With just a little over a week left until the end of the year, I’ve been thinking a lot about President Nelson’s challenge to the sisters to read the Book of Mormon. When he gave us the challenge to read the BoM by the end of the year, it reminded me of a similar challenge President Hinckley gave to all members of the church about 15ish years ago. I was in high school, and we were studying the Book of Mormon in seminary. I was the only seminary student in my class that was actually doing the assigned reading everyday, and I justified that I didn’t need to do President Hinckley’s challenge because of it. In the years to follow, many of my friends bore testimony of how much the experience meant to them. I always felt bad that I hadn’t completed the challenge myself. So when President Nelson gave his challenge in October, I knew this was my chance.
As with most lofty goals, I was super motivated and on top of things in the beginning, but by the end of October I started to fall behind. It was really hard to find the time necessary to read that amount of scriptures each day. Everett has been sick or teething since the beginning of September, so I have been getting little sleep. Getting up early before the kids wasn’t an option. I would try to read during the day, but as soon as I would start, one of the kids would need me for something. Once the kids go to bed, Ethan and I have about two sacred hours of alone time before we too had to go to bed. It was so hard to give up that time to read the scriptures. So, by the time November rolled around I was probably three weeks behind! It was still important to me to complete the challenge though, and I knew I could do it. Luckily I was in Michigan alone with the kids, watching the dogs for the Kennedys. I spent several evenings reading the Book of Mormon. By Thanksgiving, I was less than a week behind, but with half of the book left to read, I couldn’t slow down. I had to learn how to fit several chapters of reading into my everyday life. I could usually find some peace and quiet whenever I nursed Brother. That was usually enough to make sure I didn’t become further behind. If I could get Annie busy doing other things, I could listen to my scriptures while I got ready, made dinner, or did the dishes. And when I had long car rides, I could easily get through several chapters. Now, with ten days left in the challenge, I am finally ahead of schedule! Woot!
In the past week I have finished 3 Nephi, 4 Nephi, Mormon, and most of Ether. I can’t help but think we were asked to read the Book of Mormon for the chapters in these books alone! 3 Nephi focuses so much on ministering, I think this is what the President Nelson and the apostles had in mind when they asked us to minister to one another. Too, isn’t it beautiful the peace that resided in the land after Christ appeared and taught them. For three generations to remain completely faithful in the gospel following his visit speaks to the power and love of Christ. And then as the Book of Mormon comes to an end, the people become so extremely wicked that God destroys them from off the face of the earth. Too, the prophets describe what the world will be like during the last days. It was like going through a checklist in my mind, so many of the things prophesied are happening.
I am so grateful for this challenge. I have had a testimony of the Book of Mormon for a long time, but I felt like my testimony of the Book of Mormon was forming all over again. I know it is true. I feel the spirit while I’m reading the scriptures, and I feel the spirit more in my every day life. In three short months, I feel more spiritually protected and prepared than I have in a long time. Too, for the longest time, I have relied on the speakers and lessons at church to feed me spiritually, but with young children I come home still hungry. The church is changing directions to be more home based. I realize that I am responsible for my own spiritual feast, and that of my family. Reading the Book of Mormon in such a short period was the best pep talk I could have been given going into the new year and the new Come Follow Me format.
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