Teaching In The Savior's Way - Teach Word of God

Teach the Word of God

I discovered something in Handbook 2 which says: "The Lord has admonished leaders to treasure up in their minds continually the words of God so they will be receptive to the influence of the Spirit." And then it references D&C 84:85, but before I quote that, look again at the connection between His words and the influence of the Spirit. The Handbook does not always get it right, but here it did. In other words a teacher must have the words of God in order to be influenced by the Spirit!

The scripture that is referenced says the same thing in a different but expanding way. "Neither take ye thought beforehand what ye shall say, but treasure up in your minds continually the words of life (His words), and it shall be given you in the very hour that portion (of His words) that shall be meted unto every man (what words should be spoken)."

The Holy Ghost does not give you 'the words of life...that shall be meted' out if you have not treasured up in your mind continually the words of God!

Somehow we miss this connection between the Holy Ghost 

and the words of God 

when teaching His gospel. 

We talk about 

teaching by the spirit, 

and yet fail to recognize 

the definition of truth given to us:  

"The word of the Lord is truth...."  

I ask the question: 

Are we really teaching 

by the Spirit (the Holy Ghost) 

if we are not teaching the words of God?  

Why ask? Because without treasuring up His words, the Holy Ghost will not bring His words to our remembrance and will not tell us what to say or when to say it! Unfortunately we too often fail to see the connection between His words and the Holy Ghost. The Lord told Oliver Cowdrey that he did not understand when Oliver thought that all he had to do was ask. He had to study it out in his mind first, and then the spirit would help him.

This is consistent with 2 Nephi 31 and 32 where we are taught that angels speak by the power of the Holy Ghost, because they speak the words of Christ, and because the Holy Ghost speaks the words of God (John 16:13; 2 Nephi 32:3). Can we honestly say we are teaching by the power of the Holy Ghost when we are not teaching the words of God? This is the reason Nephi tells us to feast upon the words of Christ, so we too, can speak by the power of the Holy Ghost or with the tongue of angels, and therefore the words of God which we have treasured up in our minds. And to what end? So that by hearing the word of God men can begin to exercise faith in Christ.

Moroni tells us that the office of ministering angels is "to call men unto repentance, and to fulfill and to do the work of the covenants of the Father, which he has made known unto the children of men, to prepare the way among the children of men, by declaring the word of Christ..." (Moroni 7:31 emphasis added).

And why? 

Because "by the ministering of angels, and by every word which proceeded forth out of the mouth of God, men began to exercise faith in Christ; and thus by faith, they did lay hold upon every good thing... (Moroni 7:25 emphasis added).  

Paul also tells us that faith comes by 'hearing and hearing by the word of God.'

His words, spoken by angels, by the power of Holy Ghost, or His words spoken by us by the power of the Holy Ghost), are the basis of men beginning to exercise faith in Christ.

D&C 50 also is important in understanding this relationship between the Holy Ghost and the word of God when teaching. Notice how the word is identified with the spirit, the light, the truth and the Comforter.

The Comforter was sent to teach the truth, and the truth is the word of God (John 14:25-26). We have been ordained to preach the word of truth by the Comforter, in the Spirit of Truth (any other way is not of God).

He that receiveth the word of truth, receiveth it by the Spirit of Truth. That which is of God is light, and he that receiveth light, and continueth in God, receiveth more light, and the light grows brighter and brighter.

I say it that you may know the truth, that you may chase darkness from among you. (D&C 50:13-25). And how do we chase darkness from us? By the light of His everlasting word.

Compare this with D&C 84:45: 

"The word of the Lord is truth, 

and whatsoever is truth is light, and whatsoever is light is spirit, even the spirit of Jesus Christ.

When we understand that because angels speak by the power of the Holy Ghost, they speak the words of Christ, then we see that without His words there is no spirit of truth (some other way is not of me and is darkness, does not edify or enlighten and does not nourish). 

The Sons of Mosiah searched the scriptures diligently that they might know the word of God, and thereafter prayed and fasted to receive the spirit of prophecy and the spirit of revelation, so they could teach with power and authority. (Alma 17:2-3) 

Notice how the word of God cannot be separated from the spirit of prophecy and the spirit of revelation, and is the basis for teaching with power and authority.  

The idea that we must first have the words of God before we can teach by the power of the Holy Ghost is set forth by Christ himself in several passages from John 12 thru 17. As He is preparing His disciples for His leaving them he said unto them, 

"Yet a little while 

is the light with you. 

Walk while ye have the light, 

lest darkness come upon you: 

for he that walketh in darkness knoweth not whither he goeth. 

While ye have light, 

believe in the light (because His words are light, He could have also said while ye have my words, believe in my words), 

that ye may be the children of light" (John 12:35). 

Walking in darkness is walking without light or without His words.

Then He laid the foundation for using the word of God as the basis for all His teaching.  

In John 12, we read: 

"If any man hear my words, 

and believe them not, 

I judge him not: 

for I came not to judge the world, but to save the world.  

He that rejecteth me 

and receiveth not my words, 

hath one that judgeth him: 

the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him 

at the last day. 

For I have not spoken of myself; 

but the Father which sent me, 

he gave me a commandment, 

what I should say, 

and what I should speak. 

And I know that his 

commandment is life everlasting: whatsoever I speak therefore, 

even as the Father said unto me, so I speak" (John 12:46-50 emphasis added).

Then He says in Chapter 14 verse 10

"the words that I speak unto you 

I speak not of myself: 

but the father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works."

Christ then introduces them to another Comforter. 

"And I will pray the Father, 

and he shall give you 

another Comforter, 

that he may abide with you forever; even the Spirit of Truth... 

I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you. 

...If a man love me 

and keepeth not my sayings: and the word which ye hear 

is not mine, but the Father's which sent me" (John 14:16-17; 23-25). 

Note again the connection between the Spirit of Truth and the word of God which is Truth.

And then He tells us why He is sending the Holy Ghost, 

"These things (the words) 

have I spoken unto you, 

being yet present with you. 

But the Comforter, 

which is the Holy Ghost, 

whom the Father will send 

in my name, he shall 

teach you all things, 

and bring all things 

to your remembrance, 

whatsoever I have 

said unto you" (John 14:25-26 emphasis added).

Christ then tells us even the Holy Ghost speaks the words given Him of God. 

"Nevertheless I tell you the truth; 

it is expedient for you 

that I go away: 

for if I go not away, 

the Comforter will not come 

unto you; 

but if I depart, 

I will send him unto you." (John 16:7) 

And how will the Comforter or Holy Ghost guide them? 

"Howbeit when he, 

the Spirit of Truth is come, 

he will guide you into all truth; 

for he will not speak of himself; 

but whatsoever he shall hear, 

that shall he speak; 

and he will show you 

things to come" (John 16:13 emphasis added).

Then in Chapter 17 we have words that Christ spake to His Father. As part of His prayer for His disciples he prays: 

"For I have given them 

the words which thou gavest me; and they have received them..." (John 17:8). 

And again, 

"I have given them thy word; 

and the world hated them, 

because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world." (John 17:14). 

Further, 

"Sanctify them 

through thy truth: 

thy word is truth. 

...And for their sakes 

I sanctify myself, 

that they also might be sanctified through the truth (His Father's words). 

Neither pray I for these alone, 

but for them which shall believe 

on me through their word (Father's words that they speak)." (John 17:14;19-20). 

He concludes Chapter 17 with these words:  

"And I have declared unto them 

thy name and will declare it: 

that thy love wherewith thou has loved me may be in them, 

and I in them (through His Father's words)." (John 17:26)

So if even Christ who is full of truth is speaking the words of His father, how much more shall we, teach His words by the power of the Holy Ghost, who also speaks the words given Him of the Father, after we have treasured up in our hearts His words by 'feasting' upon them, so that His words will be found in us?

This is difficult for so many because our minds are full of dogmas, opinions, tenets, mantras, and all manner of false doctrines. When the mind becomes so corrupted, only the word of God can replace all the noxious weeds that find their way into uncultivated minds.

The sons of Mosiah brought many to a knowledge of the truth, and it was "by the power of their words (that) many were brought before the alter of God, to call on his name and confess their sins before him" (vs 4). This came after they had fasted and prayed much that the Lord would grant unto them a portion of his Spirit to go with them (vs. 9). The Lord told them to go forth 'among the Lamanites...and establish my word' (vs. 11). They undertook the work, that 'perhaps they might bring them unto repentance...' (vs 16).

The entire Book of Alma is about how the word of God is used to teach the members of the Church, non-members, family and even to counter what is taught by Satan. Alma tells us there is no more effective way than using the word of God to teach the people. Even the word of God is used as the basis for converting those who desire to believe and can thereafter exercise even a particle of faith by planting the word of God in their hearts to see if it will grow. And finally the Book of Alma shows us in the last 20 chapters what happens to those who reject or fail to receive His words.

To summarize, 

the word of God cannot be separated from the Holy Ghost, 

the Spirit of Truth. 

The word of God cannot be separated from Christ, 

for His words are His spirit. 

Christ speaks the words of God, 

the Holy Ghost speaks the words of God, 

and angels speak the words of God. 

Can we honestly say we are teaching by the power of the Holy Ghost if we do not speak the words of God? 

So the admonition to treasure up His words is given to us so that we too can speak His words by the power of the Holy Ghost. Any other way is not of God, but is darkness.