Scripture Mastery

“Scripture Mastery,” Book of Mormon Teacher Resource Manual (2004), 285


Scripture mastery means being able to find scripture verses, understand what they mean, and apply them in our lives. The scripture mastery program has one hundred scripture verses (twenty-five for each year in the seminary curriculum) that teachers should help students “master” and review (see Teaching the Gospel: A Handbook for CES Teachers and Leaders [1994], 35).

President Howard W. Hunter, then President of the Quorum of the Twelve, said, “We would hope none of your students would leave your classroom fearful or embarrassed or ashamed that they cannot find the help they need because they do not know the scriptures well enough to locate the proper passages” (Eternal Investments [address to religious educators, 10 Feb. 1989], 2).

Use the following ideas to help students learn scripture mastery verses:

  • Read the verses with students and help them understand difficult words or phrases (see “Read,” p. 280).

  • Have students write what the verses mean, and discuss how the verses can provide answers to students’ questions and problems (see “Apply,” p. 280).

  • Have students use scripture study helps such as the footnotes or the Topical Guide to find other verses in the scriptures that teach the same doctrines or principles. Or give them verses not in the footnotes and have them write them in the margins (see “Cross-Reference,” p. 280).

  • Ask questions about the verses. For example, ask students who was speaking and to whom (see “Ask Questions,” p. 282).

  • Discuss the historical setting (the people, place, and time).

  • Discuss what comes before and after the scripture mastery verses and how that helps explain them.

  • Have students tell how they could use the verses to teach others about the gospel.

  • Have students rewrite the verses in their own words, write questions about the verses, or draw pictures about something in the verses (see “Draw,” p. 283).

  • Have students tell how the verses were used in talks they have heard at church or in general conference.

  • Have students make posters about the verses for their home or the classroom.

  • Have one group of students list problems or questions that could be answered by the scripture mastery verses. Have another group take the first group’s list and find scripture mastery verses that answer the questions or problems.

  Listen