Seeing the Threads: Connecting the Old and the New in the Book of Scripture

Brothers and sisters, if you’ve ever felt like you were reading through a mountain of scripture—the Old Testament here, the New Testament there—and you kept getting stuck, wondering, “Wait, how does this connect? What was the point of all this before the Savior?” I’ve been there. It’s easy to treat the scriptures like separate textbooks, right? We read the book of Acts, we read the Book of Abraham, we read the Book of Mormon, and we file them away.

But the Spirit, bless your hearts, loves to show us the tapestry. It wants us to see the *threads*—the constant, divine thread running from Genesis right through to the Second Coming. It’s about seeing the overarching plan of salvation, the pattern that guides us back to Christ.

The Power of Contextual Reading

I recently spent some time watching a theologian discuss how deeply interconnected the scriptures are. What struck me, and what I hope helps any of you preparing for your own mission calls or simply deepening your personal study, is the emphasis on *context*. It’s not enough to just know *what* happened; we need to understand *why* it was written, and *how* it points forward.

“...making more and more of the connections between the old and the new is what led me slowly but surely to recognize that the Catholic faith is that fullness of U of biblical religion so that it's not just New Testament proof texts trying to demonstrate Doctrine it is really reading the new and the old contextually like the early church fathers did when I found that it really swept me off my feet.”

That line hit me. Reading contextually. It’s the same principle we strive for as disciples of the restored gospel. We aren't just collecting verses; we are tracing the footsteps of prophets who were pointing to the ultimate revelation—the restored gospel of Jesus Christ. The covenants made in the ancient days, the prophecies concerning the gathering, the very pattern of divine revelation—it all speaks of the Redeemer.

A Little Mission Prep Skill: Following the Thread

As we continue our journey to be better internet missionaries, I want to leave you with a small skill for your personal study time this week. When you are studying a passage—whether it’s in the Book of Mormon, the Doctrine and Covenants, or even just reading the scriptures for your personal study—ask yourself this question: “Who in this passage is being prepared for a greater revelation, or who is being pointed toward Christ?”

Don't just absorb the narrative; trace the *line of sight*. Who is the prophet looking toward? What covenant is being established that echoes a promise made centuries before? This practice moves us from passive reading to active discipleship. It helps us see the pattern of grace working across all time.

This constant effort to connect the dots is what makes the gospel so beautiful. It’s not a collection of isolated truths; it’s one unified, glorious plan orchestrated by our Heavenly Father.

Deepening the Study Together

If you feel the Spirit nudging you to dig deeper into these connections, I highly recommend diving into the discussions happening in our HolyPlaces Book Clubs. We’ve got some wonderful discussions brewing around connecting the covenants. If you’re feeling the call to study, jump into the LivingBook Social Scripture Study layer this week; sometimes a highlight or a related panel will spark the exact connection you need!

Keep studying, keep connecting, and keep letting the Spirit guide your focus. You are doing vital work, whether you are across the street from a university or across the world.