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Jan 2007 Issue
by Annette Lyon
My parents would be shocked to hear that I cherish the memory of early morning scripture reading. It was my older sister’s New Testament year in seminary, and at the time we didn’t have access to a seminary class, so she did the work independent study. To support her, our family woke up each weekday morning and studied. Thus began my love of the New Testament. Reading the Savior’s words from His lifetime touched a spiritual chord that has never left me. The 2007 Gospel Doctrine lessons are focused on the New Testament. From the birth of Christ to John’s Revelation, there is so much that can touch you in the same way.
Below are some hints and tricks that have improved my scripture study over the years. Try them with your own reading and see how much more you gain from stories you’ve read many times before.
Read the Lesson
Stating the obvious, perhaps, but it’s easy to put aside the booklet you get in January’s Gospel Doctrine class and just keep reading your daily chapter of the Book of Mormon. Don’t abandon your other scriptures, but be sure to pick up the New Testament this year.
Read each lesson before weekly church meetings. Not only will you get increased insight and understanding on your own, but you’ll get more from Sunday’s Gospel Doctrine class period and be able to contribute to the discussion as well.
Use those footnotes!
The current edition of the standard works was put together to help the reader understand the scriptures on a level never before available in the history of the world. One of the greatest tools we have is the footnotes, but if you don’t know there’s something below that could shed light on a verse, they do no good. You’d have to keep glancing down to avoid missing something—unless you mark the footnotes.
So grab a handful of colored pencils or scripture crayons and sit down for a few hours. Trust me on this one; it’ll be well worth the time. I mark different types of footnotes in different colors, so as I’m reading I know what the significance is of each one; it also makes them easier to spot when a single page has several relevant footnotes on it. I don’t mark cross references; anything left blank I know right away is a cross reference.
Everything else gets a specific color. Clarifications from Greek translations I mark green (GReek/GReen, get it?) I use orange for OR, red for JST (red because to me they’re the most important footnotes), and so on. Be sure to highlight the footnote below as well as the superscript letter in the verse. Then as you read and see a red b, you can jump right down to the correct spot and never miss a Joseph Smith Translation again. Ever since marking my Bible footnotes, I have gotten a depth of understanding not possible before.
Harmony of the Gospels
The most obvious way to read through the life of Christ is one book at a time: Matthew, Mark, Luke, then John. But every so often it’s good to look at the scriptures in a new way. Since the Gospels cover the same period and very often the same events, it makes sense to read those events together, comparing and contrasting what each author included—and didn’t include—in his account. This is most helpful with the first three gospels, since John often related events the others didn’t and vice versa.
Look up “Gospels, Harmony of” in the Bible Dictionary. A chart covering several pages lists all of the major events from Christ’s life and where to find them in each gospel.
Pauline Epistles
Also found in the Bible Dictionary, this entry is helpful in understanding Paul’s writings. Nearly eight pages long, it breaks down the fourteen epistles, explains how they are arranged, and what the intent and message of each one is. Considering that the epistles cover more than half of the New Testament, this is a valuable section to refer to as you read Paul’s letters.
Bible Dictionary
The Harmony of the Gospels and the Pauline Epistles aren’t the only things of value in the Bible Dictionary. This section of your Bible Appendix is a treasure trove of all kinds of elements from the scriptures. Look up names of historical figures (How does Herod fit into history?). Understand places (What is the significance of Samaria to the parable?). Learn about events (What is the Feast of the Tabernacles?). Understand doctrinal concepts (What does the atonement really mean?). And much more. If you have a question about it, chances are you’ll find an entry in the Bible Dictionary.
Maps and Photographs
The full-color maps can orient you with New Testament stories as you read them. Learn where Nazareth, Galilee, Samaria, Bethlehem, Jerusalem, and other locations are in comparison to one another. Trace how Jesus traveled during his ministry. Study the map of Jerusalem and find the major events of his life in the city—the temple, Herod’s palace, Caiaphas’s palace, Gethsemane, the crucifixion, and others. Follow the path of Paul’s missionary journeys.
Slightly older printings of the standard works include the Gazetteer, which is like an index with map coordinates. The most recent copies of the standards works lack the Gazetteer but include beautiful photographs of Biblical locations that can give you a feel for the areas.
Using both the maps and the photographs can make New Testament stories leap off the page and give you increased context and understanding.
CES Manuals
One of the things that helped me learn the most from the New Testament during that year of morning scripture study was the seminary manual we used. Its clear explanations helped me understand and appreciate the stories, customs, language, events, and parables. Even though those study mornings were a good two decades ago, I still remember many of those lessons.
Seminary manuals are available through www.ldscatalog.com under CES and Course Materials. Use them for personal as well as family scripture study. They are also a great resource for Family Home Evening lessons throughout the year.
We’re often reminded that the Book of Mormon is “Another Testament of Jesus Christ.” It’s easy to forget at times that the New Testament was part of the first testament. In 2007, use a few of these suggestions to avoid overlooking the power this book can have in your life.
Annette Lyon is the author or four novels published through Covenant. Visit her at annettelyon.com.
