Principles of Teaching Part 28

The experience of a Montana railroad executive gives force to this thought. He told one of our leaders how he had always been impressed with the achievements of our Church. In fact, he became such an admirer of the wonderful organization of the "Mormon" Church that he decided to adopt the same kind of organization in his railroad. To quote: "I thought if I could apply the same system up here that you have in the 'Mormon' Church it would work just the same for me as it did for you. I have copied its plan with the First Presidency, the Council of the Twelve, the Presiding Bishop, and all the other officers. I have tried it--but it wouldn't work for me." Only a Latter-day Saint can fully understand why.

And so the teacher who would become a converter must feel the truth of what he teaches so that a spirit of conviction extends from him to his cla.s.s and so takes hold of the members that they, too, feel the truth of what he says. In short, the real teacher must have a testimony of the truthfulness of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. He must be caught up by that same spirit that opened the heavens to the Prophet Joseph Smith--only then can he really teach. The Lord has so revealed:

"And they shall observe the covenants and church articles to do them, and these shall be their teaching, as they shall be directed by the Spirit;

"And the Spirit shall be given unto you by the prayer of faith, and if ye receive not the Spirit, ye shall not teach." (Doc. & Cov., Sec.

42:13, 14.)

"Verily I say unto you, he that is ordained of me and sent forth to preach the word of truth by the Comforter, in the Spirit of Truth, doth he preach it by the Spirit of Truth or some other way?

"And if it be by some other way, it is not of G.o.d.

"And again, he that receiveth the word of truth, doth he receive it by the Spirit of Truth or some other way?

"If it be some other way it be not of G.o.d:

"Therefore, why is it that ye cannot understand and know that he that receiveth the word by the Spirit of Truth, receiveth it as it is preached by the Spirit of Truth?

"Wherefore, he that preacheth and he that receiveth, understandeth one another, and both are edified and rejoice together;

"And that which doth not edify is not of G.o.d and is darkness;

"That which is of G.o.d is light; and he that receiveth light and continueth in G.o.d, receiveth more light, and that light groweth brighter and brighter until the perfect day." (Doc. & Cov., Sec.

50:17-24.)

In the second place, the teacher's belief must be translated into daily life. "Come, follow me," is the admonition that makes for conversion. A young man recently, in characterizing the biggest failure among teachers that he had ever known, remarked, "He simply couldn't teach us anything.

He started in by giving us a vigorous lecture against tobacco, but before a week had pa.s.sed we all knew that he himself smoked. He might just as well have given up teaching right there. We couldn't see any truth in him after that, for the 'smoke' of his own deception."

Of course, he was not converted. A similar experience is related of the princ.i.p.al of a school who, with his faculty of teachers, made it a school rule that there should be no playing of cards on the part of the students. The rule recorded, however, the princ.i.p.al proceeded to partic.i.p.ate in downtown card parties until he established a reputation, in the language of the boys, as a "card shark." Not only did that princ.i.p.al find it impossible thereafter to combat the evil of students cutting cla.s.ses to play cards, he lost that confidence on the part of the student body without which school discipline cannot be achieved.

Lack of conversion--such conversion as leads a man to practice what he preaches--cost him his position.

To the teacher who would develop the power of conversion, may we make reference by way of review to those suggestions in an earlier chapter that make for spiritual growth:

1. Live a clean life.

2. Read the word of the Lord.

3. Do the duties a.s.signed by those in authority.

4. Subscribe to all the principles of the Gospel.

5. Cultivate a real spirit of prayer.

If the teacher is really converted, of course the conversion of his pupils follows very largely as a corollary. But by way of practical suggestion, it may be helpful to list some things that may be done to promote a spirit of testimony on the part of the pupils. At the outset a teacher ought to appreciate just what a testimony is and how it varies with the age and experience of children. It is clearly a mistake as a general rule to expect young children to give expression to a testimony such as might be borne by an adult. True, some children enjoy at an early age the spirit of testimony to such an extent that they do seem to know that the Gospel is true. But it is wiser not to expect too much.

Then, too, testimonies vary with individuals. Teachers ought to look out for expressions which are characteristic of the pupil in question rather than to expect all pupils to measure up to a set standard.

With a proper conception of a testimony, the teacher then owes certain rather definite obligations to his cla.s.s.

He ought to feature testimony bearing rather than to apologize for it.

In the teaching of the Gospel of Jesus Christ there can be no more sacred opportunity than that which allows pupils to open their hearts to their Creator.

Then, too, the teacher owes it to his cla.s.s to _kindle_ the spiritual fire which alone can make for testimony bearing. Brother Maeser had a very effective way of ill.u.s.trating the significance of this obligation.

As he expressed the thought, no one would feel that he had completed his task of warming a house if he merely put into the grate the necessary paper, wood and coal. He might have all these, but until he struck the match which would kindle the fire, no warmth would be felt. And so, spiritually, the fire of a testimony-meeting needs to be kindled. All too often, a teacher opens the cla.s.s hour with some such statement as this, "Now, boys and girls, today is Fast Day. I hope you won't let the time go to waste." What inspiration in such an opening! That teacher has not only not kindled the fire, he has brought in a lump or two of coal--hard at that--with no kindling even as a promise of a fire. On the other hand, the successful teacher comes before his cla.s.s with a vital truth that thrills him and gives it a concrete expression which prompts pupils to add similar experiences out of their own lives.

Then, too, the teacher may well bring into his cla.s.s by way of inspiration someone well established in the faith whose experiences are full of the spirit of conversion. There are in every ward in the Church those men and women who know of a surety that the gospel is true. Why not bring them in occasionally to stimulate testimony bearing? Might it not be well, also, to take the cla.s.s as a cla.s.s to our Fast Day Sacrament service, there to let them enjoy the wonderful spirit of testimony that is so characteristic of these meetings? There is a feeling of conversion that attends these meetings that all boys and girls must feel--must feel so keenly that they in turn will want to give expression to their own convictions.

And finally, as teachers, let us remind ourselves that in this matter of promoting the bearing of testimonies we should exercise a patience that is full of tolerance and forbearance. Some few individuals are converted suddenly; others respond to the truth gradually; and there are those who do well if they really respond to the feeling of conversion at the end of a lifetime. As one of our leaders has so beautifully pointed out, the Master, Himself, did not convert the world in a day, nor a year--He has not converted it in all these centuries. His plan seems to be to teach the truth and wait patiently until the divinity in man a.s.serts itself--until man walks by his own light into eternal truth.

Under the inspiration of such example may teachers well labor on in earnestness, happy in the thought that He will hasten in His own due time what to them may seem a long, slow process.

"Perchance, in heaven, one day to me Some blessed Saint will come and say, 'All hail, beloved; but for thee My soul to death had fallen a prey'; And oh! what rapture in the thought, One soul to glory to have brought."

QUESTIONS AND SUGGESTIONS--CHAPTER XXIV

1. Why is conversion the real test of religious teaching?

2. What are the outstanding characteristics of a person newly converted to the Church?

3. Discuss the significance of each of the factors that make for conversion.

4. Ill.u.s.trate how to kindle the spiritual fire.

5. State why or why not you favor making a.s.signments for testimony day.

6. What is a testimony?

7. How may children best cultivate a testimony?

8. What principle or practice means most to you by way of affirming your own testimony?

HELPFUL REFERENCES

The Doctrine & Covenants, The Bible, The Book of Mormon, The Voice of Warning, Rays of Living Light.

_Bibliography_

_The Art of Teaching_ Driggs Deseret Book Co., Salt Lake.

_The Art of Questioning_ Fitch A. Flanigan Co., Chicago.

_Story Telling, Questioning and Studying_ Horne MacMillan Co., New York.

_Principles of Psychology_ James H. Holt & Co., New York.

_Fundamentals of Child Study_ Kirkpatrick MacMillan Co., New York.

_A Study of Child Nature_ Harrison R.R. Donnelley & Sons, Chicago.