90 day Book of Mormon Challenge

School Let out yesterday and it feels wonderful to be sitting in front of my computer at 8:00am doing what I would like to do and not just what I have to do. Tyler and I decided two weeks ago that we would be reading The Book of Mormon this summer, and finishing it in 90 days. There isn't anything special about 90 days or the schedule that we are going to be sticking to except that we wanted to do it. Summer is often really busy for us and it can be very easy to get out of our normal routine. The good weather, vacations etc. really distract from the habits that will keep us closer to our Heavenly Father and His son, Jesus Christ.

We continue to be blessed in so many ways that allow us to live comfortably and feel peace in our lives even among trials that often seem too big to bear. We look forward to the added measure of strength through reading as mentioned in the Book of Mormon, Mosiah 24:14:  

 "And I will also ease the ^aburdens which are put upon your shoulders, that even you cannot feel them upon your backs, even while you are in bondage; and this will I do that ye may stand as ^bwitnesses for me hereafter, and that ye may know of a surety that I, the Lord God, do visit my people in their ^cafflictions."

 Our greatest desire in this life is to live so we may stand clean before God no matter when we may meet Him. Similarly we wish to stand next to our family and loved ones who have been welcomed home true to their covenants and worthy to enter His kingdom. We have invited our families to participate in this challenge and are excited that many of them have accepted and will be joining us. With family scattered all over it takes special effort to stay in contact and connected on a personal basis. Tyler and I have discovered however that this bond holds the tightest when founded upon the principals of the gospel. What truer source of this knowledge is there than The Book of Mormon to nurture that bond? 

In Alma 17, Alma is reunited with his brothers after many years of separation. In a day where nearly no additional forms of communication were available except talking face-to-face, I'm sure he had spent a lot of time of each of those days wondering how they were, if they were physically well and being protected. But I read that the issue was even greater than this, among all his concerns, he was most concerned with their spiritual well being. 

 2 Now these sons of Mosiah were with Alma at the time the angel ^afirst appeared unto him; therefore Alma did rejoice exceedingly to see his brethren; and what added more to his joy, they were still his brethren in the Lord; yea, and they had waxed strong in the knowledge of the truth; for they were men of a sound understanding and they had ^bsearched the scriptures diligently, that they might know the word of God.

 3 But this is not all; they had given themselves to much prayer, and ^afasting; therefore they had the spirit of prophecy, and the spirit of revelation, and when they taught, they taught with ^bpower and authority of God.

 These men were missionaries, just as we are asked to be. No matter where we are we are to bear witness of the Savior and the reality of his life and atonement. We may have different interests, hobbies, personalities, and life pursuits, but those differences are trivial when compared to The Plan of Happiness that the Father, who we all came from, has set up for us. We are reading The Book of Mormon because it is a commandment and we feel a great need for added strength and direction at this point in our lives. We also know however the joy that comes from seeing the light of the gospel in the eyes of those we love, it hurts to see that light dim and to watch as direction is lost. 


Day 1
1 Nephi 1-3

My Highlighted Scripture
 1 Nephi 3:7 And it came to pass that I, Nephi, said unto my father: I ^awill go and do the things which the Lord hath commanded, for I know that the Lord giveth no ^bcommandments unto the children of men, save he shall ^cprepare a way for them that they may accomplish the thing which he commandeth them.


What I Learned
When Nephi declared that he was going to do God's will he didn't know every detail of how it would work out. In fact many of his plans didn't work. He lost time and money, familial relationships were on the rocks, yet he remained faithful to his testimony. Many didn't understand why he was acting as he did, but he didn't yield to their ideas and put downs. He was true to what He knew, he never gave up. God could have delivered the brass plates to them on their doorstep, He certainly has performed greater miracles than that. Nephi was being refined, tested, tried, stretched, and molded. Nephi is not a fictional character, he could have given up and the story would end much differently. But he didn't, and neither will I.