As we approach March, we are well into 2nd Nephi in our Sunday School classes. Like many of you, I’ve read the Book of Mormon several times, in different ways. Once I did it as a 40-day challenge. That proved to be an interesting method, not only because it felt like a crash diet, but because I was able to get a complete overview of the events and timeline of the Book of Mormon in a way I had never done before. Of course, by now, I can’t recall many details of that particular experience. I guess that’s why we are counseled to continuously study the scriptures. Unless we are gifted with a photographic mind or a wonderful memory, we definitely have to put our “shoulder to the wheel” when it comes to scripture reading.
Another time while reading the Book of Mormon, I saved 1st Nephi and 2nd Nephi for last. I’d “started” so many times, only to lapse, and eventually “start” again. So I decided that if I jumped that initial stalling point, I’d have better luck. Other times, I’ve picked a book, say the Book of Ether, and spent a couple of weeks reading that, and not worried about reading in any specific order.
As a teenager, I was told by a teacher to read something from the scriptures each day-even if it was ten verses-even if it was only one. There were many times that I did read, and it was only ten verses, but as a teenager it was one of the most important things that I did. I don’t know if I absorbed or really learned much about the prophets and their lives, but I began to feel comfortable opening the scriptures and making a habit of reading a few verses. It didn’t seem so daunting when the task appeared manageable.
I wondered why it was so hard to read a few verses, or even a chapter, especially on a regular basis. Was it because Satan was working against me doing something that would make me stronger spiritually? Perhaps. Was it because it felt like another duty, in addition to homework, chores, and other mundane daily tasks that held little interest for a teenager? Possibly.
It wasn’t until I had written a fictional series on Nephi’s family that I realized why reading the scriptures on a regular basis was so hard. I was at a book signing in an LDS bookstore, and usually when someone walks in the door you can make a quick assessment if they might be interested in hearing about your book. I’d quickly discount the man on the cell phone, the woman with three small kids tugging her in multiple directions, or the shopper who walked quickly by without making eye contact.
When a woman walked in, fresh off her motorcycle and decked out in leather from head to toe, the last thing I expected was for her to approach me. She told me she’d come to meet me because she’d enjoyed my books-my “novelization” of Nephi’s family. Then she proceeded to tell me something that made several things in my mind click into place. “I have a hard time understanding the scriptures. The language is really difficult for me to read, and I feel like I’m lost most of the time. I get so frustrated that I usually give up.”
I realized later, after thinking about what she said, that one of the reasons it’s hard to stay on task while reading the scriptures is because some parts are difficult to understand. I have been blessed with a father who is a scriptorian, and a mother who isn’t too far behind. Growing up, questions in FHE were answered in their fullest extent (sometimes to the point of the kids nodding off a little). But, of course, this is an exception to most people’s lives.
The parts of the Book of Mormon that I had found slow and boring as a teenager had been parts that I didn’t fully understand. I didn’t know the circumstances surrounding the events or the history leading up to a particular decision made by a prophet, or even an anti-Christ character.
Or I’d get to a part where the chapters are filled with one battle after another. Same battle, different captains. And I’d wonder why so many of the wars had been recorded-and why, out of all the history of the Nephites and Lamanites, a good portion saved by Mormon was about battle strategy.
Each of you has an answer for the “why’s” as I do. And the good news is that we have many resources available to us today to help us study the scriptures. To help us understand the Book of Mormon. To help us learn why Mormon included certain things in his abridgment. There are even study guides, articles, and books out there that will help us understand Isaiah (see 2 Nephi 12-24).
The important thing is to not be afraid-don’t be afraid of trying a new way to study the Book of Mormon. Don’t be afraid to slow down. Maybe you won’t complete the entire book during the Gospel Doctrine year. But maybe you’ll learn one thing-something as simple, yet as important, as how a single testimony changed hundreds of lives. Abinadi’s testimony changed the wicked high priest Alma’s heart, who in turn converted and baptized hundreds at the Waters of Mormon (see Mosiah 18). Or maybe you’ll read about the woman servant, Abish, who had kept her testimony hidden for many years until the time was right to share all that she knew (see Alma 19). Or maybe you’ll learn that the name of the mother of Christ, Mary, was revealed only to the prophets in the Book of Mormon, hundreds of years before her birth (Alma 7:10; Mosiah 3:8).
Perhaps you’ll read about Nephi and his incredible vision in which he saw Christ’s life, and how Nephi knew that even though his own posterity would battle against each other and dwindle in unbelief, he had to continue in his teaching (see 1 Nephi 11-14). He had to record his history so that readers, more than 2,000 years later, would learn from his example and feel of his testimony.
It’s my hope that as we reach barriers in our study of the Book of Mormon this year, we’ll be able to push through them, find a verse or a chapter that we can truly ponder and bring the Spirit into our lives. With the companionship of the Spirit, we become more teachable and our minds will be opened to greater understanding.
Heather B. Moore is the author of Women of the Book of Mormon: Insights & Inspirations, and the most recent Book of Mormon novel: Ammon. Visit her website: www.hbmoore.com
