If you attended Seminary or have a child who has, then the simple command to “Chase!” probably conjures up all kinds of fun memories. Raising the bar for missionaries also means raising it for families. LDS families should be the greatest scriptorians! Knowing where to find specific verses is certainly a start.
Elder J. Thomas Fyans spoke to the men in the church at the 1977 Priesthood session of General Conference and encouraged them to dig into the scriptures more. Said he “Let these scriptures become worn and used so they will feel as comfortable in your hands as well-worn tennis shoes do on your feet.” (J. Thomas Fyans, “Prepare Now for Your Mission,” Ensign, May 1977, 39) We only become comfortable with them when we spend time with them!
As your families gather for daily prayer or even at the dinner table each night, practice memorizing scriptures together. You can make flashcards of scriptures you want to learn or use the Seminary Scripture Mastery cards and help your teens pass off the 25 scriptures assigned for this year’s course of study. Talk to a Seminary teacher to get ideas for memorizing as well as for playing games to reinforce what has been learned. When I was in the MTC I was so busy learning all of the discussions and language material that it was hard to fill my brain with more scriptures. The ones I used consistently during my mission were the ones I had learned during four years of Seminary.
You can also go through the book “Preach My Gospel” and pick out some of the scriptures listed for missionary discussions. Elder David A. Bednar has taught us to place ourselves in the scriptures and apply them to our life. He said “You hear the voice of the Lord when you feel the scriptures.” I love the following two scriptures that remind us not to nibble but to feast on the scriptures:
Wherefore, ye must press forward with a steadfastness in Christ, having a perfect brightness of hope, and a love of God and of all men. Wherefore, if ye shall press forward, feasting upon the word of Christ, and endure to the end, behold, thus saith the Father: Ye shall have eternal life. (2 Nephi 31:20)
Angels speak by the power of the Holy Ghost; wherefore, they speak the words of Christ. Wherefore, I said unto you, feast upon the words of Christ; for behold, the words of Christ will tell you all things what ye should do. (2 Nephi 32:3)
