Teaching by the Spirit: Insights from Esther and the Brother of Jared

Teaching by the Spirit: Insights from Esther and the Brother of Jared Lori Jones

As instructors we need to be at the crossroads for our students. When our students come to us to ‘check in’ we need to be there and we must be prepared. (See Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Harold B Lee Chapter 15)

He stood at the crossroads all alone, The sunlight on his face. He had no thought for the world unknown— He was set for a manly race. But the roads stretched east and the roads stretched west, And the lad knew not which road was best. So he chose the road that led him down, And he lost the race and the victor’s crown. He was caught at last in an angry snare Because no one stood at the crossroads there To show him the better road.

Another day at the self-same place A boy with high hopes stood. He, too, was set for a manly race; He, too, was seeking the things that were good. But one was there whom the roads did know, And that one showed him which way to go. So he turned from the road that would lead him down, And he won the race and the victor’s crown. He walks today the highway fair Because one stood at the crossroads there To show him the better way.

(Shared by Thomas S. Monson, Ensign Feb 1989)

We must be spiritually and academically prepared to respond to our students’ needs as facilitators so that we can teach while understanding that true teaching is done by and with the help of the Holy Ghost. We must not stand waiting with our prepared agenda, we must be in tune with the Spirit and listen to learn what our students need from us.

As we address the best way to facilitate and support our students we need to be aware of our individual strengths and weaknesses as men and women. As we know, women are designed to nurture and support while men are designed to be strong and firm. To truly teach with the Spirit we need to find a combination of these two strengths that will allow us to follow Christ’s example. We must be aware of the needs of our students and address their concerns as individuals, while being aware of our strengths and weaknesses to truly teach with the Spirit of the Lord. [There is a pattern to the method the Lord uses to answer theprayers of the Brother of Jared as it is found in the book of Ether.] I'm wondering if you can rephrase this sentence. Two "that" clause sentences see confusing. The same to the following two "thats". There are three types of responses to this pattern and they correlate to the BYU–I learning model of prepare, teach one another, and ponder and prove.

1. Ask and ye shall receive (facilitate their ability to prepare): “Cry unto the Lord that He will not confound us.” (Ether 1:34-35)

The Brother of Jared asked that the languages of his family and friends not be confounded. The Lord answered his prayer and they were able to communicate with each other. This step developed an instant faith and trust that the Lord was there and was listening to them. This allowed them to believe that God could do anything and was their first step toward their journey to the Promised Land.

Our students are young in their faith at the beginning of our course. They will test us to see if we are there and we must be there quickly to answer any concerns or questions they may have so they will continue in their faith. We need to help our students feel confident that they can be successful and we will be there at the crossroads when they stumble.

2. Instructions have been given, now go to work (facilitate their ability to teach one another): “…inquire…And who knoweth but the Lord will carry us forth into a land that is choice?” (Ether 1:38-42)

This step required the Jaredites to act on their initial faith. The Lord gave specific instructions to the Brother of Jared regarding their journey and construction of the barges. “Go to and gather…There will I meet thee, and I will go before thee…” (Ether 1:41-42) The Jaredites were required to “act” and “do.” They needed to take the next step and prove their faith by their actions.

Our students must “do” their assignments. They must take that step to become actively engaged with their learning, they must teach one another. They must believe that they are learning something of value and others can benefit from what they can contribute and share.

3. You know the standards, figure something out and come back (facilitate their ability to Ponder and Prove): “Wilt thou suffer that we should cross this great water in darkness?” (Ether 2:22)

The Lord gave the Brother of Jared the parameters required, “For behold, ye cannot have windows…neither can ye take fire…what will ye that I should prepare for you?” (Ether 2:23-25) The Lord did not tell the Brother of Jared what to do…in fact He did the opposite, He told him what would NOT work. The Brother of Jared had strengthened his faith to the point that he was able to see the finger of the Lord. Our students will learn the expectations of the course and we will not always be required to answer all their questions. We can help them to know what is right. We can remind them of the parameters and integrity of our class and what is required. We can help them realize the depth of their growth and faith to the point that they too can see the hand of God in their lives.

Often as we are struggling with our own problems, it is helpful to stop and think where we are in our faith. Are we developing our faith in a new direction so that we need a little extra support from the Lord? Is the Lord asking that we “do” and act on our faith, remembering what He has done for us in the past? Or do we understand the parameters that are necessary to arrive at a solution and we must decide how to proceed and bring our decision to the Lord for His approval? I'm not sure how the grammar of the part is connected to the first part of the sentence? Are we living our lives in a way that we can see the ‘hand of God’ in our lives?

I can bear testimony that the Lord is always there for us. The Lord is always there for our students. As they struggle to learn and grow and change they will need our support. If we are ‘in tune’ and listening to what the Lord wants us to do, we will be blessed with the opportunity to be a part of miracles in the lives of our students. We will have the opportunity to be an extension of the ‘hand of God’ in their lives. The Pathways Program is going to change the world one student at a time. What a glorious privilege to be a part of that change!