Gospel Study Skills
The Lord and His prophets
have encouraged us to study God’s word in different ways. Their invitations
instruct us to read, seek, search, feast, ponder, obtain, and treasure up His
word (Moroni 10:3; Isaiah 34:16; John 5:39; 2 Nephi 31:20; 3 Nephi 17:3;
Doctrine and Covenants 11:22; Joseph Smith—History 1:37).
Scripture
study is different than reading a novel, newspaper, or textbook. And just like
any field of study, scripture study requires skills. The following gospel study
skills can help you feast on the word of God so you will receive inspired
insights and personal revelation. Try using one or more of them each time you
study.
Prepare
to Study
Before you begin to study, pray for the companionship of the Holy Ghost
and for personal revelation. After studying, pray to express thanks for what
you learned and felt.
Consider
studying at a desk or table (not lying down on a bed) and organize your gospel
library and study materials to be easily accessible. Set a regular time and
place when you won’t be interrupted. You my want to make a study plan by
identifying talks, topics, chapters, or questions you want to study.
Seek for
Personal Revelation
As you study, pay attention to the impressions (thoughts and feelings)
you receive, even if they have nothing to do with what you are reading. Those
impressions may be the very thing that God wants you to know or do something
about. You may want to record those impressions, ponder them, and ask the Lord
to give you further understanding.
Study Prophetic
Teachings
The Lord calls prophets and apostles to help you understand His gospel
and avoid the pitfalls and deceptions that exist in your day.
As you study the scriptures,
think about the things the living prophets and apostles taught in the last
general conference. Ask yourself: Did the prophets and apostles teach something
that relates to what I am studying in these verses? Did they teach something
that helps me understand the meaning of the scriptures I am reading? How do
their teachings and these scriptures relate to my personal circumstances? How
can I follow their counsel?
Talks. As you study a talk, look for the speaker’s
outline. Divide the talk into sections
by drawing lines between paragraphs and write a summary note in the margin that
explains the principle being presented in each section.
Ask yourself: What does the
Lord want me to learn from this talk? What does the Lord want me to do? Is
there something taught that helps me with a current concern, problem, or
challenge in my life? Is there any counsel or correction that I need
personally? Is there something I can use in my family, my work, or my Church
calling? How does this talk enhance my understanding of a gospel principle or a
verse of scripture?
Teachings of Presidents of
the Church.
The Church publishes this
series of books so members worldwide have a personal library of the teachings
of the prophets of our dispensation. Use these books to help you get a
“prophetic view” of the doctrine. Look for topics you want to study by using
the table of contents or the index in each book.
Discover Principles
A principle is an enduring
truth that guides decisions. As you study the word of God, formulate principles
by asking yourself: What do I learn that will help me live from day to day? Is
there something that helps me with a question or concern I am currently dealing
with? Is there something that teaches me how to be more like the Savior? What
statement can I write that captures what I learn from this verse/chapter?
Learn Doctrine
Doctrine is the body of principles in a system of belief. The Church
refers to doctrine as the principles and teachings of the gospel of Jesus
Christ. Examples of doctrine are: creation, atonement, faith, repentance,
baptism, resurrection, and judgment.
As you study the word of God,
ask yourself: What doctrine is taught in this chapter? What do I learn about the doctrine? Is there something taught that is different
than what I have thought or learned in the past? Have the latter-day prophets
taught something about this doctrine? From what I have learned, do I need to do
or change anything in my life?
Doctrinal Safety. You can be assured that your new insight is true by
asking yourself:
· Is it a pattern in the scriptures?
· Do the living prophets and apostles teach it?
· Is it in harmony with the current practices and
approved policies of the Church?
· Does the Spirit testify to me of its truthfulness?
Doctrinal Topic. Choose a gospel topic you are interested in. Find
the topic in the Topical Guide. Read the phrase included with each reference
and identify references that you find inspiring or relevant. Turn to those
verses and read them in their context. Write what you learn and what you feel
as you study the verses. Take time to ponder and summarize what you think the
Lord wants you to know about that topic. It is helpful to organize what you
have learned into an outline for a talk, a lesson, or to share with your family
or friends. Thinking about how you would share what you have learned helps you
solidify what you know and figure out how to articulate it to other.
Know The
Godhead
Knowing the nature of the godhead and your relationship to them is vital
for your happiness and salvation. Prayerful study of the scriptures is one of
the simplest ways to come to know all three members of the godhead. As you study
the word of God, ask yourself: What do I learn about Heavenly Father, Jesus
Christ, and the Holy Ghost? What do I learn about their nature and character?
Understand The
Plan of Salvation and the Atonement
Understanding the plan of salvation helps mortality make sense. As you
study, ask yourself: Do I learn something that helps me understand where I came
from, why I am here, and where I am going? How do these verses help me
understand the atonement and why I need a Savior? How can I repent and change
my life to become more like Jesus Christ?
Identify and
Interpret Symbols
You can identify symbols by watching for words such as: like, likened, as, as it were, and like unto. Also pay attention to things that seem unnatural or
impossible. For example, Revelation 1:16 contains the phrase: “out of his mouth
went a sharp two-edged sword.”
Ask yourself: What does the
symbol represent? How does the symbol
help me understand what is being taught?
The following tips can help
you interpret symbols:
· Ponder and pray about the interpretation of the
symbol.
· Let the nature of the object contribute to an
understanding of its spiritual meaning.
· Determine if the scriptures give the interpretation by
using the LDS study aids such as footnotes, Topical
Guide, Bible Dictionary, or the Guide to the Scriptures.
· Study the symbol in context.
· Look to the teachings of modern prophets.
· Search the Internet to see how others explain or
interpret the symbol.
Ponder
To ponder means to reflect or to consider something deeply. It also
means to weigh something in your mind so that nothing about it escapes
attention.
A good way to ponder is to
ask questions like: Why did the Lord preserve this story in the scriptures?
What does God want me learn? How are the things that happened in these verses
like the things that happen in my life? Is there something taught that gives me
divine understanding or eternal perspective about an issue I am struggling with
or a problem the world is dealing with?
Following are different
skills to help you ponder.
Read More Than Once. Most of the LDS scriptures use Early Modern English
(spoken between the late 1400s to the late 1600s). Reading scripture passages
more than once in one study session can help you overcome this language
difference.
Also, the scriptures present
gospel principles in stories. When you read a passage of scripture more than
once you begin to see past the storyline to the principles embedded therein.
Each time you read you will
uncover more profound insights and discover the depth of the scriptures. As you
read a passage more than once, ask yourself: Why did the Lord preserve this
story? What is this story trying to convey to me? What gospel principles do I
glean from this passage?
Natural Curiosity. As you read, allow your natural curiosity to lead
you to study what catches your interest. Often the Lord uses our natural
interests to lead us to personal revelation.
Words and Phrases. Inspired insights can come to you as you pay
particular attention to the words and phrases the Lord and his prophets used. Underline
words or phrases that have meaning to you and make notes in the margin to
explain why they are meaningful.
Identify words and phrases
that you don’t understand. Also identify
words and phrases that are familiar to you but that are used in a different way
than you are used to. Look the words up in the Topical Guide to see how the Lord uses them in other verses. Use a lexicon (such as Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible) the Internet, a
dictionary, or other resources to help you understand those words and phrases.
Note the meaning of the words
and phrases in the margins of your scriptures. Ask yourself: Why did the Lord
or the author choose to use this word or phrase in this context? How does the
meaning of the word or phrase help me understand the scripture better?
Rewrite. Choose what you feel is the most important verse in
a chapter and rewrite it in your own words.
Summary Notes. Making summary notes as you read will help you be
more conscientious about what you are reading, see the overall picture, and put
individual verses in their context.
Make notes about your
impressions and insights, the doctrine or principles that were taught, the
events that took place, the people that were involved, the things that were
said, etc. Ask yourself: What is the
Lord trying to emphasize and why? Is there anything in these verses that
applies to me personally?
Share Insights. Explaining scriptural insights to others is a good
way to see if you understand what you have learned well enough to articulate
it. If your explanations don’t make sense to others, revise them until they do.
Questions. Develop 3 questions that can be answered from the
scriptures you are reading and that will help others discover great insights.
Visualize. Visualize what you are studying. Try to imagine what
it was like to be in the events you are reading or find paintings of the events
to help you ponder them. You can also draw, paint, sketch, or act out the
events and stories.
Another Perspective. Read the passage from the perspective of one of the
figures in the chapter. In other words, put yourself in the place of someone in
the story.
Ask: What feelings did I have
about the people in the story? What did
I learn from reading the story from that perspective? How does this story relate
to my personal life today?
Divine Understanding. A good way to make the scriptures interesting and
relevant is to understand that the word of God, while given many years ago, can
help us gain divine understanding about our problems and circumstances today.
After reading a passage, ask
yourself: Why did the Lord preserve this story in the scriptures? What does God
want me to learn from it? Do I feel prompted to do anything as a result of this
story? How are the things that happened in these verses like the things that
happen in my life? Is there something taught that gives me divine understanding
or eternal perspective about an issue I am struggling with today? Is there something
that helps with a problem the world is dealing with?
Cross Out. Choose a verse and cross out as many words as you can
without losing the meaning of the verse. You may want to copy the verse to a
piece of paper so you don’t ruin your scriptures.
Human Nature. Because we are mortal we are subject to human
nature. The following questions can help you avoid unworthy human tendencies:
What do I learn about human nature or mortal tendencies? Do I recognize any of these in my own
desires, thoughts, words, or behavior? How does the Lord want me to change my
nature?
Satan’s Tactics. The scriptures not only reveal to us the things of
God, but they help us understand the enemy of our soul (2 Nephi 4:28). Ask
yourself the following: What do these verses teach me about Satan’s
tactics? How does he deceive people? How
does he tempt people to commit sin? What do I learn about how to avoid his
deceptions and temptations?
Read
Sequentially
Reading the
scriptures sequentially, from beginning to end, helps you get an overview of
the storyline and see each story in its context. It also allows you to see what
doctrine the Lord emphasizes as you move from chapter to chapter.
Use LDS Study
Aids
The LDS edition of the
scriptures provides good study features to help you understand the scriptures.
Footnotes. Study all the footnotes for a verse and write what
you learn from each of one.
Joseph Smith Translation. Read the changes Joseph Smith made and ask: What did
he change? What difference does the change make in understanding the verses I
am reading?
Chapter/Section Headings. Use the chapter/section heading as a general
outline. Divide the verses in the
chapter according to the topics listed in the heading. Ask: Does the heading teach anything about
the verses in the chapter? Are there any
verses that are not covered in the heading?
What statement could be added to the heading to cover those verses? Could the chapter heading be changed in any
way to improve it?
Topical Guide/Guide to the
Scriptures. Scan the phrases under a
topic and look for verses that you find relevant to what you are studying. Turn
to those verses and read them in their context to gain further insight and
understanding.
Bible Dictionary. Use the Bible Dictionary to understand more about
words, customs, traditions, events, places, and people that are mentioned in
the Bible. Read an entry you are interested in and ask yourself: How does this
information help me understand the gospel, the people, or the events in
scriptures? Is there something in this entry that I want to link with a
particular verse?
Maps and Photographs. Locate one of the places mentioned in the verses on
a map in the back of your scriptures. Use the Bible Dictionary and other
resources to learn about that place. Make a note about what you learn in the
margin.
