Mission Prep Class: Lesson 3: Learning by the Spirit of God

Missionary Preparation Class
Lesson 3
Learning by the Spirit
www.LatterDaySaintMissionPrep.com
Welcome to Our
Lesson 3:

Lesson 3
About the Class Instructor
• My name is Jimmy Smith
• Founder of Latter-day Saint Mission Prep website
• I live in Texas in the United States
• I served my mission to Argentina, 1995-1997

Lesson 3
About this Mission Prep Class
• Following the Church’s
Missionary Preparation
Teacher Manual
• Teaching my two teenage
children and record the
lessons for others to enjoy
• This video, my website, and
other content I create is
NOT a publication of The
Church of Jesus Christ of
Latter-day Saints

Lesson 3
Before We Begin: Make Sure You
Have a Way to Take Notes

Lesson 3
Intro to D&C 11
• While Joseph Smith was
translating the Book of
Mormon, his older
brother Hyrum became
deeply interested in the
work and desired to
share the message of
the Restoration with
others. Seeking the
Lord’s will, Hyrum asked
Joseph to ask for a
revelation in his behalf.

Lesson 3
The Importance of Gospel Study -
D&C Section 11
• 13 Verily, verily, I say unto you, I will impart unto you of
my Spirit, which shall enlighten your mind, which shall fill
your soul with joy;
• 14 And then shall ye know, or by this shall you know, all
things whatsoever you desire of me, which are pertaining
unto things of righteousness, in faith believing in me that
you shall receive.
• 15 Behold, I command you that you need not suppose
that you are called to preach until you are called.
• 16 Wait a little longer, until you shall have my word, my
rock, my church, and my gospel, that you may know of a
surety my doctrine.
• 17 And then, behold, according to your desires, yea, even
according to your faith shall it be done unto you.

Lesson 3
The Importance of Gospel Study -
D&C Section 11
• 21 Seek not to declare my word, but first seek to
obtain my word, and then shall your tongue be
loosed; then, if you desire, you shall have my Spirit
and my word, yea, the power of God unto the
convincing of men.
• 22 But now hold your peace; study my word which
hath gone forth among the children of men…
• 26 Therefore, treasure up in your heart until the time
which is in my wisdom that you shall go forth.
• 27 Behold, I speak unto all who have good desires,
and have thrust in their sickle to reap.

Lesson 3
Discuss / Ponder: The
Importance of Gospel Study
• Why did the Lord tell Hyrum to “wait a little longer”
before sharing the gospel message with others?
• What did the Lord direct Hyrum to do as he prepared
to share the gospel with others?
• What does it mean to treasure up the Lord’s word in
your heart?
• How could the Lord’s counsel in these verses help
someone today who is preparing to serve a mission?

Lesson 3
Scripture Study Prepares You to
Teach with the Spirit and Power
• “Your ability to teach with power from the scriptures
comes in large measure from the time you personally
spend studying them. As you daily feast upon the
word, your ability to teach from the scriptures will
improve.” (Preach My Gospel Manual)
Image used by
permission from the
Gospel Media library on
churchofjesuschrist.org

Lesson 3
Scripture Study Prepares You to
Teach with the Spirit and Power
• “In addition, your invitations to study and ponder the
scriptures will be more powerful because you are
doing the same thing in your life. Help people gain
faith in Jesus Christ through studying the scriptures—
particularly the Book of Mormon—and to gain a
testimony that the scriptures are sources of revealed
truth. When people come to believe the scriptures,
you will be better able to help them understand the
doctrine correctly.” (Preach My Gospel Manual)
• What ideas in this paragraph reinforce the
importance of daily scripture study for those who
want to become effective missionaries?

Lesson 3
Use a study journal to understand,
clarify, and remember what you learn
• Elder Richard G. Scott taught, “Knowledge carefully
recorded is knowledge available in time of need.
Spiritually sensitive information should be kept in a
sacred place that communicates to the Lord how you
treasure it. This practice enhances the likelihood of
your receiving further light.”
• “Acquiring Spiritual Knowledge,”
Ensign, Nov. 1993, 86

Lesson 3
Study Journals Take Many Forms
• Your study journal may be a physical journal or
notebook, or an electronic document or digital notes
• Notes and journal tools on LDS.org / Gospel Library app
• Record your thoughts in a way that fits how you learn
and can be easily accessed in the future
• Use study journal for
• Personal study
• Companion study
• Missionary meetings
• Interviews with the
mission president

Lesson 3
Story about first day in mission and
taking notes

Lesson 3
How Do I Study Effectively and
Prepare to Teach?
• “Study is an act of faith requiring the use of personal
agency. Many missionaries struggle to know how to
study effectively. Some rely heavily on others or on
structured programs to tell them what and how to
study. While learning from a good teacher is very
important, it is more important for you to have
meaningful learning experiences on your own.
Getting good results from your study depends on
having a strong desire to learn, studying with “real
intent” (Moroni 10:4), “hunger[ing] and thirst[ing]
after righteousness” (Matthew 5:6), and searching
for answers to the questions and concerns of those
you are teaching.” (Preach My Gospel Manual)

Lesson 3
Inviting the Holy Ghost to Teach
while Studying the Gospel
• “For the gospel to be written in your heart, you need
to know what it is and grow to understand it more
fully. That means you will study it. When I say ‘study,’
I mean something more than reading. It is a good
thing sometimes to read a book of scripture within a
set period of time to get an overall sense of its
message, but for conversion, you should care more
about the amount of time you spend in the
scriptures than about the amount you read in that
time.”
• “When Thou Art Converted,” Elder
D. Todd Christofferson, Ensign,
May 2004

Lesson 3
Inviting the Holy Ghost to Teach
while Studying the Gospel
• “I see you sometimes reading a few verses, stopping
to ponder them, carefully reading the verses again,
and as you think about what they mean, praying for
understanding, asking questions in your mind,
waiting for spiritual impressions, and writing down
the impressions and insights that come so you can
remember and learn more. Studying in this way, you
may not read a lot of chapters or verses in a half
hour, but you will be giving place in your heart for the
word of God, and He will be speaking to you”
• “When Thou Art Converted,” Elder
D. Todd Christofferson, Ensign,
May 2004

Lesson 3
Discuss / Ponder:
Learning by the Holy Ghost
• What blessings can come to us when the Holy Ghost
guides our gospel learning?
• What actions did Elder Christofferson identify that
can lead to greater understanding of the scriptures?
• How do these actions better permit the Holy Ghost
to teach you?
• How has one or more of these actions helped you
deepen your understanding of the gospel?

Lesson 3
Scriptures about Learning by the
Holy Spirit
• We’re going to read the following scriptures
• D&C 8:2–3
• D&C 9:7–8
• D&C 11:12–14
• D&C 138:1–2, 11
• Look for words or phrases that describe how the Holy
Ghost communicates with us
• You may also write a few notes in your study journal
about what you learn from these passages

Lesson 3
How does the Holy Ghost
Communicate with Us? D&C 8
• 2 Yea, behold, I will tell you in your mind and in your
heart, by the Holy Ghost, which shall come upon you
and which shall dwell in your heart.
• 3 Now, behold, this is the spirit of revelation; behold,
this is the spirit by which Moses brought the children
of Israel through the Red Sea on dry ground.
Image used by permission from the Gospel
Media library on churchofjesuschrist.org

Lesson 3
• 7 Behold, you have not
understood; you have
supposed that I would give it
unto you, when you took no
thought save it was to ask
me.
• 8 But, behold, I say unto you,
that you must study it out in
your mind; then you must ask
me if it be right, and if it is
right I will cause that your
bosom shall burn within you;
therefore, you shall feel that
it is right.
Image used by
permission from the

Lesson 3
• 12 And now, verily, verily, I say unto thee, put your
trust in that Spirit which leadeth to do good—yea, to
do justly, to walk humbly, to judge righteously; and
this is my Spirit.
• 13 Verily, verily, I say unto you, I will impart unto you
of my Spirit, which shall enlighten your mind, which
shall fill your soul with joy;
• 14 And then shall ye know, or by this shall you know,
all things whatsoever you desire of me, which are
pertaining unto things of righteousness, in faith
believing in me that you shall receive.

Lesson 3
• 1 On the third of October, in the
year nineteen hundred and
eighteen, I sat in my room
pondering over the scriptures;
• 2 And reflecting upon the great
atoning sacrifice that was made by
the Son of God, for the redemption
of the world;
• 11 As I pondered over these things
which are written, the eyes of my
understanding were opened, and
the Spirit of the Lord rested upon
me, and I saw the hosts of the dead,
both small and great. Image used by
permission from the

Lesson 3
Discuss/Ponder: How the Holy
Spirit Communicates with Us
• What words or phrases did you find that describe
how the Holy Ghost communicates with us?
• How has the Holy Ghost taught you in one of these
ways and deepened your understanding of the
gospel?
• What specific experiences have you had with the
Holy Ghost? Write it in your journal.
• How could improving your scripture study skills and
habits contribute to your success as missionaries?

Lesson 3
Six Study Ideas and Suggestions
from Preach My Gospel Manual
1. Apply and Live What You Learn
2. Search, Ponder, and Remember
3. Use Study Resources
4. See the Big Picture
5. Explore the Details
6. Mark or Annotate your Scriptures

Lesson 3
1. Apply and Live What You Learn
• “Liken” what you learn to
yourself (see 1 Nephi 19:23).
• Set goals to live what you
learn.
• Substitute your name in a
verse of scripture to
personalize it.
• Ask yourself, “How should I
change as a result of what I
have learned?”
• Ask yourself, “What is the
author’s central message?
How might this help a family
or person we are teaching?”
Image used by
permission from the

Lesson 3
2. Search, Ponder, and Remember
• Be physically and mentally alert as you study.
• Study at a desk or table where you can write and
organize
• Pray and ask for understanding of the topics you study
• Visualize what you are studying
• E.g. imagine Ammon standing before the king
• Write in your study journal questions you have
• Use scriptures, prophets, and other resources to find answers
• Share what you learn with other missionaries
• You learn much by explaining doctrines to others
• Memorize important scripture passages

Lesson 3
3. Use Study Resources
• Use the study aids in the scriptures
• Topical Guide, Bible Dictionary, JST, index, footnotes, maps
• Review chapter headings in the scriptures
• Will give you ideas about what to look for in the chapter
• Use the Preach My Gospel manual, missionary
lessons, and other approved Church resources
• Use your study journal to record what you learn
• Make notes, physical or digital, to record impressions
• Organize it to easily recall what you have learned

Lesson 3
4. See the Big Picture
• Get an overview by reading quickly or reviewing headings
• Seek to understand context and background
• Rewrite the main idea of a scripture in your own words
• Use Bible and Church history maps to learn geography
• Review historical information in the Bible Dictionary

Lesson 3
5. Explore the Details
• Look for key words and unfamiliar
terms and try to understand them
• Use the footnotes, Gospel Library, the
Guide to the Scriptures, or the Bible
Dictionary for definitions
• Examine surrounding words for clues
• Look for connecting words
(therefore, again, thus, and
wherefore)
• Then see how the preceding and
following passages relate
• Use the Topical Guide or Guide to
the Scriptures to see how the same
word is used in other contexts

Lesson 3
6. Mark or Annotate your
Scriptures
• Find a way mark scriptures that works for you
• Use pencils or colored markers that don’t bleed
through the page
• Highlight, underline, or outline part of a verse, an
entire verse, or a group of verses
• Use the margins to write notes
• Avoid excessive marking—it can cause confusion
• If everything is highlighted, then nothing is highlighted
• When a series of points in a verse or passage are
related, number the points
• Use the footnotes as a resource for interpreting the
scriptures

Lesson 3
Discuss/Ponder: Gospel Study
Ideas and Suggestions
• Which of these suggestions have you implemented in
your study?
• How have these study skills or habits helped you to
study the scriptures effectively and learn from the
Spirit?
• How might these recommendations affect a
missionary’s ability to effectively share the gospel?

Lesson 3
When and What to Study is also
Important for Missionaries
• How does the
missionary daily
schedule illustrate the
importance of gospel
study?
• How could having
consistent daily
scripture study now
prepare you for this
rigorous schedule as a
missionary?
• 6:30 a.m. Wake up, pray, exercise
• 7:30 a.m. Breakfast
• 8:00 a.m. Personal study: the Book of
Mormon and other scriptures.
• 9:00 a.m. Companion study: study Preach
My Gospel, prepare to teach, and confirm
plans for the day.
• 10:00 a.m. Begin proselyting: teaching
appointments, finding people to teach, etc.
• 12:00 p.m. Lunch
• 1:00 p.m. Continue proselyting
• 5:00 p.m. Dinner
• 6:00 p.m. Continue proselyting
• 9:30 p.m. Return to the apartment. Plan the
next day. Write in journal, pray.
• 10:30 p.m. Go to bed.
Sample Mission Schedule

Lesson 3
Living What You Learn
“If any man will do his
will, he shall know of
the doctrine, whether it
be of God, or whether I
speak of myself.”
-John 7:17
“True doctrine,
understood, changes
attitudes and behavior.
The study of the
[doctrine] of the gospel
will improve behavior
quicker than a study of
behavior will improve
behavior.”
-Boyd K. Packer, Ensign, Nov 1986

Lesson 3
The Importance of Acting on What
We Learn
• “You will want to apply what you learn. Strive to live in
harmony with your understanding. Doing so will
strengthen your faith, knowledge, and testimony. Acting
on what you have learned will bring added and enduring
understanding.” (Preach My Gospel manual)
• “As gospel learners, we should be ‘doers of the word, and
not hearers only’ (James 1:22). Our hearts are opened to
the influence of the Holy Ghost as we properly exercise
agency and act in accordance with correct principles—
and we thereby invite His teaching and testifying power.”
• Elder David A. Bednar, “Watching
with All Perseverance,” Ensign or
Liahona, May 2010, 42

Lesson 3
Treasure What You Learn and Your
Desire to Share Will Increase
• The Lord said, “Neither take ye thought beforehand
what ye shall say; but treasure up in your minds
continually the words of life, and it shall be given you
in the very hour that portion that shall be meted
unto every man” (Doctrine and Covenants 84:85).
• “As you treasure up the words of the scriptures and
latter-day prophets by study and faith, your desire to
share the gospel will increase. You are promised that
the Spirit will help you know what to say when you
teach.” (Preach My Gospel Manual)

Lesson 3
Discuss/Ponder: Acting On
and Living What We Learn
• What difference is there between knowing about the
scriptures and living them?
• What does it mean to be doers of the word and not
hearers only?
• How does acting in “accordance with correct
principles” deepen our understanding and our
testimonies in a way that study alone cannot?
• As you have been preparing to serve a mission, how
has the Holy Ghost increased your desire to serve?

Lesson 3
Investigators Are Blessed By Acting on
What They Learn – Church Attendance
• “Missionaries help investigators progress toward
baptism by inviting them to keep commitments. For
example, when investigators attend church, they can
receive increased revelation through the Holy Ghost
and desire to draw closer to God. Attending church
can help investigators gain a testimony of the
restored gospel and prepare to be baptized.”
(Mission Prep Teacher’s Manual)
Image used by permission
from the Gospel Media library
on churchofjesuschrist.org

Lesson 3
Inviting Augustín Zapata to Church

Lesson 3
Conclusion and Homework
• Make personal gospel study a priority as you prepare
to serve a mission
• Establish a habit of daily personal gospel study,
especially including the Book of Mormon
• If you have not yet done so, begin to use a journal or
study notebook during your gospel study
• Read or Watch Church Talks and Videos about Gospel
Study and Learning by the Spirit
• Video: “Advice for Studying the Scriptures”
• Video: “Meaningful Scripture Study”
• Video: “Elder David A. Bednar's Desire to Learn”

Mission Prep Class: Lesson 3: Learning by the Spirit of God

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Mission Prep Class: Lesson 3: Learning by the Spirit of God