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

Introduction to Psalms, Part 2: Worship the Lord and Praise His Holy Name

“Introduction to Psalms, Part 2: Worship the Lord and Praise His Holy Name,” Old Testament Seminary Teacher Manual (2026)

“Introduction to Psalms, Part 2: Worship the Lord and Praise His Holy Name,” Old Testament Seminary Teacher Manual

Psalms 1–2; 8; 19–33; 40; 46: Lesson 101

Introduction to Psalms, Part 2

Worship the Lord and Praise His Holy Name

Photos taken of David A. Bednar during his visit to Africa South East area in October & November 2013.Youth Devotional held in Durban, South Africa. Some youth singing in the congregation. Similar outtakes, also some exterior shots of the chapel.

One way to worship Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ is to express your love and devotion to Them. Many of the Psalms are poetic examples of worshipping the Father and Son in praises, pleadings, and prayers. This lesson can help students express their feelings of worship for Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ.

Student preparation: Let students know they will have an opportunity to reflect on their thoughts and feelings about Heavenly Father, Jesus Christ, and sacred things in preparation to share those feelings in this lesson. Encourage students to listen to reverent music and review favorite scriptures, quotes, or sacred images, looking for specific things they might want to share. Doing this can prepare their hearts and minds for the activity in this lesson.

Possible Learning Activities

Worshipping God

Note: The activity at the end of this lesson will be part of the reflection in Lesson 112: “Assess Your Learning 7.” Be sure to allow plenty of time for students to begin working on the activity during class.

To begin class, give students a minute to ponder the following question:

What does “worshipping God” mean to you?

Elder Dean M. Davies, then serving in the Presiding Bishopric, shared some ways we can worship God when he taught:

When we worship God, we approach Him with reverent love, humility, and adoration. We acknowledge and accept Him as our sovereign King, the Creator of the universe, our beloved and infinitely loving Father.

We respect and revere Him.

We submit ourselves to Him.

We lift our hearts in mighty prayer, cherish His word, rejoice in His grace, and commit to follow Him with dedicated loyalty. (“The Blessings of Worship,” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2016, 94)

How would you describe the difference between simply attending church, the temple, or seminary compared to worshipping God as you attend?

Briefly share with students one or two of your favorite ways that people have expressed their feelings of worship for Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. Examples include a poem, video, work of art, piece of writing, or piece of sacred music. You could include things that you wrote or created yourself. Explain to students that there are many ways someone can express feelings of worship for Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ.

Encourage students to reflect on how they might express their feelings of worship for Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. Throughout the lesson, be mindful of and sensitive to students who might not feel a connection to Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ right now.

In your study journal, select one or more of the following questions to answer. You could use some of Elder Davies’s message or your own words to summarize your feelings.

How do you feel about Heavenly Father, Jesus Christ, and sacred things?
How do you best express love, respect, or reverence for Heavenly Father, Jesus Christ, or spiritual blessings?

At the end of the lesson today, you will begin creating an expression of your feelings. Keep this in mind as you study. Think about how you might want to express what you learn and feel. Invite the Holy Ghost to assist you in your efforts.

Worshipping the Lord in the psalms

Many psalms are the poetic, prayerful expressions of the sacred thoughts, feelings, hopes, and desires of the writers. While many scriptures record the Lord’s words to us, the psalms frequently reflect the writers’ words to Him. Read Psalm 18:1–6, looking for words and phrases David used to express his feelings about the Lord.

Invite students to write the words and phrases they discovered on the board. Students might identify several different phrases, such as:

The Lord is my strength (verse 1).
The Lord is my rock, fortress, deliverer, God, strength, buckler, horn of salvation, or high tower (verse 2).
The Lord is worthy to be praised (verse 3).
The Lord hears our cries to Him (verse 6).

Students who wrote phrases could share why David might have wanted his audience to know this about the Lord. Consider asking the students how the Lord has fulfilled these roles in their lives.

Invite students to choose one of the following passages to study with a partner. Encourage them to pause often and share with each other their thoughts and feelings.

The psalms demonstrate many ways we can share our feelings for the Lord. Study one of the following passages slowly, marking words and phrases that reflect your feelings about the Lord.

Express your feelings of worship

Give students the remaining class time to begin to create something that reflects how they feel about Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. Evaluate your students’ needs, and display some or all of the following options.

You could provide art supplies like paper, colored pencils, markers, and so on for students who wish to create a visual representation of their feelings.

Because this is an individual project, you could walk around the room and offer help, guidance, and encouragement as needed. If appropriate, consider playing soft, sacred music during the activity.

It might help to express your love and confidence to any students who might be struggling with their thoughts or feelings about the Lord. Activity 6 could be a good option for students who are still unsure about their faith.

Take some time to express your thoughts and feelings about Heavenly Father, Jesus Christ, and sacred things. Use one of the following options, or design one of your own. You might not have time to finish your work in class today, but you could begin to compose a song or poem or conceptualize a drawing or video. You could continue to work on your expression outside of class. You might choose to include a scripture from Psalms that you have found meaningful.

Compose a poem or a song that expresses your feelings about Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ.
Make a video or an audio recording where you share your feelings about Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. For a video, you could include favorite sacred images from Gospel Library.
Psalmists often compared the Savior to something else to show what He meant to them. Examples include “The Lord is my rock, and my fortress” (Psalm 18:2) and “The Lord is my light” (Psalm 27:1). Make a list of things in your life that could represent how you feel about the Lord.
Create a drawing, painting, meme, illustration, or other work of art that reflects your feelings about Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ.
Search for multiple sacred images and create a collage. Choose images that represent things about Heavenly Father, Jesus Christ, and the gospel that are important to you. Make a note for each image summarizing your thoughts and feelings.
Write your thoughts about Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. You might want to share an experience that has impacted how you feel about Them.

You might allow students to share what they created today. You could make time for students to share their work during future lessons after they have completed their creations. Consider inviting students to add to what they are creating as they continue to learn about Jesus Christ during the next several lessons. Tell students that they will reflect on this creative experience in Lesson 112: “Assess Your Learning 7.”

Additional Resources

What does it mean to worship God?

To worship God is to give Him our love, reverence, service, and devotion. The Lord commanded Moses, “Worship God, for him only shalt thou serve” (Moses 1:15). He has also commanded, “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, with all thy might, mind, and strength; and in the name of Jesus Christ thou shalt serve him” (Doctrine and Covenants 59:5). Worship not only shows our love for God and commitment to Him, it gives us strength to keep His commandments. Through worship we grow in knowledge and faithfulness. (Gospel Topics, “Worship,” Gospel Library)

How can sacred music help us worship the Lord?

Elder David A. Bednar of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles explained:

I love to sing the hymn, “How Firm a Foundation.” Nobody on the planet sings more terribly than I do. But the combination of the stirring music and the words to the hymn help me to learn about grace and the strengthening power of the Savior’s Atonement in a powerful way. The hymns that I love the most focus on the restoration and teach powerful doctrinal lessons. And in those messages, in both the music and the lyrics, you can “Hear Him.” For me, music often is a channel for the voice of the Lord. (“‘Hear Him’ in Your Heart and in Your Mind,” Inspiration [blog], Apr. 21, 2020, ChurchofJesusChrist.org)

President Dallin H. Oaks of the First Presidency said:

Sacred music has a unique capacity to communicate our feelings of love for the Lord. This kind of communication is a wonderful aid to our worship. Many have difficulty expressing worshipful feelings in words, but all can join in communicating such feelings through the inspired words of our hymns. (“Worship through Music,” Ensign, Nov. 1994, 10)

While serving as member of the Seventy, Elder Merrill J. Bateman shared:

Church hymns are a form of worship; they serve as a prayer of thanks and an expression of commitment. Many hymns build unity among the Saints as well as build a community of Saints. They invite the Spirit into meetings and into our lives. They teach doctrine. Hymns often express testimony and may even be a form of protection or a source of comfort and healing. (“The Power of Hymns,” Ensign, July 2001, 15–16)

Supplemental Learning Activities

Psalm 8

The class could review Psalm 8 as an example of worshipping the Lord through enjoying the beauty of His creations. Invite students to read Psalm 8:1–9. Then read or sing the hymn “How Great Thou Art.”

From the psalm and the hymn, invite students to complete the following truth: The Lord is …

Students could share what they learned and felt as they studied these words. They could share experiences they have had feeling close to the Lord in nature.

Expressions of the heart

As you discuss ways people express worship, you could show selections from the video “The Remarkable Power of Music.” Craig Jessop, who served as the director of the Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square, shared the stories behind the following hymns. Renditions are also included.

“It Is Well with My Soul” (time code 2:20 to 08:25)

41:17
“Amazing Grace” (time code 08:52 to 14:33)

41:17
“O Come, O Come, Emmanuel” (time code 14:34 to 20:38)

41:17
“Savior, Redeemer of My Soul” (time code 35:31 to 41:00)

41:17

Psalms in other books of scripture

Students might benefit from studying psalms written by faithful women and men in other books of scripture. You could share the following scripture passages. Invite students to select one to study.

Students could look for the desires, feelings, and thoughts that the author shared. After reading, students could share what they discovered with a partner who studied a different psalm.