Author Archives: admin

Oct 16

Scripture Study Session Format

Posted on by

When studying the scriptures, one of the primary goals is to learn about the Gospel.  As it is the Holy Ghost that instructs us, it raises the question: How can we best study such that we have the Holy Ghost with us?

As studying the scriptures itself brings the Holy Ghost, that is one thing we will already be doing.  Singing a hymn also brings the Holy Ghost.  Before you study next time, sing all of the verses of “I Am a Child of God.”  Then take note of the feelings brought to you through the presence of the Holy Ghost.

What else is very simple that we can do to feel the Spirit as we study the Gospel?  What if we said a prayer asking the Lord to pour out the power and influence of the Holy Spirit upon us as we study and ponder His holy teachings?

It is my experience that a hymn followed by a prayer as a prelude to studying the Gospel brings a much richer experience in my studies of the scriptures and Gospel scholarship as a whole.

Oct 15

Study Journal Progress

Posted on by

Studying the Gospel has been important to me for a long time.  The system hosted here has also been available for a number of years.  I’m re-writing it so that it is usable for everyone, and not just myself.  We’re making progress.

The Gospel Study Journal has all of the mechanics for doing what it needs to, but it isn’t quite polished.  That’s what the new version is all about.  So far, it displays about 25 entries per page.  The entries alternate colors so that it’s easy to view.  I have paging buttons to move through your collection of entries. I have a rudimentary search available.

My focus is making it as easy to use as possible.  This enables just about anyone to study the gospel in a simple and easy way.  In future releases, I would love to have localization set up so that we can translate it for folks who may not speak English.

Although the progress is slow, it’s coming along nicely.  It is worlds better than what is available now.  Subscribe to the RSS feed to keep appraised of progress on the new version of the Gospel Study Journal.

Sep 21

A Different Way to Study

Posted on by

How long is your drive in to work?  Do you ever find yourself waiting?  Waiting for them to finish your oil change, car repairs, fill your prescription, finish your child’s haircut, or any other down-time can be used to study the Gospel.  This method is a little out of the ordinary, but is very effective in furthering one’s understanding.

Here at Gospel Study Journal, we have a page of Podcasts, usually offering audio files, but sometimes providing links to wonderfully uplifting videos.  Enter your choice of these links into any podcatcher, such as iTunes or MediaMonkey (both have free versions).  In this day and age, there are literally thousands and thousands of hours’ worth of marvelous uplifting talks, discourses, audio books, and other recorded programs.

Smartphones these days come with some great podcatchers.  For the Android platform, I would recommend either BeyondPod or Podkicker.  On the iPhone, I’m not sure what options are available for listening to Gospel programs, but if you know of one, please do let me know!

When my ears are graced with the powerful, stirring words of Elder Bruce R. McConkie or President Gordon B. Hinckley, it is a little easier to forgive the foibles of the drivers around me while driving to work.  The Spirit is with me, calming me and helping me to feel love for others as I drive.  Additionally, I learn a great deal about the Gospel.  If you have the means, I highly recommend this manner of learning the Gospel.

Audio books, talks, discourses, and other recorded programs can be a wonderful way to partake of the marvelous teachings of the Gospel.

Sep 19

Why Study the Gospel?

Posted on by

Studying the Gospel isn’t always at the forefront of most peoples’ minds.  They may think more about the immediate, weighty matters of life.  What some folks may not realize, though, is that a knowledge of the Gospel is part of why we are here.

Understanding the Scriptures should be a high priority for us all.  What loving parent, when a child leaves the house, wouldn’t make sure they knew how to get back home?  Of course it’s up to the child whether they do come back home.  If the child is away for an extended period of time, wouldn’t their parent want them to call home and tell them how things are going?  Thus it is with us: we are given commandments to read the scriptures and have daily communication with the Lord.

When you study the Gospel, you are also quite likely going to have the Holy Ghost to be with you.  The Holy Ghost has a refining, settling effect on your life.  If your life seems like it’s hectic, what more could you want than having the companionship of one of the members of the Godhead to be with you?  This is one of the reasons that I enjoy contemplating the Gospel.  I am able to feel the companionship of the Holy Spirit.

As you put more effort into your studies, you get much more out of them.  A slight daily glance at the Gospel will not get you very far.  But if you dig in with all your might and study the Gospel the best way you know how, you will gain an understanding of why we are here.  You will have the Holy Ghost to be with you.  You will have a more fulfilled life.

Sep 17

Gospel Study Journal, Part 2

Posted on by

Last time, I was discussing different ways that I have tried pondering the scriptures.  During my mission, as I had mentioned, I wrote short notes in my margins.  Then, I would write a unique number (for that page) next to the note.  Next, I wrote that number right next to the line and verse to which that note applied.  For longer notes, I wrote them out on a small sheet of paper, then glued them into the spine where the note applied.

In this way, I was able to keep track of all of my thoughts.  But then, I began to notice things I didn’t like about that way of studying the Scriptures.  My scriptures were getting quite messy and tattered.  I also realized that if I lost them, I would lose all of my notes.  Also, when I began studying a new set of scriptures, I would have to hand-copy all of the notes from the old set to the new set.

From then on, my method of scripture study slowly evolved.  When I got home from my mission, I began keeping electronic copies of my notes so that I could easily print them out again if I needed to.  Also, if I lost my scriptures, I wouldn’t lose all of my notes.

After a short while, I noticed that I would sometimes want to link notes to other notes.  I would have to write something like “see note on D&C 132:5 about marriage” at the end of a note if I wanted to link them together.  Also, I would want to add scriptures to the end of my notes so as to create scripture chains.  But then, I would have to physically write on the printed note that was glued into my scriptures if I wanted to have the changes in my current set.

It was at that point that I sat down and considered creating a method of gospel study that could be either electronic or printed out or both.  Next time, I will describe where that took me.

Sep 12

Gospel Study Journal, Part 1

Posted on by

Studying the Gospel has been important to me for a very long time.  While on my mission, I woke up an extra half-hour early every single morning to have that much more time to study the scriptures.  As I got more serious about getting as much out of it as possible, I began to consider different methods of scripture study.  When meeting with my Mission President, the topic of Gospel scholarship came up.  I asked him and many others about the different methods they used to understand the scriptures.

One method that I saw many folks use was to take a red pencil and underline something that jumped out at me from what I was reading.  This method of studying the scriptures didn’t and still doesn’t make much sense to me.  I have nothing against it.  Should someone find it effective, I’m glad they have a way to study the Gospel that works for them.

Another way some of the missionaries studied their scriptures was to mark passages of different types in different colors.  For example, things marked in yellow could be Christ’s direct words.  Blue could refer to a prophet making a prophecy.  Other colors could refer to other concepts or types.  My questions here were, “What happens when I run out of colors?” and “What if a given passage fits multiple categories?”  I ended up not choosing this manner of studying my scriptures.

For a long time, I did take extensive notes in the margins of my scriptures.  This allowed me to easily refer back to a thought I had about a given passage when I again was reading it.  One problem with this is that you unknowingly lock yourself into assigning that passage as having the meaning you wrote.  You aren’t as free to ponder upon what you are reading.  Your mind says, “I already know what this means because there’s the note I wrote about it the last time I was studying this passage.”  I couldn’t think of a better method, so throughout the remainder of my mission, I studied in that manner.