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 121—Doctrinal Mastery Practice 8: Apply the Principles of Acquiring Spiritual Knowledge

“Lesson 121—Doctrinal Mastery Practice 8: Apply the Principles of Acquiring Spiritual Knowledge,” Doctrine and Covenants Seminary Teacher Manual (2025)

“Doctrinal Mastery Practice 8,” Doctrine and Covenants Seminary Teacher Manual

Lesson 121: Doctrine and Covenants 106–108

Doctrinal Mastery Practice 8

Apply the Principles of Acquiring Spiritual Knowledge

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seminary class studying scriptures

Doctrinal mastery can help students build the foundation for their lives upon Jesus Christ and His gospel. This lesson will help students apply truths found in doctrinal mastery passages and learn and apply divine principles for acquiring spiritual knowledge.

Possible Learning Activities

Doctrinal mastery review: Apply

Consider providing each student with a small piece of paper. Invite students to write on their papers a difficult situation that someone they know is facing and to place their paper in a container. Ask students not to include names or details that are too personal.

Place students in pairs and have each pair choose two papers from the container. Invite the pairs to review the Doctrine and Covenants doctrinal mastery passages using the list in the Doctrinal Mastery Core Document and to discuss how various passages could apply to at least one of the situations on their papers. If desired, students could also use passages from other books of scripture. After sufficient time, invite pairs to share with the class how the passages they discussed apply to a situation on one of their papers.

If students need help with a situation that isn’t clearly addressed by a doctrinal mastery passage, you might direct them to a passage that could apply to any situation, such as Doctrine and Covenants 8:2–3 or 2 Nephi 32:3.

Take care that this activity only lasts for 10–15 minutes to allow enough time for the doctrinal mastery practice application later in the lesson.

Learn and apply principles of acquiring spiritual knowledge

The remainder of the lesson is meant to help students apply principles of acquiring spiritual knowledge to a realistic situation. If needed, you may first want to invite students to review the principles in paragraphs 5–12 of the “Acquiring Spiritual Knowledge” section in the Doctrinal Mastery Core Document. Suggested review activities are included in “Doctrinal Mastery Review Activities” in the appendix of this seminary manual.

Consider displaying a picture of a young woman like the following. Invite the class to briefly create details for her life based on members of the Church in your area. For example, students could share what they imagine her family, interests, and feelings about the Church are like.

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young woman smiling

Display the following scenario. Ask students to share principles of acquiring spiritual knowledge that could help a young woman in this situation and why.

(Alternatively, you could leave the underlined concerns in the scenario blank and invite students to complete the scenario by writing questions or concerns on the board that the young woman could have about women and the priesthood. Inviting students to add details to scenarios can allow them to safely express personal concerns that are relevant in their lives.)

While preparing to teach her Young Women class on Sunday, Andrea began to study Doctrine and Covenants 107. After reading verse 8, she paused and started to wonder how the priesthood applies to young women. She became concerned and wondered if God trusts His sons more than His daughters. She also remembered recently seeing a video online with opinions about the treatment of women in the Church of Jesus Christ. One person criticized the Church by implying that women are held back by not holding priesthood offices.

Allow students plenty of time to discuss the principles that they feel could help Andrea. Based on their discussion, you could choose sections from the remaining lesson material that could help them better understand principles they didn’t discuss in as much depth.

Act in faith

Consider organizing students into small groups, displaying the following questions, and inviting students to discuss their answers with their groups. Move around the room and listen to their discussions, adding insights or direction as needed.

How could Andrea’s questions and concerns be an opportunity for her to strengthen her faith in Jesus Christ and commitment to His Church?
What might Satan tempt her to do with her questions and concerns that could lead her away from Jesus?
How would you suggest she approach her questions and concerns in faith?

Examine concepts and questions with an eternal perspective

Invite students to read paragraph 8 of the “Acquiring Spiritual Knowledge” section in the Doctrinal Mastery Core Document, looking for truths that could be helpful to Andrea.

The following activity is one way students could share what they found. Ask students to complete the first step below. Wait until they have completed each step before asking them to complete the next step.

Record in your study journal one truth from paragraph 8 that you think could help Andrea and why.
Move around the room, and try to find another student who chose the same truth that you did. Discuss with one another how it could help Andrea.
Add meaningful insights that the other student shared with you to your journal page.
Move around the room again, and find another student who chose a different truth than you did. Share with one another the insights from your journals.

After the previous sharing activity, some of the following questions may help create a class discussion that could lead to further insights.

Suppose that Andrea is not able to find a clear answer as to why women do not hold priesthood offices. What do you know about Heavenly Father’s plan and how He feels about His daughters that you would want her to remember?
Which doctrinal mastery passages from the Doctrine and Covenants (or other books of scripture) could help remind Andrea of God’s plan and feelings for her?

Seek further understanding through divinely appointed sources

Consider inviting students to discuss the following prompts with a partner. Then invite volunteers to share what they discussed with the class.

The sources Andrea uses to find information are important because …
I would counsel Andrea to look for answers by going to … and not to look for answers by going to …

Partners could look for and share examples from the scriptures, Church history, or the lives of women in our day that demonstrate Heavenly Father’s love for and confidence in His faithful daughters.

Partners could also search for and share statements from modern Church leaders that could help Andrea. If needed, you could suggest sources such as the following:

General conference talks such as “Spiritual Treasures” (Russell M. Nelson, Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2019, 76–79)
Teachings of the Relief Society General Presidency such as “Relief Society General Presidency Addresses Four Key Questions about Women and the Priesthood” (Aubrey Eyre, Church News, May 2, 2019, thechurchnews.com)
Church General Handbook selections such as “Priesthood Principles” (chapter 3 in General Handbook: Serving in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, ChurchofJesusChrist.org)

Conclusion

You might conclude class by inviting students to prayerfully answer one of the following questions in their study journals:

What do you feel Heavenly Father would have you do with your questions or concerns?
How can choosing to follow the principles of acquiring spiritual knowledge affect your relationship with Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ when questions or concerns arise?

Supplemental Learning Activity

Alternate scenario

If it better meets the needs of your students, you could use the following scenario in place of the one in the lesson. Or you may want to create your own scenario that is relevant to your students.

“Victor is preparing for a school assignment that requires research about a controversial issue in his community. After reading so much information and various opinions on the subject, he feels more confused than before he started his research. Many different opinions are so persuasive that he’s not even sure where he stands on the issue. He begins to wonder how it’s possible to know the truth, not just about controversial issues in the community, but about anything, including the truth about God and religion.”

Invite students to use principles of acquiring spiritual knowledge and doctrinal mastery passages (such as Joseph Smith—History 1:15–20; Doctrine and Covenants 8:2–3; 88:118; Moroni 10:4–5; James 1:5–6; and Proverbs 3:5–6) to help Victor with his concern.