Ellen Knell, assistant professor and associate director of the Center for Language Studies, centered her remarks on consistent, incremental growth in her devotional address. She taught that regarding our testimonies, it is important to focus on collecting many rays of light rather than one monumental pillar.
Knell coined the phrase “small learning” as a focus for her life. This phrase illustrates the importance and “implementation of incremental, effective and manageable teaching procedures over time can result in large learning gains.”
“Growing doesn’t take place all at once — it happens a little bit at a time, and it’s barely noticeable,” she explained.
Knell first learned this lesson through her experience as a missionary for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. She did not attend church regularly growing up. Because of this, she was shocked when riding the bus to campus one day, she felt as if someone had forcefully tapped her on the shoulder and said, “You need to go on a mission!”
Although her nonmember mother didn’t approve, she followed the prompting of the Spirit and submitted her papers, later receiving her call to Taiwan.
“After I arrived in Taiwan, I felt that I was in a strange, foreign place where I couldn’t understand anyone, and they couldn’t understand me.”
She struggled deeply with the language and subsequent discouragement. However, little by little, things started to turn around and she was able to climb out of the darkness.
“I expected a pillar of light and an instant gift of tongues — instead I got many small rays over time,” Knell expressed. “I felt God working through me despite my weaknesses and mistakes.”
This experience sparked a curiosity for the study of language learning and the best methods to teach a foreign language. This spark ultimately grew and her passion for teaching has taken her all over the world, teaching English in places such as Hong Kong and Africa.
Later Knell was pushed to become fluent in “the most important language — the language of the Spirit,” when her daughter Erica passed away in a car accident.
“My heart was truly broken. How could I go on living? How could I endure the constant anguish? It made it hard to breathe. I wanted the world to stop,” she recalled.
When speaking about life after the passing of her daughter, Knell told of how she struggled to feel the love of the Savior and find grace. However, just as she experienced on her mission, little by little she found the light once again.
“It was the hardest learning that I have ever done, but eventually I emerged with a knowledge that the Savior understands my sorrows and struggles and that he loves me and my daughter.”
"One day I promise you that you will be able to gather all those rays into a bright pillar of light that will warm your heart and sweeten your life with meaning and joy,” Knell concluded.
