Addressing the topic of how to learn and teach more effectively, Elder Richard G. Scott of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles spoke to not only the BYU community, but also all those attending Education Week at this week's devotional.
Elder Scott's devotional will be rebroadcast Sunday, September 2, on BYU Television at 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. and on KBYU-TV at 6 and 11 a.m.
The most important truth he could communicate, said Elder Scott, is summarized in the following principle: "Throughout the remainder of my life, I will seek to learn by what I hear, see, and feel. I will write down the important things I learn and will do them." Encouraging those in the audience to write it down, Elder Scott told them that if they would use the principle consistently in their life, it would justify every effort they had made to be at Education Week, saying, "Many of the vital lessons that I treasure I have learned by following [this principle]."
Noting that many people already learn primarily by what they hear or read, Elder Scott emphasized the importance of learning by what you see and by what the Holy Ghost prompts you to feel, telling the audience to "consciously and consistently seek to learn by what you feel." As you do so, he said, your capacity to learn from what you feel by the spirit will expand.
Three key parts of learning from the Holy Ghost are to write down what you learn, to express gratitude for it and to act upon the spiritual guidance received. "Spiritual guidance," said Elder Scott, "is direction, enlightenment, knowledge and motivation you receive from Jesus Christ through the Holy Ghost . . . Spiritual guidance is a gift of incomparable worth bestowed upon those who seek it, live worthy of it and express gratitude for it."
Elder Scott then offered the following advice: "To acquire spiritual guidance and to obey it with wisdom, one must: seek divine light in humility; exercise faith, especially in Jesus Christ; strive diligently to keep his commandments; repent constantly; pray continually; hearken to spiritual guidance; and express gratitude for guidance received."
When teaching this principle to others, Elder Scott counseled, teach by the power of the Spirit and encourage those you teach to participate. "If you accomplish nothing else in your relationship with your students than to help them recognize and follow the promptings of the Spirit, you will bless their lives immeasurably and eternally," he promised.
Elder Scott outlined several lessons he has learned throughout his life by following the above principle. In closing, he testified that despite the difficulty, if every student committed to live that principle they "would be blessed with greater inspired direction in his or her life."
Writer: Alexis Plowman
