Helping Scripture Study Become a Lifelong Habit--Bringing It All Together
Week 4 | Bringing It All Together
Over the past few weeks, we have focused on helping our students develop something that will bless them long after they leave our seminary classrooms: the habit of meaningful, personal scripture study.
We began with an observation that while we are doing a good job encouraging students to complete their required reading, we may not be giving the same attention to helping them develop their own personal scripture study goals.
As we conclude this emphasis, I hope we will continue focusing on three important principles:
Start Where They Are. Help students establish realistic, meaningful scripture study goals. Every student is at a different place, and our opportunity is to help each one take the next step.
Keep the Blessings in Front of Them. Help students recognize why personal scripture study matters. Give them opportunities to share what they are learning, the blessings they are experiencing, and the challenges they face in being consistent.
Use the Lesson to Strengthen Personal Study. Look for opportunities during your lessons to model scripture study skills that students can use on their own. Ask questions like, "What did we do today that helped us understand these verses, and how could you use that in your personal study?"
Our hope is that students will learn to do for themselves what we have been helping them experience in our classrooms.
Two Helpful Resources
MySeminary: Encourage students to put mySeminary on their phones. They can review their reading and attendance progress and record completed readings.
It's easy to add:
iPhone: Open the link in Safari, tap Share, then Add to Home Screen.
Android: Open the link in Chrome, tap the three-dot menu, then Add to Home screen or Install app.
Consider taking a couple of minutes in class to help students set this up.
Tether: Book of Mormon: Sister Stewart from the Monterey Stake recently recommended this app and shared that her students really love it! It offers short scripture reading experiences, questions, reminders, and reading streaks to help develop consistency.
I'm grateful she shared something that is working with her students. Please keep sharing these kinds of ideas!
A Final Invitation
As we finish these four weeks, please keep the conversation going. Help students revisit their goals, use your lessons to strengthen their personal study, and regularly ask how things are going.
Nephi taught that those who hold fast to the word of God can withstand the temptations and fiery darts of the adversary (1 Nephi 15:24). That is what we want for our students!
Thank you for all you do to bless their lives. If we can help students leave seminary with a love for the scriptures and the ability and desire to study them independently, we will have given them something that can bless them for the rest of their lives.
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