Women must prepare to be teachers in their work of bringing souls unto Christ were the words of Women's Conference speakers Sisters Coleen K. Menlove and Karen B. Lofgreen

"The Lord will help us to prepare to teach more perfectly," Menlove said.

She explained that in order to teach, we must first learn.

The purpose of any teacher is to bring souls unto Christ, Menlove continued. She restated Moses 1:39 and recognized the Lord's work and glory, to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man, is not finished until every son and daughter is saved. Our work in assisting him is not finished until we have saved ourselves and taught others the same.

Menlove gave three points that we must learn before we teach. First, show love. "The highest reason to teach is to help others know and feel God's love."

Second, be teachable. "It is essential to have a humble heart, for you never know what you might learn."

Third, allow for the process of time. "Purity of spirit takes a life time of learning."

Lofgreen emphasized how to teach with loving kindness. She related a story of a boy, when asked the meaning of loving kindness, he replied that kindness is when someone gives you a piece of bread and love is when they put a little bit of jam on it.

"Feed them the bread of life with a little bit of jam," Lofgreen said. "We are not called to teach a class; we are called to teach the individual."

To help the class internalize the lesson, Lofgreen continued, we must do three things. First, ask them what the Lord wanted to teach. Second, ask them what their feelings are on the principle. Third, ask them to share their feelings with one another.



Copyright Brigham Young University 2 May 2003