Give them a sheet with the following questions:
Open your scriptures to where you’ve been reading in your personal scripture study.
Write down what you have been studying in the scriptures lately _______________________________________________
What is your daily plan for scripture study? _______________________________________________
Do you look things up by topic? _____________________________________________
Do you read one chapter after another? ______________________________________
Do you keep a scripture journal? ____________________________________________
How many pages/verses/chapters do you like to read per day? ____________________
How do you feel that you could improve your scripture study?_______________________________________________
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Write on board “Immersion in the scriptures is essential for spiritual nourishment”- Quentin L Cook.
What do you think Elder Cook meant by that?
You don’t just read the scriptures.
-Look things up
-Pause & think
-Write things down in a scripture journal
-Pray about what you will & have red
Our goal is to immerse ourselves in the scriptures, to really get involved… to get wet.
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(Institute director lesson at RS conference)
The scriptures are basically like Christ’s journal.
It is one of the best ways to anchor ourselves to him.
There are different levels of learning the scriptures-
Water skiing- Overview, the BIG picture. The stories.
Snorkel- Think about it. Get some details. Break the surface.
Scuba dive- Go deep. Find the treasure. Here we find direction, answers & peace.
There is a reason treasures don’t float on top of the water. Anyone would be able to find & get it. It wouldn’t be a treasure then.
Heavenly Father buries the treasure to see how badly you want it.
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Scripture activity:
Bible Dictionary: To appreciate the enrichment that the Bible Dictionary provides, look up the word grace (page 697). Study the definition carefully. Then read the scripture references provided. These verses of scripture have greater significance when you ponder the definition of grace. Pick your favorite of these scriptures and be prepared to share it with the class.
Footnotes: The most common type of footnote is a cross-reference to other scripture passages in the standard works. These additional passages often clarify or add insight to the passage you are reading. For example, look up Doctrine and Covenants 11:21. Read the verse, and then read the passages listed in footnote b. How do these passages increase your understanding of the verse? Write your answer here and be prepared to share it.
Topical Guide: Turn to the Topical Guide in your scriptures and look up the word abide. Note that the names of books of scripture appear in bold. Scripture passages from each book follow. Each scripture passage in the list contains the word abide, shown by the abbreviation a. Pick your favorite scripture and be prepared to share it with the class.
Chapter Headings: The major principles in the Word of Wisdom are described in the heading for Doctrine and Covenants 89. Read these principles in the heading and then highlight them in the scripture text. Be prepared to tell us which parts of which verses you highlighted.
Possible answer key incase students don't come up with anything on their own:
Bible Dictionary: My favorite is Philip. 4:13. It illustrates simply what the Bible Dictionary tells us that grace can do - help us receive strength.
Footnote: Alma 17:2 says that the sons of Mosiah had searched the scriptures diligently. That is how you "obtain the word." D&C 84:85 says to treasure up the words of life continually. So obtaining them involves treasuring them.
Topical Guide: My favorite is John 14:16. I just like the thought that the Holy Ghost abides with me, and can, forever. That he can be there to help me and comfort me.
Chapter Headings: I underlined single words in the chapter by using the chapter heading as a guide. So, for example, the chapter heading says that wine, strong drinks, tobacco, and hot drinks are in verses 1-9. So I scanned through those verses and underlined each of those individual words. I did the same thing with verses 10-17 - underlined the single words that were mentioned in the chapter heading. And then I blocked verses 18-21 and wrote "blessings" by it.
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I brought in several of my scripture journals, some of my older sets of scriptures, etc & showed them different ways that I studied & marked mine.
Answered some questions.
LOTS of handouts for this lesson...
I bought them each a package of colored pencils & printed the chart below onto sticker paper. I colored the squares in Photoshop to match each of the colored pencils in their package. I told them to decide on the system they would like to use for color coding their scriptures & to fill it in. We came up with a couple of ideas in class. Red for the atonement (blood), blue for baptism (water). The YW thought to mark them using the value colors. Since it is on sticker paper, they can stick them directy into their scriptures.
(Idea taken from here; altered to fit my needs)
We talked about using quotes & other notes in our scriptures. Also mentioned using post-it notes. I created the below post-it notes for them to put into their scriptures as an example. I used this as my idea to create the post-it's.
Another handout from my sister. I told them to either keep this where they do their scripture study or in the front of their scriptures.
A little chart I found online here (I just shrunk it to fit 8 on a page), we talked about how the answer to lifes problems can be found in the scriptures.
I used these as a reference (mostly for myself) to discuss the different ways to get into the scriptures.
(This one can be downloaded here)
(This one can be downloaded here)
Pretty much ran out of time after this.
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The scriptures actually teach us how we should read the scriptures.
Divide the scriptures among the kids. Have them look the scriptures up. Have them decide which category the scripture fits under: Search/Ponder/Pray
Isaiah 34:16
Seek ye out of the book of the Lord, and read: no one of these shall fail, none shall want her mate: for my mouth it hath commanded, and his spirit it hath gathered them.
1 Nephi 10:19
For he that diligently seeketh shall find; and the mysteries of God shall be unfolded unto them, by the power of the Holy Ghost, as well in these times as in times of old, and as well in times of old as in times to come; wherefore, the course of the Lord is one eternal round.
D&C 88:63, 118
Draw near unto me and I will draw near unto you; seek me diligently and ye shall find me; ask, and ye shall receive; knock, and it shall be opened unto you.
And as all have not faith, seek ye diligently and teach one another words of wisdom; yea, seek ye out of the best books words of wisdom; seek learning, even by study and also by faith.
1 Nephi 19:23
And I did read many things unto them which were written in the books of Moses; but that I might more fully persuade them to believe in the Lord their Redeemer I did read unto them that which was written by the prophet Isaiah; for I did liken all scriptures unto us, that it might be for our profit and learning.
Psalms 119:105
Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.
2 Nephi 4:15-16
15 And upon these I write the things of my soul, and many of the scriptures which are engraven upon the plates of brass. For my soul delighteth in the scriptures, and my heart pondereth them, and writeth them for the learning and the profit of my children.
16 Behold, my soul delighteth in the things of the Lord; and my heart pondereth continually upon the things which I have seen and heard.
D&C 138:1-11
1 On the third of October, in the year nineteen hundred and eighteen, I sat in my room pondering over the scriptures;
2 And reflecting upon the great atoning sacrifice that was made by the Son of God, for the redemption of the world;
3 And the great and wonderful love made manifest by the Father and the Son in the coming of the Redeemer into the world;
4 That through his atonement, and by obedience to the principles of the gospel, mankind might be saved.
5 While I was thus engaged, my mind reverted to the writings of the apostle Peter, to the primitive saints scattered abroad throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, and other parts of Asia, where the gospel had been preached after the crucifixion of the Lord.
6 I opened the Bible and read the third and fourth chapters of the first epistle of Peter, and as I read I was greatly impressed, more than I had ever been before, with the following passages:
7 “For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit:
8 “By which also he went and preached unto the spirits in prison;
9 “Which sometime were disobedient, when once the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved by water.” (1 Peter 3:18–20.)
10 “For for this cause was the gospel preached also to them that are dead, that they might be judged according to men in the flesh, but live according to God in the spirit.” (1 Peter 4:6.)
11 As I pondered over these things which are written, the eyes of my understanding were opened, and the Spirit of the Lord rested upon me, and I saw the hosts of the dead, both small and great.
JSH 1:11-13
11 While I was laboring under the extreme difficulties caused by the contests of these parties of religionists, I was one day reading the Epistle of James, first chapter and fifth verse, which reads: If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.
12 Never did any passage of scripture come with more power to the heart of man than this did at this time to mine. It seemed to enter with great force into every feeling of my heart. I reflected on it again and again, knowing that if any person needed wisdom from God, I did; for how to act I did not know, and unless I could get more wisdom than I then had, I would never know; for the teachers of religion of the different sects understood the same passages of scripture so differently as to destroy all confidence in settling the question by an appeal to the Bible.
13 At length I came to the conclusion that I must either remain in darkness and confusion, or else I must do as James directs, that is, ask of God. I at length came to the determination to “ask of God,” concluding that if he gave wisdom to them that lacked wisdom, and would give liberally, and not upbraid, I might venture.
2 Nephi 32:3
Angels speak by the power of the Holy Ghost; wherefore, they speak the words of Christ. Wherefore, I said unto you, feast upon the words of Christ; for behold, the words of Christ will tell you all things what ye should do.
D&C 11:22
But now hold your peace; study my word which hath gone forth among the children of men, and also study my word which shall come forth among the children of men, or that which is now translating, yea, until you have obtained all which I shall grant unto the children of men in this generation, and then shall all things be added thereto.
JS Matt 1:37
And whoso treasureth up my word, shall not be deceived, for the Son of Man shall come, and he shall send his angels before him with the great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together the remainder of his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.
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My sister made this handout last year for her Sunday School class. I thought it was cute & decided to use it this year. I attached a toothbrush to each. I reminded them each night when they were brushing their teeth, to ask themselves "Did I treat my spirit as well as I am treating my teeth right now?"
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