WEST JORDAN, Utah — Learning by faith is an individual responsibility that has implications for teachers in the Church, Elder David A. Bednar told a worldwide Church Educational System congregation Friday, Feb. 3.
"An Evening with Elder David A. Bednar" for CES employees and volunteers originated in the Jordan Institute of Religion and was broadcast via satellite to other locations in North America. It will also be made available by delayed broadcast and on DVD to locations around the world.
CES religious education administrator Elder Paul V. Johnson of the Seventy conducted the meeting, and Elder W. Rolfe Kerr of the Seventy and Commissioner of the Church Educational System spoke briefly. President Cecil O. Samuelson Jr. of the Seventy and president of BYU, and Young Women General President Susan W. Tanner of the Church Board of Education also attended, along with other CES administrators and Church leaders.
Elder Bednar said that in the "confused and turbulent" world in which we live, it is essential to learn by faith in our personal lives, in our families, and in the Church.
He quoted Nephi: "When a man speaketh by the power of the Holy Ghost the power of the Holy Ghost carrieth (the message) unto the hearts of the children of men" (2 Nephi 33:1). Then he said, "Please notice how the power of the Spirit carries the message unto but not necessarily into the heart. A teacher can explain, demonstrate, persuade, and testify, and do so with great spiritual power and effectiveness. Ultimately, however, the content of a message and the witness of the Holy Ghost penetrate into the heart only if a receiver allows them to enter.
"Brothers and sisters, learning by faith opens the pathway into the heart."
Elder Bednar taught that "in the grand division of all of God's creations, there are things to act and things to be acted upon (see 2 Nephi 2:13-14). As sons and daughters of our Heavenly Father, we have been blessed with the gift of agency, the capacity and power of independent action. Endowed with agency we are agents, and we primarily are to act and not just be acted upon—especially as we seek to obtain and apply spiritual knowledge."
Elder Bednar continued: "Learning by faith and from experience are two of the central features of the Father's plan of happiness. The Savior preserved moral agency through the Atonement and made it possible for us to act and to learn by faith. Lucifer's rebellion against the plan sought to destroy the agency of man, and his intent was that we as learners would only be acted upon."
Elder Bednar stressed that " Learning by faith requires spiritual, mental, and physical exertion and not just passive reception." It "requires both the heart and a willing mind" and "is the result of the Holy Ghost carrying the power of the word of God both unto and into the heart. Learning by faith cannot be transferred from an instructor to a student through a lecture, a demonstration, or an experiential exercise; rather, a student must exercise faith and act in order to obtain the knowledge for himself or herself."
Such learning by faith has implications for teachers, Elder Bednar said, and he elaborated on three of them:
1. "The Holy Ghost is the only true teacher," he said. "The Holy Ghost is the third member of the Godhead, and He is the teacher and witness of all truth." Teachers "should become and remain worthy conduits through whom the Spirit of the Lord can operate. But brothers and sisters, we must be careful to remember in our service that we are conduits and channels; we are not the light."
2. "We are most effective as instructors when we encourage and facilitate learning by faith." The best teachers, he said, are those who allow students to discover answers for themselves. He added, "Experience has enabled me to understand that an answer given by another person usually is not remembered for very long. But an answer we discover or obtain through the exercise of faith, typically, is retained for a lifetime. The most important learnings of life are caught — not taught."
3. "An instructor's faith is strengthened as he or she helps others seek learning by faith." Elder Bednar said, "The Holy Ghost, who can teach us all things and bring all things to our remembrance (see John 14:26), is eager to help us learn as we act and exercise faith in Jesus Christ. Interestingly, this divine learning assistance is perhaps never more apparent than when we are teaching, either at home or in Church assignments."
Elder Bednar said the First Presidency's recent invitation for members of the Church to read or reread the Book of Mormon by the end of 2005 is a classic example of learning by faith.
"First," he said, "you and I were not commanded, coerced, or required to read. Rather, we were invited to exercise our agency as agents and act in accordance with correct principles. . . . Each of us, ultimately, had to decide if and how we would respond to the challenge — and if we would endure to the end of the task.
"Second, in proffering the invitation to read and to act, President Hinckley was encouraging each of us to seek learning by faith. No new study materials were distributed to members of the Church, and no additional lessons, classes, or programs were created by the Church. Each of us had our copy of the Book of Mormon — and a pathway into our heart opened wider through the exercise of our faith in the Savior as we responded to the First Presidency challenge. Thus, we were prepared to receive instruction from the only true teacher, the Holy Ghost. . . .
"The Book of Mormon, a willing heart, and the Holy Ghost; it really is that simple."
He concluded, "May each of us truly hunger and thirst after righteousness and be filled with the Holy Ghost (see 3 Nephi 12:6) — that we might seek learning by faith."
In his remarks, Elder Kerr expressed love and appreciation for the service of those laboring in the Church Educational System and encouraged them to continue to reach out to youth and young adults of seminary and institute age.
"There is nothing more expedient, nothing more important, for our young people to understand than the doctrine of the kingdom," he said. "And there are none more able and none in a better position to accomplish this than you."
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