Teaching with Questions

General Guidelines for Preparing Questions

“Church-produced lesson manuals suggest many questions that you can use in lessons. You may also prepare your own questions.”

Questions That Can Be Answered Yes or No

Questions that can be answered yes or no have limited use in gospel instruction.

Factual Questions

Factual questions are used to establish the basic facts of a scripture passage, event, or gospel principle. They have specific answers. They can help learners begin to study scripture passages, understand major points, review ideas, and overcome misconceptions.

Make sure that you do not ask only factual questions. They do not require much thought, and they may discourage those who do not know the answers.

Questions That Prompt Deeper Thinking

These questions often begin with the words what, how, or why. Do not try to get learners to give specific answers to questions; they will quickly become aware of what you are doing and either stop participating or start guessing instead of thinking.

Questions That Help Learners Apply Gospel Principles

It is important to ask questions that help learners apply gospel principles in their lives. For example: ‘How do we sometimes make the same error as the people in this story?’ ‘What are some circumstances today that are similar to the events in this scripture account?’ Ask learners to share examples of how they or others have applied the gospel principles being discussed.

General Guidelines for Asking Questions

Respond to Incorrect Answers with Respect and Courtesy

Respond to incorrect answers with respect and courtesy. You may choose to take responsibility yourself by saying something like, ‘I’m sorry. I don’t think I asked that question very clearly. Let me try again.’ Or you could rescue the individual by saying, ‘Perhaps you were thinking of something else’ or ‘Thank you for bringing that up, but I’m not sure my question was clear.’

Wait for Responses

Do not be concerned if learners are silent for a few seconds after you have asked a question. Do not answer your own question. Prolonged silence may indicate that they do not understand the question and that you need to rephrase it.

Use Follow-Up Questions

Follow-up questions can help learners think more deeply about a principle they are discussing…you might ask, ‘What else can we learn from this story?’

Give Everyone Opportunity to Speak

You may want to direct some follow-up questions to those who have not yet made comments during the lesson.

Help Learners Prepare to Answer Questions

Be careful not to ask questions that promote argument or highlight sensational issues. Do not ask questions that create doubt or that lead to discussions that fail to edify. Make sure that your questions move learners toward a unity of faith and love (see Mosiah 18:21). When there is disagreement, strive to emphasize points of agreement and correct doctrine.

Creative Uses of Questions

Ask each learner to write one question based on a gospel principle or verse of scripture. Gather the questions and discuss them. During the week before the lesson, give questions to a few learners. Ask them to prepare to respond to those questions as part of the coming lesson. Use the following questions to discuss a gospel principle: ‘What do we already know about this principle?’ ‘What do we want to know?’ ‘What have we learned today?’ You can form the basis of the lesson by having learners answer these questions and then writing the answers in three columns on the chalkboard. Write a question on the chalkboard before class begins so that learners can begin pondering it as soon as they arrive.”

To Lead is to Teach

“Elder Boyd K. Packer emphasized that all Church leaders serve as teachers: ‘The prophet is a teacher; his counselors are teachers; the General Authorities are teachers. Stake presidents and mission presidents are teachers; high councilors and quorum presidents are teachers; bishops are teachers; and so through all of the organizations of the Church. The Church moves forward sustained by the power of the teaching that is accomplished’ (Teach Ye Diligently, rev. ed. [1991], 3-4)”.

Your Responsibility as a Leader to Teach the Gospel

“Elder Gordon B. Hinckley taught, ‘Effective teaching is the very essence of leadership in the Church’. The Lord is the preeminent example of a leader serving as a teacher: ‘And Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom’ (Matthew 9:35). Elder Boyd K. Packer emphasized: ‘The Lord is our example. It would be hard to describe the Lord as an executive. Let me repeat that. It would be hard to describe the Lord as an executive. He was a teacher! That is the ideal, the pattern’ (regional representatives’ seminar, 6 Apr. 1984)”.

Some Ways in Which You Teach as a Leader

Setting a Righteous Example

“As a leader, you teach the gospel through the way you live. You are expected to keep the commandments, be kind, and be a faithful servant of the Lord and of those you lead. By setting a righteous example, you strengthen others in their resolve to live the gospel”.

Following Church Policies and Procedures

“As you faithfully follow the established patterns of Church government, you teach all who work with you. You help others see how to fulfill their duties. For example, Melchizedek Priesthood leaders who regularly hold home teaching interviews demonstrate how this is to be done”.

Speaking Directly about Gospel Principles

“… a mixed message is no message at all”.

“To lead in the Church is to teach, and to improve as a leader is to learn to teach more effectively—from the pulpit, in leadership meetings, and in one-on-one situations”.

Your Call to Teach the Gospel:

"If we have the Spirit of the Lord to guide us, we can teach any person, no matter how well educated, any place in the world. The Lord knows more than any of us, and if we are his servants, acting under his Spirit, he can deliver his message of salvation to each and every soul" (Dallin H. Oaks, quoted in Teaching, No Greater Call, 40).

"For each of us to 'come unto Christ,' to keep His commandments and follow His example back to the Father is surely the highest and holiest purpose of human existence. To help others do that as well—to teach, persuade, and prayerfully lead them to walk that path of redemption also—surely that must be the second most significant task in our lives" (Jeffrey R. Holland, in Conference Report, Apr. 1998, 31; or Ensign, May 1998, 25).

An Understanding of "the Power of the Word" to Bless People’s Lives.

"We must . . . get our teachers to speak out of their hearts rather than out of their books, to communicate their love for the Lord and this precious work, and somehow it will catch fire in the hearts of those they teach" (Teachings of Gordon B. Hinckley [1997], 619–20).

The Importance of Diligent Spiritual and Mental Preparation.

"When we speak about teaching by the Spirit it is not about a mystical process which removes responsibility from the missionary or teacher for prayerful and pondering preparation. Teaching by the Spirit is not the lazy equivalent of going on 'automatic pilot.' We still need a carefully worked out 'flight plan' " (Neal A. Maxwell, That Ye May Believe, 40).

Love of God and Those Whom You Teach.

"When we are called to teach, we should accept our calling and teach because of our love for God the Eternal Father and His Son, Jesus Christ. In addition, a gospel teacher should always teach with love for the students. We are taught that we should pray 'with all the energy of heart, [to] be filled with this love' (Moroni 7:48). Love of God and love of His children is the highest reason for service. Those who teach out of love will be magnified as instruments in the hands of Him whom they serve" (Dallin H. Oaks, in Conference Report, Oct. 1999, 101; or Ensign, Nov. 1999, 79).

Howard W Hunter - Eternal Instruments

Dear 7th Ward Teachers,

This week's message is from a talk given by President Howard W. Hunter entitled, "Eternal Instruments". It was given to the CES, so his audience was primarily Seminary and Institute teachers. The Stake Sunday School Presidency has asked us to pass this along to all our teachers as an important principle to remember when teaching the gospel.

President Howard W. Hunter warned, “Let me give a word of caution to you. I am sure you recognize the potential danger of being so influential and so persuasive that your students build an allegiance to you rather than to the gospel. Now that is a wonderful problem to have to wrestle with, and we would only hope that all of you are such charismatic teachers. But there is a genuine danger here. That is why you have to invite your students into the scriptures themselves, not just give them your interpretation and presentation of them. That is why you must invite your students to feel the Spirit of the Lord, not just give them your personal reflection of that. That is why, ultimately, you must invite your students directly to Christ, not just to one who teaches his doctrines, however ably. You will not always be available to these students. You cannot hold their hands after they have left high school or college. And you do not need personal disciples. Our great task is to ground these students in what can go with them through life, to point them toward him who loves them and can guide them where none of us will go. Please make sure the loyalty of these students is to the scriptures and the Lord and the doctrines of the restored Church. Point them toward God the Father and his Only Begotten Son, Jesus Christ, and toward the leadership of the true Church. Make certain that when the glamour and charisma of your personality and lectures and classroom environment are gone that they are not left empty-handed to face the world. Give them the gifts that will carry them through when they have to stand alone. When you do this, the entire Church is blessed for generations to come”.