Pacing Your Teaching of the Old Testament

Old Testament Teacher Resource Manual, (2003), 5–6

The Old Testament is the largest of the standard works of the Church, with over twice as many pages as the Book of Mormon. There is not enough time in a school year to discuss every verse. The challenge is to pace your teaching. If you move slowly and spend too much time on the story of Joseph or Moses, you will not be able to spend enough time teaching Isaiah. If you move too fast, your students may not understand and appreciate significant parts of the Old Testament. Use this pacing guide to help you decide how much you need to cover each day and week and what chapters to assign your students to read.

Because there are many types of seminary programs throughout the world, it is not possible to organize this manual to fit every situation. You may need to adapt this 36-week guide to your program and the needs of your students. Seminary is taught five days a week, but lesson material is provided for only four days to allow time for interruptions such as school activities and assemblies, special seminary activities and presentations, scripture mastery, and tests and quizzes. You may choose to spend more than one day to teach a scripture block more effectively. This flexibility is meant to encourage you to seek the direction of the Spirit to meet the specific needs of your students.

Teaching the gospel of Jesus Christ to the youth of the Church is a sacred trust and a joyous duty. May the Lord bless you and your students this year as you study the Old Testament.

Week

Suggested Scripture Block to Be Taught

1

Days 1–2: “An Introduction to the Old Testament” and “Scripture Study Helps”
Days 3–4: “The Great Plan of Happiness”

2

Day 1: Abraham 3
Day 2: Moses 1
Day 3: Genesis 1–2; Moses 2–3; Abraham 4–5
Day 4: Genesis 3; Moses 4

3

Day 1: Genesis 4; Moses 5
Days 2–4: Genesis 5; Moses 6–7

4

Day 1: Genesis 6; Moses 8
Days 2–3: Genesis 7–10
Day 4: Genesis 11

5

Day 1: Genesis 12; Abraham 1–2
Day 2: Genesis 13–14
Day 3: Genesis 15–16
Day 4: Genesis 17

6

Day 1: Genesis 18–19
Day 2: Genesis 20
Day 3: Genesis 21–22
Day 4: Genesis 23

7

Day 1: Genesis 24
Day 2: Genesis 25–27
Day 3: Genesis 28–30
Day 4: Genesis 31–33

8

Day 1: Genesis 34–36
Day 2: Genesis 37
Day 3: Genesis 38–39
Day 4: Genesis 40–41

9

Day 1: Genesis 42–45
Day 2: Genesis 46–47
Day 3: Genesis 48–49
Day 4: Genesis 50

10

Day 1: Exodus 1–2
Day 2: Exodus 3–4
Day 3: Exodus 5–6
Day 4: Exodus 7–10

11

Days 1–2: Exodus 11–13
Day 3: Exodus 14–15
Day 4: Exodus 16–17

12

Day 1: Exodus 18–19
Day 2: Exodus 20:1–11
Day 3: Exodus 20:12–26
Day 4: Exodus 21–24

13

Day 1: Exodus 25–27; 30
Day 2: Exodus 28–29; 31
Day 3: Exodus 32
Day 4: Exodus 33–40

14

Day 1: Leviticus 1–7
Day 2: Leviticus 8–11
Day 3: Leviticus 12–18
Day 4: Leviticus 19–27

15

Day 1: Numbers 1–10
Day 2: Numbers 11–15
Day 3: Numbers 16–21
Day 4: Numbers 22–36

16

Day 1: Deuteronomy 1–6
Day 2: Deuteronomy 7–13
Day 3: Deuteronomy 14–26
Day 4: Deuteronomy 27–34

17

Day 1: Joshua 1
Day 2: Joshua 2–5
Day 3: Joshua 6–10
Day 4: Joshua 11–24

18

Day 1: Judges 1–5
Day 2: Judges 6–9
Day 3: Judges 10–21
Day 4: Ruth

19

Day 1: 1 Samuel 1–2
Day 2: 1 Samuel 3
Day 3: 1 Samuel 4–8
Day 4: 1 Samuel 9–11

20

Day 1: 1 Samuel 12–15
Day 2: 1 Samuel 16–17
Day 3: 1 Samuel 18–24
Day 4: 1 Samuel 25–31

21

Day 1: 2 Samuel 1–6
Day 2: 2 Samuel 7–10
Day 3: 2 Samuel 11–12
Day 4: 2 Samuel 13–24

22

Day 1: 1 Kings 1–10
Day 2: 1 Kings 11–16
Day 3: 1 Kings 17
Day 4: 1 Kings 18–22

23

Day 1: 2 Kings 1–3
Day 2: 2 Kings 4–13
Day 3: 2 Kings 14–20
Day 4: 2 Kings 21–25

24

Day 1: 1 and 2 Chronicles
Day 2: Ezra 1–6
Day 3: Ezra 7–10
Day 4: Nehemiah

25

Day 1: Esther
Day 2: Job 1–18
Day 3: Job 19–37
Day 4: Job 38–42

26

Day 1: Psalms 1–24
Day 2: Psalms 25–150
Day 3: Proverbs
Day 4: Ecclesiastes (explain about the Song of Solomon)

27

Day 1: Isaiah 1–2
Day 2: Isaiah 3–5
Day 3: Isaiah 6–9
Day 4: Isaiah 10–23

28

Day 1: Isaiah 24–28
Day 2: Isaiah 29
Day 3: Isaiah 30–35
Day 4: Isaiah 36–47

29

Day 1: Isaiah 48–52
Day 2: Isaiah 53
Day 3: Isaiah 54–58
Day 4: Isaiah 59–66

30

Day 1: Jeremiah 1–6
Day 2: Jeremiah 7–15
Day 3: Jeremiah 16–22
Day 4: Jeremiah 23–29

31

Day 1: Jeremiah 30–32
Day 2: Jeremiah 33–52
Day 3: Lamentations
Day 4: Ezekiel 1–3

32

Day 1: Ezekiel 4–32
Day 2: Ezekiel 33–34
Day 3: Ezekiel 37
Day 4: Ezekiel 38–48

33

Day 1: Daniel 1
Day 2: Daniel 2
Day 3: Daniel 3–5
Day 4: Daniel 6–12

34

Day 1: Hosea
Day 2: Joel
Day 3: Amos
Day 4: Obadiah

35

Day 1: Jonah
Day 2: Micah
Day 3: Nahum; Habakkuk
Day 4: Zephaniah; Haggai

36

Day 1: Zechariah
Day 2: Malachi 1–3
Day 3: Malachi 4
Day 4: Testimony; farewell to students

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