Lifelong Discipleship Is Our Goal
The Impact of Good Gospel Teaching
Religious Educators Conference Devotional, June 12, 2025
I am from Tennessee, the buckle of the Bible Belt, and when I was in high school, I was part of an organization called the Fellowship of Christian Athletes. You would not guess it by looking at me now, but back in the day, I was a decent athlete and pretty fit. A few years ago, my mother sent my wife a picture of me from high school when I had a head full of hair and a bit of muscle. Along with the picture was a consoling message from my mother to my wife that said, “This is what you have to look forward to in the Resurrection.”
Well, the Fellowship of Christian Athletes was and is an organization with a great mission. It was a community of athletes from different denominations that shared a faith in Christ. At the end of my junior year, I was elected to be the president of my high school’s chapter for the following year, my senior year.
My name, along with my church affiliation, was submitted to the state headquarters as a new chapter president. A little while later, a message came back to our faculty sponsor that a new name needed to be submitted. Our sponsor told me that he was told that I was not able to be the president because they did not recognize members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints as Christians. My faith had never been tested like that.
A new president was selected, but after a few months, I received word that some representatives from the Church had talked to The Fellowship of Christian Athletes, and the issue had been resolved. I continued to be active in the group because of the really good people who were a part of it.
Well, at the end of each school year, each high school’s chapter votes for an athlete of the year, and at the end of my senior year, I was voted by my peers as “the Fellowship of Christian Athletes Athlete of the Year.” Now, to be honest, I felt that was some sweet justice. The year before, I wasn’t even recognized as being Christian, and now I was receiving their award.
Well, my name, along with my church affiliation, was submitted to the state headquarters as my high school’s athlete of the year. But once again, a message came back to our faculty sponsor that a new name needed to be submitted. Apparently, the issue had not been resolved.
Our sponsor, who was my football and wrestling coach, told me that he had demanded that someone come from their state offices to visit with me at our high school to explain a decision that he did not support.
A very nice, well-intentioned man came to meet with me. We met in my coach’s classroom during one of his free periods. The man explained that he wanted me to understand why members of our Church were not viewed as Christians.
He pulled out a sheet of paper from his bag. On the paper, were ten points of our doctrine that he said were inconsistent with their definition of Christianity. You would be familiar with those points: our belief that the Godhead are separate beings, that there are other scriptures besides the Bible, and so on.
He shared those points, and he was very kind—I would even say Christian. He was a good man, just misguided. He opened his bag and put his paper away and asked sincerely if I had any questions.
And I said, “Yes, I do.” I said, “Was that a Bible that I saw in your bag?”
And he replied, “Yes.”
I said, “Can we look at some scriptures in it?”
Now I should tell you, I had really good seminary teachers. And we were really good at scripture chase. Back in those days, we had forty scripture mastery verses each year, and every Friday in our seminary class we would have doughnuts, and we would scripture chase, and I was more competitive than I should have been. Not only did I mark the scripture mastery verses in red, I also learned, I am embarrassed to say, that if I crinkled the pages, you could flip to the scripture mastery verses easier. And then, right before our stake scripture chase tournament, I would sprinkle baby powder on the pages. If I got close enough to my scriptures and just snapped my fingers, they would open to one of the scripture mastery verses.
Well, the gentleman was kind enough to share his Bible with me, which, by the way, was not marked for scripture chase. We turned to Matthew 3, Acts 7, 1 Chronicles 29, and so on. To his credit, he listened graciously. The decision was not changed, but I was.
Somehow, while reviewing those scriptures, I felt the truth of them deeper than I had before. Sometimes the witness comes after the trial. My testimony, my conversion, did not come because of that experience; singular events rarely produce lasting faith. But that was one experience among many that provided a witness that has grown over time.
I am so grateful for my early-morning seminary teachers who helped me lay a foundation to build upon. As much as they wanted our ward to win the stake scripture chase tournament, they were far more concerned about helping us become lifelong disciples of Christ. They made a difference in my life. I hope that in your quiet moments of reflection about your teaching that you will recognize the meaningful impact you have on the lives of those you teach.
This rising generation is amazing. In this most recent general conference, President Russell M. Nelson said, “The rising generation is rising up as stalwart followers of Jesus Christ.” On another occasion, he told them, “You have the capacity to be smarter and wiser and have more impact on the world than any previous generation.” To reach that capacity, they need, among other things, good gospel teachers.
They are full of faith, but “faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” “And how shall they hear without a preacher?” They understand the gospel like no other generation before them, but how can they “understandest … what [they] readest … except some [teacher] should guide [them].”
To the Corinthians, Paul wrote: “God hath set some in the church, first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers, after that miracles.” So, you find yourself sandwiched squarely in between apostles and prophets and miracles with an essential role in the majesty of this moment and the hastening of the Lord’s work. 8
Lifelong Discipleship is the Goal
In Elder D. Todd Christofferson’s message last night, he both began and concluded his remarks by reviewing the purposes of religious education in the Church. I was struck by his repetition and the emphasis on helping students become lifelong disciples of Jesus Christ. He seemed intent on reminding us what we hope to accomplish with our teaching.
Just six months after he was called to the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, then-Elder Russell M. Nelson spoke on this campus in a Sunday devotional. His message was inspiring and full of insight, but it is the title of his talk that I want to highlight. He introduced it this way: “I have entitled my remarks, ‘Begin with the End in Mind.’” He then explained: “I suppose some of this comes from my surgical background. An elective incision is never made without planning to close it. The same principle is generally applicable in all fields, however. Track stars don’t begin a race without knowing the location of the finish line.” 9
Keeping the end in mind—knowing where the finish line lies and understanding the ultimate goal—is always important, but it especially essential in gospel teaching. When we stay focused on that divine objective, we’re far more likely to reach it.
President Thomas S. Monson emphasized: “The goal of gospel teaching … is not to ‘pour information’ into the minds of class members. … The aim is to inspire the individual to think about, feel about, and then do something about living gospel principles.”
As the General Handbook states: “We teach the gospel to help people strengthen their faith in Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. We seek to help people become more like the Savior, receive His power in their lives, and ultimately obtain eternal life.”
You already do this in a remarkable way. We see your impact on the lives of the rising generation. More are participating in seminary and institute, more are going on missions, more are serving in the temple, more are becoming lifelong disciples of Jesus Christ.
My invitation today is simple: for you to be intentional about teaching, with lifelong discipleship as the goal. Look at everything that you do through that lens. Periodically review what you teach, how you teach, and even what you test on. Review not only what you are helping them to know but also review what you are inspiring them to do and become. Teach with the intent to help them become “new creature[s]” in Christ.
Some questions to consider: How does what I teach and how I teach impact the way that my students will feel about the questions asked in a temple recommend interview? Does my teaching build faith in Heavenly Father, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Ghost? Does it strengthen testimonies of the Restoration of the gospel of Jesus Christ and of living prophets and apostles? Does it strengthen students’ resolve to keep the commandments and repent daily?
Invite Diligent Learning
If our goal is lifelong discipleship, we must, as Elder Christofferson invited us to do, “consider how the Savior taught.” How we teach matters.
You may recall President Boyd K. Packer’s teaching about “the how of teaching” in zone conferences when he was a mission president. Sister Packer baked a cake with three tiers, beautifully decorated with colorful layers of frosting. She inscribed across the top the words: “The Gospel.”
When the missionaries were assembled, the cake was brought in with some ceremony. President Packer pointed out that the cake represented the gospel. Then he asked, “Who would like to have some?”
Well, it’s not difficult to find a missionary who wants cake. An unsuspecting volunteer was called forward. President Packer then took his hand and sank it into the top of the cake and tore out a large piece. He clenched his fist so that the frosting oozed through his fingers. Then he threw the piece of cake on the astonished elder, splattering frosting down the front of his suit.
After pausing for some effect, he turned to the rest of the missionaries and asked if anyone else would like some cake. He would say, “For some reason, there were no takers.”
Then he pulled out a crystal dish, a silver fork, a linen napkin, and a beautiful silver serving knife. He turned the cake. Then, with great dignity, he carefully cut a slice from the other side, gently set it on the crystal dish, and asked, “Would anyone like a piece of cake?”
President Packer explained: “The lesson was obvious. It was the same cake in both cases, the same flavor, the same nourishment. The manner of serving either made it inviting, even enticing, or uninviting, even revolting.” He reminded the missionaries that the cake represented the gospel and asked them how they were serving it.
How we serve the gospel can make the difference between pouring information into the minds of our students and inspiring them to be diligent learners who change their hearts, views, actions, and very natures to become lifelong disciples of Jesus Christ.
To teach as the Savior taught, we love those we teach, we teach by the Spirit, and we teach the doctrine. Those are things we do as teachers.
But what of the student? What is their role? Their role is to learn diligently, to take responsibility for their learning, to act, and to apply the principles of the gospel in their daily lives.
Elder Christofferson asked us last night to invite diligent learning. He taught us how the Savior invited diligent learning. He said, “He taught in ways that required [His disciples] to think, participate, discuss, and apply His teachings.” May we do the same.
Conclusion
In conclusion, thank you for what you do for those you teach and for what you do for the kingdom of God. The goal of our teaching is to develop lifelong disciples of Jesus Christ. May you be guided as you “serve the gospel” and do so in a way that invites diligent learning.
I share my witness of the Master Teacher, even Jesus Christ, our Advocate, “the author and finisher of our faith,” and the “high priest of good things to come.”
In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.