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

Doctrinal Mastery Practice 10: Apply Principles of Acquiring Spiritual Knowledge

“Doctrinal Mastery Practice 10: Apply Principles of Acquiring Spiritual Knowledge,” Old Testament Seminary Teacher Manual (2026)

“Doctrinal Mastery Practice 10: Apply Principles of Acquiring Spiritual Knowledge,” Old Testament Seminary Teacher Manual

Micah; Nahum; Habakkuk; Zephaniah: Lesson 154

Doctrinal Mastery Practice 10

Apply Principles of Acquiring Spiritual Knowledge

Doctrinal mastery can help students build their lives upon the foundation of Jesus Christ and His gospel. This lesson can help students share doctrinal mastery passages that are meaningful in their lives and help them learn and apply divine principles for acquiring spiritual knowledge.

Student preparation: Invite students to review the Old Testament doctrinal mastery passages they have learned. Encourage them to come to class prepared to share one that has deepened their testimony, gospel understanding, or relationship with Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. A list of passages is found at the end of the Doctrinal Mastery Core Document (2022).

Possible Learning Activities

Doctrinal mastery review: Share

To prepare students to share multiple doctrinal mastery passages that have influenced them this year, consider inviting students to quickly answer the following question with a partner for each of the listed situations.

What is your favorite food in each of the following situations?

First thing in the morning
As a late-night snack
On your birthday
On a hot afternoon
On a cold evening

Like your preferred food might change based on different circumstances, your favorite scripture passages might also change based on different needs and situations.

Consider inviting students to ponder their answers to the following question for each of the situations described below. You might pause after sharing each situation so students can review the list of Old Testament doctrinal mastery passages at the end of the Doctrinal Mastery Core Document (2023). Then invite students to share the passages they chose and why with a partner or small group.

Be sure to leave enough class time for the “Learn and apply principles of acquiring spiritual knowledge” section.

What is your favorite Old Testament doctrinal mastery passage for each of the following? Why?

To learn about Jesus Christ and His mission
To explain our need for prophets
To understand the plan of salvation

Learn and apply principles of acquiring spiritual knowledge

For the following activity, it might help to place students in groups of three, with each group member focusing on a different principle of acquiring spiritual knowledge. Give students time to briefly review the paragraphs in the Doctrinal Mastery Core Document that correspond to their principle. (Ideas for review activities are included in “Doctrinal Mastery Review Activities” in the appendix of this manual.)

When students are done reviewing, give each group a piece of paper. Invite them to use the three steps below to write a realistic scenario where applying principles of acquiring spiritual knowledge would be important. If groups need a little more guidance, you could direct them to create their scenarios based on a teenager who has questions or concerns about one of the following topics:

The truthfulness of the Book of Mormon
The need for a restored Church of Jesus Christ on the earth
Recent counsel from the prophet

If helpful, there are suggested scenarios in the “Supplemental Learning Activity” section of this lesson found on ChurchofJesusChrist.org.

Use the following steps to create and discuss a realistic scenario where a teenager could use the principles of acquiring spiritual knowledge to help with questions or concerns.

Write down the person’s name and age and a realistic faith challenge that they are facing.
List one or two questions or concerns they have as a result of their challenge.
Discuss the following question with your group, but do not write your answers on your paper. Be sure each group member has the opportunity to share their insights.
How could each principle of acquiring spiritual knowledge help this person in their situation?

Give groups plenty of time to discuss the previous question. You might want to walk around the room and briefly join different groups to learn from what they are sharing with each other.

If you feel it would help to give groups more specific questions to discuss, you might provide some or all of the following.
What do you know about Heavenly Father and His plan for His children that could help this person gain an eternal perspective?
How could their choices in this situation affect their long-term relationship with Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ?
What scriptures or statements from Church leaders would you recommend that they study?

If time permits, when groups are done sharing, invite them to exchange scenarios with another group and discuss the question (or questions) using the other group’s scenario.

Personal application

This is the final doctrinal mastery practice lesson of the Old Testament year. Knowing that, it might help students to ponder and write in their study journals about a situation in their own life where they could use the principles of acquiring spiritual knowledge. You might share a brief example from your life where the principles of acquiring spiritual knowledge blessed you.

You might conclude class by inviting students to complete one or more of the following prompts about the situation they wrote about in their study journals. Encourage them to seek impressions from the Holy Ghost that could help them apply these principles in their lives.

One way I can act with faith in Jesus Christ is …
Truths I can remember about Heavenly Father, Jesus Christ, and Their plan that can help me are …
Sources I can turn to that will strengthen my faith in the Savior and His teachings are …

Encourage students to intentionally apply these principles to their lives and to act on impressions they receive.

Supplemental Learning Activity

Suggested scenarios

You could use the following scenarios as needed in the “Learn and apply principles of acquiring spiritual knowledge” section. Adjust them as needed to better meet the needs of your students.

Sam has always accepted that the Book of Mormon is true. But when he gave a copy of the Book of Mormon to a friend, she returned it to him the next day and shared some things that her parents said about it. The things she shared have made Sam wonder if the Book of Mormon is true or if it’s just something that his family taught him to believe.
Jasmine has many friends that are not members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. They are great people with good values, and she looks up to them in many ways. She starts to wonder if restoring the Church was necessary if you can be a good person without it.
After a recent general conference, Sarah hears several people from the ward questioning specific doctrine and counsel from the prophet. Some of the things the prophet taught don’t make sense to her either.