Old Testament Seminary Teacher Manual

Contents
Title Page
Introduction to the Teacher Manual
Lessons 1–2
Welcome to the Old Testament
- Lessons 1–2
  Welcome to the Old Testament
- Lessons 3–6
  Moses 1; Abraham 3
- Lessons 7–9
  Genesis 1–2; Moses 2–3; Abraham 4–5
- Lessons 10–12
  Genesis 3–4; Moses 4–5
- Lessons 13–15
  Genesis 5; Moses 6
- Lessons 16–18
  Moses 7
- Lessons 19–21
  Genesis 6–11; Moses 8
- Lessons 22–24
  Genesis 12–17; Abraham 1–2
- Lessons 25–28
  Genesis 18–23
- Lessons 29–32
  Genesis 24–33
- Lessons 33–34
  Genesis 37–41
- Lessons 35–37
  Genesis 42–50
- Lessons 38–40
  Exodus 1–6
- Easter
- Lessons 41–44
  Exodus 7–13
- Lessons 45–47
  Exodus 14–18
- Lessons 48–51
  Exodus 19–20; 24; 31–34
- Lessons 52–55
  Exodus 35–40; Leviticus 1; 4; 16; 19
- Lessons 56–57
  Numbers 11–14; 20–24; 27
- Lessons 58–60
  Deuteronomy 6–8; 15; 18; 29–30; 34
- Lessons 61–64
  Joshua 1–8; 23–24
- Lessons 65–67
  Judges 2–4; 6–8; 13–16
- Lessons 68–70
  Ruth; 1 Samuel 1–7
- Lessons 71–73
  1 Samuel 8–10; 13; 15–16
- Lessons 74–76
  1 Samuel 17–18; 24–26; 2 Samuel 5–7
- Lessons 77–80
  2 Samuel 11–12; 1 Kings 3; 6–9; 11
- Lessons 81–82
  1 Kings 12–13; 17–22
- Lessons 83–85
  2 Kings 2–7
- Lessons 86–89
  2 Kings 16–25
- Lessons 90–91
  2 Chronicles 14–20; 26; 30
- Lessons 92–93
  Ezra 1, 3–7; Nehemiah 2; 4–6; 8
- Lessons 94–96
  Esther
- Lessons 97–99
  Job 1–3; 12–14; 19; 21–24; 38–40; 42
- Lessons 100–103
  Psalms 1–2; 8; 19–33; 40; 46
- Lessons 104–106
  Psalms 49–51; 61–66; 69–72; 77–78; 85–86
- Lessons 107–108
  Psalms 102–103; 110; 116–119; 127–128; 135–139; 146–150
- Lessons 109–112
  Proverbs 1–4; 15–16; 22; 31; Ecclesiastes 1–3; 11–12
- Lessons 113–116
  Isaiah 1–12
- Lessons 117–118
  Isaiah 13–14; 22; 24–30; 35
- Lessons 119–122
  Isaiah 40–49
- Lessons 123–125
  Isaiah 50–57
- Lessons 126–129
  Isaiah 58–66
- Lessons 130–133
  Jeremiah 1–3; 7; 16–18; 20
- Lessons 134–137
  Jeremiah 31–33; 36–38; Lamentations 1; 3
- Lessons 138–141
  Ezekiel 1–3; 33–34; 36–37; 47
- Lessons 142–145
  Daniel 1–7
- Lessons 146–148
  Hosea; Joel
- Lessons 149–151
  Amos; Obadiah; Jonah
- Lessons 152–154
  Micah; Nahum; Habakkuk; Zephaniah
- Lessons 155–157
  Haggai 1–2; Zechariah 1–4; 7–14
- Lessons 158–160
  Malachi
Lessons 166–170
Life Preparation Lessons
- Doctrinal Mastery: Finding Answers to My Questions
- Lessons 166–170
  Scripture Study Skills
- Lessons 171–176
  For the Strength of Youth Guide
- Lessons 177–180
  Building Self–Reliance
- Lessons 181–187
  Physical and Emotional Health
- Lessons 188–191
  Preparing for Future Education and Employment
- Lessons 192–195
  Succeed in School
- Lessons 196–200
  Missionary Preparation
- Lessons 201–204
  Temple Preparation
- Lessons 205–208
  Teachings of Church Leaders
Appendix

Exodus 20: 1–11: The Ten Commandments: Loving God and Putting Him First in Our Lives

“Exodus 20: 1–11: The Ten Commandments: Loving God and Putting Him First in Our Lives,” Old Testament Seminary Teacher Manual (2026)

“Exodus 20: 1–11: The Ten Commandments: Loving God and Putting Him First in Our Lives,” Old Testament Seminary Teacher Manual

Exodus 19–20; 24; 31–34: Lesson 49

Exodus 20:1–11

The Ten Commandments: Loving God and Putting Him First in Our Lives

Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ love all of us and want us to choose Them first in our lives. After delivering the Israelites from Egypt, the Lord led them to Mount Sinai to make a covenant with Him. There He revealed the Ten Commandments to help them love Him more than anything else. This lesson can help students love and honor God above everything else.

Student preparation: Invite students to list some of God’s commandments. Invite them to discuss with a family member or friend how the commandments they listed help them to show their love for God and to put Him first in their lives.

Possible Learning Activities

The greatest commandment

Note: This lesson focuses on the first four commandments. Lesson 50: “Exodus 20:12–17” will focus on the last six.

You may want to begin class by asking students to think about what commandment, of all of God’s commandments they think is the most important. Then share the following summary.

During His mortal ministry, the Savior was asked which of the commandments was the greatest, or most important (see Matthew 22:36).

Read Matthew 22:37–39 (see also Leviticus 19:18; Deuteronomy 6:5), looking for the Savior’s response.

Why do you think these are the two greatest commandments?

As you study the Ten Commandments in this lesson and other lessons, look for how these commandments help us love God and our neighbors. During this lesson, you will study some of the Ten Commandments that help us love and honor God.

Read Exodus 20:1–11, looking for the first four commandments the Lord gave the Israelites.

Exodus 20:3–17 is a doctrinal mastery passage. Consider inviting students to mark doctrinal mastery passages in a distinctive way so they can locate them easily.

What similarities do you see between these commandments and the first great commandment from Matthew 22:37–38?

You may want to summarize on the board the truths that students share. They might look something like God commands us to love Him and put Him first in our lives.

You could invite students to cross-reference or link Exodus 20:3–17 with Matthew 22:36–39.
What do you think it means to put God first in our lives?

Help students think about how they are currently applying this truth in their lives. You could invite them to complete the following self-assessment.

Ponder your responses to the following questions. You might want to record some of your thoughts in your study journal.

Is my love for God the most important influence in my life?
What might be holding me back from loving God and putting Him first in my life?

Commandments that help us love God and put Him first

2026 Old Testament Seminary Teacher Materials

Sharing can help students be more aware of what they are learning. Provide students with an opportunity to share what they learned from the handout. Students could share in small groups or with the class.

As appropriate, consider responding to the following question with your own experience after willing students have responded.

What blessings have you, or someone you know, experienced by putting God first?

Putting God first

The following activity can help students create a plan to love God and put Him first in their lives. Remind students that the number 1 refers to placing God first in our lives.

In your study journal, or on a separate piece of paper, draw a large number 1. Make it large enough to write inside, or leave room to write next to it.

Seek guidance from Heavenly Father through the Holy Ghost to decide what you can do to put God first in your life. Inside or next to the number 1 write what you will do. Write your answers to the following questions underneath:

How might doing this help you love God and put Him first in your life?
How might the Lord bless you for doing this?
What challenges might you face as you do this? What can you do to overcome these challenges?

Encourage students to act on the spiritual impressions they have had. Students will have an opportunity to follow up on their progress in Lesson 67: “Assess Your Learning 4.”

Memorize

You may want to help students memorize the doctrinal mastery reference and key scripture phrase during this lesson and review them in future lessons. The key scripture phrase for Exodus 20:3–17 is “The Ten Commandments.” Ideas for memorization activities are in the appendix under “Doctrinal Mastery Review Activities.”

Additional Resources

How can obeying God’s commandments bless my life?

President Dallin H. Oaks of the First Presidency taught:

God requires us to obey His commandments because only through that obedience, including repentance, can we return to live in His presence and become perfect as He is. (“Two Great Commandments,” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2019, 74)

Elder D. Todd Christofferson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles explained:

[God’s commandments] mark the path of healing, happiness, peace, and joy. Our Father and our Redeemer have blessed us with commandments, and in obeying Their commandments, we feel Their perfect love more fully and more profoundly. (“The Love of God,” Liahona, Nov. 2021, 18)

How can putting God first bless my life?

President Ezra Taft Benson (1899–1994) explained:

When we put God first, all other things fall into their proper place or drop out of our lives. Our love of the Lord will govern the claims for our affection, the demands on our time, the interests we pursue, and the order of our priorities. (“The Great Commandment—Love the Lord,” Ensign, May 1988, 4)

Elder D. Todd Christofferson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles shared:

When we love God first, we see the world and our lives through His eyes rather than through the eyes of any other person (even a social media influencer). (“The First Commandment First” [Brigham Young University devotional, Mar. 22, 2022], 3–4, speeches.byu.edu)

Supplemental Learning Activities

The blessings of the Sabbath day

Students may benefit from further discussing the importance of the Sabbath day. To do this, you could read Exodus 20:8–11 as a class. Then you could divide the following references among students to read. They can look for what they learn about the Lord’s command to keep the Sabbath day holy.

Isaiah 58:13–14

Matthew 12:1–13

Doctrine and Covenants 59:9–17

You could then watch “Upon My Holy Day—Honoring the Sabbath” (1:30) to help students see the blessing of the Sabbath day from a new perspective.

1:30

Students could then discuss blessings they have seen from keeping the Sabbath day holy. Alternatively, you could have students read sections of the article “Blessings of the Sabbath Day” (Ensign, Mar. 2016, 48–51), looking for some blessings of keeping the Sabbath day holy.

Blessings of the Sabbath Day in the Ensign

Blessings of the Sabbath Day in the Liahona

The Lawgiver

You could use this idea to introduce the Ten Commandments. Students may benefit from focusing on the Savior’s title of Lawgiver (see Isaiah 33:22). You might want to read Deuteronomy 4:11–13 (see also Deuteronomy 5:2–4, 22). Help students see that as the Lawgiver, the Lord Himself gave the Ten Commandments to Israel by covenant. Consider discussing questions such as the following:

How might have hearing the Lord speak the Ten Commandments influenced how the Israelites viewed them?
How might it affect us to know that the commandments come directly from the Lord?

Video options

“The Ten Commandments” (2:13). This video teaches an easy way to remember the Ten Commandments.

2:10

“Ministry of Howard W. Hunter: Putting the Lord First” (2:25). President Howard W. Hunter (1907–1995) chose to put the Lord first in his life.

2:25

“Obedience to the Ten Commandments” (3:10). Elder L. Tom Perry (1922–2015) of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles taught how God’s promised blessings for keeping the commandments do not change despite society changing constantly.

3:10