Scripture Study Guide: 1st Article of Faith

This week, our family finished reading the Book of Mormon for the second time. We've also read the Gospels in the New Testament, the Pearl of Great Price, and about 70% of the Doctrine and Covenants. When reading like this we always start at the beginning and stop for plenty of explanation and discussion, but we have NEVER attempted to study by topic with the family.  Matt and I have been discussing this for months as we neared the end of the Book of Mormon. We realized that we wanted to help our kids memorize the Articles of Faith and REALLY understand them.

Can I just say that studying by topic is a WHOLE different ballgame! Especially with young kids. I realized that they won't have the attention span to hunt down scriptures through the topical guide in the hopes that it MIGHT apply to what we're discussing, so I needed a good plan.

It took me two hours today to prepare this study guide for the 1st Article of Faith, and we'll begin our study when the kids return and I'm out of the hospital later this week. But I wanted to share what I put together...

Introduction to Studying the Articles of Faith

Have you ever wondered what you would say if someone asked you what you believed as a member of the Church? The scriptures tell us about the beliefs of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The Articles of Faith are part of the scriptures. They are found in the Pearl of Great Price. Our prophets have told us how important it is that we read the scriptures and that we understand what they say.President Thomas S. Monson told a story about a man from the east who was traveling by bus to San Francisco. In Salt Lake City a Primary girl got on the bus and sat next to the man. As they started talking, he asked her if she was a Mormon. She answered yes. He asked her what Mormons believe. It was a big question for such a young girl. What would you have said? Imagine the look on the man’s face as she recited and explained the Articles of Faith. He couldn’t believe it!After she got off the bus, the man thought about her courage and knowledge. As soon as he arrived in San Francisco, he looked in the telephone directory for the Church’s phone number, then called the local mission president and asked questions about the Church. The mission president sent missionaries to see him, and later the man’s entire family was baptized—all because a Primary girl knew and understood the Articles of Faith and had the courage to share them. (See Ensign, April 1994, pages 67–68.)Where did the Articles of Faith come from? In March 1842 the Prophet Joseph Smith received a letter from Mr. Wentworth, a newspaper publisher in Chicago, Illinois, asking questions about the Church. As Joseph answered the letter, he was inspired to write thirteen statements that contain many of the beliefs of the Church. These statements became our Articles of Faith.Later, in 1880, members at the October general conference of the Church voted to accept the Articles of Faith as scripture.

Study Guide 1st Article of Faith

 1 We ^abelieve in ^bGod, the Eternal Father, and in His ^cSon, Jesus Christ, and in the ^dHoly Ghost.

1. Who is God the Eternal Father? 
1. Alma 30:44 
2. D&C 130:22
3. D&C 20:17-19 
4. We are His Children:  “God is not only our Ruler and Creator; He is also our Heavenly Father. All men and women are literally the sons and daughters of God. ‘Man, as a spirit, was begotten and born of heavenly parents, and reared to maturity in the eternal mansions of the Father, prior to coming upon this earth in a temporal (physical) body’” (Joseph F. Smith)
5. D&C 88:41-42 
6. Psalm 24:1 
7. Alma 7:20-22 
8. Alma 5:40 
9. Mormon 9:15-17 
10. Amos 3:7 
11. John 3:16 
12. Moses 1:39 
13. Mosiah 4:9-10

1. Who is Jesus Christ?
1. Joseph Smith-History 1:17 
2. John 14:6-9 
3. Acts 7:55-56 
4. Abraham 3:22-28 

1. Who is the Holy Ghost?
1. 1 John 5:7, D&C 20:28
2. D&C 130:22 
3. “Heavenly Father, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Ghost are called the Godhead. They are unified in purpose. Each has an important assignment in the plan of salvation. Our Heavenly Father is our Father and ruler. Jesus Christ is our Savior. The Holy Ghost is the revealer and testifier of all truth. The Holy Ghost is our Heavenly Father’s messenger and is a special gift to us.” (Gospel Principles Manual)
4. “When a man has the manifestation from the Holy Ghost, it leaves an indelible impression on his soul, one that is not easily erased. It is Spirit speaking to spirit, and it comes with convincing force. A manifestation of an angel, or even of the Son of God himself, would impress the eye and mind, and eventually become dimmed, but the impressions of the Holy Ghost sink deeper into the soul and are more difficult to erase.” (Joseph Fielding Smith Jr.) 
5. 3 Nephi 28:11 
6. Romans 8:16-17 
7. Moroni 10:5 
8. John 14:26 
9. 2 Nephi 32:5 
10. D&C 8:2-3 
11. D&C 11:12-13

*The Plan is to give each child a copy of this study guide and practice reciting the Article of Faith and/or singing the Primary Song that goes with the article. Then we'll spend as much time needed each evening to look up scriptures and discuss them. (It could take a few nights or over a week to get through this list.) But the purpose of each child having their own copy is to eliminate the kids asking for the reference 10 times, but mostly so that after reading the scripture we'll take a minute to discuss what we learned from it, and have the kids write down what the scripture taught.  For instance, after John 3:16 they might write "God loves us very much." It will be their introduction to a scripture study journal.

I'm nervous, but hopeful about studying with the kids like this. I want to keep posting the study guides I create and the things that we'll learn about topical study with the kids. I hope we can make it a good experience for our family. : )