Study Editions

[truce]

When is the best time to read the Study Edition? As soon as they are released? The week of the study? A day before? Or the day of the meeting?

[Tortuga]

1 hour ago, truce said:

When is the best time to read the Study Edition? As soon as they are released? The week of the study? A day before? Or the day of the meeting?

I don't understand what you are asking...

[truce]

The study edition of the WT including study articles and secondary articles.

[trottigy]

1 hour ago, truce said:

When is the best time to read the Study Edition? As soon as they are released? The week of the study? A day before? Or the day of the meeting?

 

Yes! (both chocolate and vanilla!)

[Tortuga]

1 minute ago, trottigy said:

 

Yes! (both chocolate and vanilla!)

Agree. All of them!

Edited October 18, 2023 by Tortuga

[trottigy]

Sorry, it was a take on when someone asks you something similar. That reminds me of someone asking me, "Do you want chocolate or vanilla?" and I say, "Yes, I'll take both."

 

Best time to read the study article - ALL OF THE ABOVE!

[jwhess]

I read the magazine all the way through when it first comes out digitally.  I read all of it again later, article (or pair of articles) at a slower pace.  Sometime before the actual WT Study date I will study the one article and do the research and look up all the scriptures and watch the videos.  If I am the reader for that week, I will listen to the magazine being read to get all the pronunciations correct the evening before.

[TheKid23]

3 hours ago, truce said:

When is the best time to read the Study Edition? As soon as they are released? The week of the study? A day before? Or the day of the meeting?

I do all of the above 😅 I usually listen to them as well as read

Edited October 18, 2023 by TheKid23

[minister159]

My modus operandi is similar to John's, except I don't read all of it again later at a slower pace. An instructor at Bethel suggested that to get the full benefit from the study articles, it's good to read them as soon as they're released, then study them sometime the week of the meeting and then finally review them at the Watchtower study. That way you're taking in the spiritual food three times for better digestion and absorption. 

[truce]

1 hour ago, minister159 said:

My modus operandi is similar to John's, except I don't read all of it again later at a slower pace. An instructor at Bethel suggested that to get the full benefit from the study articles, it's good to read them as soon as they're released, then study them sometime the week of the meeting and then finally review them at the Watchtower study. That way you're taking in the spiritual food three times for better digestion and absorption. 

And I guess for better appreciation. 

[daydream]

One pioneer sister who comments a lot at meeting told us that she reads the week's watchtower a few paragraphs every day on the week leading up to the Sunday of the meeting. A great advice for persons like me with short attention span. But I guess reading the Watchtower the minute it is released has its merits too. How about preparing a mindmap to help one to meditate on the material. 

 

Spoiler

 

Edited October 19, 2023 by Imagine

[Mike047]

The study articles follow a very helpful pattern and our brothers have made them more and more easy to understand and prepare. We will be changing our approach once again starting in the Springtime when the articles have comment boxes before the paragraph. It reminds me that we used to answer the paragraphs before the reading, the opposite to what we do now, but maybe that is changing next year.

 

There has been helpful advise over the years about stud methods, including taking note of the way the magazine articles are presented. We have the helpful box preparing us for what is to come, subheadings, key texts in bold writing, secondary points in the side bar and concluding summary questions.

 

The paragraphs still follow the topical sentence structure, generally, where often the first sentence carries the point. You can try this out be picking up an article and reading the leading sentence of each paragraph. It can be a help in further getting the main point in the paragraph. 

 

The NWT bible also uses a paragraph style to present the truth. A point or a thought is presented in pericopè  style where more than one verse carries the point(s) being made. Our brothers have made studying so much easier, especially with the modern tools that we have. 

 

Thank you Jehovah for your undeserved kindness and loyal love, seen through your faithful servants on Earth.

[Tortuga]

2 minutes ago, Mike047 said:

It reminds me that we used to answer the paragraphs before the reading,

I remember that. Do you know when that changed?

[Mike047]

Richard, I'm not sure of the exact date, but I imagine you would find the information in  the book "Jehovah's Witnesses Proclaimers of God's Kingdom" which is on JW Library.

[Tortuga]

9 minutes ago, Mike047 said:

Richard, I'm not sure of the exact date, but I imagine you would find the information in  the book "Jehovah's Witnesses Proclaimers of God's Kingdom" which is on JW Library.

New Method of Conducting “Watchtower” Study https://www.jw.org/finder?wtlocale=E&docid=1977091&srctype=wol&srcid=share

[dove]

I vaguely remembered the reason they read the questions first was for the audience to look for the answer while the paragraph was being read. This article that was pointed out in paragraph 3. The way we do it now is an improvement.

[jwhess]

26 minutes ago, dove said:

I vaguely remembered the reason they read the questions first was for the audience to look for the answer while the paragraph was being read. This article that was pointed out in paragraph 3. The way we do it now is an improvement.

In early times, we asked the question in the study and waited for the answers.  After several answers, the paragraph was read as a final summary and then we went on to the next paragraph. The assumption was....that you studied the article before you came to the meeting.  The reading was just to provide review and continuity for the rest of the article.

[-Chris-]

On 10/19/2023 at 2:58 PM, Imagine said:

One pioneer sister who comments a lot at meeting told us that she reads the week's watchtower a few paragraphs every day on the week leading up to the Sunday of the meeting. A great advice for persons like me with short attention span. But I guess reading the Watchtower the minute it is released has its merits too. How about preparing a mindmap to help one to meditate on the material. 

 

  Reveal hidden contents

 

 

My mother does something like this. One page at a time. She even stops halfway through a paragraph if it spans a page. Looks up all of the scriptures and even dives into their cross references.

 

I'm doing good to scan the articles when they come out for tidbits and then study before the meeting...

[Pikachu]

14 hours ago, dove said:

The way we do it now is an improvement.

I concur. On the week of the CO, when we don't read, I don't answer as many questions. I may not even answer at all. I do study beforehand, but it takes me a while to gather my thoughts, prepare mentally, and get ready. Furthermore, I love the relaxing pace of the Watchtower study. And by having the paragraphs read over a second time, sometimes my comments even improve because I think of something to add to my previously written comment.

[daydream]

17 hours ago, Tortuga said:

New Method of Conducting “Watchtower” Study

*** w77 2/1 p. 96 New Method of Conducting “Watchtower” Study ***
There should be a number of advantages in reading the paragraphs before they are discussed. This will quickly refresh the minds of all who have studied over the lesson in advance, and in the event some have not been able to do this previous to the meeting, the reading will at least familiarize them with the material before it is discussed. Everyone will be encouraged to concentrate on the reading, rather than look ahead for the answer in the next paragraph. Those who are shy, or who are slow in organizing their thoughts, will be able to prepare better to put their words together and so gain confidence to raise their hands. There should be freer participation and fuller discussion of the finer details of the study, with emphasis on the application of key scriptures before passing on to the reading of the next paragraph.
https://www.jw.org/finder?wtlocale=E&docid=1977091&srctype=wol&srcid=share&par=4

[Mike047]

So, changes in our study style have also been 'food at the proper time' but what about the Watchtower January 2024, with study articles for March 4 - April  7. It would appear that we may be reverting to the earlier style of study, as a text box is placed before the paragraph and not after it.

 

Could there be some reference to this in part two of the AGM, coming out in December?

[Tortuga]

4 minutes ago, Mike047 said:

So, changes in our study style have also been 'food at the proper time' but what about the Watchtower January 2024, with study articles for March 4 - April  7. It would appear that we may be reverting to the earlier style of study, as a text box is placed before the paragraph and not after it.

 

Could there be some reference to this in part two of the AGM, coming out in December?

I think it's just a matter of formatting. The answer box is below the question so when the question is read during the WT Study, our answer is available and we don't have to scroll to the end of the paragraph.

[Mike047]

I think there may be more to it than that as it presents as:

 

1. Read the Question

2. Answer

3. Read the Paragraph

 

No?

[Tortuga]

13 minutes ago, Mike047 said:

I think there may be more to it than that as it presents as:

 

1. Read the Question

2. Answer

3. Read the Paragraph

 

No?

IMHO, no.

[Mike047]

Richard, you must explain IMHO, as I am not that well into acronyms