Teaching with Power Callisters

 I am reading Teaching with Power by Tad R. and Kathryn S. Callister.  I wnted to record a few of the things that stand out as I'm reading.  

They begin by discussing the mission of every teacher.  

1.  They say that most leadership and teaching is horizontal, meaning that it motivates people to increase their knowledge, power, fame, happiness, and/or money.  But teaching in the church should be vertical, lifting those we teach to higher ground.

2.  Our mission is to help others become converted disciples of Christ.  Our methods of teaching, while important and valuable, are less important than making sure our objective is to bring others to Christ, to help them DO and BECOME something.

3.  We should strive to become more like Christ ourselves and learn to teach like He taught.  We should strive to become the most expert teaching skills possible because the Spirit is better enabled to speak through a variety of options to meet the needs of each learner.

The second chapter reminds us that every leader is a teacher.  Basically, no matter what our call is in the church, it is a call to teach.  Presidents of auxiliaries, Bishops, Primary workers, and so on are all called to teach.  President Hinckley said, "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 can change and discipline their lives.  They cannot be coerced into righteousness or into heaven.  They must be led, and that means teaching."

President Monson shared that when he was a youth, his stake president, Paul C. Child, had lengthy and searching interviews when youth were to be ordained to the Melchizedek Priesthood.  President Monson was hoping to have a shorter interview so he asked to meet with President Child an hour before sacrament meeting.  President Child responded that they would need more time and asked President Monson to come three hours before sacrament meeting and to bring his personal scriptures.  President Child began by asking if Tom had ever had angels minister to him.  He replied no.  He had Tom recite D&C 13 and then said, "Never forget that as a holder of the Aaronic Priesthood you are entitled to the ministering of angels."  President Monson said he never forgot the interview or the feelings and learning of that day.

Tad tells a story of meeting with an older, unmarried sister for a temple recommend interview.  The sister felt sorrow that she had never had the opportunity to marry.  She spoke of dear friends that had brought great joy to her.  She wondered aloud what would happen to those friendships.  Tad shared with her D&C 130:2 and she was filled with joy and peace.

The third chapter  is all about teaching the gospel being the primary responsibility of parents.

They tell the story of Ben Carson's single mother and how Ben was the worst student in his math class in fifth grade.  But his mother noticed that all the people she cleaned homes for had libraries and spent time reading.  She turned off the tv and told her sons that they were to read 2 books a week and report on them.  This profoundly changed his life.  He went on to Yale University and eventually became a surgeon.

A family from Beirut, Lebanon had converted to the gospel of Jesus Christ while living in Romania.  Their child, Sarah, was only 7 and could not be baptized with her parents and two older siblings.  They had to return to Lebanon. In Lebanon, there were no wards or branches, no Primary or youth programs.  But this family taught the gospel in their home.  Five years after returning to Beirut, the family learned of a branch and sent Sarah to be baptized.  Elder Callister was there to give a devotional and Sarah answered many of the questions they asked about the plan of salvation.  Despite not having attended church for five years, the children knew the gospel because their parents had taught them.

They also share lessons their parents taught.  Tad remembers his dad stretching out by the fireplace to study scripture or read good books.  His dad also kept index cards in his pocket to memorize scripture and wholesome quotes.  He remembers that his dad always came to his sporting events and that his dad took him on many visits to see widows.  Tad remembers his mother, around 90 years old, cooking a tray of food and taking it to "the elderly" even though she was the elderly.  Kathy remembers her dad doing small but continual acts of service and kindness.  And her mother was widowed at age 45 and began teaching school full time as well as cleaning apartments to care for her children.  Meanwhile she taught Kathy and her siblings to work and served in many callings, including as RS President for their ward.

I love their closing paragraph in this chapter: "As parents, we can proceed with the assurance that God will never abandon us.  God never gives us a responsibility without offering divine aid-of that we can testify.  In our divine role as parents, and in partnership with God, we can, and should, become the prime gospel teachers of our children.  We should teach and 'exhort them...with all the feeling of a tender parent' (1 Nephi 8:37)."