Scripture-Study Skills: Overview

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

“Scripture-Study Skills: Overview,” Doctrine and Covenants Seminary Teacher Manual (2025)

“Scripture-Study Skills,” Doctrine and Covenants Seminary Teacher Manual

Scripture-Study Skills

Overview

Scripture-study skills can help us have a better experience studying the scriptures and help us come closer to the Savior Jesus Christ. Focusing on Jesus Christ, annotating, finding truths, using scripture-study tools, and understanding the context can all help to make scripture study more meaningful.

Pacing suggestion: These lessons can be taught at any time. However, it may be effective to teach one or more scripture-study skills lessons toward the beginning of the school year, then introduce another skill every few weeks. This would allow students to learn and practice these skills throughout the year.

Prepare to teach

The following information provides you with ideas of what you may need to prepare in advance for each lesson.

Focusing on Jesus Christ in the Scriptures

Lesson purpose: To help students focus on the Savior while studying the scriptures, particularly Doctrine and Covenants.

Student preparation: Invite students to find a name or title of Jesus Christ in Doctrine and Covenants that is meaningful to them and come prepared to share what they discovered.
Items to display: Blurry picture of the Savior and one in focus
Video: “‘Nombre’ – What Should We Name Him?” (1:47)

Finding Gospel Truths in the Scriptures

Lesson purpose: To help increase students’ ability to find gospel truths in the scriptures and come closer to the Lord.

Student preparation: As part of their daily scripture study, invite students to strive to find gospel truths that will help them in their lives and ponder what they did to find them.
Video: “Parable of the Gems” (6:47; watch from time code 2:13 to 4:20)
Items to display: A picture of a young woman searching for and finding gems in the sand on a beach
Handout: “Learning to Identify Doctrine and Principles”
Materials: Sheets of paper for each student

Annotating Scriptures

Lesson purpose: To help students mark and add notes to their scriptures in a way that makes their study more meaningful and brings them closer to Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ.

Student preparation: As part of their daily scripture study, invite students to mark what is meaningful to them, especially words or phrases that help them understand or feel the love of Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. They could come prepared to share what they marked and why.
Items to display: A few examples of how people might mark their scriptures (Also, if useful, prepare a way to show how to mark scriptures in the Gospel Library app.)
Videos: “A Marking System That Works for You” (1:56); “Marking Scriptures” (1:45)

Scripture-Study Tools

Lesson purpose: To help students enhance their personal scripture study and strengthen their relationship with Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ through using scripture-study tools.

Student preparation: Invite students to come prepared to share tools that are available to help us in today’s world that were not available 50 years ago. Ask them to be prepared to explain what difference these tools make in our lives.
Items to display: Pictures of a man with a plow, a modern harvesting machine, a person riding a horse, and an airplane

Understanding the Context of Scriptures

Lesson purpose: To help students understand how the context of the scriptures can make scripture study more meaningful.

Student preparation: Invite students to prepare for this lesson by reading the section heading before studying a section of the Doctrine and Covenants. Ask them to look for the difference it makes in understanding the content of the section.
Items to display: Picture of a man pushing another man and a picture of a man pushing another man away from a car (Also, if useful, prepare a way to show additional resources for context in the Gospel Library app.)