26

Take a Broader Perspective

Note: You may want to teach this lesson after lesson 24, “Use ‘Look for’ Skills” since the content of the lessons is closely related.

Principles to Emphasize

Take a Broader Perspective

Teachers and students can “take a broader perspective” of the scriptures by synthesizing, or “taking the parts and seeing their broader meaning or relationships” (Teaching the Gospel: A Handbook, 33).

Synthesis Can Show Patterns and Principles

“Synthesis can show patterns and principles that the scriptures are meant to teach” (Teaching the Gospel: A Handbook, 33).

Suggested Training Activities: Take a Broader Perspective

(30 minutes)

Handbook

Invite teachers to read the section entitled “Take a Broader Perspective” (handbook, 33). Have them look for a definition of synthesis. Ask teachers:

• What is synthesis? (see handbook, 33).

• How does synthesis relate to scripture study? to scripture teaching?

• What are some ways to use synthesis to take a broader perspective during scripture study or scripture teaching? (see handbook, 33).

❖ Discussion

Distribute handout 24 (or display it as an overhead transparency). Explain that we can take a broader perspective within a scripture block as well as beyond a scripture block. Ask teachers to consider the following comparison: If practicing “look for” skills is looking at the specific trees in a forest, taking a broader perspective is comparing greater parts of the forest. Invite teachers to read the handout. Let teachers know that, ultimately, both skills described on the handout are intended to help us discover the principles the scriptures teach.

❖ Demonstration

Distribute handout 25 and use it to demonstrate examples of scripture chains, patterns or repetition, and scriptural contrasts. Explain to teachers that these are examples of ways to help students take a broader perspective.

❖ Video

Show presentation 27, “Take a Broader Perspective” (9:03). Have teachers look for how Sister Thomas helps the students take a broader perspective of Malachi 3 by having them note patterns or repetition, create scripture chains, and make scriptural contrasts.

Following the video, ask teachers: How did Sister Thomas help the students take a broader perspective through noting patterns or repetition? through scripture chaining? through making scriptural contrasts?

❖ Group Work

Distribute handout 26, and organize teachers into small groups. Invite them to take a broader perspective of Doctrine and Covenants 122 by completing the activities on the handout. After finishing the activities, invite the groups to share their discoveries with the in-service group.

Suggested Training Activities: Synthesis Can Show Patterns and Principles

(20 minutes)

Note: The suggested training activities in lesson 24, “Use ‘Look for’ Skills,’” under the heading “Analysis Can Reveal Principles and Is Part of the Spirit of Inquiry” would also work well here. If you have already conducted those activities, a brief review of them may be all that is necessary here.

❖ Quotation

Invite teachers to review the statement from handout 22 by Elder Richard G. Scott of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.

Separate Principles from Detail

“As you seek spiritual knowledge, search for principles. Carefully separate them from the detail used to explain them. Principles are concentrated truth, packaged for application to a wide variety of circumstances. A true principle makes decisions clear even under the most confusing and compelling circumstances. It is worth great effort to organize the truth we gather to simple statements of principle” (in Conference Report, Oct. 1993, 117; or Ensign, Nov. 1993, 86).

Explain to teachers that synthesizing by scripture chaining, noting patterns or repetition, and discovering scriptural contrasts helps us gather the “detail.” Ask: Why is it important for us to search for principles in the scriptures and “separate them from the detail used to explain them”?

Handbook

Invite teachers to again read the section entitled “Take a Broader Perspective” (handbook, 33). Have teachers look for what synthesis can show. Ask: What can synthesis show?

✰ Application

Invite teachers to write their answers to the following question:

As I teach, how can I encourage students to take a broader perspective to “help students learn how to read and study the scriptures for themselves so that the students can feel the Spirit teaching them the important truths of the gospel”? (Teaching the Gospel: A Handbook, 32).

Invite teachers to help students take a broader perspective in an upcoming lesson. Have them share their experience of applying what they have learned (with a colleague or in the next in-service meeting).

Handout 24

Consider this comparison: If practicing “look for” skills is looking at the specific trees in a forest, taking a broader perspective is comparing greater parts of the forest. Ultimately, both of these skills are intended to help us discover the principles the scriptures teach.

Things to “Look for” in the Scriptures

• Gospel principles illustrated by the lives of people

• Questions asked in the scriptures

• Scriptural lists

• Definitions of words or concepts

• Difficult words or phrases

• Imagery and symbols

• Prophetic commentary on a principle or event

• If-then relationships

• Qualities or characteristics that please or displease God

• Patterns—series of events, characteristics, or behaviors that teach a gospel principle

Ways to “Take a Broader Perspective”

• Scripture chaining

• Noting patterns or the repetition of certain words, phrases, events, or behaviors

• Making scriptural contrasts

Notes

Handout 25

Scripture Chaining

One way to link scriptures on the same subject is to underline the key words in the first scripture, write in the margin a cross-reference to another scripture, and so on until you link the last scripture to the first. This is called “scripture chaining.” For example, a scripture chain on the subject of searching the scriptures might look like this.

Noting Patterns or Repetition

During scripture study and teaching, try noting “patterns or the repetition of certain words, phrases, events, or behaviors that provide clues to what the prophetic writer felt was important” (Teaching the Gospel: A Handbook, 33). For example, if you marked the repetition of the word lamb in 1 Nephi 13–14, two of the pages would look like this.

Making Scriptural Contrasts

To make scriptural contrasts, place “ideas or events side by side so principles become more evident through the contrast” (Teaching the Gospel: A Handbook, 33). For example, if you were to contrast King Benjamin’s words and actions with those of the wicked King Noah, you might create a chart like this one. This contrast between righteous service and selfish leadership could be used in a lesson on the principle of service.

King Benjamin’s Service (Mosiah 2:11–14, 18)

King Noah’s Lack of Service (Mosiah 11:1–15)

Served his people with all his “might, mind and strength” (v. 11) Did not seek for the riches of his people (see v. 12) Did not let his people be confined in dungeons, have slaves, murder, plunder, steal, or commit adultery; did teach them to keep the commandments (see v. 13) Did not burden his people with grievous taxes (see v. 14) Labored with his own hands (see v. 14) Taught his people “to labor to serve one another” (v. 18)

Supported “himself, and his wives and his concubines; and also his priests and their wives and their concubines” on the taxes of his people (v. 4) “Placed his heart upon his riches” (v. 14) Deceived his people with “vain and flattering words” (v. 7) “Laid a tax of one fifth part of all [his people] possessed” (v. 3) Was supported in his laziness, idolatry, and whoredoms (see v. 6) Forced his people to build spacious buildings, a spacious palace, ornamented seats for the high priests, and towers (see vv. 8–13)

Handout 26

Instructions

Take a broader perspective of Doctrine and Covenants 122 by completing the following activities. Do the first activity in your scriptures and the others in the spaces provided.

Scripture Chaining

Create a scripture chain of at least two and not more than five key scriptures on the topic of “steadfastness.” Link the scriptures to Doctrine and Covenants 122:9 (see footnote 9a).

Noting Patterns or Repetition

The word if is repeated several times in Doctrine and Covenants 122:5–7. List the phrases that follow the word if in these verses.

Making Scriptural Contrasts

Contrast the actions of “the pure in heart, and the wise, and the noble, and the virtuous” in Doctrine and Covenants 122:2 with the actions of Laman and Lemuel in 1 Nephi 2:11–13.

Notes