As we try to navigate through this
earthly existence, we have so many obligations and are pulled in so many
directions that sometimes we may wonder if all that we do really even
matters. It is, therefore, imperative
that we stop and ponder on what is truly effective as we strive to save
ourselves and our loved ones. The
following is an excerpt from a general conference address given by President
Henry B. Eyring entitled, “The Power of Teaching Doctrine”:
“There has been a war between
light and darkness, between good and evil, since before the world was created.
The battle still rages, and the casualties seem to be increasing. All of us
have family members we love who are being buffeted by the forces of the
destroyer, who would make all God’s children miserable. For many of us, there
have been sleepless nights. We have tried to add every force for good we can to
the powers swirling around the people who are at risk. We have loved them. We
have set the best example we could. We have pled in prayer for them. A wise
prophet long ago gave us counsel about another force which we may at times
underestimate and thus use too little.
Alma was the
leader of a people faced with destruction by ferocious enemies. In the face of
that danger, he could not do everything, so he had to choose. He could
have built fortifications or created armaments or trained armies. But his only
hope of victory was to get God’s help, and for that he knew the people must
repent. And so he chose to try one thing first:
“And now, as the preaching of the word had a great tendency to
lead the people to do that which was just—yea, it had … more powerful effect
upon the minds of the people than the sword, or anything else, which had
happened unto them—therefore Alma thought it was expedient that they should try
the virtue of the word of God” (Alma 31:5)
The word of God is the doctrine
taught by Jesus Christ and by His prophets. Alma
knew that words of doctrine had great power. They can open the minds of people
to see spiritual things not visible to the natural eye. And they can open the
heart to feelings of the love of God and a love for truth.” (emphasis added)
Our Savior knows that we are faced with
much confusion which could lead us away from the safety of His fold. He has not left us alone. There is a current emphasis in the church to
focus on teaching the saving doctrines of Christ. Due to modern technology, never before have
so many sources of misleading information been able to infiltrate our lives,
BUT, with the help of modern technology, we can fortify ourselves and our
family with pure doctrine so that we can withstand the intellectual storms of
these latter days. “Ongoing historical
research, revisions of the Church’s curriculum, and the use of new technologies
allowing a more systematic and thorough study of scriptures have all been
pursued by the Church to that end.” (Intro to Gospel Essays: see below)
Here is just a few examples of resources
the Church has to offer:
1. Bible Videos- What a great resource to share with our
families and fellow Christian neighbors!
https://www.lds.org/bible-videos/?lang=eng
2. Come Follow Me and Teaching
in the Savior's Way- Two recent
programs to help us be more effective as we teach and learn. https://www.lds.org/youth/learn?lang=eng
3. Preach My Gospel- The new'ish 'not-just-for-missionaries' guide
for personal and family gospel study.
Great for Family Home Evening lessons. https://www.lds.org/manual/preach-my-gospel-a-guide-to-missionary-service?lang=eng
4. Gospel
Topics Essays- (From the
introduction...) “The Church places great emphasis on knowledge and on the
importance of being well informed about Church history, doctrine, and practices.
We (the church leaders) again encourage members to study the Gospel
Topics essays cited in the links (below) as they “seek learning, even by study
and also by faith.”https://www.lds.org/topics/essays?lang=eng
5. New BYU/Institute Courses- Did you know that there
are ALL NEW religion courses that focus on doctrine, rather than
individual books of scripture? Welcome the new “Cornerstone” courses. https://www.lds.org/topics/education/new-religion-classes?lang=eng
6. Seminary Courses- Seminary also has a
new doctrinal mastery component: https://www.lds.org/si/seminary
In a quote from Elder M. Russell
Ballard, we can sense the urgency for all of us to become students of doctrine.
We must consider us all as the students and teachers he mentions:
“Gone are the days when a student asked
an honest question and a teacher responded, “Don’t worry about it!” Gone are
the days when a student raised a sincere concern and a teacher bore his or her
testimony as a response intended to avoid the issue. Gone are the days when
students were protected from people who attacked the Church. Fortunately, the
Lord provided this timely and timeless counsel to you teachers: “And as all
have not faith, seek ye diligently and teach one another words of wisdom; yea,
seek ye out of the best books words of wisdom; seek learning, even by study and
also by faith.” https://www.lds.org/broadcasts/article/evening-with-a-general-authority/2016/02/the-opportunities-and-responsibilities-of-ces-teachers-in-the-21st-century?lang=eng
I pray that we all may be more diligent
as we discover and deepen our understanding of the saving doctrines of the
gospel of our Savior Jesus Christ.
Sister Jill Goodrich
