The power that I get each time I read?
My dad falls asleep at church. He nods off in Sacrament Meeting, dozes in Gospel Doctrine, and likely snores through High Priests meeting too. I’ve heard him joke that if he’s ever called on while snoozing, he knows that he should answer, “pray and read the scriptures.”
I’ve been either a Sunday School or Relief Society teacher for most of my adulthood in the Church, and I try my best to avoid the “pray and read the scriptures” answer more than once a lesson. It’s not always easy, especially if I follow the manual. Part of it is because I want to get my classes thinking about the topic in ways they may have not considered before, and part of it is that I doubt that “pray and read the scriptures” is the panacea that many believe it to be. Well, at least the “read the scriptures” part.
When I first joined the Church, I couldn’t get enough of the Book of Mormon. I started early-morning seminary about two months after I was baptized. We kept track of our daily progress with a sticker chart, and I was determined to get through the whole year without missing a day. I read the entire Book of Mormon almost three times during the school year. It was brand-new to me, and I couldn’t get enough of it.
Over the years, the scriptures have lost their luster. It’s not that I don’t love them, or that I have a problem with the stories and doctrines contained in them. It doesn’t make a bit of difference to me and my testimony if every story in the Old Testament turns out to be a myth or if every story in the Book of Mormon turns out to be an inspired narrative from the mind of a religious genius. I’m just, well, just sort of bored by reading them every day.
Several of my friends decided to join in the Hinckley Challenge this winter, and I thought it just might kick-start my flagging attempts at scripture study. So far, I guess it’s working. For the first time in a couple of years, I’m in a good scripture reading habit. I get to the spot where I pick up my kids from school a few minutes earlier than I had been previously, sit in the car, and read a couple of chapters while I wait (if that sounds unconventional, I read while drying my hair every morning for four years in high school).
There have been times over the last couple of months where I’ve really gotten into the story. The themes of social justice in King Benjamin’s address in Mosiah had me trying to determine how a similar speech would be received in our nation. But most of the time, I feel like I’m reading just so I can cross it off my to-do list. I finished Helaman this week, and I’m excited for 3 Nephi, if just for the break from the endless war stories. It seems like all scripture is not created equal, and I’ve been in the Leviticus and Numbers of the Book of Mormon for the last few weeks.
I’ve heard so many anecdotes about how daily scripture reading makes the readers better people, makes their days go better (”I can definitely tell the difference on the days I don’t read my scriptures” kinds of stuff) or gives them inspiration in their daily lives. I just don’t see it. If anything, on the mornings when I sit down with the kids to read the scriptures instead of just hurrying them through family prayer on the way out the door, I’m more likely to be stressed about getting them to school on time, more likely to yell, more likely to let the kind of language kids shouldn’t hear slip from my lips. Does reading the scriptures every day make me a better, more Christlike person? Not in any way that I’ve been able to recognize (and I’ve been looking). Just reading daily doesn’t seem to carry the “magical” powers that some ascribe to it.
I’m sure that some of my problem is that reading the scriptures on my own doesn’t engage me intellectually the way it used to when it was new. I know the stories, which makes me more prone to skim over them, and therefore I miss the subtleties that might enrich a twelfth or twentieth reading. I loved most of my religion classes in college, but now that I’m (way) out of school, I lack the motivation to bring in extra sources and study the way I probably should.
If I could just not read, and not feel those nagging voices in my head (you know, the ones who answer “pray and read the scriptures” in every Relief Society lesson), then maybe I would stop. In some ways, it would be liberating to quit making the effort. But I keep hoping for the payoff, for the surge of inspiration when I need it, for the passage that speaks to my heart, for the benefit that comes from the act of devotion. In the meantime, I’ll do my best to read regularly, and reserve the right to be bored.
I’ve come to the end of a great two weeks guest posting at fMh– I’m sad that it’s over! I was both excited and terrified when Janet and ECS approached me about posting– excited because I’ve admired this blog, its posters, and its responders so much, and terrified, because my own little blog usually attracts so few readers that I felt like I was a t-ball player stepping up to the big leagues. Sometimes, as a SAHM, I seem to lose my groove as an intelligent woman, and this opportunity helped me get it back. Thank you for allowing me to verbalize some of the issues that are close to my heart.
More later, but I HAD to congratulate you on this lovely chesnut. I’m laughing all the way to my nice warm bed.
Comment by Janet — April 19, 2008 @ 9:28 pm
I know what you mean Shelah. There came a point where it was hard for me to read it simply because I’d read it so many times before that I basically had all the main gists memorized. I kept plowing along though–but for me I ended up going in a different direction. Suffice it to say that reading scriptures, praying, and going to church don’t work for everyone. Anyway, I liked the line Janet quotes as well. You’re quite the writer. And even though I haven’t commented on a lot of your posts, I’ve been reading them, and I’ve enjoyed your thoughts.
Comment by Lessie/ms. brown — April 19, 2008 @ 9:58 pm
Sometimes, I think the thought that I HAVE to read every day makes me recent them rather than love them. So, I too read them drying my hair, in the car, and sometimes I wish I could just think, dream, or plan during those spare moments.
Comment by allie — April 19, 2008 @ 10:14 pm
i’m just finally getting into a more-or-less (more often less, even though more ≠ less. at least theoretically) regular system of reading for the first time in my life. i may be pitifully late to the party, and i’m not always the best guest, but for me it’s finally starting to click. i read with my kids before school probably 3-4 days a week. ironically we fall apart on most weekends. this may not sound like much, but for me it’s such a huge shift from a lifetime of not reading, or not liking the scriptures when i did read them.
i can relate to a bit of your post…but you’re way ahead of me on the familiarity scale. i’m a lifer who has never had the kind of calling that would have forced me to dive into them. administrative leadership callings has been my lot. i’ve had times when i just really hated reading scriptures. there were a few nice verses here and there, but for the most part i was so over them. i figured if they hadn’t gotten to me by my mid-thirties, they never would.
by a few summers ago, i was bone dry spiritually. i had actually decided to leave the church when that hinckley challenge (the original one. i haven’t checked out your link above yet) came down the pike. i lived near joseph smith’s birthplace at that time, and for whatever reason, in my apathy i decided “what the heck” and did it.
that decision was the first time i ever found myself lost in the scriptures. it became like a great epic film, and i could see the people and their personalities and their struggles and strife. i remembered who was who, and they came alive for me. i got lost in their stories and i’m pretty sure the spirit helped fill in between the lines because i had insights that i’m positive weren’t my own.
so i decided to stay in the church, and it’s been really different for me since that summer. so much better. i’m seeing much less darkly through the proverbial glass. i’m really grateful that at the 11th hour, i was gifted the blessing of the scriptures finally meaning something to me. i hope my kids get that much earlier than i did!
shelah, you’ve been nothing but a delight. thank you for your contributions to FMH. i wish you all the best!
♥
Comment by Blue — April 19, 2008 @ 10:20 pm
Shelah, I’ve enjoyed your blogs as well. I’m in a scripture slump right now too; it’s hard for me to make the time to really dig in. What has gotten me out of past slumps, though, and what I ought to do tomorrow morning, is writing imaginary talk outlines in a scripture journal. Reading the scriptures straight through is never as interesting to me as bouncing around in them as I develop a talk. So far, I have never gotten to give any of my imaginary talks. But they keep me digging for new ideas and new ways to connect things. I don’t have the discipline to actually write out the whole thing, but making the outline is helpful.
Comment by Emily M. — April 19, 2008 @ 10:21 pm
ps: nice reference to the primary song in your title there!
♥
Comment by Blue — April 19, 2008 @ 10:23 pm
I can entirely relate to what you are saying, Shelah. Yes, I believe the BoM is the word of Our Father, teaching sacred principles important for us to follow. And yes, I see the macro concepts I try to live by. But I’ve never been able to relate to those who say they can feel a difference in their day when they’ve read the BoM. I can’t say I’ve ever had experience when I’ve opened the scriptures and found some intimately personal message to help me deal with any of the particular problems I’ve faced at a given time. I wouldn’t say that I’m driven by voices of guilt to continue persevering through this book I’ve already read a couple dozen times, but I suppose I’m holding out hope that if I continue doing so, I will someday be rewarded with the sort of personal connection others talk about, and it will become more than just an academic exercise (or chore).
Comment by Derek — April 19, 2008 @ 10:27 pm
I’ve read the Book of Mormon all the way through at least 5 times in English, and even once in French, and I still find new things every time. I started reading it awhile ago, and then got distracted. Then I decided to go back and start again, and even reading 1 Nephi again a few months later I am picking out new things. It’s not so much the stories, which I have been taught since I was born, it’s the more personal details, I suppose, which stand out. Like thinking about how Nephi really felt. And how Laman and Lemuel really felt. There’s a strong tendency to look at them all as stock characters (good guy/bad guy) rather than as real people. But it’s so much more interesting and complex when you try to really think about them as real people.
Comment by SAP — April 19, 2008 @ 10:29 pm
What makes scriptures come alive for me is reading topically. I rarely read through the stories (The only time I have read the BoM straight through in probably the last decade was when Pres. Hinckley challenged us to…it was good for me to do that again, actually!) So maybe you could approach your reading in a different way? Either read through looking for one or two specific things, or go to the index and read topics that you are interested in, or that are on your mind. ??
I also find that reading with a commentary or something can also liven things up. At first it takes motivation, but when you start feeling those ‘clicks’ and connecting with them again, it makes it worth it!
I think, too, that trying to fit them in when you are rushed or worried about something else might be something else to reconsider. It’s hard to really get into them, at least for me, when I have other things on my mind. For me, that’s why I usually read at night when things are more still…and I am, too.
Anyway, it’s different for everyone, but those are some things that work for me. My experience has been that if I change things up a little and give myself time and space to read until I connect with them, that things really come alive…and then it’s like I can’t get enough!
But going through ruts is I think pretty normal for most of us. FWIW.
blue, btw, that’s an awesome story…thanks for sharing!
Comment by m&m — April 19, 2008 @ 10:29 pm
I love the NT and the Psalms and a few of the OT books, but personally, I don’t relate to the BOM at all. So much of it seems to be primarily male-focused. There are a few parts that I really like (Christ’s visit to the Americas, fe), but a lot of it just doesn’t do much for me. I tend to either study topically or go to my favorite parts of the Bible to study.
Comment by AYW — April 19, 2008 @ 10:42 pm
that decision was the first time i ever found myself lost in the scriptures. it became like a great epic film, and i could see the people and their personalities and their struggles and strife. i remembered who was who, and they came alive for me. i got lost in their stories and i’m pretty sure the spirit helped fill in between the lines because i had insights that i’m positive weren’t my own.
Comment by Sunshine — April 19, 2008 @ 10:53 pm
Oh crapo!! I did it again. The first part should have been quoted the second part were my remarks.
(the word of the days is…crapo)! :).
Comment by Sunshine — April 19, 2008 @ 10:58 pm
Praying and reading scriptures are two things I hate to do. Especially praying on my knees and opening up the book of scriptures to read it visually. I can do both at Church without a problem, but, other than that, it’s work — a lot of work.
However, I’ve also found that I can tell the difference when I’ve been lax at doing them for a period time, or when I’ve been good at doing them for a period of time. I’ve done more knee-prayers in the last 12 months than I have in the previous forty years, and I definitely noticed the spiritual difference from that. And I’ve not done very well with them the past three months, and I can feel the difference there also. And I do my scripture “reading” by listening on my mp3 player. I’ve been doing the BoM, NT, and OT, and I just added D&C to my queue as well. It works for me reasonably well.
I tend to encourage people to talk to God, rather than “saying a prayer,” because there’s a depth to that conversation that I think is important. And, yet, even if the prayer saying gets a bit formulaic from time to time, there is something that comes from making the effort to get down on those knees and make a connection. Good prayer is better than less-good prayer, but less-good prayer is better than no prayer. Quality prayer comes in the midst of quantity prayer.
Scripture reading is kinda like that too, I think. Making the effort to put the word of God into your mental diet adds up, even if you don’t see anything major happening every day. Every so often, there’s a “Hey, I didn’t notice that before,” and that’s cool, but that’s not the point. The point is that you’re reaching out to God, just like you are in prayer. If you continue making that effort, and to turn to make it a bit more meaningful when you find it’s less meaningful, then I think it adds up to the good. When you’re only going through the motions, it doesn’t have as much value, but that doesn’t mean quit — it means turn toward God with renewed effort.
Comment by Blain — April 20, 2008 @ 12:35 am
The nice thing about being pseudo-anonymous is I can share a comment that I can’t get away with IRL. I must disclaimer that I am not attempting to compare myself to anyone else, but simply to state that my problem is often very different from others’ problems. (I blame it on a quirk of personality and the way I study.) My problem is the inverse of the author’s and many other peoples. I have great difficulties not spending a minimum of an hour (usually closer to two hours) reading my scriptures in a given sitting. Mostly I’m running around the scriptures chasing ideas (e.g. “how does the tree of life in the garden of eden relate to the seed of faith spoken of by Alma?”). When I try to trim down to fifteen minutes of reading I’m completely unfulfilled as I can barely just read a story arc. I think too slowly to be able to really study in such a little amount of time.
Comment by Janell the Great — April 20, 2008 @ 3:10 am
Shelah - thanks so much for your wonderful posts at FMH. I have thoroughly enjoyed reading them. You’ll have to come back and do an updated “Babies, Careers and Power struggles” post if anything changes
Comment by ECS — April 20, 2008 @ 5:24 am
I understand what you mean, Janell (the Great
). I’ve never gotten much out of reading the scriptures until there was the Hinckley Challenge. I decided to do it in October, but didn’t really begin until after Christmas. So from December 26 and 31 I read the entire Book of Mormon, and that was really the first time I got anything out of it and it was because I was reading it in such long chunks. I had only ever been able to tolerate reading it for ten minutes at a time, but I figured I can read a novel for two hours at a time, why not the scriptures?
I’m also with AYW who loves the NT - I can read that and even the OT more readily than the BOM. It’s always bothered me as a convert that there’s such a focus on BOM but not on the NT. Good luck with missionary work in the deep South without Bible knowledge . . . I mean, when I was music leader in primary, the kids didn’t even know John 3:16. John 3:16, people!!! (it’s not even a scripture mastery. How can we claim to be in the same category as Baptists and Methodists if we don’t teach our children John 3:16? Evangelicals have a point about how different we are and that fact there just is fodder for it.)
But thanks for the reminder. I’m going to make time for reading the scriptures.
Comment by TAG — April 20, 2008 @ 6:34 am
Thank you for this thoughtful post and the interesting comments.
In my previous ward in the Chicago suburbs there was an elderly man that I felt (after observing him for 8 years!) was unfailingly loving, kind, spiritually minded, and very happy. He moved out of the ward a few weeks before I and my family did. As he had shouldered the same heavy professional responsibilities that I was about to take on, I asked him how he managed all those years while he raised 6 fine kids and served long years as bishop and patriarch in addition to his professional responsibilities. He said that he studied the scriptures for 1 hour each morning, from 5-6 am and the Lord blessed him in everything else that he did.
After 2 years of thinking about this in the back of my mind and drifting spiritually and in sin, I came to the conclusion that I was simply very much less righteous and much less smart than I had ever considered myself to be. I promised the Lord that I would study for 1 hour a day, first thing every day, that I would give him my best time and best attention every day. I begged him to help me with my spritual, family, and professional burdens if He saw fit. After only a few days, the Holy Ghost came powerfully and my life quickly became rich and full and far happier than I have ever thought possible. I will spend an hour every day no matter what, the rest of my life. It seems to work best when no one else is up, i.e. between 5-7 am. Usually most of this time is very meaningful to me. Coupled with prayer, something very good always happens and I learn, though sometimes it takes 50 minutes to get there.
My current strategy is to use the online OED to look up every word that I don’t understand and those that I think I understand. From this perspective, the BoM is much richer than I had ever thought. I have also bought an interlinear Greek NT, that I am working through when I don’t study the BoM. I go very slowly, because I am not very smart and don’t have a great memory.
I don’t think I can tell people how to keep their lifelong study interesting, but I know at one person who has succeeded and I strongly believe that there are others. I want to become one of these.
Comment by plvmetz — April 20, 2008 @ 8:24 am
Do you pray before you read the scriptures? Have you ever prayed that you will be able to see and feel it making a difference?
Comment by Susan M — April 20, 2008 @ 9:43 am
Shelah,
I have LOVED your posts. Brave, Intelligent, thought-provoking, articulate and simply fun to read. Please come back soon.
from a fellow PT academic SAHM.
Comment by Athena — April 20, 2008 @ 10:02 am
Shelah - I’m a long-time lurker, and have just started posting sparingly over the last couple of weeks. I have loved your posts and am sad this is the last one.
I totally understand how you feel about the scriptures. I am in the same place, and it spills over into just about everything church related. I don’t feel anything when I pray and read, and I am bored out of my mind…However, the one thing that kind of keeps me going with all of it is that having scriptures and prayers in the morning before work and school seems to help my kids, even when I am yelling at them and tense about being late. It seems that they need that 5 minutes (and it’s rarely more than that) to just come together as a family before we all go our separate ways. I really don’t think that there is anything magical about the scriptures. I think that its more about grounding them each day. They do better when there is that constant thing happening for them that they can count on. We have family prayer at night too, and they seem to go to bed better when we do this as well. - Again, I think it is the structure/consistency that is beneficial for them, not necessarily the praying or scripture study, because most of the time they are not paying attention, and their prayers get pretty irreverent and silly, as much as I try to teach them otherwise…
Comment by Angie — April 20, 2008 @ 11:56 am
Sorry if my comment above came off as snotty, I didn’t mean it to. Just meant it in a helpful way. I’ve had no sleep and my brain is foggy.
Comment by Susan M — April 20, 2008 @ 2:02 pm
I’ve tried to respond to your comments several times, but the sick child with whom I stayed home from church is just well enough to sit on my lap, bang on the keyboard, scream when I set her down, and repeatedly delete my comments.
Blue– I really appreciated your experience. I think my family scripture study is probably pretty similar to yours– we have a good weekday routine, but things are a lot harder on the weekends.
Emily M– I think that’s a great approach. If I were ever to get really serious about studying, and try to do more than just squeeze it in so I can cross it off my list, then that’s something I think I’d probably benefit a lot from. Just don’t let your bishop know you have a whole cache of prepared talks hanging around!
SAP– When I was in college and starting to feel like I had “read out” the Book of Mormon, I spent a summer living in Belgium and read it in French. It was such a challenge to make sense of the narrative that it forced me to slow down and I felt like I got a lot more out of it. I doubt I could manage a chapter in French in the BoM these days– I’ve forgotten too much.
m&m– I totally agree about studying better when you’re not rushing through. The multitasking is probably part of the problem. My DH does not multitask much, so I can see that when he does something and devotes his whole attention to it, he does it a lot better and more thoroughly than I do (usually). But I get a lot more accomplished. I probably wouldn’t end up reading at all at this point if I weren’t multitasking, which sounds terrible, but it’s true.
Sunshine and Angie– I totally know what you mean about doing it to set an example and get in a good habit for the kids. They love our morning scripture study and don’t seem to mind that sometimes I end up screaming when it’s over.
Blain– thanks for that. Maybe it’s making more of a difference than I give it credit for.
Whoa, Janelle– you are amazing! I’m a girl who likes my quickies, I guess.
plvmetz- Thanks for sharing your experience. What I take from your story is that your friend (and now you) have put acts of devotion in an important place in your day and have definitely reaped the results. I hope that at some point in my life, I’ll be willing to put those acts in a position of greater priority (right now if I had to choose between a run or reading the scriptures, I’d definitely go for a mind-cleansing run).
SusanM– first of all, I didn’t think you were snotty. Secondly, I’ve always admired you and your very cool family and blog. Thirdly, the answer is no, and it should be yes. That might help.
And thanks so much to all of the well-wishers! I really appreciate it. I’m going to miss posting around here!
Phew– I got to the end without losing it again. But I have a small underwear-clad companion under my feet who is begging to be dressed. See why I multitask?
Comment by Shelah — April 20, 2008 @ 2:58 pm
Oh, thank goodness, Shelah, I thought I was the only one! I’ve read the BoM through so many times I can’t count them. The last time was (eek, this is sad) when Hinkley challenged us to read it. I read it - but I didn’t enjoy it. I was too busy just checking it off the list.
I’ve loved your posts; thank you!
Comment by Quimby — April 20, 2008 @ 5:09 pm
Shelah,
I think especially when moms have young children, multitasking is huge, and certainly understandable.
If a cleansing run is a priority, download on an MP3 player and run with the scriptures!
It’s fun, too, to use different media. Sometimes I will read in the book. Other times, I’ll search and read online. Still other times, I will listen, and we also have it on a DVD that scrolls the words while it’s read out loud. I find that I hear and learn different things with the different media, and the media we have nowadays helps make multitasking easier.
Pray for help…you’ll find something that works.
I also agree with those who have said that in the end, I connect most when I spend significant time. When I tried a deliberate 1 hour study, it was AMAZING the difference it made. This may not be that time and season for you; do what you can. That has been my approach…I read at least a verse a day, so I’m sure to never lose the habit. And then if and when I can do more, I do. And the more I do, the more I love it. You’ll figure it out, especially because you care about it and you keep doing it, even when it isn’t thrilling you. Sometimes I think we even have tests of faith like that, where we need to keep moving even though we may not always be feeling it as we would want to. Keep up the good work…my experience is that it will bear fruit, sooner or later.
Comment by m&m — April 20, 2008 @ 5:21 pm
I’ve found that many in the Church treat scripture-reading like a ritual rather than as a practical means of developing one’s spirituality or commitment to Christlike living. As a ritual, it is alleged to have inherent power–by merely cracking open the scriptures and reading a chapter or two each day, a myriad of spiritual blessings will automatically flow into your life.
In my opinion, this ritualistic approach is counter-productive and ultimately misses the boat. For one, it is guilt-inducing: if you miss a day, you feel like you’ve shirked some duty. Often, it is the desire to avoid guilt that motivates us to read at least a few verses in the Book of Mormon before going to bed. We may be so tired that we get virtually nothing out of the reading, but at least we can go to bed without a guilty conscience. The problem is that if the reading didn’t produce any benefit, then what was the point?
Secondly, the ritualistic approach impliedly places only secondary emphasis on learning from the scriptures or applying scriptural teachings. This leads to relatively little contemplation in deciding what to read. As reading any passage of scriptures satisfies the ritual, it essentially doesn’t matter if we’re slogging through Leviticus or studying the Sermon on the Mount. I recall countless family scripture reading sessions from my childhood and adolescence where we simply read the Standard Works cover to cover, with little concern for whether the chapters we read had any practical application to our contemporary lives. I would suggest that all scriptures are not created equal, and that especially when it comes to family scripture study, it’s more beneficial to be selective.
I think it’s important that we see scripture reading as a means to an end rather than an end in itself. It shouldn’t be a ritual, but rather a tool for helping us live better lives. The focus should be on the quality of our scripture study and the effect that it has on how we live, not on the quantity or frequency of our study. This would eliminate the guilt factor and provide the direction and motivation that the ritualistic approach lacks.
Comment by Steve M — April 20, 2008 @ 6:11 pm
I know exactly how you feel. Only when I was first baptised I hadn’t even finished reading 1st Nephi. I didn’t even get through 2nd Nephi for a few more years. It was horrible. I loved the scriptures but it was so hard to create that habit.
I too took on the Hinckley challenge and although I’m over 100 pages behind right now, I look forward to reading daily and find interesting ways to fill up extra time with scripture study now.
jia
www.modernmollymormon.blogspot.com
Comment by Jia — April 20, 2008 @ 7:01 pm
Hi Shelah
I’ve enjoyed your blogs the last two weeks.
I didn’t read all the responses to this thread, so someone might have already mentioned this, but I read my scriptures in another langauge. I’ve been studying Spanish for the past 6 years and I read in Spanish. Since I’m so familiar with the stories, I can concentrate on learning something different.
On my mission (German-speaking) I also only read in German. A lot of people told me I should only read in English, so I could focus on the scriptures and not worry about the language, but I’m like you, I was a little bored reading the same things over and over again.
Comment by Melissa — April 20, 2008 @ 7:08 pm
Steve– I totally agree. Leviticus and the Sermon on the Mount were definitely not created equal, and it’s up to us, as critical readers, to focus on what’s important and concentrate there. As for inherent power received from just cracking the book, it hasn’t happened here. I think that if I crack it as a means to establishing a good habit, and from that habit comes thought-provoking study, then that’s a good thing. Right now I’m working on establishing the habit again, and I hope it grows from there.
Comment by Shelah — April 20, 2008 @ 7:26 pm
I’m so glad to know I’m not the only person that has ever just plain gotten bored of reading the scriptures!
Honestly, after the 26th time I finished the BOM (in English), I wanted to throw the thing away. I thought I’d scream if I had to read it one more time.
I put it away for awhile and re-read the OT (only my 5th time, so it was a bit fresher). Now, I’m re-reading the NT in English and reading it for the first time in this funky Scots translation by WL Lorrimer. It’s a lot more fun that way.
Comment by apaperbackwriter — April 20, 2008 @ 7:42 pm
Search, ponder and pray, search means to read and ask yourself questions about what you read. Ponder means to think deeply on the questions you have asked yourself and, well we all know about prayer. Sometimes this seems to be so trite because we hear it often. When it ceases to be trite for one personally that is when it promotes spiritual growth.
I continually read each of the four books of LDS scripture, When I finish the Book of Mormon I pick up the Doctrine and Covenants , then the Pearl of Great Price. The Old Testament and the New Testament come next and then I start over again.
My formula as been to start out reading the things that I understand an enjoy–the things that speak to me. Then to begin to add things that I have left out of previous readings. I have come to the point where I now appreciate and find things in the Pentateuch that have given me insight into many issues from modesty to how to present ones case to authorities and succeed. I have gone from shallow reading looking for a good story to actually thinking about what the story is trying to teach and sometimes wondering why the dickens it is in there in the first place.
Whenever I have not been spiritually fed reading, pondering and praying have nourished my soul and kept my relationship with the Lord alive as long as other sources were not adequate. I will admit sometimes it is tempting when things are going well to let daily scripture reading slide. But, I am never bored.
Comment by Claudia — April 20, 2008 @ 8:04 pm
This is kind of on topic. Does anyone have suggestions on how to read D&C? I always struggle on reading that set of scriptures.
Comment by Janell the Great — April 20, 2008 @ 8:53 pm
I think daily scripture reading (and believe me, I’m no master of it) is more about obedience than benefiting our day to day lives. Just because we read our scriptures one morning, doesn’t mean that day is going to be easier or better than any other day. I’m like you Shelah, where on the mornings I do read I end up being totally stressed out b/c we’re all running late & nasty words fly. But I find when I have a consistent pattern of including some kind of scriptural or spiritual study (not just reading) in my life, then life as a whole runs more smoothly.
It’s kind of like brushing my teeth. I do it because I know it’s good for me, but I don’t necessarily see the benefit unless I go for a while without brushing (which, unlike scripture study, I never do b/c that would be gross). Daily brushing also doesn’t guarantee I won’t get cavities, just like daily scripture study doesn’t guarantee I won’t have challenges.
In order to improve my own scripture study I’m trying to change my attitude about it, along with my attitude about everything else we’re asked to do as Mormons. Instead of looking at these things as obligations I’m trying to see them as opportunities.
Perhaps if I were more eloquent this wouldn’t sound quite so EFYish; sorry about that. I have really enjoyed your posts Shelah!
Comment by brittany — April 20, 2008 @ 9:14 pm
I’ve tried some different things to mix it up (so to speak). Like reading the Book of Mormon backwards. Starting with the last book, reading it, then the second to last book… It’s to focus on doctrine rather than story line.
Also buy a blue paperback edition and mark in red all the references to Christ, or some other theme… (faith? joy?)
Or try reading it by topical guide. Start with the A section, read the references listed in Abide, Abomination, Adam…
I wish I were better at daily reading. Once our Stake suggested reading at least 15 seconds a day… you always have time for 15 seconds, so it keeps you going. I like goals I can keep.
Comment by me — April 21, 2008 @ 2:23 am
I have had ups and downs as far as reading the scriptures both for myself and in my family.
There are so many interesting things that you can do with the scriptures other than reading it straight through. You can do a topical study or do the flip it open and start reading where you land. One thing I did was read it really fast, in a day or so, which made it impossible to get into the stories or think about the content, but I noticed differences in tones, rhythms, and general feelings from the different parts. That was interesting, too. One thing I don’t do is keep reading if I start to feel frustrated. I just put it down until a later time or until the next day. I figure if I try everyday, I am still going in the right direction.
I didn’t grow up with regular scripture reading in my home. For many years, my mother was forbidden to call the family to prayer or scripture study (that’s the priesthood holder’s job - I don’t even want to get into that right now). When she finally got a divorce, it wasn’t something the kids seemed to eager to do, either, but she would push open our doors every morning before we had to get out of bed and read from the hallway to her more or less sleeping children. I only experienced it while I was home during college breaks. All I know is it made a difference in the feel of our home. My point here is that every little bit helps in the family.
Comment by emily dawn — April 21, 2008 @ 4:16 am
Point 1: Variety.
I’ve had a bit of BOM burnout myself. Lately I’ve come to realize why Pres. Benson emphasized BOM so much: If you have a testimony of if, you have a testimony of the restored church, the gospel, Jesus Christ, etc. But I don’t think he meant we are to read BOM exclusively. After several times in a row reading it, I’m taking a break and simultaneously re-reading D&C and the New Testament. After that, I’ll finish the OT (i got part-way trought not too long ago. My point is, if you have BOM burnout, there is plenty of other scriptures. It’s been refreshing, and it seems like I’m getting a lot more out of them.
Point 2: Depth. The deeper I go, the least tedious the scriptures seem. Learning about smiddle eastern languages, symbolism, cultures, religions, ect, specially those of the period, makes them come out alive. Jesus waken into rooms and said Shalom, or Salaam aalekum: Peace be onto you. Ditto for mesoamerican. That’s where FARMS papers and reseach (and other such). For example, one of the blogs recently pointed out that when Ammon explains to king Laman that God is in heaven, and heaven is above, it makes more sence when you realize the Mayan gods lived underground. I recommend a free program called e-sword, where you can also study the bible (and compare) many translations, including the greek and hebrew, and literal translations). I’ve been pleased to discover how much better the Bible reflects LDS beliefs once you go back to the originals. Enjoy!
Comment by Carlos U. — April 21, 2008 @ 12:33 pm
I have recently found myself really enjoying the scriptures more when using the Church’s scriptures on the web. In the topical guide I pick a topic like baptism, then at the bottom of the list of scriptures, I click the button “Show references”. This button will display all the scriptures for that topic - which I read without turning paper pages back and forth across the scriptures. I also enjoy being able to click once and pop that scripture up in context and I find it easy to follow footnotes. Sometimes I end up 4 or 5 scriptures deep following one footnote to the next. Once in awhile I put in some words that I have come across in my reading to see if other similar scriptures can shed light on a topic. I make notes from my reading of those scriptures that most helped me understand the topic. There have been times when I have lost track of time and look up to find an hour or more has gone by. I know this won’t work when in the car or sitting in a park, but I have found this method better for me than reading start to end.
Comment by Spud — April 21, 2008 @ 12:56 pm
Not that I disagree with anything #36 had to say, but I wanted to say that the Spud above is not me.
One of the things that has infused new life into my scripture study is the online Sunday School at the Feast Upon the Word blog. I have also used and loved Julie Smith’s Search, Ponder, and Pray in my NT study and find that I end up thinking of scripture study less in terms of “how many chapters tonight;” rather, I have enjoyed pondering the thoughts brought about by their questions, even if it’s only one verse. I’m more likely to discuss the questions raised with other people, too, since few of them are of the hard-and-fast “read your scriptures and pray” variety.
Comment by Idahospud — April 21, 2008 @ 1:45 pm
I think Steve M nailed it. We expect glitter and fairy dust to come out of the pages when we just open them. It takes a lot more effort to have a really meaningful experience with the scriptures.
For me it has helped when I apply what I know about how I learn to my scripture time. I am a fast reader and generally have a hard time slowing down enough to get much out of what I read. It works a lot better for me when I choose one verse and really take it apart by writing about it. I always learn better when I write - why should the scriptures be any different, right? I make lists, I look up words, I meander and question and pause and listen and learn and even make goals - this is all in a journal, by the way. It just forces me to take my time and connect better with what I am reading. It also creates a record that I can go back to. I love that. When I have done scripture study this way consistently, it has created times of spiritual bounty - my testimony has grown by leaps and bounds and I have gotten through some of the hardest times of my life.
Unfortunately, this kind of study has not happened on any regular basis since I started working full time in 2004. It is extremely hard to do in a busy life. I have thought about trying to do it in blog format, but it is really too personal for that, for me. (If you have read my blog you might be surprised that I think anything is too personal, but this is the one thing …)
We do still read scriptures with our kids before they go to sleep at night. That has been a very dear experience starting when they were only preschoolers. They really can listen and feel the Spirit, even if there’s a lot they don’t understand.
Comment by Ana — April 21, 2008 @ 3:16 pm
Ana, I did the journal thing with the Book of Mormon and it was probably the most rewarding time I have ever read the Book of Mormon. It really added to my understanding. I started doing something similar with women in the Bible and lost interest too quickly because it was too discouraging.
I was inspired by this post to begin scripture study with my daughter. (Ana and anyone else who has experience with scripture reading with young children, you’ll have to give me some tips on keeping it going.) I’ve added a story from her Book of Mormon Stories book to her night time reading. She wasn’t terribly interested, though the pictures pulled her in a bit.
Comment by Quimby — April 21, 2008 @ 4:59 pm
I too had a great experience when, last summer, I read the BofM over the course of a few weeks, instead of just a chapter a day. It made things more real, more engaging, because it kept the story lines going.
I’ve also gone through and read all the epistles - out loud. This is probably terribly scandalous, but I have always pictured the most wonderful theatrical setting - where people read the epistles out loud - with music and scenery behind them - kind of like mini one act plays.
Lately though, I’ve studied by topic. Reading the scriptures (and other books by admired authors) and searching/writing/praying by topic - lately, it’s Grace. I’m really struggling with this concept (which I fully admit is bizarre - it’s grace after all, how hard can that be?). That has really brought a depth to my study, and an easier application to my own life.
And Shelah ((hugs)) I will miss your guest posting. I looked forward to what you had to say every day (or almost every day ;))
Comment by Sara — April 21, 2008 @ 9:35 pm
[…] Shelah: on sticking with scripture study, minus the hoped-for “inspiration” […]
Pingback by Virtual Oases, April 22 « The Exponent — April 22, 2008 @ 5:15 am
Quimby, actually, our early experiences with family scripture study turned into a story in the Friend. Here it is, if you would like to read it. Of course I focused on the positive experiences for the purposes of the story …
By the way, the reward for good behavior through ten verses of the BOM was usually a chapter in Narnia!
Comment by Ana — April 22, 2008 @ 11:25 am
Quimby–
My kids are 1,3,6 and 7 and we read a chapter from the scripture readers every morning over breakfast. They’re generally 2-4 comic book-like pages, and we can read a story in less than five minutes. That is, of course, unless I’m still trying to corral my sleepy boys to the table and slap peanut butter on bread and stuff it in the lunchboxes. Since I am much less organized as the day goes on, it helps us to have it done first thing.
Comment by Shelah — April 22, 2008 @ 12:05 pm
Hubby is listening to his scriptures now in his office, and he says it’s adding a new level of depth to what he notices and understands — and he’s what I consider a scriptorian. Perhaps you could try that.
Comment by Kermit — April 24, 2008 @ 4:24 pm
Ana, I remember that story! (We even tried it out ourselves, but it didn’t work for us.) We read five BoM verses a night as a family, sing songs, and have prayer. It takes about 6-7 minutes, maybe 10 if our two-year-old asks for multiple versions of “Sunbeam!”
Comment by Kermit — April 24, 2008 @ 4:27 pm
I have been thinking about this post all week, particularly after I was asked to give a talk on the Book of Mormon this Sunday in Sacrament meeting. I would like to share the following paragraph from my talk:
“Lest you think I am perfect in my scripture study, I am not. I have cycles. It seems that whenever I reach a point of “perfection” in my scripture study, the Lord sends me a new challenge/blessing to juggle: my husband, doing my MBA, children, calling as YW President, my husband being called into Bishopric. I have set-backs. I wouldn’t go so far as to say that my life is horrible when I am not in a regular habit of scripture reading. But, I definitely know that it hinders my progress when I stop. When I pick up the scriptures, it is as if the Lord is opening the heavens and pouring knowledge out upon me. All of the major the questions I have had about the gospel have been answered in the scriptures or the temple – not in Sunday school or RS or YW – those are all wonderful places to be and to learn. But, my truest learning, my deepest testimony, comes from my own personal study of the scriptures.”
Comment by Stephanie — April 26, 2008 @ 1:36 pm
Ana, what a beautiful story.
DD still doesn’t like to sit still through her Book of Mormon story (we’re using the comic book style reader) but I figure there are only 54 chapters, so maybe when I start all over again in two months she’ll be more interested. (I also figure I’m going to go batty if I have to read this six times in a year, so I might have to branch out and include the Bible. Or maybe I’ll have to take a page out of your book and read from the actual Book of Mormon instead.)
Comment by Quimby — April 26, 2008 @ 2:57 pm
Quimby, we’ve read those readers over and over again with my children (we rotate through the standard works). They know them inside and out. My 7 year old seriously knows more about the scriptures than my mom. We also have added in a few verses from the real Book of Mormon using the family edition with pictures and subtitles. My husband lets my kids act out things like Abinadi preaching. They get into it.
Comment by Stephanie — April 26, 2008 @ 3:04 pm
Nice to know I’m not alone. Thank you for sharing.
Comment by just_kelly — April 27, 2008 @ 9:46 pm