Old Testament Seminary Teacher Manual

Contents
Title Page
Introduction to the Teacher Manual
Lessons 1–2
Old Testament Lessons
- 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 161–165
Life Preparation Lessons
- Lessons 161–165
  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

Taking Charge of Technology: “Let Us Be Careful and Not Casual in Our Use of Technology”

“Taking Charge of Technology: ‘Let Us Be Careful and Not Casual in Our Use of Technology,’” Old Testament Seminary Teacher Manual (2026)

“Taking Charge of Technology: ‘Let Us Be Careful and Not Casual in Our Use of Technology,’” Old Testament Seminary Teacher Manual

For the Strength of Youth: Making Choices: Lesson 174

Taking Charge of Technology

“Let Us Be Careful and Not Casual in Our Use of Technology”

Two young men share experiences on a smartphone.

Sometimes it is easy to be casual instead of thoughtful and intentional when using technology. If we are careful and purposeful when using it, the Lord can make technology a blessing to us and others. This lesson can help students use the teachings of Jesus Christ to evaluate their use of technology.

Student preparation: Invite students to think about their technology use and its possible effects on themselves and others. To help with this, some students could check their devices for a setting or application that shows how much the device or the applications are being used.

Possible Learning Activities

Decisions about technology use

Consider drawing an image of a person standing at the crossroads of several paths.

What are different ways that youth use technology today?

Students might share uses such as talking with others, studying scriptures, enjoying entertainment, engaging in social media, and doing homework. As students answer the question, you could create a list or label the paths on the board with students’ responses. This list will be helpful to students later in the lesson.
How can we know what is or is not an appropriate use of technology?

Like this person with many paths to choose from, we can encounter difficulties making good decisions about how we use technology.

Read the following verses, looking for how the Lord can guide our decision-making.

Exodus 13:21–22
Psalm 119:105
Isaiah 2:3, 5

You could invite students to share what they would add to the drawing and why. They might add a lamp, pillar of cloud or fire, or scriptures to the drawing at the beginning of the paths.
How would you summarize these teachings in one sentence?

Help students identify a truth such as the Lord provides help to guide us in our lives.
In what ways can the Lord and His teachings guide us to make decisions about how we use technology?

Take a moment and consider how you use technology and what currently guides how you choose to use it. As you study today, pay attention to the promptings of the Spirit.

Taking charge of technology

The Church has created a resource for youth called Taking Charge of Technology. Its three key principles can help us make better decisions about our technology use.

Purpose. I can use technology with a purpose. It doesn’t control me.
Plan. When I plan ahead, I feel better and make better choices.
Pause. It’s OK for me to pause and take a break.

If helpful, you could refer students to the drawing on the board and ask how these three principles could help the individual in the drawing make better decisions about their technology use.

While all three of these principles are important, the rest of the lesson will focus on having a purpose. To help students think about being purposeful in their technology use, consider asking a question like the following.
How do you think the Lord would want you to use technology?

Using technology with a purpose

To help us use technology with a purpose, we can turn to the Lord and His counsel found in the scriptures and words of His prophets. Based on the Lord’s teachings, we can create questions to evaluate our use of technology and help us be more intentional.

Display the following instructions and invite students to complete both steps individually or in small groups. If students would benefit from an example of how to do this, consider reading one of the scriptures from step one as a class. You could also display question prompts, such as the following, to help students see what these questions could look like.

Will using technology in this way …?
Is my use of technology distracting me from …?

Possible questions they could create are found after the instructions for the activity.

Practice creating reflective questions based on the Lord’s teachings.

Read one of the following scriptures. Use what you learn to create a question that could help us be purposeful and reflective about our use of technology.

Isaiah 55:2; 2 Nephi 9:51

Matthew 22:36–39

Moroni 7:45

Doctrine and Covenants 50:23–25

Doctrine and Covenants 63:16
Read one of the four paragraphs under the “Invitations” heading of the “Walk in God’s light” section of For the Strength of Youth: A Guide for Making Choices. Use what you learn to create a question that could help us be purposeful and reflective about our use of technology.

Consider inviting students to write the questions they created on the board or write them on paper and post them on the walls around the room. Here are a few examples of questions students might create:

Will using technology in this way bring me satisfaction or leave me feeling empty? (Isaiah 55:2; 2 Nephi 9:51)
Is my use of technology distracting me from showing love for God or for other people? (Matthew 22:36–39)
Will using technology in this way lead me to envy others and compare myself to others? (Moroni 7:45)
How can I use technology in a way that brings more light into my life? (Doctrine and Covenants 50:23–25)
Does this use of technology foster lustful desires? (Doctrine and Covenants 63:16)
Is my use of technology helping or hurting relationships I have with others? (“Walk in God’s light,” For the Strength of Youth: A Guide for Making Choices [2022], 19)

Invite a few students or groups to share what they read that led to their questions.

How might using the Lord’s teachings in this way help us be purposeful in how we use technology?

Practice

The following activity can help students use the questions they have created to evaluate their own technology use.

If students posted their questions around the room, encourage students to stand up and rotate through the questions to complete the activity.

In your study journal, list some of the ways you are using technology. Using the questions you and your classmates created, evaluate your own use of technology. Think about things you are doing well or where you could improve. Write down any impressions you might receive from the Holy Ghost.

Willing students could share what they learned. If helpful, you could share the following statement.

Elder Peter M. Johnson of the Seventy taught the following about how our use of technology can connect us to the Lord and His power.

10:7

Technological advances are amazing, but if we are not careful, they can distract us from fulfilling our divine potential. Using these appropriately can bring forth the power of heaven. …

Let us be careful and not casual in our use of technology. Continually seek for ways that technology can draw us closer to the Savior and allow us to accomplish His work as we prepare for His Second Coming. (“Power to Overcome the Adversary,” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2019, 110, 111)

Remind students that the Savior will bless and strengthen them as they act on any impressions they may have received today (see Psalm 29:11).

Additional Resources

Is technology a bad thing?

Elder David A. Bednar of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles said:

Technology in and of itself is neither inherently good nor bad. Rather, the purposes accomplished with and through technology are the ultimate indicators of goodness or badness. (“To Sweep the Earth as with a Flood,” [Brigham Young University Education Week devotional, Aug. 19, 2014], Gospel Library)

How can I know whether my use of technology is appropriate?

President M. Russell Ballard (1928–2023) of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles taught:

Handheld devices, such as smartphones, are a blessing, but they can also distract us from hearing the “still, small voice.” They need to be our servants, not our masters. For example, if later tonight you share inspiring thoughts from this devotional on social media, your smartphone is a servant. If you randomly surf the Internet, your smartphone is a master. …

[When] their use is appropriate … they are a blessing. However, when smartphones begin to interfere with our relationships with friends and family—and even more importantly, with God—we need to make a change. For some of you, the adjustment will be slight; for others, it may be significant. (“Be Still, and Know That I Am God,” [Church Educational System devotional for young adults, May 4, 2014], broadcasts.ChurchofJesusChrist.org)

Elder Gary E. Stevenson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles said:

With so many appropriate and inspired uses of technology, let us use it to teach, inspire, and lift ourselves and to encourage others to become their finest—rather than to portray our idealized virtual selves. Let us also teach and demonstrate the righteous use of technology to the rising generation and warn against the associated hazards and destructive use of it. (“Spiritual Eclipse,” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2017, 47)

Elder David A. Bednar of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles taught:

I offer two questions for consideration in your personal pondering and prayerful studying:

Does the use of various technologies and media invite or impede the constant companionship of the Holy Ghost in your life?

Does the time you spend using various technologies and media enlarge or restrict your capacity to live, to love, and to serve in meaningful ways?

You will receive answers, inspiration, and instruction from the Holy Ghost suited to your individual circumstances and needs. (“Things as They Really Are,” Ensign or Liahona, Jun. 2010, 23)

Where can I go for further help with using technology appropriately?

Taking Charge of Technology, found under “Youth” in the Gospel Library.

Supplemental Learning Activities

Alternate beginning

You might begin class by displaying a picture of the brass serpent. Help students compare Numbers 21:6–9 and 2 Kings 18:3–4 and look for how the brass serpent was used at different points in ancient Israel’s history. If needed, help students see that the brass serpent was originally used to heal ancient Israel. Later, it was used as an item of false worship.

Explain that God gives us tools like the brass serpent. We determine whether those tools are used for good or bad. Technology is one of those tools He has given us. Students could then list on the board different ways to use technology.

Evaluating our technology use

You might consider using the reflective assessment found in the digital article “15 Prompts for Balancing Tech Use at Home and in Our Lives” in the March 2024 Liahona magazine. This assessment is organized by the concepts of purpose, plan, and pause from the Taking Charge of Technology resource found in the Gospel Library.

Counsel from Elder Bednar

Students could watch “Things as They Really Are” (3:27). Invite students to look for Elder Bednar’s counsel regarding making decisions about our technology use. Afterward, students could share experiences of how adjusting their technology use has strengthened their relationships with God or others.

3:27

Agents to act

You could invite students to read Moses 6:56 and 2 Nephi 2:16 and look for a truth about us. Help students identify the following truth: God has given us the ability to act for ourselves and not be acted upon.

To help students understand this concept, you could show how objects can be acted upon. For example, you could drop a pencil or tip over a water bottle. Then, explain that God does not intend for us to be merely acted upon like the pencil or the water bottle. God wants us to act.

You might share with students the statement by President Ballard found in Additional Resources. You could then ask students questions like the following:

In what ways could technology become our master?
How can the truth you identified from Moses 6:56 and 2 Nephi 2:16 help us in how we use technology?
How can Jesus Christ help you become the master of your technology use?