Doctrine and Covenants Seminary Teacher Manual

Contents
Title Page
Introduction to the Doctrine and Covenants Seminary Teacher Manual
Doctrine and Covenants Lessons
- The Restoration Proclamation
- Doctrine and Covenants 1
- Joseph Smith—History 1:1–26
- Doctrine and Covenants 2; Joseph Smith—History 1:27–65
- Doctrine and Covenants 3–5
- Doctrine and Covenants 6–9
- Doctrine and Covenants 10–11
- Doctrine and Covenants 12–17; Joseph Smith—History 1:66–75
- Doctrine and Covenants 18
- Doctrine and Covenants 19
- Doctrine and Covenants 20–22
- Doctrine and Covenants 23–26
- Doctrine and Covenants 27–28
- Doctrine and Covenants 29
- Doctrine and Covenants 30–36
- Doctrine and Covenants 37–40
- Doctrine and Covenants 41–44
- Doctrine and Covenants 45
- Doctrine and Covenants 46–48
- Doctrine and Covenants 49–50
- Doctrine and Covenants 51–57
- Doctrine and Covenants 58–59
- Doctrine and Covenants 60–63
- Doctrine and Covenants 64–66
- Doctrine and Covenants 67–70
- Doctrine and Covenants 71–75
- Doctrine and Covenants 76
- Doctrine and Covenants 77–80
- Doctrine and Covenants 81–83
- Doctrine and Covenants 84
- Doctrine and Covenants 85–87
- Doctrine and Covenants 88
- Doctrine and Covenants 89–92
- Doctrine and Covenants 93
- Doctrine and Covenants 94–97
- Doctrine and Covenants 98–101
- Doctrine and Covenants 102–105
- Doctrine and Covenants 106–108
- Doctrine and Covenants 109–110
- Doctrine and Covenants 111–114
- Doctrine and Covenants 115–120
- Doctrine and Covenants 121–123
- Doctrine and Covenants 124
- Doctrine and Covenants 125–128
- Doctrine and Covenants 129–132
- Doctrine and Covenants 133–134
- Doctrine and Covenants 135–136
- Doctrine and Covenants 137–138
- The Articles of Faith and Official Declarations 1 and 2
- The Family: A Proclamation to the World
- The Living Christ
Life Preparation Lessons
- Doctrinal Mastery: Finding Answers to My Questions
- Scripture Study Skills
- For the Strength of Youth: Making Choices
- Building Self-Reliance
- Physical and Emotional Health
- Preparing for Future Education and Employment
- Succeeding in School
- Missionary Preparation
- Temple Preparation
- Teachings of Church Leaders
Appendix

Lesson 50—Doctrinal Mastery Practice 3: Memorize; Acquiring Spiritual Knowledge

“Lesson 50—Doctrinal Mastery Practice 3: Memorize; Acquiring Spiritual Knowledge,” Doctrine and Covenants Seminary Teacher Manual (2025)

“Doctrinal Mastery Practice 3,” Doctrine and Covenants Seminary Teacher Manual

Lesson 50: Doctrine and Covenants 30–36

Doctrinal Mastery Practice 3

Memorize; Acquiring Spiritual Knowledge

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youth group discussion

Doctrinal mastery can help students build the foundation for their lives upon Jesus Christ and His gospel. This lesson will give students opportunities to practice mastering the doctrinal mastery passages and the doctrine they teach. It will also help them learn and apply divine principles for acquiring spiritual knowledge.

Possible Learning Activities

Doctrinal mastery review: Memorize

If students have been introduced to several doctrinal mastery scripture references and key scripture phrases this year, it would be good to invite them to practice memorizing the references and key scripture phrases. Students can increase their confidence of knowing the scriptures well enough to access them in time of need.

Give students about 10 minutes in class and encourage them to work on memorizing outside of class as well. Display the chart listing the doctrinal mastery scripture references with the accompanying key scripture phrases, found in the Doctrinal Mastery Core Document (2023).

Choose a doctrinal mastery passage you want to memorize today. Come up with a creative way to help you remember the scripture reference and key scripture phrase.

Students could work alone or find others in the class who want to memorize the same passage. Once students have spent a few minutes memorizing, encourage them to share with others any tips or tricks they used to memorize.

Before moving on to the next portion of the lesson, and in future classes, you might read a few key scripture phrases to the class and ask students to say the accompanying scripture references from memory. Using the doctrinal mastery passages often can help students commit them to their long-term memory and call upon them when needed.

Additional ideas about how to help students memorize can be found in the appendix of this manual under “Doctrinal Mastery Review Activities.”

Learn and apply principles of acquiring spiritual knowledge

Consider inviting students to review the principles of acquiring spiritual knowledge. Suggested review activities are included in the appendix “Doctrinal Mastery Review Activities.” Descriptions of the principles are found in paragraphs 5–12 of the “Acquiring Spiritual Knowledge” section in the Doctrinal Mastery Core Document (2023).

Use the following scenario to help students practice applying these principles to a realistic situation.

Before Sunday School starts, your friend Noelle sits down next to you. She looks at the board and seems upset by what she reads. Today’s lesson is focused on following the prophet. Noelle tells you that she has recently read about people who are frustrated with the prophet. She wonders why the prophet isn’t more aware of people’s needs or why he doesn’t seem to respond to the suggestions people are making.

How could you use the principles of acquiring spiritual knowledge to help in this scenario?
What is taught in the doctrinal mastery passages that could help?

One way for students to practice using the principles of acquiring knowledge is to think through how the thoughts and actions of the person in the scenario could be different when they understand these principles.

To help them do this, you could divide students into small groups and allow them to choose one principle of acquiring knowledge. Invite them to consult the associated paragraphs in the Doctrinal Mastery Core Document to better understand this principle. Help students look up any scriptures they might have studied in seminary about prophets (such as Doctrine and Covenants 1:37–38; 21:4–6; 28:2). You could also display the following instructions and invite the students to complete them together with their groups.

Act in faith

Come up with at least two actions Noelle could take to act in faith in response to her concern.

Explain why you would recommend those actions or share what experiences you have had.

List some truths Noelle might know about prophets that could help her trust more in the Lord and His servants while seeking to learn more.

Why do you think it would be important for Noelle to remain true to what she already knows and believes as she works through her current questions?

Examine concepts and questions with an eternal perspective

Write down the role prophets play in Heavenly Father’s plan of salvation.

Make a side-by-side comparison of the Lord’s purpose for prophets and what Noelle and some others seem to think their role is.

Seek further understanding through divinely appointed sources

List a few of the negative effects unreliable sources can have on someone.

Find one or more scripture passages in the Doctrine and Covenants (or other divinely appointed sources) that could be helpful to Noelle.

Write down at least two blessings Noelle could receive if she understood why God calls prophets.

Give students an opportunity to share some of what they did and learned. One way you could do this is to invite them to imagine that Noelle chose to apply the principles of acquiring spiritual knowledge to help resolve her concerns. Students could write about what might have happened to Noelle as she implemented one or more of the principles of acquiring spiritual knowledge.

Students could then share what they wrote and explain some of the reasons why they wrote the scenario the way they did. After students have shared, you might invite them to consider what they have learned or felt today that could help them in their own lives.

Supplemental Learning Activity

An alternate scenario to use as a practice application

The following scenario, focused on looking to Jesus Christ, could help students practice using the principles of acquiring spiritual knowledge.

Amy has always done her best to live the gospel and stand up for her beliefs around others. There have been times when she has chosen not to participate in some activities with her friends because those activities were not in harmony with her standards. Now she has been noticing that some of her friends have been leaving her out of their activities and saying unkind things about her. She feels discouraged and wonders if it is really worth it to stay true to the Lord’s standards.

Invite students to use the principles of acquiring spiritual knowledge to help Amy. Give them opportunities to find divinely appointed sources that could help Amy see her situation with an eternal perspective and continue to act with faith in Jesus Christ. For example, you might invite them to consider how Doctrine and Covenants 6:36 could be helpful.