Book of Mormon: A reading challenge for me.



This is not an official Book of Mormon from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints but this edition of the Book of Mormon is published by special arrangement with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, Salt Lake City, Utah.



Example of how I am marking my new Book of Mormon



I have chosen to read the Book of Mormon again, from coverth to coverth.  Usually I start something like this and about half way through the book I for some reason stop reading.  Which is horrible because I really enjoy reading the Book of Mormon and I have fun trying to find different things to help me understand the words of the Lord.  For example every time I see the word baptism I take a green pen and write over the letters with the pen.  I do it for repentance (blue), faith (black), Holy Ghost(red), keep the commandments (purple), Lord or Heavenly Father or any other names for God (highlighted in Yellow) and Jesus Christ or any other names for him (highlighted in Orange).  I also have other colors that without my color chart in front of me I can not pull off the top of my head.  Its amazing to look back on what you have read and see the different colors and their meaning.   Did you know that on the very first page of the Book of Mormon, Where 1Nephi starts, God is mentioned 2 times with in 3 verses or if you flip to page 41 God (Lord, Spirit of God) is mentioned 20 times? In one of the chapters of Ether faith is mentioned around 32 times? (man I wish I had my book that has it highlighted in front of me so I can give the correct amount). The bad part is that no matter how many times I read the Book of Mormon and highlight different verses I can never remember verses off the top of my head.  Some people can say (I'm just making it up and looking up the verse, mind you I have a copy of the Book of Mormon next to me and the internet where I can look up these verses) Alma 32:15 says: Yea, he that truly humbleth himself, and repenteth of his sins, and endureth to the end, the same shall be blessed—yea, much more blessed than they who are compelled to be humble because of their exceeding poverty. I can't even begin to quote scriptures or even tell you where the verse was that I read it.  Like yesterday I read prophecy about the Book of Mormon and one verse said a Bible a Bible we already have a Bible, Oh man I better look that up because I don't know if I am quoting it right or even where it is.  That is how bad I am at memorizing the scriptures.....pause for looking up....Okay so it is in 2Nephi 29:3 and the actual verse is "....A Bible! A Bible! We have got a Bible, and there cannot be any more Bible." So I was close, but I still didn't know where it was, the only way I found it was because I had highlighted it.  I think I have gotten off coarse on what I was talking about.  

So anyways, I want to read it from cover to cover but I wanted to do some type of challenge.  I have been presented a few challenges from the missionaries in the past and I have forgotten what they were so I googled  and I found a blog that had a schedule that was for a 30 day reading cycle.  It comes off of a talk by  President Gordon B. Hinckley Click here if you want to read what it says:  http://www.maccabe.org/images/7/7d/90DayBOM.pdf 


Inside cover of my Book of Mormon

 So I copied the schedule and taped it to the front of my Book of Mormon,  which everyone says it is a good idea to start a new book when you decide to start over.  If only they knew how many times I start and stop reading.  I think I would have a million books.
I think I am doing alright in keeping to the schedule. I am a day or two behind, but I am striving to read it!!

I just want to say that I know this book, The Book of Mormon is another testament of Jesus Christ.  And if you read it, with real intent, you will know it does testify of Christ.  For only things that testify of the goodness of the Lord are of the Lord, because the devil can not testify of the goodness of the Lord but only the Holy Ghost can testify of God and Jesus.  I hope you will seek the happiness this book brings and feel how closer to Heavenly Father you will become by just reading this book then asking Heavenly Father if this IS his words.

 

Update:

I suck at keeping up with my goals.  As of today I am 10 days behind schedule.  But I am proud to say that I am reading each day.