Perfecting the Saints — One Lesson at a Time
Paradoxes are two seemingly different things that are put together in a way that teaches a lesson or truth. Look For: Look for a statement or joining of two things that teach a truth but seem to differ from each other. Example: Matt. 10:39 He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it.. (Sometimes the paradox is implied and…
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Oftentimes the Lord makes a list of attributes or qualities that are worth noting and titling in our margins. Have students “mark a list’ of items in their scriptures. Look for items set off by commas, or lists of things to get a certain result. The items may be contained in more than one verse. EXAMPLE: While teaching Amos 4, I asked students to mark in their scriptures the ways…
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Where do you see the Savior in the story? Is His atonement or attributes represented in the verses you read? How could these verses be an example or type for Christ? Don’t just look for direct symbols of Christ but look for things that show how Christ might act or how he may have influenced a person’s behavior. Look For: Look for verses or phrases that describe Christ’s attributes, atonement,…
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Sometimes we get into the habit of saying that this particular chapter has nothing to do with us and there is no way to apply it to us or find something meaningful to our situations. But sometimes we must take a step back and look at the overview and then compare similarities to our lives. Look For: Try to state the overall essence of what you read in the simplest…
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When a weasel finds an egg, he punctures it and sucks the life out of the shell. In a similar way, some words in the scriptures suck the life out of a story or verse. Look For: Look for words that seem to deflate everything that was said before or after. Example: Jeremiah 6:14 “They (the priests) have healed also the hurt of the daughter of my people slightly ….
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The Lord often uses “formulas” to show how to obtain certain blessings or outcomes. Mark these with an equal signs. They signal a plain truth of the gospel. Look For: Look for places where the Lord defines something or ties two or more things together. Words like “is,” “like,” or “in other words” Example: D&C 93:24 Def. of Truth 3 Nephi 11:29 Contention is of the devil. (therefore what does…
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Golden Nuggets are scriptures that relate because of how the wording is used that makes a powerful connection between two separated verses. Look For: Look for other verses that may explain or give more understanding to a scripture. Look for words or phrases that you have seen in other verses or look them up in the Topical Guide. Example: D&C 14:7 & John 17:3 Eternal Life is the greatest of…
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Anciently, making an oath or covenant was the strongest form of commitment one could use. When the Lord swears something to us, this should be very serious to us. Look for such language as “As I the Lord liveth,” “I am the Lord,” or when the Lord uses a certain Name (ie. “the Lord of Hosts is my name, or “Holy One of Israel,” etc), or when he calls someone…
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As Nephi taught, we should “liken all scriptures unto us, that it might be for our profit and learning” (1 Nephi 19:23). Where could you or a student place your name or situation into the scriptures and make an appropriate application? Could you substitute your name for someone else’s or personalize the situation to make the scripture speak directly to you? Look For: Look for ways to put your name…
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How does connecting different parts of the story in the same or other chapters help make one scene more powerful and meaningful. Look For: Put parts of a story or teaching together (don’t forget previous and future chapters!) and “look for” connections. Examples >1 Samuel 1 –2 Hannah’s sacrifice of giving up her firstborn Samuel when you connect it with the suffering she went through (v. 6-7). It also makes…
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These words say a lot without a lot of letters. And they are meant to draw our attention in a hurry–just like a billboard–and usually there is a message just after them that we were intended to focus on. Look for “Wo”(especially double or triple Wos), “O,” “Thus,” “And Thus we see,” “Behold,” “Nevertheless,” “Therefore,” “Yea”,” “Now,” “Likewise,” “Let us,” “Finally,” etc. Today, we use superlatives such as: “good, better,…
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Many scriptures make promises and conditions by putting them in a formula, usually stated as a “If [this happens], then [that will happen].” Look For: Watch for the words like “If…” and “then…” CAUTION: many times the “then” part is implied and the word “then” word is left out. Example: 1 Nephi 2:20 “Inasmuch as ye shall keep my commandments, (there is no “THEN” but it is implied!) ye shall…
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We are moving to http://NoBoringLessons.com/ where you can find Come Follow Me Lesson ideas for the new 2019 curriculum Dismiss