17 And they were taught to walk humbly before the Lord; and they were also taught from on high.
I have observed a common characteristic among the instructors who have had the greatest influence in my life. They have helped me to seek learning by faith. They refused to give me easy answers to hard questions. In fact, they did not give me any answers at all. Rather, they pointed the way and helped me take the steps to find my own answers. I certainly did not always appreciate this approach, but experience has enabled me to understand that an answer given by another person usually is not remembered for very long, if remembered at all. But an answer we discover or obtain through the exercise of faith, typically, is retained for a lifetime. The most important learnings of life are caught—not taught (“Seek Learning by Faith,” Ensign, Sept. 2007).
Over the next few days, as I have opportunities to teach the gospel, I will seek to apply this principle. I will do what I can to help my students find their own answers to gospel questions, rather than try to answer those questions for them.