Old Testament Seminary Teacher Manual

Contents
Title Page
Introduction to the Teacher Manual
Old Testament Lessons
- Welcome to the Old Testament
- Moses 1; Abraham 3
- Genesis 1–2; Moses 2–3; Abraham 4–5
- Genesis 3–4; Moses 4–5
- Genesis 5; Moses 6
- Moses 7
- Genesis 6–11; Moses 8
- Genesis 12–17; Abraham 1–2
- Genesis 18–23
- Genesis 24–33
- Genesis 37–41
- Genesis 42–50
- Exodus 1–6
- Easter
- Exodus 7–13
- Exodus 14–18
- Exodus 19–20; 24; 31–34
- Exodus 35–40; Leviticus 1; 4; 16; 19
- Numbers 11–14; 20–24; 27
- Deuteronomy 6–8; 15; 18; 29–30; 34
- Joshua 1–8; 23–24
- Judges 2–4; 6–8; 13–16
- Ruth; 1 Samuel 1–7
- 1 Samuel 8–10; 13; 15–16
- 1 Samuel 17–18; 24–26; 2 Samuel 5–7
- 2 Samuel 11–12; 1 Kings 3; 6–9; 11
- 1 Kings 12–13; 17–22
- 2 Kings 2–7
- 2 Kings 16–25
- 2 Chronicles 14–20; 26; 30
- Ezra 1, 3–7; Nehemiah 2; 4–6; 8
- Esther
- Job 1–3; 12–14; 19; 21–24; 38–40; 42
- Psalms 1–2; 8; 19–33; 40; 46
- Psalms 49–51; 61–66; 69–72; 77–78; 85–86
- Psalms 102–103; 110; 116–119; 127–128; 135–139; 146–150
- Proverbs 1–4; 15–16; 22; 31; Ecclesiastes 1–3; 11–12
- Isaiah 1–12
- Isaiah 13–14; 22; 24–30; 35
- Isaiah 40–49
- Isaiah 50–57
- Isaiah 58–66
- Jeremiah 1–3; 7; 16–18; 20
- Jeremiah 31–33; 36–38; Lamentations 1; 3
- Ezekiel 1–3; 33–34; 36–37; 47
- Daniel 1–7
- Hosea; Joel
- Amos; Obadiah; Jonah
- Micah; Nahum; Habakkuk; Zephaniah
- Haggai 1–2; Zechariah 1–4; 7–14
- Malachi
Life Preparation Lessons
- Doctrinal Mastery: Finding Answers to My Questions
- Scripture Study Skills
- For the Strength of Youth Guide
- Building Self–Reliance
- Physical and Emotional Health
- Preparing for Future Education and Employment
- Succeed in School
- Missionary Preparation
- Temple Preparation
- Teachings of Church Leaders
Appendix

Assess Your Learning 4: Numbers–Judges

“Assess Your Learning 4: Numbers–Judges,” Old Testament Seminary Teacher Manual (2026)

“Assess Your Learning 4: Numbers–Judges,” Old Testament Seminary Teacher Manual

Judges 2–4; 6–8; 13–16: Lesson 67

Assess Your Learning 4

Numbers–Judges

Series of images of young men and adult males playing sports basketball and soccer in Congo

Reflecting on and assessing our spiritual learning can help us draw closer to our Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. This lesson is intended to help students reflect on the goals they have set and the growth they have experienced during their recent study of the Old Testament.

Student preparation: Invite students to come ready to share what they have learned or ways they have grown spiritually since beginning their study of the Old Testament this year. You might suggest that they review their study journals or notes in their scriptures to help them notice their learning and growth.

Possible Learning Activities

Your class’s study of the Old Testament may have focused on different outcomes than those assessed in this lesson. If so, adapt the activities to assess the growth students experienced from the outcomes focused on in your class.

In this lesson, students will have the opportunity to assess their progress in:

Explaining types or symbols of Jesus Christ from the Old Testament. (Note: This activity relates to various lessons throughout the Old Testament, including Lesson 57: “Numbers 21.”)
Feeling an increased desire to love the Lord with all their hearts. (Note: This activity relates to what students did in Lesson 58: “Deuteronomy 6:1–6.”)
Obeying the Lord’s commandments. (Note: This activity relates to what students did in Lesson 49: “Exodus 20:1–11,” Lesson 58: “Deuteronomy 6:1–6,” Lesson 59: “Deuteronomy 6:6-25; 7:1-26; 8:1-20,” and Lesson 60: “Deuteronomy 15.”)

The importance of our direction over speed

To help students prepare to discuss the importance of spiritual growth, invite them to discuss the following question either as a class or in small groups:

What are some examples in sports or life where the direction you are headed is more important than your speed?

Display the following statement and invite students to look for the importance of direction when it comes to spiritual growth.

Elder Larry R. Lawrence of the Seventy taught about our spiritual growth.

Our Heavenly Father knows our divine potential. He rejoices every time we take a step forward. To Him, our direction is ever more important than our speed.

Be persistent, brothers and sisters, but never be discouraged. (“What Lack I Yet?” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2015, 35)

Why do you think the direction of our spiritual growth is more important to our Heavenly Father than our speed?

It may be difficult for some students to recognize their spiritual growth. Explain that reflecting on where we currently are compared to where we used to be—even if our progress is minor—can help us recognize spiritual growth. Students could recall what they have learned about the Savior, righteous habits they are developing, or ways they are striving to live like Jesus Christ.

Consider inviting students to take a few minutes to review their study journal or notes in their scriptures. They can look for what they wrote about the Savior, spiritual impressions or insights, or any plans they wanted to act on.

Invite students to share what they found. Then, invite them to answer questions such as the following in their study journals:
How have you noticed growth or progress since the beginning of the school year in your efforts to follow Jesus Christ?
What have you learned or applied from your study of the Old Testament?

Invite willing students to share their answers with the class.

As you assess your learning today, be open to impressions from the Holy Ghost to help you recognize your spiritual growth in following Jesus Christ—even if it’s just one step forward.

Explain types or symbols of Jesus Christ from the Old Testament

Provide students with an opportunity to practice explaining how some of the types or symbols they have recently studied in the Old Testament point us toward Jesus Christ (see Moses 6:63).

One way to do this could be to display the following picture and ask students what they remember about this account in the scriptures. If students need help, you could refer them to Numbers 21:4–9. Students could then practice explaining how this symbol points our thoughts to the role and mission of Jesus Christ by discussing their answers to the following two questions:

The Old Testament prophet Moses pointing to a staff with a brass serpent attached to the top. The painting illustrates the event wherein Moses promised the Israelites that they would be saved from the fiery serpents if they looked at the brass serpent.

What does the symbol of the brass serpent on a pole teach about Jesus Christ?
How does Jesus Christ fulfill this same role in our lives?

Students might point out that the Savior has power to heal us of not only physical sickness but also spiritual challenges like unbelief or hard-heartedness. If helpful, remind students that in Lesson 57: “Numbers 21” they learned that the symbol of the brass serpent can teach us that as we look to the Savior in faith, He will heal us.

You may want to give students another opportunity to practice explaining other symbols in the Old Testament that point our thoughts to the roles and mission of Jesus Christ. The rest of this section discusses how you might do this.
What are other types or symbols of Jesus Christ that you recall from your study of the Old Testament?

List students’ answers on the board. Students may mention animal sacrifices (see Moses 5:5–7; Leviticus 1), Abraham and Isaac (see Genesis 22:1–19), symbols from the Passover (see Exodus 12), water (see Exodus 15:23–26; 17:1–6), manna (see Exodus 16), judges or deliverers (see Judges 3:9), or others.

Invite students to explain how understanding these types and symbols of the Savior can help us today. To do this, display the following instructions and invite students to work with a partner.

Choose one of the types or symbols of Jesus Christ from the Old Testament and explain the following:

What that type or symbol has taught you about Jesus Christ.
The ways Jesus Christ fulfills the same role in our lives.

After enough time, invite students to share their responses with another partner or with the class.

Feel an increased desire to love the Lord with all our hearts

To help students reflect on their current desire to love the Lord with all their hearts, consider drawing a heart on the board like the following. Do not yet draw the line or fill in a portion of the heart. Begin this section by helping students think about how much they love things or people in their life. The following is one way you could address this:

What are some things or who are some people you love? What are some ways you can indicate how much you love them?

You may want to select a student who shared about something they love. You could ask them to come to the board and draw a line on the heart indicating how much they love that thing. Avoid having them share the amount of their love for individuals.

Read Deuteronomy 6:4–6, looking for how we should love Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ.

How might you indicate this on the heart?

Depending on what students say, you might fill in the rest of the heart.

In Lesson 58: “Deuteronomy 6:1–6,” students were invited to discuss how individuals in a variety of settings could express their love for God. Remind students of this previous discussion, if applicable.

Which of the following have recently impacted your love for Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ:

Experiences from your life or the lives of others?
Scriptures you have recently studied individually, with your family, in church, or in seminary?

You might invite a few willing students to share. To help students evaluate their current desire to love the Lord with all their heart, you could have them draw a heart in their study journal and indicate in the heart how they are currently loving God with their heart. They could ponder the following questions to help them.

Ponder your current feelings toward Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ with these questions:

During the past few weeks, do you feel your love for Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ has increased, decreased, or stayed the same?
What has impacted the way you currently feel about Them?
How might you strive to love Them with all your heart, soul, and might?

Obey the Lord’s commandments

During their recent study of the Old Testament, students may have learned about several of God’s commandments. To help students assess their efforts to obey the Lord’s commandments, consider drawing a large-block 1 on the board. This 1 can represent their desire to place God first in their life by obeying His commandments.

Students may have drawn a 1 in Lesson 49: “Exodus 20:1–11” and written a plan for obeying one of God’s commandments near this 1 in their study journal. If so, invite students to review their plan.

If students did not previously make this drawing or create a plan, consider inviting them to do so now.

Reflect on your progress by responding to the following questions in your study journal:

How are your efforts to obey this commandment going? What blessings, growth, obstacles, or struggles have you noticed?
How have you felt closer to God as you have tried to obey this commandment? Or how might you feel closer to Him as you strive to obey it?

Invite students to continue striving to put God first in their lives. Students could also draw a new 1 and write inside of or near it a new commandment they would like to focus on.

Remind students that the spiritual direction they are heading is more important to Heavenly Father than their speed. Testify of His help and encourage them to continue pressing forward on the covenant path, even if their progress seems slow.