Preparation - Study the Scripture Block

     Before you prepare your lesson, prepare your heart (see Ezra 7:10) so that you are in tune with the Spirit (see D&C 11:2).  The Lord declared that "if ye receive not the Spirit ye shall not teach" (((D&C 42:14).  Daily personal prayer and daily scripture study are two things that can help prepare your heart.  The first step in your lesson preparation is to study the scripture block suggested in the teacher manual.  A scripture block is the portion of the scriptures that a teacher teaches during a lesson.  The block could be a group of verses, a chapter, or a number of chapters.

Immerse Yourself in the Scriptures
   Simply reading the scripture block is not enough.  "President Ezra Taft Benson said:  "Let us not treat lightly the great things we have received from the hand of the Lord!  His word is one of the most valuable gifts he has given us.  I urge you to recommit yourselves to a study of the scriptures.  Immerse yourselves in them daily so that you will have the power of the Spirit to attend you in your callings" (The Power of the Word," Ensign, May 1986, p. 82).  To immerse oneself in the scriptures means to study, ponder, and pray for inspiration about what one reads.

Look for Groups of Verses
   Immersing oneself in the scriptures also means studying them for understanding.  One thing you can do to understand the scriptures is to look for groups of verses that deal with different subjects or a different emphasis.  For example, suppose the scripture block is 1 Nephi 1.  In verses 1-3, Nephi begins his record and describes his life.  In verse 4, he changes the topic and refers to the many prophets in Jerusalem.  The subject changes in verse 5 to Lehi's sincere prayer for his people.  In verses 6-13 Lehi has a vision and reads a book of prophecy.  In verses 14 and 15 the focus is on Lehi's reaction to his vision.  Nephi then breaks away from the narrative about his father and makes reference to his record keeping.  Verses 18-20 return to Lehi's experience after his vision. Nephi tells us that Lehi called the Jews to repentance and was persecuted.  Finally in verse 20, Nephi proclaims that those who have faith in God will have the power of deliverance.  Notice that in this chapter there are at least six places where the subject changes or the emphasis is different.  Of course how to group the verses is arbitrary and depends on the reader's perception of the block of scripture.

Make a List of Principles, Doctrines, and Events
   Looking for groups of verses helps you break down the scripture block into smaller parts.  As you do this activity, you will understand more clearly its content.  To begin planning a lesson, make a list of statements that summarize the groups of verses.  For example, below are summary statements for 1 Nephi 1:

   Notice that not all of the statements above are the same.  Statements 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 8, and 9 are events.  Statement 7 is a doctrine.  Doctrines are statements of eternal truth about the plan of salvation.  The following are examples of doctrines you might find in other scripture passages:

• We are spirit children of Heavenly Father.
• The  Father has a body of flesh and bones.
• All men die, all men will be resurrected.
• The atonement is infinite and eternal.

    Statement 10 is a principle.  Principles are the commandments or lessons of  life that help us follow the plan of salvation.   They guide us in making decisions and our obedience to them brings about promised results.  Principles are truths, "packaged for application" (Richard G. Scott, Ensign, 1993, p. 86).  When we study the scriptures we should search out principles and apply them to our lives.  Elder Richard G. Scott has said "as you seek spiritual knowledge, search for principles.  Carefully separate them from the detail used to explain them" (Ensign, Nov. 1993, p.86).

Make a List of Difficult Words and Phrases
   The language of the scriptures is different from our daily conversational speech.  Because of their origin, the scriptures have words and names of people and places that are not commonly used today.  There are also unusual phrases that can be difficult to understand and literary expressions that puzzle us with their symbolic meanings.  Such words and phrases can prevent us from understanding principles, doctrines, and events.
   When you study the scriptures, make a list of words and phrases that are not only difficult for you, but may be difficult for your students.  Many students read one or more levels below their school grade.  If you do not help them understand what they read in class, they can become frustrated and discouraged about reading the scriptures.  Use the study aids such as footnotes, chapter headings, the Topical Guide, the Bible Dictionary, and maps to help you define words and phrases.  The teacher manuals and the institute student manuals are also good resources for learning the meaning of words and phrases.
   Identifying and defining difficult words and phrases will help you see the principles and doctrines that may be hidden in the language of the scriptural customs, traditions, literary expressions, and symbols.

Study Until you Become Confident
   One of the questions teachers frequently ask is, "How do I know when I have spent  enough time studying the scripture block?"
   President David O. Mckay suggested that before teachers can get the subject into their students, they need to "get into the subject" themselves (Improvement Era, August, 1956. p. 557).  To do this, teachers should read and study the scripture block until they feel confident about their understanding of difficult words and phrases, and about the principles, doctrines, and events.
 

Guidelines

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• Immerse yourself in the scripture block.
• Look for groups of verses.
• Make a list of principles, doctrines, and events.
• Make a list of difficult words and phrases.
• Study until you become confident.

Unit 3