Teaching Doctrine by the Spirit Meets Needs

One of my favorite shifts has become the last Saturday evening, the one where we squeeze nearly every activity into 3 hours?! Ya, that one.

I love the objective of the Lessons in Chapter 3, that is to help the missionaries understand the message and that teaching doctrine meets needs. I feel that this objective can meet every one of Brian Kholer's purposes of the MTC. 1) The Missionary experiences conversion, 2) Understands His/Her Message, and 3) Understands His/Her purpose. Doctrine understood changes behavior. That is what missionary work is all about: changing behavior.

I have experimented with how to do this shift without making myself or the missionaries feel overwhelmed or burdened by so many activities. Truthfully, I don't see them as many activities anymore; they are one with one objective: To summarize a missionary's experience and all they have learned that Doctrine understood can change their behavior and that of their investigator.

I have taught it more than once. Each time the order of activities has been different. Each time there is a different emphasis struck unintentionally. Each time the missionaries and I have left with a better understanding of the Doctrine, more fully converted, and with a better understanding of how to fulfill the missionary purpose (which can still be ours!).

I know that if you ponder over your missionaries and seek to meet their needs, the many activities will become one with one objective. You and your missionaries will change.

Missionary Preparation

I wanted to add a quick little note while I had time.  The topic of lessons in Chapter 3 has very much been on my mind as of recent.  There are two simple things that I have tried to implement that I felt have helped missionaries to better understand the lessons as outlined in Chapter 3, and have helped missionaries to better implement these lessons into their teaching.

1. As you teach the fundamentals, distinguish the difference between the fundamentals and the lessons in Chapter 3.  This can simply be done in the explain portion, and in the practice portions.  When you go to practice, instruct the missionaries where the practice might take place in teaching a lesson, and what doctrine might support it.
2. Prepare the missionaries for their doctrinal study times.  We need to be more aware of what is coming up on their schedule.  Missionaries need to be aware of what doctrinal study time is, what it is used for, and what the objective of that time is.  If missionaries will adequately use that time to study the doctrine, less time will be spent in the classroom trying to clarify what the lesson is, and more time can be spent bridging the gap between the content of the lesson and how it helps one to experience the Doctrine of Christ.

To be centered on Christ............

I have an insight that I'd love to share regarding Christ's indelibe role in the lessons in Chapter 3. The objective in this lesson is to learn the lessons from chapter 3 and see how doctrine taught by the spirit will meet the needs of the investigator.
 Without Christ, the doctrine would be hollow. It all stems from His Atonement and His core doctrine, the Doctrine of Christ. Christ is the true meeter of needs, so to say that doctrine taught by the spirit meets needs is to say that to teach true doctrine by the spirit is to teach Christ. I believe this is more than explicitly mentioning His name and Atonement in every other sentence. Rather, it's an attitude, a feeeling, a recognition. It's to have the conviction that regardless of what we teach, it is intended to draw us and others to Him. I love this. I love the the doctrine wholeheartedly because it is my access to my Savior!

Needs-Doctrines-Invitations

Investigator have needs. We have doctrines, principles, and commandments. But that is not enough, we have to invite people to act on doctrine to make changes or to repent and come unto Christ.

Needs-Doctrine-Invitations

Identify the needs of the investigators

What are the needs of our investigator?
Why does out investigator have this need?

Discern what doctrines, principle, or commandments from chapter 3 can meet the needs

What doctrine from chapter 3 of PMG can meet those needs?
Why will this doctrine meet the needs of our investigator?

Make the connection to know which invitation to use, to help overcome needs

What invitations will help our investigators overcome their needs?
Why will this invitation hep our investigator overcome their needs?

This is a simple process I go through in my own life to understand how I can change. I have also used this in coaching missionary study, and have seen awesome results.

Using the BOM to Teach Doctrine

One of the three outcomes of a missionary's stay in the MTC is knowing the message. When missionaries understand the scriptures, they are more likely to understand the doctrine and then in turn teach the doctrine. YEAH! Doctrine meets needs! I have found a miraculous key to help the missionaries understand and feel more comfortable with the doctrine. That key is using the Book of Mormon to discover doctrine. (ps. I slightly stole this from Lisanne, but there are a million ways to make it your own)

There are a number of Book of Mormon reading activities, as well as Coaching Missionary Studies that can be used to help the missionaries understand doctrine simply. One idea for teaching is as follows:

1. You can prepare several passages for the missionaries to pick (ex. PMG, 104 has suggestions)  or have the missionaries choose a chapter from the BOM on their own, (as a companionship, individuals or larger groups) that teaches the doctrines of the Plan of Salvation.
2. If in a companionship, choose a specific investigator and decide how to teach it:
       a. verse by verse teaching the doctrine as the chapter is read
       b. pick individual verses and skip around in the chapter
3. Read through the chapter to identify verses that teach specific doctrines
4. Prepare specific questions and invitations for the specific investigator

Basically, it can be a Book of Mormon reading on a chapter on the Plan of Salvation or it can be a Coaching Missionary Study that expands doctrinal knowledge and how doctrine meets the needs of the investigator.

I have seen this process work miracles with the missionaries and also with the investigators in PI. Teaching with the scriptures is powerful and underused. Let's use God's word together!

Oh The Things Missionaries Say...

Need I say more? This is for you to be more effective so that missionaries teach true doctrine...not just about kolob and stuff.