“Teach from the scriptures and the words of latter-day prophets,” Teacher Development Skills: Teach the Doctrine (2023)

“Teach from the scriptures and the words of latter-day prophets,” Teacher Development Skills: Teach the Doctrine

Teach from the scriptures and the words of latter-day prophets.

Skill

Prepare invitations that help students connect truths found in the scriptures to what living prophets are saying.

Image

President Russell M. Nelson

Define

Living prophets help us understand and clarify doctrine so we can more effectively follow Jesus Christ. You can invite students to connect truths found in the scriptures to the words of living prophets to deepen their understanding of what is being taught. These invitations typically include:

A statement of the truth being taught.
An invitation to search prophetic teachings for related truths.

Model

Sister Sosi wants to invite students to connect receiving revelation as taught in Doctrine and Covenants 8:2–3 to the teachings of living prophets. She prepares the invitation: “After studying Doctrine and Covenants 8:2–3, please find a statement from last general conference that relates to receiving revelation.”
Sister Sosi wants to invite students to connect receiving revelation as taught in Doctrine and Covenants 8:2–3 to President Russell M. Nelson’s talk “Revelation for the Church, Revelation for Our Lives.” She prepares the invitation: “After studying Doctrine and Covenants 8:2–3, please study President Nelson’s talk from April 2018 general conference ‘Revelation for the Church, Revelation for Our Lives’ and identify something he teaches about receiving revelation.”

Practice

Consider a truth in the curriculum that will be part of an upcoming class.

Prepare an invitation that helps students connect that truth to the words of living prophets that they find on their own.
Prepare an invitation that helps students connect that truth to the words of living prophets in a talk you’ve chosen.

Incorporate

At least once a week, prepare invitations to help students connect the truths found in the scriptures to living prophets.

Discuss and Ponder

What are you learning about the power of connecting the truths from the scriptures to the words of living prophets?
How can doing this in your teaching help your students become more converted to Jesus Christ?

Want More?

Clark G. Gilbert, “A Prophet in the Land: Current Prophetic Emphases to Young Adults” (S&I annual broadcast, Jan. 27, 2023), ChurchofJesusChrist.org
Neil L. Andersen, “The Prophet of God,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2018, 24–27