Teaching the gospel is a delight. It is a sacred honor to be in a position to offer uplifting, strengthening, healing, inspiring teachings to others.
Great blessings come to pass for both the hearer and the speaker, if both are being led by the Holy Ghost.
“And now come, saith the Lord, by the Spirit, unto the elders of his church, and let us reason together, that ye may understand;
Let us reason even as a man reasoneth one with another face to face.
Now, when a man reasoneth he is understood of man, because he reasoneth as a man; even so will I, the Lord, reason with you that you may understand.
Wherefore, I the Lord ask you this question—unto what were ye ordained?
To preach my gospel by the Spirit, even the Comforter which was sent forth to teach the truth.
Verily I say unto you, he that is ordained of me and sent forth to preach the word of truth by the Comforter, in the Spirit of truth, doth he preach it by the Spirit of truth or some other way?
And if it be by some other way it is not of God.
And again, he that receiveth the word of truth, doth he receive it by the Spirit of truth or some other way?
If it be some other way it is not of God.
Therefore, why is it that ye cannot understand and know, that he that receiveth the word by the Spirit of truth receiveth it as it is preached by the Spirit of truth?
Wherefore, he that preacheth and he that receiveth, understand one another, and both are edified and rejoice together.
He that receiveth of God, let him account it of God; and let him rejoice that he is accounted of God worthy to receive.”
Doc. & Cov. 50: 10-14, 17-22, 34
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What the Lord describes in the foregoing, I visualize like a pipe.
This conduit has two ends, one at the top and another at the bottom.
The one responsible for preaching is at the top.
The one receiving is at the bottom.
Teachings flow through the conduit like water.
If all are acting according to the workings of the Holy Spirit of God, this living water flows freely through the one preaching, downward. This refreshment benefits them as well as the one hearing the inspired word. It waters their soul.
The one receiving the teachings, of course, is also well-watered, like a well springing up unto everlasting life. (John 4: 14)
This favorable situation is what we seek, and which gives us great pleasure as we teach and learn together. The teacher and the learner understand one another and are edified together.
Some of the clearest indicators I have that I am speaking by the power of the Holy Ghost is when I say things I've never thought or said before, and from which I myself learn something true.
But what about times we feel less inspired, when spiritual ideas just don't seem to be flowing?
It's easy always to assume that the one teaching is the source of the problem.
Indeed, they may well be—
It's important to prepare ourselves well for the times we take to teach the truths of eternity.
"Seek not to declare [His] word, but first seek to obtain [His] word." (Doc. & Cov. 11: 20-21; see also 42: 14; 84: 85)
As important as the need for teachers to keep themselves properly prepared, is also the notion that they should recognize the effect of the hearer's preparation upon their own inspiration.
Returning to the image of the water through the pipe—
There are two valves in this pipe, one at the top, and—you guessed it—another at the bottom.
The teacher has to be open and willing to teach. And the learner must likewise be open and willing to learn.
If the one receiving slows or stops the flow at the bottom, the flow at the top stops as well.
There is no need for God to inspire the preacher with grand teachings for which the hearer is unprepared.
This situation reminds me of the conditions during Moses's time, when the people lacked direct access to the ordinances of the Melchizedek or higher priesthood, on account of their disobedience. (Doc. & Cov. 84: 19-27)
This restriction can easily be seen only as a punishment, but I also see a great expression of the Lord's mercy in it.
He mercifully refrained from harming the people by exposing them to higher laws and ordinances for which they were not ready. He kept them from becoming accountable to higher and holier ways of living, by which they might be condemned because of their lack of readiness to receive. (See Doc. & Cov. 82: 3; Helaman 14: 19; James 4: 17; 1 Corinthians 11: 32)
Keeping that which is "holy" away from "dogs," or our "pearls" away from "swine" is not an overly harsh judgment on the mental or spiritual capacity of those the Lord metaphorically identifies as unclean animals. We must show we are willing to seek the word of the Lord before His greater truths will be revealed to us. This metered approach honors our agency, as we seek to act, and not merely to be acted upon. (Matthew 7: 6-8)
It is a merciful injunction to keep some things in reserve until we know it is right to share them. We continually treasure up the words of life, living by every word that comes forth from the mouth of God. (Doc. & Cov. 84: 43-47)
But we don't share all we've treasured up. Rather, the challenge is to impart only "that portion that shall be meted (measured) out to every man." (Doc. & Cov. 84: 85)
First, we nourish young learners with "milk," then later we help them carve and chew the tougher and more substantial "meat." (1 Corinthians 3: 1-2; Hebrews 5: 11-14; 1 Peter 2: 1-3; Doc. & Cov. 19: 22; 50: 40)
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In times you feel uninspired, take courage.
Reject the temptations like those nags from Job's friends, who thought surely he must have been in transgression for his misfortunes to have been justified.
Of course, do all you can to be worthy of the guiding influence of the Holy Ghost.
And if you are worthy of His help, trust that any resistance or emptiness you feel in your lack of inspiration is the result of your hearer's lack of preparation, not yours.
"That portion" to be "meted out" in such circumstances may be small indeed. But it will still minister grace to your hearers, no matter how slightly. This is only right, and according to the promises of the Lord to you and your students.
