Why study the scriptures? Because studying the scriptures helps us to understand several important aspects of our lives:
- Where did we come from?
- Why are we here?
- What does God expect from me?
- What awaits me after this life?
I love the scriptures. They function for me as a best friend. Do you know the kind I speak of? A best friend will support you when you feel discouraged. A best friend will uplift and encourage. A best friend will even gently chasten you when you are wrong or hurting others with your choices. And especially, a best friend will help you become better than you were before.
Well, scriptures are this for me. They lift me when discouraged; they correct my erroneous paths. And they especially create within me a better person than I could be otherwise.
That is why scripture study can be such an important companion to daily life. And one of the best scripture study approaches we can use to get the most out of our scripture study is to understand the history/background of the verses on the printed page.
At the end of the Bible published by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (the Mormons), there is a handy background research tool called the Bible Dictionary. When you click through to this link online you can look up many concepts found in the Bible.
For example, in Romans 11 the apostle Paul speaks in detail about olive trees and a grafting process. But wait! What on earth does this have to do with saving souls? After all, is not saving souls the purpose of the scriptures?
So after musing on this for a minute, you decide to look up “olive tree” in the Bible Dictionary. What you find helps to illuminate a bit why Paul used the concept of an olive tree. (To learn more about Paul’s allegorical use of “olive trees”, feel free to click on this link in the Bible Dictionary. And if you still have questions, you could visit some of the verses mentioned in the Bible Dictionary entry, “Olive Tree.”)
Can you see how exciting this can be? In other words, the Bible Dictionary will give you summaries and explanations of important Biblical key figures, dates, culture, and events. It may not answer all of your questions, but it will be a powerful start.
Thus, (or click here, if you’re reading online) and look up the concept that puzzles or interests you. Chances are you’ll find it in the Bible Dictionary and can learn a little more about the new term.
If the term you are looking for is not in the Bible Dictionary (can you imagine how huge the scripture volumes would be if every concept therein were printed in the Bible Dictionary?), there are other powerful tools you can use:
- Guide to the Scriptures
- Chronological Tables
- Harmony of the Gospels
- Topical Guide
- Index
- Joseph Smith Translation
- Bible Maps
- Church History Maps
- Photographs of Scriptural Sites
- Photographs of Church History Sites
- Chronology of Church History
- Abbreviations and Designations
We’ll discuss more applications of these tools in future blogs. But aren’t they are exciting resources for scripture study?
Yes, indeed, the scriptures can be a man’s or a woman’s best friend. So let’s get started now! Simply click on one of these links above to begin exploring. What a friend you’ll find in the Lord’s word, the scriptures!
(Some people prefer to have scriptures in their hands, so they can mark favorite passages. If that is the case for you, then you are welcome to order them at wholesale prices here for the Bible and here for the rest of the tools. But for many people, using the free online scriptures works perfectly as a best friend to turn to daily!)
