In his Saturday morning talk, Brother David M. McConkie said what matters most in gospel learning is the attitude and spirit by which the gospel instructor teaches.

"Successful gospel teachers love the gospel," said Brother McConkie, first counselor in the Sunday School General Presidency. "They are excited about it. And because they love their students, they want them to feel as they feel and to experience what they have experienced. To teach the gospel is to share your love of the gospel."

A teacher's attitude is not taught — it's caught.

Brother McConkie outlined four basic principles that can help one "catch" the attitude required of successful teachers.

First, immerse yourself in the scriptures.

"We cannot love what we do not know," he said. "Develop a habit of daily scripture study, separate and apart from your lesson preparation. Before we can teach the gospel, we must know the gospel."

The Lord has commanded His children to search, treasure and "feast upon" the scriptures. "As we earnestly search and ponder the word of the Lord, we will have His spirit with us. We will become acquainted with His voice."

Second, apply in your life the things that you learn.

"As teachers, our work, first and foremost, is to keep the commandments with all of our might, mind and strength."

Third, seek heaven's help.

"When was the last time you knelt in prayer and asked the Lord not just to help you with your lesson but also to help you to know and to meet the needs of each student in your class?" asked Brother McConkie. "No class is so large that we cannot pray for inspiration regarding how to reach each student."

Fourth, exercise our agency and act in accordance with the spiritual promptings we receive.

"You must not be afraid to exercise your agency and to act upon the thoughts and impressions that the Spirit of the Lord puts into your heart," he said. "You may feel awkward at first, but I promise you that the sweetest and most gratifying experiences you will have as a teacher will be when you submit to the will of the Lord and follow the promptings you receive from the Holy Ghost.

"Your experiences will strengthen your faith and give you greater courage to act in the future." — Jason Swensen