In Alma 18:20-23 King Lamoni speaks words worth gold to a teacher or a missionary. After inviting Ammon to speak boldly, Lamoni assured Ammon "Yea, I will believe all thy words." I think Ammon's actions up to this point had all helped Lamoni to prepare his heart to receive his words. Ammon practiced patient teaching, which I think is one of the most difficult teaching skills that we can learn.
It is amazing to me that up to this point Ammon still hasn't preached anything. He still hasn't taught or rebuked or testified. His actions have done all the talking and everyone around him is confused by his power.
I think that by speaking up too soon he would have undermined the preparation of the people's hearts. The longer he went serving and living and acting by the Spirit, the more and more they wondered what his purpose and message was.
I wonder if occasionally we undermine our own efforts by saying too much and doing too little. I think that Ammon could have really weakened the Spirit's working on Lamoni by cutting him short in the preparation of his heart. Even after Lamoni asked him a question, Ammon still didn't immediately go into preaching mode. He answered it simply in a way that led to even more questions.
I think that the success of Ammon and all missionaries can only come when the hearts of those they teach are broken and ready. For a king who had committed so much sin, Ammon continued to wait for his heart to break until well after most of us would normally wait. I think this is what makes teaching an act of faith. It is an act of timing. It is not a science but an art!
I think that I need to learn the skill of patience. I need to learn how to listen and observe until Spirit says move, then move.
The patient teacher changes lives, while the hasty one can undermine the Spirit in fulfilling it's role. As we are patient and avoid rushing, we can better help others to prepare their hearts to receive. The Spirit can help us to know what we need to do to help others receive the gospel.
I believe I need to find more ways to share the gospel with others. But I can't do it in the world's way, I have to do it in the Lord's way. I think Ammon is a great example of how to prepare others to hear the gospel. He started with love and acceptance, then used the gospel to overcome challenges and to help others. He then proved his own character by both remembering and executing the king's commands, he then let the king ask questions and he didn't rush in and preach his ears off once he showed some interest. He also was ok to wait for a long time and listen closely to the king's questions and concerns.
I've always loved this paragraph under "Listen" from chapter 10 of Preach My Gospel:
"While others talk to you, avoid the tendency to think about what you are going to say. Make sure you are really concentrating on the person speaking rather than planning your response. Elder Jeffrey R. Holland taught: “More important than speaking is listening. These people are not lifeless objects disguised as a baptismal statistic. They are children of God, our brothers and sisters, and they need what we have. Be genuine. Reach out sincerely. Ask these friends what matters most to them. What do they cherish, and what do they hold dear? And then listen. If the setting is right, you might ask what their fears are, what they yearn for, or what they feel is missing in their lives. I promise you that something in what they say will always highlight a truth of the gospel about which you can bear testimony and about which you can then offer more. … If we listen with love, we won’t need to wonder what to say. It will be given to us--by the Spirit and by our friends” (“Witnesses unto Me,” Ensign, May 2001, 15; italics in original).
Teaching moment: Set an example of being a good listener by fighting the tendency to interrupt people, cut them off, or finish their sentences for them. Ask genuine questions rather than trying to make comments or share your own similar experiences. Get comfortable waiting quietly and attentively for others to finish their thoughts or share additional thoughts. In an appropriate moment, teach the importance of this skill to a child. Help them practice asking questions that invite others to talk rather than talking about themselves.
