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Pattern of the Prophets: Expounding in the Book of MormonJ E N N Y TO N K S

Among the Lord’s instructions to priesthood officers in D&C section 20, a teaching pattern emerges:

Teach, expound, exhort (v. 42)

Teach, expound, exhort (v. 46)

Teach, expound, exhort (v. 50)

Expound, exhort, teach (v. 59)

This “teach, expound, exhort” pattern—typically followed by a fourth component, “invite,” that appears less often than the other three—was utilized by the Book of Mormon prophets from Nephi to Moroni, and was such an effective teaching tool that even the Lamanites utilized it when calling their people to arms against the Nephites. The purpose of this article is to take a closer look at one component in this pattern that is not given equal representation in the literature available to educators.

For the “expound, exhort, teach, invite” teaching pattern (as assigned to teachers in D&C 20:59, hereafter referred to as EETI) the exhortation, teaching, and invitation components are already widely represented in literature available to educators, both religious and secular. 1 But expounding—a term typically used to denote expanding upon, explaining, or teaching—seems redundant in a pattern that already includes the word “teach.” A closer look at the word “expound” and its application in the Book of Mormon reveals a teaching practice that kept students attentive, engaged, and motivated to learn in ancient times.

A closer look at the term expound and its application in the Book of Mormon reveals a teaching practice that kept students attentive, engaged, and motivated to learn in ancient times.To ExpoundThe “expound” component of this EETI teaching pattern, defined in the dictionary as “to set forth; to explain by setting forth,2 implies the need for scripture or written word for the teacher to “set” before the student. Consider the following scriptures:

“I, Nephi, write more of the words of Isaiah … and I

will send them forth unto all my children …” (2 Ne 11:2,

emphasis added).

“You have that which is written before you” (D&C 18:30).

“Lay hold upon the gospel of Christ, which shall be set

before you, not only in this record but also in the record

which shall come unto the Gentiles from the Jews . . .”

(Mormon 7:8, emphasis added).

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Such uses of “setting forth” in the Book of Mormon indicate that there is more to expounding than common usage that denotes teaching, lecturing, or explanation.3 Other scriptures suggest a different definition as well:

And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, [Christ]

expounded unto them in all the scriptures…” (Luke 24:27,

emphasis added).

Christ “did expound all things, even from the beginning

until the time that he should come in his glory” (3 Nephi

26:3, emphasis added).

But in these scriptures, was Christ teaching from past to future in addition to expounding, or did He teach from past to future per definition of expounding? Evidence in the scriptures seems to point to the latter, as will be shown later. I therefore propose that the definition of to expound might mean “to ‘set forth’ the past” or to set the past before our learners.

According to Catholic Priest Donald Senior and Jewish scholar H.W. Wolff, the past was perceived differently in ancient times than it is today:

“In biblical Hebrew the way of referring to past and

future has the opposite orientation than does either

English or French. While we say, ‘the past is behind me’

and ‘the future is in front of me,’ the biblical idiom is the

opposite: i.e. the past is in front of me (before my face)

and the future is behind me (at my back). The image is

visual, something like rowing a boat across a lake. The

receding shoreline is ‘in front of you,’ where you are

headed is ‘at your back’, behind you. You view the ‘past’-

the receding shore-in order to fix your course for where

you are going.”4

Expounding does appear synonymous with looking forward to the past in the following verse, where all of the components in the EETI teaching pattern are mentioned:

“The prophets … and the teachers, did labor diligently,

exhorting … the people to diligence; teaching the law

of Moses … persuading them to look forward unto

the Messiah, and believe in him to come as though he

already was. And after this manner did they teach them”

(Jarom 1:11, emphasis added).

Although expound and invite aren’t named in this verse, I believe that they are defined here as helping learners “to look forward” to the past and “persuading,” respectively.

A Prophet’s ArtNote how Jacob’s sermon follows the EETI pattern in these verses:

T E A C H I N G M E T H O D

E X A M P L E

EXPOUND (place the past before the learner)

Recounts Jewish History 2 Nephi 6

EXHOR T (admonish or advise; testify5)

“I have read these things that ye might know … I speak unto you these things that ye may rejoice … I know that ye have searched … I know that ye know …”2 Nephi 9: 1-5

TEACH Quotes Isaiah; uses anaphora: “O the greatness …. O the great holiness…[but] wo unto them who … wo unto them who … wo unto them who …”2 Nephi 7-8

INVITE “Remember my words … turn away from your sins … prepare your souls.”2 Nephi 9:44-54

Here is only one of many instances in which Alma ‘s teaching also models this pattern:

T E A C H I N G M E T H O D

E X A M P L E

EXPOUND (evoke the past)

“My father, Alma … did baptize his brethren in the waters of Mormon … they were delivered out of the hands of the people of king Noah … after that, they were brought into bond-age … we were brought into this land, and here we began to establish the church of God ...” Alma 5: 3-5

EXHOR T (admonish or advise; testify)

“[These things] are made known unto me by the Holy Spirit of God…” v. 46

TEACH Socratic: Have ye been born of God? … his image engraven on your counte-

nances? … etcvv. 6-56

INVITE “Come ye out from the wicked,” etc.vv. 57-62

Even Captain Moroni’s famed title of liberty was inspired by an ancestor, about whom he expounded while seeking recruits:

T E A C H I N G M E T H O D

E X A M P L E

EXPOUND (evoke the past)

“We are a remnant of the seed of Jacob; yea, we are a remnant of the seed of Joseph … let us preserve our liberty as a remnant of Joseph …” Alma 46: 23-26

EXHOR T (admonish or advise; testify)

“…the seed of Joseph, which shall perish as this garment … even it shall be ourselves if we do not stand fast in the faith of Christ.” v. 27

TEACH Mormon sums up: “Now behold, this was the language of Jacob …” v. 26

INVITE “Come forth in the strength of the Lord, and enter into a covenant …” v. 20

Other examples of prophets and teachers expounding (while also exhorting, teaching and inviting) in the Book of Mormon include:

• Amulek begins his sermon by expounding their

genealogy (Alma 10)

• When people didn’t understand Alma’s “Faith Like

a Seed” sermon (Alma 32), he had to clarify by

expounding Zenos, Zenock, and Moses (Alma 33)

• Ammon expounded from Adam on up (Alma 18)

• Lamanites expound often to their people to stir them up

to battle against Nephites (see example in Ammaron’s

epistle, Alma 54:17)

• Nephi’s garden tower sermon begins with his

expounding Abraham, Moses, Zeons, Zenock, Ezias,

Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lehi, and Nephi (Hel. 7-8).

• Moroni where he expounds Jaredite history in Ether,

exhorts readers in chapters 4-5, teaches in the book of

Moroni, invites in Moroni 10:3-5.

• The entire Bookof Mormon is an example of EETi

(Mormon expounds Nephite history, exhorts/testifies and

teaches throughout, invites readers to action)

Why Expounding WorksIn evoking the past for our students, I believe that we are effectively summoning help from the other side, inviting history’s heroes to join our ranks. President Faust noted that, “it may very well be that there are more helpful sources at work than we know. I believe there is a strong familial pull as the influence of beloved ancestors continues with us from the other side of the veil.”6 Elder Scott similarly quoted Joseph F. Smith in a recent General Conference address: “I believe we move and have our being in the presence of heavenly messengers and of heavenly beings. We are not separate from them. … We are closely related to our kindred, to our ancestors … who have preceded us into the spirit world.”7

Expounding benefits reluctant learners, too. When Nephi and his brethren were forced to flee Laban’s servants, the commandment of an angel of the Lord to “go up to Jerusalem again” failed to convince Laman and Lemuel to

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return (1 Nephi 3:24-31). But return they did—only after Nephi expounded:

“Therefore, let us go up. Let us be strong like unto

Moses; for he truly spake unto the waters of the Red

Sea and they divided … let us go up; the Lord is able

to deliver us, even as our fathers, and to destroy Laban,

even as the Egyptians” (1 Nephi 4:1-3).

Later, an angel did employ this more effective teaching method with another reluctant learner, when expounding for the rebellious Alma the Younger to remember “the captivity of thy fathers in the land of Helam” and “how great things [God] has done for them; for they were in bondage and he delivered them” (Mosiah 27:16).

In recent years, the Church has made expounding central to our curriculum.

In recent years, the Church has made expounding central to our curriculum by introducing the Teachings of the Presidents of the Church series of manuals for Relief Society and Priesthood use. The Relief Society additionally published a history of their organization after presidency leaders “prayed, fasted, pondered, and counseled with prophets, seers, and revelators to learn what God would have us do to help His daughters be strong” because of “findings that many [sisters] are not doing essential things such as praying and reading scriptures.”8 Clearly, expounding is making a comeback in church classrooms. Are we following suit in our homes and university classrooms?

Additional Research RequiredThe nature of expounding in ancient times requires additional research. Expounding must be more than tossing out some contextual background information at the beginning of a lecture or “summing things up” for students. Consider the reaction of listeners to the historical accounts read aloud in Mosiah 25, as they:

• “Were struck with wonder and amazement” (v.7)

• “Filled with exceedingly great joy” (v. 8)

• “Shed many tears of sorrow” (v. 9)

• “Did raise their voices and give thanks” (v. 10)

• “Were filled with pain and anguish” (v. 11)

Are our students responding to our expounding in this way? If not, how might we improve our expounding skills? The Book of Mormon gives us many clues as to why the prophets’ historical accounts were so much more riveting and engaging than the sleep-inducing pioneer stories often droned from the modern-day pulpit. I invite readers to discover for themselves the secrets of powerful teachers in the Book of Mormon, whose expounding made learners

“desirous beyond measure” to hear more (Mosiah 28:12).

Expounding must be more than tossing out some contextual background information at the beginning of a lecture or “summing things up” for students.Power to ResistIn a time of indescribable wickedness among the Jaredite people, Shez remained righteous because he

“did remember the destruction of his fathers” and “he remembered what the Lord had done in bringing Jared and his brother across the deep” (Ether 10:3). Shez’s knowledge of the past was such a powerful force for good in that time of wickedness that the adversary must surely want expounding erased from our teaching repertoires today, lest it thwart his efforts.

Let us, then, invite those powerful spiritual figures from the past to assist us in the classroom by invoking their names and sharing their stories. How will their presence engage the immortal spirits of our learners and meliorate learning outcomes? We have only to expound to find out.

References1 BYU’s John Hilton III, PhD, models effective invitation in LDS classrooms in his articles “Helping Students Act” (Religious Educator, 2012) and “See That Ye Do Them” (Religious Educator, 2009). 2 Merriam-Webster Dictionary Online, www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/expound accessed 12 Oct 2012, emphasis added.3 In my research of all the various EBSCOHOST (and other) scholarly databases, I found the term used most often as synonymous with explain, teach, or expand upon.4 Donald Senior, CP, “The Biblical Heritage and the Meaning of Vocation,” Origins, Vol. 31, No. 46 (also attributed to H.W. Wolff in other literature). Senior’s explanation further clarifies the meaning behind Alma’s declaration “I would cite your minds forward to the time when the Lord God gave these commandments unto his children” (Alma 13:1, emphasis added). Special thanks to Jeff Christensen of Mexico City, Mexico for pointing this out to me; I hadn’t found it in my own research.5 Defined as “encourage, stimulate” (on etymonline.com), to which Elder Bednar added “testify” in his October 2009 Conference Address, “More Diligent and Concerned at Home.”6 “Dear are the Sheep that Have Wandered,” April 2003 General Conference Address.7 Richard G. Scott, April 2012 General Conference address online at https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2012/04/how-to-obtain-revelation-and-inspiration-for-your-personal-life?lang=eng8 Julie B. Beck, “Daughters in My Kingdom,” General Relief Society Meeting address, September 2010).

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