The Book of Mormon

      In the beginning of February I made a commitment to myself to read the Book of Mormon, and I knew in order to accomplish this (in a timely manner) I would have to set some parameters to help me reach my goal.  I decided that in order to stay committed, I would need to put a hold on reading any other book for the time being.  That challenge was hard, because I love to read!  Getting started on my goal was the hardest part though.  Since I couldn't spend my time reading a fictional novel, I decided to peruse Netflix and Hulu Plus; anything to occupy my free time other than reading the scriptures.  That sounds really bad, but I'll admit I wasn't exactly jumping at the opportunity to immerse myself in the scriptures.  Then I finally did...

      I don't know how many weeks later it was until I finally bucked up and started reading but once I did, I truly found joy in them!  I was reading all the time; better yet, I was taking notes, and by taking notes I feel like I have really absorbed the stories found within.  And what powerful stories they are!  A lot of things struck a cord with me during this time, but hands down the most important piece I took away from this experience was remembering how Christian this book truly is!  The moral of every story in every chapter always centers around Jesus Christ.  In fact the entire book showcases exactly what life is like when you have faith in Christ, and what its like when you don't.  I came across a scripture I really liked in Helaman 12:1; it says, "...yea, we see that the Lord in his great infinite goodness doth bless and prosper those who put their trust in him."  Today's world is scary; but it feels great to know that we can choose to align ourselves with Jesus Christ, and put our trust in him!

      Other important principles that the Book of Mormon taught me:

      I was reminded how important it is to keep a journal, or in my case a blog.  I may not be writing "scripture" but I certainly want others to know what I treasure and hold dear; who I am; what my struggles are; and how I find peace during those times.  Sharing those experiences with others is worth it if I can bring even a tiny bit of understanding and hope to just one person.    

      It really hit me how much the things we say and do can affect others.  An example of this is Abinadi's testimony.  We never really know who is watching and listening to us.  I guess what this means to me is that I need to be more willing and courageous to share the gospel with others.  Not just in a "safe" place like testimony meeting at church.  You just never really know who is standing back in the shadows listening.
 
     Finally, another really, really important piece I learned from the Book of Mormon is to NEVER give up on people.  There are several examples throughout the entire collection of scriptures that proves this point, but more specifically it was Alma the Younger and Mosiah's Sons who really drove this one home.  I have two older brothers who are not only in-active in the church, but who, at one point or another, successfully went out of their way to pull many people away with them.  I feel like over the years I lost hope of their return to the gospel and finally came to accept their decision.  I also stopped praying for them to find their way back.  And what's sad is the fact that I just now realized that I haven't shared even just a tiny bit of my testimony with them for a really long time.  That's not right!  I need to do everything in my power to bring them back, whether they do or not is up to them, but I need to never give up trying!    

      So in conclusion, I must say that I love the Book of Mormon!  Reading it definitely drew me closer to the Savior and it will you too.   Understanding the words that are written inside will encourage anyone to never lose their faith in him!