Chapter 2: Search the Scriptures and Put on the Armor of God
“Chapter 2: Search the Scriptures and Put on the Armor of God,” Preach My Gospel: A Guide to Sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ (2023)
“Search the Scriptures and Put on the Armor of God,” Preach My Gospel
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Joseph Smith Seeks Wisdom in the Bible, by Dale Kilbourn
Chapter 2
Search the Scriptures and Put on the Armor of God
Consider This
Why is it important to consistently study the word of God in the scriptures?
How can I make my scripture study more effective?
How can I use technology righteously to help me fulfill my purpose?
What does it mean to put on the armor of God?
Search the Scriptures
Jesus Christ “is the life and the light of the world. Behold, he is the word of truth and righteousness” (Alma 38:9; see also John 1). Studying the word of God in the holy scriptures will bring abundance to your life (see John 10:10). His words will fill you—and those you teach—with light and truth. They will help you—and those you teach—live righteously and receive divine protection and strength. They will help you come to know Him and taste His love, which is sweet above all that is sweet. His words will fill your soul with joy (1 Nephi 8:11–12; see verses 1–34).
The scriptures are a heavenly gift. One of the great blessings of your mission is having a scheduled time to study them every day.
Gospel study is one of the most rewarding kinds of spiritual work you can do. It is invigorating both mentally and spiritually. As Alma taught, when you “plant” the word of God in your heart, it will “enlighten [your] understanding” and become delicious to you (Alma 32:28; see also Enos 1:3–4). As you continue to study and apply God’s word, it will “take root; and … be a tree springing up unto everlasting life” (Alma 32:41; see also verses 42–43). Your knowledge and testimony of the gospel will increase. Your desire and ability to share the gospel will also increase.
Learning from a good teacher is important, but it is also important for you to have meaningful learning experiences from your own study of the scriptures. This is also true for the people you teach.
Understanding the scriptures may be challenging at first. However, as you patiently persist in studying the word of God, your understanding will grow. You will come to treasure your time with the scriptures. You will eagerly look forward to what you will learn and experience.
Coming to know and love the scriptures can be a great lifelong blessing of your missionary service. As you experience the blessings of scripture study during your mission, you will want to continue for the rest of your life.
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Elder D. Todd Christofferson
“The central purpose of all scripture is to fill our souls with faith in God the Father and in His Son, Jesus Christ—faith that They exist; faith in the Father’s plan for our immortality and eternal life; faith in the Atonement and Resurrection of Jesus Christ, which animates this plan of happiness; faith to make the gospel of Jesus Christ our way of life; and faith to come to know ‘the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom [He has] sent’ (John 17:3)” (D. Todd Christofferson, “The Blessing of Scripture,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2010, 34).
Personal Study
Look at the picture of Joseph Smith at the beginning of this chapter. Read Joseph Smith—History 1:11–13. Answer the following questions in your study journal.
How did Joseph Smith’s reading and pondering of James 1:5 lead him to receive revelation?
What influence did his study have on future generations?
What effect has his decision to study and seek had in your life?
How has your gospel study influenced your life and the lives of others?
Scripture Study
What can you learn from the following scriptures about how to approach gospel study?
Learning the gospel is much more than gaining information. It is also a spiritual process of applying eternal truth under the guidance of the Holy Ghost (see Jacob 4:8; Doctrine and Covenants 50:19–25). Seek and trust the Spirit to teach you as you study the scriptures. This will happen to the degree that you liken the scriptures to yourself with real intent to act on what you learn (see 1 Nephi 19:23; Moroni 10:4; Joseph Smith—History 1:18).
Prayerfully studying the scriptures will open a window of revelation for the Spirit to speak to your mind and heart. He will bless you with guidance, inspiration, and answers to your questions. Through your study of the scriptures, the Holy Ghost will strengthen and comfort you. He will give you knowledge and conviction that will bless your life and enable you to bless others eternally.
Scripture Study
What is the role of the Holy Ghost in helping a person learn the gospel?
As a missionary, you will hear many questions. You will also have questions of your own. Searching the scriptures and other approved resources for answers to these questions is a powerful way to study. Record the questions and what you learn and feel in your study journal.
Use accurate, reliable sources in your study—primarily the scriptures, the words of the living prophets, and Preach My Gospel. Use the resources in Gospel Library, such as the Guide to the Scriptures, Bible Dictionary, index to the triple combination, Gospel Topics, and Gospel Topics essays. Learn which resources are available in the languages of the people you teach.
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President M. Russell Ballard
“One thing I have learned in life is how frequently the Lord answers our questions and gives us counsel through the scriptures. … Let us then go to the Lord in prayer, pleading for help or answers; and those answers will come as we open the scriptures and begin to study them. Sometimes it is as though a passage hundreds or thousands of years old was dictated specifically to answer our question” (M. Russell Ballard, “Be Strong in the Lord, and in the Power of His Might” [Brigham Young University fireside, Mar. 3, 2002], 5, speeches.byu.edu).
Live What You Learn
As you feel the joy that comes from growing in understanding the gospel, you will want to apply what you learn. Strive to live in harmony with what you learn. Doing so will strengthen your faith, knowledge, and testimony. Acting on what you learn will bring added and enduring understanding. (See John 7:17.)
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President Boyd K. Packer
“True doctrine, understood, changes attitudes and behavior. The study of the [doctrine] of the gospel will improve behavior quicker than a study of behavior will improve behavior” (Boyd K. Packer, “Little Children,” Ensign, Nov. 1986, 17).
Personal Study
What do the following scriptures teach about learning the gospel?
Gospel Library is an online resource that can greatly enhance your study and teaching. Become familiar with its many features. Some benefits of using Gospel Library as part of your study and teaching are listed below.
It gives you access to the scriptures, the words of the living prophets, and other Church content in many languages in text, audio, and video formats.
If you record in Gospel Library what you learn and the impressions you have received, you can continue to access and be strengthened by that information after your mission.
It allows you to easily share scriptures, quotes from living prophets, and videos with those you are teaching.
Most of the people you teach and baptize will use Gospel Library to access Church resources. Become familiar with Gospel Library features so you can help them learn to use it.
Personal Study
Review the “Gospel Library User Guide.” Select a feature in Gospel Library to try in your next personal and companion study. How did this feature help with your study? What will you try next time? Teach other missionaries what you learn.
Use Technology Righteously
The Lord and His prophets have entrusted you with technology to help accomplish His work. Technology can enhance your study of the scriptures and Preach My Gospel. Digital resources can also help you plan. They can help in your teaching and in your efforts to find people to teach.
Using technology wisely and righteously can help you fulfill your missionary purpose and use time effectively. It can also help you avoid inappropriate material.
Follow the Spirit about when and how to use technology in ways that will help strengthen your faith in Jesus Christ and the faith of those you serve and teach.
Follow the Safeguards for Using Technology
The four safeguards outlined below will help you use technology appropriately. Following these safeguards is an important way for you to “put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil” (Ephesians 6:11).
Be in Tune with Spiritual Promptings
Nephi promised, “If ye will enter in by the way, and receive the Holy Ghost, it will show unto you all things what ye should do” (2 Nephi 32:5). Your Heavenly Father has given you two powerful gifts that will help you: moral agency and the gift of the Holy Ghost. You have the power to choose to follow the guidance of the Holy Ghost. His guidance is vital in helping you do good while using technology. It also helps protect you from evil.
Be Focused on Your Missionary Purpose
The Lord said, “If your eye be single to my glory, your whole bodies shall be filled with light, and there shall be no darkness in you; and that body which is filled with light comprehendeth all things” (Doctrine and Covenants 88:67). To have your eye single to the glory of God means having your focus completely on God’s purpose, which is also your purpose as a missionary.
Your use of technology should be centered on your purpose. Turn on your device only after you have identified the missionary purpose for which you will use it. Then turn it off when that purpose is completed.
You are more likely to encounter inappropriate content on the internet when you are casually surfing the web without a specific purpose in mind.
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missionaries looking at phone
Be Disciplined
Mormon wrote: “I am a disciple of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. I have been called of him to declare his word among his people, that they might have everlasting life” (3 Nephi 5:13). Like Mormon, you are a disciple of Christ. Serving as a full-time missionary is a special opportunity to deepen your discipleship.
The words disciple and discipline come from the same root word that means “learner” or “pupil.” To be a disciple of Christ means that you seek to follow Him and keep His commandments. It means that you consistently learn and teach of Christ.
Be disciplined and make righteous choices in how you use technology. Choose to follow the safeguards. When you are talking face-to-face with people, do not check messages or answer calls. Take control of how you use these devices. Do not let them control you.
The Lord declared, “He that receiveth my law and doeth it, the same is my disciple; and he that saith he receiveth it and doeth it not, the same is not my disciple” (Doctrine and Covenants 41:5). While no one is perfect, the Lord expects consistent, persistent effort to follow Him.
The beauty of the gospel is that we can be forgiven as we repent—and the Lord wants us to repent without delay (see Doctrine and Covenants 109:21). If you make a mistake, including inappropriate use of technology, repent in that moment and keep trying to live His law. This is part of being a disciple of Christ.
Be One
The Lord said, “Be one; and if ye are not one ye are not mine” (Doctrine and Covenants 38:27). Help your mission develop a culture of unity, trust, accountability, and compassion so you can strengthen and support one another.
All missionaries should feel comfortable asking for help when needed. A missionary who is strong in the Spirit can help one who is feeling weak (see Doctrine and Covenants 84:106). If you feel tempted, ask your companion or mission leader for help.
Nearly all challenges associated with the internet or with pornography happen in isolation. Use devices only when you can see each other’s screens. Have courage and be accountable to each other.
The Lord has confidence in each missionary He has called, including you. He has provided companions and leaders to help protect and support you. Just as Alma supported his companion Amulek, seek to strengthen each other (see Alma 15:18).
What Should You Do If You Feel Vulnerable or Susceptible?
Learning to follow these four safeguards requires effort, discipline, and practice. Even after the safeguards become a natural part of how you think and act, you will have times when you may feel vulnerable or susceptible. Perhaps you had some poor technology habits before your mission that have been difficult to overcome. Some missionaries struggled with pornography before their call and may be tempted to fall back into former patterns of behavior.
The principles below will help you live the safeguards and fortify yourself against temptation:
Be aware of your thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. Understand how they can make you more vulnerable to misusing technology.
Choose to act. Respond in righteous, productive ways to what you are feeling.
Learn, repent, and improve. Use your experiences to continue learning and improving.
You do not have to overcome challenges on your own. Rely on the strength that comes through the Savior’s Atonement and the covenants you have made with Him. The Lord knows the challenges you face, and He will help you in this great work.
Always remembering the Savior can help you use technology righteously. Be true to the trust He has given you. Determine to “walk uprightly before him” (Alma 53:21; see also verse 20). Feeling gratitude for all that He and the Father have done for you will help you make good choices about how you use digital resources.
Your mission is a great opportunity to learn to use technology wisely. The commitment and good habits you develop during your mission will benefit you for the rest of your life.
Put on the Armor of God
Your ability to resist temptation will increase as you study and apply the scriptures, the words of the living prophets, Preach My Gospel, Missionary Standards for Disciples of Jesus Christ, and the safeguards outlined in this chapter.
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missionaries greeting man
By putting on the “whole armour of God,” you will be able to discern truth from error. You will have your feet shod with the “gospel of peace.” Putting “on the breastplate of righteousness” will protect you. With the “shield of faith,” you will be able to quench the fiery darts of the adversary. You will take “the sword of [His] Spirit” to teach truth with power and authority. You will be fortified against worldly influences that could otherwise lead you to become adrift, isolated, and even alienated. (See Ephesians 6:10–18; see also 1 Nephi 8:20, 30; 15:24–25; Helaman 3:29–30; Doctrine and Covenants 27:15–18; Joseph Smith—Matthew 1:37; 2 Timothy 3:15–17.)
Personal Study
Prayerfully identify one of the safeguards to focus on this week. Seek the Lord’s help. Record your feelings and what you are learning.
Ideas for Study and Application
Personal Study
Try some of the following suggestions to enhance your study:
Read the scriptures with questions and concerns in mind.
Share what you learn with other missionaries and with those you teach. Explaining a doctrine or principle will help you remember it and gain clarity.
Study by topic. Focus on topics that will help you and the people you teach.
Ask yourself, “What is the author saying? What is the main message? How does this apply to me? How might this help someone we are teaching?”
Visualize or draw what you are studying. For example, imagine what it was like for Ammon to stand before the Lamanite king.
Write the main idea of a passage in a sentence or short paragraph.
Memorize scriptures that explain and support the principles you teach.
Evaluate yourself on the following (1=never, 3=some of the time, and 5=almost always).
I am growing in my faith and coming to know Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ better.
I think about the people I am teaching when I study.
Throughout the day, I think about what I studied in the morning.
As I study, ideas come to my mind that have not occurred to me before.
I record spiritual impressions and ideas in an appropriate place.
I stay awake as I study.
I look forward to personal study.
I look forward to companion study.
Review your responses. What are you doing well? How could you improve? Set one or two goals to improve the quality of your study.
Companion Study and Companion Exchange
Read together several of the following passages. Discuss blessings that come from studying the word of God. Which passages would best help those you teach?
District Council, Zone Conferences, and Mission Leadership Council
Ask the missionaries to write one or two questions about the gospel from a lesson in chapter 3. These questions could be personal or from people they teach. Invite the missionaries to share their questions with the group. For each question, discuss the following:
How could answering this question bless the life of the missionary?
How could it bless the lives of the people he or she is teaching?
How could a missionary find the answer?
Divide missionaries into groups, and assign each group to study one of the four safeguards and the accompanying scriptures. Invite missionaries to share what they have learned and how the safeguards have helped them.
Mission Leaders and Mission Counselors
Occasionally join missionaries in their companion study.
During interviews or conversations, ask some of the following questions:
What impressions have you had recently in your scripture study?
What chapter or section of Preach My Gospel has helped you most in the past two weeks? How has it helped you?
What are you doing in your personal study that helps you learn?
In interviews, consider reviewing the safeguards for using technology and asking missionaries what they are learning as they apply them.
Share insights from your personal study. Share entries from your study journal and your testimony of the importance of gospel study.