I'm not a huge fan of New Year's Resolutions, but I like to look at the New Year like a clean slate. It's a time to make some changes, to do things better. I am teaching the Valiant 11 girls this year and we get to study the Book of Mormon. I did what every good teacher does and bribed them. I found this cool reading schedule on Pintrest to finish the Book of Mormon in a year and handed them out to the girls. I told them if they can finish before the year is up, I will take them out to dinner. I hope it is a great motivation to keep them going. http://www.cknscratch.com/scripturestudygroups/read-the-book-of-mormon-free-printable-schedules We also talked about why the Book of Mormon is important and I sent them home with questions and references taken from the Book of Mormon Seminary Manual.
Questions Answered by the Book of Mormon:
Is there a God? Alma 30:37-44
Can I know God? Alma 22:18
Does God care about me? 3 Nephi 13:26-32
How can I resist temptation and sin? Helaman 5:12
What is the purpose of life? Alma 34:32-34
Is there life after death? Alma 40:11-12, 21-23
How can I find peace and joy and be happy? Mosiah 2:41; 4:2-3; Alma 41:10
How can my family be happier and more united? Mosiah 4:14-15
How can I judge between right and wrong? Moroni 7:16-17
Why does God allow evil and suffering to occur? 2 Nephi 2:1-2,11-16,22-27; Alma 14:9-11; 60:13
I'm very excited to share my love of the Book of Mormon with my class and hope that they will read and discuss the things they learn with the class. My goal is to help these girls begin to want to study, to enjoy it instead of dread it.
One of my most popular posts is about digital choices in scripture study. I still think this is a great choice, but I also think we need to be careful. We all know there are problems with the addictions of digital devices in our society. Here is an interview with author Sherry Turkle about her book, Alone Together: Why We Expect More from Technology and Less from Each Other. She tells us that we are beginning to lose the art of face-to-face communications. We go to dinner with friends, but take turns texting, which leads to a surface conversation. Children complain that their parents are not paying attention to them. Teens refuse to even have a phone conversation because they cannot "plan out" what they are going to say like you can in a text. It is obvious that our digital life is not going away, and there are many advantages to it, but what can we do to help minimize the negative affects on our family? 1) Make certain places/times in our home a digital free zone. Keep a basket in the living room for phones during meals. 2) Make a pledge to put phones/tablets/ laptops face down when someone is talking to you. 3) Have one scripture study a week a "digital free" study. Enjoy digging into the scriptures and highlighting by hand. 4) Help your kids be comfortable in a conversation. Help them make phone calls, talk to friends face to face, or visit neighbors. 5) Have fun together as a family, without devices. Play games, laugh together, take a walk.
Brother Durant introduced a new word to our vocabulary in the Sunday afternoon session of General Conference. He told us to "ponderize" a new scripture each week.
He told us that if we have been snorkeling in the scriptures, we can begin scuba diving. Let's Dive In!
He asked us to pick one scripture a week and to ponder it and try to memorize that scripture during the week. He also said that this was not to take the place of scripture study, but to add to it.
Here's some ideas for "ponderizing" scriptures with your family:
1) During you family scripture study, keep your heart open for a scripture that will touch your family.
2) Have your kids highlight the scripture chosen, print the scripture out and post it in your home.
3) Text the scripture to your teens.
4) Write the scripture on a post it and put it in your car. Say it out loud with your kids while you are on your weekly errands.
5) Take turns sharing thoughts about the scripture during breakfast or dinner.
6) Spend some time during one of your family scripture study time to discuss and write about the scripture in journals.
We are now a couple of weeks into school, and fall activities have begun. Your family's schedule is undoubtedly packed. But don't forget to make time for family scripture study. Life is busy and hectic; you have to make room for things that matter. Here's a few quick tips to make family scripture study happen: 1) Meet together as a family and pledge to have scripture study every day. Discuss ways to make it happen as a family. Get everyone's ideas, problems, and solutions. 2) Decide what time of day will work for you. Before school? After dinner? Before dinner? Before bedtime? And get it on the calendar. You might have some days that after dinner is too crazy, so plan to read early that day. If you have a plan you won't end the day THEN realize you didn't get your scripture study done. Some families have a planning meeting each Sunday or Monday for the week. This would be the perfect time to decide when to study each day that week. 3) Don't be afraid to be creative. You could read to your kids while they eat breakfast. You could have the kids take turns reading in the car as you drive them to soccer practice. You could take turns reading and doing the dinner dishes. 4) If your family scripture time is not "perfect" enjoy it anyway. Some families can't meet all at the same time. Do two or three groups of study if needed. You might have young ones who can only sit through one verse. Read the verse, praise your little ones and move on. 5) Use your digital devises. Maybe you will study a certain chapter or verse and send it out by text. You can then each read, ponder and reply. Add the thoughts to your digital scripture journal. Digital devices make looking up cross references so easy. Use it to make your study more interesting.
6) Find the right tool for your family. Do some online or bookstore research to find the tool that will make the limited amount of time give your great returns. Check out my book here: Small and Simple Keys of Protection. 7) Do your best, but don't beat yourself up when things don't go as planned. Just keep going. Tell me what has worked for you in different stages of your family's life.
One day, I was riding my husband's motorcycle (much bigger and more powerful than mine) and it decided to die on me. I pulled over to the side of the road to fix the problem. My husband came to meet me and helped me fix the issue. He then waited to make sure I got back onto the road safely. Then I realized I had a problem. There was quite an edge to the road that dropped off onto the side where I was sitting with the bike. I had learned in motorcycle safety that you always want to hit a square edge at as close to ninety degrees as possible. This way your tire will roll right over the obstacle instead of glancing the edge and throwing you sideways. I looked at the edge of the road and wondered how I would turn the front wheel tight enough to hit the edge yet not throw the bike into oncoming traffic. I considered riding down the edge of the road in hopes of finding a better spot to reenter, but the edge was littered with rocks and pebbles, also not safe on a motorcycle. I knew the only option I had was to just go for it. So, knowing my husband was watching and hoping to not make a fool of myself, I gave it some gas, turned the handlebars and bumped onto the road. Oh, I wobbled and I was scared for a second, but I made it. I straightened out the bike and continued on my way. When you find yourself on the edge of the road with your scripture study, remember you have to hit it head on. Don't find excuses or do it half way, just go for it. You might wobble and you might make mistakes, but you can always straighten it back out again. Quit riding on the edge of the road wondering if or when you should start your family scripture study. Turn the handlebars and begin.
Once upon a time there was a family who lived in a land where dragons were known to wander. They had been warned many times by elders in their village that a dragon could come upon them at any time. They believed these elders and wanted to be prepared, but they were just so busy. They had to find food, repair their little cabin, and care for their animals. They tried to teach their kids how to handle a sword, and a couple showed some promise. Every month or two they would gather their children and discuss where to hide and when to run. They wanted to be prepared, but it was just too much work. They couldn't do it all.
Next door was another family, just as busy, but they decided preparing for the eventual appearance of the dragon was a priority. Every evening the family gathered outside to learn swordsmanship, archery, and hand-to hand combat. They took turns teaching skills like tracking, food gathering, and camouflage. Many nights the parents of this little family went to bed tired and discouraged at the things still left undone. They wondered if their efforts were in vain.
Then one day, many years later, the dragon appeared.
"We live in that time of which the Lord spoke when he said, “Peace shall be taken from the earth, and the devil shall have power over his own dominion.” (D&C 1:35.) We live in that day which John the Revelator foresaw when “the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.” (Rev. 12:17.) The dragon is Satan; the woman represents the Church of Jesus Christ. Satan is waging war against the members of the Church who have testimonies and are trying to keep the commandments. And while many of our members are remaining faithful and strong, some are wavering. Some are falling. Some are fulfilling John’s prophecy that in the war with Satan, some Saints would be overcome. (See Rev. 13:7.)"
Just the other day, my thirteen-year-old complained that she doesn't understand the scriptures. What? We've been studying them as a family for years, not to mention the 9 years in primary and one in Young Women. What does she mean she doesn't understand the Book of Mormon? Then later that week, I dove back into a book I've been trying to finish for over a year: Moby Dick. Have you read it? Wow, it's in English, but sometimes I'm really not sure it is English. "Ere quitting, for the nonce, the Sperm Whale's head, I would have you, as a sensible physiologist, simply—particularly remark its front aspect, in all its compacted collectedness. I would have you investigate it now with the sole view of forming to yourself some unexaggerated, intelligent estimate of whatever battering-ram power may be lodged there. Here is a vital point; for you must either satisfactorily settle this matter with yourself, or for ever remain an infidel as to one of the most appalling, but not the less true events, perhaps anywhere to be found in all recorded history."
I must admit that I have a degree in English and writing, but have never read Moby Dick, so I decided to tackle it. It was while I was struggling through sentences like these, that I realized it must be how kids feel trying to understand the language of the scriptures. It is supposed to be English, but it somehow doesn't seem like English.
Another good example of the frustrations of scripture reading comes from the silly movie, "Monty Python's Quest for the Holy Grail." There is one scene where they need advice from what I assume is supposed to be a form of the scriptures. When it is read to them, it is overly repetitive and frustrating. Yup, that can be the scriptures, too.
So, what can we do as parents? How do we help our kids over the hump of dislike, misunderstanding, and confusion as we try to cultivate a love of the scriptures?
1) Understand their frustration. Learning the language of the scriptures is very much like learning a foreign language. Read something like Moby Dick or Three Musketeers to understand your child's perspective a little better.
2) Study in small chunks. Don't overwhelm your kids. Even if they are older, studying in small chunks will help them to feel like they are accomplishing something. This will also help them not dread study time, they know they can do it.
3) Stop and discuss. Stop to explain strange words or phrases. Make sure they feel comfortable asking questions. Always end your study session with a summary and possibly discuss what can be learned from what you read that day.
4) Review new words learned. It's fun to just throw some of the words you learn during your study time into regular conversation. Ask if they have written an "epistle" to grandma lately. Tell them we don't appreciate "wrath" when a someone makes a mistake. Ask if having to clean their room feels like an "affliction."
5) Find the right study tools for your family. See what's out there to help your family succeed. My book Small and Simple Keys of Protection is written to help you succeed. You study the Book of Mormon in small chunks and always end with a discussion. It's simple and easy.
