Uploaded April 2026 | Updated September 2026, 1 week ago
Welcome back to our early morning seminary teacher training series! In this video, we explore how to help your students master the ability to discover and identify gospel doctrines and principles on their own.
Key Concepts Covered in This Training:
- Separating Truth from Detail: One of the central purposes of scripture is to teach doctrines and principles, as the scriptures were purposefully written to preserve these truths for our benefit. Learning to identify them takes thoughtful practice; as Elder Richard G. Scott taught, we must "Search for principles" and "Carefully separate them from the detail used to explain them".
- Stated vs. Implied Principles: Some gospel truths are overtly stated and easily identified by phrases like “thus we see,” “therefore,” or “wherefore”. However, many principles are implied and couched within the storyline, events, or parables. We can discover these implied principles by analyzing cause-and-effect relationships in the text or by asking questions like, "What is the moral or point of the story?" and "Why do you think the writer included these events?"
- Classroom Methods for Discovery: Teachers can actively assist students in acquiring this skill through simple activities, such as inviting them to write "if-then" relationship statements or assigning them to write their own “and thus we see” summaries. Teachers can also encourage students to underline key phrases, or write a principle on the board and ask the class to search the scripture block for evidence of that truth.
- The Power of Clarity: Once identified, it is critical that doctrines and principles are stated clearly and simply. A clear and complete statement provides a better opportunity for the Holy Spirit to testify to the souls of your students. Writing these truths on the board or inviting students to record them in their scriptures helps solidify them clearly in their minds.
Watch now to learn how to guide your students in mastering the art of discovering the life-changing principles hidden within the scriptures!
Welcome back to our early morning seminary teacher training series! In this video, we explore how to help your students master the ability to discover and identify gospel doctrines and principles on their own.
Key Concepts Covered in This Training:
- Separating Truth from Detail: One of the central purposes of scripture is to teach doctrines and principles, as the scriptures were purposefully written to preserve these truths for our benefit. Learning to identify them takes thoughtful practice; as Elder Richard G. Scott taught, we must "Search for principles" and "Carefully separate them from the detail used to explain them".
- Stated vs. Implied Principles: Some gospel truths are overtly stated and easily identified by phrases like “thus we see,” “therefore,” or “wherefore”. However, many principles are implied and couched within the storyline, events, or parables. We can discover these implied principles by analyzing cause-and-effect relationships in the text or by asking questions like, "What is the moral or point of the story?" and "Why do you think the writer included these events?"
- Classroom Methods for Discovery: Teachers can actively assist students in acquiring this skill through simple activities, such as inviting them to write "if-then" relationship statements or assigning them to write their own “and thus we see” summaries. Teachers can also encourage students to underline key phrases, or write a principle on the board and ask the class to search the scripture block for evidence of that truth.
- The Power of Clarity: Once identified, it is critical that doctrines and principles are stated clearly and simply. A clear and complete statement provides a better opportunity for the Holy Spirit to testify to the souls of your students. Writing these truths on the board or inviting students to record them in their scriptures helps solidify them clearly in their minds.
Watch now to learn how to guide your students in mastering the art of discovering the life-changing principles hidden within the scriptures!
