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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This technique is great for scriptures that have multiple great phrases of advice or wisdom, but that don’t require a whole lot of discussion to understand. Either have students go in order through a passage, or write scripture references on the board and use Hey There Delilah or Cold-calling to have random students read verses. When called on, each student should state the “one-liner,” or the words or phrases that…
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You can do this as a group activity or as an individual activity. I generally do it as a group activity. Assign students a passage to read. Have students imagine they are newspaper reporters who are going to write a headline for this passage. What will they write? What headline will tell your readers the most important information in the fewest words? Give students a few seconds (I usually do…
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Students open their notebooks and write two things: one question they had about the reading and one thing they learned anew or that they had forgotten. We spent probably 40 minutes covering the things they wrote. Great discussion and opportunity for sharing. Great for: Reviewing a scripture story, Giving every person a turn, Eliciting thoughtful responses, Reading a serious passage, Helping students find meaning in the scriptures Class size: Any class size…
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Give students a few minutes to review a passage that is fairly familiar to them. Have them write down something that was “new” at this reading. They may have remembered a detail they forgot or noticed something new. They may have a new understanding of what certain words or phrases mean. The verses may have triggered a new question. If they can’t find something new, I let them share something…
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