The Power Is in Them
S&I Annual Training Broadcast 2025
Thursday, January 23, 2025
Introduction
What a great message from Brother Webb. And it is such an exciting time in Seminaries and Institutes. We have the new Life Preparation curriculum. We have the Innovate Institute initiative. Enrollment is growing in seminary; it’s growing in institute. And I think all of these things we’re doing are helping build and make our classes and student experiences remarkable. But I do agree with Brother Webb; there’s an added measure of strength that’s coming through covenants. And as young people—youth and young adults—enter, make, and renew their covenants, there’s a strength to our work that is amplifying everything we do.
I would like to speak today a little bit about deepening the learning in our classrooms. As a General Authority, I periodically conduct what is called a mission tour where we review the progress of a mission, observe the mission leaders, and assess the culture and spirit of the missionaries.
On one such visit, I had a poignant moment observing the Mission Leadership Council, comprised of missionaries with leadership assignments across the mission. These young leaders were all faithful, but they were struggling with a decision regarding whether to involve some of the less experienced missionaries in the responsibilities that the mission president had given to the entire mission. One of the missionaries expressed specific concern that the other missionaries just couldn’t be trusted with these lofty expectations. He wasn’t sure the others were capable enough to perform the task and that they lacked the spiritual maturity to respond effectively. To others, involving the less experienced missionaries just felt like too much work, and they wondered whether it would just be more efficient for the leadership group to take on the responsibility themselves.
I had to smile as I looked at these young missionaries who, in the broader window of Church experience, did not really have much more seniority than their peers who were giving them so much concern. I then asked the leadership group to reflect on the opportunity our Heavenly Father gives to all of His children to act and to grow and receive responsibility in the gospel. I acknowledged that from their vantage point there probably appeared to be a significant difference between their experience and capabilities as compared to the rest of the mission. I then asked them to consider what it might look like from God’s vantage point as He looks down at all of us.
The gap between the mission leadership and the rest of the mission might appear indistinguishable when compared to the elevated state of God looking down at all of us. And yet, He constantly delegates significant responsibility and involves so many of us as bishops, Relief Society presidents, elders quorum presidents, and, yes, zone leaders and sister training leaders.
In the Doctrine and Covenants, we read, “Verily I say, men should be anxiously engaged in a good cause, and do many things of their own free will, and bring to pass much righteousness; For the power is in them, wherein they are agents unto themselves. And inasmuch as men do good they shall in nowise lose their reward.”
Today I would like to talk about the trust required for teachers to allow their students to use agency to deepen learning and personal conversion. I will draw heavily from Teaching in the Savior’s Way in the section entitled “Invite Diligent Learning.”
In Ether chapter 3, the brother of Jared pleads with the Lord, “Touch these stones, O Lord, with Thy finger and prepare them that they may shine forth in darkness; … that we may have light while we shall cross the sea.” I have long read this story and this personal exchange as an act of initiative and agency on the part of the brother of Jared, which it was. But until recently, I had not recognized the role the Lord played in inviting the brother of Jared to take responsibility in the first place. Prior to this Book of Mormon prophet identifying the potential stones to illuminate, it was the Lord who invited him to take responsibility, not only for the construction of the barges but also in the potential solution and discovery of the solution in lighting the barges.
Before the suggested solution was proposed by the brother of Jared, it was the Lord who asked him the following: “What will ye that I should prepare for you that ye may have light when you are swallowed up in the depths of the sea?” There it was, right in front of me. I had never before recognized it. But before the brother of Jared took the action we so admire, he was invited to act, to take responsibility for the solution. Yes, the brother of Jared did take initiative, but the Master Teacher had increased the opportunity and likelihood for this to happen by inviting him to think, act, and find a solution.
In Teaching in the Savior’s Way, we read, “It was surely awe-inspiring to watch the Savior walking on water. But that wasn’t enough for Peter. He wanted to do what the Savior did, be where He was, and have the same experience himself.” In other words, the Savior invited diligent learning of His disciples, just as He does for all of us.
Today I will draw on three ways we can invite diligent learning as outlined in Teaching in the Savior’s Way. First, “invite learners to prepare to learn.” Second, “encourage learners to share the truths they are learning.” And third, “invite learners to live what they are learning.”
As I discuss each of these efforts to invite diligent learning, I hope we can do two things: First, I hope we can see our students the way that God sees them, recognizing that the power is in them and that from God’s vantage point we are all capable of learning when given equal opportunities to act and use our agency. Second, I hope you will reflect on ways you can invite diligent learning, as if there are areas you can improve. And I pray that the Spirit will help illuminate those opportunities in your own teaching.
In Preach My Gospel we read, “Learning from a good teacher is important, but it is also important for you to have meaningful learning experiences from your own study of the scriptures.” One of the ways we invite our students to prepare to learn is to invite them to study the scriptures. We should be helping our students be less dependent on the classroom for personal edification as they learn to develop a direct and personal relationship with the Lord through the scriptures. Beyond our general invitation to attend seminary or institute, we invite each of our students to read the scriptures and other prophetic messages. This is most effective when it happens before a classroom discussion, because the preparation deepens learning and elevates the in-person or online discussion.
There are so many ways to help students prepare to learn. One of the ways I do this is by ending every lesson with a reminder of the reading for the next class. When I’m in a classroom, I’ll often do this by writing the reading assignment in the upper right-hand corner of the board and referring to it at the end of the class. Of course, in an online setting, this can be done programmatically in the design of the course itself. Other ways to invite scripture study before the class might include sending email or text reminders to students ahead of the classroom discussion. You can also reinforce future scripture study by recognizing the preparation your students have done by having someone share something they learned from their scripture reading or a question they hope to have answered as they came to the class that evening.
Beyond scripture study, there are other ways to invite learners to prepare to learn. I’ve seen effective teachers send their students reflection questions ahead of a classroom discussion. Another effective preparation resource is to selectively invite students to prepare ahead of the class to teach one of the concepts in the lesson or share an experience that might deepen the learning for others. These efforts take greater investment on the part of the instructor, and they often require you to know much more about the needs and experiences of your students, but they make a huge impact in deepening the learning experiences of the entire class.
I can always tell when teachers have invited learners to prepare ahead of time, because those invitations are reciprocated by student effort; the discussion is deeper, more meaningful, and has a full measure of the Spirit. Please consider how you might invite learners to prepare to learn ahead of a discussion or classroom activity.
Now, deep learning requires more than just passive listening. We need our students to lean forward and be engaged learners. One of the ways this happens is when students are allowed to share what they are learning with others. If you know you’re going to be expected to share what you are being taught, you prepare differently. This expectation also helps you listen differently and be more active in your listening. Of course, the very act of articulating what you have learned deepens those insights and clarifies what a student is learning and experiencing.
In the Doctrine and Covenants, we are admonished, “Appoint among yourselves a teacher, and let not all be spokesmen at once; but let one speak at a time and let all listen unto his sayings, [and] when all have spoken that all may be edified of all, and that every man may have an equal privilege.”
Of course, the assigned instructor will typically have more experience and presumably has studied the material at a deeper level than most of the students. But remember the experience I shared at the beginning of my message about the missionaries who didn’t trust others to take responsibility for their own development? When a teacher dominates the learning experience, he may have a sense that he is an effective teacher because his message feels compelling and resonates with his own feelings. However, by not engaging students, he likely doesn’t know how the instruction is actually impacting their learning. Moreover, a single source of instruction often deprives other learners of the same deep opportunities to share what they are learning.
There are many ways to allow students to share what they are learning. One of the simplest to do this is to allow time for reflection. This can come through a learning journal or even a reflective activity as part of a discussion. This can also be done by introducing a parable, a life situation, or a personal application, and then allowing students to reflect through written observation before sharing with others.
Another way to have all receive equal privilege in the learning experience is to lead a discussion with questions that invite students to think and share their insights. I used to say that if I had just three compelling questions, I could teach a class for an hour. In my teaching preparation, I will develop questions first by anchoring on the topic and the learning objectives of the lesson. I decide which passages of scripture, prophetic statements, or personal experience might best point to those learning objectives, then I write and rewrite a dozen different versions of questions that I feel would help students uncover truths about those learning objectives. Some of the questions I write are more compelling than others, but others are effective at deepening questions for my anchor topic or subject.
There are also ways you can make your questions and discussion environment more effective. Having one or two students dominate the discussion is no different than having the instructor dominate the instruction. When I’m asking questions in a group setting, I often allow time after I ask a question before calling on student responses. This can feel uncomfortable to a teacher who often wants an immediate response, but allowing a moment of pause does at least two things. First, it provides students time to reflect. Second, it provides the teacher additional time to expand the group who responds to the discussion. Remember, you don’t have to call on the first hand that goes up. I have also found that asking students ahead of time what you might ask in class helps them prepare and can be particularly effective for students who are shy or feel their comments might not be valued. Remember also that inviting participation requires that the learning environment feels safe in every way. Building on a student’s comment or even sending a note afterward are ways to reinforce participation and help students feel that their participation was valued.
Finally, even the best of group discussions might not allow for all or even the majority of students to participate in a limited time window. I will often take one of my anchor questions and ask students to share in pairs or small groups in ways that ensure the entire class has had at least one opportunity to share the truths they are learning with others. When we encourage learners to share the truths they are learning, we are inviting them to take ownership for their learning.
Nephi teaches that the power of agency is that it allows us to act for ourselves and not be acted upon. Are our classroom settings ones that allow students to act and take ownership for their learning, or are they passive environments where students are simply acted upon as they quietly listen? If someone visited your classroom this week, would they see students being given opportunity to engage in the learning process? It is difficult to invite diligent learning if we don’t allow students to share their own insights, inspiration, and observe truths. Please encourage learners to share the truths they are learning and make that part of your classroom experience.
Elder David A. Bednar has taught, “The invitation to act is important because faith in the Savior is a principle of action and power. As a servant of the Lord, my role is not just to disseminate information. If people are to increase in faith in Jesus Christ, then they need to act in accordance with the teachings of the Savior.”
The purpose of religious education in the Church Educational System is to “teach the restored gospel of Jesus Christ … in [ways] that [help] each student … become lifelong disciples of Jesus Christ, who make and keep covenants, who love God and others, and who are able, willing, and committed to gather Israel on both sides of the veil.” That kind of discipleship will not happen unless our teaching includes invitations to become something more and live what we are learning.
The following passage comes directly from Teaching in the Savior’s Way: “‘Let your light so shine before men.’ ‘Love your enemies.’ ‘Ask, and it shall be given.’ ‘Enter ye in at the straight gate.’ [Matthew 5:16, 44; 7:7, 13.] Some of the most vivid, memorable invitations in the Savior’s entire earthly ministry were spoken as He taught His disciples on the mountainside overlooking the Sea of Galilee. The Savior’s purpose was to change lives, as made clear by His concluding invitation: ‘Whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock’ [Matthew 7:24; emphasis added].” Please invite learners in your classrooms to live what they are learning.
In preparation for my message, I have asked each of you to prepare by studying the “Invite Diligent Learning” section in Teaching in the Savior’s Way. Since we are not together in person, and some of you may be watching this individually, I encourage you to share insights to the following questions with your inservice groups in gathered or online settings that we will ask your inservice leaders to facilitate. These questions include:
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Why is gospel learning more effective when it includes personal action, preparation, sharing, and responding to personal invitations?
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What scriptural and prophetic statements confirm your observations to the previous question?
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And what about these statements resonate with you personally?
Finally, please consider each of the following principles we have reviewed and how they can invite diligent learning in your students: one, invite learners to prepare to learn; two, encourage learners to share the truths they are learning; and three, invite learners to live what they are learning.
My closing invitation is to consider how you might strengthen your own teaching in each of these three areas:
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How can I more consistently and more effectively invite my students to prepare before a learning experience?
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What ways can I encourage my students to share what they are learning and be active participants in my class?
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Finally, what invitations will strengthen my students and help them live what they are learning?
Brothers and sisters, we love you so much, and we have an opportunity to follow the Savior’s pattern to invite diligent learning. Please trust your students. This is the only way they will become who the Lord needs them to become. We are not disseminating information, nor are we simply inspiring our students with dynamic personality and engaging lessons. We are preparing students to survive spiritually in an increasingly challenging season. Spiritual survival will depend on the ability to recognize the direction of the Holy Ghost.
President Russell M. Nelson has taught, “In coming days, it will not be possible to survive spiritually without the guiding, directing, comforting, and constant influence of the Holy Ghost.”
When we teach our students to learn diligently by becoming active participants, we are also teaching them how to seek and receive direction from the Holy Ghost. It is this skill set that will bless them long after they have left our classrooms. As you strive to invite this diligent learning, I promise that you will see miracles happen in your student’s lives. The power is in them, of this I testify, in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.