Book of Mormon in 100 Days - Day 2

I'll add commentary tomorrow, but wanted to get the reading assignment posted for any early birds -

1 Nephi 1-2
If you'd like, you can mark 1 Nephi 1:20.

How have you experienced the tender mercies of the Lord?

Book of Mormon in 100 Days - Day 1

Hi Everyone!  My wonderful friend, Shauntae (whose blog is private or I would share her wonderfulness with you....) gave me a great little flip book that lines out a 100 day reading program for the Book of Mormon.  We are not going to do it in 100 consecutive days here on Scripture Sisters, but we are going to follow the schedule since it is neat and tidy and easy to follow.

So, for our Day 1 reading, we're going to read the Preface, Introduction, Testimonies, and Brief Explanation of the Book of Mormon.  If you're reading online, you can find them HERE, HERE, and HERE.  If you'd like to request a free Book of Mormon, click HERE.  Otherwise, open your copy and get reading right from the first page!

What thoughts do you have about the testimony of the 3 and 8 witnesses?  How about Mormon's title page?  Joseph's account of receiving the plates?  How does the brief explanation help you as you study the Book of Mormon.

Some thoughts I had while reading Joseph's testimony and account of receiving the plates:
* I remember visiting the Smith home when we lived in Buffalo, NY (about 1 1/2 hours from Palmyra) - one of the missionaries guiding tours pointed out that Joseph shared a room with his several siblings.  Knowing that, you would think that they would all have woken up when the angel Moroni appeared to Joseph, but they didn't.  Moroni's visit, although his brightness lit up the room as if brighter than noon day, was meant only for Joseph, and he was the only one who received it.  That is remarkable to me.  I don't understand it, except that God knows the laws of physics much better than I do, so He must know how to make it work.
* Something that increases my faith in Joseph's story is the fact that he was not allowed to even touch the plates for years after he was first shown their hiding place.  It must have taken great humility to accept that even though, yes, he had actually had a vision of God the Father and Jesus Christ, he still wasn't ready to carry forth the work they called him to.  He had much to learn before he could even translate the Book of Mormon and restore the church and kingdom of Jesus Christ on the earth.  I appreciate Joseph for being patient - learning, returning to the place he had been assigned, preparing himself for the work that laid ahead for him.
*One little tidbit I hadn't noticed before - at the bottom of the page after the testimony of Joseph Smith - there is a short paragraph that states that the Book of Mormon was brought forth and translated into modern speech by the gift and power of God... What does that mean to you?  It caused me to stop and consider that this is not necessarily a word for word literal translation (meaning each word matches up with a reformed Egyptian word on the plates, for example), but a translation of the history and record - told in our modern language.  For some reason the phrase "modern speech" causes me to wonder.  I like it.  What do you think?  Am I misinterpreting the idea there?
*When we're studying the Book of Mormon over the next several months, we can refer back to the brief explanation when we're confused about the chronology or genealogy of what we're reading at the moment.  A great little reference when we're reading.  Let's remember to use it.

Okay, your turn.  What did you learn while reading these sections?  Any questions we can discuss? 

One more little thought from me.  I don't have any desire for this to feel like a Sunday School class.  I am not the teacher - I think of myself more as a secretary -- I'm just doing the typing!  Please don't feel like your comments are too small or that you don't know enough to give your thoughts.  We need you!  The discussion will be so much more enriching if you share even the smallest thoughts or insights or questions from your reading.
Oh, and when you leave a comment, notice that there is a little box you can check before submitting that allows you to receive any follow up comments on that particular post right in your email.  It's something that might be really useful in our discussions on here since we all visit at different times.

Looking forward to hearing your thoughts!

First Challenge

Hey friends,

Okay, we're going to get started on the study group.  I am planning to moderate and we'll do New Testament a couple of days (the Gospel Doctrine Student Study Guide) and the Book of Mormon a few days.  I haven't set out an exact schedule yet, but I will.

Before we start, though, I hope you'll all take 10 minutes to either listen to or read and ponder Elder Richard G. Scott's talk from the Saturday morning session of General Conference.  It is a wonderful opener to our new era of discipleship!

http://media2.ldscdn.org/assets/general-conference/october-2011-general-conference/2011-10-1010-elder-richard-g-scott-64k-eng.mp3 - Listen


http://lds.org/general-conference/watch/2011/10?lang=eng&vid=1194709735001&cid=3http://lds.org/general-conference/watch/2011/10?lang=eng&vid=1194709735001&cid=3 -- Watch



The read link is not available yet,  but will be soon.  After you've listened or watched, leave a comment and share something you learned or a quote you liked or a scripture you've memorized that has blessed your life.

Hi Everyone!

Hey, I'm considering starting up again with Scripture Sisters, but want to know who is still in contact here.  Do you have this on your Google Reader...are you still clicking over after 2 long years, just hoping there will be something new?
Please comment if you see this and let me know if you'd be interested in participating again.

Thanks!  Julie

PS, I just spent an hour messing around with the layout of the blog...and then I realized the irony, considering President Uchtdorf's message in the Relief Society General Broadcast, "Dedicating some of our time to studying the scriptures or preparing to teach a lesson is a good sacrifice. Spending many hours stitching the title of the lesson into homemade pot holders for each member of your class perhaps may not be."
I won't be doing any more to the header or layout any time soon.  Let's spend our time in the scriptures, instead....

Latter-Day Saint Voices-Ensign July 2009

Last night was one of those perfect nights. The boys went to bed early, the kitchen was clean and I had time to lay in bed and read church magazines before falling asleep.

I was reading from the friend looking for ideas for family night lessons for the month. My husband passed me the Ensign with the page opened to this article and said I think you need to read this. I did, twice. Maybe even three times. (Repetition is good) I learned something new each and every time I read it.

Was I Living the Gospel Fully?

By Carolynn R. Spencer

Carolynn R. Spencer, “Was I Living the Gospel Fully?,” Ensign, July 2009, 71

My scripture study would have to wait. All three of our sons had awakened—and much earlier than usual. The youngest, Caden, then 18 months old, was screaming in his crib. I went into his room and saw instantly that he was sick.

Thus began a Monday of one challenge after another. At one point, shortly after I had changed Caden’s clothes and tried to feed him, he flung a large jar onto the floor, spilling applesauce everywhere and sending shattered glass across the kitchen. As I was cleaning up the mess, I thought about all the things I wasn’t getting done: family history, service, home storage, missionary work.

“How in the world can I do everything I know I should be doing when I am barely managing the basic tasks of my day?” I wondered. By early evening I was exhausted, but I set aside discouraging thoughts during dinner, family home evening, and the boys’ bath and bedtime routine.

Finally, with the children in bed, I sat down to do what I had not had time for earlier. I picked up the May 2006 Ensign, which was open to a talk by President Henry B. Eyring titled “As a Child.” My eyes fell on a passage I had previously marked: “To keep the blessing of [changed natures] in our hearts will require determination, effort, and faith. King Benjamin taught at least some of what that will require. He said that to retain a remission of our sins from day to day we must feed the hungry, clothe the naked, visit the sick, and help people spiritually and temporally” (Liahona and Ensign, May 2006, 17).

Immediately, I again felt that I wasn’t living the gospel fully. I wondered, “How can I feed the hungry, clothe the naked, visit the sick, and help people spiritually and temporally when I can scarcely take care of my own family?”

That’s when I experienced an overwhelming feeling of divine approval. It was so clear, precise, and tangible that I knew I had to write it down so I wouldn’t forget. I could see my day replay in my mind—full of feeding the hungry, doing laundry to clothe the naked (I changed Caden’s outfit multiple times), gently caring for our sick baby, helping our five-year-old prepare a family home evening lesson on missionary work, and then discussing the power of example with my family—in other words, helping people spiritually and temporally.

The impression flowed with such an overpowering feeling of peace that I knew the Lord was telling me He had accepted my offering. In caring for my family, I was fulfilling the admonitions of King Benjamin and President Eyring.

Song of the Righteous; A prayer unto Me- Hymn 223

I've been thinking about an idea for about a week now. And I've decided enough thinking! Time to act. Even if I'm the only one who comments; it's like a church lesson, often times it's the teacher that needs to hear it most. But I'd like to encourage everyone to comment, we can learn a lot from each other.

So my idea was that I would pick a church Hymn. I love the Hymns. I once made it a goal to memorize my 25 most favorite hymns, all the verses. And I did. And then I picked 25 more. And 25 more. And then I decided to memorize the first and last verses of 25 more. I love it. It's a work in progress, but I have seen the blessings of it numerous times over.

Often times I've found myself in a scary situation; driving in a snow storm, riding in a taxi with my baby in anaphylactic shock, driving home late and I'm tired. Other times I've been in need of an answer to a prayer, a reminder that I'm loved or a way to calm a sad child. At those times (and countless others) I've been able to recall the beautiful words of the hymns. And I can testify that the song of the righteous is indeed a prayer. One that gives strength and delivers peace.

I LOVE the hymns. If you look on lds.org and search hymns you'll find that there are several references to blessings and power of hymns. The following was in the Liahona and the Ensign in 2007.

The Nourishing Power of Hymns by Elder Jay E. Jensen Of the Seventy

Last Sunday, as I was thinking about our Julie A. and Brigham and the rest of the family, I was feeling very far away from the situation. Boston-Utah. I felt completely helpless. I knew my prayers would be heard and felt, but how could my prayers become answers without physically being able to serve them, in person.

The situation was weighing heavily on my mind as I went to Sacrament meeting.

And then as our closing hymn, we sang 223 Have I Done any Good.

The words in the second verse resonated in my mind and heart all afternoon. "there are chances for work all around just now, opportunities right in our way. Do not let them pass by, saying Sometime I'll try. But go and do something, TODAY."

I knew I could do something right then. And something we did, but not all on our own. I was amazed at the effect our prayers had, doors were opened hearts were made available and many were blessed by serving. Even serving someone they didn't know directly. I was once again reminded that we are the serving hands of the Lord here on earth, when our hearts are able and willing, mountains can be moved.

The scriptures that go along with the hymn are

James 1:22, 27

27 Pure ^areligion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To ^bvisit the ^cfatherless and ^dwidows in their ^eaffliction, and to keep himself ^funspotted from ^gthe ^hworld.

22 But be ye ^adoers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.

Alma9:28

Therefore, prepare ye the way of the Lord, for the time is at hand that all men shall reap a ^areward of their ^bworks, according to that which they have been—if they have been righteous they shall ^creap the salvation of their souls, according to the power and deliverance of Jesus Christ;

Please share your thoughts on the hymns and then pray to have your heart and mind open to the opportunities that are all around just now.

Living Scripture- Becoming Provident Providers Temporally and Spiritually by Elder Robert D. Hales

Becoming Provident Providers Temporally and Spiritually by Elder Robert D. Hales

Lets read this talk and discuss what we've learned, in the comments section.

I have yet to read it again, today, but I remember being greatly touched by the words that were spoken.