My calling right now is a once a month teaching opportunity in Relief Society. I had this calling in college also, and it is among my very favorite jobs. I love having the entire month to pour over the material and the ladies are always up for a good discussion.
This talk made me cry. It made me yearn to be a better teacher, not only in my calling, but in my family. Elder Holland quotes President Kimball when he said,
"I fear that all too often many of our members come to church, sit through a class or a meeting, and...then return home have been largely [uninspired]. It is especially unfortunate when this happens at a time...of stress, temptation, or crisis [in their life]. We all need to be touched and nurtured by the Spirit, and effective teaching is one of the most important ways this can happen."
Then he quotes President Hinckley saying,
"Effective teaching is the very essence of leadership in the Church. Eternal life will come only as men and women are taught with such effectiveness that they change and discipline their lives. They cannot be coerced into righteousness or into heaven. They must be led, and that means teaching."
I think the reason why I was so emotional reading this was that I sensed, to a degree, the NEED for spiritual nourishment. All of us want it, even if we don't admit it or know how to label it. There are REAL needs in every individual and effective teachers can be an instrument to fulfil those needs. A lot of people have wondered why they should even go to church. They wonder what the big deal is. My personal testimony is that when we go with a need and a prayer in our hearts to have that need fulfilled, someone will be prepared, and the Spirit will influence us. Try it, test it, and see if you can feel it too.
3 comments:
This is something so important for me to remember. I know that right now I'm at a spiritual low in my life and it seems hard to shake that cloud.
This past year has been the hardest of my life to go to church. The pregnancy added to how unwelcome I feel in my ward and how ridiculous some of the lessons have seemed have left me with a sour taste in my mouth and I often just wish I could stay home and sleep. I realize, when I really think about it, that if I'm not being spiritually uplifted at church it is MY lack of the spirit, not the fault of anyone else. I need to try so much harder to seek that out. I'm callingless at the moment, but I'm really hoping that when I do get a calling it will be to teach because I find myself enriched the most when I have to immerse myself in the doctrine fully enough to teach it.
It's funny how as a missionary I wondered how people could ever STOP going to church. I see a much better picture of that now...somedays it just seems meaningless...but like you say, it's meaningless when I don't put myself into the meetings and when I count down the time. I think mothers do have the biggest challenge to gain the Spirit from the meetings because there are so many demands placed on us. We'll get through it though.
I teach once a month in RS too and feel like it is such a rewarding calling for me. I really needed this calling. Really. I thanked the bishop when I was called! I love President Kimball's quote about nourishment. We all need it. It is in the very make-up of our spirits to need to be fed. The Spirit will testify and teach and "nourish" when both parties prepare (D&C 50:22). Thanks for this post.
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