sisters at the well

 
 

Sisters at the Well is a source for scripture study materials for women.  Designed to be used in a group setting of LDS women, each study covers one book or section of scripture in depth.  There are studies in the Book of Exodus, the Book of Acts, the Book of Mosiah, the The Doctrine & Covenants, Joshua and Judges, the Gospel of Luke and the current study: “Book of Mormon: The Final Chapters.” This is a cycle of two years of study for each of the Standard Works: Old Testament, New Testament, Book of Mormon, and Doctrine and Covenants. Each year’s study actually lasts 4-6 months, depending upon how often your group meets.


The study consists of Reading Questions that guide a sister’s personal scripture study through the word of God.  The questions encourage a slow, thorough reading of the text, and the materials provide space to write down answers as you find them in your reading.  The discipline of writing your answers down is a very important part of the process. Don’t use outside study materials before the first read-through and answering of the questions.


Our goal is to give women confidence that they can read the word of God and through their own prayerful study, find meaning and answers for their lives.


After finding, through your own study, what something means to you, then you may still be interested in learning more by digging into other sources. That’s great, we encourage it and do it ourselves--just don’t shortchange your own growth by going to outside sources too early. First see what you get from from prayerful reliance on the spirit and the basic helps available in the LDS version of the scriptures.


By coming to the scriptures prayerfully, with a willingness to ponder and think about the material, you will gain your own insights and will feel the Lord talking to you.


In our meetings we should be sharing what we found for ourselves. You will find this sharing creates a wonderful bond with your sisters in the gospel.


The questions of this study encourage the ‘likening” process of applying scripture to our personal lives. What we learn from such a study will be more precious to us than the insights we receive passively from others without thinking it through on our own.


After the written work is done, the sisters get together and share their answers and insights.  When we meet and share our thoughts, we are knit together in love and strengthened.  There is no teacher at these meetings but a group leader whose job is to keep things moving and end on time! These meetings are wonderful.  You can get a lot out of this study  if do it by yourself, but you will really love it if you  share in a group meeting.


Some of the studies come with Study Notes available on the website. These are not intended as scripture commentaries. These notes summarize the material studied, offer historical or cultural clarifications that may be helpful, and primarily share the insights gleaned as a group by our sisters . Even these should not be used until after you have written your answers and shared them in a group meeting.


There is no manual of the type we are used to in Gospel Doctrine, Seminary or Institute classes.  That is because we have a very specific goal in mind--to encourage sisters to find living water for their own lives through their personal study.   We hope this study will give sisters confidence in learning how to use the basic tools available in the LDS scriptures, and the spiritual tools that are our birthright in the gospel of Jesus Christ.   You don’t have to have advanced degrees in order to “come unto Christ” through His word.  Slow, careful reading and a determination to make scripture study a regular part of your life is all you need to begin this great adventure. 


To learn more about setting up a group study in your area, click on the Study Group Guide link.

 

“Therefore with joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation.”

Isaiah 12:3 & 2 Nephi 22:3


Leader Guidelines are now up on the website! Click above...


New Email Address: lyndaandsallie@gmail.com

 

Comments from Sisters

             contact us at:  sistersatthewell@mac.com

                     We Welcome Your Comments!


“I have been meeting in Mary's scripture group and have had never had an experience with the scriptures like I have with this study guide. I have always attended Institute, Church and done my own personal scripture study along with prayer, but nothing has brought me so close to my Savior and even Paul like this scripture study has. I have felt such a great love and appreciation for him and even find myself thinking of Paul's great courage and missionary example as I go through my days. After each meeting as a group, I also feel so much more strengthened by the sister's in our group's insight and a bond with them. It has just been such an amazing experience and I really don't know how to thank you. I do have to say that as we get closer to the end of the study it makes me sad though (I keep begging Mary to get you to do more :), but of course I understand that it takes a lot of your time) So, again I just want to thank you for your time and love for our Savior.                                                                         I know that this study guide has not only brought me, but many other sisters closer to our Heavenly Father and to have a greater love for the scriptures. Thank you!! “ 


A sister from Southern California


“When we began Joshua & Judges you had us all write down what we wanted get from the experience. I have kept the list and one of the things I wrote was that I wanted to find help in the scriptures for my life. However at the time I really didn’t think that reading about the children of Israel, hundreds of years before the birth of Christ would have any relevance to me and the things that I am experiencing. How wrong I was! Every week there has been something that has had direct application to me.”         A sister from Highland Utah


“A sister in our ward, Sebrina W., heard about the group through her mother I think. If I remember right she grew up in your area.  Anyway she started a group on her own, it went so well, other women heard about it and expressed their interest.  She then through the support of our RS Presidency,  put the word out through RS enrichment.  She then passed around a sign up sheet for anyone else who was interested....with that she made up 4 other groups....so we have 5 in our ward right now that meet at different times and days.  I am the leader of the group that meets in my home every Wednesday.  I think every group meets weekly and are all having the great experience that my group is having.  This in turn is drawing the women in our ward closer as sisters....it is wonderful.

First of all just let me tell you how much I love this experience of reading and then discussing with other Sisters in my ward the scriptures.  I can honestly say I look forward to every Wednesday when we meet to be enlightened and feel the Spirit.  The thing that I wasn't expecting was how much I have grown to love the women in this group....we knew each other before we formed this group but I genuinely love these women now, because we are sharing our life experiences, our trials, and most importantly our testimonies of our Savior and of the scriptures!  Having taught Seminary for about 9 years I also love how you have taken the new teaching emphasis and put it into action in your lessons....that of explaining, sharing, and testifying.  I don't know if that was a conscious idea but it also solidifies for me a personal testimony of what the Brethren have asked us to do!  Thank you for being the tool for so many great things happening in our ward and in my own personal life!”

Pam Eynon, Corona. CA

                                                                     

“I have really enjoyed scripture study this year. I found once I got over the feeling that it was beyond my comprehension and just took it a little at a time and pondered both the scripture and the question I was able to achieve new understnding.  This happened between lessons 6 and 7.  I really started thinking deeply and if I didn’t know an answer I would circle it and think on it. I found I started to “hunger” for my time with the scriptures and felt I was reading the New Testament for the very first time! “          

Laura Waldron

Alamo, California

 


“I love the notes and questions you and Sallie have created.  I love the whole thing.  It is amazing the clarity and understanding I have gained by doing this, and the way you give confidence that we can search the scriptures and gain our own insights and inspiration.  Sebrina has started a group in her ward in Corona, and they love it!”


Ann Robinson

Danville, Ca



“Thanks so much to both of you for helping me think deeply on the scriptures.  Last week I had a day I didn't read.  Later that day I was called upon to help someone in need and although I helped them I wasn't in tune to see what I could have done that would have helped them in a better way.  So, I know that daily reading is a sure way to invite the Spirit of our Heavenly Father into our lives for our temporal well being as well as our physical well being.  A day or two later, I did read, I received a call and then was prompted to do something for a different person that did make a difference."


A California Sister















































































© Frank Brueske     frankbrueske..com


Painting by Gretchen Ryan

The Authors: Sallie Poet has a master’s degree in education and a masters in painting.She has always been a master teacher and has shared her special gifts as a Seminary teacher, gospel doctrine teacher for many years, ESL teacher and college English teacher. Sallie is in her element illuminating things. An accomplished artist, two of her oil paintings hang in the Relief Society building in Salt Lake. She has given many workshops on how to study the scriptures. Check out her oil paintings at the top of the Exodus and Mosiah pages. She lives in Highland, Utah. Lynda Wilson is a teacher and published author and poet. She is also a veteran of seminary teaching and multiple stints as gospel doctrine and R.S. teacher. Wrote “The Innkeeper’s Wife: The Rest of the Christmas Story,” published by Deseret Book. She is the wife of Elder Larry Y. Wilson of the Seventy and resides in North Salt Lake. We wish you well in your personal study of God’s word. The authors can bear their personal testimony of the great worth of spending time in God’s word. Too many women avoid personal scripture study because they think it must be done by a professor, seminary teacher, or some other expert in order to ‘get it right.’ It is our strong conviction that studying with too great an emphasis on discovering the one true interpretation of every verse of scripture will only sap your confidence and make you less likely to spend time in the scriptures. That, of course, doesn’t mean that you get to make up your own doctrine. But it does mean that God can talk to your unique situation through His word. If you are to make your study a living relationship with the Living Author of the scriptures, you must believe that He will talk to you about your life through His word. You must also believe that a close and careful reading of the words of scripture themselves will produce your own insights that will be valuable and meaningful to you because you found them.