I wrote the following on my webpage: “This website is not an official website of the Church nor has it been endorsed by the Church. I am wholly responsible for the content of this website. As an active member of the Church, I do my best to see that the content is in harmony with the teachings and doctrine of the Church.” I share this to with you to indicate that I do not have the official endorsement of the Church, so whatever I say is my opinion. However, I am an active member of the Church striving to do what is right.
Now, here are a couple of quotes from the introduction to the current lesson manual. “While preparing for class, pray for the Spirit to help you understand the scriptures and the needs of class members. The Spirit can also help you plan meaningful ways to discuss the scriptures and apply them to the present (1 Nephi 19:23). With the help of the Spirit, you will become an effective instrument in the hands of the Lord to teach his word to his children.” Second quote: “This manual is a tool to help you teach the scriptures.”
Based on the above statements, as we prepare our lessons we need to begin our preparation in this order:
1. Pray for the Spirit.
2. Study the assigned scriptures for the week.
3. Utilize the lesson manual as a tool.
If we have done that, then it matters not what resources we use in order to help accomplish the mission of helping our students better understand the scriptures. If we have read the scripture content and the lesson, the Spirit may guide us to other resources that help us in accomplishing the Purpose of each lesson.
The Old Testament is a complex work. Throughout there are references to ancient traditions, laws, practices, and places. We need some help in understanding all of that. As you know, I often refer to other resources in order to help us understand the ancient in order to apply the lessons to the present. To truly understand the Old Testament, we need more than the book itself and a lesson outline from the Church. I have often discovered wonderful principles once I understood an ancient practice and why they did what they did.
I consider my outlines just another tool to supplement the manual. It is based on the manual and not intended to replace it. These are the outlines which I prepare to share with my class. I attempt to anticipate some of the questions which will be asked during the class period so that we can have a meaningful discussion.
Every year, Deseret Book (the Church owned bookstore) advertises a whole list of books to support the Gospel Doctrine curriculum. Not necessarily and endorsement for outside resources, but the Church is certainly not discouraging it.
I indicated that the Church does not endorse my website, nor has the Church ever contacted me regarding my website. However, let me give you a list of some of those (not by name) who have e-mailed me wonderful comments about my website and the lesson outlines: a former member of the Second Quorum of the Seventy, mission
presidents and their wives, temple presidents, stake presidents, bishops and their counselors, seminary and institute teachers, and hundreds (if not thousands) of members of the Church. Additionally, my local priesthood leaders have been aware of my efforts and have complimented me. I provide this list only to show that many priesthood and auxiliary leaders utilize my outlines as a tool. The scriptures teach us to be involved in many good things of our own free will. This is my contribution in that realm and I seek to provide only that which is “virtuous, lovely, or of good report or praiseworthy” as indicated in the 13 Article of Faith.
As noted above, I have received an incredible number of supportive e-mails over the years. However, once every couple of years I receive an e-mail from someone criticizing me for posting my outlines on the web, somewhat like the person who recently moved into your ward. Their claim is that we should not go beyond the scriptures and the lesson manual. It always makes me feel a little bad. However, none of the 3 or 4 that have written such e-mails are not priesthood leaders at any level, nor have they even claimed to have taught Sunday School. I just remember the overwhelming support I have received over the past eight years and carry on.
One final word, I think it is appropriate to discuss your methods of preparation with your priesthood leaders and make a case for your style of preparation. In the end, the decision how things may be taught is their decision and should be supported. However, in my opinion you have done nothing wrong as evidenced by the kind of support which you have received from many of your class members.
Any additional thoughts?
10 comments:
I praise and admire your work Brother Beardall, it is very inspirational and your dedication will not be oversighted by our Lord,our God and specially by those who are truly have coveneted to Jesus Christ plan of salvation.
I thank you for the enthusiasm in your words when prompting and responding to such letters and cases.
My prayer to this website that it may continue giving us NOT the truth, ligth and regulations according to Bro. Beardall, but, a tool through the talents that God had gift you with it. Let's march forward, let's move on and let's all push our shoulder to the wheel of this wonderful trial of life in which we can find good LDS servants and loyal to the gospel and to the work and glory,but not to the MAN.
You provided a list of some of those who have e-mailed you about your website and your lesson outlines: "a former member of the Second Quorum of the Seventy," et al. I noticed that neither President Hinckley nor The First Presidency are among your list. It is they who have told us, as teachers, the lesson manual and the scriptures are sufficient material and do not use supplements of you own choosing. When the Prophet speaks, the discussion is over! If the class memebers wish to do research beyond these resources, it is their prerogative; it is not the teacher's prerogative to introduce other materials into the classroom.
Brother Beardall
I have been the Gospel Doctrine teacher in our ward for the whole of three weeks now! I suppose it is my own fault I was called! (-; I did pray that the Lord would help me to study the scriptures daily and gain a better understanding of the scriptures. I have studied more in the past three weeks than I have done since I was a Seminary student a long, long time ago and I am loving it.
I recognize that the lesson can be given with the manual and the scriptures but I also know that extra studying leads to a greater understanding. I truly appreciate your materials. I have accessed your materials every week, studied the manual, read the scriptures daily and accessed other material like the articles in Meridian. I have felt prepared on an intellectual as well as a spiritual level each Sunday. I have felt the promptings of the spirit as I have accessed and used material from your resources. I cannot thank you enough.
The Gospel cannot be taught without the Spirit and I acknowledge the Lord's help in all that I do. But, as we learn in the scriptures, we cannot preach doctrine that we do not know.
I appreciate your resources and I truly believe the Lord must love you so much for the special contribution you have made to the enrichment of Gospel Doctrine lessons all around the world.
Kia kaha! Kia manawanui!
May the Lord bless and keep you.
Sister Merle Lemon
I am curious as to where the First Presidency has stated to only use the manual and the scriptures in teaching the Gospel Doctrine class.
The current lesson manual states in the Helps for Teachers section, "During class, keep discussions focused on the scriptures. Be judicious in your use of commentaries and other nonscriptural sources of information. Class members should be taught to seek knowledge and inspiration from the scriptures and the words of the latter-day prophets."
I fully concur with this statement from the manual. Most importantly, we should seek to be guided by the Spirit in both our preparation and in our teaching.
As I prepare a lesson, I study everything I can find, including many of the web resources linked at LDSGospelDoctrine.net (of which this site is one). Although I do not use most of what I study in my Sunday lesson, I find that I personally develop a clearer understanding of the material I am preparing to teach by exercising my mind in sincere, deep, prayerful study of the scriptural text, historical background and inspired commentary. Occasionally, I do share information and insight gleaned from this preparation during my lesson, but I have never felt that doing so was a violation of my call to teach. In fact, to the contrary, we are told right in the front of the Gospel Doctrine manual to "seek inspiration and guidance from the Spirit of the Lord" to "become an effective instrument in the hands of the Lord to teach his word to his children." The lesson focus is the scriptures, as opposed to faith-promoting rumors, unrelated topics, or made-up tales. Any resource that enhances our understanding and appreciation and love of the scriptures has value in our studies and in our lessons. The helps section of the Gospel Doctrine manual also relates a story about Christ teaching his disciples from the scriptures. "Did not our heart burn within us, while he talked with us by the way, and while he opened to us the scriptures?" (Luke 24:32) I say, bring on that "heart burn" ... whatever it takes, wherever we find it, however we share it ... bring it on. That is what we are called to do.
It's been several months since this original post but I "found" it today. My effectiveness as a teacher has been severely impacted by this position of "Manual Only" even though selected "other" sources are listed as acceptable I will not defend my approach and set the boat rocking. I can't teach without the Spirit and I certainly can't teach by ignoring the Spirit either. Thank you for your insightful remarks and perspective. Lia
I am a convert of over thirty years. My grandfather was a coal miner and Baptist preacher in the hills of West Virginia. He had a special love for the Old Testament, a passion which he passed along to me. Since joining the Church in 1974, I have been blessed many times with teaching from the Old Testament in seminary, Gospel Doctrine class, and now in the 13 year old Sunday school class. After prayerfully reading the Scriptures, studying the Gospel Doctrine manual and of course following the promptings of the Spirit, I also ask for the comments and feelings of others who would learn from this course of study. I often read the material on your website. I find no harm in this and have become a better teacher for my efforts. I have been set apart for my calling and know that the Lord has put great trust in me to teach these children. If my Grandfather were still here, I know that he too would approve. I am sure that I am one of many who can use the extra insight. Thank you for your efforts.
I think this site adds a great amount of information to our G.D. class. I am from the Vincennes Ward in Vincennes Indiana, and our class was good with our previous teacher, but there was alot of his opinions mixed in with everything. Our newly called teacher uses this site to help prepare and also uses the handouts. GREAT, I can actually stay AWAKE!!!
I hope and pray that this site continues to be a tool for G.D. teachers everywhere. AND KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK BRO. BEARDALL!!!
I remember the days when gospel doctrine teachers and others would bring stacks of books in and teach the lessons from those books. Very little was done in searching the scriptures. Most of the time was spent discussing other peoples opions as quoted from the books they brought. I believe that the emphasis on the manual and the scriptures was to get the members back into the scriptures and away from quoting opions from the many books. We have a sacred duty to build the love of the scriptures in our classes.
That said, I have used this web site as well as others in my preparation for my lessons each week. I have found nothing in these materials that are not based on the scriptures whether it is in the standard works or from our "living scriptures". What I teach in my gospel doctrine is based on the manual and the scriptures. I also have no problem using some of the background and historical material found in these resources to back up and stregthen the material in the manual.
Thank you Bro. Beardall for you dedication and making my life as a gospel doctrine teacher easier.
Wow! I didn't realize that studying extra materials could be so controversial. I am on my second time around in another Ward (8 years later) as a Gospel Doctrine teacher. I have a strong testimony of using the manual and the scriptures. However, I agree with Lynne's comments. As the teacher who needs to guide and direct the class discussions, I feel like I need to be able to have as much background information as possible. I am not a CES employee, but love to study the Gospel. I really appreciate Brother Beardall's outlines. He's not straying from the Sunday School outlines, he's adding more detail/insights to it--to me, it's like a teacher's outline (in addition to the GD Manual for teachers, if that makes sense). Pres Hinckley was known for being well-read, having read 3 or 4 different newspapers every morning by 7 am or something like that? He was keeping up with information to prepare himself daily for whatever came his way. Bro. Beardall's outlines are one of many credible resources I use to prepare myself as a teacher for whatever comes my way. Because, afterall, everyone knows that for that hour every Sunday, Gospel Doctrine students can get pretty wild and crazy! We teachers need to come prepared to clarify points of doctrine, keep the discussions inspiring, appropriate and within the bounds of the manual. For me, part of that is utilizing these many tools that are available.
Post a Comment