When you teach do you:
a. Teach a lesson?
b. Cover material? or
c. Do you teach people?
If you teach people do you:
a. Pass out excerpts from the manual and have people read them?
b. Teach what others have taught on the subject?
c. Give your own ideas and opinions?
d. Ask for the ideas and opinions of class members? or
e. Do you teach the word of God?
If you teach the word of God, do you:
a. Teach from the scriptures?
b. Teach what someone else says about the scriptures?
c. Teach what you believe the scriptures say? or
d. Do you teach what the Lord has, after receiving His word, revealed to you?
As you answer these questions think about these quotes from Alma:
"For because of the word which he has imparted unto me, behold, many have been born of God, and have tasted as I have tasted, and have seen eye to eye as I have seen; therefore they do know of these things of which I have spoken, as I do know, and the knowledge which I have is of God" (Alma 36:26 emphasis added).
"Do ye not suppose that I know these things myself? Behold I testify unto you that I do know these things whereof I have spoken are true. And how do ye suppose that I know of their surety? Behold, I say unto you they are made known unto me by the Holy Spirit of God. Behold, I have fasted and prayed many days that I might know of these things of myself. And now I do know of myself that they are true; for the Lord God hath made them manifest unto me by his Holy Spirit, and this is the spirit of revelation which is in me" (Alma 5:45-46 emphasis added).
What did Alma teach? What had been revealed to him, and even though what he received had been revealed to many before him, what he knew and taught was given him of God. When God's words become our words because they have been revealed to us, then, and only then, will we become witnesses with first-hand knowledge and can testify that we know. Otherwise whatever we teach is hearsay and we are just echoes.
Also consider what Joseph said:
"Search the scriptures--search the revelations which we publish, and ask your Heavenly Father, in the name of His Son Jesus Christ, to manifest the truth unto you, and if you do it with an eye single to His glory nothing doubting, He will answer you by the power of His Holy Spirit. You will then know for yourselves and not for another. You will not then be dependent on man for the knowledge of God; nor will there be any room for speculation. No, for when men receive instruction from Him who made them, they will know how he will save them. Then again we say: Search the Scriptures, search the Prophets and learn what portion belongs to you" (Joseph Smith, Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, selected and arranged by Joseph Fielding Smith, page 11 emphasis added).
Too often we limit ourselves by reading, or by trying to understand, or by studying, or by pondering, or by feasting, or even by searching. And while we may know what others have said and can quote them, we stop short of receiving the revelation directly from our Father in Heaven, and therefore do not have the Spirit of Revelation and Spirit of Prophecy and do not teach the word of God. Otherwise we would teach with power and authority. (Alma 5:45--47; Alma 17:24; Isaiah 28:9)
Clark, this post absolutely blew me away! At first I wasn't expecting anything revolutionary, but as I continued to read you took it in a direction I did not see coming. I know what you're saying is true because it spoke to me as if I had always known this principle but it hadn't surfaced to my consciousness until I read these words.
ReplyDeleteSeveral take-aways:
1. This explains why just "reading" the scriptures is not enough, and why we can sit through talks and lessons that quote the scriptures and yet are still lifeless. Mystery solved!
2. The scriptures "come alive" with the Spirit when someone uses them to express what they have received from the Lord already! That is the key that I have been missing. This is the best definition of "the spirit of revelation" I have ever read.
3. This quote: "When God's words become our words because they have been revealed to us, then, and only then, will we become witnesses with first-hand knowledge and can testify that we know." I guess my whole life I've experienced the power of hearing the word of God from those who have received it; which is far different from hearing the word of God from those who haven't. It makes all the difference. Thank you!
“When God's words become our words because they have been revealed to us, then, and only then, will we become witnesses with first-hand knowledge and can testify that we know.” So simple, and yet I needed to hear it.
ReplyDeleteWe learn from God’s influences, from Saints sharing their Deity given experiences & from personal divinely given knowledge; each will augment our Spiritual aptitude. All 3 Fountains nurture our foreordained knowledge built into our spiritual DNA. Focusing on the Atoner’s gifts will give us an appetite for his Work & Glory. Stay contrite, meek & humble (so we can be teachable in His Eternal Pattern).
ReplyDelete.