{"id":33842,"date":"2015-09-02T18:44:12","date_gmt":"2015-09-02T23:44:12","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/timesandseasons.org\/?p=33842"},"modified":"2016-04-24T14:02:28","modified_gmt":"2016-04-24T19:02:28","slug":"data-doctrines-doubts-improving-gospel-instruction","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/timesandseasons.org\/index.php\/2015\/09\/data-doctrines-doubts-improving-gospel-instruction\/","title":{"rendered":"Data, Doctrines, & Doubts: Improving Gospel Instruction"},"content":{"rendered":"

I’m\u00a0grateful for the invitation and excited to participate here at <\/em>Times & Seasons. The following is\u00a0a talk I gave\u00a0in our recent Stake General Priesthood meeting as the newly called Stake Sunday School President. While many of the ideas below were conceived independently, I was heavily influenced by some of Ben Spackman’s writings<\/a> (especially\u00a0the quotes) when it came to\u00a0their final form. Big thanks to him.<\/em><\/p>\n

I\u2019ve been asked to speak tonight on improving gospel instruction in the home and at church. So much time could be dedicated to analyzing the best teaching methods and the how-to of engaging gospel lessons. However, I will forgo these particulars partially due to time constraints, but mainly because they don\u2019t really get to the heart of the matter. There are plenty of resources provided by the Church that can assist us in improving the mechanics of our teaching. Manuals like Teaching, No Greater Call <\/em>or Preach My Gospel <\/em>as well as Leadership and Teaching tutorials are free of charge and available at the Church website. Elder Packer\u2019s Teach Ye Diligently<\/em> has been a CES staple since the 1970s and is available used and cheap on Amazon. Lesson suggestions can be found scattered all over the Internet, from Mormon blogs to Pinterest.<\/p>\n

But I\u2019m not convinced that typical lessons suffer due to lack of skills or quality methods. In fact, I\u2019d argue that most members most of the time are relatively capable in these processes. The problem is that as a Church we\u2019ve become very good at teaching fluff. Elder Holland asked years ago, \u201cAre we really nurturing our youth and our\u2026members in a way that will sustain them when the stresses of life appear? Or are we giving them a kind of theological Twinkie\u2014spiritually empty calories?\u201d These “philosophies of men interlaced with a few scriptures and poems just won\u2019t do.”[1] Feel-good entertainment, warm fuzzies, and trite platitudes should not be confused with edification just as, according to Howard W. Hunter, \u201cstrong emotion or free-flowing tears are [not to be] equated with the presence of the Spirit.”[2] In essence, I\u2019m more interested in what<\/em> and why<\/em> we teach over how<\/em> we teach it. Here are few suggestions that I think can help increase the what<\/em> and why<\/em> of gospel instruction:<\/p>\n

\u201cRead. Read. Read.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n

President Hinckley taught, \u201cWe live in a world where knowledge is developing at an ever-accelerating rate. Drink deeply from this ever-springing well of wisdom and human experience. If you should stop now, you will only stunt your intellectual and spiritual growth\u2026Read. Read. Read. Read the word of God in sacred books of scriptures. Read from the great literature of the \"\"<\/a>ages.”[3] This accelerating knowledge includes groundbreaking biblical scholarship along with increasing transparency on the part of the Church regarding its historical documents. Academic and independent presses, including Oxford, Harvard, Greg Kofford, and others, are continually publishing important books on Church history, scripture, and theology. The Joseph Smith Papers Project provides both scholars and laypersons with the original documents and manuscripts of the Restoration, edits and all. Some of this new material has even been incorporated into the Church\u2019s new Gospel Topics essays. These essays attempt to address controversial subjects such as polygamy, the Book of Mormon translation, and the priesthood ban.<\/p>\n

In a recent presentation, the head of the Church\u2019s Public Affairs Department Michael Otterson explained, \u201cIt\u2019s the intent of Church leaders that these essays be more than just a one-read experience on LDS.org, but rather that their content and principles work their way into the larger tapestry of learning, especially for our youth.”[4] I wonder, however, if we are taking advantage of these materials. We are instructed in modern revelation to \u201cstudy and learn, and become acquainted with all good books, and with languages, tongues, and people\u201d (D&C 90:15); to \u201cseek\u2026out of the best books words of wisdom\u201d (D&C 109:7; 88:118) that we \u201cmay seek learning even by study, and also by faith\u201d (D&C 109:14). In order to understand the scriptures and our own doctrines, we need to be familiar with their historical and cultural contexts. Teaching, No Greater Call<\/em> acknowledges that it is \u201chelpful to study the political, social, or economic history of the times in which a scripture was given\u201d in order to gain \u201ca better understanding of a particular scripture passage.”[5]<\/p>\n

We understandably want to follow Nephi\u2019s example and \u201cliken all scriptures unto us\u201d (1 Nephi 19:23) as he did with Isaiah. However, Nephi largely occupied the same pre-exilic culture and background as Isaiah. Many of the same cultural assumptions and biases pervade Nephi\u2019s writings. Yet, our \u201clikening\u201d can frequently be described as the art of making stuff up. The collective, honor\/shame society of the ancient world is incredibly different from the life of a 21st<\/sup>-century American. Cultural psychologist Joe Henrich and colleagues have described our historically unique culture as WEIRD: Western, educated, industrialized, rich, and democratic.[6] We tend to read these values and assumptions on to the texts, wresting the scriptures until their original meaning is unrecognizable. And while we may think that \u201chaving the Spirit\u201d is all we need when it comes to reading the scriptures, it might be important to note that Joseph Smith translated the Book of Mormon by \u201cthe gift and power of God\u201d and then later hired a Jewish professor to teach him Hebrew.[7] Granted, no one can be an expert in everything. There just isn\u2019t enough time. But if this is the religion we have supposedly dedicated our lives to, perhaps we should reserve more time to learn about it.<\/p>\n

Focus on Doctrine First, then<\/em> Principles and Applications<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>In Elder Bednar\u2019s book Increase in Learning<\/em>,[8] he distinguishes between doctrines<\/em>, principles<\/em>, and applications<\/em>. Doctrines, he explains, are the why<\/em>: eternal truths that \u201cpertain to the eternal progression and exaltation of Heavenly Father\u2019s sons and daughters.\u201d Principles are the what<\/em>: \u201cdoctrinally based guideline[s] for the righteous exercise of moral agency.\u201d Applications are the how<\/em>: \u201cthe actual behaviors, action steps, practices, or procedures by which gospel doctrines and principles are enacted in our lives.\u201d[9] In his book, Elder Bednar relays his experiences of meeting with thousands of Church members and leaders worldwide. He often asks, \u201cIn your living of the gospel of Jesus Christ and in your serving and teaching both at home and in the Church, have you focused primarily on doctrine, on principles, or on applications?\u201d The answer, he points out, is consistently \u201capplications.\u201d<\/p>\n

The reasons as to why this is typically the focus of gospel teaching range from the more business oriented (such as \u201cI can control applications\u201d; they are \u201cmore tangible\u201d) to preference and comfort (such as \u201cI\u2019m not comfortable teaching doctrine\u201d; applications are easier). In a summary that made me want to clap when I read it, Elder Bednar writes, \u201cI find it both noteworthy and troubling that in the dispensation of the fullness of times\u2026many members are exasperatingly engaged in creating ever longer lists of detailed and disconnected gospel applications.\u201d These \u201clengthy \u2018to do\u2019 lists\u201d receive \u201cdisproportionate and excessive attention.”[10] This is why our Sunday School classes at times devolve into stories about two pairs of earrings, condemnations of R-rated movies, or debates over whether Coca-Cola is against the Word of Wisdom rather than, say, the relational nature of salvation and the abiding need to practice empathy and develop deep, meaningful connections with each other. An overemphasis on applications can distort fundamental doctrines and confuse principles and applications as ends in themselves<\/em> rather than means to an end<\/em>.<\/p>\n

Encourage Question Asking and Cease Shaming Doubt<\/strong><\/p>\n

In response to the hypothetical query regarding questions and doubts about \u201cthe Church or its doctrine,\u201d President Uchtdorf answered, \u201c[W]e are a question-asking people because we know that inquiry leads to truth. That is the way the Church got its start \u2014 from a young man who had questions. In fact, I’m not sure how one can discover truth without asking questions. In the scriptures you will rarely discover a revelation that didn’t come in response to a question.”[11] Intellectual curiosity is the pursuit of truth, which Joseph Smith identified as one of the grand fundamental principles of Mormonism.[12] To ask a question can be an act of vulnerability. In these moments of \u201cuncertainty, risk, and emotional exposure,”[13] we must be very careful not to shame others\u2014especially youth\u2014with the false notion that they are somehow faithless or spiritually lacking for their questioning or skepticism. \u201cOne of the purposes of the Church,\u201d said President Uchtdorf, \u201cis to nurture and cultivate the seed of faith\u2014even in the sometimes sandy soil of doubt and uncertainty.”[14] It is true that Joseph Smith saw his own visionary experience as a prototype for the Church and desired his people to experience the same (especially by means of the temple).[15] However, the doctrines of eternal progression and continuing revelation indicate that knowledge is not static.[16] While we should always encourage personal spiritual experiences, we would do well to remember that \u201cto some<\/em> it is given by the Holy Ghost to know<\/em> that Jesus Christ is the Son of God\u201d and \u201cto others it is given to believe on their words<\/em>\u2026\u201d (D&C 46:13-14; italics mine).<\/p>\n

Furthermore, we should not mistake intellectual apathy for strong faith. And we certainly should not assume that the attainment of some<\/em> sure knowledge is the attainment of all<\/em>. It was Laman and Lemuel who declared, \u201cAnd we know<\/em> that the people who were in the land of Jerusalem were a righteous people; for they kept the statutes and judgments of the Lord, and all his commandments, according to the law of Moses\u2026\u201d (1 Nephi 17:22; italics mine). This was not based simply on a desire to be disobedient or a refusal to \u201cfollow the prophet.\u201d They were<\/em> following the prophets of Israelite history. They were adhering to traditions and promises laced throughout the scriptures, from the Psalms to Isaiah. They were remembering the Lord\u2019s preservation of Israel from the Assyrians and the fairly recent reforms of King Josiah.[17] Their absolute surety in prior revelations, authority, and tradition led them to see their prophetic father as possibly deranged, if not blasphemous, and caused them to miss out on further light and knowledge. When it comes to this subject, the words of Hugh B. Brown are pertinent:<\/p>\n

Our revealed truth should leave us stricken with the knowledge of how little we really know. It should never lead to an emotional arrogance based upon a false assumption that we somehow have all the answers–that we in fact have a corner on truth, for we do not\u2026[C]ontinue your search for truth. And maintain humility sufficient to be able to revise your hypotheses as new truth comes to you by means of the spirit or the mind. Salvation, like education, is an ongoing process.<\/em>[18]<\/p>\n

This outlook is likely why President Brown was known to quote the following from historian Will Durant: \u201cNo one deserves to believe unless he has served an apprenticeship of doubt.”[19]<\/p>\n

In conclusion, it is worth reflecting on these points. Do we study deeply and broadly or do we use the scriptures merely as \u201cquote books\u201d (to use Neal A. Maxwell\u2019s term)?[20] Do we attempt to understand the scriptures on their own terms and within their own contexts without seeking to Mormonize them? How often do we skip the doctrine of our lessons and go straight for application? Do we confuse application and principles with doctrine? Do we shy away from hard questions or label every challenging bit of information as anti-Mormon? Most important of all, do we love those we teach?<\/p>\n

As we go about our lives in the Church, I hope that we may learn to study, teach, and love more deeply.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

NOTES<\/strong><\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Jeffrey R. Holland, \u201cA Teacher Come from God,\u201d General Conference, April 1998: https:\/\/www.lds.org\/general-conference\/1998\/04\/a-teacher-come-from-god?lang=eng<\/a><\/li>\n
  2. Howard W. Hunter, \u201cEternal Investments,\u201d CES Address, 10 Feb. 1989: https:\/\/www.lds.org\/manual\/teaching-seminary-preservice-readings-religion-370-471-and-475\/eternal-investments?lang=eng<\/a><\/li>\n
  3. Gordon B. Hinckley, The Teachings of Gordon B. Hinckley<\/em> (Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 1997), 171.<\/li>\n
  4. Michael Otterson, \u201cOn the Record,\u201d FairMormon Conference, 7 Aug. 2015: http:\/\/www.mormonnewsroom.org\/article\/full-transcript-michael-otterson-address-at-fair-mormon-conference<\/a><\/li>\n
  5. Teaching, No Greater Call<\/em>, 55.<\/li>\n
  6. Joseph Henrich, Steven J. Heine, Ara Norenzayan, \u201cThe Weirdest People in the World?\u201d Behavioral and Brain Sciences<\/em> 33 (2010): 61-135.<\/li>\n
  7. See Louis C. Zucker, \u201cJoseph Smith as a Student of Hebrew,\u201d Dialogue: A Journal of Mormon Thought <\/em>3:2 (Summer 1968): 41-55.<\/li>\n
  8. David A. Bednar, Increase in Learning: Spiritual Patterns for Obtaining Your Own Answers<\/em> (Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 2011), Ch. 4 specifically.<\/li>\n
  9. Ibid., 151.<\/li>\n
  10. Ibid., 167.<\/li>\n
  11. Dieter F. Uchtdorf, \u201cThe Reflection in the Water,\u201d CES Fireside, 1 Nov. 2009: http:\/\/www.ldschurchnewsarchive.com\/articles\/58360\/President-Dieter-F-Uchtdorf-The-Reflection-in-the-Water.html<\/a><\/li>\n
  12. Don Bradley, \u201c\u201cThe Grand Fundamental Principles of Mormonism\u201d: Joseph Smith’s Unfinished Reformation,”\u00a0Sunstone<\/em> (April 2006): 35-36.<\/li>\n
  13. Bren\u00e9 Brown, Daring Greatly: How the Courage to Be Vulnerable Transforms the Way We Live, Love, Parent, and Lead<\/em> (New York: Gotham Books, 2012), 34.<\/li>\n
  14. Dieter F. Uchtdorf, \u201cCome, Join With Us,\u201d General Conference, Oct. 2013: https:\/\/www.lds.org\/general-conference\/2013\/10\/come-join-with-us?lang=eng<\/a><\/li>\n
  15. See Richard L. Bushman, Joseph Smith: Rough Stone Rolling<\/em> (New York: Random House, 2005), 202-205; Margaret Barker, Kevin Christensen, \u201cSeeking the Face of the Lord: Joseph Smith and the First Temple Tradition,\u201d in Joseph Smith, Jr.: Reappraisals after Two Centuries,<\/em> Reid L. Neilson, Terryl L. Givens (New York: Oxford University Press, 2009).<\/li>\n
  16. For the tension between these concepts, see Terryl L. Givens, People of Paradox: A History of Mormon Culture<\/em> (New York: Oxford University Press, 2007), Ch. 2.<\/li>\n
  17. See David Rolph Seely, Fred E. Woods, \u201cHow Could Jerusalem, \u201cThat Great City,\u201d Be Destroyed?\u201d in Glimpses of Lehi\u2019s Jerusalem<\/em>, ed. John W. Welch, David Rolph Seely, Jo Ann H. Seely (Provo, UT: Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship, 2004); Neal Rappleye, “The Deuteronomist Reforms and Lehi’s Family Dynamics: A Social Context for the Rebellions of Laman and Lemuel,” Interpreter: A Journal of Mormon Scripture<\/em> 16 (2015): 87-99.<\/li>\n
  18. Hugh B. Brown, \u201cAn Eternal Quest \u2013 Freedom of the Mind,\u201d BYU Devotional, 13 May 1969: http:\/\/aims.byu.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/foundationdocuments\/An_Eternal_Quest–Freedom_of_the_Mind–Hugh_B_Brown.pdf<\/a><\/li>\n
  19. Richard D. Poll, \u201cApostle Extraordinary \u2013 Hugh B. Brown (1883 \u2013 1975),\u201d Dialogue: A Journal of Mormon Thought<\/em> 10:1 (Spring 1976), 70.<\/li>\n
  20. Neal A. Maxwell, \u201cCalled and Prepared from the Foundation of the World,\u201d General Conference, April 1986: https:\/\/www.lds.org\/general-conference\/1986\/04\/called-and-prepared-from-the-foundation-of-the-world?lang=eng<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    I’m\u00a0grateful for the invitation and excited to participate here at Times & Seasons. The following is\u00a0a talk I gave\u00a0in our recent Stake General Priesthood meeting as the newly called Stake Sunday School President. While many of the ideas below were conceived independently, I was heavily influenced by some of Ben Spackman’s writings (especially\u00a0the quotes) when it came to\u00a0their final form. Big thanks to him. I\u2019ve been asked to speak tonight on improving gospel instruction in the home and at church. So much time could be dedicated to analyzing the best teaching methods and the how-to of engaging gospel lessons. However, I will forgo these particulars partially due to time constraints, but mainly because they don\u2019t really get to the heart of the matter. There are plenty of resources provided by the Church that can assist us in improving the mechanics of our teaching. Manuals like Teaching, No Greater Call or Preach My Gospel as well as Leadership and Teaching tutorials are free of charge and available at the Church website. Elder Packer\u2019s Teach Ye Diligently has been a CES staple since the 1970s and is available used and cheap on Amazon. Lesson suggestions can be found scattered all over the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":10385,"featured_media":33845,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1058,51],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-33842","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-guest-bloggers","category-lessons-all"],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/timesandseasons.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/09\/learning.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/timesandseasons.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/33842","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/timesandseasons.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/timesandseasons.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/timesandseasons.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/10385"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/timesandseasons.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=33842"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/timesandseasons.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/33842\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":35164,"href":"https:\/\/timesandseasons.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/33842\/revisions\/35164"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/timesandseasons.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/33845"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/timesandseasons.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=33842"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/timesandseasons.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=33842"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/timesandseasons.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=33842"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}