Nearly 4,000 seminary teachers, institute instructors and CES administrators gathered at BYU Aug. 13-15 for the 15th annual Church Educational System Religious Educators' Symposium.

Attendees came from throughout the nation to hear approximately 50 lecturers give presentations during general sessions, classes and a teaching fair. The symposium was based on the Old Testament, which is the 1991-92 course of study for seminary students, and included specific instruction for CES educators and administrators."The purpose of the symposium is to help our CES teachers and administrators do their job more effectively," explained Gerald N. Lund, CES zone administrator for instructional support services and executive director of the symposium.

Elder Neal A. Maxwell of the Council of the Twelve was a guest speaker for the general session on Aug. 13. (Please see accompanying excerpts on this page.)

Following are excerpts from several symposium speakers.

Purpose of Law of Moses: prepare for belief in Christ

The Law of Moses could not influence a person's life unless that person had some measure and portion of the Spirit of the Lord in his or her life. The lack of that spiritual influence caused great difficulties in ancient Israel. They lost the spirit of the law, which is why the law turned into such a burden, as is illustrated later in the scriptural record. All of the standard works, not just the Old and the New Testament, teach of this law. A proper perspective on this law provides a meaningful dimension to gospel understanding.

The most important text to help us fully appreciate the spirit and purpose of the Law of Moses is the Book of Mormon. The Book of Mormon people maintained the spirit of the Law of Moses, and it served them well. Their faithful observance finally helped prepare a responsive group to receive the Messiah in their day.

The Doctrine and Covenants says that the Law of Moses consists of the preparatory gospel and the law of carnal commandments. The preparatory gospel includes the elements of faith in Jesus Christ, repentance and baptism.

In Mosiah 13:30, Abinadi states that this law . . . consisted of a law of ordinances and performances. The ordinances and performances were teaching instruments of the law of carnal commandments. A synonym for the word "carnal" is "flesh." The law of carnal commandments was, therefore, commandments intended to help the children of Israel to control the flesh - to develop self-control and self-discipline in their lives. It was to help them to get a handle on their lives so they could begin to focus on the basic fundamentals that would lead them to Christ. That was its primary purpose and the spirit and the intent of the law of carnal commandments.

It is this Messiah, this Christ, of whom the Law of Moses taught, as well as other prophets. Those who had the true spirit of the law in New Testament times or in Book of Mormon times recognized the efficacy and power of the Law of Moses in helping them to focus on what would bring them to Christ. - Edward J. Brandt, administrative assistant to the director of the evaluation division of the Church's Correlation Department.

Teach Isaiah by learning his central message

[Isaiah is] probably about the most powerful and helpful experience in coming to understand the Savior that I've ever been involved in.

How many of you are convinced of the fact a teenager can understand Isaiah? They can. I've taught Isaiah to teenagers and they understand it perfectly as the Holy Ghost reveals it to them and as they learn to study it on their own and stretch themselves.

It is amazing once you understand the errand of Isaiah, once you understand his central message, the rest of the book comes in. Then the rest makes sense. Isaiah is simply symbolic. This book is written for latter-day Israel. It's written for the youth of the Church that they will stand, now, in your seminary classes and say, "Here am I; send me. I will go on my mission. I will preach the gospel."

[Isaiah 6:10T is the message of Isaiah. It's the call of Isaiah. The greatest thing about teaching is to watch someone spiritually awaken. We see it when they open their eyes and they understand finally who they are and that they stood in the premortal existence and shouted, "Send me in the latter-day. I will do it."

Is there any difference between President Ezra Taft Benson's message and Isaiah's? Come unto Christ so you can hear with your ears, see with your eyes, understand with your heart, be converted to the Lord so that He can heal you.

What was the mission of Isaiah? To bring his people to Christ, so that He could heal them. Any of these young people are students. Many of them come from wounded homes. Even teenagers who are active and have wonderful parents have wounds. Brothers and Sisters, I need to be healed and you need to be healed and Christ can heal us. If you understand that message of Isaiah, the rest makes sense.

Do you know why I love the Lord more than I've ever loved Him? Do you know why I love my Father more than ever before? Because of the book of Isaiah, and a teenager can understand it. But only when you understand it. May we teach our young people to love Isaiah. - David A. Christensen, director of the Salt Lake Institute of Religion

Teaching by Spirit encourages students' intellectual honesty

Teaching by the Spirit may and does occur of course in large congregations. But just as important, teaching by the Spirit can occur in the quiet conversation between only two people.

We live and teach among such a wide variety of individual personalities. Only the Spirit can compensate for such differences. Only the Spirit can part so many layers often intertwined in the curtains of our understanding.

I'm not surprised, therefore, that the Lord has told us that the sword of the Spirit is the penetrating word of God and the word of God can facilitate communication as nothing else. Thus, holy scriptures and the words of living prophets occupy a privileged position. They are the key to teaching by the Spirit, as well as to communicating and what the Prophet Joseph Smith called "the language of inspiration."

The Spirit not only informs and increases mutual understanding. It has an even more powerful role than increasing understanding. It convinces.

Yet, I worry sometimes when we speak of teaching by the Spirit if we seem to suggest it as some sort of mystical process. Teaching by the Spirit does not remove responsibility from the teacher for prayerful and pondering preparation. Studying out something in our own minds involves the Spirit just as much in our preparations as in our presentations.

It seems to me that seeking the Spirit is best done when we ask the Lord to take the lead of an already informed mind in which things have been studied out. Additionally, if we are already caring deeply about those we teach, it is so much easier for the Lord to inspire us to give any needed customized counsel and emphasis.

Isn't it interesting that one of the most powerful roles of the Spirit is to bring things to our remembrance. Often we do not need to be taught as much as to be reminded. When the Spirit stimulates such pondering . . . , it does something that's incredibly important. It encourages . . . intellectual honesty.

Fortunately, as well, the Spirit ties students to the Lord directly. Our loyalties and our perspectives are correlated in a way that cannot happen otherwise. Parents, teachers like you, drop off soon enough geographically and generationally, but the Spirit continues to minister.

Some suggestions for teaching by the Spirit are:

- Do focus on the teaching moment by becoming settled and serene in your own heart.

- Do be meek and " . . . I will tell you in your mind . . . " (D&C 8:2.)

- Don't try to impress in order to be heard or seen of men.

- Do have some eye contact and listen to the students.

- Don't be so busy presenting that either listening to the Spirit or to the students is simply not possible.

- Don't expect the class to listen to you when you are not listening to the Spirit.

- Do know the substance of what is being presented and ponder and pray over what its appropriate focus should be.

- Don't answer questions no one is asking.

- Do ask inspired questions.

- Don't be afraid to ponder openly in front of students.

- Don't be afraid of inspired silences.

- Do bear your testimony appropriately and specifically.

Most important, the teacher's life should be that of one who is striving to become the man or woman of Christ. When one has such authority of example, it is easy for the Spirit to guide and to inspire. One's life must be aligned spiritually to be inspired. - Elder Neal A. Maxwell of the Council of the Twelve