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Teaching the gospel
“I teach them correct principles, and they govern themselves.”
Joseph Smith Jr.
Explore the interaction between doctrine, principle, and application

This page is not quite finished. I need to cite that these concepts come from DOCTRINES, PRINCIPLES, AND APPLICATIONS: A FRAMEWORK FOR GOSPEL LEARNING David A.Bednar Increase in Learning, Deseret Book, 2014

Relationship of Doctrine, Principle, & Application

Applications

The specific actions or behaviors we take to live out Gospel principles. Applications can sometimes be easiest to spot.

Examples: Live the life, chastity, pay tithing, serve others.

Principles

Unchanging guidelines for the righteous use of agency. Principles are rooted in doctrines.

Examples: Obedience, repentance, reverence. "The first principles and ordinances of the gospel are..."

Doctrines

Unchanging, eternal truths—usually about the Plan of Salvation or the nature of God. Doctrines are bedrock for principles.

Examples: The Godhead, the Atonement, the Plan of Salvation.

Displayed in Teaching

Applications

  • Learn and use the names of your students
  • Express gratitude when learners share
  • Listen intently to students

Principles

  • Love those you teach

Doctrines

  • God loves His students
  • Each student has divine potential and eternal worth
  • Each student is your spirit sibling and a child of God

It's unproductive to fret over what's a doctrine and what's a principle. The lines between are not always so clear

Obedience as a Principle

Applications

  • Live the love
  • Chastity
  • Keep the Word of Wisdom
  • Pay tithing
  • Heed the counsel of living prophets

Principles

Obedience

Doctrines

Plan of Salvation

Obedience as a Doctrine

Applications

  • Ask sincerely in prayer for strength and capacity to overcome the desire to do evil (Mosiah 5:2)
  • Pay tithing and offerings “first”

Principles

  • Obey God rather than man (Acts 5:29)
  • Obey with full purpose of heart (2 Nephi 31:13)
  • Obey with exactness (Alma 57:21)
  • Obey cheerfully (D&C 123:17)
  • Obey promptly

Doctrines

  • Obedience

They Are

Overlapping

Interrelated

Truths

You can see how it would be silly to try and make a complete list of applications for Christlike teaching. Instead “Teaching in the Savior’s Way” highlights key principles for Christlike teaching. Click on any square below to study that section of Teaching in the Savior’s Way.

(This will be changed) You can see how it would be silly to try and make a complete list of applications for Christlike teaching. Instead “Teaching in the Savior's Way” highlights key principles for Christlike teaching.

Love Those You Teach .shadow-box { box-shadow: 0px 0px 10px 0px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.15); padding: 0; background-color: white; } table { width: 100%; border-collapse: collapse; font-family: sans-serif; } th { color: #43a3ca; font-size: 18px; padding: 10px; text-align: left; } td { border-top: 1px solid #ccc; padding: 12px; background-color: white; color: black; } a { color: inherit; text-decoration: none; display: block; } a:hover { background-color: #f0f8ff; }

Love Those You Teach
See learners the way God sees them.
Seek to know them—understand their circumstances, needs, and strengths.
Pray for them by name.
Create a safe environment where all are respected and know their contributions are valued.
Find appropriate ways to express your love.

Teach by the Spirit .shadow-box { box-shadow: 0px 0px 10px 0px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.15); padding: 0; background-color: white; } table { width: 100%; border-collapse: collapse; font-family: sans-serif; } th { color: #43a3ca; font-size: 18px; padding: 10px; text-align: left; } td { border-top: 1px solid #ccc; padding: 12px; background-color: white; color: black; } a { color: inherit; text-decoration: none; display: block; } a:hover { background-color: #f0f8ff; }

Teach by the Spirit
Prepare yourself spiritually.
Always be ready to respond to spiritual promptings about the needs of learners.
Create settings and opportunities for learners to be taught by the Holy Ghost.
Help learners seek, recognize, and act on personal revelation.
Bear testimony often and invite learners to share their feelings, experiences, and testimonies.

Teach the Doctrine .shadow-box { box-shadow: 0px 0px 10px 0px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.15); padding: 0; background-color: white; } table { width: 100%; border-collapse: collapse; font-family: sans-serif; } th { color: #43a3ca; font-size: 18px; padding: 10px; text-align: left; } td { border-top: 1px solid #ccc; padding: 12px; background-color: white; color: black; } a { color: inherit; text-decoration: none; display: block; } a:hover { background-color: #f0f8ff; }

Teach the Doctrine
Learn the doctrine of Jesus Christ for yourself.
Teach from the scriptures and the words of latter-day prophets.
Help learners seek, recognize, and understand truths in the scriptures.
Focus on truths that lead to conversion and build faith in Jesus Christ.
Help learners find personal relevance in the doctrine of Jesus Christ.

Invite Diligent Learning .shadow-box { box-shadow: 0px 0px 10px 0px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.15); padding: 0; background-color: white; } table { width: 100%; border-collapse: collapse; font-family: sans-serif; } th { border-top: 1px solid #ccc; padding: 12px; background-color: white; color: #43a3ca; font-size: 18px; text-align: center; transition: transform 0.2s ease, box-shadow 0.2s ease; } td { border-top: 1px solid #ccc; padding: 12px; background-color: white; color: black; vertical-align: top; height: 100px; transition: transform 0.2s ease, box-shadow 0.2s ease; } th:hover, td:hover { transform: scale(1.02); box-shadow: 0px 4px 12px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.15); z-index: 1; position: relative; } a { color: inherit; text-decoration: none; display: block; height: 100%; width: 100%; } a:hover { background-color: transparent; color: inherit; }

Invite Diligent Learning
Help learners take responsibility for their learning.
Encourage learners to come to know the Savior by studying the gospel daily.
Invite learners to prepare to learn.
Encourage learners to share the truths they are learning.
Invite learners to live what they are learning.

(this is unfinished) The lesson material you prepare will likely focus on different principles for Christlike living. But remember the example of Joseph Smith—instead of giving teaching your students specific do's and don'ts, it's almost always better to “teach correct principles and let them [apply it themselves]”.

How to best study and use these principles to help in your teaching

Created with ❤️ by Cody Wilkins