Read the Book of Mormon

Starting this Sunday, Gospel Doctrine classes will be studying the Book of Mormon, and will do so throughout 2012. Exciting, isn't it? Most likely, you have not received a study guide yet, so you'll have to be proactive--here's the link to what will be covered in Sunday School on New Year's Day.

I don't have any jokes or weird tangents to go along with this lesson, but don't worry, I plan on sticking to my normal format going forward in my weekly Sunday School posts. I'm also working on a new serialized feature inspired by the Book of Mormon that I've been planning in my head for almost two years, that I hope to finally debut sometime in January.

But I'll take this chance to say that, no matter how lighthearted of an approach I may take on my blog, I sincerely believe in the scriptures and love to read them, especially the Book of Mormon. I agree with the testimony given by President Gordon B. Hinckley when, in August 2005, he challenged all members of the LDS Church to read the entire Book of Mormon by the end of that year:

Without reservation I promise you...regardless of how many times you may have previously read the Book of Mormon, there will come into your lives and into your homes an added measure of the Spirit of the Lord, a strengthened resolution to walk in obedience to His commandments, and a stronger testimony of the living reality of the Son of God.

 At General Conference a few months later, Elder Henry B. Eyring gave some great counsel to those trying to complete the challenge that is very applicable to us as we begin studying the Book of Mormon again. After repeating the above quote from Pres. Hinckley, he said:

That is the very promise of increased faith we need to be spiritually prepared. But if we delayed the start of our obedience to that inspired invitation, the number of pages we had to read each day grew larger. If we then missed reading for even a few days, the chance of failure grew. That's why I chose to read ahead of my daily plan to be sure I will qualify for the promised blessings of the spirit of resolution and testimony of Jesus Christ. When December ends, I will have learned about starting at the moment a command from God comes and being steady in obedience.

More than that, as I read in the Book of Mormon, I will pray that the Holy Ghost will help me know what God would have me do. There is a promise of that plea being answered in the book itself: "Wherefore, I said unto you, feast upon the words of Christ; for behold, the words of Christ will tell you all things what ye should do.^"

I will act quickly on what the Holy Ghost tells me I should do as I read and ponder the Book of Mormon. When I complete the project in December, I will have had many experiences of stretching my faith to be obedient. And so my faith will be strengthened. And I will know from my own experience what comes from going to the scriptures early and consistently to know what God wants me to do and then doing it. If we do that, we will be better prepared for the greater storms when they come.

We will then have a choice of what to do after January 1. We can choose to sigh with relief and say to ourselves: "I have built a great reservoir of faith by starting early and being steady in obedience. I will store it away against the times when I will be tested in storms." There is a better way to prepare, because great faith has a short shelf life. We could decide to persist in studying the words of Christ in the scriptures and the teachings of living prophets. This is what I will do. I will go back to the Book of Mormon and drink deeply and often. And then I will be grateful for what the prophet's challenge and promise did to teach me how to gain greater faith and maintain it.

 If you've read the Book of Mormon before, I hope you will make it a point to read and study it again this year. If you've never read it, now is a great time to start. It's really easy to get a copy. If you have any questions, please ask.