My girls and I were watching the General Women's Session on my bed Saturday, October 6th, 2018 when President Nelson issued four challenges to the girls over 8 and women of the Church, one of which was to read the entire
Book of Mormon by the end of the year. I felt like our days were full enough and knew it would truly be a challenge to accomplish that task, but I also knew that if the Prophet had asked me to move my family to Darkest Peru (I don't know why a Paddington Bear reference is coming to mind as I'm writing this, but I'm going with it) then I would do it. So why wouldn't I make the time to read this book?
I decided that I wanted to do my best to help the girls complete the challenge too, so we started the following week getting up extra-early before school started, usually around 6:00, so that we could have 20-30 minutes to read before going about our daily routine. In order to add an element of fun to this ritual, I made hot drinks every morning. Eliza always wanted hot chocolate but Cat usually chose herbal tea.
I figured if we read about 7 pages a day, which seemed manageable, we'd be sure to finish even if we missed a few days. So we started. But it was slow-going. We tried taking turns reading but soon discovered we covered a lot more material if I just read the whole time. All of the marking Pres. Nelson asked us to do, underlining or bracketing references to Jesus Christ, took additional time too. Sometimes it took one of us a little longer to get out of bed. And then we'd take a break when someone needed to use the bathroom. And so on. We got farther and farther behind and I tried not to be frustrated that I could have read faster on my own, but continued on reading with the girls. We intended to make up for lost pages by reading extra on the weekends or while in the car driving to and from California for Thanksgiving, but those things didn't help us gain extra ground.
So though we chiseled away at it for a couple of months, we efinally decided to read separately for the last month or so. I felt like trying to do it with the girls might keep me from finishing on my own (though I suppose I could have read on my own simultaneously) and they thought they'd be able to read faster on their own too. I decided that they're old enough to be accountable, so why not give them the chance.
As the end of the year approached, it seemed we were all close enough to accomplish the goal, and I thought a little extra incentive/reward was in order. So I told the girls that whoever finished before New Year's would get a smoothie from Jamba Juice (which they both LOVE). Well, I ended up being the last one to finish, reading the last few pages of the
BoM on the evening of New Year's Eve.
And Cat and Eliza thoroughly enjoyed their smoothies.
But more importantly, we enjoyed the experience. I kept thinking back to the challenge President Hinckley issued to complete the
Book of Mormon in a matter of months back in 2005. I remember distinctly doing most of my reading while nursing a special baby girl named Cat as I sat on our blue couch, in our little house in Florida. I was glad I could share the experience with her again, in a different way this time.
I usually read the
Book of Mormon rather slowly - about once through each year - which is great for digesting small bits at a time. But I really appreciated reading it quickly because it helped me appreciate more of the recurring themes and get a broader, more comprehensive perspective. Marking the passages referring to and about Jesus Christ was eye-opening. The book truly is a testament of Him! He's everywhere! It contains such varied and beautiful teachings and truths and I truly gained a stronger testimony through this process. I was buoyed by the experiences of other women completing the challenge too. What a wonderful opportunity.
When I asked Eliza about her experience, the first things she said were that it was fun and nice, then she told me that she thinks it's cool that she can say she read the whole
Book of Mormon last year, and that she felt peaceful when reading.
And Cat had this to say... When I finished it it was so amazing seeing/reading the BoM from a different perspective. I loved it and it was so nice to be able to see how many times my Savior was referenced in the book. It really is a truth to me that he leads this curch, and that was apparent through the reading that I was doing when I marked it. I will say, I felt extremely relieved and satisfied with myself after I finished on December 31st. But also as I finished, I had this very strong thought and feeling that what I had done was the right thing. Heavenly Father was proud of me and I was doing what I needed to do to prepare for the coming of his son. I know the church is true and I testify that I have read and KNOW that the Book of Mormon is true. I have found it out for myself. If you find your testimony wavering, are having a bad day, or don't have a testimony yet, I invite you to re-read the book. Open it to a random page and just read for a bit. I promise that if you read the BoM every day, it will improve your life, strengthen your testimony, and you will be able to see God's hand in your life more.
Below is an excerpt from
President Nelson's message of gratitude. I was one of the 10,000 responses he received. I sure do love and sustain President Nelson as a Prophet of God.
My dear and precious sisters, four months have now passed since I extended my invitation to you to help gather scattered Israel. Do you recall how I told you that gathering Israel is “the greatest challenge, the greatest cause, and the greatest work on earth today”? Many of you have seized this challenge with great vigor. I wish to tell you that the Lord loves you and is pleased with every effort you make.
Since last October, I have heard from women all over the world about how they have responded to my four invitations to help gather scattered Israel. You will remember that the four invitations included:
- Participate in a 10-day fast from social media and any other media that bring negative and impure thoughts to your mind.
- Read the Book of Mormon by the end of 2018.
- Establish a pattern of regular temple attendance.
- Participate fully in Relief Society.
If you participated in any of these challenges, I want you to know that you are helping to gather scattered Israel. No matter how much time you spend on them, please know that the Lord is mindful and pleased with every effort you make.
On my Instagram and Facebook accounts, I asked to hear about your experiences. I was overwhelmed to see that more than 10,000 women responded! My heart was touched by what you shared. As we shift to a more home-centered, Church-supported curriculum, please remember that we need you. You are a key to the success of this new, balanced, and coordinated gospel-teaching effort.
Sisters, I love you and thank you. As a result of your efforts, I promise that the heavens will open for you. The Lord will bless you with increased inspiration and revelation. Together we can do all that our Heavenly Father needs us to do to prepare the world for the Second Coming of His Beloved Son.
