The Book of Mormon

One of my goals for this year is to read the standard works in their entirety. It's now May, I'm half-way through month five, and 600 pages of the way through (a month behind, but I'm still not giving up!) For the past four-and-a-half months, I've been in the Old Testament. It's been wonderful...ish. Actually, let's be a tad bit more honest here: I just finished Chronicles, and it was hard to get through. In fact, the past several months have been a tad bit hard to get through. Over the past several weeks I've been feeling like I should maybe pair my study of the Old Testament with a study of the Book of Mormon, even though that's not what's on my schedule (BOM isn't until September!) But last night I decided to finally give-in and start reading the Book of Mormon.

Oh. My. Goodness.

I just didn't want to stop! It kept me up until 1:30am and was full of goodness and I could feel the Spirit when I read it and it made me want to be a better person! It made me feel! 

This experience has testified to me of the power of the Book of Mormon. I love that book. From this day forward, no matter what set of scripture I choose to study, I want to study the Book of Mormon along side it. The goodness and peace and motivation to be awesome that I feel when I read it testify to me that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints is the true church of God. I want to draw closer to Him in all I do, and that includes in my scripture study. If you don't yet have a testimony of The Book of Mormon, all you have to do is to read it with pure intent and purpose. I promise you that if you do, you will know the truth of it and that it will surge a power into your life unlike anything else. I know this because that is what it has done for my life.

"Without reservation I promise you that if each of you will observe this simple program, regardless of how many times you previously may have read the Book of Mormon, there will come into your lives and into your homes an added measure of the Spirit of the Lord, a strengthened resolution to walk in obedience to His commandments, and a stronger testimony of the living reality of the Son of God."  -President Gordon B. Hinckley, A Testimony Vibrant and True