Preface

This manual is for teaching Religion 115. The student manual for this course is the standard works of the Church.

The purpose of this course is to teach students how to read and understand the scriptures. The hope is that this will encourage students to study the scriptures and feel more capable of learning and applying the truths they contain.

President Gordon B. Hinckley stated:

“I am grateful for emphasis on reading the scriptures. I hope that for you this will become something far more enjoyable than a duty; that, rather, it will become a love affair with the word of God. I promise you that as you read, your minds will be enlightened and your spirits will be lifted. At first it may seem tedious, but that will change into a wondrous experience with thoughts and words of things divine” (“The Light within You,” Ensign, May 1995, 99).

This teacher manual includes fifteen lessons to be taught during a semester or a quarter block. You will need to preview the lessons to determine how much time you should spend on each one.

The format of the teacher manual is as follows:

Teaching Objective

The teaching objective is a brief statement that identifies the purpose of the lesson and what students should learn.

Themes

The themes are the central ideas of each lesson.

Teaching Ideas

The teaching ideas section contains a variety of suggestions for lesson preparation and presentation.

Supplementary Study Sources

The sources listed provide additional material to help you better understand particular themes.

Suggested Student Study

This material gives ideas to help students review a lesson and prepare for future lessons.