How can relying on the Savior's grace help me become a better teacher?

Prophets have often felt inadequate to fulfill their callings to preach God's word:

Jeremiah 1:6 "Then said I, Ah, Lord God! behold, I cannot speak: for I am a child."

Exodus 4:10 "And Moses said unto the Lord, O my Lord, I am not eloquent, neither heretofore, nor since thou hast spoken unto thy servant: but I am slow of speech, and of a slow tongue."

Moses 6:31 "And when Enoch had heard these words, he bowed himself to the earth, before the Lord, and spake before the Lord, saying: Why is it that I have found favor in thy sight, and am but a lad, and all the people hate me; for I am slow of speech; wherefore am I thy servant?"

Isaiah 6:5 "Then said I, Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts."

The call to minister and to teach generally comes as a surprise. Few think that they are worthy and prepared to be a teacher. Joseph Smith did not enter the Sacred Grove with the thought that we would exit the grove with the calling of a prophet. Moses did not climb the mountain to see the burning bush with the expectation that he would be sent to rescue Israel from bondage in Egypt. Most callings in the Church come to us unexpectedly and not as a result of any specific preparation that we have been making. Feelings of inadequacy are normal and common as we face a new situation. These feelings are good in many respects because they encourage us to be humble and teachable. They raise our awareness of our shortcomings and encourage us to put forth extra effort.

However, these feelings of inadequacy can become debilitating if we focus on our weaknesses and fail to look to the Lord for help.

Why do we not magnify our callings to teach as faithfully as we should?

Fear is a common malady. Note the many examples in the scriptures where the Lord has warned his servants against fear and has provided them with encouragement.

D&C 60:2 "But with some I am not well pleased, for they will not open their mouths, but they hide the talent which I have given unto them, because of the fear of man. Wo unto such, for mine anger is kindled against them."

Isaiah 51:12-13 "I, even I, am he that comforteth you: who art thou, that thou shouldest be afraid of a man that shall die, and of the son of man which shall be made as grass; And forgettest the Lord thy maker, that hath stretched forth the heavens, and laid the foundations of the earth; and hast feared continually every day because of the fury of the oppressor, as if he were ready to destroy? and where is the fury of the oppressor?"

Ezekiel 2:6 "And thou, son of man, be not afraid of them, neither be afraid of their words, though briers and thorns be with thee, and thou dost dwell among scorpions: be not afraid of their words, nor be dismayed at their looks, though they be a rebellious house."
D&C 3:3 "Remember, remember that it is not the work of God that is frustrated, but the work of men;"

Though some of us may not fear directly, we nevertheless see ourselves as too young and inexperienced to be proper instruments in the hands of the Lord. Such feelings of fear and inexperience are common to man when he is called of God to do something new and different. The lesson from the scriptures and from the lives of the prophets and great ministers of the gospel in our own day is that the Lord's grace is sufficient to enable us to do whatever he wants us to do.

What is God's grace?

Grace is the enabling and strengthening power of God, through the Atonement of Christ. It is grace that enables us to accomplish things that are otherwise beyond our natural abilities and strength. Note these examples from the scriptures of how grace has worked for many of the Lord's great servants. They were great, not because of their personal abilities, but because of the grace of God in their lives.

1 Corinthians 1:27 "But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty;"

D&C 1:23 "That the fulness of my gospel might be proclaimed by the weak and the simple unto the ends of the world, and before kings and rulers."

Ether 12:27 "And if men come unto me I will show unto them their weakness. I give unto men weakness that they may be humble; and my grace is sufficient for all men that humble themselves before me; for if they humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I make weak things become strong unto them."

Jacob 4:7 "Nevertheless, the Lord God showeth us our weakness that we may know that it is by his grace, and his great condescensions unto the children of men, that we have power to do these things."

Why doesn't God just instantly give us power and the ability to do great things? Why does he let us struggle with our weaknesses? So that we recognize the source of our strength. We must be in a state where we truly and genuinely recognize that we cannot succeed on our own power. Only when we know that God is our only and final source of help does he typically come to the rescue.

Elder Bednar, in referring to Jacob 4:7, commented, "Brothers and sisters, please pay particular attention to the word grace as it is used in the verse I just read. In the Bible Dictionary we learn that the word grace frequently is used in the scriptures to connote a strengthening or enabling power.

'The main idea of the word is divine means of help or strength, given through the bounteous mercy and love of Jesus Christ.

'… It is likewise through the grace of the Lord that individuals, through faith in the atonement of Jesus Christ and repentance of their sins, receive strength and assistance to do good works that they otherwise would not be able to maintain if left to their own means. This grace is an enabling power that allows men and women to lay hold on eternal life and exaltation after they have expended their own best efforts” (p. 697).

"Thus, the enabling and strengthening aspect of the Atonement helps us to see and to do and to become good in ways that we could never recognize or accomplish with our limited mortal capacity. I testify and witness that the enabling power of the Savior’s Atonement is real. Without that strengthening power of the Atonement, I could not stand before you this morning." ("In the Strength of the Lord", Ensign, November 2004)

How does grace help us to fulfill our callings?

Once a person is humble and recognizes his total reliance on the grace of God to accomplish to work to which he has been called, the Lord is quick to come to his aid through divine grace. Grace brings marvelous promises of assistance and comfort.

1 Nephi 3:7 "And it came to pass that I, Nephi, said unto my father: I will go and do the things which the Lord hath commanded, for I know that the Lord giveth no commandments unto the children of men, save he shall prepare a way for them that they may accomplish the thing which he commandeth them."

Moses 6:32,34  "And the Lord said unto Enoch: Go forth and do as I have commanded thee, and no man shall pierce thee. Open thy mouth, and it shall be filled, and I will give thee utterance, for all flesh is in my hands, and I will do as seemeth me good. Behold my Spirit is upon you, wherefore all thy words will I justify; and the mountains shall flee before you, and the rivers shall turn from their course; and thou shalt abide in me, and I in you; therefore walk with me."

Exodus 4:12 "Now therefore go, and I will be with thy mouth, and teach thee what thou shalt say."
And it came to pass that they journeyed many days in the wilderness, and they fasted much and prayed much that the Lord would grant unto them a portion of his Spirit to go with them, and abide with them, that they might be an instrument in the hands of God "

Jeremiah 1:9 "Then the Lord put forth his hand, and touched my mouth. And the Lord said unto me, Behold, I have put my words in thy mouth."

Isaiah 6:6-8 "Then flew one of the seraphims unto me, having a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with the tongs from off the altar: And he laid it upon my mouth, and said, Lo, this hath touched thy lips; and thine iniquity is taken away, and thy sin purged. Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said I, Here am I; send me." (Isaiah initially did not feel worthy or capable of speaking for the Lord and teaching the people. But the Lord symbolically touched his mouth and gave him a remission of his sins through the cleansing power of the Atonement and the refining fire of the Holy Ghost. Then when the call came, Isaiah felt ready to accept it.)

Alma 17:10-12 "And it came to pass that the Lord did visit them with his Spirit, and said unto them: Be comforted. And they were comforted. And the Lord said unto them also: Go forth among the Lamanites, thy brethren, and establish my word; yet ye shall be patient in long-suffering and afflictions, that ye may show forth good bexamples unto them in me, and I will make an instrument of thee in my hands unto the salvation of many souls. And it came to pass that the hearts of the sons of Mosiah, and also those who were with them, took courage to go forth"

Elder Bednar has counseled us, "For all of us who feel unprepared and overwhelmed and unequal to a new calling or responsibility, the promise of the Lord to Enoch is equally applicable. The promise was true in Enoch’s day, and it is true today." ("In the Strength of the Lord", Ensign, November 2004)

How do we obtain power through grace?

Grace is a gift of God, and as such, it is predicated upon certain conditions. First, we must do all we can to qualify ourselves for the gift. Second, we must ask for it.

Alma 17:9 "And it came to pass that they journeyed many days in the wilderness, and they fasted much and prayed much that the Lord would grant unto them a portion of his Spirit to go with them, and abide with them, that they might be an instrument in the hands of God."

By the very definition of a gift, we do not earn it. Nevertheless, we must strive for the gift we seek. If we want divine assistance in our teaching, then we must strive to be worthy of heavenly assistance through righteous thoughts, desires, and actions. Despite all we can do, though, we ultimately must rely on the Atonement to justify us and to sanctify us. As described in the verse above, the sons of Mosiah "fasted much and prayed much". Their desire was that they would become "an instrument in the hands of God". Their fasting and prayers sharpened them and tuned them as instruments.

Interestingly, they did not wait until they had received the divine grace they sought before starting on their journey. They departed for the mission field even before they had received the needed help. They were willing to "go and do" with the faith that the Lord would provide them with the help they needed when they needed it.

Also, note that they asked the Lord to "grant unto them a portion of his Spirit to go with them". Just doing our best and expecting the Lord to step in and help is not enough. We have to ask for the gift we seek. It is the "law of asking". The Lord will not rob us of our agency. He always waits for our invitation. If we do not ask, he will not help.

Conclusion

To quote Nephi one more time, "the Lord giveth no commandments unto the children of men, save he shall prepare a way for them that they may accomplish the thing which he commandeth them" (1 Nephi 3:7). God expects us to be teachers, whether we have callings as full-time missionaries, leaders in church, classroom instructors, or are trying to be good parents or family members or neighbors. He has prepared a way for us to effectively teach his gospel. He offers us divine grace, which strengthens and enables us to do things that we otherwise could not do on our own. When we qualify ourselves, rely on the Atonement, ask for and live for grace, the Master will make us truly remarkable instruments in his Hands.