Introduction to the Old Testament

 

I'm excited to begin our study of the Old Testament! I've collected several resources that will be helpful.

But first, here's a quote from Elder Richard G. Scott's 2011 General Conference talk, The Power of Scripture, about his love for the Old Testament:

How do you personally use the scriptures?...Do you use all of the standard works, including the Old Testament? I have found precious truths in the pages of the Old Testament that are key ingredients to the platform of truth that guides my life and acts as a resource when I try to share a gospel message with others. For that reason, I love the Old Testament. I find precious jewels of truth spread throughout its pages. For example:

• “And Samuel said, Hath the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams” (1 Samuel 15:22).
• “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.
• “In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.
• “Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the Lord, and depart from evil. …
• “My son, despise not the chastening of the Lord; neither be weary of his correction:
• “For whom the Lord loveth he correcteth; even as a father the son in whom he delighteth. 

• "Happy is the man that findeth wisdom, and the man that getteth understanding” (Proverbs 3:5–7, 11–13).

Introduction to the Old Testament

To get started, let's consult with some experts. President Boyd K. Packer gives this brief introduction on the foundational truths taught in the OT and you can watch a video of it here.

President Oaks gave seminary students this video introduction to their year of Old Testament Study.

And speaking of Seminary, you can find all kinds of OT study helps including scripture mastery, timelines and scripture reading charts here. Great resources!

This year the Ensign magazine has an "Old Testament Prophets" department and begins with Adam. I like how the prophet is introduced using first person:

 

Most people know me as the first man to live on the earth, but many don’t know that I had a special responsibility before I came to the earth. In the premortal existence, I led God’s armies against Satan’s armies in the War in Heaven, and I helped Jesus Christ create the earth. I was known as Michael then, which means one “who is like God.”

God chose me to be the first man on the earth and placed me in the Garden of Eden, a paradise with many types of plants and animals. He breathed into me “the breath of life” and gave me a new name: Adam.

A MUST SEE! S. Michael Wilcox, an amazing religion professor and gospel scholar (seriously, I've read all his books, and try never to miss an opportunity to hear him speak) gave this talk on The Great Visions of the Pearl of Great Price. This is worth your time to listen to or watch!

Here's a link on BYU TV's website to an introduction and overview of the Old Testament by BYU's religion faculty.

Here are some highlights from their introduction:

• Sometimes the Old Testament is a bit neglected by Latter-day Saints, but it shouldn't be. 
• The OT is foundational and we need to understand it to understand all other scripture. The Savior often quoted from the OT writings and encouraged us to search these scriptures. 
• Why is the Old Testament called "old"? Because it's a collection of books by ancient prophets and their experience with the "old covenant" versus the "new covenant" of the New Testament.
• One of the purposes of the OT is to tell us who Israel is. 
• The OT also fulfills the law of witnesses; we have more than one witness of Jesus Christ and his Atonement.
• The OT contains many types (symbols) of Jesus Christ.
• Initially written in Hebrew, the Bible was translated into various versions. The King James Version was published in 1611. 

The Making of the Bible
If you want to better understand how the Bible came together, here are two sources I can highly recommend:
1. How the Bible Came to Be, an excellent eight-part series printed in the Ensign in 1982 (which I rediscovered when I was homeschooling my daughters 20 years later).

Part 1: A Testament is Established 
Part 2: The Word is Preserved
Part 3: A New Word is Added to the Old
Part 4: The Canon Becomes an Unread Relic
Part 5: Glimmers of Light in the Darkness
Part 6: No Price Too Great
Part 7: The Sweet and Ripened Fruit
Part 8: The Power of the Word

2. In the Beginning: The Story of the King James Bible and How It Changed a Nation, a Language, and a Culture by Alister McGrath. Excellent layman's history of the forces that brought this version to print. Gives you a much greater understanding for the potential of errors in translation.

Rich Scripture Study
What is "rich scripture study" or "close reading"? It's a type of scripture study that "unpacks" scriptural passages word by word, looking for additional meaning, asking questions and seeing patterns. To better understand and practice this type of study, I highly recommend a book entitled Scripture Study: Tools and Suggestions by James E. Faulconer (BYU professor) published by the Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies (FARMS).
I was very impressed by this book and amazed at how deep my understanding of the scriptures became after applying just a few of  the study techniques.
I have never forgotten a story that Brother Faulconer tells in his book about studying with one of his graduate professors, a devout Jew, at Pennsylvania State University. Brother Faulconer proposed they take an 8 week quarter and study the book of Genesis. His professor was amazed to think of covering so much material in such a short time. He counter-proposed studying just the first chapter. As they began their study, Brother Faulconer was humbled by his professors depth of knowledge and questions about the details (words, and patterns of words) that he had never considered. As their discussions continued, Brother Faulconer had a profound shift in his thinking:

"I realized that I was visiting with a man who understood many aspects of the gospel that I thought only Latter-day Saints knew, things I had learned from latter-day prophets and the temple but had neer seen in Genesis...I am embarrassed to say that I was surprised. This man was teaching me things that, in my naive arrogance, I thought I would have to teach him...For me, that was a turning point in my scripture study. Though I thought I knew the importance of the scriptures, and though I had found them comforting and delightful and enlightening before, I had never experienced them like this."

The Lord can speak to us through the scriptures of the Old Testament if we are willing to pay the price for that inspiration and understanding.