Why a Blog for Our Institute Class?

As we dive into the scriptures together this semester I want to try something that might be new to an institute experience. My motivation to do this stems from two guiding principles that have lead me to try this out.

First, in 2003 the Church Educational System came out with what is called the Teaching Emphasis. 'The Emphasis' was developed to help seminary and institute teachers have more impact while the student are in our classes. If correctly used the emphasis' goal is to help student take their gospel knowledge from their head to their heart. President Henry B. Eyring said of this increased effort and emphasis:

"The pure gospel of Jesus Christ must go down into the hearts of students by the power of the Holy Ghost. It will not be enough for them to have had a spiritual witness of the truth and to want good things later. It will not be enough for them to hope for some future cleansing and strengthening. Our aim must be for them to become truly converted to the restored gospel of
Jesus Christ while they are with us." (WE MUST RAISE OUR SIGHTS
Elder Henry B. Eyring, CES Conference on the Book of Mormon • 14 August 2001 • Brigham Young University)

If you want to look at this document click on the following link: The Teaching Emphasis

The document says we need to do two things in class more:

• We are to help students understand the scriptures and the words of the prophets, identify and understand the doctrines and principles found therein, and apply them in their lives in ways that lead to personal conversion.
• We are to help students learn to explain, share, and testify of the doctrines and principles of the restored gospel. We are to give them opportunities to do so with each other in class. We are to encourage them to do so outside of class with family and others.

Second, from this second bullet you can see in class we need not only the teacher to explain share and testify of principles and doctrines from the scripture but all of us together in class need to have this chance both in an out of class. This blog is my hopes for 'another' venue in which you can share your insights and principles of the gospel. Why the web? in Elder Ballard's recent Ensign article: Sharing the Gospel Using the Internet, by Elder M. Russell Ballard, tells us to join in on the conversation that is out there. Minding that we need to be part of the conversation but be ever aware of the traps of the internet.

"There are conversations going on about the Church constantly. Those conversations will continue whether or not we choose to participate in them. But we cannot stand on the sidelines while others, including our critics, attempt to define what the Church teaches. While some conversations have audiences in the thousands or even millions, most are much, much smaller. But all conversations have an impact on those who participate in them. Perceptions of the Church are established one conversation at a time." M. Russell Ballard, “Sharing the Gospel Using the Internet,” Ensign, Jul 2008, 58–63. If you would like to see a video of a similar speech he gave at BYU Hawaii here you go: Video of Speech.

So here we go. I hope this blog turns into a repository of your thoughts, principles, expereices, to show to one another alike of our belief in Christ and how being able to find and verbalize simple statements of principle can help us to come closer to our Heavenly Father.

Brother Boyce