Watch the INSIGHT video presentation on YouTube at: https://youtu.be/wSbEtOyxDOA
Watch the TEACHING ACTIVITIES video presentation on YouTube at: https://youtu.be/t2rda1-tf0k
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INSIGHT VIDEO SCRIPT
MARK YOUR SCRIPTURES
At the beginning of this year of study, I'd like to take a moment to teach you a little something about scripture study. If you were with me last year, I introduced the Book of Mormon with some instruction on what I call "digging deep". If you'd like to hear that instruction, click on the link above and just watch the first six minutes or so. This year I want to build a little on that thought.
With my students, at the beginning of the year I'll sometimes bring out a little treasure box that I have, and I tell them that I have something for them inside it that is going to help them at the final judgment and if they'd be interested in knowing what it is. And I really build this up and try to get them excited. And I assure them that it isn't a metaphorical or symbolic item, but that I have an actual gift and object inside that I am going to give them. And then with great fanfare I slowly open the lid to reveal a box full of colored pencils. I like to get the official church produced scripture markers. I pull one of them out and hold it up like it's a precious artifact. And I say this item is going to bless you at the final judgment. Because the Lord is going to ask you only one question. He'll say, "Can I see your scriptures?", and you'll say, "Ok, here they are". Now if he opens your scriptures and he sees markings all over it. Things underlined, cross referenced, notes in the margins, and they look well-worn and used, perhaps he'll say "Hmmm, it is apparent that you've spent a lot of time studying my word. And if you've spent a lot of time studying my word, that probably suggests that you've spent a lot of time living my word, then he'll turn to the side and point to the pearly gates of heaven and say, "Come on in, you made it". Just like that. On the other hand, if you hand him your scriptures and he looks at them and blows the dust off of them, and they look brand new, and the pages are still stuck together, he may leaf through them thoughtfully and say "Hmmm, these look like a really nice set of scriptures, they look almost brand new. I'm afraid it doesn't look like you've spent much time studying my words. And if you haven't spent much time studying my words, there's a really good chance that you haven't spent much time living my words. I'm so sorry. And he'll reach out, pull the cord, the trap door will open, and whoosh, off you slide to purgatory. Now this is all done tongue and cheek of course and you've got to ham it up a bit. I don't really think that's what the judgment is going to be like, BUT I do believe there is a hint of truth in it. I do believe that the way we value and use his words in our lives is going to have a bearing on how we'll be judged. So, at this time, I tell them that I don't wish this to happen to them, so I'm going to just give them their very own official church scripture marker and encourage them to use it. Marking your scriptures may be one of the greatest ways . I'm sure you've noticed if you've been studying with me these past few years that I love marking things in my scriptures. We mark lists, and themes, and repeated words, and significant verses, phrases, and words. I personally don't have some big overall color scheme that is matched throughout the scriptures. You know, everything you learn about Jesus is in yellow, and everything about prophets in blue, and so on. And that system is great and can work really well. But that's just one way. Personally, I like to take things chapter by chapter and use different colors within them to highlight different patterns and lists, and repeated words, and thematic principles. There's no right or wrong way to do it. Just mark. Your system can be as simple as just taking one color and marking things that you like. However you do it, I can promise that if you study with a marking pencil in your hand, you will get more out of it. You will find you get more insight and inspiration when you study this way because you are showing the Spirit that you are ready and willing to learn. So dig deep, and mark your scriptures. It will completely change your relationship to the word of God.
INTRO TO D&C TRUE/FALSE
Now the Doctrine and Covenants. To introduce my students to this book of modern scripture, I like to give them this little TRUE/FALSE ACTIVITY to pique their interest and get them excited about digging into this year's course of study. So, here are the questions and I'll make this available as a handout.
The Doctrine and Covenants only contains revelations received by Joseph Smith.
False. The vast majority of them are, but you'll find revelations in the Doctrine and Covenants directed to John Taylor, to Brigham Young, Joseph F. Smith, and the Official declarations were given to Wilford Woodruff and Spencer W. Kimball
The Doctrine and Covenants was originally called The Book of Latter-Day Revelations.
False. The first version of the Doctrine and Covenants was actually called "The Book of Commandments for the Government of the Church of Christ" or "The Book of Commandments". Very few editions were actually published because the printing press was destroyed by mobs if you remember that story from church history. And here sometimes I like to show my students a replica of what the Book of Commandments would have looked like that I picked up in Nauvoo.
The Doctrine and Covenants is not in chronological order.
True. If you want to see this, you can turn to the pages right before Section 1 entitled "Chronological Order of Contents". And you'll notice that for the most part they are in order but there are a few notable exceptions--such as section 1, section 99, section 134, section 137, and Official Declaration #1 actually comes before Section 138 chronologically. And don't worry, throughout the year we'll discuss why some of these exceptions exist.
The Doctrine and Covenants has 132 sections and 3 Official Declarations.
False, the Doctrine and Covenants has 138 sections and 2 Official Declarations
The Doctrine and Covenants contains a section addressed to Emma, the prophet’s wife.
True. Section 25 is addressed to Emma.
The Doctrine and Covenants originally used code names for the General Authorities to help protect their identity.
True. And the only reason I know this is because while on my mission in Brazil, my Portuguese Doutrina e Convenions still had the Code Names printed in that version. So for example, Joseph Smith was Gazelem, Ahashdah was Newel K. Whitney, and Olihah was Oliver Cowdery. These were used mainly in the sections dealing with the United Order where the leaders were concerned about some of the legal ramifications of that system. But, since that no longer applies, the church eventually decided to pull those out for clarity. And just for fun, you do find Joseph Smith's code name used in the Book of Mormon. Check out Alma 37:23 if you're interested.
The Doctrine and Covenants contains individual missionary calls.
True. Sections 31-33 are some examples of this.
The Doctrine and Covenants contains a section explaining what happened to Cain.
False. Not to my knowledge.
The Doctrine and Covenants contains a section about distinguishing good angels from bad ones.
And that is True. A very interesting section. We'll take a look at it later this year, but the handshake test is a fascinating little bit of revelation that we can talk about.
Some of the sections of the Doctrine and Covenants were received through the Urim and Thummim.
True. 3, 7, 11, and 17 were all received through the Urim and Thummim.
The Doctrine and Covenants is now considered "closed canon" and will never have any new sections added to it.
As far as I understand it. False. I don't believe the Doctrine and Covenants has ever been considered closed. The most recent addition to it took place in 1978 with Official Declaration #2. There is no indication that I have ever heard that they can't or won’t add to it. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised and would actually love to see the Proclamation on the Family added someday as Official Declaration #3. But who knows?
The Doctrine and Covenants contains the Dedicatory Prayer of the Nauvoo Temple.
False. It does however contain the dedicatory prayer of the Kirtland Temple. Section 109.
The Doctrine and Covenants contains sections that explain the nature of the Godhead, the origin of man, the reality of Satan, the purpose of mortality, the necessity for obedience, the need for repentance, the workings of the Holy Spirit, the ordinances and performances that pertain to salvation, the destiny of the earth, the future conditions of man after the resurrection and the judgment, the eternity of the marriage relationship, and the eternal nature of the family.
That of course is TRUE and is a statement that I pulled right out of the introduction to the Doctrine and Covenants. I mean just look at that list. There is so much understanding, and gospel insight, and relevance that the Doctrine and Covenants has to offer and teach us.
The Doctrine and Covenants is a unique book of scripture. We have the Old Testament, we have the New Testament, we have the Book of Mormon which is Another Testament of Jesus Christ. But what kind of testament is the Doctrine and Covenants? It's OUR testament. The testament of the latter-day disciples of Christ. It's not a translation like the other standard works are. It presents us with direct revelation from God to man. Another line that I love from the introduction declares that:
"In the revelations, one hears the tender but firm voice of the Lord Jesus Christ, speaking anew in the dispensation of the fulness of times; and the work that is initiated herein is preparatory to His Second Coming, in fulfillment of and in concert with the words of all the holy prophets since the world began."
NOTE:
And one final note before we start digging into section 1 here. My focus this year is going to be much more geared towards the text of the Doctrine and Covenants than Church History. Now I will be covering Church History as we go along and try to provide you with some background information inasmuch as they help us understand the sections. But Church History itself has so much material that you could cover. There is so much information out there, and stories, and resources that I'll admit, it's a little overwhelming as a teacher to try and tackle it. Now I do know church history and have taught it for years, but I am by no means an expert. The best resources I know of out there, in my opinion, are the Institute manual entitled "Church History in the Fulness of Times", the new documentary series "History of the Saints" is incredible, and of course, I have been blown away by the new church publication "Saints" Volumes 1 and 2. They are so good. There are stories and details in there that were completely new to me and I've taught church history for a long time. So those are my go-to resources. But this year, my focus, my spotlight is going to rest squarely on the revelations themselves and will be where I spend the majority of our time.
HEARKEN TO HIS VOICE
ICEBREAKER
As an Icebreaker for section 1, I love relating this little story told by Marion G. Romney, a former member of the first presidency.
"Well President Romney felt like his wife Ida was losing her hearing. He was sure of it--so he tried to convince her to go to get a hearing checkup and maybe a hearing aid. But she couldn't be persuaded. She didn't think she had a problem . So he decided to go to the doctor himself and ask for advice.
So here's the rest of the story in President Romney's words. “He asked me how bad it was, and I said I didn’t know. He told me to go home and find out. The doctor instructed me to go into a far room and speak to her. Then I should move nearer and nearer until she did hear.” So he decided to go home and try it out.
“Following the doctor’s instructions, I spoke to her from the bedroom while she was in the kitchen—no answer. I moved nearer and spoke again—no answer. So I went right up to the door of the kitchen and said, ‘Ida, can you hear me?’
“She responded, ‘What is it, Marion? I’ve answered you three times’” (adapted from Howard, Marion G. Romney, 144–45).
Now I do love that story. Who had the real hearing problem? He did, not her.
TRANSITION
Well, today we're going to take a look at a group of people with a hearing problem. Some individuals who were going deaf.
BACKGROUND
Now remember, it's important to note, as stated earlier, that the Doctrine and Covenants is not necessarily in chronological order. Section 1 is not the first revelation given in the restoration. In November of 1831, Joseph had received more than 60 revelations and felt really strongly that the church members needed to have access to those revelations. So the decision was made to publish the revelations in a printed work called "The Book of Commandments for the Government of the Church of Christ". Well, Joseph felt like the revelations needed an introduction, a preface to the book. You know that many authors will often have a colleague, or a notable individual write a preface or a forward for their book. Well, guess who Joseph got to do the preface of his book? Umm, the Lord himself. The Doctrine and Covenants is the only book I know of that has a preface written by a member of the Godhead. So, while D&C 1 is not the first revelation of the restoration, it is the revelation that God wanted us to read first. And what is the first word he wanted us to read?
HEARKEN. In all caps no less. God wants us to listen. And what does he want us to listen to?
To the voice of him who dwells on high. He wants us to listen to his voice.
Q: Now, considering what we know about the great apostasy and how the people of the Christian world viewed revelation, and scripture. Why do you think Hearken is a significant first word?
A: I think it's significant because it immediately establishes the truth that God speaks to Man. That God has a voice. For hundreds of years, that voice had been stifled and silenced by the apostasy. Much of the Christian world had abandoned the idea that God could still speak to man, or that he cared enough to speak to man. In a sense, they had hit the mute button. They had gone deaf to that voice, although they didn't think that they had a hearing problem, like President Romney. So God's opening refrain in modern revelation then, is HEARKEN, listen to me. I can speak. I have something to say to you.
SEARCH
With that as an introduction, I'd like to give you a quick marking challenge.
I want you to read carefully through D&C 1:1-14 and mark every word or phrase that suggests either speaking or listening and let's see how many you can find.
And while you're at it. A second thing to look for. Who is he speaking to? Who is he addressing?
In :1 Hearken, voice, hearken, listen together.
:2 voice of the Lord, neither ear that shall not hear
:3 their iniquities shall be spoken upon the housetops
:4 the voice of warning, mouths of my disciples
:11 voice of the Lord, all that will hear may hear
:14 they who will not hear the voice of the Lord, neither the voice of his servants, neither give heed to the words of the prophets.
Can you see that theme scattered throughout these verses? It's obvious that the Lord wants us to listen to him.
Now my second question. Did you notice who he is speaking to? Well, initially, he says hearken o ye people of my church (:1) but he doesn't stop there. There is another hearken in verse 1. Another equally important audience. Hearken ye people from afar, and that are upon the islands of the sea, listen TOGETHER. (:2) for verily the voice of the Lord is unto all men, and there is none to escape. In: 4 the voice of warning shall be unto all people. In :6 this book of commandments, which I have given unto them (his servants)to publish unto you, O inhabitants of the earth. Therefore, the Doctrine and Covenants isn't just for members of the church. It's for the world. It's for all people. Maybe we should keep that in mind when we do missionary work. Perhaps we should be using it just as much as we do the Book of Mormon. It's addressed to all inhabitants of the world.
So, there are a few things we've established here.
TRUTH
God has a voice.
And that voice is to all people.
Now, next question. What does the voice have to say to us?
Did you catch that as you read? You may have noticed in verse 4 that it is a voice of warning. The voice has got a warning for us. Remember that warnings are given for OUR benefit. To protect US from possible or coming danger. They are given out of a sense of concern for those they are directed at. That's important to keep in mind here, especially when you read some of the harsher language regarding God's wrath or anger. So we say, don’t touch that stove, it's hot. Don't swim in that water, there are sharks. Don't go near the edge, you might fall. God has a very specific warning for us here. That warning is most explicit in verse 12.
12 Prepare ye, prepare ye for that which is to come, for the Lord is nigh;
The message is one of preparation for the coming of the Lord. His coming is nigh. The rest of the Doctrine and Covenants is going to help us to prepare for the second coming. Interesting side note. At the same time God gave Joseph this "Preface", he also provided him with an "appendix" for the Doctrine and Covenants. Something to go at the end. That would be section 133. What is the major topic of section 133? No surprise: the second coming. These two sections are bookends. So, if he begins his book with a warning and a call for preparation, and ends it with a description of what is going to happen at his coming, what would you expect to find in between? Instructions on HOW to prepare for his coming. Everything we study this year is going to help you and I to be prepared for Christ's return. And that's important, because if we're not prepared, we will experience
:3 sorrow, our iniquities will be spoken upon the housetops
:9 God's wrath will be poured out
:13 his anger kindled
:14 and in the end, I might find myself cut off from among the people.
God doesn't want that for us. He doesn't want that experience for any of his beloved children. SO,
:17 Wherefore, knowing the calamity which should come upon the inhabitants of the earth . . .He's going to do something,
And I want you to discover this next truth. I'm going to mark some words and phrases for you, and I want you to tell me what you think the message is. We've already established that he wants us to hearken to his voice. But where do we hear that voice? There's no loudspeaker from heaven blaring is there? God himself doesn't come on television or the radio and speak to us, does he? So how is he going to make sure that the inhabitants of all the earth are going to "Hearken" to his voice?
:4 And the voice of warning shall be unto all people, by the mouths of my disciples, whom I have chosen in these last days.
:6 Behold, this is mine authority, and the authority of my servants, and my preface unto the book of my commandments, which I have given them to publish unto you, O inhabitants of the earth.
:14 And the arm of the Lord shall be revealed; and the day cometh that they who will not hear the voice of the Lord, neither the voice of his servants, neither give heed to the words of the prophets and apostles, shall be cut off from among the people;
Then, finishing of verse 17 and continuing
17 Wherefore, I the Lord, knowing the calamity which should come upon the inhabitants of the earth, called upon my servant Joseph Smith, Jun., and spake unto him from heaven, and gave him commandments;
18 And also gave commandments to others, that they should proclaim these things unto the world; and all this that it might be fulfilled, which was written by the prophets—
19 The weak things of the world shall come forth and break down the mighty and strong ones, that man should not counsel his fellow man, neither trust in the arm of flesh—
What's the truth taught here? God speaks through the mouths of his servants. Now he also speaks to man through the Spirit, and the following initial sections of the Doctrine and Covenants have a lot to say about that. Personal revelation is going to play a big part in divine communication. But the still, small voice isn't always easy for people to hear or at least recognize. Sometimes the noise of the world is so deafening that the average person is going to struggle to recognize the voice of the Spirit. So God, in his infinite wisdom and mercy, has provided us with a louder voice. An audible voice. An unmistakable voice that any person can hear with their mortal ears. The voice of the prophets. The voice of God's servants. Isn't that wonderful. That he does that for us. Personal revelation is a bit more of an advanced spiritual skill. But listening to the prophets will help prepare us to hear that more subtle voice. Because we'll begin to sense the familiarity. But we can actually hear the voice of the servants of God, unless we choose to go deaf to them. That's why here I might skip ahead to verse 38 where the Lord teaches this truth a bit more directly:
38 What I the Lord have spoken, I have spoken, and I excuse not myself; and though the heavens and the earth pass away, my word shall not pass away, but shall all be fulfilled, whether by mine own voice or by the voice of my servants, it is the same.
Their voice, is my voice. So listen to them! And in listening to them, you'll be listening to me.
LIKEN THE SCRIPTURES
At this point in the lesson, I might pause and ask the following question:
When have you sensed the voice of God speaking through the voice of his servants?
CONCLUSION
God has given us hearing aids in the last days. I know I hear the voice of the Lord every time I study the scriptures. The sound of it reverberates from every page. I hear it in Moses's voice, and Peter's, and Paul's, and Nephi's, and Moroni's, and Joseph Smith's. I hear the voice of the Lord every time we have general conference. I hear the Lord's voice in the conviction of Elder Holland's voice, in the logical soundness of President Oaks voice, in the compassionate, tenderness of President Eyring's voice, in the directness of Elder Ballard’s voice, and in the voices of all the apostles with their unique personalities. And of course, I hear the voice of the Lord in our current prophet, President Russel M. Nelson. The certainty and conviction and love in his voice bears the divine tone and inflection of God. I've often asked my students how they think General Conference would be different if they announced Jesus was going to be the final speaker. Would more tune in? Would we pay closer attention? Would we get more excited? Well, according to verse 38, Jesus does speak at every General Conference, at least 15 times. So instead of tuning them out, or pushing the mute button, or stopping our ears, we can HEARKEN to the voice of warning, to the voice of the Lord through his servants. If we will do that, then we will be prepared when he comes again.
THE "THAT'S" and "INASMUCH'S"
Now that is the message that I would want to emphasize if I were teaching this section. Still, there are some other insights that I might point out if I had some extra time.
Since this section emphasizes hearing the word of the Lord through the mouths of his servants, he has some additional truths to teach us about those servants of his. I call these the "THAT'S" and "INASMUCH'S" found in verses 19-28
So first the THAT'S.
Starting in verse 19 and ending in verse 23 go through and mark all the "that's" and ask yourself why each is significant. God called his prophets and servants so THAT, what?
:19 that man should not counsel his fellow man, neither trust in the arm of the flesh. God wants us to have someone we can rely on to learn truth. Man isn't always a reliable source. We oftentimes get it wrong. We need heavenly counsel in these calamitous times, and we need to trust in a divine arm, not a fleshy one.
:20 That every man might speak in the name of God the Lord, even the Savior of the world. I believe that means that his servants can speak with AUTHORITY from God. Maybe not every man on earth, but that every man that puts their trust in God and his prophets may speak in the name of God, with the authority of his priesthood.
:21 That faith might increase. I know my faith is increased every time I hear the prophets or study the scriptures. If someone were to ask me "How do I get a strong testimony?" I would respond with "Spend more time listening to the prophets, both living, and in scripture, and your faith is certain to increase".
:22 That mine everlasting covenant might be established. Well, this is the Doctrine and Covenants after all. A fullness of understanding of many of the Lord's covenants will be restored in this book. The covenant of baptism, the sacramental covenant, the Abrahamic covenant, the covenant of eternal marriage and more. The revelations in the Doctrine and Covenants make it possible for those covenants to be established once again.
:23 That the fulness of my gospel might be proclaimed. Before Joseph Smith and the Book of Mormon and the Doctrine and Covenants, the world did contain a great measure of Christ's gospel. Mankind did have access to much truth. But the calling of living prophets once again made it possible for the FULLNESS to be proclaimed. That’s what we want right? We don't want partial truth, or incomplete truth. We want the fullness of the truth. That fullness was made possible by the latter-day prophets of God.
Now the INASMUCH'S
This is such a critical truth for us to recognize about God's servants right here from the very beginning of our study, especially at a time when church history is under a lot of scrutiny and early church leaders criticized or dismissed. Look at the verbs used to describe the prophets. There's something God wants us to understand about them. Find and mark the inasmuch's.
24 Behold, I am God and have spoken it; these commandments are of me, and were given unto my servants in their weakness, after the manner of their language, that they might come to understanding.
25 And inasmuch as they erred it might be made known;
26 And inasmuch as they sought wisdom they might be instructed;
27 And inasmuch as they sinned they might be chastened, that they might repent;
28 And inasmuch as they were humble they might be made strong, and blessed from on high, and receive knowledge from time to time.
I see two different sets of words here. The first set are words I don't think we often associate with prophets.
Weakness, erred, sought wisdom (because they don't have it all on their own), sinned, chastened, repent, humble. Hmmm. You mean to tell me God that your called servants might have weaknesses? That they might err? That they might need wisdom, that they might even sin and need to be chastened and repent. The critics of early church leaders don't seem to want to grant them that humanity. But here, God spells it out for us right from the get-go. My prophets are going to have weaknesses, and errors, and even sins. And there are plenty of examples of this as you study the lives of Joseph Smith, and Brigham Young, Oliver Cowdery, Martin Harris and others. But that doesn't mean they weren't inspired and called.
If we're going to be fair, we have to consider the other set of words. Yes, they will have weaknesses and errors and sins, but they will come to understanding, they will have things made known unto them. They will be instructed. They will be made strong and receive knowledge from time to time. Can we live in a world where both of those series of words can coexist?
All of those things apply beautifully to our church leaders as well. They brought the world understanding, and instruction, and knowledge, and strength. Just look at what God was able to accomplish with such imperfect people. It is unwise and unfair to emphasize one set of words at the expense of the other. Some will point out triumphantly when they read something about Joseph Smith or Brigham Young and say "Look! They were weak, they erred, they sinned" and then completely dismiss their divine calling. On the other hand, it's not wise to only point out the good and not acknowledge the weakness. So what should we do when we recognize that weakness and error and sin? We do what we're asked to do whenever we see those things in anybody. We do what we hope people will do for us when they see our weaknesses and errors and sins. We forgive. We leave the judgment to God and allow people to be mortal, to be human. I think that's really good advice for all of us as we begin a deep study of church history and those involved in it. We have to remember that most of these early church leaders were converts themselves. They were put into these high positions of authority after only being members of the church for a very short time. In some cases, months. It's a little unfair to compare them with the prophets and apostles of today who before they are called have decades of experience in leadership, and study, and testimony. Although even they can't be expected to be perfect either.
TRUE AND LIVING
One final thought. Verse 30. These servants that he calls. They have a work to do. They are going to accomplish something great in the latter-days. What is it?
30 And also those to whom these commandments were given, might have power to lay the foundation of this church, and to bring it forth out of obscurity and out of darkness, the only true and living church upon the face of the whole earth, with which I, the Lord, am well pleased, speaking unto the church collectively and not individually—
These servants will establish the Lord's church in its fullness once again upon the earth. And what kind of church is it? Two key adjectives here. It is true and living. I think we tend to focus on the first half of that statement more than we do the second. In testimony meetings, we're accustomed to hearing people say that they know this church is true. But then we put a period after that word. Perhaps we need a punctuation correction in our testimonies here. We need a comma in there, or no punctuation. It's true, COMMA, AND LIVING. True suggests that it is founded on eternal principles; that it is reliable; and firm. But it's also living. A living thing grows and adapts and changes and matures. It not only grows in number and size, but it grows in revelation and understanding. Like a tree, new limbs will branch out, while others will need to be pruned or cut off. We don't live the United Order anymore. Our application of the Word of Wisdom has matured since it was first given. Our understanding of sealing has grown. Our policy on race and the priesthood has been pruned.
Sometimes people get distressed over changes in the church. Policy changes, changes with the law of polygamy, changes to the temple endowment , 3-hour church to 2-hour church, BUT we have to remember that we do grow!!! Critics demand a non-growing church. They think that change suggests that the past was wrong. But that's not necessarily the case. The church matures OR the world changes and we need to adapt. Sometimes those changes are deep, others, are maybe more matter of leadership preference or are mechanical in nature. For example, calling it ministering instead of home teaching isn't too huge of a change. Maybe more of an adjustment. But perhaps a change in terms adds freshness and vitality to the program. In any case, we should remember that we are a true and living church. That is going to be another crucial principle to understand as we study the Restoration and as you examine church history this year.
LIKEN THE SCRIPTURES
A few question suggestions:
When have you experienced one of the "THAT's" in your life?
How do the "inasmuch's" help you in your study of Church history?
How do you know that the church is true?
How do you know that the church is living?
CONCLUSION
Well, I would like to conclude today's video with one final verse from section 1 and an invitation. Verse 37.
37 Search these commandments, for they are true and faithful, and the prophecies and promises which are in them shall all be fulfilled.
Please don't read the Doctrine and Covenants this year. We're not meant to read the scriptures. Don't peruse, don't skim, don't just plow through to get it done. You don't engage with them in the same way you do a magazine, or a novel, or a newspaper. SEARCH them. Like a prospector searches for gold. Like a detective searches for clues. Like a shepherd searches for his lost sheep. Search for truth this year, for relevance, for insight. If you do this, I can assure you, you will find those things in abundance.
TEACHING ACTIVITIES VIDEO SCRIPT
Doctrine & Covenants 1
Remember that the purpose of this video is not to focus on commentary or insight so much on the scriptures. That’s meant for the other video which will walk you through the scriptures and show you many of the things that I would probably say and what I would teach. I would suggest that you watch that video first before coming here, because this video will be referring to ideas and activities that are explained in depth there and they won’t make as much sense to you if you come here first. This video is far more focused on the HOW of teaching and will provide you with options and questions that you could use in your teaching. The ideas given here are not meant to ALL be used in a lesson, but are meant as options for you to pick and choose based on your students and time frame. So pick the activities and questions that you want to use and leave the rest, or edit and change these activities to suit your needs. If you want more of an explanation of why I’m doing this video to accompany the other, then I invite you to watch my “Plans for 2025” video that I put out a few weeks ago.
LESSON #1 SEARCH THESE COMMANDMENTS (Introduction to the Doctrine and Covenants)
TRUTH
If I search the Doctrine and Covenants diligently this year, it will bless me in many ways. Now I know that sounds very general, but that’s kind of the main objective here at the start.
FIRE IN THE BONES
So with that thought, there is a new category of slide that I’m going to include in every lesson plan that is intended just for you as a teacher. I call it the “Fire in the Bones” slide. That phrase comes from a verse in the book of Jeremiah from the Old Testament. And the context is that Jeremiah is frustrated that nobody is listening to him. The people are ignoring and rejecting him, and so he decides that he’s just done. I’m not going to teach anymore. It’s not worth it, my efforts are futile. But then look what happens. Jeremiah 20:9
9 Then I said, I will not make mention of him, nor speak any more in his name. But his word was in mine heart as a burning fire shut up in my bones, and I was weary with forbearing, and I could not stay.
So what happens after Jeremiah decides not to speak for God anymore? He felt God’s word, the power of it, the truth of it, the beauty of it, the relevance of it, burning inside him like a fire in his bones. And he wanted to stop, but he became weary of trying to hold it in, and so he decides, “I have to go out and teach it. I can’t hold this in, even if nobody else cares. The fire of God’s word burns within me.
So for us, as teachers, before we go and teach any lesson, we ask ourselves, “Is the word burning inside me? Do I feel the power and the relevance of this message I’m about to teach? Am I confident and excited about what I’m going to share?” If the answer to those questions is no, then we’ve got some work to do. We need to connect more personally with that message ourselves, and feel it’s relevance and importance. I’m sure you can tell the difference between a teacher who you can sense feels the fire of the message they’re sharing, and those that are merely going through the motions. And it has nothing to do with experience, or teaching techniques, or eloquence. A teacher that feels the urgency and the importance of their lesson will always connect on a deeper level with their students, regardless of those other factors. It’s one of the most important things we can do as teachers to prepare.
So near the beginning of each of my lesson activities videos, I hope to share what I feel is the truth, or insight, or the relevance that most excites me about teaching that particular lesson myself.
So for this first lesson, the fire in the bones for me lay in the idea of the power of meaningful scripture study. When you mark them and engage with them. The idea that when we really exert effort in our study, the practice of daily scripture study changes and becomes exciting, engaging, and fulfilling. It’s not a chore, or an item to cross off my checklist. It’s something I look forward to and find great value in. That’s our goal as teachers in this lesson. To get them excited about studying, deeply, the Doctrine and Covenants this year. This incredible book of modern scripture. Do you feel that excitement? Do you love the Doctrine and Covenants? Can you think of verses, and stories, and doctrines from this book that have blessed you and changed your life. Ponder on that, and let your students see that enthusiasm.
OBJECT
A treasure Chest full of marking pencils. This is an object lesson I shared at the beginning of the insight video, and you can watch how I approach that there. And at some point in the lesson I would give every student a marking pencil. The marking pencils I like most to give out are these two colors in one pencil that I found online so that they could use the other color to mark a pattern or a theme that they find in the scriptures. And I’d hand these out to them even if they plan to study from their digital scriptures. Perhaps they could just put it in a place where they study as a reminder, a symbolic object to prompt them to really dig deep and mark things as they study.
Links to purchase a treasure box and these colored pencils are found in the video description below.
Treasure Chest: https://amzn.to/4gs3G8f
Red Marking Pencils: https://amzn.to/41rta1n
ICEBREAKER
Object lesson using treasure box
QUOTE
There’s a quote that I like to share in conjunction with a point I made in the insight video. I like to make the point that each of the standard works is a Testament of some sort. A witness or a covenant to share. Well we have the Old Testament, the New Testament, the Book of Mormon is Another testament. What word would they put in the blank to describe the Doctrine and Covenants then. What kind of testament is it? Let them share their thoughts, and then you can share this quote from President Wilford Woodruff. What word did he use?
"I consider that the Doctrine and Covenants, our testament, contains a code of the most solemn, the most godlike proclamations ever made to the human family.” (Elder Wilford Woodruff, J.D., Vol. 22, p. 147)
HANDOUT
True/False Quiz because I find that does a really great job of engaging my students and getting them excited about studying this unique book of scripture.
VIDEO
https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/media/video/2012-07-1030-why-study-the-doctrine-and-covenants?lang=eng This is a great video to show at the beginning of the year because we get to hear an apostle of God explain to us why we should study the Doctrine and Covenants. Elder Bednar explains that just as the Book of Mormon is the keystone of our religion, the Doctrine and Covenants is the capstone. And he explains what he means by that and also explains how the Doctrine and Covenants reveals a pattern of revelation.
SEARCH ACTIVITY
A search activity you could do with the introduction would be to ask your students to read the first three paragraphs looking for the answers to the following questions:
The Doctrine and Covenants was written for whose benefit?
How is the Doctrine and Covenants unique from the other Standard Works?
What two adjectives are used to describe the voice of the Savior in the Doctrine and Covenants and why do you think that’s significant?
DISCUSSION QUESTION: In your eyes, what makes studying the Doctrine and Covenants different than studying any of the other standards works?
TAKE IT TO HEART:
What is a verse or teaching from the Doctrine and Covenants that you find meaningful and why? Answer that in a couple of ways. If you have your paper scriptures, just thumb through and see what you have marked. OR maybe a specific verse that already comes to mind or a particular section of the Doctrine and Covenants that impacted you in some way. Just share one thing from this incredible book that has affected you or strengthened your faith. And be sure to give your students some time to think and search for a minute before they share.
I WILL GO AND DO:
How do you plan to improve your scripture study experience this year? Then give them some suggestions to ponder.
Suggestions:
· Study the Doctrine and Covenants every day at least a little bit.
· Study the text of the entire Doctrine and Covenants this year.
· To slow down and really dig deep as you study this year.
· Pray before you study.
· Mark something new every time you study.
· Keep a study journal of thoughts and insights you have throughout the year.
TAKEAWAY
I would conclude this lesson with the following slide and guide my students to Doctrine and Covenants 1:37 to see the word the Lord himself used to describe what we should do with his words here in the Doctrine and Covenants this year. And remember, that at the time this revelation was given, this book wasn’t referred to as the Doctrine and Covenants but the Book of Commandments. What does he ask us to do? To SEARCH these commandments. Not read them, not skim over, not just plow through them, but to SEARCH them.
So do you see how I’m approaching these supplemental videos here. I’m not going deep and giving a lot of commentary. I’m just kind of walking you through some lesson teaching ideas and questions and how you might use the insights from the insight video in an actual teaching situation.
LESSON #2: A VOICE OF WARNING (Doctrine and Covenants 1)
Truth:
The truths that I would want my students to understand from this lesson from Doctrine and Covenants section 1 are:
God speaks, and he speaks to all people.
God speaks through the mouths of his servants, the prophets.
If I hearken to the voice of the Lord through his servants, then I will be protected from the calamities of the latter-days and better prepared for the second coming.
FIRE IN THE BONES
The fire in the bones for this lesson stems from the idea that God talks to us through prophets. Do we understand the beauty of that system? How fortunate we are as members of Christ’s Church to have the kind of inspired leadership that we do. Men like Russell M. Nelson, and Jeffrey R. Holland, and Dallin H. Oaks and all the others. Do you sense their connection with heaven? Gosh, we’re lucky. And God speaks to us through them. This is a unique idea in Christianity. Most other Christian faiths believe that prophetic revelation, the kind that says “Thus saith the Lord” ended with the early apostles. We don’t believe that. We have living prophets. Help you student to feel the power of that idea.
Object:
Headphones or I might even suggest a set of earbuds which seem to be the most popular way to listen to music, podcasts, or almost anything on our cell phones these days. At some point during the lesson I would hold up a set of earbuds and ask them to consider the voices they are most frequently listening to with these little devices. What an incredible symbol of choosing voices. We can drown out the rest of the world and put a voice directly into our ears. That could be the voice of somebody singing, the voice of somebody on a podcast, or the voices of actors, celebrities, sports stars, and politicians. As a seminary teacher I’ve seen this conflict of voices played out in real life. Sometimes I catch students with earbuds in their ears during class and I’ve had to kindly ask them to remove them. But what a good illustration of drowning out the voices of the prophets in the scriptures with the voices of the world. Literally placing a barrier between them and the voice of the Lord.
Icebreaker:
I would tell the Marion G. Romney story with him and his wife where he discovered that he was the one with a hearing problem.
BACKGROUND: Be sure to give the background to Section 1 which should only take a minute or so.
Search Activity:
A few suggestions here. The first search activity would be to have them look for the very first word of modern revelation that God intended us to read here in the preface. An added suggestion here. You could also show the first word in each of the other standard works of the Church.
In the Old Testament the first word is IN
In the New Testament the first word is THE
In the Book of Mormon it’s I
In the Pearl of Great Price it’s THE again
But here in the Doctrine and Covenants, it’s HEARKEN. Listen to my voice, because I have one, and I intend to use here in the latter-days.
Different separate search activities so you can choose which you want to focus on rather than feeling tied to doing all of them. Probably take too much time. So I’ve divided up the different search activities with the markings to be on their own.
Then for the main search activity I would invite my students to look for all the “voice” words in verses 1-14.
Other suggested search activities. You could have them look for the “to who” phrases in those same verses. Who is the voice speaking to?
You could also have them look for “the what.” What does the voice have to say to us? A warning. Specifically a warning to be prepared for the Second Coming. Because if we aren’t prepared. There will be consequences.
Here, I would prioritize the voice words highlighting the truth that God speaks. And then, the “where” words. Where is a major place that we hear that voice? The voice of his servants. Through the prophets.
Handout:
If you wanted to use a handout to help your students understand a truth from this lesson you could use this secret phrase activity. As your students fill in the blanks, they will find the letters that will help them to fill in the final secret phrase which is a key thought from this lesson, “Whether by mine own voice, or by the voice of my servants, it is the same.” You’ll also notice that all of the words and phrases selected from the chapter are focused on the truth that God speaks through prophets.
GAME:
Or if you wanted to make that same point but with a game, here’s another idea. It’s a fill-in-the-blank activity. You give them the phrase, and they need to be the first person to identify the word that goes in the blank AND the verse in which it’s found. You could throw out a little treat to the person who finds it first. Each of the phrases selected for this activity are also focused on the truth that God speaks through prophets.
Video:
One of my favorite video clips for this topic comes from a talk that Jeffrey R. Holland gave “Prophets in the Land Again”. I’ll provide you with a link to that talk, but I would specifically show from time stamp 5:58-7:35.
Quote:
“You may not like what comes from the authority of the Church. It may conflict with your political views. It may contradict your social views. It may interfere with some of your social life. But if you listen to these things, as if from the mouth of the Lord Himself, with patience and faith, the promise is that “the gates of hell shall not prevail against you; yea, and the Lord God will disperse the powers of darkness from before you, and cause the heavens to shake for your good, and his name’s glory” (D&C 21:6)… Your safety and ours depends upon whether or not we follow … Let’s keep our eye on the President of the Church.”
President Harold B. Lee (Conference Report, October 1970, p. 152–153.)
Discussion Question:
Why do you think the Lord gives us living prophets in addition to the scriptures?
Take it to Heart Question:
When have you sensed the voice of God speaking through the voice of his servants? A time when a talk touched your heart or helped you in some way?
I Will Go and Do Question:
What could you do to make the words of living prophets a more central part of your life?
Possible Suggestions:
Listen to conference talks during daily activities
Choose one talk each week to study alongside your scriptures. Highlight key insights and cross-reference them with related scriptures.
Write down key quotes or messages from the prophets and display them where you’ll see them daily
Share a favorite quote or insight with family, friends, or on social media.
Takeaway:
Then for our takeaway slide we’re going to display a picture of our current prophets and apostles with the saying: Turn up the volume of the prophets, and turn down the volume of the world. And I encourage you as a teacher to bear your personal witness of the living prophets and a specific instance of how their voices have shaped or blessed your life.
LESSON #3: A TRUE AND LIVING CHURCH (Doctrine and Covenants 1)
The final lesson idea I have for you focuses specifically on the message on verses 19-30. There’s a powerful message in there about the prophets and the Church that I believe is important for us to understand at the outset of our study of the Doctrine and Covenants.
Truth:
Church leaders of the past and the present are not infallible.
The Church is true AND living.
FIRE IN THE BONES:
The fire in the bones idea for this lesson stems from the fact that there is much opposition these days to the reputation of Joseph Smith, other early and modern church leaders, and the Church itself as an institution. And typically that criticism goes something like this. Joseph Smith or this church leader did or said such and such a thing which is obviously wrong, or silly, or disreputable, therefore, they’re not really inspired prophets. They are false prophets or charlatans. Or such and such a thing happened in Church History that casts an unfavorable light on it, therefore, it is not true. And sometimes these accusations can be troubling for faithful members of the Church. Well, the message here can be a very comforting one in light of those charges. It can help the faithful see those events and comments in the light of an eternal perspective and can help them to better face that opposition and disparagement.
Object:
For an object to this lesson, I would display something that you’ve seen me use before. An object that comes in handy for teaching a number of lessons. And that would be a scale, balances. I have a little plastic version I bought on Amazon that works well for me. I’ll provide a link to the one that I have in the video description if you’re interested.
Icebreaker:
But my icebreaker for this lesson would be very simple. It would be to just ask a question. A question that hopefully prepares your students to better connect with the message you are about to share. To help them feel the relevance it can have to their life and convince them that the journey you’re about to take them on is going to be worth their time and attention. The question is this:
Have you ever heard something about Joseph Smith or early Church History that troubled you or that you had concerns about? A criticism you didn’t quite understand. An action or quote made by some church leader that you didn’t understand or that cast uncertainty in your mind? Now I wouldn’t encourage them to share what those things are out loud; that’s not the point of this lesson. But I imagine that almost everyone will raise their hand which will illustrate to the class that they’re all in the same boat. That everyone encounters those kinds of things. You can then tell them that there’s something in Doctrine and Covenants 1 that has helped you and can hopefully help them to see some of those criticisms and issues in a different light.
Search Activity:
So our search activity to get them into the scriptures will be to first send them in to Doctrine and Covenants 1:19-23 and mark all the “THAT’S.” And if they do that, they will find 5 “that’s”.
Then, I would walk my students through each of the “that’s” explaining that these are God’s given reasons for calling prophets in the latter-days. I won’t go through each of those with you here, but you can hear my thoughts on those phrases in my other video.
Then I would send them into verses 24-28 to find the “Inasmuch’s”. And these I would explain highlight a very important truth when it comes to how we view prophets and apostles. We’ve just examined in the “that’s” all the wonderful things that prophets and apostles do for us. But can they find words and phrases that describe the prophets and apostles in these verses that reveal something else about their nature? Something that may add balance to what we know about them.
OBJECT LESSON:
And this is where the object I suggested you have at the beginning may come into play. I would pull out the balance and say that we have just talked about and listed all the wonderful things that prophet’s and apostles accomplish. And you could list those things on the board or display the following slide. But, if we only focus on those, we may end up placing the brethren on a very high pedestal and place them under unimaginable pressure. The inasmuch’s are going to help balance that out for us. What words in verses 24-28 might guard us from holding the prophets to an unattainable standard of living.
Those words? Weakness, erred, sought wisdom (because they don’t have it all), sinned, chastened, need to repent, humble. Do we see what God is trying to do for us here? These men aren’t perfect or infallible. We must consider that as we view their lives, their words, and their actions.
And then we have another balance to consider in verse 30 in regard to the Church itself. Challenge them to find the two words the Lord uses to describe the Church.
Discussion Question:
Then ask them how they think those two words balance each other. How is the Church both true and living and why is that important? I gave you some of my thoughts on that in the insight video.
Video:
A video you could show here comes from a great talk given by Elder Renlund and his wife Ruth. And I wouldn’t show the entire talk but just the portion from time stamp 1:18 to 5:56. In this clip they share a wonderful little metaphor about a person who finds themselves swimming in the ocean for their life after their boat capsizes. Fortunately, an old fisherman in a beat-up boat comes to rescue them. At first they’re grateful for the rescue and the water and food they’re offered when they climb on board. But after a while the person starts to notice how disheveled and dirty the fisherman looks and how old and shabby the boat looks and how stale the food and water were. Pretty soon, the imperfections in the boat and the fisherman are all the person can think about, and they demand to be let off the boat, back into dangerous waters. Now do you see the message in that?
Quote:
A quote I might consider sharing comes from a talk given in General Conference by Elder Jeffrey R. Holland. He has something to say about human frailty in Church leadership. He said:
“So be kind regarding human frailty—your own as well as that of those who serve with you in a Church led by volunteer, mortal men and women. Except in the case of His only perfect Begotten Son, imperfect people are all God has ever had to work with. That must be terribly frustrating to Him, but He deals with it. So should we. And when you see imperfection, remember that the limitation is not in the divinity of the work.”
Jeffrey R. Holland (Conference Report, April 2013 “Lord, I Believe”)
Take it to Heart Question:
Does this perspective help you in any way with some of the questions and concerns you may have experienced about the Church or church leaders? How?
I Will Go and Do Question:
What can you do to keep this principle in mind going forward.
HANDOUT
And then for a handout idea here, you could give them the following take home sheet to place somewhere in their scriptures or in a place where they can see it to remember this important principle that they should keep mind as they study Church History this year. And the visual on that handout is the same as our takeaway slide.
Takeaway:
For the prophets, we want our students to remember the balancing principles of Divinity and Humanity, and for the Church, the balance of True and Living. If we keep that balance in mind for both, I think we’ll be able to better weather and understand some of the more common criticisms we hear of Church leaders and Church history.
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