Workshop on�how to study

• Personal study
• Companionship study
• Lesson study/planning

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The Learning Pattern

Pray and invite the Spirit

Select scripture block or story

Know context and content

Identify the doctrine and principle

Understand the meaning of doctrine or principle

Feel the truth and importance of the doctrine or principle

Apply the doctrine or principle

Example: Luke 5:1-11

SCRIPTURE BLOCK DEMONSTRATION

Who, what, when, where, why, how

• WHAT IS THE STORY?
• Jesus borrowed Peter’s (Simon) boat to preach a lesson
• Jesus asked Peter to “launch out into the deep and let down [his] nets for a draught [catch]” (verse 4).
• To Peter it appeared fruitless to repeat failure
• Despite having fished all night and “taken nothing” (verse 5), Peter obeyed the Lord and to his astonishment caught a ton of fish.
• Peter felt guilty for having received such a blessing
• Peter, James, and John quit their jobs and became fishers of men with Jesus

Identify the doctrine and principles

• WHAT IS THE LESSON, PRINCIPLE, OR DOCTRINE?
• If we do what the Lord asks even when we don’t understand why, He can provide greater blessings than we anticipate. 
• Trust in the Lord and lean not unto our own understanding
• God’s ways are not our ways
• The Lord can provide for all our needs
• Don’t lean upon the arm of flesh

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Understand the meaning

• WHAT DOES IT MEAN?�
• If we do what the Lord asks even when we don’t understand why, He can provide greater blessings than we anticipate. 

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Feel and testify

• HOW HAS THIS BEEN A BLESSING IN THE PAST?

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• Driving on freeway told to down-shift, pump brakes
• We were prompted to go on a mission NOW, don’t put it off, don’t wait for full retirement benefits
• Nephi writing small plates – not knowing why
• Adam making sacrifice unto the Lord: “I know not why save the Lord commanded me”

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Apply, set goal, and record

• WHAT AM I PROMPTED TO GO AND DO?
• Write down all promptings to keep a record of them
• Share what I learned with my grandchildren

CIUFA --- A Learning Pattern

• C: Context and Content. What is the story? Who, what, when, where, and why
• I: Identify. Search context and content for doctrine and principles
• U: Understand what does doctrine or principle mean?
• U-1 What (Define key words in the action and the blessing.)
• U-2 Why (In what ways has the Savior Jesus Christ exemplified this principle?)
• U-3 How (Practical guidelines from the life of the Savior, students, scriptures, the prophets on how to take effective, righteous actions)
• F: Feel. Assurance or testimony of the principle. How has this been a blessing in the past? What is your testimony of it?
• A: Apply. Invite. What am I prompted to go and do?

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Go and Do!

Scripture Block

Luke 5: 12-26

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Who, what, when, where, why, how

• What is the story?
• Where did this take place?
• Has this happened before? If so, where, when and why?
• Why did Jesus think this was important?
• What was He trying to accomplish?

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Identify the doctrine or principle

• What is the Lesson, principle, or Doctrine?
• Search content and context
• Identify doctrine
• Identify principles
• Describe doctrine and principles

Understand the meaning

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• What does it mean?

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• What (define key words in the action and the blessing.)

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• What are the promised blessings?

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• Why (in what ways has the savior Jesus Christ exemplified this principle?)

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• How (practical guidelines from the life of the savior, your companion, scriptures, the prophets on how to take effective, righteous actions)

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• Seek to understand what is being taught.

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• Seek to understand why the Lord wants you to know this truth.

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• Look for ways that the Savior demonstrated this doctrine or principal

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• How did He use this doctrine or principal to bring people unto Him?

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Feel and testify

• How has this principle been a blessing in the past?
• Share an experience of when you, or someone you know has been healed spiritually or physically.
• Share examples of when you have seen a person bring someone else to the Lord to receive the Savior’s healing influence.

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Feel the importance of the principle

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Bear your testimony of the truth of this doctrine or principle

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Testify of the Savior’s love and His power to heal us.

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Apply, set goal, and record in journal

• What are your prompted to go and do?
• Think of something specific that you could do to exercise faith to be:
• healed,
• forgiven, or
• comforted, or
• ways you might bring a friend or someone else to the Savior.
• Record in your journal what you will do, when you will do it, and how you will hold yourself accountable

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Go and Do!

• Study scripture block(s) in Chapter 2 of PMG

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• Take personal style test (see QR)

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• Take Spiritual litmus test (see QR)

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• Complete CIUFA form (see QR)

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• Model can be used for Teaching

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Appendix

Resources to support the learning pattern

Context and Content

The CONTEXT of the scriptures tells the story (who, what, where, when, why) and the background. The

CONTENT of the scriptures covers the verses in the scriptures you are studying. You should be able to get the

storyline in an effort to identify the principle and the inspired intent of the author. What’s the story?

Identify Doctrines and Principles

You can look for and mark DOCTRINES and PRINCIPLES in the scriptures you are studying. A Doctrine is an

unchanging truth. A Principle is a gospel rule that can be adopted to guide your life towards Jesus Christ.

Principles are clear statements of action on the part of the student followed by the promised blessings from

the Lord associated with obedience to the principle (If, then…And thus we see, etc.) What’s the lesson?

Understand Doctrines and Principle

To understand a gospel doctrine or principle, you can look for how it affects your life:

- What does it mean? Define key words in the action and the blessing in the principle. What scriptures or

words of the Prophets “unlock” or offer related teachings on the subject?

- Why is it important? In what ways did the Savior Jesus Christ exemplify this principle? How does it affect

me today? Why is the Lord concerned in teaching this principle or doctrine in our day?

- How is it done? Practical guidelines from the life of the Savior, scriptures, and words of the Prophets on

how to take effective and righteous actions to apply the principle. What does it mean?

Feel the Importance of the Principle

You can seek for assurances or evidences that following the principle will work in your life. Looking back on

past experiences and personal testimony can be helpful. How has this principle been a blessing in the past?

Apply the Principle

Application of the scriptures occurs when you begin to think, speak, and live according to what you have

learned. The Holy Ghost can help you feel motivated to go and apply the principles you discovered. By doing

so, you will gain a deeper understanding of the principle being taught. What are you prompted to go and do?

When you HAVE the Spirit

1. You feel happy, calm, and clear-minded.
2. You feel generous.
3. Nobody can offend you.
4. You wouldn’t mind everybody seeing what you’re doing.
5. You are eager to be with people and want to make them happy.
6. You are glad when others succeed.
7. You are glad to attend your meetings and participate in church activities.
8. You feel like praying.
9. You wish you could keep all the Lord’s commandments.
10. You feel in control—you don’t overeat or sleep too much; you don’t feel uncontrollably drawn to sensational entertainment, lose your temper, or feel uncontrollable passions or desires.
11. You think about the Savior often and lovingly; you want to know him better.
12. You feel confident and are glad to be alive.

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When you DON’T HAVE the Spirit

1. You feel unhappy, depressed, confused, and frustrated.
2. You feel possessive, self-centered, or resentful of demands made on you.
3. You are easily offended.
4. You become secretive and evasive.
5. You avoid people, especially members of your family; and you are critical of family members and Church authorities.
6. You envy or resent the successes of others.
7. You don’t want to go to church, go home teaching, or take the sacrament. You wish you had another church job or no job at all.
8. You don’t want to pray
9. You find the commandments bothersome, restricting, or senseless.
10. You feel emotions and appetites so strongly that you fear you cannot control them—hate, jealousy, anger, lust, hunger, fatigue.
11. You hardly ever think of the Savior; he seems irrelevant to your life, or worse, part of a confusing system that seems to work against you.
12. You get discouraged easily and wonder if life is worth it

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Spiritual “litmus” test

Personality Test Types (M.E.N.T.)

• Mind:
• Introverted (I) – prefer solitary activities, think before speaking, get

exhausted by social interaction.

• Extraverted (E) – prefer group activities, think while speaking, get energized

by social interaction.

• Energy:
• Intuitive (N) – imaginative, rely on their intuition, absorbed in ideas, focus
• on what might happen.
• Sensing (S) – down-to-earth, rely on their senses, absorbed in practical

matters, focus on what has happened.

• Nature:
• Thinking (T) - tough, follow their minds, focus on objectivity and rationality.
• Feeling (F) – sensitive, follow their hearts, focus on harmony and

cooperation.

• Tactics:
• Judging (J) – decisive, prefer clear rules and guidelines, see deadlines as

sacred, seek closure.

• Perceiving (P) – very good at improvising, prefer keeping their options open,

relaxed about their work, seek freedom.

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