Nephi, the first writer of the Book of Mormon, loved the scriptures. He quoted from the often and clearly spent a great deal of time studying them and working to understand them. He found them a help in his own life, as well as a tool for teaching his children.
15 And upon these I write the things of my soul, and many of the scriptures which are engraven upon the plates of brass. For my soul delighteth in the scriptures, and my heart pondereth them, and writeth them for the learning and the profit of my children.
16 Behold, my soul delighteth in the things of the Lord; and my heart pondereth continually upon the things which I have seen and heard. (2 Nephi 4)
Members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, sometimes referred to as Mormons, like members of many other religions, are asked to read the scriptures daily. We study them in our Sunday School classes, and teenagers study them every weekday in a special scripture study course throughout their high school years. Young adults can take college-level courses on the scriptures. The church’s website has scriptures and a multitude of study manuals and other resources to help the independent student understand the scriptures.
Not only are members of the Church asked to study their scriptures in their classes, but on their own in the quiet of their home, and again with their families. They are often active readers, marking scriptures, taking notes, keeping scripture journals. We are asked to be a scripture-loving people.
One way to learn to love the scriptures is to read them. Members of the church read each book of scripture in their classes on a rotating basis. In four years, they have read them all—a year each for the Old Testament, the New Testament (so two years of Bible study), a year for the Book of Mormon, and a year for the Doctrine and Covenants (a book of modern-day revelations.)
The more familiar we are with the scriptures, the easier they are to read. When I first joined the church as a teenager, I had a background of Bible stories, but little actual experience reading the Bible itself. I found the language challenging and so, I would often stop when I got to things I didn’t understand. A wise teacher told me to just keep reading. If I didn’t understand, continue on anyway. In time, as I got more used to the language of the scriptures, the basic reading became easier. As I learned more about the gospel, the concepts became clearer.
Another way to delight in the scriptures is to liken them unto ourselves. This is a term unique to Latter-day Saints, used by Nephi, to tell us to think about how each scripture can be applied to our own lives. In this way, they become a personal communication to us from God, and not a generic book written for the multitudes.
The Bible and the Book of Mormon are filled with stories of real people. While the scriptures are not just story books, remembering they are real, and striving to look into their hearts will make the scriptures a greater delight. When we’re struggling with a part that seems a bit challenging, we can look forward to a visit with an old friend whose story is coming up soon. Children are especially good at this. I once taught a class of preschoolers about Alma the Younger, the son of a prophet. He rebelled, and with his friends, sought to destroy the church. As I told the story, I noticed tears in one child’s eyes. She asked, “And did his daddy cry?” Children know the people in the scriptures are real. They ache for their sorrows and celebrate their successes. I try, when I read the scriptures, to emulate their testimonies and their style of understanding the scriptures.
Our souls can delight in the scriptures because they are the message of our loving Heavenly Father to us, His children. They tell us about our beloved Savior. They’re a direct link between us and Heaven. What modern novel can offer all that?
The late Terrie Lynn Bittner—beloved wife, mother, grandmother, and friend—was the author of two homeschooling books and numerous articles, including several that appeared in Latter-day Saint magazines. She became a member of the Church at the age of 17 and began sharing her faith online in 1992.
