein there is someone in the class that could teach the material much better than the person currently assigned to teach. Yet, the less experienced teacher is still appointed. Why?

• Why did Jehovah call the boy Samuel from amongst all of Saul's kingdom? Why did Samuel choose David instead of one of his older brothers? Why were the prophets, Moses and Enoch, called to be prophets when they both lacked skills to lead? The answer is because he sees the hearts of men, while mortals fixate on the "outer appearance". The Lord called and qualified the boy Samuel to be a prophet in ancient times. In fact, the lord has a pattern of calling boy prophets—inexperienced and ineloquent (at first).
• We must additionally remember the words of President Thomas S. Monson as he encouraged LDS Priesthood holders to hold a church responsibility.  He said, "Now, some of you may be shy by nature or consider yourselves inadequate to respond affirmatively to a calling. Remember that this work is not yours and mine alone. It is the Lord’s work, and when we are on the Lord’s errand, we are entitled to the Lord’s help. Remember that whom the Lord calls, the Lord qualifies." Anyone can be an excellent teacher with God's help. (e.g. Samuel, the Old Testament Prophet; If a rich man can get into heaven, then a poor teacher can become a great one.)
• Assuming God understands the power of group dynamics and synergy—another possible reason is that the most spiritually-sensitive, learned, and skilled teachers of the group, need less practice, relative to the others. Here's the principle: In group dynamics, experts can do more good as a supportive audience member, than as the appointed teacher.
• Allow me illustrate by momentarily leaping to a secondary, videogame-related metaphor. When participating in an MMORPG (Massive Multiplayer Online Role Playing Game), you are only as strong as the orc or wizard standing next to you. When building the strength of your clan/group/posse/hoard, it is often customary to let the weakest member of your clan finish off the last few HP (hit points) of a boss during a battle so that the former receives the greatest portion of the character-building XP (experience or skill points) from the kill.
• While I concede that there is no upper limit to our mortal potential for learning, and thus, there exists an eternal need to metaphorically earn XP, I still argue that, as a group of learners, it is holistically more beneficial for experts to support the less experienced learners/teachers from the pews, than it is the other way around.
• Empirically, LDS Bishops (the local, presiding authority for ward units) do not prepare sermons each week.  They invite members of the congregation to take speaking assignments.  Likewise, when general authorities pay unofficial visits to wards, they do not dominate the pulpit. Often they will not speak at all.
• Teaching is an opportunity to learn. How many times have I heard in a gospel class setting from a teacher, "I feel so blessed to have had the opportunity to prepare this lesson this week.  I didn't realize it when I accepted the assignment, but I now see that I needed this more than anyone else."
• The teacher is not only blessed by the opportunity to prepare to teach, but also by the special communion, which I believe exists between the Holy Spirit and the teacher during the lessons.  God wants his children to get it, on an individual basis.  No teacher, regardless of the amount of skill they may be at perceiving the needs of individual learners, is able to discern the thoughts and hearts and past experiences of individual learners to the degree that God is and does.  When we are called to be teachers, we receive a sacred duty and responsibility to listen to the inspiration and direction from the Holy Spirit regarding what concepts should be emphasized and how they should be brought forth.  I believe, based on personal teaching experience and my understanding of the scriptures, that this special communion is not constrained to gospel teaching, but to all teaching—even secular subjects like grammar or chemistry.

    7.  How Can we Discern Correct Teachings (True Doctrines or Righteous Interpretations of the Scriptures) from Incorrect Ones?

How Do I Know? (Tangential shout out to a fun song—How Does She Know, Enchanted ♫ ...and we're back!) Believe it or not, this song teaches a true principle—by your fruits, ye shall know them (Gal. 6:22-23, 25).  In this instance, the fruits of love are affectionate notes, flowers, couple's dancing, meaningful song dedications, etc.

Simply put, there are two ways truth can be identified:

1. Through the spiritual communications with God. [James 1:5-6]
1. This method is much more reliable and meaningful as it comes from a loving, omniscient, perfect being—personalized for our understanding.
2. The God's most frequent mode of communication to man is via the Holy Ghost—the third member of the Godhead.  Because He is a personage of Spirit, he is able to communicate with our spirits directly.
2. Through physical artifacts (fruits). [Matt 7:15-20]
1. This method, while practical in making short term decisions, has been proven to be less reliable over time.  (e.g. Flat world theory, Four humors theory—which led to antiquated practices such as bloodletting, the belief that eating tomatoes will kill you, etc.)

If you are interested in specifics, here are some additional bits of information:

• Truth is identifiable through thoughts and feelings, experienced in the mind and heart D&C 8:2-3.
• Then in D&C 9:8-9, the Lord essentially states that if something your doing/believing is right, your "bosom shall burn within you;" and if it be wrong you'll "have a stupor of thought."
• "If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself" [John 17:7 emphasis added].
• "Now, if ye give place, that a seed may be planted in your heart, behold, if it be a true seed, or a good seed, if ye do not cast it out by your unbelief, that ye will resist the Spirit of the Lord, behold, it will begin to swell within your breasts; and when you feel these swelling motions, ye will begin to say within yourselves—It must needs be that this is a good seed, or that the word is good, for it beginneth to enlarge my soul; yea, it beginneth to enlighten my understanding, yea, it beginneth to be delicious to me" [Alma 32:26-43 emphasis added].
• "As you seek spiritual knowledge, search for principles. Carefully separate them from the detail used to explain them. Principles are concentrated truth, packaged for application to a wide variety of circumstances. A true principle makes decisions clear even under the most confusing and compelling circumstances. It is worth great effort to organize the truth we gather to simple statements of principle." Elder Richard G. Scott
• "For behold, the Spirit of Christ is given to every man, that he may know good from evil; wherefore, I show unto you the way to judge; for every thing which inviteth to do good, and to persuade to believe in Christ, is sent forth by the power and gift of Christ; wherefore ye may know with a perfect knowledge it is of God" [Moroni 7:10-19 emphasis added].
• If the teacher is asking me to do something "my guts" [Spirit of Christ] tell me is wrong, then it's NOT OF GOD.
• The convincing power of the Holy Ghost is so great that there can be no doubt that what He reveals to us is true. President Joseph Fielding Smith said:

“When a man has the manifestation from the Holy Ghost, it leaves an indelible impression on his soul, one that is not easily erased. It is Spirit speaking to spirit, and it comes with convincing force. A manifestation of an angel, or even of the Son of God himself, would impress the eye and mind, and eventually become dimmed, but the impressions of the Holy Ghost sink deeper into the soul and are more difficult to erase” (Answers to Gospel Questions, comp. Joseph Fielding Smith Jr., 5 vols. [1957–66], 2:151).

   8.  How Does One Integrate Truth into One's Life? (The Virus Metaphor)

President Joseph F. Smith said, “Through the Holy Ghost the truth is woven into the very fibre and sinews of the body so that it cannot be forgotten” (Doctrines of Salvation, comp. Bruce R. McConkie, 3 vols. [1954–56], 1:48).

(Disclaimer: I know next to nothing about actual biochemistry. Okay! Here we go!) When someone is infected with a strain of the knowledge virus (K-virus), it interacts with their hearts and causes a fundamental change in behavior (for better or for worse).

• Symptoms by Strain: Truth strains (or T-strains) of the virus can lead to immediate and long term increase in vigor and appetite for life.  Whereas, the Non-truth strains (N-strains) may cause temporary highs, but ultimately lead to depression, anger, and shallowness of life.
• Transmission: The k-virus is communicated vertically (genetically) and horizontally (person-to-person). The knowledge virus is easily transmitted. It can be passed from one human to another simply by being in close proximity to an infected host. It enters via the nose, eyes, and mouth and is first absorbed through the brain.  Over time, it finds it's way to the heart (where the reaction takes place.) Little is known about the details of how the k-virus passes to the heart.
• Advancements in Antibody Development: At certain times (cause yet to be identified), our hearts indiscriminately allow strains of the k-virus to pass through its outer lining. Around 33 BC, an immunoglobulin was identified on the inner lining of the heart, called the Holy Spirit Antibody [HSAb], which selectively neutralizes N-strains that make their way into the heart. When the HSAb is functioning properly, it either reacts or obliterates any k-virus strain introduced to the heart. 
• Complications: If this antibody is so effective at killing off N-strains of the virus, why aren't all hearts able to easily discern the truth all of the time? Two reasons have been identified:
• One potential cause for the HSAb not having an effect is a designer drug, called Just-afil.  This stimulant was legalized by popular demand.  It is shot directly into the brain and blocks the communication of the k-virus from the brain to the heart.  Users get all the benefits for living truthfully, which not being infected by any strain of the k-virus at all. Essentially, after shooting themselves up with a complex combinations of "feel good" non-truths, Justifafil allows users act righteously, but under false pretenses.
• Long ago, a mad scientist named, Lucifer Von Beelzebub, introduced a sub-molecular agent, labeled the "Pride Serum [PS]," into the human population.  It has become pervasive.  PS nullifies the effects of the HSAb by deceiving HSAb into thinking that N-strains are actually T-strains. N-strains, given time, react with the heart and result in infection with undesirable symptoms.  Common, over-the-counter, medications can fight the infection, such as Pri-dipine, Saddu-zem, Servi-solone, Pray-asone, and Academi-pram.

That was a pretty ridiculous exercise.  But it helped me challenge my own understand about how truth operates and interacts with the body, mind and spirit.  Feel free to pick apart my logic. I invite anyone to dialogue with me and improve upon these idea via email: buzzybellew@gmail.com.