The word dissemination comes from two Latin roots, literally meaning “to plant an external seed.” Human conception is a great metaphor for how to teach truth. The mutual process of sex culminates in the external planting of an actuating material that, internal to the female, works with what she already had, changing it into something that is alive, growing, and independent of the man. This is how we disseminate truth: we engage in a mutual process designed to culminate in increasing the light inside of someone, which can then work within them to transform what they already have into something more.
Only the spirit can teach someone (see 1 Corinthians 2:11, 14). So how do you increase that spirit inside someone?
Your job is to 1) reveal something they had not before supposed, 2) help them believe it could be true by providing a persuasive argument and 3) invite them to act to test it for themselves.
Sometimes, this process is very easy, and can be done without any intentional effort. But if the only teaching opportunities you can take advantage of are those that need no conscientious effort or skill, then you are missing out on uncountable high-value interactions that could change people’s lives for the better.
In order to be an effective teacher, you absolutely must develop the ability to persuade people. Far from manipulation tactics, godly persuasion is a skillset focused on unfolding rational argument to change with the intent to help.
If the only way to identify truth is to ask God, why does God view rational argument as so important in teaching that he revealed a commandment to describe it? In other words, if all that can be done to identify truth is to ask God, why bother doing anything but dictating a principle and ending with an invitation to test the putative truth? First, most people won’t act without a really good reason to. Why would they, when they don’t believe what you are saying could ever be true? Second, even if they test the putative truth, their assumption of the falsehood of what you are saying will make it impossible to exercise real intent.
Real intent is manifested when an individual believes that what is being prayed about is possible and they are willing to act on it if told it is true. Moroni explains that God will not answer prayers that are not offered with real intent:
And likewise also is it counted evil unto a man, if he shall pray and not with real intent of heart; yea, and it profiteth him nothing, for God receiveth none such. (Moroni 7:9)
Lastly, even if an individual is able to marshal real intent, the more an individual clings to their preconceived notions, the more likely they are to conflate their own ideas with revelation from the Spirit.
For these reasons, teaching truth effectively almost always requires rational argument.
The Lord has said, on more than one occasion, “let us reason together, that ye may understand;” (D&C 50:10, see also Isaiah 1:18). To reason is to consider logical arguments with the intent of reaching a conclusion. In order to be rational, the conclusion must reconcile all addressed evidences. Reasoning is a two-way process. The teacher can expect protests from the student, and must be prepared to respond to every rational reason the student might have to disbelieve the teacher’s message.
What does this look like in practice? We have a wonderful example of the Lord's persuasion of Nephi, who was commanded to slay Laban:
10 And it came to pass that I was constrained by the Spirit that I should kill Laban; but I said in my heart: Never at any time have I shed the blood of man. And I shrunk and would that I might not slay him.
11 And the Spirit said unto me again: Behold the Lord hath delivered him into thy hands. Yea, and I also knew that he had sought to take away mine own life; yea, and he would not hearken unto the commandments of the Lord; and he also had taken away our property.
12 And it came to pass that the Spirit said unto me again: Slay him, for the Lord hath delivered him into thy hands;
13 Behold the Lord slayeth the wicked to bring forth his righteous purposes. It is better that one man should perish than that a nation should dwindle and perish in unbelief.
14 And now, when I, Nephi, had heard these words, I remembered the words of the Lord which he spake unto me in the wilderness, saying that: Inasmuch as thy seed shall keep my commandments, they shall prosper in the land of promise.
15 Yea, and I also thought that they could not keep the commandments of the Lord according to the law of Moses, save they should have the law.
16 And I also knew that the law was engraven upon the plates of brass.
17 And again, I knew that the Lord had delivered Laban into my hands for this cause—that I might obtain the records according to his commandments.
18 Therefore I did obey the voice of the Spirit, and took Laban by the hair of the head, and I smote off his head with his own sword. (1 Nephi 4)
The exchange between God and Nephi is notable. It is a two-way conversation. God welcomes challenges to what he commands. He invites them. He is prepared to make counterarguments or, in some cases, to cede his ground. As God is, we must also “...be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear.” (1 Peter 3:15)
It is not enough to be in the right. A teacher must be able to deliver his message skillfully enough that it stands as a witness, beyond reproach. A teacher must ensure that, should the message be rejected, it is not due to the fault of the messenger.
Providing a reason for what you posit is not an abstract activity. A skillful teacher must ground each teaching attempt in the context of the hearer. Jesus showed ample examples of this skill during his mortal ministry. Perhaps it is best summed up by Paul’s description:
20 And unto the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might gain the Jews; to them that are under the law, as under the law, that I might gain them that are under the law;
21 To them that are without law, as without law, (being not without law to God, but under the law to Christ,) that I might gain them that are without law.
22 To the weak became I as weak, that I might gain the weak: I am made all things to all men, that I might by all means save some. 23 And this I do for the gospel’s sake, that I might be partaker thereof with you. (1 Corinthians 9)
By grounding his argument in the context of the beliefs of his audience, Paul was able to anticipate and address the concerns his audience would express that prevented them from believing his message could be true. This required Paul to know his audience. Ideally, this always consists of a twoway exchange. In practice this is not always possible, and gospel teachers have to anticipate—hopefully with the guidance of discernment through the Holy Ghost—what concerns their audiences have.