"You Make The Difference"

[Matthew J. Tandy]

I have been undergoing a quest to read every single General Conference talk and take organized notes. I read about one a weekday morning. In today's reading, I read:

- David B. Haight - April 1971 General Conference, Priesthood Session - Teach One Another -

I am looking for material from a program they were introducing around this time. Here are a few quotes from it:

The aim of the teacher development program is to improve teaching wherever teaching is done in priesthood quorums, auxiliary organizations, and in our homes so as to bring about worthwhile changes in the lives of boys and girls, men and women. The First Presidency initiated this program knowing full well the importance of the teaching moments in our classrooms and because of their conviction that all teachers can improve. This program combines the most effective teaching techniques with spiritual principles.

One lady reported her teaching improved after the second lesson. She began to use the “eye to eye” approach. She began to “teach with the spirit and heart rather than with the book.”

I am sure you have been impressed with the advice and encouragement that President Joseph Fielding Smith and President Harold B. Lee give to the entire Church membership in the film You Make the Difference. This film, which every stake has in its library, outlines the need and demonstrates the methods for calling the participants and implementing the program. The proper influencing of the behavior of individuals through enlightened knowledge is our challenge.

We must understand these instructions and our responsibility to “teach one another the doctrine of the kingdom” (D&C 88:77), but to teach it effectively so that all of us, our children, our children’s children, and generations yet unborn will be able to perceive and comprehend the true meaning of life as proclaimed by the Master, and then have a desire to live it and eventually gain exaltation in the kingdom of our Heavenly Father,

This seems to be a precursor to "Teaching, No Greater Call", but I don't recall seeing the video mentioned in any of the libraries. In a previous talk during this conference session, the concept of Ward Libraries was being introduced and rolled out, so it's possible if the program was short lived that the disorganization of the library system at the time may have led to it being lost outside of church archives.

I would love to find a copy of the video and any other material from the 11-week class. I tried looking on Google, but without success. Does anyone know if any of this material is online? Also, I know some of our participants here may have been adult members in 1971. Do you remember this program?

[Deborah]

I taught the teacher training class but don't recall if it was this same program. I've also attended teacher training classes at various times. The sad thing is the teachers who needed it most never came.

[Matthew J. Tandy]

I taught the teacher training class but don't recall if it was this same program.

Wards and stakes put them together from time to time, but I beleive the one in question was the first one specifically put out by the church.

After a little more research, it appears the reason I am not finding it is the film was on 16mm. It probably never made the transition to VHS, and thus never to youtube. I did see a couple of people remembering it was an excellent production. However, I cannot find anything on what it actually was. The collector of information in me desperately wants it now!

[Calm]

I think it is in the Primary training video. I will have to go check my ultimate ward library database remnant (my husband promised me it would be just fine stored on a hard drive when we moved, lo and behold when I went to retrieve it...nowhere to be seen, so all I have now is what I printed up prior to the move....sigh (10,000 items down to a few hundred...)

[Calm]

Not in my database, will have to check the old film catalogue I ripped off from the ward library (no one else was using it).

A variation of it might be in the Teach One Another, 6 part videocassette. You might check that next Sunday, it is a pretty standard vid and should be in any older building's library. I will try and find the list of videos included.

[Calm]

Found it in the Motion Picture Film catalogue, ID# is MP097, description:

1970, 20, Color

OUtlines the phases of the teacher development program. Portrays a man being called to take the preservice course, follows his progress through the program, and shows how he becomes a successful teacher in the church. (Correlation Committee)

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Chances are it was updated when videos came out to replace the film and was replaced by the Teach One Another video.

add-on: not likely the Teach One Another vid, it is more motivational stories for teaching, not the process. Will keep looking.

add-on-and-on: The earliest catalogue I've got after the old relic one I found the movie listed on is the 1994, which has in its teacher development just stuff from the Teach One Another vid. There is also the Primary Leadership vid, but again it is something newer.

Edited March 26, 2012 by calmoriah

[Calm]

I couldn't find it at the BYU Library Online Catalog, but you might want to call them up and see if they store old church materials or not. Also could try the Church History Dept. up in SLC.

[Matthew J. Tandy]

Calmoriah,

Thank you for all the leads! It looks like they kept elements around ebfore fully phasing it out with enwer productions. I will take up your advice and contact the Church History Department.