I have been in far too many situations where I felt unprepared as a teacher. One time, I “stupidly” volunteered during Sacrament meeting to teach the Gospel Doctrine class when the teacher was suddenly called away. Luckily, I had my scriptures with me (because without my marked-up scriptures, I am completely lost), and I thought I could pull out some “personal knowledge” that was worthy to share.  

Yikes! Give that person a big fat “F” for Fail!

There’s only one more example that I’m willing to admit. In another ward, I was teaching Ephesians, in Gospel Doctrine class. I had previously asked someone to be my warrior as I demonstrated the Armor of God. But first, the lesson discussed some scriptures about marriage. An amazing discussion began that I had to cut off, because, after all, I had asked this guy to be a part of the lesson and I couldn’t disappoint him.

Yikes! And there are more stories that I simply won’t bore you with.

Well, since then, I have learned a thing or two. And this, by no means, prevents any other catastrophic lessons in my future. But it does give me hope and perhaps it will give you hope as well.

Some people, in Sacrament meeting, have put God to the test using the scripture found in Doctrine and Covenants 100:6:

For it shall be given you in the very hour, yea, in the very moment, what ye shall say.

To be honest, I’m not sure that’s what the scripture means, but I admire the faith they’re willing to experiment with.

Here’s what I think:

We all feel devoted to our schedules and traditions. They stabilize us and give us the crutch we like to lean on. But the spirit works beyond schedules and traditions.

The Holy Ghost only works within us when we have prepared the way. We need to be reading our scriptures. Oops! Wait a minute. That isn’t really what I mean. We need to read to understand the doctrine of the scriptures.

How many times have you read something that sinks deep within your soul? It makes sense to you and you feel you really understand it and it has become personal to you? Do you remember how to find that scripture, so you can drink in that feeling again and again?

If we do that enough times, we’ll have plenty of lesson material available for the Holy Ghost to work miracles in us.

What if, in a classroom, the teacher opens the lesson with a specific doctrine that happens to be in a certain conference address. It’s the doctrine that we will relate to, not the address. And we will instantly relate the experiences we have had with that doctrine. Only then does the Holy Ghost bring to remembrance our personal testimonies of that doctrine.

In a Gospel Doctrine class, as we study sections of scripture, presumably we are studying on our own, and again we’ll connect with our own personal experience. This is how the Holy Ghost enters the room. Our shared understanding of the doctrine will literally become the teacher. And everything else must be set aside.

Next time I’m in any teaching situation, my goal is to discover the doctrine and let the spirit bring out the remembrance in those listening. In some cases, I might never have to say another word except for maybe, “I feel the very same, thank you for sharing your testimony.”