CONVERSION--THE REAL TEST OF TEACHING
OUTLINE--CHAPTER XXIV
Character, a great power in conversion.--Our concern the converted
teacher and also the converted pupil.--The converted teacher
believes what he teaches.--The converted teacher practices what he
teaches.--The force of "Come, follow me."--What makes for
conversion.--The teacher's obligation to kindle the spiritual
fire.--His obligation to feature testimony-bearing.--His obligation
to take his pupils where they will feel the spirit of testimony.
A number of years ago a young graduate of one of our eastern
universities was employed to teach science in a school in Japan. He was
employed with the understanding that though he was free to advance
whatever scientific theories he chose he should say nothing about his
Christian religion. He accepted the conditions gladly, and during the
first year of his service was careful not even to mention Christianity.
He not only taught his classes in science, but he joined with the boys
in their athletics and in their social life generally. Being both an
athlete and a leader, he was soon looked to as the life of the school.
His clean life was an inspiration. He inevitably set a Christian
standard. Before the end of the second year, though he had preached
never a word, forty young men made application for membership in his
church. His life and ideals had converted them as no preaching could
have done.
What was true in this case is inevitably true in the case of all real
teachers. What a man is breathes a power of conversion that no force or
argument can equal. Hence this concluding chapter--Conversion, the Real
Test of Teaching.
First of all, we are concerned with the conversion of the teacher;
secondly, with the conversion of the pupil. They are inseparably
interwoven. Only the converted teacher can make converts of his pupils.
And surely there is very great need of this very thing--_the making of
real converts of our boys and girls_ that they may come fully to
appreciate the significance of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Upon them
rests the carrying forward of that great work which only the
_conversion_ of our pioneer forefathers could have achieved.
In the first place, the converted teacher _believes_ what he teaches.
There is no half-hearted attitude toward the subject in hand. To him it
is both true and vital. He teaches with a positiveness and an assurance
which grip pupils. What a difference between the speech in which a
speaker merely makes certain observations--sets forth certain specified
facts--and the speech in which those same facts are heightened by that
glow of conviction which stamps them as indispensably essential to
proper living. The prayer of a man who does not believe in prayer is an
example of the emptiness of unbelief. There is one minister in Chicago
who openly announces that God does not and can not answer the prayers of
mankind. And yet he prays. And what mockery is his praying. Mere words.
No man is ever touched by such an empty form. Such prayers have none of
that _Heaven Force_ which establishes communion with the Lord. Surely
"They draw near me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me."
To everyone comes the experience of listening to the heavy phrases of
him who would argue and harrangue his auditors into salvation. How his
words seem not only to close their minds, but to shut their hearts as
well. He fairly talks so loudly that they can't hear him. And then some
humble follower of Him who shunned the orator's eloquence moves to
tears the same audience by his simple utterance of what he knows and
feels to be true. He adds the conviction of conversion to mere
"hard-headedness." When a man knows that which he teaches is true there
is a spirit that gives power to what he says. "The letter killeth, but
the spirit giveth life."
The experience of a Montana railroad executive gives force to this
thought. He told one of our leaders how he had always been impressed
with the achievements of our Church. In fact, he became such an admirer
of the wonderful organization of the "Mormon" Church that he decided to
adopt the same kind of organization in his railroad. To quote: "I
thought if I could apply the same system up here that you have in the
'Mormon' Church it would work just the same for me as it did for you. I
have copied its plan with the First Presidency, the Council of the
Twelve, the Presiding Bishop, and all the other officers. I have tried
it--but it wouldn't work for me." Only a Latter-day Saint can fully
understand why.
And so the teacher who would become a converter must feel the truth of
what he teaches so that a spirit of conviction extends from him to his
class and so takes hold of the members that they, too, feel the truth of
what he says. In short, the real teacher must have a testimony of the
truthfulness of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. He must be caught up by that
same spirit that opened the heavens to the Prophet Joseph Smith--only
then can he really teach. The Lord has so revealed:
"And they shall observe the covenants and church articles to do them,
and these shall be their teaching, as they shall be directed by the
Spirit;
"And the Spirit shall be given unto you by the prayer of faith, and
if ye receive not the Spirit, ye shall not teach." (Doc. & Cov., Sec.
42:13, 14.)
"Verily I say unto you, he that is ordained of me and sent forth to
preach the word of truth by the Comforter, in the Spirit of Truth,
doth he preach it by the Spirit of Truth or some other way?
"And if it be by some other way, it is not of God.
"And again, he that receiveth the word of truth, doth he receive it
by the Spirit of Truth or some other way?
"If it be some other way it be not of God:
"Therefore, why is it that ye cannot understand and know that he that
receiveth the word by the Spirit of Truth, receiveth it as it is
preached by the Spirit of Truth?
"Wherefore, he that preacheth and he that receiveth, understandeth
one another, and both are edified and rejoice together;
"And that which doth not edify is not of God and is darkness;
"That which is of God is light; and he that receiveth light and
continueth in God, receiveth more light, and that light groweth
brighter and brighter until the perfect day." (Doc. & Cov., Sec.
50:17-24.)
In the second place, the teacher's belief must be translated into daily
life. "Come, follow me," is the admonition that makes for conversion. A
young man recently, in characterizing the biggest failure among teachers
that he had ever known, remarked, "He simply couldn't teach us anything.
He started in by giving us a vigorous lecture against tobacco, but
before a week had passed we all knew that he himself smoked. He might
just as well have given up teaching right there. We couldn't see any
truth in him after that, for the 'smoke' of his own deception."
Of course, he was not converted. A similar experience is related of the
principal of a school who, with his faculty of teachers, made it a
school rule that there should be no playing of cards on the part of the
students. The rule recorded, however, the principal proceeded to
participate in downtown card parties until he established a reputation,
in the language of the boys, as a "card shark." Not only did that
principal find it impossible thereafter to combat the evil of students
cutting classes to play cards, he lost that confidence on the part of
the student body without which school discipline cannot be achieved.
Lack of conversion--such conversion as leads a man to practice what he
preaches--cost him his position.
To the teacher who would develop the power of conversion, may we make
reference by way of review to those suggestions in an earlier chapter
that make for spiritual growth:
1. Live a clean life.
2. Read the word of the Lord.
3. Do the duties assigned by those in authority.
4. Subscribe to all the principles of the Gospel.
5. Cultivate a real spirit of prayer.
If the teacher is really converted, of course the conversion of his
pupils follows very largely as a corollary. But by way of practical
suggestion, it may be helpful to list some things that may be done to
promote a spirit of testimony on the part of the pupils. At the outset a
teacher ought to appreciate just what a testimony is and how it varies
with the age and experience of children. It is clearly a mistake as a
general rule to expect young children to give expression to a testimony
such as might be borne by an adult. True, some children enjoy at an
early age the spirit of testimony to such an extent that they do seem to
know that the Gospel is true. But it is wiser not to expect too much.
Then, too, testimonies vary with individuals. Teachers ought to look out
for expressions which are characteristic of the pupil in question rather
than to expect all pupils to measure up to a set standard.
With a proper conception of a testimony, the teacher then owes certain
rather definite obligations to his class.
He ought to feature testimony bearing rather than to apologize for it.
In the teaching of the Gospel of Jesus Christ there can be no more
sacred opportunity than that which allows pupils to open their hearts to
their Creator.
Then, too, the teacher owes it to his class to _kindle_ the spiritual
fire which alone can make for testimony bearing. Brother Maeser had a
very effective way of illustrating the significance of this obligation.
As he expressed the thought, no one would feel that he had completed his
task of warming a house if he merely put into the grate the necessary
paper, wood and coal. He might have all these, but until he struck the
match which would kindle the fire, no warmth would be felt. And so,
spiritually, the fire of a testimony-meeting needs to be kindled. All
too often, a teacher opens the class hour with some such statement as
this, "Now, boys and girls, today is Fast Day. I hope you won't let the
time go to waste." What inspiration in such an opening! That teacher has
not only not kindled the fire, he has brought in a lump or two of
coal--hard at that--with no kindling even as a promise of a fire. On the
other hand, the successful teacher comes before his class with a vital
truth that thrills him and gives it a concrete expression which prompts
pupils to add similar experiences out of their own lives.
Then, too, the teacher may well bring into his class by way of
inspiration someone well established in the faith whose experiences are
full of the spirit of conversion. There are in every ward in the Church
those men and women who know of a surety that the gospel is true. Why
not bring them in occasionally to stimulate testimony bearing? Might it
not be well, also, to take the class as a class to our Fast Day
Sacrament service, there to let them enjoy the wonderful spirit of
testimony that is so characteristic of these meetings? There is a
feeling of conversion that attends these meetings that all boys and
girls must feel--must feel so keenly that they in turn will want to give
expression to their own convictions.
And finally, as teachers, let us remind ourselves that in this matter of
promoting the bearing of testimonies we should exercise a patience that
is full of tolerance and forbearance. Some few individuals are
converted suddenly; others respond to the truth gradually; and there are
those who do well if they really respond to the feeling of conversion at
the end of a lifetime. As one of our leaders has so beautifully pointed
out, the Master, Himself, did not convert the world in a day, nor a
year--He has not converted it in all these centuries. His plan seems to
be to teach the truth and wait patiently until the divinity in man
asserts itself--until man walks by his own light into eternal truth.
Under the inspiration of such example may teachers well labor on in
earnestness, happy in the thought that He will hasten in His own due
time what to them may seem a long, slow process.
"Perchance, in heaven, one day to me
Some blessed Saint will come and say,
'All hail, beloved; but for thee
My soul to death had fallen a prey';
And oh! what rapture in the thought,
One soul to glory to have brought."
* * * * *
QUESTIONS AND SUGGESTIONS--CHAPTER XXIV
1. Why is conversion the real test of religious teaching?
2. What are the outstanding characteristics of a person newly converted
to the Church?
3. Discuss the significance of each of the factors that make for
conversion.
4. Illustrate how to kindle the spiritual fire.
5. State why or why not you favor making assignments for testimony day.
6. What is a testimony?
7. How may children best cultivate a testimony?
8. What principle or practice means most to you by way of affirming your
own testimony?
HELPFUL REFERENCES
The Doctrine & Covenants, The Bible, The Book of Mormon, The Voice of
Warning, Rays of Living Light.
_Bibliography_
_The Art of Teaching_
Driggs Deseret Book Co., Salt Lake.
_The Art of Questioning_
Fitch A. Flanigan Co., Chicago.
_Story Telling, Questioning and Studying_
Horne MacMillan Co., New York.
_Principles of Psychology_
James H. Holt & Co., New York.
_Fundamentals of Child Study_
Kirkpatrick MacMillan Co., New York.
_A Study of Child Nature_
Harrison R.R. Donnelley & Sons, Chicago.
_Psychology of Childhood_
Norsworthy and Whitley MacMillan Co., New York.
_The Essentials of Character_
Sisson MacMillan Co., New York.
_Principles of Teaching_
Thorndike A.G. Seiler, New York.
_Education for Character_
Sharp Bobbs, Merrill Co., Indianapolis.
_The Ideal Teacher_
G.H. Palmer Houghton-Mifflin Co., New York.
_The Seven Laws of Teaching_
J.M. Gregory The Pilgrim Press, Chicago.
_The Point of Contact in Teaching_
Dubois Dodd, Mead & Co., New York.
_Interest and Effort in Education_
Dewey Houghton-Mifflin Co., New York.
_The Boy Problem_
Forbush The Pilgrim Press, Chicago.
_Training the Boy_
McKeever MacMillan Co., New York.
_Types of Teaching_
Earhart Houghton-Mifflin Co., New York.
_How to Teach Religion_
Betts The Abingdon Press, New York.
_Talks to Sunday School Teachers_
Weigle Doran Publishing Co., New York.
_Everyday Problems in Teaching_
O'Shea Bobbs, Merrill Co., Indianapolis.
_Talks to Teachers_
James H. Holt & Co., New York.
_How to Teach_
Strayer and Norsworthy MacMillan Co., New York.
_The Making of a Teacher_
Brumbaugh Sunday School Times Co., Phila.
_The Learning Process_
Colvin MacMillan Co., New York.
_The Teacher and the School_
Colgrove Chas. Scribner & Co., New York.
_Pictures in Religious Education_
Beard Geo. H. Doran Co., New York.
_The Nervous System_
Stiles W.B. Saunders Co., Phila.
_The Classroom Teacher_
Strayer and Englehardt American Book Co., New York.
_The Recitation_
Betts Houghton-Mifflin Co., New York.
_Attention_
Pillsbury MacMillan Co., New York.
_Religious Education in the Family_
Cope University of Chicago Press.
_Classroom Method and Management_
Betts Bobbs, Merrill Co., Indianapolis.
_Classroom Management_
Bagley MacMillan Co., New York.
TRANSCRIBER'S NOTES:
Obvious printing errors were repaired; these changes are listed below.
Chapter I "a Church built upon revelation"
Corrected typo: "builded"
Chapter VI "using an average of thirty-two minutes"
Corrected typo: "mintues"
"their employees that they subscribe regularly"
Corrected typo: "reguarly"
Chapter VII "A Child's characteristics--his"
Corrected typo: "charactertistics"
"These organic, vital activities"
Corrected typo: "acitivities"
"All nuerones have"
"nuerones must be active"
Corrected typos: "neurones"
Chapter VIII "method of rewards and punishment;"
Corrected typo: "punishment:"
"will be found an interesting tabulation"
Corrected typo: "tabluation"
"few of them can safely be developed"
Corrected typo: "devoloped"
Chapter IX "wasn't worrying about what he was"
Corrected typo: "worying"
"concerning which there may be some uncertainty."
Corrected typo: "uncertainty?"
Chapter X "group themselves with a certain uniformity"
Corrected typo: "cerain"
"indicate that there is little"
Corrected typo: "their is"
"sent his way than the cheerful one"
Corrected typo: "cheeful"
Chapter XIII "Let the scriptures testify"
Corrected typo: "sciptures"
"Consider the case of the Son"
Corrected typo: "case of of the Son"
Chapter XIV "is so significant when understood"
Corrected typo: "signficant"
"going back some two thousand years"
Corrected typo: "thouand"
Chapter XVI "the silent inspiration of that picture"
Corrected typo: "pciture"
Chapter XIX "the statement, "The best method is a variety of methods.""
Closing quote missing in original
Chapter XX "map out their work so carefully"
Corrected typo: "map our"
Chapter XXI "a. The review question;"
Corrected typo: "question:"
"'As long as I do all the talking, things go all right,'"
Closing single quote was double quote in original
"when, where, and why."
Missing period in original
Chapter XXII "to go to bed agreeably"
Corrected typo: "agreebly"
Chapter XXIII "to participate in class discussions?"
Corrected typo: "discussions."
In addition, in Chapter XVI a full line was missing. The original reads:
"And again, I command thee that thou shalt pray vocally as well
as well as in private." (Doc. & Cov., Sec. 19:28.)
The corrected text is:
"And again, I command thee that thou shalt pray vocally as well
as in thy heart; yea, before the world as well as in secret, in public
as well as in private." (Doc. & Cov., Sec. 19:28.)
End of Project Gutenberg's Principles of Teaching, by Adam S. Bennion