Scripture Study Ideas

[Indefinite Integral]

K, guys, so here's the deal: I feel like I've hit a brick wall with my scripture study lately. I've done straight read-throughs of all the books multiple times (except for the OT), done topic studies going through the topical guide for things like faith and atonement. I'm looking for something different to make my study more meaningful. I've come up with the idea of basically writing a talk on a different subject each week, but I'm having trouble coming up with a lot of good topics that I want to write about, so I'm asking you for ideas. Help a girl out!

Also, if you have any other scripture study ideas please post them. I would love to hear them.

[Unit of Energy]

One thing I like to do is write my own commentary on the scriptures. It doesn't really mean anything to anyone else, but I'll do a straight read through, with a journal to write down my thoughts on each verse or passage. Admittedly I haven't actually completed any of these attempts, but what I do have I find helpful to look over.

Other scripture study projects I've started and am working on are my name project. I have a cheap set dedicated to names, so the only thing highlighted are the names of people or places, pink for women, blue for men, green for places. It's interesting to me to see names pulled out, and i feel like I identify with the stories a bit more, having names and places pulled out for me. It also gives me something to look for.

I also have a Book of Mormon where the only thing highlighted is references to Christ.

You could also read Preach my Gospel and read all the scriptures referenced there along with it.

Take a session of General Conference and read all the scriptures referenced in the talks given.

Now I need to take some of my own advice. Also if you don't mind sharing, I would love to see some of the topics that you are writing talks about, since I've tried the same approach at times in the past. And the OT is awesome, just saying.

[Katya]

I used to combine my scripture study with reading old general conference talks using http://scriptures.byu.edu

I would pick a favorite scripture and then read some of the conference talks that referenced it, or I'd go through the talks of a favorite GA and read the scriptures cited (usually the entire chapter, not just the individual verse).

[Katya]

I've come up with the idea of basically writing a talk on a different subject each week, but I'm having trouble coming up with a lot of good topics that I want to write about, so I'm asking you for ideas.

You could use the topical guide or index to come up with topics for your talks (although some of those might be to broad). You could also go through the hymn book and use the scriptures cited at the bottom as the thematic basis for a talk.

[Dragon Lady]

I just want to point out that some of the best stories in scriptures are found in the OT. Just go read Judges with a sense of humor and tell me you didn't learn something new from it.

[Genuine Article]

Definitely read the OT - it's actually my favorite by far. That said, I never do a straight read through because I skip Numbers and any section that's all about so-and-so begetting what's-his-face. As for reading like you're prepping for a talk, why not ask your bishopric for a list of talk topics they've assigned in the recent past, and then ask to be kept in the loop as they assign new topics? Or, listen carefully on Sundays and then make your scripture study a follow-up on the same topic.

[Whistler]

I want to study the OT better, and I'm terrible with names. So I'm hoping to get an illustrated bible one of these days so I know the stories better (george crumb illustrated all of Genesis; comic book and manga editions of the bible exist and I want them).

One thing I did for a week that really helped study feel meaningful to me was to think of a question I wanted answered. Each day I thought of a question or topic I wanted help with. I was able to find answers to seemingly unrelated questions, and I felt really good about that (and I wrote down what my Q&As were, so I could look back on it)... however, some of the answers only made sense if taken out of context, which led to me wondering if it really mattered what I was studying, as long as I was studying with the Spirit (if that makes sense?).

One example of this working was about how to work on my thesis more. I looked under the topical guide under self-control I think, and I found this great scripture about how a city needs to have walls to protect it. Seems pretty obvious, right? But it helped me see that adding structure to my day wasn't necessarily decreasing my freedom.

[Tao]

Definitely read the OT - it's actually my favorite by far. That said, I never do a straight read through because I skip Numbers and any section that's all about so-and-so begetting what's-his-face.

To be truthful we're not sure who so-and-so begot, as he failed to marry Ruth lest he endanger his own inheritance.

[Indefinite Integral]

Thanks for the ideas, guys. Sorry to have done the whole "post and run" thing. I didn't think about the fact that I was about to leave on a work retreat with no Internet access when I posted the topics.

Also, I have read the OT, but only once. I did enjoy it, except for the fact that it seemed to take forever to finish. I just haven't found motivation to get into it again.

[Whistler]

I ended up getting Genesis Illustrated and I love seeing pictures of tents and clothing. When artists put research into historical accuracy, I feel like I can absorb a lot more when it's presented like this.

[Dragon Lady]

So, I just read a book called The Holy Secret and a) it was fantastic b) it was a super easy read; I finished it in one day and c) it has some fantastic ideas about how to study the scriptures. I'd recommend it.

[Indefinite Integral]

So, I just read a book called The Holy Secret and a) it was fantastic b) it was a super easy read; I finished it in one day and c) it has some fantastic ideas about how to study the scriptures. I'd recommend it.

I'll have to look that up - it sounds good!

[Marduk]

Is that in any way affiliated with that worthless book "The Secret?"

[Dragon Lady]

Is that in any way affiliated with that worthless book "The Secret?"

I have no idea. Never heard of the book.

[Dragon Lady]

This book is by James L. Ferrell, the author of The Peacegiver.

[Whistler]

what is the holy secret I must know

[Dragon Lady]

It's actually the idea that we all (in general, not like every single person) have a secret: that we don't actually love that which is holy. We may believe it and respect it, but do not truly love it. Like the temple, the scriptures, etc. We may reverence the temple, but do we love the temple? Would we rather be there than anywhere else? Do we truly enjoy going to the sessions? What about scriptures? Do we love reading them? Do we know them? Will we pick them up before any other book? Do we read them out of obligation, or out of love? It's a common thing, but no one wants to talk about it or admit to it. Hence, it's a secret.

It really rang true to me and I thoroughly loved the book. I usually struggle reading doctrinal books, as much as I'd like to enjoy them, but doctrinal language is rather hard for me to understand. (Which is largely why the D&C is the hardest book for me to understand. Yes, I know it doesn't make sense then for the OT to be my favorite, but I'm a walking contradiction.) This book, however, was written as a fictional story. It's a conversation between two people. And even though it constantly brought up scriptures and they discussed them, I rarely found myself glazing over while reading. (Except at the end when the scriptures were from D&C. I'm telling you, it's a problem.) Rather, I found myself wanting to keep reading and not wanting to put it down and easily finished it in one day.

And now I'll be done trying to sell this book on all of you.

[Dragon Lady]

Ok, so I've come up with a study topic that I've been wanting to study for awhile, but I'm a little stuck on how exactly I want to do it. I'd like thoughts, ideas, etc. The premise behind this topic is people saying that the God of the OT is mean and angry and the God of the NT is loving and peaceful. And they have a hard time seeing/believing that they are both the same God. So I basically want to read the standard works, looking for the various attributes of God, and getting a broader, fuller picture of who God really is. (I suppose, though, I'm really talking about Christ here. Not God the Father.) I want to see the similarities and differences in the various standard works. I want to be able to show people how they really are the same God.

Which brings me to my problem. I went out and bought the cheap paperback triple and Bible so I could mark them just for this project. But how should I mark them? Giving each attribute a different color would take up way too many colors. (Any ideas how many different attributes there are? Lots.) Using just one color seems to defeat the point. The happy medium seems to be using 2-3 colors. So one color, maybe blue (peace) is the "NT loving God" and another color (red) is the "OT angry God". And if I find an attribute that doesn't really fit either category, or maybe is just neutral (like obedience, perhaps?) then it can be green. Does that sound reasonable? Or am I gonna get partway through this and realize that is over simplistic and wish I had done something different?

[Unit of Energy]

If you do get halfway through and find it's too simplistic, finish anyway, and start over with your new insights. Nothing wrong with learning too much about God and His teachings.

[Dragon Lady]

If you do get halfway through and find it's too simplistic, finish anyway, and start over with your new insights. Nothing wrong with learning too much about God and His teachings.

I've thought about that, but this is gonna be a really LONG project. And there are other things I want to study, too. So I'm not sure I'm up to studying this twice. At least not anytime soon. Maybe again in 5 years.