Ready to Give an Answer

Last Saturday, I started a conversation in which I was asked several questions I couldn’t answer. I was reminded of the importance of being prepared.

At work, when I meet with my manager or other stakeholders, I try to anticipate the questions I’ll be asked. If it’s a particularly important meeting, I may write my answers down, to ensure that key words and phrases are readily available when needed. Obviously, I can’t predict every question, but I can be ready for the most obvious ones.

Peter advised us that we ought to approach conversations about faith in a similar way: “Be ready always to give an answer to [everyone] that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you,” he wrote (1 Peter 3:15).

It’s worthwhile to consider how we would answer commonly asked questions about our faith, so that we aren’t caught off guard when those questions are asked.

The word “always” suggests that we can’t predict when questions will arise. We therefore prepare by “[treasuring] up in [our] minds continually the words of life,” so that the Spirit can be “[give us] in the very hour that portion that shall be meted unto every man [and woman]” (Doctrine and Covenants 84:85; see also Matthew 10:18-20, Mark 13:11). Like the sons of Mosiah in the Book of Mormon, we “[search] the scriptures diligently” and “[give ourselves] to much prayer and fasting,” so that we can “[teach] with power and authority of God” (Alma 17:2-3).

When I hear “everyone,” I think of neighbors, colleagues at work, and friends in the community. But a section in the manual Teaching in the Savior’s Way has prompted me to think about that word differently today:

Learning at Home Can Be Planned but Also Spontaneous

Most Church classes happen once a week, with a scheduled beginning and end, but this is not always the case at home. You may have a scheduled home evening lesson or family scripture study, but teaching opportunities in the family frequently occur in informal, everyday moments—while eating a meal, doing chores, playing a game, traveling to work or school, reading a book, or watching a movie together….

Because such moments are unplanned, you can’t prepare for them the way you would prepare for a traditional lesson. However, you can prepare yourself by being sensitive to the Spirit and striving to “be ready always” (1 Peter 3:15). Any moment may become a teaching or learning moment.

Teaching in the Savior’s Way: For All Who Teach in the Home and in the Church, “Suggestions for a Variety of Teaching Settings and Learners“

I’m not sure why I hadn’t applied this passage to my own family, but it makes sense. Who is more likely to ask us questions about our faith than our own children? And don’t we want to be ready to teach when they’re ready to learn?

Referencing this passage, Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf said:

Your efforts may seem small compared to the loud voices your children hear in the world. At times it may feel that you’re not accomplishing much. But remember that “by small means the Lord can bring about great things.” One home evening, one gospel conversation, or one good example may not change your child’s life in a moment, any more than one drop of rain causes a plant immediately to grow. But the consistency of small and simple things, day after day, nourishes your children much better than an occasional flood….

Every moment is a teaching moment. Every word and action can be a guide for making choices.

“Jesus Christ Is the Strength of Parents,” General Conference, April 2023

Today, I will strive to be prepared to answer questions about my faith, whenever they come. I will remember that any moment can be a teaching moment, and I will particularly watch for opportunities to teach my children.