Today’s Reading: 2 Nephi 32:1-7
3 Angels speak by the power of the Holy Ghost; wherefore, they speak the words of Christ. Wherefore, I said unto you, feast upon the words of Christ; for behold, the words of Christ will tell you all things what ye should do.
As a convert, I’ve frequently felt like I was starting a race way behind the rest of the crowd in terms of Gospel knowledge. My peers had 21 + years of familiarity with the Book of Mormon and I often felt silly or dumb in classes at Church or at Institute when I lacked knowledge of popular stories from the scriptures or even struggled to figure out what chapters where where.
Of course learning about the Gospel is not a race and there is absolutely no competition between others in our relationship with the Savior and Heavenly Father. However, it’s easy to get caught up in unnecessarily intense reading goals, feeling the need to mark your scriptures in pretty and unique ways, or keeping perfect journals for your descendants, but none of that is essential to your faith journey. Especially not all at once!
I’ve felt pressure to catch up or improve my scripture study through drastic means and generally, these over the top goals derail my scripture study habit and cause frustration. When I feel pressure or overwhelmed, the best way I’ve found to get back on track is to go back to basics – even if that means just a tiny amount of study per day. I know that if I can read just one verse from the Book of Mormon or another scripture, my days feel different. Over time, I have seen a pattern in my life of the Spirit guiding me where I needed to go. Yes, even from just one verse a day at times.
Feasting on the words of Christ doesn’t have to be elaborate or complicated. It doesn’t require special study guides, notebooks, or exclusive knowledge. You just have to open the scriptures and start. Heavenly Father doesn’t want you to feel discouraged when you read his scriptures. He wants you to hear the voice of Christ and feel inspiration for your life. Elder Michael John U. Teh said:
Understanding the doctrine of Christ and strengthening our testimony is a labor that will bring real joy and satisfaction.
I hope you will feel encouraged in your scripture study and that the sacrifices you make to spend time with the scriptures will provide you and your family with countless blessings. You don’t have to know everything all at once to be hearing the words of the Savior in your daily life. Growing your testimony through scripture study might not always be Pinterest-worthy, but I know that it is always worth your time and energy.
I’m a newlywed, a convert, and a Michigan girl. My husband and I live in a little studio apartment and love to go on adventures. I have some pretty pieces of paper on my wall that say I’m not too shabby at communications and economics. I really love hockey, books, 2 Nephi 2:25, sunsets, and anything pink.