We’ve talked in the past about a variety of scripture study techniques that will help you get the most out of your scripture study.
If you’re anything like me, you love your scriptures. I know I do. While there are days it is a challenge for me to read them, most days I do.
I can tell when it has been a good scripture study time, because I don’t want to stop! In fact on those kinds of days, I’ll elongate my time with the scriptures by ending with singing hymns. It helps me come down from the peaceful feeling the scriptures have brought – down back to the rigors of daily life.
Yep, the scriptures are awesome. And I’m always looking for additional ways to have them strengthen me and to come to life for me. Why study them if they are unclear or have no personal meaning.
Well, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (sometimes called the Mormon church) publishes scripture study tools to help individuals study from the living word of God contained in the scriptures.
I’ve talked about these wonderful resources. In fact, it’s difficult to know how to stop talking about them sometimes … simply because the resources are such powerful ones. And what’s even better … they’re freely available online!
One of the techniques taught in the manuals, to help the reader become better acquainted with the word of God contained in the scriptures, is to “Look for Patterns.”
Have you ever tried this? To look for patterns in the scriptures? For example, start watching for the coupled set of words IF and THEN. Here is an example of that set of words – found in Doctrine and Covenants 5. Read through that chapter, looking for the IF and THEN usage. What do you learn from that word pattern?
Another thing to notice, as taught by one of the manual resources published by the Mormon church, is repetitive words. As the manual suggests, look at the similar message given from the Lord to several members of the early Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Do you think you could discover what really mattered to the Lord by noticing these patterns? They’re found in the first five verses in these Doctrine and Covenants chapters: 11; 12; and 14.
Yes, indeed, ity to any important message from the Lord in the scriptures. Why not visit the scriptures online and try this new technique out?
