Coming unto Christ through the scriptures

So I spoke on Sunday about this topic and since this blog is called SOTW I thought that it might be something worth putting up here. As most of you know I'm not the best writer so I'm a little nervous about putting my talk up here but I feel that I should.

In the true to the faith book under the scriptures it says, “When Holy men of God write or speak by the power of the Holy Ghost, their words “shall be scripture, shall be the will of the Lord, shall be the mind of the Lord, shall be the word of the Lord, shall be the voice of the Lord, and the power of God unto salvation.” (D&C 68:4)

From a young age I have known the scriptures to be true but for some reason I have never been a really dedicated scripture studier. I would set goals and keep them and then would eventually slack off again and let things of the world distract me. I would often hear others comment in church saying, “oh that reminds me of this scripture” and they would go on to quote it. I never understood why that never happened to me. I thought I was doing all the right things but maybe I just wasn’t spiritual enough. But then one day I realized why I didn’t have those thoughts come to me. It was simply because I wasn’t studying and feasting upon the scriptures. Just reading whenever I found time to wasn’t going to cut it and I needed to make some changes.

In order to have the spiritual experiences I wanted, I needed to realize the reason why we should study the scriptures. The principle purpose is to testify of Christ, helping us come unto Him, and receive eternal life. It also builds faith, fortifies against temptation. If we desire to avoid evils of this world we must feed our minds with the truth and righteousness found in the scriptures. We will grow closer to God and to each other as we read and ponder the scriptures together.

I found a couple of different steps that have helped me on my way to better scripture study.

1. Cut out distractions

2. Make it a priority or to put God first

3. Pray before studying

4. Have a scripture study journal

Most of these steps are pretty simple and don’t require a whole lot of effort other than just trying and experimenting to see what works.

Cutting out distractions for me included cutting out the T.V. I was amazed at the difference it had on my family and I after just a few days of no T.V. and dedicated scripture time. My days run smoother and I am able to spend quality time with my family. By cutting out distractions I was able to easily make scripture study a priority in my life. Ezra Taft Benson said, “When we put God first, all other things fall into their proper place or drop out of our lives. Our love of the Lord will govern the claims for our affection, the demands on our time, the interests we pursue, and the order of our priorities.”

God commands us to read the scriptures and so I try and have it be one of the first things I do each day. When I make the time to do it first I feel the strength that it gives me and helps me to put on my armor for the day to withstand Satan’s distractions and temptations. I know that for most of us it isn’t always the easiest thing to do but I have discovered that I can get up early or I can set aside time after breakfast to pull out my scriptures and I can be an example to my son and show him that it is something that is important to do.

Praying before studying invites the spirit that helps me to receive inspiration clearly. In D&C 8:2 it says “Yea, behold, I will tell you in your mind and in your heart, by the Holy Ghost, which shall come upon you and which shall dwell in your heart.” This leads into the last step of having a scripture study journal. When I have thoughts or impressions come to me I know that as I am a busy mom if I don’t write it down right away I probably won’t remember what it was. I also find that I am able to remember more of what I study if I write things down. I love how I can go back and look at what I wrote about a certain verse and yet still find something new to learn from it.

I’m still not perfect at studying and feasting upon the words of Christ but I know as I do these steps they help me strive to be like Christ. I love how just by doing the small and simple things like studying the scriptures enhances all aspects of my life. I know I am a better mom, wife, daughter, and friend when I am learning and applying the teachings of the scriptures. I know that studying the scriptures helps me fight temptations and helps fortify my home.

I have seen the power of studying together as a family, as a couple, and in my own personal study. My family has recently started a SOTW blog and we are all able to post about different things we read and share our testimonies about it. It has been such a strength in my life to see us all grow in the gospel together. I feel so blessed to have the scriptures and the modern day scripture to help me come unto Christ.