[Teachldsseminary] QUESTION: Keywords for SM

[Ken Alford]

Debbie asked which set of scripture mastery keywords
teachers should be using...

As commonly used in a Seminary context, keywords are usually
one or more words used to summarize key doctrines or principles
found in the text of a scripture mastery scripture.

Keywords, by definition, are "a word exemplifying the meaning
or value... a significant word ...used as an index to content."
(Merrian Webster's Online Dictionary.)

The importance of keywords is that they can help many students
better learn to associate scriptural teachings and scripture
references.

I am not certain when the first list of scripture mastery keywords
was released, but I do know that in the 1980s CES issued a
set of keywords for each Seminary year (which was not too long
after the set of 160 scripture mastery keywords were trimmed
to 100 -- 25 for each year).  Those keywords have appeared
in a wide variety of media -- including the Seminary folders that
have been released for several years by CES.

The "keyword situation" became a little confused in 2004 when
CES released a new plastic bookmark that contains all
100 scripture mastery scriptures.  These bookmarks contain
all 100 scripture mastery references, but the "keywords" printed
on the bookmark are different than previously printed CES lists.

The 2004 bookmark scripture summaries tend to be longer and
less mnemonic in nature than the previous CES keyword list.

In comparing the 2004 bookmark scripture summaries to the
original CES scripture mastery keyword list -- some keyword
summaries are the same, some are a little different, and many
of them are very different (generally being longer).

Here is an example of a big change between the original CES
keywords and the 2004 bookmark summary:

    D&C 76:22-24
    -----------------------------------
    * Original CES Keywords:  Christ Lives
    *  2004 Bookmark:  Joseph Smith and Sidney Ridgon saw Jesus Christ

Here is an example of a small change:

    D&C 1:37-38
    -----------------------------------
    * Original CES Keywords:  Search the Scriptures
    *  2004 Bookmark:  Search these commandments

And, here is an example of no change (between the two lists):

    D&C 8:2-3
    -----------------------------------
    * Original CES Keywords:  Spirit of Revelation
    *  2004 Bookmark:  Spirit of Revelation

I have checked with several CES coordinators and have been told
that there is not currently any "official Seminary scripture mastery
keyword" list -- which means that individual teachers may choose
to use whatever keyword list works best for their students (unless
they receive different guidance from their local CES coordinator).

In addition to the two lists from CES, there are also numerous
other keyword lists that individual teachers have created.
There are several rhyming lists (some of which rhyme better
than others), one-word lists, and other alternate keyword lists
that seem to surface from time-to-time.  (The keywords, for
example, that appear on the oversized cardboard scripture
mastery posters from a commercial company in Utah use
their own scripture mastery keywords.)

Keywords can be used as an effective "mental hook" to help
students learn the scripture mastery scriptures.  They can also
be used in a wide variety of games, memorization activities, and
scripture-based activities.  (Additional information about scripture
mastery-based activities is available online at www.KenAlford.com)

Best wishes,

Ken Alford
Springfield, Virginia



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