Old Testament flavor is unique
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The most important lesson Latter-day Saints should draw from this year's study of the Old Testament in gospel doctrine classes is "the way it gives a type and shadow of the Savior coming to earth," the Sunday School general president said.
"Everything points from the Old Testament to the New Testament," observed Russell T. Osguthorpe, who, with his two counselors in the Sunday School general presidency, discussed this year's course of study in a recent Church News interview.
Added David M. McConkie, first counselor, "We're in a unique position, because as members of the Church, we get to study the Old Testament with the light and through the lens of the Restoration. We can understand things in the Old Testament that can't be understood by the world generally, and if we're teachers, we'll teach it with that in mind."
Teachers should ask themselves, "Is what we're teaching different from what the world could teach," Brother McConkie suggested. If the answer to that question is no, perhaps some rethinking is in order pertaining to approach, he said.
Building upon Brother Osguthorpe's comment, Matthew O. Richardson, second counselor, said, "There is a flavor in the Old Testament that is quite unique. You have over 3,500 years of great anticipation for the Savior's coming. You have a story line of the covenant people looking forward to the Savior, and I think that comes out in the text."
A theme in the Old Testament to which Latter-day Saints can relate is prophecy, Brother Osguthorpe noted. "The Old Testament is full of prophets, and we have a living prophet today."
Four years ago, the last time the Old Testament was taught in gospel doctrine class, Brother Osguthorpe and his wife, Lola, had the calling to teach it to an older-youth class of 14- and 15-year-olds. One of the lessons was on the imagery of living water as a comparison to the word of God. The Osguthorpes showed the class a picture of the three-level waterfall feature on the LDS Conference Center in Salt Lake City, where prophets and apostles speak. The teachers compared it to the canals that brought water into ancient Jerusalem and used both to teach the concept that prophets ancient and modern have brought the "living water" of the word of God to His children.
"This is what the Old Testament helps us see and what the Restoration helps us see," Brother Osguthorpe said. "Other people and other churches wouldn't have that insight, because they don't have prophets today."
Some might approach a study of the Old Testament with a bit of trepidation because of its length, its symbolism, its detail about rites and ceremonies pertaining to the law of Moses, and other factors. Students need not fear it, the presidency affirmed.
"The Old Testament is inside us," Brother Osguthorpe said. "We are acquainted with Jonah, with Job. We know the stories. We know what the Creation is about. Is it hard to understand the Exodus and the captivity of the people? Those are things the Old Testament is powerfully teaching to us."
Brother Richardson added, "The Old Testament is great at comparing and contrasting. It will show us an example of an individual who is living a disciple's life, and it will show in comparison someone who's life is running amok. The Old Testament gives a nice overview of what man is at his best moments and, sometimes, at his worst moments.
"And what the Old Testament does that is very wonderful, if we keep the broader picture in mind, is show how man can come together with Christ. We see that Jesus Christ is with His covenant people at top, at the bottom, and everywhere in between. The Old Testament shows through these wonderful, rich stories, and even the symbolism, that God does not abandon His people."
Brother McConkie cautioned against getting so caught up in detail that one loses the overall message that Brother Richardson described.
"Think about what we're going to be studying," Brother McConkie said, "the Creation and the Fall, these great pillars of eternity. Think about what that will mean to us. Think that we will be learning about the Aaronic and Melchizedek Priesthood, about covenants, about obedience and sacrifice, all these great, foundational principles of the gospel that are so well described and taught in the Old Testament."
The Old Testament "is probably the least-read and least-understood books of scripture in the Church," he said, "but it's exciting if we will not get so caught up in the minutia and detail that we fail to look at what the Lord is trying to teach us."
Brother Richardson suggested that teachers should endeavor to bring the Old Testament stories to life by finding ways to apply their teachings to the lives of learners in gospel doctrine classes. "There are a lot of individuals going through similar experiences to what we read about in the scriptures," he said. "If they can take what they hear, learn and feel, and then go and do as they have learned, they will find tremendous strength, support and blessings."
Brother Osguthorpe noted the availability of resources to aid teachers, such as the new "Old Testament Visual Resources DVDs," recently published by the Church (please see Nov. 7 Church News for an article about the new DVD set).
And a valuable resource available to help teachers, he said, are ward and stake Sunday School presidencies, men who have been called to receive inspiration to help teachers in presenting doctrines and concepts to class members. He suggested presidencies could stay a few lessons ahead in viewing the Video Resources DVDs and make suggestions of how teachers might use them in upcoming lessons.
Brother McConkie noted that there is no shortage of Old Testament content on the Internet and elsewhere, but teachers in the Church should focus on the material that the Church has provided, recognizing that there typically is not enough time in one 40-minute class period to cover all of the material in a given lesson, so teachers need to prayerfully select what will best meet the needs of the class.
Brother Osguthorpe added as advice to teachers: "Look at the lesson and focus on what key doctrines you are going to teach, how you are going to invite people to action, and how you are going to show the promised blessings that come with obedience to those doctrines."
