HOW IT WORKS → Study & Mark
A Simple Way to Study Christ Together
Why we begin with study
Thriving individuals, families and communities grow from a shared understanding of Jesus Christ. Before structures or programs, we begin with frequent (idealy daily) consistent focused personal study, learning who Christ is, what He taught, and how His gospel shapes life. Study creates a shared language and a shared center. Daily personal and family study of the word of God are key.
What to Study
Study the scriptures! Many of us study a few minutes on our own, and then a few minutes as a family. Depth is more important than breadth.
A great resource is Come Follow Me. Study the actual words of God, Christ and His prophets in the scriptures. You can listen to other faithful voices share their faith.
Do you like podcasts? At We Believe App you'll find a Buffett of options to commentary (Old Testament 2026, New Testament, 2027, Book of Mormon 2028, Doctrine and Covenants 2029, restart the cycle). So now is a great time to start!
OR Level Up and Become a Pro!
You can also study the scripture's with such intention and order to become a master of doctrine, of principles and applications, using our Ultimate Scripture Mastery System: Preach My Gospel 2.0
What “Study & Mark” means
Study & Mark is simply The Joy Standard's way of studying the gospel of Jesus Christ using the structure found in Preach My Gospel which highlights (in our Joy Standard Wholistic Vocab) (1) God is real and cares about you (2) His Mindset for you: The Plan (3) His attitude for you: The Gospel of Jesus Christ (4) His Lifestyle for you: becoming Lifelong Disciples of Jesus Christ. It consists of a bookmark outlining the key teachings in each of the 4 overarching topics, and a list of scriptures for each of those teachings and its components.
It works well for:
- Anyone studying and learning about Jesus Christ
- individuals or families wanting deeper gospel study
- people preparing to serve a mission
- those taking (or considering) the missionary discussions who want a tangible scripture system
- anyone who wants to share the gospel more clearly
- It’s not complicated, and it’s not rigid. It’s just a clear way to stay centered on Christ.
A simple structure
The study follows the four core missionary lessons:
1. the Restoration
2. the Plan of Salvation
3. the Gospel of Jesus Christ
4. Lifelong Discipleship
Together, they give a complete picture of who Christ is and how His gospel works in real life.
Marking helps learning stick
Marking scriptures helps people recognize patterns, remember key teachings, and feel more confident when studying or sharing the gospel. We use a simple marking guide to make study easier and more familiar over time. We have a suggested color coding system to help bring out key ideas.
"Obsessed is an understatement! This marking system is legit so incredible. I love it so so much. I am now using it to mark up my Mandarin Book of Mormon. So useful and so organized. With the lessons and principles in order it is easy to whip out a scripture quickly and to have access to preach my gospel references is beyond valuable as a missionary. So many people in the MTC asked me about this system. Even in my reassignment a recent returning member asked me to mark up their scriptures with this system. So helpful and so amazing! With love from Australia! " - Sister Harmon
An open invitation
If you’d like, you can study these lessons with missionaries of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Many people find it helpful to learn through conversation and questions. They can help you get a physical copy to mark and study. We recommend it for anyone at any place in their journey.
This is always an invitation, never an obligation.
How to start
Begin where you are.
Pray to the Father in the name of Jesus Christ.
Study alone, with your family, or with others.
Move at a pace that feels right.
Christ meets people sincerely seeking Him.
