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

Jeremiah 36: The Word of God

“Jeremiah 36: The Word of God,” Old Testament Seminary Teacher Manual (2026)

“Jeremiah 36: The Word of God,” Old Testament Seminary Teacher Manual

Jeremiah 31–33; 36–38; Lamentations 1; 3: Lesson 135

Jeremiah 36

The Word of God

Old Testament Prophet writing on a scroll

The scriptures are an essential part of our connection to Jesus Christ. Learning from the scriptures points our thoughts and hearts toward Him, which invites His power into our lives. During a time of apostasy, the Lord instructed the prophet Jeremiah to write and send the Lord’s words to the people of Judah so they might turn toward Him and be forgiven. This lesson can help students understand how the scriptures turn them to Jesus Christ to be forgiven of sin.

Student preparation: Consider inviting students to review their personal scripture study goals and progress on the required reading for the year. You could also invite students to reflect on how their scripture study is helping them turn to the Lord.

Possible Learning Activities

Speaking up

Think of a way to help students prepare to learn about how the Lord uses scriptures to lovingly correct us and bring us to Him. One way to do this is to have students think of situations where it might be uncomfortable to speak up. As needed, you could use the following situations.

How might someone who cares about you respond in the following situations?
- After eating lunch, your friend notices you have some food in your teeth.
- You are invited to a party that will have inappropriate activities. Your friend is aware of the activities but knows you are looking forward to going.
What might motivate someone to speak up in these situations?
What might be the result of saying something or remaining silent?

Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ know and see things we do not. They desire the best for us, and they speak to us through the scriptures (see 2 Nephi 32:3; Doctrine and Covenants 1:37–38). As you learn today, ponder ways the scriptures can bless your life. Consider how these ideas could influence your personal study.

A purpose of scripture

Read Jeremiah 36:1–3, looking for why the Lord commanded Jeremiah to record His words for the people of Judah.

What did the Lord want for the people of Judah?
What do these verses teach us about some purposes of scripture?

Students might identify a truth like the scriptures help us turn to the Lord and receive His forgiveness.

You might want to invite students to mark the phrases “that they may return every man from his evil way” and “that I may forgive their iniquity and their sin” (verse 3). They could write the truth they discovered near these phrases in their scriptures.
How do the scriptures help us turn to the Lord and receive His forgiveness?

Consider listing student’s responses on the board. As students share, they might refer to ideas found in the following scriptures. You might want to become familiar with these scriptures so you can go to them as students share. Alternatively, after students share a few responses to the previous question, you could provide the following instructions and have them add to the ideas on the board.

Read the following scripture passages, looking for additional ways the scriptures help us turn to the Lord and be forgiven of our sins.

2 Timothy 3:16

Alma 37:8

Helaman 15:7

The king and the scroll

You might summarize or read the following paragraph.

Jeremiah did what the Lord commanded and asked a man named Baruch to write the Lord’s words on a scroll. Because Jeremiah was imprisoned, he asked Baruch to read the Lord’s words to the people of Judah, including several princes. After doing so, Baruch gave the scroll to the princes to read to Jehoiakim, the king of Judah (see Jeremiah 36:4–10, 14–15, 20–21).

Read Jeremiah 36:20–24, looking for how King Jehoiakim reacted to hearing the words on the scroll. In verse 23, “he” refers to King Jehoiakim.

Why do you think the king reacted this way?

Read Jeremiah 36:25, looking for how certain princes tried to influence the king.

Invite students to imagine that they were the princes in verse 25. Using what they have learned in class today, ask students to prepare a response to the king that would help him understand how the scriptures could bless his life.

One way to do this activity is to organize the class into groups of three. Each student could represent one of the princes, with groups preparing their responses together. Then you could invite a group to come to the front of the class and role-play their interaction with the king. You might invite another student to act in the role of king or you as the teacher could play that role. You might suggest that students role-play an alternative ending to the story where the king is persuaded not to burn the scroll.

What is a modern situation where the teachings from your response might help a youth?

Reflect on what you have learned

You could share the following statement to help students reflect on what they learned from their study of Jeremiah 36.

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

Through the scriptures, God does indeed “show forth his power” [see Alma 37:14] to save and exalt His children. By His word … He enlarges our memory, sheds light on falsehood and error, and brings us to repentance and to rejoice in Jesus Christ, our Redeemer. (“The Blessing of Scripture,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2010, 33)

It might help to give students time to ponder or record their response to the following question before they share with the class.

How might it affect your personal study to know the scriptures can help you turn to the Lord and receive His forgiveness and guidance?

This could be a good opportunity for students to reflect on their personal study goals and the required reading for seminary credit. Consider inviting students to review their goals and to think about how they might focus more on turning to Jesus Christ as part of their personal scripture study.

Additional Resources

What blessings can come from scripture study?

President Russell M. Nelson taught:

15:1

I promise that as you prayerfully study the Book of Mormon every day, you will make better decisions—every day. I promise that as you ponder what you study, the windows of heaven will open, and you will receive answers to your own questions and direction for your own life. I promise that as you daily immerse yourself in the Book of Mormon, you can be immunized against the evils of the day. (“The Book of Mormon: What Would Your Life Be Like without It?,” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2017, 62–63)

President Ezra Taft Benson explained:

The word of God, as found in the scriptures, … has the power to fortify the Saints and arm them with the Spirit so they can resist evil, hold fast to the good, and find joy in this life. (Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Ezra Taft Benson [2014], 118)

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

In the end, the central purpose of all scripture is to fill our souls with faith in God the Father and in His Son, Jesus Christ—faith that They exist; faith in the Father’s plan for our immortality and eternal life; faith in the Atonement and Resurrection of Jesus Christ, which animates this plan of happiness; faith to make the gospel of Jesus Christ our way of life; and faith to come to know “the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom [He has] sent” (John 17:3). …

[T]he words of prophets … flow to us almost constantly by television, radio, Internet, satellite, … and in print. I suppose that never in history has a people been blessed with such a quantity of holy writ. And not only that, but every man, woman, and child may possess and study his or her own personal copy of these sacred texts, most in his or her own language. … Surely with this blessing the Lord is telling us that our need for constant recourse to the scriptures is greater than in any previous time. (“The Blessing of Scripture,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2010, 34, 35)

Supplemental Learning Activities

The scriptures can help us overcome temptation

You could do the following at the end of the section titled “A purpose of scripture.”

Share the following story told by Elder Neil L. Andersen of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. One way to share this story is to organize students into groups of three and distribute a copy of the quote to each group. Each student could read one paragraph. You could write the accompanying questions on the board for students to think about while reading and to discuss afterward.

As I attended seminary in high school, I had a friend who sat across the aisle from me. She was intelligent and kind, and had a warm personality. We rarely saw each other outside of seminary. Through my senior year of high school, we got to know each other in seminary class and discussed many things that were meaningful to us.

My friend seemed to have a desire to do right and to keep the commandments, but at the same time she had trouble with consistently being obedient to the commandments. In seminary, she would speak of her love of God and of the gospel, but then, often on Monday morning, I would learn of her weekend activities and her difficulties following the Word of Wisdom and keeping other standards of the Church. Sometimes she would talk to me about her weekends. She seemed sorry for what she had done and wanted to do better. I would encourage her by talking about willpower, choosing the right friends, not getting in certain situations, and being able to say no. She seemed to appreciate the encouragement, but she continued doing the same things month after month. She spoke of wanting to change and repent, but it never seemed to happen.

If I were talking to her today, I would speak less to her about the steps that would be required for repentance, and much more about the source and power of her ability to change, to repent, and to be forgiven. I would speak about her faith in Jesus Christ. I would try to help her realize that if she would build her knowledge and belief in Christ, and strengthen her faith in Him, then her trust and confidence in Him would bring power—His power to help strengthen her in changing her behavior. (The Divine Gift of Forgiveness [2019], 98–99)

What would Elder Andersen have done differently? Why?
How could the scriptures have helped this young woman? (Consider using the statement from Elder Christofferson in Additional Resources to help answer this question.)

The value of the scriptures

To help students feel the importance of the scriptures, you might show this video. You could do this before the last section of the lesson.

0:60

What stands out to you about President Nelson’s statement?
How have the scriptures helped you turn to Jesus Christ?

Baruch versus King Jehoiakim

To help students practice the scripture study skill of contrasting, you could invite them to contrast King Jehoiakim’s reaction to the scroll (see Jeremiah 36:20–23) with the reaction of Jeremiah’s scribe Baruch (see Jeremiah 36:27–28, 32).

You might want to mention that King Jehoiakim suffered consequences for rejecting the words of the Lord spoken through Jeremiah. Jehoiakim was bound and taken captive into Babylon (see Jeremiah 22:18–19). Baruch, however, was blessed for his faithfulness to the words of the Lord spoken through Jeremiah (see Jeremiah 45:5).