Ending

It might be backwards to start from the end but in this case, it is most important. I am coming to an end of reading the Book of Mormon. It's not the first time I've read it; it's not even the first time I've read through on my own. But despite that, it's the first time I've let it influence me so deeply.

Background:

While preparing and planning for summer institute in my small YSA branch, several of us agreed the topic to teach would be from the manual Scripture Study-The Power of the Word. It had been a desire of mine to learn how to know the scriptures better than I did because I wanted to be a spiritual example. I was reading but not taking time to let it sink in and touch my heart.

So summer began. I was close to finishing the BoM from personal (yet lacking) reading. Learning from the lessons given by really good guest teachers and dedicating myself by making myself accountable to a friend, I started the BoM again. I made a point to look for insights I could share when my friend and I talked about the days reading.

It was life changing. 

All of a sudden my mind, heart, and spirit were reading and learning from this wonderful book. I made connections with previous day's readings and marking my scriptures like crazy. I could then start referring to recent readings during church and institute lessons.

When school started back up for me, I was a lot busier and no longer talked with my friend about the readings. I now did it because I wanted to know everything there was to know about the scriptures. The people, the prophets, the cities, the genealogy, the time passing, and the words of The Lord. 

When I hit 3rd Nephi, I was excited to apply my new scripture understanding skills to reading the words of my Saviors ministry to the Nephites after his resurrection. How blessed I am to have those words. How blessed I am to have all the words written in the Book of Mormon.

I am looking forward to sharing the insights, questions, and just general knowledge I will gain when I start the Book of Mormon over again this coming week. I would also like to bare my testimony of how much I love my Lord and Savior for providing a way for us to know bout the history of the promised land. I feel so blessed from the experience of reading it, this time especially. I thank The Lord for technology that allows me to have the scriptures on my phone and this blogging/journaling to write my thoughts for others and my future self. I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.