“Lesson 4: Studying the Scriptures,” Old Testament Seminary Student Material (2018)
“Lesson 4: Studying the Scriptures”
Lesson 4
Studying the Scriptures
Prepare to Learn
Prepare your mind and heart to learn. What can you do to ensure that your mind is alert and that your attention is focused on the learning experience? By being alert and focusing on what you are studying, you show your willingness to be taught by the Spirit.
Begin your study with prayer.
Take a moment to think of ways that good friends bless your life. Have you ever thought of the scriptures as a friend?
To prepare to learn about scripture study today, watch the following message by Elder Richard G. Scott (1928–2015) of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. Identify some of the blessings we receive from studying the scriptures.
You can find the text for this talk here: “The Power of Scripture,” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2011, 6.
Seeing the Scriptures as a Good Friend
Think of how the scriptures have been like a good friend to you.
There are many ways the scriptures can bless our lives. The following scripture passages contain promises to those who study the scriptures. Read each of them, looking for these promises.
Deuteronomy 17:19; Joshua 1:8; Psalm 119:105; 2 Nephi 32:3; Jacob 2:8; Alma 31:5
Quiz 1
Each of the promises in the right column below completes the following statement to form a principle: If we study the scriptures, they will …
Match the promise on the right with the scripture reference on the left where it can be found. One of the verses exhorts us to fear God. In this case, fear means to respect God and feel reverence for Him.
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Sharing a Personal Experience
Review these principles:
If we study the scriptures, they will …
… help us learn to fear (respect) God and keep His commandments.
… tell us what to do to be prosperous and successful.
… light our path.
… tell us all things that we should do.
… heal our wounded souls.
… lead us to do that which is just (righteous).
1. What blessings have you or someone you know received as a result of studying the scriptures? Please share an experience.
Considering Choices: Would This Be a Good Idea?
Suppose that in an effort to use his time more efficiently, a young man decided to change how and when he brushed his teeth. Instead of brushing for a couple of minutes every day, he decided to brush for 15 minutes once a week. He also decided to use seven times the usual amount of toothpaste so that his teeth would be extra clean.
Why would this not be a good way to care for your teeth?
How do you think this situation can relate to your study of the scriptures?
Participating in Daily Scripture Study
President Howard W. Hunter (1907–95) provided this counsel about studying the scriptures:
“It is certain that one who studies the scriptures every day accomplishes far more than one who devotes considerable time one day and then lets days go by before continuing” (Howard W. Hunter, “Reading the Scriptures,” Ensign, Nov. 1979, 64).
2. What have you done in the past to develop a habit of studying the scriptures? What will you do during this year of seminary to study the scriptures daily?
Searching for Diamonds
Imagine how you would feel if you were exploring an area outdoors and found a large, shiny diamond partially buried in the ground.
Elder Richard G. Scott taught that there are “diamonds of truth that … must be carefully mined from the pages of the Old Testament” (Richard G. Scott, “Four Fundamentals for Those Who Teach and Inspire Youth” [address given at the Church Educational System Symposium, Aug. 14, 1987], 1). We refer to some of these diamonds as doctrine and principles.
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What are doctrine and principles?
Understanding Doctrine and Principles
“A doctrine is a fundamental, unchanging truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ,” and “a principle is an enduring truth or rule individuals can adopt to guide them in making decisions” (Gospel Teaching and Learning: A Handbook for Teachers and Leaders in Seminaries and Institutes of Religion [2012], 26).
Understanding Context and Content
A jeweler often displays a diamond on a dark background to help the diamond stand out. In the scriptures, the context and content provide the background that helps doctrine and principles stand out more clearly. The context and content include the story line, people, events, and sermons in the text. If we understand the context and content of the scriptures, we are better prepared to identify doctrine and principles.
What are some scripture study aids that can help you better understand the context and content of the scriptures?
Using Scripture Study Aids
There are several scripture study aids in the LDS edition of the Bible and in the other standard works. These include footnotes, chapter headings, topical indexes, the Bible Dictionary, the Guide to the Scriptures, and maps.
An important tool in studying the Bible is the Joseph Smith Translation. The Joseph Smith Translation contains inspired revisions to the Bible made by the Prophet Joseph Smith that restore lost content and clarify certain passages. Many of these changes can be found in the footnotes or the appendix of the LDS edition of the Bible.
Read Exodus 4:21, and look at footnote c to identify the correction that Joseph Smith made to this verse.
How does this correction affect our understanding of what the Lord is saying in this verse?
Understanding Symbols
The scriptures are full of symbols that can teach us important gospel truths. Words such as like or as can help us identify symbols. The footnotes, Bible Dictionary, Topical Guide, and Guide to the Scriptures can also help with the interpretation of symbols.
Isaiah 6:5–7 includes a symbol. In these verses we read that the prophet Isaiah had a vision of God in the temple.
Read Isaiah 6:5–7, looking for what happened to Isaiah. Look at verse 6, footnote a, to discover the interpretation of the symbol.
Understanding Difficult Words
What can you do when you read a word in the scriptures that you do not understand?
Dictionaries, footnotes, and other scripture study aids can often help you understand difficult words and phrases.
Read Luke 16:13, looking for a word that may be unfamiliar. Then look in the Bible Dictionary for the definition of this word.
Identifying Principles
As we study the context and content of the scriptures, we should search for doctrine and principles. Some gospel principles in the scriptures are clearly stated in the text and are easily identified by words and phrases such as thus we see, therefore, wherefore, and behold. Other principles may be found in the story line or in events or parables.
As you read the scriptures, ask questions like those listed below to help you identify principles:
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What is the moral or point of this story?
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What can I learn from these passages?
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What gospel truths are taught in this passage?
Learning Principles from Gospel Study
Practice identifying gospel principles as you read 1 Samuel 17:32–37.
What principle or principles can you learn from this passage?
Applying Principles
One principle you may have identified from 1 Samuel 17:32–37 is that if I exercise faith in the Lord, He will help me overcome life’s challenges. Once you have identified a statement of doctrine or principle, it is important to try to understand what it means and how to apply it in your life. For this passage, you can do this by answering questions like these:
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What challenges might the Lord help me overcome?
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How can I exercise greater faith in Jesus Christ when I face challenges?
Pondering, Writing, Sharing
As we seek to understand how to apply a doctrinal truth or principle in our lives, the Holy Ghost can help us feel its truth and importance. This can also occur as we ponder, write about, or share experiences related to a statement of doctrine or principle. Try this by thinking about how you would answer the following question:
How have you or someone you know been able to overcome a challenge by exercising faith in the Lord?
Making Gospel Principles Part of Your Life
Feeling the Spirit testify of doctrine and principles can help you want to apply them in your life. You apply doctrine and principles when you seek to live your life in harmony with what they teach.
Consider this counsel from President M. Russell Ballard of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles:
“As you receive counsel and instruction, extract principles that will be eternally important in your lives and then make them part of your lives” (M. Russell Ballard, “How to Solve Problems,” New Era, July 2013, 48).
3. When have you identified a statement of doctrine or principle from the scriptures and then made it a part of your life? Or what can you do to begin to apply doctrine or principles you learn from the Old Testament this year?
Searching for Principles
In your personal scripture study, begin searching for doctrine and principles. As you learned in lesson 1, writing thoughts and feelings in a study journal is an effective way to invite the Holy Ghost to teach you. Consider writing the doctrinal truths and principles you find during your personal scripture study in your study journal.
Between now and your next seminary lesson, identify one doctrinal truth or principle in the scriptures that you can share with your class. Be ready to explain what you learned.
Answer Key
Quiz 1: 1-c, 2-a, 3-f, 4-b, 5-e, 6-d