Scripture
“seek ye out of the best books words of wisdom; seek learning, even by study and also by faith.”
Hymn
As I Search the Holy Scriptures – Hymn #277
1. As I search the holy scriptures,
Loving Father of mankind,
May my heart be blessed with wisdom,
And may knowledge fill my mind.
2. As I search the holy scriptures,
Touch my spirit, Lord, I pray.
May life’s myst’ries be unfolded
As I study day by day.
3. As I search the holy scriptures,
May thy mercy be revealed.
Soothe my troubled heart and spirit;
May my unseen wounds be healed.
4. As I search the holy scriptures,
Help me ponder and obey.
In thy word is life eternal;
May thy light show me the way.
Lesson
*For Younger Children* Read or summarize “Scriptures and Firewood” and then discuss the importance of meaningful scripture study even at a young age.
When I was 12 years old, I took my new hatchet on a camping trip. I arrived after dark and volunteered to chop some firewood. I expected it to be easy since the hatchet’s blade was sharp and the handle was strong. But the hatchet didn’t work well at all. I had to chop hard and long to cut the logs. I finished the job feeling very frustrated.
Then I got closer to the campfire and saw the problem—I had left the hatchet cover on! In that moment, I learned that when things seem hard, it is important to look more carefully at what’s going on, instead of just getting frustrated.
We can remember to look more carefully when we read the scriptures too. Sometimes when we read the scriptures, we may not understand them at first. We might feel like we are trying to chop wood with a cover on our hatchet. But we will understand better if we take time to look more carefully.
At the beginning of each chapter, a heading tells us about what is happening in the chapter. We can ask, “What was going on here? What was this person feeling?” When we take time to look more closely at the scriptures, we can better understand what they can teach us. This will build our self-confidence and our testimony.
I have found it helpful to say a prayer asking to understand the scriptures when I read them. Then I ask, “What does Heavenly Father want me to learn from this scripture?” He always helps.
*For Teenagers or Adults* Summarize or read from “Idea List: Creative Scripture Study” Discuss other ways in which you can make your scripture study more meaningful.
You can find great stories and learn terrific lessons from the scriptures, but sometimes it’s hard to concentrate on what you’re reading or to find the time for scripture study. Here are a few tips for getting more out of your scripture study.
Want to try something new?
- Read a lot of chapters quickly. This will help you get the big picture of what is going on.
- Make the stories come alive by acting them out with your family.
- Make a list of the main characters you are reading about and some things you learn about each of them. You could draw pictures of what you think they might have looked like.
- Organize a family scripture chase. Learn one another’s favorite scriptures, and then race to look them up. Have each person tell why that scripture is their favorite once you’ve looked it up.
- With a friend, make a reading schedule, and read the same verses or chapters each day. Talk about what you have read.
Don’t want to mark your scriptures?
- Write on sticky notes. These give you room to put your thoughts next to certain scriptures, but you can take them off or move them later.
- Buy an inexpensive copy of the Book of Mormon and write your thoughts in it. Later, you can transfer to your other scriptures only what is valuable to you.
- Tack a scripture of the week to your wall or mirror or, each Sunday, pick a new scripture and write it on an index card to look at throughout the week.
- Find a notebook that fits in your scripture case. Decorate the notebook’s cover to make it unique, and use it to write your thoughts in as you read.
Can’t find the time?
- Get a small, military-size copy of the Book of Mormon. It fits just about anywhere—in your locker, backpack, or purse. Read it during your break at school or work, on a bus, or in a long line.
- Read while you’re eating breakfast. Instead of staring at the back of the cereal box, pull out your scriptures and start your day out right.
- Make an “appointment” with your scriptures. If you have a specific time picked out for scripture study, it is easier to follow through.
Related Products
 Illustrated Book of Mormon Stories |  HolyTabbs for Regular Quad |  Book of Mormon S.W.A.T. Scripture Study Game |
Treat
Apple Crisp or Cookie Dough Cupcakes
Apple Crisp
Ingredients (makes 1 9x13inch pan)
- 10 cups all-purpose apples, peeled, cored, and sliced
- 1 cup white sugar
- 1 tablespoon all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 cup water
- 1 cup quick cooking oats
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- 1 cup packed brown sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 cup butter, melted
Instructions:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degree C)
- Place the sliced apples in a 9×13 inch pan. Mix the white sugar, 1 tablespoon flour and ground cinnamon together, and sprinkle over apples. Pour water evenly over all.
- Combine the oats, 1 cup flour, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda and melted butter together. Crumble evenly over the apple mixture.
- Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for about 45 minutes.
Cookie Dough Cupcakes
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/2 cup butter, softened
- 1/4 cup white sugar
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1 egg
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 cup miniature semisweet chocolate chips
- 1 (18.25 ounce) box yellow cake mix
- 1 1/3 cups water
- 1/3 cup canola oil
- 3 eggs
Instructions
- Whisk together the flour, baking soda, and sea salt; set aside. Beat the butter, white sugar, and brown sugar with an electric mixer in a large bowl until smooth. Add 1 egg and the vanilla extract and beat until smooth. Mix in the flour mixture until just incorporated. Fold in the chocolate chips; mixing just enough to evenly combine. Form the dough into tablespoon-sized balls; place onto a baking sheet, and freeze until solid, about 2 hours.
- Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line 24 muffin cups with paper liners.
- Beat 3 eggs in a large bowl with an electric mixer to break up. Add the cake mix, water, and canola oil; continue beating for 2 minutes on medium speed. Spoon into the prepared cupcake liners, filling each 2/3 full. Place a frozen cookie dough ball on the top center of each cupcake.
- Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the cake portion of the cupcake (not the cookie dough ball) comes clean, about 20 minutes. Cool in the pans for 10 minutes before removing to cool completely on a wire rack.
(Recipes From All Recipes)
Activity
Scripture Super Hero or Shoe Pile Scramble
Scripture Super Hero – Each family member can pick their favorite character from the scriptures and tell the others what their super powers are. They can be things like obedience, service, bravery, and more! As each member does this you can play dress up, or a game in the yard.
Shoe Pile Scramble – have players remove their shoes and place them in a pile. Someone scrambles up all the shoes and lines up the shoe-less players side by side on the starting line some distance away. When the whistle blows, players race to find and put on both of their shoes, then race back to the starting line.
