Podcast Summary: Jesus Christ, the Master Teacher | Sarah K. Clark | BYU Speeches (May 21, 2025)

Overview

In this spiritually enriching devotional, Dean Sarah K. Clark of BYU’s McKay School of Education offers an exploration of Jesus Christ as the Master Teacher and how His teaching methods, through stories and personal engagement, remain a guiding light for individuals navigating their own life stories. Clark weaves personal anecdotes, scriptural insights, and practical frameworks to invite listeners to both revisit and re-author their life experiences with Christ as a co-author. The address focuses on the transformative power of storytelling, divine collaboration in meaning-making, and the ongoing journey of discipleship.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. The Power of Story in Personal Growth

[00:35 – 04:45]

• Clark opens by sharing a vivid memory from her freshman year as a cautionary tale about missing a crucial exam but receiving unexpected mercy from a professor.
• Reflects on the lifelong impact of revisiting personal stories: “I have picked up this story again and again in my life. It is almost as if I have picked up a ball and turned it over and over in my hands to see if I can see something I may have missed before.” [03:22]
• Emphasizes the communal and instructive power of storytelling: “When we speak our truth, we often help others discover theirs.” [04:04]

2. Learning from the Savior’s Parables

[04:45 – 07:00]

• Clark draws on the parables as layered teachings that reveal new meanings upon repeated study—highlighting personal identification with figures like the prodigal son and the wise virgins.
• “Our Savior, the Master Teacher, knew the enduring power of story. But what about our own stories?” [05:20]

3. Inviting Christ to Be the Co-Author

[07:00 – 09:45]

• Reference to Hebrews 12:2 and President Camille N. Johnson: we are invited not merely to “edit” but to let Christ “write” our stories.
• “Letting God prevail…does require us to keep his commandments and the covenants we have made.” [08:25]

4. Rewriting Pain into Purpose — A Family Example

[09:45 – 12:47]

• Shares the story of her mother overcoming an absent, alcoholic father to become “the mother of 13 children”—transforming a painful legacy into one of faith and covenant.
• Quotes her mother’s words: “Home is where one starts from. … Lasting through all the ages to come will be our covenants that can make us an eternal family and an eternal home.” [11:58]
• Describes her mother’s final moments as a sacred display of faith and testimony.

5. Continuing Revelation through Personal Stories

[12:47 – 19:10]

• Tells the story of receiving poignant, divine instruction during personal struggle as a young mother: “Treat her like she’s your last.”
• Over time, the meaning of this phrase deepened, as God’s “plan A” for her life unfolded in unexpected yet beautiful ways.
• On recognizing God’s preparation: “My life wasn’t an alternative or a backup plan that I was living. No, this was his plan all along. Plan A.” [17:07]

6. Others as Part of Your Story

[19:10 – 21:10]

• Relates how encouragement and insights from a sibling confirmed her interpretation of her life’s story and path.
• “Can you see how he also lets others write parts of your story? Do you see how God continues to teach and instruct using the same story over and over...?” [20:55]

7. The Tree of Wisdom and New Perspectives

[21:10 – 23:10]

• Discusses the significance of the Tree of Wisdom sculpture at BYU as a metaphor for life stories: depending on the angle, you see only branches or only roots—both are essential.
• “When you look at your story from one angle, you may only see the branches, but looking at another angle you will begin to see the roots.” [22:46]

8. Framework for Reflective Storytelling

[23:10 – 27:40]

• Introduces the BYU Aims (as four reflective questions) for revisiting personal stories:
  • What has been intellectually enlarging?
  • What has been spiritually strengthening?
  • What has been character building?
  • How can this experience lead to lifelong learning and service?
• Illustrates framework with the story of the brother of Jared (Book of Mormon, Ether 3), unpacking each question.
• Explains the concept of “Ebenezers” as markers in life where God’s help is seen: “The more I see his role and involvement in my life, the greater I learn to trust him with my story.” [27:12]

9. Becoming a Main Character in the Savior’s Story

[27:40 – 31:30]

• Shares a compelling classroom moment: students mapping Jesus’s life omit themselves from the Savior’s story.
• “You are a main character in the Savior’s story. Always have been, always will be.” [30:07]

10. Faith and Surrender in Co-Authoring

[31:30 – 34:10]

• Encourages listeners to lean more deeply into their stories with faith, using Elder Jacob D. Jager’s story of Hans as an example of trust, sacrifice, and divine coincidence.
• “When we exercise faith and trust…and trust God more fully with our story…our efforts and obedience become the greatest storyline ever and far exceed even our own expectations.” [33:22]

11. Inviting and Surprising God

[34:10 – 34:55]

• Cites Sister Jennifer Kiran’s advice: “Surprise God right back. Surprise him with your faith…with your persistent repentance. Don’t you give up.” [34:36]

12. Lasting Commitment — “I’m Not Going Anywhere”

[34:55 – 35:34]

• Shares the four words with which she ends every class—and offers as her lifelong commitment to Christ:
  • “I’m not going anywhere.”
• Explains these words as her personal declaration of eternal loyalty: “I’m telling my Heavenly Father and my Savior Jesus Christ. I’m not going anywhere. I’m committed to them forever.” [35:10]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “When we speak our truth, we often help others discover theirs.”
  Sarah K. Clark, 04:04

• “Letting God prevail…does require us to keep his commandments and the covenants we have made.”
  Sarah K. Clark, 08:25

• “Treat her like she’s your last.”
  (Describing God’s personal guidance; Sarah K. Clark, 13:18)

• “My life wasn’t an alternative or a backup plan… No, this was his plan all along. Plan A.”
  Sarah K. Clark, 17:07

• “Can you see how he also lets others write parts of your story?”
  Sarah K. Clark, 20:55

• “You are a main character in the Savior’s story. Always have been, always will be.”
  Sarah K. Clark, 30:07

• “We must remember that God’s imagination and creativity is far beyond our own.”
  Sarah K. Clark, 33:30

• “Surprise God right back. Surprise him with your faith…”
  Sarah K. Clark quoting Sister Jennifer Kiran, 34:36

• “I’m not going anywhere.”
  Sarah K. Clark, 35:10

Important Timestamps

• 00:35 – 04:45: Early personal story about mercy and learning responsibility.
• 04:45 – 07:00: Insights from the Savior’s parables as a model for storytelling.
• 09:45 – 12:47: Transforming painful family legacy through faith.
• 12:47 – 19:10: Spiritual revelations and reframing personal struggle.
• 23:10 – 27:40: BYU Aims framework for understanding and revising one’s story.
• 27:40 – 31:30: Each person’s role as a main character in Christ’s story.
• 31:30 – 34:10: The story of Hans and the power of trusting God’s story.
• 34:55 – 35:34: The power and significance of “I’m not going anywhere.”

Conclusion

Sarah K. Clark’s devotional masterfully interlaces personal narrative, doctrine, and practical approaches to self-examination. She encourages all to revisit their stories, invite Christ as a co-author, and find divine meaning and direction, no matter how unplanned or difficult the path may seem.

Final Reflection

“Whenever my students and each of you think of me today, I hope you will remember my testimony. And I hope you remember I am committed forever to this Gospel and to God, our Heavenly Father and His Beloved Son, Jesus Christ, no matter what. And I hope you might consider doing the same. I am not going anywhere.”
— Sarah K. Clark, 35:30

For those seeking hope, perspective, and a blueprint for involving Christ in the authorship of life’s story, this address stands as a motivating and comforting resource.