Guest Post: Old Testament Resources from my Non-LDS friends

Guest Post by Ann. Ann has a Bachelor’s Degree in Economics and recently earned a second one in Accounting. Contrary to what some people told her, she has been able to use the degrees while raising her four children. 

Here we are. Halfway through this year of studying the Old Testament at a breakneck pace. 

Do you feel like you’ve gained a deeper understanding of the Old Testament with the new Come Follow Me Curriculum? Or does this feel like the same sprint we do every four years?

For me it feels the same as always. We spent a disproportionately long time on the Creation and the Garden of Eden stories, and we’ve been zipping through the rest of the content. This curriculum feels like I’m on a pogo stick- jumping from book to book and chapter to chapter. Never stopping long enough to really get to see where I am, but just keep jumping, jumping, jumping. After all, we have a lot of material to cover. 

I’ve often wished that we could slow down our study of the Old Testament. Perhaps split the book over two years instead of one. I think our study of our other books of Scripture would benefit from a deeper understanding of the Old Testament. After all, New Testament authors constantly refer back to the Old Testament. Jesus himself quotes extensively from it. The Book of Mormon narrative arises in the Old Testament. And Joseph Smith was obviously inspired by the Old Testament as he organized the church.

It’s a shame we spend such a proportionally small amount of time there.

Last year I joined a women’s Bible Study group with a local nondenominational church. (Studying the Doctrine and Covenants was not giving me the spiritual nourishment I craved.) My friends in this study group have impressed me with their knowledge of the whole Bible. They don’t talk in the vague platitudes that you often hear in LDS Sunday School or Relief Society classes. They quote actual scriptures. They’ll talk about Psalms that have touched them recently or bring up something Jesus said. I’ve been impressed by their knowledge.    

Over the last year the women in my Bible Study group have provided me with resources to better understand the Bible. I’ve incorporated them into my study of the Old Testament with wonderful results. I feel like I’m actually learning things about the Old Testament.

I’ve compiled a list of four  resources I’ve found most helpful. I’d like to share these with you in case you are also looking for additional resources as you study the Old Testament this year. These resources aren’t meant to replace the Come Follow Me Curriculum, but to help enhance your study. There will be times that these resources don’t line up with LDS teachings. You are spiritually mature enough to work out your own understanding when the differences arise. 

ESV Translation of the Bible – The first new resource I added was a copy of an English Standard Version of the Bible. Reading the Bible in the King James Version is hard for me even though I went to seminary in High School and I have two bachelor’s degrees. I really struggle with all those Thees, Thous, and Thines. It takes me so long to figure out what the scriptures are even saying that I never move on to figuring out what they mean. So switching to primarily reading an ESV Translation has helped immensely. As an added bonus, the Student Study Version is full of helpful footnotes. 

I bought my copy from Christianbook.com. I was amazed at all the options for layout and cover designs available. I’m so used to the limited cover options at the Distribution Center that picking out a sky blue leather cover with cute details seemed liberating.

Women of the Word by Jen Wilken. This little book was loaned to me by my friend and later I bought my own copy. It is full of helpful advice for how to study scripture. Most of my scripture study habits were developed when I was a busy teenager. I found this book helpful in showing me what scripture study could look like for a grown woman. You can find a copy at christianbook.com or Amazon.

Bible Talk Podcast – If you are craving a deep dive into the Old Testament, this is the podcast for you. Hosted by three Baptist pastors, each episode covers just a few chapters from the Bible. This is the exact opposite of the Come Follow Me race to the finish line. This is a long journey where you stop every two minutes to examine cool things you find along the way. The hosts have been doing this show since 2020 and are only just finishing Deuteronomy.  

I especially recommend the seven episodes on Leviticus. If you only listen to one episode it should be Episode  42 on Leviticus 26-27. This episode ties the Old and New Testament together in ways I’d never known before. You can listen to Episodes on 9Marks.com or wherever you find your podcasts. 

Bible Project YouTube Channel. This YouTube Channel has put together brief overviews of every book of the Bible. The episodes are about 7 minutes long. They have a narrator drawing pictures that show the major themes and events of each book. My friend introduced me to these in March, and they’ve become an integral part of my family’s scripture study routine. Each episode is full of great insight. Recently, my family found the Overview of Ezra-Nehemiah to be especially helpful for explaining the themes of these often overlooked books. 

These extra resources have helped me gain a deeper understanding of the Old Testament as I’ve tried to keep up with the Come Follow Me Curriculum. I hope they are helpful to you as well. I’m always looking for more resources so I’d love to hear about the resources that have enhanced your study of the Old Testament.