In the
October 2018 General Conference President Russel M Nelson spoke to the women of the church and issued us
two challenges. The first challenge was a 10 day social media fast. I know I shouldn't wait for a challenge from the prophet to get off social media, but this was a welcomed respite. It was nice to not check my phone or computer. There was a slight FOMO (Fear of missing out) but I welcomed the peace I got from not being tied to the sometimes negative side of the internet.
The second challenge was to read the Book of Mormon between conference and the end of the year and to mark each verse that refers to the Savior. Here are the words of the challenge:
"Second, I invite you to read the Book of Mormon between now and the end of the year. As impossible as that may seem with all you are trying to manage in your life, if you will accept this invitation with full purpose of heart, the Lord will help you find a way to achieve it. And, as you prayerfully study, I promise that the heavens will open for you. The Lord will bless you with increased inspiration and revelation.
As you read, I would encourage you to mark each verse that speaks of or refers to the Savior. Then, be intentional about talking of Christ, rejoicing in Christ, and preaching of Christ with your families and friends.2 You and they will be drawn closer to the Savior through this process. And changes, even miracles, will begin to happen."
When I first heard the challenge I thought it would be easy. I'd already been reading in my Spanish BoM and thought that due to my being 8 months pregnant God wouldn't mind me continuing from where I was. I would easily read it as I nursed my new baby throughout the day. I didn't calculate how many pages per day I'd need to read, but I thought I'd be fine. Unfortunately, I didn't put in the effort necessary and was quickly behind schedule. I didn't finish the Book of Mormon before the end of the year. In January a friend of mine from church, Erin Hawk, gave a talk on her experience completing the challenge. She challenged any sister that didn't do it to start from that moment and read it before April conference. I decided that was for me. I had already planned on reading it and had gone to Deseret Books to buy a pocket BoM and highlighter pencil. I calculated the number of days and decided to read 10 pages per day to ensure I'd finish in time. It's been years since I read the BoM this quickly, and I've loved it. (I'm starting this post on March 3rd and I'm in Helaman 6)
Each time I read the book of Mormon something new sticks out to me and I learn more. This time around I've paid much more attention to the timeline, locations and certain threads that have stuck out. Genealogy has really stuck out to me. The father/son relationships and wisdom handed down. I have loved Alma and his son Alma since I started going to church, but this time their histories were more vibrant. I followed their genealogy even more closely and paid attention to who was speaking. Alma the younger had three sons and we can presume they all had similar upbringing, yet were obviously very different. Helaman was THE Helaman that led the 2000 stripling warriors. He was a great man of faith. Corianton was another of Alma's sons, but he chose a different path for a time. He went with his father on a mission but did things he shouldn't have. He repents, and once again goes with his father to preach the gospel. His other son, the middle son, is Shiblon. This son was definitely the middle child. ;) He appears to be steady throughout his life and made his father proud. I really enjoyed reading about each of them. Faith and humanity was shown. No one is perfect. We all make mistakes, but redemption is always possible.
Another line I paid attention to more than ever was that of Jacob, the brother of Nephi. His son, Enos, had gone astray from the words he'd been taught, but had a "mighty change of heart" and found his way back to the gospel. He became a great prophet and passed his testimony on to his children. I used to almost poke fun of the book of Omni, because in it there are so many writers, some of them only writing on the day they handed them off. This time around I paid close attention to who was speaking and thought about the generations that were being talked about and the time passing. How different or similar a son could be to a father. One thing that impressed me, was that even if they weren't living the commandments as they should, they obeyed to some degree the mandate they'd been given to keep the plates and record in them. Even if it was just their genealogy and a sentence, they did it.
I finished reading a week or so before conference. It was a great experience and I'm grateful President Nelson issued this challenge. I started reading the BoM again in Spanish and plan on finishing the end of the year. The church added a new study plan feature to the app and it calculates how many pages you need to read a day to finish within a certain time frame. It has been very useful.
I love the Book of Mormon. When I started going to church again around my 20th birthday I soaked it in every day. I read it at breakfast and kicked myself in the behind for not reading it earlier in life. I'd read 1st Nephi a dozen times, but had never read it cover to cover. I had no idea the Savior had visited America after His resurrection, and yet I felt it spiritually and academically. I feel better when I read it regularly and love reading it with my children. It's a gift I wish everyone in the world had.
