More Than One Way to Study the Book of Mormon

More Than One Way to Study the Book of Mormon

The letters the Ensign has received have proved that there is more than one way to study the Book of Mormon:

Write Down the Main Principles

“I wanted to glean something concrete from my reading of the Book of Mormon,” says Lynn Ford of Provo, Utah. “I got a notebook and wrote down the main principles I learned from my reading and how those principles applied to me personally. Now when I feel discouraged, I can look through my notebook and find encouragement and guidance.”

Listen to the Spirit

“Instead of trying to remember specific details in the Book of Mormon, I focused on listening to the Spirit as I read,” says Owenna Nagy of Collegeville, Pennsylvania. “The simple act of opening the scriptures and reading from them was like saying to the Lord, ‘I want to learn from you.’ While there are great lessons to be learned from the lives of Nephi, Mosiah, and King Benjamin, I have found an inexhaustible source of personal strength and guidance hidden ‘between the lines.’”

Add Prayer

“Many times as I read the Book of Mormon, I come to material that I don’t understand,” says Robert Turner of Radford, Virginia. “At such times I stop and pray until a feeling of peace comes to me. It gets to be such a habit that often I am praying over nearly every page. As a result, I have a strong testimony of the Book of Mormon.”

Keep a Journal

“I had kept a diary for years,” says Michelle Sandberg of Loveland, Colorado. “But it was more like the large plates of Nephi—a secular history of dates and facts. I felt a desire to begin a religious or sacred history of my life after reading about Nephi’s record-keeping in the Book of Mormon. I resolved to begin keeping my own ‘small plates’ to bear testimony of God our Father, of Jesus Christ, and of their love for us.”

Spend at Least Fifteen Seconds a Day

“When I was challenged in Relief Society to spend fifteen seconds a day reading the Book of Mormon for one month, I knew I had to accept the challenge. As busy as I was, even I had fifteen seconds to devote to the scriptures,” says Carol Lorange of Sandy, Utah. “At the end of one month, I was in the habit of reading my Book of Mormon—and, of course, I always ended up reading far more than fifteen seconds.”

Reread the Book of Mormon

“The third time I read the Book of Mormon, seeking for light in my dark life, I found it,” says Marian Hayes of Rexburg, Idaho. “It took me a year and a half of reading each day during my children’s nap time, but I finished the Book of Mormon and found the light of the Savior, the Prince of Peace.”