The Power of Prayer and The Holy Ghost

I was a nervous wreck to teach my Sunday School lesson today.  It was on Romans in the New Testament.  It was about the doctrine of justification.  It was a deep topic and I was nervous.  I had a hard time as I prepared the material to teach it.  I would study for a while and get distracted.  I would have to put it down with the resolve to come back to it later.  I had to do that three times.  I don't usually have that hard of a time in studying and preparing to teach a lesson on the scriptures.  But this lesson was tough.  It took some serious wrapping my head around the words "justification", "grace", "works", and how all of that ties in with faith and the Atonement. 

I don't usually get nervous anymore, but I still wasn't sure I had it all figured out, even this morning.  So I knelt down at my bed this morning and asked that the Spirit would guide me and help me to remember what I had studied.  I was still unsure as I got up and went about getting ready for church.  I expressed my concerns to my husband and he reassured me that it would be fine.  He promised me that he would say a prayer for me.

As my class began to fill up, I looked around the room to see who I could call on to give the opening prayer.  My eyes rested upon a dear man who has been a part of my life as long as I can remember.  He was my bishop when I was eight years old and I remember him giving me my interview to be baptized.  As soon as my eyes found him I felt prompted to ask him to give the opening prayer. 

So I let a few more minutes pass to let everyone shuffle in and find a seat and then got up and welcomed our visitors and turned the time over to this dear friend of mine to offer the opening prayer.  As he began to say the words of his prayer I also offered a silent prayer as well.  I needed all the help I could get today.  He prayed for me in that I would be able to remember all that I had studied and that the Spirit would be with me as well as with the members of my class.  I was grateful and as soon as he finished the prayer I knew it would be okay.

I rose and began my lesson.  I was nervous still.  I kept tripping over my tongue.  I kept stuttering.  It felt like it was swollen.  I couldn't get a grip on my thoughts.  The room kept filling up.  More people were coming in.  I think there were about sixty adults in my class.  I was feeling intimidated.  I was having a rough start and I was beginning to panic because I still wasn't sure I was ready to teach this material yet.  I was beginning to hyperventilate.  I had both hands on the pulpit for stabilization as I gulped for air.  I was choking, but after the first gulp I heard the counsel in my mind to slow down.  Breathe.  Calm down.  I only choked for air once and I don't think anyone noticed.  I tried to cover it up so it wasn't apparent. 

After a slow deep breath to calm me down, I explained that Paul wrote the letter to the Romans because they had been reverting back to living the Law of Moses.  They had somehow begun to believe that adhering to the letter of the law alone would gain them salvation into the kingdom of God.  They were faithful saints, but they were in some doctrinal confusion.  He wasn't writing to new converts to the church of Jesus Christ.  He was writing to faithful members of the church who already had the fundamental doctrinal foundations of the gospel.  He was writing to them with the premise that they already understood the basics.  He was building upon that and giving them a greater understanding of the plan of salvation.  He needed them to understand that they could not be saved by adhering to the Law of Moses.  It was no longer in effect.  With Christ's Atonement, a new, higher law was now in effect.  I tripped over this whole introduction.  I was crashing and burning.  Big time.

Then I wrote the word "JUSTIFICATION" on the chalkboard.  I asked the class what they thought it meant.  I had three or four suggestions.  I asked them to tell me whatever they thought.  I wasn't looking for right or wrong answers.  I just wanted to see if everyone else struggled to understand this as I did.  I had some great comments to get me started.  Then I wrote what it means to be justified on the chalkboard as it was written in my lesson manual.  To be justified is "to be reconciled to God, pardoned from punishment for sin, and declared righteous and guiltless."

Just then... it all clicked, and the Spirit took over.  From that point on it all flowed.  It all came together and the lesson shaped itself.  I knew those prayers in my behalf were being answered.  We talked about grace and works and the role that faith plays in all of this.  It was a good lesson.  I had great comments from the members of my class and they taught me things I hadn't realized.  As soon as the class ended I knew I had been blessed by Heavenly Father.  He allowed the Holy Ghost to be with me and help me.  All of my preparation came together.  I didn't quite understand it as I was studying and preparing to teach it, but as we made our way through the lesson, my understanding came.  It was a tender mercy for this - sometimes inadequate - teacher of Gospel Doctrine.  It began to register and I recognized the power of prayer and the role the Holy Ghost plays in my life as a teacher, helping me to learn - one experience at a time. 

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