When Jesus taught, he did so in a manner that provoked deep thinking and spiritual investigation. He did not necessarily teach in the tone or manner that people expected. In some cases, he talked about simple things such as being poor in spirit and meek. (Matthew 5:3,5) In other cases, he boldly declared that he would reject many that came to him calling him Lord. (Matthew 7:21-23)
People were amazed when Jesus taught. He taught "as one having authority, and not as the scribes." (Matthew 7:29)
For 2013, the Mormon church has determined to re-work its curriculum for youth classes based on the same concepts as the missionary discussion replacement "Preach My Gospel." The new curriculum is titled "Come, Follow Me." It features the use of principles called "Teaching in the Savior's Way."
One of the concepts promoted by this style of teaching is the use of audience-appropriate material based on loose principles and outlines rather than pre-structured lessons. The use of this method provokes a combination of excitement and anxiety. I am excited at the prospect of people putting more thought into lesson preparation than cracking the manual open during Sacrament Meeting. I am nervous about the prospect of teachers flying by the seat of their pants or preparing something that is completely off-topic.
If nothing else, hopefully this method of teaching will produce better questions to ask class members. The worst question that can be asked in any lesson is the question that can be answered by "read your scriptures, go to church, and pray." These questions are typically asked by well-meaning teachers, but they are hardly thought provoking, and used far too frequently. A lesson with the subject of the Holy Spirit almost inevitably features the question "What are some ways that we can have the spirit more in our lives?" A lesson about faith features the question "What are some ways that we can show our faith?" A lesson about Temple attendance asks "How can a person prepare to attend the Temple?" A lesson about strengthening families will ask "How do you strengthen your family?"
I have never known of anyone that sat up and started paying attention when the answer "read your scriptures, go to church, and pray" was given and think to themselves "that's right! I need to read my scriptures, go to church, and pray! I'm going to do these tasks without fail from now on!"
I have found that questions that challenge me to define Christianity or understand scriptures are far more thought provoking than questions that can be answered by enumerable lists of well-known information. For example, if strong faith has been compared in the scriptures to moving mountains, then does that mean faith is generally weak since considering the low number of faith-based mountain moves? Thinking about how faith is a power (Matthew 17:20), and how it must also be based in truth (Alma 32:21) can lead to a greater understanding of how it works. Jesus questioned his disciples to challenge them to consider their faith asking what they believed. (Matthew 16:13-16)
Questions that can quickly be answered by "the atonement" are typically less effective as well. Of course the atonement of Christ is the center of Christian worship and doctrine, but this information is probably not news to anyone that has some knowledge of the faith. In general, if the answer to a question is painfully obvious, it probably should not be asked. If a teacher wishes to help people believe in the power of Christ's sacrifice, my experience is that testimony is superior to a simplistic question that can be answered. More thought provoking questions involving how ordinances apply the power of his sacrifice or the role of penitence and forgiveness are far more effective.
Ultimately, my hope is that teachers of Christianity everywhere will learn to speak with power and authority as Christ himself did. Inviting people to come to God is better accomplished when manuals are simply read aloud, or when questions to which everyone knows the answers are asked. The message of salvation is not casual; it should not be taught casually.
