Old Testament Seminary Student Manual (2026)

Contents
Introduction
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
- Ruth 1–4; 1 Samuel 1–7
- 1 Samuel 8–16
- 1 Samuel 17–26; 2 Samuel 5–7
- 2 Samuel 11–12; 1 Kings 3; 6–9; 11
- 1 Kings 12–22
- 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 102–3; 110; 116–19; 127–28; 135–39; 146–50
- 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 1–6; 10–14; Joel
- Amos; Obadiah; Jonah
- Micah; Nahum; Habakkuk; Zephaniah
- Haggai 1–2; Zechariah 1–4; 7–14
- Malachi
- Doctrinal Mastery: Finding Answers to My Questions
- Scripture Study Skills
- For the Strength of Youth: Making Choices
- Building Self-Reliance
- Physical and Emotional Health
- Future Education and Employment
- Succeed in School
- Missionary Preparation
- Temple Preparation
- Teachings of Church Leaders

Studying the Scriptures

God knows you and loves you. He wants to be a part of your life. He stands by you during tough times and shares your joy in good times. He has helped millions of people who have come before you. Some of those people have shared their stories and they are recorded in scriptures. This is a guide to help you learn how to study the scriptures.

To Grow Closer to God

Reading the scriptures is like hearing stories about God from other people who know Him. Reading scriptures can help you know who God is and what He is like. But you need to get to know God in your own life. That’s why we don’t simply read the scriptures—we study them carefully. And when we study the scriptures, we’re not just looking for information—we want to use what we learn to grow closer to God.

Growing closer to God will not happen only in a Church class—it will happen as you study the scriptures on your own. Here are some guidelines for how to study the scriptures on your own in ways that can help you grow closer to God.

Before You Begin

Find a place where you can study without distractions. Clear a space if you need to. Get comfortable, but don’t fall asleep while reading! Keep useful things like a study journal or Church manual within reach.

Clear your mind of any distracting thoughts. You can leave yourself reminders for things you need to do after focusing on your studies.

Pray for help to understand what you study. God can guide you to study things that will help you right now. Invite Him to help you!

Prepare your heart to focus on growing closer to God. Listen to or remember the words of a Church song to get in the right mood.

During Your Study

Learn about the scriptures you are studying. You can read chapter or section headings to learn about the scripture story you’re reading. You can also find helpful information in study helps like the Bible Dictionary or Guide to the Scriptures, if they are available.

Mark your scriptures (see the section “Marking Your Scriptures”). Marking your scriptures is a great way to remember what you learn when you study. There are lots of ways you can mark your scriptures, whether they are in print or digital.

Record any questions you have. You may have questions about the ideas or words you are reading. Write down your questions in your scriptures or your notebook, so you can return to them later.

Study related scriptures. You can find related scriptures using study helps like footnotes, the Topical Guide, or Topics and Questions. Related scriptures can increase your understanding of a topic.

When You Finish

Record what you have learned. In the future, you can return and remember what you learned if you record it. Recording what you learn also shows God you value what He has taught you.

Live what you have learned. As you study, ask yourself, “How does this relate to me and my life?” Sometimes this may be difficult to answer. Scripture stories were written hundreds or thousands of years ago. But there are some things in these stories that all humans experience that you can relate to. You might be able to see yourself in one of the people in the stories you studied.

Share what you have learned. You will have opportunities to share what you are learning with someone else. This could happen with your family, in a Church class, or even in normal conversation with a friend. It’s okay to feel nervous about sharing what you are learning. As you share, try to focus on how what you learned is helping you in your life.

Talk with others about how to improve your study. If it’s difficult for you to study the scriptures, that’s okay! Try asking others for ideas about how they study the scriptures.