Strengthening Seminary Instruction: Best Practices for Doctrinal Mastery

dittonhl
Aug 29
2 min read

As seminary teachers helping the youth navigate today's challenges, fostering Doctrinal Mastery (DM) is more vital than ever. It arms your students with both scripture knowledge and spiritual confidence.

1. Build Understanding with Introductory Lessons

Start the school year with foundational lessons that clarify what Doctrinal Mastery is and how students gain spiritual knowledge. Lessons like Strengthening Your Spiritual Foundation, Seeking Personal Revelation, Acting in Faith, and Turning to Divinely Appointed Sources help students internalize gospel acquisition strategies. The Church of Jesus Christ

2. Teach DM Passages in Context

Whenever a scripture block includes a doctrinal mastery passage (marked with the DM icon in manuals), highlight it—teach it in context, explore its doctrinal depth, and encourage students to mark it for easy review. The Doctrinal Mastery Core Document (2023) lists all 24 passages; ensure you review each one, even if your pacing guide doesn’t explicitly cover them all. The Church of Jesus Christ

3. Conduct Regular DM Practice Lessons (Every 4–6 Weeks)

These lessons should balance review and application:

Review: Help students locate passages, memorize scripture references and key phrases, and explain doctrine.
Apply: Use real-life scenarios to have students practice the principles of acquiring spiritual knowledge—faith, revelation, perspective, and divine resources. The Church of Jesus Christ

4. Engage Using Teaching Skills

Improve engagement by:

Explaining the “why” behind each DM activity—this deepens motivation and invites the Holy Ghost to teach. The Church of Jesus Christ
Inviting students to review the foundational principles before applying them—encourages retention and confidence. The Church of Jesus Christ
Prompting reflection with questions such as:“Which principle helps most in this scenario—and why?”This verbalization strengthens students' ability to apply doctrine in real life. The Church of Jesus Christ

5. Use Memorable Learning Strategies

In 2025's Doctrine and Covenants Seminary Teacher Manual, Lesson 83 offers a fun group activity: students match scriptural references with their key phrases to reinforce memory. The Church of Jesus Christ Lesson 30 encourages quick “30-second summaries”—helping students grasp context, vocabulary, and meaning concisely. The Church of Jesus Christ

6. Integrate the Doctrinal Mastery App

Leverage modern tools. The Doctrinal Mastery App, recently updated, supports:

Revised scripture passages and dark mode/screen casting
Filtering and content import from Gospel Library
Three powerful learning modes: Memorize (slider hides words), Flashcards, and Quizzes The Church of Jesus Christ Google Play

Teachers can encourage students to use the app for self-paced practice, review, or group challenges—helping students memorize verses, understand doctrine, and assess themselves with ease.

7. Ground Teaching in Broader Objectives

Doctrinal Mastery aligns with several key seminary teaching goals:

It supports the Fundamentals of Gospel Teaching and Learning—helping students understand, feel, and apply scripture truths. Religious Studies Center
It reflects the vision of deep learning, Christ-centered teaching, and alignment with Come, Follow Me. Religious Studies Center
When combined with Life Preparation lessons, DM helps students apply gospel truths to real-life decisions and goals. Religious Studies Center