This week I think I read something like 40 chapters of the Book of Mormon in order to catch up to where we should be by the end of the week. (3 Nephi 7, right?) I’m actually not a fan of speed reading like that, but it was either speed read or don’t finish. I found the mini Book of Mormon (personalized with my name on it) that was gifted to me by the lovely Trevor Weed of BYUSA and read it all the way home from Utah. I figured that the people on the plane from SLC wouldn’t be taken aback by my BOM airplane reading.
While reading so quickly, I found my mind wandering to an excerpt from a comment left on my BOM Summer challenge post:
See, now I personally hate scripture reading challenges. What good is it to read the BoM quickly, to meet a goal, instead of taking your time and really getting something out of it.
There are definitely times when I feel myself skimming and not really taking things in. I frequently have to stop and refocus my attention to keep the words and phrases from blurring together. Is the commenter right? Have I been wasting my scripture study time on a worthless challenge?
Definitely not.
- Challenges such as this one help me to rededicate myself to my scripture reading. TH and I did a great job of reading together for 30 minutes every night when we were first married, but as our lives get busier it’s fallen by the wayside a bit. This challenge proved to me that I do have time for daily scripture study, and usually time for close to 30 minutes of it.
- The scriptures flow very nicely when the stories are read so close together. I remember names and events from the past much more easily than I ever have before.
- I’ve been able to do this with others, and hear from them about their experiences. I love feeling like part of a community.
- My testimony of the Book of Mormon has grown by leaps and bounds. I look forward to reading it each day.
Have you ever participated in an accelerated scripture reading challenge? Was it a positive experience for you?
August 2nd, 2009 on 11:09 am
I completely agree with what you said – especially #2 and #4. It is so much easier to follow along and understand the sequence of events and why things happened when you read things closer together. I’ve never actually, halfway successfully done a challenge like this before, so I’ve never understood what I’m understanding now.
Definately, my testimony of the Book of Mormon is increasing and I too look forward to reading – actually ‘feasting’ instead of thinking of it as some duty. I must admit…I know we can find life’s answers in the scriptures, but I had kind of a weak testimony of that. I honestly don’t always think to look to the scriptures like the Book of Mormon when I need help because I fall into the notion of thinking ‘Sure, there are answers if my problems mirror what the person I’m reading about went through.’
But this past week, when reading in Alma (yes, I’m behind but keep plugging along!) I came across a scripture where the person’s problem had nothing to do with mine, but the words hit me very powerfully and were just what I needed to hear for the problem I was struggling with that day (if I remembered the exact reference I’d type it right here…).
Anyway, thanks again for sharing this challenge with us – it has benefited me a great deal this summer and I know things I’ve learned and read will stick with me. Now I’ll be more likely to do challenges like this in the future because I’ll know I can do it and I’ll know it will benefit me in so many ways.
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August 2nd, 2009 on 11:45 am
When I was a teenager, a big group of LDS kids got together and read the whole Book of Mormon in 24 hours. Basically, you had about 20 teenagers invading someones house for the weekend, sprawling out around the living room, and taking turns reading the BOM out loud for 24 straight hours.
I certainly wasn’t pausing and pondering everything deeply. I can’t even say that I stayed perfectly awake for the full 24 hours, and wasn’t more than a little out of it by the end.
However, it was still a really good experience. First of all, its amazing how clearly you can see all of the themes of the BOM play out so clearly when its all being read together like that. I’m sure I missed a lot of the details, but I saw the big picture better than ever. After 12+ hours of going through and seeing these societies continually rising out of, and then inevitably falling back into darkness, when 3rd Nephi came and the savior came, the power of the atonement and the light of God just him me like it never had before. Its hard to imagine it being quite such a powerful contrast when the reading is more spread out.
Secondly, there was also a lot to be said about doing this with other people. It was a common goal, we were going to get through the whole book that day. Which considering how much I tend to procrastinate and ultimately give up was kind of a big deal. I don’t think I had ever managed to finish the BOM by that point in my life, and there was a good feeling to knowing that I was finally going to meet that goal, and I didn’t have to do it alone. Plus, there was just something powerful about sharing that experience together as a group. I think it did help give us a bit more of a bond. And things just meant a bit more when you could glance over and see how it was affecting others, maybe hear a catch in someones voice as they read a moving passage.
I would hope that no one would only read the BOM on an accelerated schedule, but at least once, and especially as a group endeavor, I can see some real benefits.
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August 2nd, 2009 on 1:59 pm
1. I love Trevor Weed. So funny!
and
2. I really like reading it fast because I feel like I get more out of it when I can follow the story-line better. I am way, way behind on this challenge but I am still happy I’m doing it because I am actually reading- even though I’m a little slow…
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August 2nd, 2009 on 7:38 pm
Um, you know who Trevor Weed is, right? That’s my brother in law!!
I don’t think we’ve ever made this connection before. But how could we not, I mean, there really aren’t that many Weeds running around.
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August 3rd, 2009 on 5:57 am
I believe I was the one who made the original comment.
And I still prefer reading the scriptures slowly. But if an accelerated program gets you back into the swing of things, I say go for it. It can at least help you remember favorite passages and stories that you can refer back to later (scriptures that we had to memorize in seminary, anyone? 
).
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August 18th, 2009 on 10:38 am
I love my mini-BYUSA Book of Mormon. I always remember my good friends from back then which makes me happy. It’s perfect for traveling or that is usually the Book of Mormon that I keep in my car for when I’m stuck in traffic or running into the post office and know I’ll have a few minutes stuck in line.
As for reading – I’d love to be able to read on a time table with a group. I loved when the whole church was working on the challenge to finish it by the end of the year, but I just can’t do that under my current situation. I made a conscious goal to read the Book of Mormon everyday about a year and a half ago during a political campaign – some days I was able to sit down and enjoy a full 30 or 45 minutes of reading, prayer and meditation – other days I could barely squeak in a few verses. Either way – I know that my life was truly blessed for making that a priority in my life. I think we all know what is feasible and how we can improve our spiritual worship.
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August 18th, 2009 on 10:41 am
I love all of the shout outs to Trevor – he probably has no idea how much of a following he has on your blog. Love that dude!
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