3 Ways Imagination Helps You Study; April 1-7; Jacob 1-4

Did you know that using your imagination can help when you study the scriptures?! Join Cindy and Levi as they discuss some of the teachings in Jacob chapter 2, and 3 ways imagination can help. Plus, don't miss the 3 people Cindy says you could have a conversation with when you study the scriptures, and some fun bloopers at the end!

Transcript

Cindy:  Hi, friends!  I am Cindy Young, and today I've got Levi as my guest. 

Levi: And welcome to Primarily Scripture. 

C: For all of our viewers, you can go online PrimarilyScripture.com and get free worksheets, and these will  help you study Come Follow Me. This week we are in the book of Jacob.  Levi, do you remember any of the things that Jacob taught the people? 

 L: Uh, only have one wife. Try not to be blinded by your pride. God may have given you wealth, but you should still use that wealth to help others.  

C: That's right. Awesome. On the worksheet, we've got, um, study ideas and there's just not enough time to go over all of them on each episode. So, I let our guests pick one or two that we're going to talk about. Levi, down the side of that worksheet, there are four different activities. The top one is called, "Which Is It?"  the next one is, "What Was Going On?"  The third one is, "Focus On One Thing" and the last one is  "Look For Instructions." Which one of those do you want to do? 

L: What was going on? 

C: All right! Will you read the instructions in that box, please?  

L: Read verse 13 again. Take a minute to imagine what was happening that caused Jacob to say these things to people.  

(Tip from Cindy)  Maybe you remember this tip from a different episode. As you read, slow down or pause and use your imagination. Think about what was happening.  It will help you to 📍 understand and 📍 remember the story.  And it 📍 creates a space where the Holy Ghost can  step in to guide you as you ponder. 

C: So let's do that. Jacob chapter 2, verse 13. Do you want to read that, or do you want me to?  

L: I'll read it. 

C: Perfect. 

L: "And the hand of providence  hath smiled upon you most pleasingly, that you have obtained many riches; and because some of you have obtained more abundantly  than that of your brethren ye are lifted up in the pride of your hearts,  and wear stiff necks and high heads because of the costliness of your apparel, and  persecute  your brethren  because ye suppose that ye are better than they."   

C: Let's talk about that. What do you think could have been going on with the Nephites that Jacob had to tell them those words? 

L: They were being  blessed, but slowly they were being corrupted by what they had obtained and couldn't see that this is a blessing. And even if they did, they were like, I'm more blessed than you, I have more stuff. 

C: Yeah!  Now, does it get that way with us? 

(Tip from Cindy)  After you use your imagination to help you learn the story, the next thing you want to do is 📍 liken the scriptures to yourself.  This means you try to 📍 find examples of how your life (or the world around you) is like what you read. Now, instead of  understanding and  remembering the story, you can better  understand and  remember the 📍 principle being taught and how it's relevant to you.  And this also continues to📍 create a space for the Holy Ghost to guide you. 

C: Does it get that way with us?

L: Uh, a few people. Nowadays it's just called, well, bragging about your stuff. 

C: You're right!   Sometimes it happens in like really obvious ways where people are just so proud of their stuff and they can be so mean about it.  But I think it happens for all of us little bits in our own life.  In the activity box, what does the next part say?  

L: Of course we all try to be good people, but each of us will have times when we make mistakes.  Have you ever been mean to someone? Have you ever thought you were better than someone?  How do Jacob's teachings  change your perspective? 

C: You've probably never been mean to anybody...  

 L: When I get annoyed or really upset, I'm just like, Can you please be quiet?  

C: We all will have times when we aren't  our very best selves and we do let pride get into our hearts a little bit. We'll be super happy about something cool that we have, and we just kind of feel great about it, right? Feeling good about it is fine. Feeling like you're better than other people... 

L: But bragging about it is bad. 

C: Exactly. Exactly.   So, what of Jacob's teachings here in the scriptures can help us when we start to slip a little bit and we start to feel like maybe bragging a little bit?  

L: Just try to 📍 remember the scripture that we just read. Just because you have been favored upon does not make you better. You should be grateful, not brag about your possessions.  

C: Can we find the verse in our Book of Mormon and mark it?  Then the next time we feel like maybe we're getting a little  prideful or boastful, the verse can help us.  The verse that I think we should read right now is verse 17.  Because in verse 13 we read Jacob saying, you guys stop being so prideful!  If we're going to take that bad habit of thinking we're better than somebody and get rid of it, we need to   📍 put a good habit in its place. And verse 17 tells us what we should do instead. 

L: "Think of your brethren like unto yourselves, and be familiar with all, and free with your substance,   that they may be rich like unto you."  

C: Awesome.  Let's mark that. What color are you going to use?  

L: Red.  

C: I was literally just picking up red. Awesome. Okay. So, "think of your brethren like unto yourselves"-

L:  think of  everyone around you as being the same as you. 

C: And the next phrase is, "be familiar with all."  

L: like, you're familiar with that person, you know who they are.  

C: Right. Treat them like your friend, right? 

L: Yep.  

C: Yeah.  How do Jacob's teachings change the way you're going to live your life?  

L: Try to always be giving, not, taking and hoarding. Don't be a  dragon hoarding the gold. Try to be like a person who's willing  to give away the stuff that they have. 

C: I like that. That's a great analogy. Awesome.  Okay, so as you read your scriptures, if you just read through the words, then you're going to miss the opportunity to📍 have these conversations like we just had. 

L: I end up   📍  📍 talking to myself about it. Like, what do I think about this? 

C: Right, you can either talk to a 📍 study buddy about it, or you just have the conversation📍 in your own mind. And either way, you can 📍 invite the spirit to be part of the conversation, too. If you just read through and then say, okay, I'm done, now the conversation can't happen and you're not going to come up with all these great thoughts, right?  So thank you for having this conversation with me today. I love this!  What a great reminder for us to love everybody around us. That's what Jesus wants us to do, isn't it?  

L: Yes, it is.  

C: Friends, thank you so much for joining me on Primarily Scripture. Don't forget, open up your scriptures and do the reading yourself, okay? Listening to podcasts and watching YouTube videos is great, but even better is reading the scriptures for yourself!  Thanks, Levi. Bye, guys.  

L: Bye.  

  📍  Thanks for tuning in to Primarily Scripture with Cindy Young. Don't forget you can subscribe to the newsletter and download free worksheets on the website PrimarilyScripture. com. And if you like the channel, be sure to subscribe, like, share, and leave a review. See you next time! 

Outtakes  📍

L: everyone gets five dollars.

L: No drugs, no drinking. They're  very, very bad for you.

L: I'm watching a really cool show, and then I just hear, Hey, Levi, can you get the Cheeto puffs?

L: Well, hello everybody. And welcome to follow  him! 

C: No, primarily scripture. 

L: Primarily scripture.  Ah! Oh, redo it!