Spend Time With Jesus
To my daughter,
Paul wrote to Timothy these words, “And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. And all scripture given by inspiration of God, is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness” (JST 2 Timothy 3:15-16). You too have been taught the scriptures from your youth, and I love this verse because it helps us understand the purpose of the scriptures. We read them to gain faith in Jesus Christ, to learn His doctrine, to be corrected, and to be instructed on how to live righteously. From the scriptures we learn to come unto Him and we gain revelation for how we are to live. As you know, we are blessed with many pages of scripture: 2,477 to be exact within the Bible, Book of Mormon, Doctrine and Covenants, and Pearl of Great Price. That’s a lot and we are so lucky to have so many words of holy writ! It can be daunting, though, to know what to read and so I want to suggest an important thing to consider as you study the scriptures: not all chapters of scripture are of equal value to you. All inspired scripture is valuable for sure, but there are some parts of the scriptures that are of most worth, and I want to encourage you to study those in particular. For example, there is certainly value in reading about the history of the Israelites in the books of 1st and 2nd Chronicles of the Old Testament; but you will likely find greater spiritual strength in studying the life and teachings of the Savior in the four gospels. Similarly, there are things you can learn in the description of the laws and rituals of the law of Moses recorded in the book of Leviticus, but you will likely be more inspired and enriched spiritually by studying the words of the Savior in His visit to the Nephites recorded in 3 Nephi. Since you cannot simply read all of the scriptures right now with your limited time, you should consider carefully what you will focus on reading.
You
might think that simply reading at random would then be the best approach.
There certainly is some value in that, but the Lord and his prophets have given
us guidance on where we might put our focus so we should not ignore that. The
Lord gave us this instruction in our day through the Prophet Joseph Smith: “And
again, the elders, priests and teachers of this church shall teach the
principles of my gospel, which are in the Bible and the Book of Mormon, in the
which is the fulness of the gospel” (Doctrine and Covenants 42:12). Where are
these “principles of my gospel” that He referred to? In the Bible you will find
them throughout the New Testament but especially in the four gospels that
recount the life and direct teachings of the Savior. In the Book of Mormon you
will also find them all throughout its pages but perhaps most clearly in the
words of the Savior recorded in 3 Nephi. There are few things you could read in
the scriptures as valuable as the actual words and deeds the Savior did in mortality
found in these five books of scriptures. It is incredible that we have accounts
of what He said, who He healed, where He walked, and much more in the four
gospels and in the account of the Savior’s visit to the Americas in the New
Testament. You will find great strength in pondering His healing power, His
miracles, His invitations to repent, and His suffering found therein. I know
that He lived and died for you and for me, and when we were baptized we
promised to be witnesses of Him. To do that we must come to know Him, and one
of the best ways to do that is to read about His mortal ministry on earth. How blessed
we are to have these supernal accounts! Let us follow Elder McConkie’s
invitation from yesterday’s general conference and “spend time with Jesus” in
these five books of scripture that describe so powerfully His words and mission.
The Savior and modern prophets have also encouraged us to read The Book of Mormon in general. The Savior gave this warning to us that we should consider carefully: “And your minds in times past have been darkened because of unbelief, and because you have treated lightly the things you have received—Which vanity and unbelief have brought the whole church under condemnation. And this condemnation resteth upon the children of Zion, even all. And they shall remain under this condemnation until they repent and remember the new covenant, even the Book of Mormon and the former commandments which I have given them, not only to say, but to do according to that which I have written” (Doctrine and Covenants 84:54-57). The Book of Mormon was written particularly for our day to help us come unto the Savior, and we are under condemnation if we neglect it. The Prophet Joseph Smith said this: “I told the brethren that the Book of Mormon was the most correct of any book on earth, and the keystone of our religion, and a man would get nearer to God by abiding by its precepts, than by any other book.” President Hinckley likewise gave us this promise: “Brothers and sisters, without reservation I promise you that if you will prayerfully read the Book of Mormon, regardless of how many times you previously have read it, there will come into your hearts an added measure of the Spirit of the Lord. There will come a strengthened resolution to walk in obedience to his commandments, and there will come a stronger testimony of the living reality of the Son of God.” I know that this has been true for me in my life and I urge you to study each day from its words in order to receive strength and deepen your testimony of Jesus Christ.
Love, Dad
Comments
Post a Comment
Comments: