- Conversation started Tuesday
- Today
- Jill,
- Let me give you a little back story on me. At 15 years old Brother Allison my seminary teacher challenged me to read my Book of Mormon everyday. I made a promise to him that I would, that first commitment changed my life. I am now 36 years old and I have read the Book of Mormon everyday for the last 21 years. The Book of Mormon has been my solace. I have gone to the pages every time I have a problem or need counsel. The pages speak to me in a very real way. I love it. I have loved reading it these last 21 years. That being said I feel very familiar with the Book of Mormon. I feel like I have a good understanding of the teachings and the people. When Elder Tate issued this challenge he committed us before he issued the challenge. I knew that just like my promise to Brother Allison this was something I had to do. I knew it would be hard. Two years ago my husband and I read the Book of Mormon once in 27 days. It was hard then. I knew that three times in three months would be very difficult. Especially because the challenge was given on October 27, 2013. I knew that I would be trying to focus on this all while doing Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years; not to mention being in the Stake YW's and my husband serving in the Bishopric and having two children that have school and their needs to be met. The reading took any where from and hour to an hour and half a day (18 pages a day, we read 20 to keep a cushion in case of a bad day where maybe we couldn't read the full 18). When your reading it out loud with your sweetheart that means that you read early in the morning or very late at night. Well we started and the first time through; we highlighted everything in yellow that referred to God the Father. While reading about God the Father and the way He deals with His children I was deeply touched by his compassion and mercy. I knew I was His daughter and that He loved me and was aware of me. The second time through we were asked to mark in red every reference to Jesus Christ and any saving doctrines. This experience was truly eye opening. I have always known that the Book of Mormon teaches a lot about the Savior and the atonement, repentance, etc. but seeing it in red and seeing the very visual red representing his blood that was shed for me, was overwhelming to say the least. How much He did for each of us. How much He truly loved me. What He sacrificed for me. Also reading it out loud while reading so rapidly it came to life in a way that can only be understood by doing it. The people became a part of me. They became real. Their lives and why they lived the way they did became so much more clear to me. I felt like I was reading a journal from a relative. They were a part of me. The third and final time through we were asked to mark in blue anything personal to us. On this last challenge my husband and I decided to read this on our own. We wanted to really focus on what the Lord wanted for us individually. This last challenge was my favorite. Maybe it was because the other two prepared me so well for the final read and I had become so familiar with the people while reading it out loud. I'm not sure exactly why, other than I felt the Lord sitting beside me. He whispered very personal promptings. He comforted me with my deepest struggles. Passages that never spoke to me before jumped off the pages. I knew I was a daughter of God and that I matter. I knew that my heartaches were His heartaches. I received counsel on how to raise my children better. I had more patience. I learned where my priorities should be. How much time I really have to give to Lord. How important it is to not just read but to study. That time in the scriptures is what matters. It's the quality of our scripture study, not the quantity. How important it is to keep a record. How much the Father wants us to rely on Him and to remain faithful and that by doing so He will not leave us comfortless. He will bare our burdens; that even we cannot feel them upon our backs. He wants to take away our sorrow; that is the very purpose of the Atonement of Jesus Christ. I learned to come to Him. I learned the Book of Mormon is the very word of God. The Book of Mormon is true! God is our Father. Jesus is the Christ; the very literal Son of God. He Atoned for our sins so we could become like Him and return home to our Father. The people in the Book of Mormon really lived on this earth and many of them sacrificed all so we could have this very sacred and holy book. Read it, learn from it, love it. This challenged changed my life for the better. I have already started reading it again for a fourth time focusing again on the personal. I am forever grateful for Elder Tate and issuing a hard challenge that helped me to grow, strengthened me, and showed me once again how much I truly love the Book of Mormon. It is true; of that I testify. In the name of Jesus Christ my Savior, Amen.
Wednesday, January 22, 2014
The Book of Mormon Challenge
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