The Doctrine Library: Free Doctrine Sketch Notes for Seminary, Sunday School, Primary and Home

Every teacher knows the feeling. The lesson is Sunday, the chapter is long, and the class has about twelve minutes of attention to give. What stays with people afterward is rarely the reading. It is the one true principle they understood, a verse they can say back, and a picture in their mind that holds the two together.

That is what the Weak Things Doctrine Library is built for. It is a free set of 45 hand-drawn doctrine sketch notes, organized under the nine Doctrinal Mastery topics and taught by four witnesses: the Old Testament, the New Testament, the Book of Mormon and the Doctrine and Covenants. It is made for anyone who teaches or learns the gospel: seminary teachers, Sunday School and Primary teachers, parents, students and future missionaries.

Open the Doctrine Library →

What is in the Doctrine Library?

What you get	Details
Doctrines	45, one sketch note set each
Topics	The 9 Doctrinal Mastery topics, from the Godhead to the Commandments
Witnesses	A passage from each of the four books of scripture for every doctrine
Pages	3 drawn pages per doctrine: Sketch it out, Look closer, Study and discuss
Student version	Blanks, writing lines and drawing spaces. Free to download.
Teacher version	Answers highlighted, possible responses and talking points. Free with your email.
Complete library	All 45 doctrines in one printable 135-page PDF, teacher or student
Come, Follow Me 2027	Each doctrine shows the New Testament weeks it supports, with one-tap links

One doctrine, three drawn pages

Every doctrine follows the same three-page path. Once a class has used one, they know exactly where to look on the next.

1. Sketch it out. A drawn overview: the doctrine, a scripture story told in four panels and the key ideas in pictures. For Baptism, the story is Jesus being baptized at the Jordan.
2. Look closer. Almost all drawings: the same doctrine shown in each book of scripture, its symbols and a space for students to draw.
3. Study and discuss. The doctrine statement, its Doctrinal Mastery passages, the four witnesses, discussion questions, a real-life scenario and a QR code to a general conference talk.

Four witnesses for every doctrine

Paul taught that "in the mouth of two or three witnesses shall every word be established" (2 Corinthians 13:1). The Doctrine Library takes that pattern literally. Each doctrine gathers one witness from each book of scripture, so students see the same truth taught in four voices, across thousands of years.

This is also why the library works every year. The four witnesses mean a doctrine is just as useful during a New Testament year as a Book of Mormon or Doctrine and Covenants year. Print it once and teach it again in the next rotation.

All 45 doctrines, by topic

The library follows the nine topics of the Doctrinal Mastery Core Document used in seminary. Every doctrine below opens straight to its card, where you can download the student or teacher PDF.

Doctrinal Mastery topic	Doctrine sketch notes
1. The Godhead	Heavenly Father’s Love, Jesus Christ, the Son of God, The Holy Ghost
2. Plan of Salvation	Premortal Life, Agency and the Fall, Death and Resurrection, Judgment and Glory, The Second Coming
3. Atonement of Jesus Christ	The Atonement and Grace, Faith in Jesus Christ, Repentance, He Knows My Pains, Born Again
4. Restoration	Apostasy and Restoration, Scripture and the Book of Mormon, The Gathering of Israel
5. Prophets and Revelation	Prophets and Apostles, Personal Revelation, Testimony
6. Priesthood and Priesthood Keys	Priesthood Authority, Church Organization
7. Ordinances and Covenants	Baptism, The Gift of the Holy Ghost, The Sacrament, The Covenant Path, Temples
8. Marriage and Family	Families and Teaching at Home, Marriage and Chastity
9. Commandments	Love and Charity, Obedience, Prayer, Fasting and the Poor, Tithing and Consecration, Humility and Pride, Forgiveness, Sharing the Gospel, Becoming Like Christ, Spiritual Gifts, Unity and Zion, Hope in Trials, Resisting Temptation, Honesty and Integrity, Gratitude and Worship, The Word of Wisdom, The Sabbath Day

Why sketch notes help doctrine stick

The Doctrine Library was designed around a few of the best-supported findings in learning science. None of them are gimmicks. They are simple habits that help people remember what matters.

Drawing beats rereading

In studies at the University of Waterloo, people who drew a word remembered it far better than people who wrote it out, and the quality of the drawing did not matter (Wammes, Meade and Fernandes, 2016). That is why every student page leaves space to draw, and why stick figures are welcome.

Pictures and words together

Allan Paivio's dual coding theory holds that we store words and images on two linked channels. A short phrase beside a simple drawing gives memory two paths back to the same idea.

Recall it, do not just review it

Pulling an answer out of memory strengthens it more than looking at it again. In a well-known study, students who practiced recalling a passage remembered more a week later than students who simply restudied it (Roediger and Karpicke, 2006). The blanks on every student sheet turn each lesson into gentle retrieval practice.

Space it out and come back

Learning spread over time lasts longer than cramming, a finding confirmed across hundreds of experiments (Cepeda and colleagues, 2006). A major review of study techniques rated practice testing and spaced practice the two most useful strategies for students (Dunlosky and colleagues, 2013). Each doctrine returns several times during the year in the weekly lessons, and again in every Come, Follow Me year after.

Teach in the Savior's way

Teaching in the Savior's Way invites teachers to focus on Jesus Christ, teach the doctrine and invite diligent learning. The sketch notes keep the Savior at the center of each doctrine, put the scriptures in learners' hands and end with a question that asks them to act.

How to use the Doctrine Library

Seminary teachers

Use page 1 as a five-minute opener and page 3 for Doctrinal Mastery practice. Each card lists its memorization passage, and the teacher version gives possible responses to every discussion question. Pair a doctrine with Line upon Line to memorize the passage, or review it with Seminary Showdown on the classroom screen. Our guide to the 24 New Testament Doctrinal Mastery passages is a good companion.

Sunday School teachers (youth and adult)

Choose the doctrine linked to your week on the Come, Follow Me 2027 page, print the student version for the class and teach from the teacher version. The "Look closer" page gives adults something to dig into, and the four witnesses invite class members to share verses from the books they know best.

Primary teachers

Older Primary children love the drawings. Show page 1 on a tablet, read the key verse together, and let children copy one drawing into the blank space. For younger classes, pick a single picture from the page and tell its story. Many doctrines link to a narrated picture story, such as Stories of Jesus, that makes an easy opening.

Parents and home study

Put one page on the fridge for the week. Read the doctrine statement at dinner, ask a discussion question on the drive to school, and on Sunday have each person explain the doctrine in their own words. Families and Teaching at Home is a natural first set.

Students

Print the student version and fill it in yourself before class. Draw your own pictures, write the memorization passage from memory, and check your answers against the teacher version later. That small act of recall is what makes it stick.

Future missionaries

Missionaries teach doctrine simply, with scriptures, to people who have never heard it. Practice with Faith in Jesus Christ, Repentance, Baptism, The Gift of the Holy Ghost, Apostasy and Restoration and Sharing the Gospel. Practice explaining each one in your own words in under a minute, using its four witnesses, then keep going with the Prepare to Share Strong mission prep workbook.

A 15-minute lesson from one doctrine set

1. Open with the picture (2 minutes). Show page 1 and ask, "What do you notice?"
2. Read the four witnesses (4 minutes). Assign one book to each group and have them read their verse aloud.
3. Find the common truth (3 minutes). Ask what all four verses teach. Compare it with the doctrine statement on page 3.
4. Apply it (4 minutes). Read the real-life scenario on page 3 and discuss what a disciple would say or do.
5. Recall it (2 minutes). Close the sheet and have everyone say or write the memorization passage.

Free for everyone

Student versions are free to download, no sign-up needed. Teacher versions, with highlighted answers and talking points, are free too: enter your email once and every teacher button on the page unlocks on your device, along with the complete 135-page library in one file. You will also receive the free weekly Come, Follow Me email with the coming week's resources. We never sell or share your email.

Unlock the free teacher versions →

Matched to Come, Follow Me 2027

Every doctrine card shows the New Testament weeks it supports, and each week's page on our Come, Follow Me 2027 hub shows its doctrines. For example, Baptism supports January 18–24 (Matthew 3; Mark 1; Luke 3), and Jesus Christ, the Son of God appears from the first week of the year to Christmas. These pairings are our suggestions to help you plan, not an official Church schedule.

Frequently asked questions

Are the doctrine sketch notes official Church materials?

No. They are independent study aids made by Weak Things, a small family business. They quote the scriptures and point to official resources on ChurchofJesusChrist.org.

How much do they cost?

Nothing. Student versions are free to download, and teacher versions are free with your email address.

What ages are they for?

The sketch notes are written for seminary-age youth, and they work well for adults and older Primary children. Younger children enjoy the drawings with a parent or teacher reading along.

Can I print them for my class?

Yes. They are made for personal, family and classroom use. Print as many copies as your class needs.

Will they work in years other than the New Testament?

Yes. Each doctrine draws on all four books of scripture, so it fits every year of the Come, Follow Me rotation.

How is the Savior shown in the drawings?

Reverently and symbolically. The art uses simple symbols such as light, keys, water and a lamb rather than drawn faces.

Is this different from the general conference sketch notes?

Yes. Conference sketch notes summarize individual talks, one page each. The Doctrine Library teaches doctrines across all of scripture. They work well together: each doctrine set links to a modern witness from conference.

Browse all 45 doctrines in the Doctrine Library →