We don't read our scriptures just for the sake of reading. There are three main things to learn about when you read scriptures. They are Jesus Christ, doctrine, and principles. Now, we dedicated several episodes a few months back to finding Jesus, and two weeks ago, we discussed doctrine- which for our purposes we define as eternal, unchanging truth. And then just last week, we discussed principles, which are the guidelines we use for making choices- what we do. That includes things like faith, hope, charity, love, tithing, ministering, fasting… It goes on and on. These are the concepts for how we try to live. Today, however, we are talking about something that takes these important concepts and makes them relevant to you right now today. I'm Cindy Young, and this is Primarily Scripture Today's tip, like nearly every tip I share, can be used for any kind of gospel study, not just scripture study. And I'll get into it in just a minute, but first, a quick recap of what we talked about the last few weeks. Do you remember that we talked about the Venn diagram that Elder Bednar shared in his book called "Increase in Learning"? It's kind of a grid of overlapping circles. The basic doctrines are in the overlapping circles in the top row, and then the middle row has principles that come from and are supported by those doctrines. And then finally, there's the bottom row, and this is applications. You'll remember that the doctrines explain the why behind what we do, principles are what we are striving for, and applications are the breakdown of how we put them into action. If you diligently seek, you absolutely will find doctrine and principles through the teachings and stories in the scriptures. And of course, all of it points us to Jesus Christ. So if you want to review the specifics of how to find doctrine and principles and Jesus, you can go back and re-listen to those prior episodes. But how do you find the applications? That is what we are talking about today. It used to be that the church gave us very clear expectations about certain things. Things like drinking caffeinated sodas, clothing guidelines, ministering expectations. And this meant that members of the church got pretty good at making a mental checklist of things they had to do in order to be a, quote,"good member of the church." We have been seeing a shift in how these topics are approached, both by members individually and the official publications from the church. For example, the For Strength of Youth guidebook used to list many dos and don'ts, which remember, those are applications. And then several years ago, that book was revamped, and it focused more on doctrine and principles. Now, it has been reformatted again, and it also doubles as a curriculum for the youth program, and it includes invitations and promised blessings. Let's look at this book real quick because I really, really love it. Right before chapter one, there's a section titled Make Inspired Choices, and the first paragraph in that section says this: " In For the Strength of Youth, you will find the teachings of Jesus Christ and His prophets. With these truths as your guide, you can make inspired choices that will bless you now and throughout eternity." Do you see how Elder Bednar's Venn diagram lines up with these sentences? There are teachings, those are the truths, right? That's our top circle, and they will guide you as you make choices. Isn't that what our principles are? They're the guidelines helping us as we choose. And then the choices themselves are left up to you. How you apply these teachings, or not, is completely up to you. Let's read a little more from this book. If we go down a few paragraphs, it says,"The purpose of For the Strength of Youth is not to give you a yes or no about every possible choice you might face. Instead, the Lord is inviting you to live in a higher and holier way- a life focused on eternal truths and the Lord's promised blessings. This is His way. This guide will teach you about His way. It explains truths He has revealed. Make these truths your guide for making choices- big choices like making covenants in the temple and serving a mission, as well as daily choices like how to treat people or how to spend your time. While others can help you, your spiritual growth is personal. It is your responsibility." Don't you love that? What stood out to you there? Did you catch that it said this isn't about a list of yes and no answers? Did you notice the phrase, "Live in a higher and holier way, focused on eternal truths and the Lord's blessings"? What about this phrase, and this is super important for what we're talking about today, "Your spiritual growth is personal. It is your responsibility." So now that we've reviewed those, what do you think the answer is if we were to talk about how can you find applications when you study the scriptures? What is the best way to apply the doctrines and principles of the gospel in your own life? Especially after we reviewed those paragraphs, it seems pretty clear that we probably won't find a cut-and-dry list of dos and don'ts in the scriptures. They're just not there. Why do you think that is? And why do you think that's relevant? Because we still need these applications. We need to be thinking about what to do, how we're going to actually put these principles into action. But if nobody is telling you what to do, then how are you going to figure it out? Let's look at this week's reading for a minute. Turn with me to 2 Chronicles chapter 15. In verse two, the prophet tells King Asa that if he and the people of Judah will seek the Lord and try to follow him, that they will be blessed. So what do they decide to do? How do they apply that promise? Let's read verse 12, and this is on my free worksheet this week, or you could just open up your Bible. Verse 12 says this, "And they entered into a covenant to seek the Lord God of their fathers with all their heart and with all their soul." Did the prophet tell them to make a covenant? No, he told them to seek the Lord, meaning try to follow His commandments and do things His way. In some of the other verses that didn't fit on the worksheet, it talks about how the king and the people got rid of the idols, and they renewed the altar and made sacrifices. And they decided, all on their own it appears, that they wanted to make a covenant. And what was that covenant? They covenanted to seek Him with all their heart and all their soul. Don't you just love that? They took the truth that blessings are tied to obedience, and they decided that those blessings seemed worth it to them. They exercised their faith, and they made a plan for how they would follow through, and then they did it. If the to-do list was the only important thing, then the church probably wouldn't have taken away the specific guidelines that we had 20, 30, 50, 100 years ago. And this is because, how I live the gospel in my own life today is different from how I lived it in the past, and it's different from how you and every other person may choose to live it. For example, for some people, applying the principle of prayer this week might look like saying a prayer before they eat their breakfast as they drive to work. For other people, it might mean saying a prayer in their head a few times a day as they face their challenges. For someone else, it might mean praying before bed instead of going straight to sleep. And none of these specific ways that you might pray or add prayer to your day are, better or worse or more important than others. It's just that different people are going to apply this principle… in different ways. So if you are waiting for me to tell you what to do this week- or any other week really- you are going to be very disappointed by what I say next. I can never, ever tell you how to apply the gospel in your own life. Your job is to learn the doctrines, learn the principles, learn about Jesus Christ as much as you can, and then pray about how you can apply those principles and doctrines. Ponder it and listen to your heart and the whisperings of the Spirit, and make your own choices and make your own plan and follow through. Do you remember what it said in For the Strength of Youth book? Your spiritual growth is personal, and it is your responsibility. In April, 2024, Elder Dale G. Renlund gave a talk in general conference titled "The Powerful Virtuous Cycle of the Doctrine of Christ." And he talked about how living the doctrine, which isn't that what we're talking about? How we are applying the truths and principles of the gospel? That living the doctrine needs to be done in three ways. Number one, repeatedly, which means doing it over and over again. Number two, iteratively, which means keep getting a tiny bit better every time you try again. And number three, intentionally, meaning we don't just do things because they're a habit, but that we are actively choosing how we will live. President Nelson and other general authorities have repeatedly asked us to, quote, "Do the spiritual work" that is necessary to learn how the Holy Ghost speaks to us. Do the work to build your testimony. Do the spiritual work to build a firm foundation, to receive revelation, to see miracles. Do the spiritual work to change your hearts and to become more like Jesus. It is work. You have to put the effort in, or you will not see and feel the blessings and the promptings that the Lord really, really wants to give you. Now, even though it is work, it doesn't take a lot to start the process. Here are the steps that you need to take. Be sincere as you ponder, and ask for guidance on what you should strive to do next. Then act on the ideas that come to you. It's that simple. Did you hear it? Let me repeat it. First of all, ponder what you're going to do, and be sincere as you ponder. Ask for guidance on what you should strive for next, and act on the ideas that come. You might be unsure if it's your own idea or the Spirit telling you what to do, but as long as it is in line with the doctrine and principles of the gospel, then it actually doesn't matter if it's your own idea, or if it came directly from the Spirit. In fact, the Spirit will often say to me,"You already know what you need to do." And then I say, "I know, I know." And then I move forward and act on what I already know needs to be done. And that's one of the ways that the Spirit works, by saying, "Don't you know this already?" The Lord wants us to put forth the effort, and sometimes he wants us to move forward with our own good ideas. As you discover truths and principles in the scriptures, I hope you will be very, very intentional about looking for ways that you can get better, even if it's just a teeny tiny bit better as you strive to live them. Heavenly Father wants to help you. And remember that he doesn't command us to do anything that he won't help us to accomplish, and this absolutely includes applying gospel doctrine and principles in our lives every single day. So pray for his help, think about it, be sincere, and and move forward. He has said, "Ask and you shall receive. Seek and you shall find. Knock and it will be opened unto you." I don't know how or when the Lord will answer your prayers, I don't know what He might ask you to work on this week, but I know that He keeps His promises. I also know that the point of scripture study is not just to increase our knowledge, but it is to become. Heavenly Father wants us to become the very best version of ourselves that we can, and Jesus Christ has invited us to become like him. Having a to-do list will be less effective at helping you become your best self, unless it is rooted in the doctrines and principles of the gospel of Jesus Christ. So learn everything you can about Jesus. Learn the doctrines as much as you can. Find those principles, and then decide how you will put them in action. Because without the action, it's just knowledge floating around in your brain. When you put it to work, then you can become, and being able to return to live with Heavenly Father someday is the point of the whole plan, not just of scripture study, but it's the point of everything! Come back next week and we'll do more tips and tricks to improve your scripture study. I'm Cindy Young, and this is Primarily Scripture. 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