The Seventy's Course in Theology, First Year / Outline History of the Seventy and A Survey of the Books of Holy Scripture

by B. H. Roberts

1907

INTRODUCTION.

To become a Seventy means mental activity, intellectual development, and the attainment of spiritual power.

The first three opening lessons of this year's course of study are devoted to the history, organization and duties of the Seventy. They should be thoroughly mastered by the present membership of the quorums, and as fast as new members are brought in their attention should be called to these lessons, and they be required to master them also that all our Seventies may have a proper understanding of the dignity and importance and the responsibility of this office in the Holy Priesthood.

The body of the present year's course of study deals with the four books of the scriptures, recognized by the Church as the only authoritative written embodiment of the doctrines of the Church; namely, the Bible, comprising the Old and New Testament, the American volume of scripture, the Book of Mormon, modern revelation, contained in the Doctrine and Covenants, and the Pearl of Great Price. The year's course of study is intended to be a rapid survey, not an exhaustive treatment, of these books; and this in order that all our Seventies may as soon as possible be made acquainted in a general, even if only in a superficial way, for the present, with this body of sacred literature; that they may know something of its history and character. The dominating idea of the whole course being,

A Workman Should Know His Tools.

In the past, a too exclusive adherence to merely "text methods" of work has been followed. That is to say, there has been a selection of separate and disconnected texts marshalled together in support of a given subject without sufficient care being taken to know the context and historical association of the scriptural utterances, often attended with great danger of forming misconceptions of such texts, resulting in wrong deductions and conclusions. The present aim is to make our Seventies familiar with the spirit of the scriptures, learning something of the individual books, as a whole, something of their general import and their relationship one to another; that from this general acquaintance with the whole volume of scripture, the Seventies may become more competent to use separate passages more intelligently and effectively, and with less likelihood of making mistakes.

The fear has been expressed that since so many lessons are devoted to the Bible, nearly half the years' course, there will be some danger of the work becoming monotonous; but that fear is based upon the common misconception that the Bible is one book, instead of a collection of books, thirty-nine in the Old Testament and twenty-seven in the New of our common English Bibles. Since the books are so many and the time period covered so great—about 2500 years, from Moses to St. John—and the books being composed by many writers—there is promise of plenty of variety, both as to books and subject matter. It is the rapid survey of a whole library of books that is contemplated, rather than the study of one book, albeit the many books are bound together in one volume. The consideration of the American volume of scripture, the Book of Mormon, and of modern revelation in the Doctrine and Covenants and Pearl of Great Price, in the latter part of the course, together with the suggested lectures and the special lessons on present day subjects, scripture reading exercises, etc., etc., will unquestionably give ample variety to the year's work.

THE CLASS TEACHERS.

The First Council in its circular letter on the subject of the new order of things in relation to Seventies' meetings, course of study, etc., has already suggested that the new plans of Seventies' work would make it necessary for the quorums to find the most efficient teachers for their classes. "Where the most efficient teachers are to be found among the presidents of quorums," says the circular letter, "of course they will be given preference; but where more efficient men can be found in the quorum membership they should be selected as teachers and perform their duties under the direction of the Council of the Quorum, which, of course, will always be the presiding authority in all quorum and class meetings, and conduct all the exercises except the class work. It might be well to select the most proficient man for teacher, and appoint one or more assistants who should prepare for the class work, and in the event of the teacher's absence, and even occasionally when he is present, they could conduct the exercises.