Update to the Book of Mormon Seminary Teacher Manual Now Available

The April 2017 update to the Book of Mormon Seminary Teacher Manual is now available in English on LDS.org and will soon be available through the Gospel Library app. This manual replaces the 2012 version and was developed to better align with the Fundamentals of Gospel Teaching and Learning (see Gospel Teaching and Learning: A Handbook for Teachers and Leaders in Seminaries and Institutes of Religion [2012], 10) in order to help teachers and students more effectively accomplish the Objective of Seminaries and Institutes of Religion (see Gospel Teaching and Learning, x). Changes to the manual include:

• Improved teaching suggestions to help the lessons be more engaging. These suggestions include more variety and more opportunities for student teaching and group work. Additionally, the updated manual now provides time-saving handouts.
• Updated quotes from General Authorities. Some of these new quotes come from the recent April 2017 general conference.
• Callout boxes identifying the 25 Book of Mormon doctrinal mastery passages. These callout boxes replace the previous references to scripture mastery passages.
• Links to Mormon Messages and other media. The digital version of the updated manual includes links to Mormon Messages, video quotes, and other media to enhance teachers’ and students’ study of the Book of Mormon. These links will be added in an ongoing process through the end of the year.
• Updated charts, maps, and diagrams. Some of the visual resources found in the manual’s appendix have been clarified and enhanced.
• Various minor corrections and improvements. User feedback has also been incorporated to make lessons clearer and more engaging.

The publication schedule of this updated manual is structured so that English-speaking teachers worldwide will be able to access the revised lessons before the start of class. Lessons 1–42 (1 Nephi–2 Nephi) are currently available. Lessons 43–105 (Jacob–Alma) will be available in July 2017, and lessons 106–60 (Helaman–Moroni) will be available in October 2017. Teachers are encouraged to start studying the available lessons as they prepare for the upcoming school year.

Teachers who desire a printed copy of the updated manual are encouraged to print the PDF manual available on LDS.org. During the coming school year, home-study seminary students will use the current (2013) version of the Book of Mormon Study Guide for Home-Study Seminary Students.

This 2017 update to the Book of Mormon Seminary Teacher Manual will only be available in English; the 2013 version of the manual should continue to be used for other languages. However, both the teacher and home-study student manuals will be revised again in 2021, and the 2021 versions of the manuals will be translated into 37 languages.

As teachers embrace and teach from the updated manual, they will more effectively help their students “understand and rely on the teachings and Atonement of Jesus Christ, qualify for the blessings of the temple, and prepare themselves, their families, and others for eternal life with their Father in Heaven” (Gospel Teaching and Learning, 1).