Elder Henry B. Eyring spoke to us this afternoon, and gave a wonderful talk. I’m not going to write all my notes about it, because it will be available on video for sure, and probably as a written text, also. But since that will take some time to get distributed, and most of us start teaching very soon, I’ll give you the highlights.

He said in preparation for this talk he read and re-read 2 Ne 25-33, and encouraged us to do the same. Search these chapters asking questions about how you should teach the Old Testament.
His first seminary experience was teaching early morning Old Testament to the students at Cubberly High School in Palo Alto. He said that if he could go back and teach again there are 4 things he would do (not teach, do).

  1. Be more eager to be taught:
    by his students, attend inservice meetings, read and ponder the materials and scriptures, plead and pray for inspiration from above.
  2. Read more often of the Savior and teach of Him [I’m not sure that is quite right—I couldn’t hear very well.] Teach less of the sordid things and abominations in the OT and teach more of the love of the Savior.
  3. Put more effort into getting to know the prophets and their hearts and trials.
  4. More carefully [right word???] havae the Holy Ghost as my companion, let the spirit soften my nature.
For each of these he talked about how the students will see in him the happiness the gospel brings.

This doesn’t begin to give you his talk. Please!!! get the video or printed copy and study it. It was wonderful.

I was in tears through most of it, because I took it so personally. I am now teaching the class down the street from Cubberly High School. I have the kids he would have if he came back to teach there again. I feel the responsibility to carry on his great spirit.

But, it isn’t just me. Mine is an accident of geography. Each of us has this responsibility no matter where we teach or how many kids we have.

Sue Allen

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