Introduction to the Old Testament Seminary Teacher Material
“Introduction to the Old Testament Seminary Teacher Material,” Old Testament Seminary Teacher Material (2018)
“Introduction,” Old Testament Seminary Teacher Material
Introduction to the Old Testament Seminary Teacher Material
Our Purpose
The Objective of Seminaries and Institutes of Religion states:
“Our purpose is to help youth and young adults understand and rely on the teachings and Atonement of Jesus Christ, qualify for the blessings of the temple, and prepare themselves, their families, and others for eternal life with their Father in Heaven” (Gospel Teaching and Learning: A Handbook for Teachers and Leaders in Seminaries and Institutes of Religion [2012], 1).
To achieve our purpose, we teach students the doctrine and principles of the gospel as found in the scriptures and in the words of the prophets. These doctrine and principles are taught in a way that leads to understanding and edification. We help students fulfill their role in the learning process and prepare them to teach the gospel to others.
To accomplish these aims, you and the students you teach are encouraged to incorporate the following Fundamentals of Gospel Teaching and Learning as you study the scriptures together:
Teach and learn by the Spirit.
Cultivate a learning environment of love, respect, and purpose.
Study the scriptures daily, and read the text for the course. (Charts for tracking scripture reading of the entire Old Testament can be found in the appendix of this manual.)
Understand the context and content of the scriptures and the words of the prophets.
Identify, understand, feel the truth and importance of, and apply gospel doctrine and principles.
Explain, share, and testify of gospel doctrine and principles.
Develop Doctrinal Mastery.
In addition to accomplishing these aims, you are to help students be faithful to the gospel of Jesus Christ and learn to discern truth from error. Students may have questions about the Church’s doctrine, history, or position on social issues. You can prepare students to address such questions by helping them “seek learning, even by study and also by faith” (D&C 88:118) and by applying the doctrine and principles they will learn in Doctrinal Mastery (see the Doctrinal Mastery Core Document and the explanations of Doctrinal Mastery later in this introduction).
This teacher manual has been prepared to help you be successful in accomplishing these aims.
Lesson Preparation
The Lord commanded those who teach His gospel to “teach the principles of my gospel, which are in the Bible and the Book of Mormon, in the which is the fulness of the gospel” (D&C 42:12). He further instructed that these truths should be taught as “directed by the Spirit,” which “shall be given … by the prayer of faith” (D&C 42:13–14). As you prepare each lesson, prayerfully seek the guidance of the Spirit to help you understand the scriptures and the doctrine and principles they contain. Likewise, follow the promptings of the Spirit as you plan how to help your students understand the scriptures, learn to be taught by the Holy Ghost, and feel a desire to apply what they learn.
The Old Testament Seminary Teacher Material contains two types of lessons—namely, sequential scripture lessons (lessons that lead students through the scripture text sequentially), and doctrinal mastery lessons. The sequential study of the scriptures and Doctrinal Mastery are separate and distinct but complementary activities. Both are important elements of students’ experience in seminary. Through sequential scripture teaching, students and teachers study doctrine and principles of the gospel as they emerge from and are illustrated by the scriptural text. Through Doctrinal Mastery, teachers and students examine the doctrine of the gospel topically, using multiple scripture passages to support these truths.
Sequential Scripture Lessons
In this course, the book of Moses, the book of Abraham, and the Old Testament are your primary texts as you prepare and teach. Prayerfully study the chapters or verses you will be teaching. Seek to understand the context and content of the scripture block, including the story line, people, places, and events. As you become familiar with the context and content of each scripture block, seek to identify doctrine and principles it contains, and decide which truths are most important for your students to understand and apply. Once you have identified what your focus will be, determine which methods, approaches, and activities will best help your students learn and apply the sacred truths found in the scriptures.
This manual is designed to aid you in this process. Carefully review the lesson material corresponding to the scripture block you will teach. You may choose to use all or part of the suggestions for a scripture block, or you may adapt the suggested ideas to the needs and circumstances of the students you teach.
It is important that you help students study the entire scripture block in each lesson. Doing so will help students grasp the full message the scripture writer intended to convey. However, as you plan your lesson, you may discover that you do not have enough time in a class period to use all the teaching suggestions in the manual. Seek the direction of the Spirit and prayerfully consider the needs of your students as you determine which portions of the scripture block to emphasize in order to help students feel the truth and importance of gospel doctrine and principles and apply them in their lives. If time is short, you may need to adapt other portions of the lesson by briefly summarizing a group of verses or by guiding students to quickly identify a principle or doctrine before moving on to the next group of verses.
As you consider how to adapt lesson materials, be sure to follow this counsel from President Dallin H. Oaks of the First Presidency:
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Dallin H. Oaks
“President Packer has often taught, in my hearing, that we first adopt, then we adapt. If we are thoroughly grounded in the prescribed lesson that we are to give, then we can follow the Spirit to adapt it” (Dallin H. Oaks, “A Panel Discussion with Elder Dallin H. Oaks” [Seminaries and Institutes of Religion satellite broadcast, Aug. 7, 2012], broadcasts.lds.org).
As you prepare to teach, be mindful of students who have particular needs. Adjust activities and expectations to help them succeed. Communication with parents and leaders will help you be aware of students’ needs and help you succeed in providing a meaningful and edifying experience for students.
During your lesson preparation, you might choose to use the Notes tool on LDS.org or in the Gospel Library for mobile devices. You can use these tools to mark scriptures, conference addresses, Church magazine articles, and lessons. You can also add and save notes for use during your lessons. To learn more about how to use these tools, see the “Notes on LDS.org” help page on LDS.org.
Lesson Format
Sequential scripture lessons focus on a scripture block rather than on a particular concept, doctrine, or principle. This format will help you and your students study the scriptures sequentially and discuss doctrine and principles as they arise naturally from the scripture text. As students learn the context in which a doctrine or principle is found, their understanding of that truth can deepen. In addition, students will be better able to see and understand the full scope of the messages the inspired scripture writers intended to convey. Teaching the scriptures in this way will also help students learn how to discover and apply eternal truths in their personal scripture study.
Each sequential scripture lesson begins with an introduction that gives a brief overview of the context and content of the scripture block for the lesson.
The scripture blocks covered in the sequential lessons are often divided into smaller segments or groups of verses that focus on a particular topic or action. The reference for each verse grouping is followed by a brief summary of the events or teachings within that group of verses.
In each lesson, not all segments of a scripture block are emphasized. Some segments receive less attention because they are less central to the overall message of the inspired writer or because they might be less applicable to youth. You have the responsibility to adapt these materials according to the needs and interests of the students you teach. You might adapt lesson ideas in this manual by choosing to give greater emphasis to a particular doctrine or principle than is given in the lesson material or by choosing to give less emphasis to a segment of the scripture block that is developed in depth in the manual. Seek the guidance of the Holy Ghost to help you make these adaptations as you prepare and teach.
Doctrine and Principles
In the body of each sequential scripture lesson, you will find key doctrine and principles highlighted in bold. These doctrine and principles are identified in the curriculum because (1) they reflect a central message of the scripture block, (2) they are particularly applicable to the needs and circumstances of the students, or (3) they are key truths that can help students deepen their relationships with the Lord. Be aware that the Old Testament teaches numerous truths beyond those identified in the curriculum. President Boyd K. Packer (1924–2015) of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles taught that the scriptures contain “endless combinations of truths that will fit the need of every individual in every circumstance” (“The Great Plan of Happiness” [address given at the Church Educational System Symposium, Aug. 10, 1993]; see also Teaching Seminary: Preservice Readings [2004], 69).
As you teach, consistently provide students with opportunities to identify doctrine and principles in the scriptures. As students express the truths they discover, they may often use words that differ from how a doctrine or principle is stated in this manual. They may also discover truths that are not identified in the lesson outline. Be careful not to suggest that students’ answers are wrong simply because the words they use to express them differ from those used in the manual or because they identify a truth that is not mentioned in the curriculum. However, if a student’s statement is doctrinally incorrect, it is your responsibility to gently help the student correct his or her statement while maintaining an atmosphere of love and trust. Doing so may provide an important learning experience for the students in your class.
Doctrinal Mastery Lessons
Doctrinal Mastery builds on and replaces previous efforts in Seminaries and Institutes of Religion, such as Scripture Mastery and the study of Basic Doctrines. Doctrinal Mastery is intended to help students accomplish the following outcomes:
Learn and apply divine principles for acquiring spiritual knowledge.
Master the doctrine of the gospel of Jesus Christ and the scripture passages in which that doctrine is taught. This outcome of Doctrinal Mastery is achieved as students do the following:
Develop a deeper understanding of each of the following nine doctrinal topics:
The Godhead
The plan of salvation
The Atonement of Jesus Christ
The Restoration
Prophets and revelation
Priesthood and priesthood keys
Ordinances and covenants
Marriage and family
Commandments
Understand the key statements of doctrine identified in the “Acquiring Spiritual Knowledge” section of the Doctrinal Mastery Core Document and in each of the nine doctrinal topics.
Know how the key statements of doctrine are taught in the doctrinal mastery scripture passages and be able to remember and locate those passages.
Explain each key statement of doctrine clearly, using the associated doctrinal mastery passages.
Apply the doctrine of the gospel of Jesus Christ in their daily choices and in their responses to doctrinal, social, and historical issues and questions.
Your primary texts for the doctrinal mastery lessons are the Doctrinal Mastery Core Document and the 25 doctrinal mastery scripture passages. Prayerfully study the doctrinal topics and the scripture passages you will be teaching as well as the teacher material for each lesson.
The Doctrinal Mastery Core Document (available on LDS.org) is addressed to students. It consists of (1) an introduction that explains what Doctrinal Mastery is and how it will be helpful to students, (2) instruction that teaches students principles of acquiring spiritual knowledge, and (3) a section on each of the nine doctrinal topics previously listed. Each doctrinal topic includes statements of doctrine that are relevant to the students’ lives and are important for them to understand, believe, and apply.
Some of the doctrine and principles in the “Acquiring Spiritual Knowledge” and “Doctrinal Topics” sections of the Doctrinal Mastery Core Document are called key statements of doctrine. These key statements have doctrinal mastery scripture passages associated with them that help to teach certain aspects of the statement. There are 25 doctrinal mastery passages for each course of study (Old Testament, New Testament, Book of Mormon, and Doctrine and Covenants and Church History), for a total of 100 scripture passages. A list of these passages is provided at the back of the Doctrinal Mastery Core Document. Helping students to remember and locate these passages and to understand how the passages teach the Savior’s doctrine is an important part of your work as a teacher.
Each of the 100 doctrinal mastery passages is used in connection with only one key statement of doctrine in the Doctrinal Mastery Core Document. For example, Joseph Smith—History 1:15–20 is cited in doctrinal topic 4, “The Restoration,” to help teach the key statement of doctrine that God the Father and His Son, Jesus Christ, appeared to Joseph Smith in response to Joseph’s prayer, and They called him to be the Prophet of the Restoration. However, this doctrinal mastery passage could also be used to help teach the truth in doctrinal topic 1, “The Godhead,” that there are three separate personages in the Godhead: God, the Eternal Father; His Son, Jesus Christ; and the Holy Ghost. Therefore, this doctrinal mastery passage is listed as a related reference in that topic.
Although each doctrinal topic will be covered every year, not every topic will receive the same level of emphasis. Only the specific key statements of doctrine that are taught by doctrinal mastery passages associated with a given year’s course of study will be emphasized in the doctrinal mastery lessons for that year.
Lesson Format
There are 30 Old Testament doctrinal mastery lessons to be covered during the year’s course of study. The first two lessons focus on helping students learn and apply principles related to acquiring spiritual knowledge. These should be taught within the first two weeks of the school year. They will help students catch the vision of Doctrinal Mastery. In addition, the principles taught in these lessons provide a foundation that will be built upon and revisited during the subsequent lessons that will be taught during the remainder of the year.
Each of the subsequent lessons is based on one of the nine doctrinal topics listed previously. They are designed to help students understand the Savior’s doctrine more deeply and apply it more readily in their lives. These lessons can include three main activities: “Understanding the Doctrine,” “Practice Exercises,” and “Doctrinal Mastery Review.”
Each doctrinal mastery lesson contains suggestions for teaching that are designed to be taught in a single class session, taking about 40 minutes. Because some teachers may want to divide their teaching of Doctrinal Mastery throughout the week rather than covering it in 40-minute weekly lessons, lessons are usually divided into segments that can generally be completed in 5 to 20 minutes each. This allows for a flexible approach to using class time for Doctrinal Mastery.
If you choose to teach Doctrinal Mastery on the same day that you will also be teaching a sequential lesson on a scripture block, be careful not to allow the amount of time spent teaching Doctrinal Mastery to infringe upon the time needed to teach the scriptures sequentially. (For example, 5-minute “Understanding the Doctrine” segments should not regularly last 20 minutes, leaving little time to teach the Old Testament sequentially.) In addition, it may be helpful to explain to students that they will work on Doctrinal Mastery for a certain period of time (such as 5 or 10 minutes at the beginning of class) and will then study a particular scripture block (such as Isaiah 29) for the remainder of the class session.
You will find teaching material for doctrinal mastery scripture passages in both the doctrinal mastery lessons, which cover the passages topically, and in sequential scripture lessons, which include teaching suggestions that will help students study the passages sequentially. This will help students better understand doctrine and principles, as well as the context and content of each passage. Be careful not to allow a sequential scripture lesson that includes a doctrinal mastery scripture passage to become a topical lesson on that one passage. Doing so could prevent students from understanding the context and content of that scripture block, as well as doctrine and principles that arise from other verses in that block.
Because you will need the limited classroom time allotted for Doctrinal Mastery to focus on a study of the doctrine and the doctrinal mastery passages and to complete the practice exercises and cumulative reviews, you likely will not have time to help students memorize entire doctrinal mastery passages in class. However, because the memorization of scripture passages can bless students, you may invite students to memorize doctrinal mastery passages outside of class. The doctrinal mastery digital app can help students memorize these passages.
Understanding the Doctrine
Each doctrinal mastery lesson includes a series of learning activities, or segments, that can be taught during one or more class sessions. These activities will help students develop a deeper understanding of each doctrinal topic and specific key statements of doctrine associated with each topic.
“Understanding the Doctrine” segments begin with a study of the doctrinal topic in the Doctrinal Mastery Core Document. In addition, the segments focus on particular key statements of doctrine and their associated doctrinal mastery passages specific to the volume of scripture for the year’s course of study. For example, in the doctrinal mastery lessons for “The Atonement of Jesus Christ” in the Old Testament year, teachers are instructed to help students master Isaiah 1:18 and Isaiah 53:3–5. As students study the New Testament, Doctrine and Covenants and Church History, and the Book of Mormon during other years of their seminary experience, they will focus on additional doctrinal mastery passages that help teach other key statements of doctrine associated with the topic “The Atonement of Jesus Christ” in the Doctrinal Mastery Core Document.
In the “Understanding the Doctrine” segments, students are encouraged to locate, mark, and study doctrinal mastery scripture passages so they can use them to teach and explain the key statements of doctrine in the Doctrinal Mastery Core Document. You may want to add additional learning activities as needed to help students master the key statements of doctrine and their associated doctrinal mastery passages.
Practice Exercises
Most doctrinal mastery topics provide at least one practice exercise for students. These exercises typically consist of case studies, role plays, scenarios, or questions that students can participate in and discuss together in small groups or as a class. These exercises are vital to helping students understand how the doctrinal statements they have been learning are relevant to modern circumstances. You may adapt the practice exercises according to the needs and interests of your students. The exercises also emphasize how the doctrine students have learned can bless and assist them in living the gospel and explaining their beliefs to others in a nonthreatening, inoffensive way.
Before each practice exercise it is important that you review the principles of acquiring spiritual knowledge with your students. Be sure to provide sufficient class time for students to complete these practice exercises. These exercises are vital to helping students remember and apply the principles of acquiring knowledge and understand how the key statements of doctrine they have learned are relevant to modern circumstances.
Doctrinal Mastery Cumulative Reviews
Doctrinal Mastery cumulative reviews are designed to help students know how the key statements of doctrine are taught in doctrinal mastery passages, remember and locate those passages, and clearly explain each key statement of doctrine using the associated doctrinal mastery passages. They help students review all of the doctrinal mastery passages they have studied to that point in the school year. These cumulative reviews are intended to be taught on days scheduled for a doctrinal mastery lesson but can be taught on other days if you choose to shorten the regular sequential scripture lessons.
Using the Old Testament Seminary Teacher Material
This manual contains 160 daily teacher lessons, including sequential scripture lessons and doctrinal mastery lessons. Also included are doctrinal mastery review activities, teaching helps, book introductions, and additional resources.
You may adapt the lessons and pacing as needed for the length of time you have to teach this course. See the appendix at the end of this manual for a sample pacing guide. The pacing guide is based on a 36-week or 180-day school year and includes 20 “flexible days” that you may use to adapt daily lessons, review previous material, administer and review required learning assessments, and allow for schedule interruptions.
Doctrinal Mastery Review Activities
Brief doctrinal mastery review activities are included at the beginning of some sequential scripture lessons. Each brief review activity is designed to help students locate, remember, and master one or more doctrinal mastery scripture passages from a single doctrinal topic, which they should have already studied during the “Understanding the Doctrine” segments of the various lessons. These brief reviews are not intended to last longer than five minutes each and should take place at the beginning or end of a class in which a regular sequential scripture lesson from the Old Testament is taught. Be careful not to allow doctrinal mastery review activities to overshadow sequential scripture teaching or take the place of the other intended outcomes of Doctrinal Mastery.
Teaching Helps
Teaching helps appear throughout this manual. These teaching helps explain and illustrate how you and the students you teach can apply the Fundamentals of Gospel Teaching and Learning in your study of the Old Testament. They also offer suggestions on how to effectively use a variety of teaching methods, skills, and approaches. As you come to understand the principles contained in the teaching helps, look for ways to practice and apply them consistently in your teaching.
Book Introductions
Book introductions are placed before the first lesson for each book of scripture. The book introductions provide an overview of each book by answering the following questions: Why study this book? Who wrote this book? When and where was it written? and What are some distinctive features of this book? The introductions also briefly outline the content of each book. Teachers should integrate the context and background information from the book introductions into the lessons as needed.
Commentary and Background Information
Additional commentary items can be found in the digital versions of this manual on LDS.org to give you additional understanding of historical context, specific concepts, or scripture passages. Use the information in this section to prepare to answer questions or give additional insights as you teach.
Supplemental Teaching Ideas
Supplemental teaching ideas can be found in the digital versions of this manual on LDS.org. These provide suggestions for teaching doctrine and principles that may not be identified or emphasized in the body of the lesson. They may also provide suggestions for using visual media, such as DVD presentations and videos found on LDS.org.
Home-Study Seminary Program
Under the direction of local priesthood leaders and the S&I representative, home-study seminary classes can be organized in places where students cannot attend a daily class because of distance or other factors (such as a disability). Home-study seminary classes are generally not available where daily (weekday) classes are provided through early-morning or released-time seminary.
The home-study program allows students to receive credit in seminary by completing individual lessons at home rather than attending weekday classes. These lessons are found in a separate manual called the Old Testament Seminary Student Material. Once a week, students meet with a seminary instructor to submit their work and participate in a classroom lesson. The student manual and weekly classroom lessons are further explained below.
Weekly Home-Study Teacher Lessons
Each week you will have the opportunity to teach one lesson to your home-study students. You can teach either the doctrinal mastery lesson or one of the sequential scripture lessons for that week. During each weekly class, make sure students know which lessons they are to study on their own before the next week’s class, and which lesson you will be teaching. Do not teach sequential scripture lessons out of order. Students are not required to study the student manual lessons that will be covered during the weekly class, but they are required to read the assigned scripture block associated with the weekly lesson (if it is a sequential scripture lesson).
As a home-study teacher, you should have a thorough understanding of what your students are studying at home each week so you can answer questions and create meaningful discussions when you meet with them. Ask students to bring their scriptures, study journals, and student manuals to the weekly class so they can refer to them during the lesson. Adapt the lessons according to the needs of the students you teach and according to the guidance of the Holy Ghost. Use the lessons in this manual as you prepare and teach. A study of the teaching helps and methods used in the daily lessons can help enrich your weekly teaching. Accommodate any particular needs of the students you teach. For example, if a student has difficulty writing, consider allowing him or her to use a voice-recording device or dictate thoughts to a family member or friend who can write down his or her responses.
At the end of each weekly lesson, collect students’ study journals and encourage them in their continued study. Provide them with a study journal for the next week’s assignments, as explained in the following section called “Old Testament Seminary Student Material.”
As you read through assignments in students’ study journals, respond periodically to their work by writing a small note or commenting the next time you see them. You may also want to seek other ways to provide support and meaningful feedback. This will help students know that you care about their work and will help motivate them to be thorough in their answers. (Under the direction of priesthood leaders and parents, stake [called] seminary teachers may communicate electronically with seminary students enrolled in home-study seminary.)
Old Testament Seminary Student Material
The Old Testament Seminary Student Material is designed to help the home-study student receive an experience in studying the Old Testament that is similar to that of the seminary student who attends weekday classes. Therefore, the pacing of the Seminary Student Material as well as the doctrine and principles it emphasizes reflect the material in this manual.
Each week, home-study seminary students are to complete the lessons from the student manual that their teacher assigns, and the teacher will choose which lesson to teach in their weekly class. Teachers will need to inform students each week of the four lessons from the student manual they will complete, as well as the lesson they will be studying during their weekly class.
Students complete the numbered assignments from the student manual in their study journals. Students should have two study journals so they can leave one with their teacher and continue working in the other. As students meet with their teacher each week, one journal is turned in to the home-study teacher and the other is given back to the student to use for the next week’s lessons. (For example, during one week, the student completes assignments in journal 1. The student then brings this journal to class and gives it to the teacher. During the next week, the student completes assignments in journal 2. When the student hands in journal 2, the teacher will return journal 1. The student then uses journal 1 to complete the next week’s assignments.) Teachers may also choose to have students submit the work electronically if the students’ and teachers’ circumstances allow.
All seminary students are encouraged to study the scriptures daily and read the text for the course, but home-study students should understand that they are expected to spend an additional 30 to 40 minutes on each of the lessons they complete each week and attend the weekly home-study lesson.
Makeup Work
The Old Testament Seminary Student Material can be used in the daily seminary programs as a resource to provide students with makeup work. The lessons in the Old Testament Seminary Student Material parallel those presented in this manual. Students who have excessive absences could be assigned to complete the assignments in the student manual that correspond with the content they missed in class. Assignments can be printed from LDS.org, so you do not need to provide the entire manual to students who need to do makeup work.
Other Resources
LDS.org
The Old Testament Seminary Teacher Material (ottm.lds.org) and the Old Testament Seminary Student Material are available on LDS.org and in the Gospel Library for mobile devices. The digital versions of the teacher manual contain additional Commentary and Background Information, Supplemental Teaching Ideas, and media resources that are not included in this printed manual because of space limitations.
seminary.lds.org
Teachers can visit the Seminaries and Institutes of Religion website (seminary.lds.org) for help in preparing lessons and to find additional teaching ideas.
Notes Tool
Teachers and students may use the online and mobile Notes tool to mark and add notes to the digital versions of these manuals as they prepare lessons and study the scriptures. Teacher manuals and student study guides are also available on LDS.org for download in alternate formats (such as PDF, ePub, store.lds.org, iTunes, Kindle, Google Play, Nook, Kobo, and Mobi files).
Additional Items
The following resources are available online, through your supervisor, through local Church distribution centers, and through the Church’s online store (store.lds.org):
Old Testament Visual Resource DVDs (item no. 00492; English, Spanish, and Portuguese only)
