--- title: Improvement Era description: Monthly periodical of the Mormon church, 1897 onward. This library holds the issues of November 1897 to December 1930. authors: - McKay, David O. collections: - periodicals tags: - magazine - improvement-era periodical: Improvement Era volume: 20 number: 2 published: 1916-12 publisher: Young Men’s Mutual Improvement Associations publisher_place: Salt Lake City language: en type: magazine reference: 'David O. McKay, "Priesthood Quorums’ Table: How to Teach," *Improvement Era* 20, no. 2 (December 1916): 179–181.' source: url: https://archive.org/details/improvementera2002unse transcription: Transcribed from the Internet Archive scan of each issue (the item for each issue is named in the issue's own source); unnumbered advertising leaves are omitted, printed page numbers are kept as page markers. identifier: improvementera2002unse start_page: 179 end_page: 181 rights: status: public-domain basis: US publication 1930 or earlier (published 1916-12) source: https://archive.org/details/improvementera2002unse publication_year: 1916 note: The Internet Archive item metadata carries a blanket "© Copyright by Intellectual Reserve, Inc." notice. The library owner judged it inapplicable because this issue was published in 1916, before 1931; a scan-level notice does not restore copyright. --- # Priesthood Quorums’ Table: How to Teach : Rffi ^priesthood quo- i -RUMS' TABLE * How to Teach By Elder David O. McKay [At the late conference of the Church, Ehler McKay spoke on the divinity and grandeur of the Church organization, and the great responsihility of teachers therein. Referring to Paul's farewell address to the Ephesian elders at Miletus, he quoted as his text Paul's admonition to these teachers of the people: "Take heed, therefore, to yourselves, and to all the flock over which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the Church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood. For know this, that after my departing, shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock." Referring to the importance of the calling of the teacher and his duties he enlarged upon the need of preparation by the teachers, and how they were to teach. We quote as follows] "The first thing to do, my brethren, is to look to yourselves, to see whether or not you are prepared to teach. No man can teach that which he himself does not know. It is your duty to teach that Jesus Christ is the redeemer of the world, that Joseph Smith was a prophet of God, and that to him in this last dispensation there appeared God the Father and his Son in person. Do you believe it? Do you feel it? Does that testimony radiate from your being when you enter into the home? If so, that radiation will give life to the people whom you go to teach. If not, there will be a dearth, a drouth, a lack of that spiritual environment in which the Saints grow. "Second, Is your heart free from backbiting, from fault-finding, from hard feelings one to another? It is your duty, to see that there is no backbiting, that there is no iniquity existing in the Church. You can teach effectively only that which you yourselves feel. Part of the preparation of a teacher consists in freeing his own heart from those things. In doing so follow the advice of one good writer who says: 'In the very depths of your soiil dig a grave; let it be as some forgotten spot to which no path leads; and there, in the eternal silence bury the wrongs which you have suffered. Your heart will feel as if a load had fallen from it and a divine go peace come to abide with you.' With that divine peace in your soul into the homes and teach the people. "But that condition is but the beginning. Three othep things should bo kept in mind for thorough preparation. The first is a knowledge of those whom you are to teach; the second, a knowledge of ichat you are to teach; and third, a knowledge as much as may be obtained at least by thoughtful consideration and prayer, of how you are going to teach. "I have never understood just why we have limited our duties of teacher to a visit once a month. A visit is not teaching. Reading the outline as prepared by the bishop or the high council is not teaching. Just repeating some passages of scripture, or merely the telling of something to the members of the family in a home is not teaching. Teaching is the awakening of of their thought in the minds of those whom we visit, and the convincing the truth of the message that we bring to them. There must b* souls of giving and receiving, a reciprocal condition. "How necessary it is, then, to know those whom we teach! No two families in any district are alike. I call to mind now one group of six families, one member of which is a patriarch in the Church, living in the 180 IMPROVEMENT ERA sunset of a faithful life with his daughter, a teacher in the puhlic schools, and a grand-daughter, a student in the high school. On the same block next to him, reside a young couple, who have hut recently joined the Church. The girl had grown up in our communities,but she had not joined the Church until recently. Two of their little children are also baptized. Across the street reside a widow and her daughter, the daughter a typist in one of the business offices of the city, and the other three families present conditions just as varying. Brethren, the message, and particularly the manner of presenting that message, might not be the same when given to one who had spent his life in faithful labor in the Church, as when given 'to those who are newly converted. As each family is different from another so each individual in the family differs from others, so our messages and our methods, particularly our methods of presentation, might vary. I cite this just to impress us with this thought, that it is our duty to know those whom we are going to teach. That is one reason, I think, why the Lord says: 'It is the duty of the teacher to watch over the Church always.' Not just once a month but always a teacher; no hour in the day when you are free from There is no day in the week when you are free, and that responsibility. when you should not feel it your duty to do something, if possible, to make that group of members in the Church better and happier. "What you are to teach is the gospel of Jesus Christ. When the bishop gives — you any special message tithing, for example, study that principle, first by 'taking heed unto yourself to see if you can teach it consistently. If it be prayer, 'take heed unto yourself in regard to prayer. Do you get down on your knees before you go out to teach that message? Do you study some boy who is a little questionable in his life to know just what attitude he will take towards prayer? Do you pray for God to inspire you to say something to lead such a one to see the necessity of prayer? "O teachers, yours is an important calling! God help you to be true to it, to feel that part of the responsibility of carrying on God's work, in this the last dispensation, rests upon you. "Even after you have studied your groups as indicated or just hinted at here, and presented your message in the most effective manner you are capable of, your duty is not ended. President Lund, I think, referred to the light attendance at some of our sacrament meetings. You carry the responsibility, teachers, of seeing to it that members of the Church attend to sacrament meeting. How can you teach that duty effectively unless you yourself be present, that you may be able intelligently to commend those ill your district who are in attendance, and to teach those who are absent? "Just a word to the bishops. I believe that teaching will be more effective in the Church if you will call your priesthood to you, and point out to them in meeting, after prayer, in humility, what it means for them to go out from house to house as your representatives. Don't just call them somewhat indifferently from the pulpit, and make an assignment in an indefinite way; but rather there in your bishop's meeting tell them individually what it means to be a teacher, ask them if they will stand by you in your efforts to uphold the standard of the Church. When you have occasion to release them, do it in a dignified and honorable manner, by telling them how you appreciate what they have done, and why they are at present released." Visiting Every Family By H. R. Merrill, Instructor in English, Oneida Academy The preliminaries of the high council meeting were over when President Joseph S. Geddes, of the Oneida stake, arose and smiled the slow smile which his friends and co-workers have come to recognize as the harbinger of some important communication. PRIESTHOOD QUORUMS' TABLE 181 "Brethren," he said, "the presidency of the stake have decided that there is no valid reason why every family in this stake cannot be visited oncf every month by the ward teachers. Our past experience has taught us that when we make an effort we can get a full report from the teachers. For the next year, we expect to make such an effort once every month. "We have placed this work in the hands of President Taylor Nelson (second counselor to the president), and if we are not greatly mistaken in Brother — Nelson we'll get that one hundred per cent, we expect you brethren to go out and help us get it." As the president sat down, a smile flickered over the faces of the assembled brethren. In their minds they were reviewing the difficulties that would arise, and, shall I say it, many of them thought that perhaps the ptesident had requested the impossible. I, myself, was one of the most doubtful. I took careful note of President Nelson, his serious eyes and square jaws, reviewed mentally my knowledge of the man. Then the smile faded from my face, as it did from the faces of my companions, for I felt that we were in the presence of a great resolve backed by an unswerving man. I felt that those reports must be forthcoming. Then I mentally reviewed the months. Some would be stormy, cold, and disagreeable; some, warm and pleasant, filled full and brimming over with work. But through them all, I felt that the teaching must go on. The plow must be left in the furrow, the hay in the field, when duty called. The plan was formulated, and each man was given his part to perform. On the third Sunday of each month, without fail or faltering, each member ot the High Council was to visit an appointed ward to receive the report of the teachers and to encourage them in their work. He was to be accompanied by some brother appointed to that duty. If any district in the ward were reported unvisited the high counselor was to see that the said district was visited before the Thursday following the third Sunday, in order that the report might be given in full to President Nelson. Each high counselor was given to understand that if the bishop failed in getting the visiting done, the duty rested upon the high counselor himself. This system was adopted over two years ago, and since that time the report has been full and complete each month. The high counselors have set a worthy example of loyalty to duty. No day has been too stormy, no roads too bad, no distance too far for them to fill their appointments. Rare are the teachers meetings in this stake which have not been attended by these faithful brethren. Once or twice misunderstandings have resulted in unfilled appointments, but the record has been remarkable. The bishops of the wards deserve great praise for the manner in which they have supported this move. Every bishop has felt that the teacher's work is of paramount importance. Oneida stake is not yet perfect, neither is the teaching done by the teachers all that could be desired, but a marked improvement is shown in general conditions. There is a spirit of harmony and of brotherly kindness existing among our people that is worth all the effort the work has cost. This month, October, at the teachers' meeting in one ward, there were — — present twenty-five teachers the entire corps the bishopric, and the ward clerk. Twenty-five strong, enthusiastic men were present in the sacrament meeting; twenty-five earnest teachers were ready to go out into the homes of the Saints of that ward with a renewed spirit, a message of cheer. All of our wards have not, as yet, reached that stage of efficiency, but they are all on the right road. Now that teaching is no longer a burden, the authorities may turn their attention to other things, not forgetting, of course, to keep every part of the wonderful machine in perfect working order. In ward teaching, method wins; and ward teaching is the most important activity in the Church. It purifies, sweetens, and makes glad the home. It strengthens the young, and cheers the aged. It keeps the fires of faith burn-