The other day I asked my seminary students to imagine hearing that someone has a crush on them. Some of their eyes lit up; this is always exciting news, right?
Then you see that person at a stake Mutual party. You walk a bit closer, to see if they’ll come over and say hi. Sure enough, they do. But then you notice that the whole time they’re talking to you, they’re looking over your shoulder at someone else. Hmm.
You bump into them again. This time they yawn and say how tired they are. But then they see a close friend and they perk up and say, “Oh, hey, I’ve gotta run—” and they do. So now they’re too busy to talk to you?
Finally, as the event is winding up, you get a chance to talk with them one more time. You ask them several questions to get to know them better. But they never ask you any.
Does it seem like this person is interested in you? The kids were shaking their heads. One girl was scowling; no way would she like that guy!
“So,” I said, “how many of you have a crush on the scriptures?” I let that sink in. But it’s a question we all should ask ourselves. Have we fallen in love with them? Are we like Parley P. Pratt, who said, “I read all day; eating was a burden, I had no desire for food; sleep was a burden when the night came, for I preferred reading to sleep”?
Think of the times you’ve tried to get immersed in the Holy Word, but your mind has wandered. Soon you realize your eyes are just skittering over the words, not even taking them in. I think we’ve all done this. We’re basically “looking over their shoulder,” and thinking of other things.
Then there’s fatigue. Too many of us wait until we’re too tired to read—or we don’t understand them, and that makes us feel weary right there. BUT… if someone comes over with cookies, or says your favorite show is on TV, or “Come and see the new car I just bought,” or, or, or. We perk up again.
And sometimes we read without any curiosity. We’re just following the storyline, bored with repetition. We don’t ask questions, we don’t show genuine interest. We may say we love the scriptures, but do we really?
I shared with the students that well-known expression, that you should “marry someone who looks at you the way you look at the waiter when he’s bringing dessert.” Right? Someone who lights up when you enter the room, who’s excited to spend time with you.
Could we get to that level with the scriptures? Could we be so excited for those revelatory moments which come from sincere study, that we can hardly wait to open the scriptures again? Could we make scripture reading the highlight of our day?
Yes. We can do this. I have a friend who says, “I read until I learn something.” This means she is constantly on the lookout for a new concept she might have glossed over before. Or she’s reaching out to the Holy Ghost to help her interpret a passage in a way she never considered. Or for a bit of revelation that answers her prayers.
Here are 10 ways to develop a crush on the scriptures.Â
First, keep them handy and visible, easy to access. If you prefer scriptures on tape as you drive or exercise, do that. If you like to study at the kitchen table, do that.
Second, memorize one or two favorite scriptures. Choose ones that remind you of who you are, or ones which calm you when you’re stressed. Ones that give you hope, ones that empower you over the adversary—whatever it is that you specifically need. Then recite these to yourself to buoy you up when life gets hard. Maybe even post them on the fridge or the bathroom mirror.
Third, access the absolute avalanche of materials that can help you at churchofjesuschrist.org. Here you’ll find talks and videos that bring them to life, along with lessons and quotes from our leaders. You can also find Seminary lessons here. Other tools are the Come Follow Me manual, hardback books, or paperback texts from college religion courses (my personal fave). Attend a study group.
Fourth, involve others. Study with a friend or family member. Sometimes this is accountability we need, to stick with a schedule.
Fifth, feed the local missionaries and ask them gospel questions. Find out how they study, and which particular scriptures have been helpful to them.
Sixth, get some kids’ books on the scriptures. Sometimes we need a truly simplified explanation to understand what’s going on, and it’s no shame to explore what we can learn from these sources.
Seventh, use the footnotes. When another verse relates to the one you’re reading, check it out. Tag both scriptures so you’ll be able to refer to both of them.
Eighth, use markers, post-it notes, whatever works best for you to highlight truths as you come across them.
Ninth, pray, pray, pray. Ask Heavenly Father to guide your study to the verses that will most help your life. Ask what you should stop doing, and what you should start doing. If you have trouble concentrating, ask for help with that. Or to stay awake, or to understand—whatever extra help you need!
Tenth, ponder. Take time after reading to think over what you’ve been studying. You may gain a sudden insight—a personal revelation—that clarifies something you’ve been troubled by.
The scriptures can become our most prized possession, our hobby, our favorite pastime, the focus of our lives. We can solidify our testimonies, cling to the Savior, and understand gospel truths by making them a daily priority. We can even fall in love a little bit—and that’s the best part of all.
Joni Hilton is a Latter-day Saint author, Seminary teacher, and shares life hacks at https://m.youtube.com/c/jonihilton. Her novel, Golden, is now an Amazon audiobook.
