Resolution: Study Scriptures

It seems like I often make goals to improve my scripture study. Whether it's making it more meaningful, more frequent, or improving our family study, there is always some aspect that needs work. Here are some things I've found helpful as I, once again, examine my own scripture study efforts.

Frequency- Establishing Daily Study
In a 2005 Ensign Q&A, Henry B. Eyring said, "The only way you can be sure that a busy schedule doesn't crowd out scripture study is to establish a regular time to study the scriptures." This corresponds with the old adage "when you fail to plan, you plan to fail." It seems like a no-brainer, but I think back on how many times I have determined to read the scriptures, only to leave it until I crawl into bed at the very end of the day- physically and mentally exhausted and not prepared for study. If we want to establish a real habit, we have to carve out the time and be consistent.

Making Scripture Study More Meaningful-
If my scripture study has been off course and I am trying to get back to it, sometimes it feels difficult to have meaningful study right away. The introduction to the Institute manuals have some tips on improving the quality of our reading. Among other things, it suggests not being afraid to stop in your reading- delving deeper until you understand what your are reading, asking questions as you read to further understand, and writing down impressions as you study. I've heard Elder Scott mention the importance of writing down spiritual impressions more than once, promising that if we do, not only will we have access to that knowledge in the future, but that we will open ourselves for more impressions.

We are often reminded that scripture study becomes more meaningful the more we do it. This feels especially true to me. As the words and language become more comfortable, I come to enjoy reading and am far more likely to learn and feel the Spirit.

Family Study-
With different families come different practices that work best for scripture study. We have tried a few different things with our young family and I suspect we will try plenty more things as our children grow and change. As with personal study, I suspect that consistency is key. Elder Eyring says "For me...family scripture study works well only if your children know that you love the scriptures and they also know as individuals that you love them. Then whatever pattern you have will work. If scripture study is forced for either them or you, it doesn't have as much power."

No matter how difficult the path to better scripture study may be, we are promised it will be well worth it. President Hinkley said, "As you read, your minds will be enlightened and your Spirits will be lifted. At first it may seem tedious, but that will change into a wondrous experience with thoughts and words of things divine."

A few resources from the tips page that may help in our scripture study goals:

http://scriptures.lds.org/
http://www.readthescriptures.com/
http://scriptures4kids.com/
http://sistersatthewell.org

And how could I forget! Our Relief Society has a scripture study group that meets every other week to share insight on an assigned set of readings. See the tab at the top of this page for the dates and reading!

Lesson Recap

We had a great lesson by Julie F. We discussed Elder Oaks’ talk on “Desire.” Here are a few quotes from that talk:

“Desires dictate our priorities, priorities shape our choices, and choices determine our actions. The desires we act on determine our changing, our achieving, and our becoming.”

Doctrine & Covenants 137:9 – “For I, the Lord, will judge all men according to their works, according to the desire of their hearts.”

“We should remember that righteous desires cannot be superficial, impulsive, or temporary. They must be heartfelt, unwavering, and permanent. So motivated, we will seek for that condition described by the Prophet Joseph Smith, where we have ‘overcome the evils of [our lives] and lost every desire for sin.’”

“…it is our actions and our desires that cause us to become something, whether a true friend, a gifted teacher, or one who has qualified for eternal life.”

Lesson Recap

We had a lesson on obedience from Katie K. Here are a few of the highlights:

By keeping God’s commandments, we prepare for eternal life and exaltation. Sometimes we do not know the reason for a particular commandment. However, we show our faith and trust in God when we obey Him without knowing why.

“I will go and do the things which the Lord hath commanded, for I know that the Lord giveth no commandments unto the children of men, save he shall prepare a way for them that they may accomplish the thing which he commandeth them” (1 Nephi 3:7).

The Lord has told us that through our obedience and diligence we may gain knowledge and intelligence (see D&C 130:18–19). We may also grow spiritually (see Jeremiah 7:23–24). On the other hand, disobedience brings disappointment and results in a loss of blessings. “Who am I, saith the Lord, that have promised and have not fulfilled? I command and men obey not; I revoke and they receive not the blessing. Then they say in their hearts: This is not the work of the Lord, for his promises are not fulfilled” (D&C 58:31–33).

Lesson Recap

We had a great lesson from by Jenna S. She taught us from Elder L. Tom Perry’s talk on “The Sabbath and the Sacrament” from April’s General Conference. Here are a few quotes from that talk:

“I always enjoy reading the accounts of Paul as he traveled and organized the Savior’s Church, especially his teachings to Timothy. In the fourth chapter of Paul’s writings to Timothy, we read: ‘These things command and teach… Be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity.’ I can think of no better way for us to begin or continue to be an example of the believers than in our observance of the Sabbath day.”

“As we consider the pattern of the Sabbath and the sacrament in our own lives, there appear to be three things the Lord requires of us: first, to keep ourselves unspotted from the world; second, to go to the house of prayer and offer up our sacraments; and third, to rest from our labors.”

“Brothers and sisters, in the latter days the adversary succeeds when we relax our commitment to the Savior, ignore His teachings in the New Testament and other scripture, and cease to follow Him. Parents, now is the time to teach our children to be examples of the believers by attending sacrament meeting. When Sunday morning arrives, help them to be well rested, properly dressed, and spiritually prepared to partake of the emblems of the sacrament and receive the enlightening, edifying, ennobling power of the Holy Ghost. Let your family be filled with love as you honor the Sabbath all day long and experience its spiritual blessings throughout the week. Invite your sons and daughters to ‘arise and shine forth’ by keeping the Sabbath day holy, that ‘[their] light may be a standard for the nations.’”

Baptism

Jean M. taught us today about baptism.

In Mosiah 18: 7 – 11, Alma establishes the covenant of baptism among the Nephites.  The promises they make are the same as the promises we have made to “come into the fold of God, and to be called his people, [being] willing to bear one another’s burdens, that they may be light; Yea, and are willing to mourn with those that mourn; yea, and comfort those that stand in need of comfort, and to stand as witnesses of God at all times and in all things, and in all places that ye may be in, even until death, … as a witness before him that ye have entered into a covenant with him, that ye will serve him and keep his commandments…”

Just like the day we were baptized and made these covenants, we have the opportunity to partake of the sacrament each week to renew those same covenants.  Today is a new beginning!

Jean left us with some thought-provoking questions.  Knowing that today is a new beginning:

1.      What does that mean to you?

2.      How does that translate into changed behavior?

3.      What can you do to better keep your part of the covenant?

by Emily W.

Reflections on a Consecrated Life

 We were favored with a beautiful lesson today by Julie F.  She taught us from Elder D. Todd Christofferson’s talk entitled “Reflections on a Consecrated Life.”  Here are a few thoughts and quotes that were shared.

·         We all want to dedicate, or consecrate, ourselves to the Lord, but we have to find balance.

·         “Our life on earth is a stewardship of time and choices granted by our Creator.”

·         The way we live a consecrated life may be different for everyone, but Elder Christofferson gives us five elements of a consecrated life to “consider” as we “reflect” on how to do this.

1.      Purity – “Consecration therefore means repentance.  Stubbornness, rebellion, and rationalization must be abandoned, and in their place submission, a desire for correction, and acceptance of all that the Lord may require.”

2.      Work – “Work builds and refines character, creates beauty, and is the instrument of our service to one another and to God.  A consecrated life is filled with work, sometimes repetitive, sometimes menial, sometimes unappreciated but always work that improves, orders, sustains, lifts, ministers, aspires.”

a.       Leisure – “Just as honest toil gives rest its sweetness, wholesome recreation is the friend and steadying companion of work.”

3.      Respect for one’s body – “A central purpose of the mortal experience is that each spirit should receive such a body and learn to exercise moral agency in a tabernacle of flesh.”

4.      Service – If we want to be like Christ, we need to do what He did.  “Those who quietly and thoughtfully go about doing good offer a model of consecration.”

5.      Integrity – “Hypocrisy is terribly destructive… It is faith destroying, whereas honor is the rich soil in which the seed of faith thrives.”

·         “Of particular significance is the influence of a consecrated man or woman upon others, especially those closest and dearest.  The consecration of many who have gone before us and others who live among us has helped lay the foundation for our happiness.  In like manner future generations will take courage from your consecrated life, acknowledging their debt to you for the possession of all that truly matters.  May we consecrate ourselves as sons and daughters of God, ‘that when he shall appear we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is; that we may have this hope’ I pray in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.”

Heavenly Father gives us the chance to Repent

Today, Melanie G. taught a beautiful lesson on repentance.  Here are a few thoughts from her lesson:

·         Our Heavenly Father loves us so much that He gave us the opportunity to repent.  We have the “privilege” to repent.

·         Repentance has existed from the time of Adam.  The Lord instructed Adam, “Wherefore teach it unto your children, that all men, everywhere, must repent, or they can in nowise inherit the kingdom of God, for no unclean thing can dwell there, or dwell in his presence” (Moses 6:57).

·         There are seven steps to repentance:

1.      We must recognize our sins.

2.      We must feel sorrow for our sins.

3.      We must forsake our sins.

4.      We must confess our sins.

5.      We must make restitution.

6.      We must forgive others.

7.      We must keep the commandments of God.

·         True repentance is a true change of heart.  It doesn’t mean that we won’t ever mess up again, it just means that we don’t want to. 

·         Repentance is hard, but things that are hard are worth it.

·         We read about the repentance of Alma the younger in Alma, chapter 36, verses 12-14 & 17-21.

o   “But I was racked with eternal torment, for my soul was harrowed up to the greatest degree and racked with all my sins.  Yea, I did remember all my sins and iniquities, for which I was tormented with the pains of hell; yea, I saw that I had rebelled against my God, and that I had not kept his holy commandments.  Yea, and I had murdered many of his children, or rather led them away unto destruction; yea, and in fine so great had been my iniquities, that the very thought of coming into the presence of my God did rack my soul with inexpressible horror.”

o    “And it came to pass that as I was thus racked with torment, while I was harrowed up by the memory of my many sins, behold, I remembered also to have heard my father prophesy unto the people concerning the coming of one Jesus Christ, a Son of God, to atone for the sins of the world.   Now, as my mind caught hold upon this thought, I cried within my heart: O Jesus, thou Son of God, have mercy on me, who am in the gall of bitterness, and am encircled about by the everlasting chains of death.”

By Emily W.

Faith in Jesus Christ

We were favored today with a lesson from Jean M. on Faith in Jesus Christ.  Here are a few thoughts from her lesson:

Why do we need to have faith in Jesus Christ?

In this life, it just doesn’t always turn out the way you think it’s going to.

How do we have perfect faith?

In 2 Nephi 9:23, we read: “And he commandeth all men that they must repent, and be baptized in his name, having perfect faith in the Holy One of Israel, or they cannot be saved in the kingdom of God.”

As we continually repent, our faith grows stronger.  Building faith takes time.  The Lord has time.

Our faith will grow as we show our faith in Jesus Christ, not faith in the results that we think should come.

by Emily W.

Judge Not

We had the pleasure of learning from Shauna L. today as she discussed President Monson’s talk entitled “Charity Never Faileth” from the General Relief Society Broadcast.  Here are a few quotes that were shared:

There is really no way we can know the heart, the intentions, or the circumstances of someone who might say or do something we find reason to criticize. Thus the commandment: “Judge not.”

Mother Teresa, a Catholic nun who worked among the poor in India most of her life, spoke this profound truth: “If you judge people, you have no time to love them.”⁵ The Savior has admonished, “This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you.”⁶ I ask: can we love one another, as the Savior has commanded, if we judge each other? And I answer—with Mother Teresa: no, we cannot.

I consider charity—or “the pure love of Christ”—to be the opposite of criticism and judging. In speaking of charity, I do not at this moment have in mind the relief of the suffering through the giving of our substance. That, of course, is necessary and proper. Tonight, however, I have in mind the charity that manifests itself when we are tolerant of others and lenient toward their actions, the kind of charity that forgives, the kind of charity that is patient.

I have in mind the charity that impels us to be sympathetic, compassionate, and merciful, not only in times of sickness and affliction and distress but also in times of weakness or error on the part of others.

There is a serious need for the charity that gives attention to those who are unnoticed, hope to those who are discouraged, aid to those who are afflicted. True charity is love in action. The need for charity is everywhere.

Needed is the charity which refuses to find satisfaction in hearing or in repeating the reports of misfortunes that come to others, unless by so doing, the unfortunate one may be benefited…

Charity is having patience with someone who has let us down. It is resisting the impulse to become offended easily. It is accepting weaknesses and shortcomings. It is accepting people as they truly are. It is looking beyond physical appearances to attributes that will not dim through time. It is resisting the impulse to categorize others.


by Emily W.