“New Testament Institute Teacher Manual: Introduction to the Course,” New Testament Institute Teacher Manual (2025)

“Introduction to the Course,” New Testament Institute Teacher Manual

New Testament Institute Teacher Manual

(REL 211, 212, CFM-NT)

Introduction to the Course

The purpose of Seminaries and Institutes of Religion

“Our purpose is to help youth and young adults deepen their conversion to Jesus Christ and His restored gospel, qualify for the blessings of the temple, and prepare themselves, their families, and others for eternal life with their Father in Heaven” (“The Objective of Seminaries and Institutes of Religion,” Gospel Library).

How does this course help accomplish the purpose of Seminaries and Institutes of Religion?

This course can help students deepen their faith in and conversion to Jesus Christ through a study of the New Testament. The teacher material is intended to help teachers create learning experiences that are Christ centered, scripture based, and learner focused. Teachers and students can work together to foster a spiritual environment where they feel inspired to ask questions, share thoughts, and live what they are learning.

What will learners experience in this course?

This course is designed to help students draw closer to Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ by encouraging students to:

Study the scriptures daily.
Deepen their understanding of the truths contained in the New Testament.
Practice skills that increase their ability to understand the scriptures.
Ask questions about and share discoveries from the scriptures.
Act on gospel principles they identify in the scriptures.

How is the course designed?

This course supports young adults in their study of the New Testament. The teacher material (1) helps teachers encourage personal study, (2) provides time for students to ask questions and share insights from their scripture study, (3) integrates study skills to help students become self-reliant gospel learners, and (4) suggests relevant learning activities to help meet students’ needs. The teacher material supports an experience in which students help direct the pace, flow, and focus of their learning.

The teacher material contains 50 lessons that align with the Come, Follow Me schedule. It is designed to support the traditional 14-week semester approach of Religion 211 and 212 when used with the “Pacing Guides for Religion 211 and 212” that are found at the end of this introduction.

Alternatively, this course may be offered as an elective titled Religion 210R: Come, Follow Me. In this format, teachers focus only on content that corresponds with the Come, Follow Me schedule, allowing classes to start and end at any point in the year based on to local needs and schedules. Teachers could also combine several lessons from this manual to create a shorter and more focused learning experience. For example, lessons on the book of Revelation could be used for a five-to-seven-week workshop.

The first lesson, “The Living Christ,” can be taught at any point during the course. For example, you could teach this as the first lesson of the course, during Easter week, after studying the four Gospels, or at the end of the course.

How are the lessons structured?

The following elements of the teacher material can help you provide a relevant, learner-focused experience:

Encouraging Personal Study

Each lesson provides ideas for encouraging personal study. President Russell M. Nelson taught:

Daily immersion in the word of God is crucial for spiritual survival, especially in these days of increasing upheaval. As we feast on the words of Christ daily, the words of Christ will tell us how to respond to difficulties we never thought we would face. (“Hear Him,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2020, 89)

Consider ways to invite, encourage, and help students to study their scriptures throughout the week. For example, you might send messages that help students study the assigned scripture block for the week and come to class prepared to share questions and insights. Messaging ideas are found at the beginning of each lesson outline. They often correspond with one of the learning activity options in the lesson.

For example, here are ideas of messages that you could send to students studying John 1:

Ponder what you can learn about Jesus Christ from His roles and titles identified in John 1:1–14.
Read John 1:35–51 to learn why it’s important to invite others to come unto Christ. Consider inviting someone to attend institute with you this week.

You might also assess students’ needs by inviting them to send you questions they have about the scripture block. In other communications, you could invite students to begin discussing a topic with classmates before class. Think of ways to help students meet their study goals and gain a deeper love for their personal scripture study.

Questions and Sharing

Provide time for students to ask questions and share insights and experiences. This can help them relate the scriptures to their lives. It also allows you to better assess students’ needs and desires. This may be a good time to follow up on invitations and experiences from the previous class.

Providing time for students to ask questions and share insights about the scripture block also allows them to influence the direction of the discussion. The amount of time spent sharing should be flexible. You will need to discern when to help students move on to one of the learning activities, which can help students apply what they are discussing.

To prompt questions and sharing, consider the following ways to start the activity:

Review the messages you sent to students during the week or any questions they sent to you.
Display pictures or words illustrating the events or main teachings in the scripture block.
Ask students what questions or insights they would like to discuss.

You can invite students to ask questions and share insights as a class, in small groups, with a partner, or in other creative ways, like using social media. Consider giving students some time to review or study the scripture block before they share.

Note: If a particular question or insight leads to a tangent, look for ways to bring the discussion back to core truths in the scriptures. Also, it may be best to address some questions after class or after additional study. It is OK to say, “I don’t know. Let’s study this more and see what we can learn before the next class.”

Skill Training

Consider how students’ lives are changed as they become more self-reliant gospel learners. When they are able to learn for themselves, they can draw closer to the Savior. Helping students improve their ability to learn for themselves is central to Christlike teaching.

This course helps students to develop skills that will increase their capacity to understand and talk about the scriptures. Usually these skills are integrated into learning activities so they do not disrupt the flow of the lesson. For more help in using these skills, teachers and students can go to Scripture Study Skills in Gospel Library. This resource provides guidance on how to define, model, and practice each skill.

As students practice these skills repeatedly throughout the course, they will feel greater confidence in their ability to learn from the scriptures. Find time to follow up and invite students to share their experiences using these skills.

Learning Activity Options

Each lesson includes multiple learning activity options. Assess students’ needs, and seek the guidance of the Holy Ghost as you select the learning activity options that will be best for them. Take the time necessary to deepen students’ understanding so they can feel the truth and importance of what they are learning. There are usually more learning activity options than can be covered in one class, so don’t feel that you must use all of them.

The first lesson in the teacher material can be used on the first day of class whenever you start during the year. This lesson can help students create a safe learning environment, set goals for their own learning, and study an overview of the Gospels or of Acts through Revelation.

How can Scripture Helps enhance the learning experience?

Scripture Helps is a resource that provides insight into the context of the scriptures (setting, culture, history, and geography), clarifies the meaning of words and phrases, and assists with understanding difficult passages. Many learning activities in the teacher material contain links to Scripture Helps: New Testament. You can show students where they can find this resource in Gospel Library. Reference Scripture Helps: New Testament in class to help students understand what they are studying. Encourage them to use it as they study the New Testament both in class and at home.

What other resources can help me become a more Christlike teacher?

In addition to participating in teacher training meetings with your coordinator or local faculty, consider reviewing the following resources:

Teaching in the Savior’s Way: For All Who Teach in the Home and in the Church (2022) shares principles to help you teach more like the Savior.
The Seminaries and Institutes Teacher Development Skills (2022) in Gospel Library can help you practice applying the principles in Teaching in the Savior’s Way.
Teaching tips called “Improving Our Teaching and Learning” are highlighted in the lessons and can help you practice certain skills during each class.

What is expected of students to receive credit?

For information about how to receive credit toward institute graduation or credit that can be transferred to Church schools, see InstituteCredit.ChurchofJesusChrist.org.

How can I adapt lessons for those with disabilities?

As you prepare to teach, be mindful of students who have particular needs. Adjust activities and lessons to include these students and help them succeed. For more resources on how to teach those with disabilities, see disabilities.ChurchofJesusChrist.org.

Pacing Guides for Religion 211 and 212

Adjust the following options to match your program’s needs:

Religion 211 Harmony

Matthew–John

Weeks

Lessons

Flex Lesson

Matt. 1; Luke 1

Matt. 2; Luke 2

John 1

Matt. 3; Mark 1; Luke 3

Matt. 4; Luke 4–5

John 2-4

Matt. 5; Luke 6

Matt. 6–7; Matt. 8; Mark 2–4; Luke 7

Matt. 9–10; Mark 5; Luke 9

Weeks

Lessons

Matt. 15–17; Mark 7–9

Matt. 18; Luke 10

John 7–10

Luke 12–17; John 11

Matt. 19–20; Mark 10; Luke 18

Matt. 21–23; Mark 11; Luke 19–20; John 12

JS—M; Matt. 24–25; Mark 12–13; Luke 21

Matt. 26; Mark 14; John 13

John 14–17

Luke 22; John 18

Matt. 27; Mark 15; Luke 23; John 19

Matt. 28; Mark 16; Luke 24; John 20–21

Religion 211 Sequential

Matthew–John

When teaching the material sequentially, choose between the learning activities that coincide with the block of study for the week. For example, in week 4, you might use the applicable learning activities that include truth found in Matthew 19–25 in the teacher material.