Principles of Procedure

1. Any study of spiritual matters must be approached prayerfully, and with a mind open to receive truth when it is found. Personal prejudices and preconceived ideas must be set aside if they do not harmonize with the truth that one discovers.APAY 451.4

2. Both the Bible and the Ellen White writings must be included in any study so that one may be certain that all his knowledge is in accord with Scripture.APAY 452.1

3. A thorough study must be made of all relevant material so that nothing is overlooked that would contribute to an understanding of the topic.APAY 452.2

4. Each statement or passage must be considered in its context, so that its meaning will be rightly represented.APAY 452.3

5. The principles involved in any instruction should be discovered, so that they may be applied in varied situations or circumstances.APAY 452.4

It will be worth while to refer again to chapter 23, which deals in a general way with principles of study but does not outline a step-by-step procedure for the development of a study topic.APAY 452.5

It is beneficial to have in mind a general pattern by which one may be guided as he studies. The remainder of this chapter will be devoted to the development of a topic according to one of the many plans of procedure that might be followed. Here are some of the many topics that might be chosen for study. Most of the subjects have a number of phases, any one of which would be worth investigation.APAY 452.6