Tuesday, April 30, 2013

Why Is It Important To Study The Scriptures?

Get this week's lesson here.

Once I gave a Relief Society lesson from the George Albert Smith manual.  The chapter was called: THE SCRIPTURES, THE MOST VALUABLE LIBRARY IN THE WORLD


I thought just the title alone was so awesome and shows how important the scriptures are.  When I think of a library, I think of Beauty and the Beast and the overwhelming FLOORS of shelves of books everywhere.  

I have a couple of funny quotes for all the book worms out there who are passionate readers...


I can totally relate to this one.  I yell at my books all the time.  
"No!  Don't do it!   ... You love Edward!"

Are we passionate when we read our scriptures and do we treat them like the most valuable library in the world?

The Lord uses action words to describe how to study the scriptures... Treasure up (D&C 84:85), search diligently (Mosiah 1:7), hold fast (1 Nephi 15:24), FEAST...

Elder Henry B. Eyring describes what helps him make his scripture studying a routine.  He mentions establishing a regular time that you can usually control.  For him, he studies at the beginning and the end of the day.  He says, "Once you get used to regular scripture study, you miss it if you don't have it. It's like food.  I don't miss a regular meal, and I don't miss regular scripture study."

I don't look at the scriptures this way enough.  If I looked and longed for them the same way I crave In-N-Out animal style french fries, I would be very, very spiritually obese.




Just as the body requires daily food for survival, the spirit needs nourishment as well.  The spirit is nurtured by eternal truth. 

"If you don't have time to pray and study the scriptures, you are busier than God ever intended you to be."


There is this blog that I wanted to share that has helped me TRULY become excited about studying the scriptures.  I found her through a Pinterest post and LOVE the way she studies her scriptures.
She has these scripture journals you can buy that help you organize your thoughts and categorize everything while you do your scripture studies.  I made myself a personal version of scripture study pages that I print out every time I study by topic and then I organize it all together in a 3 ring binder, but I want her to get credit for the idea, so I'll just let you check out her journal version instead... Because they are RAD!!!!

Richard G. Scott said, "Our Father in Heaven understood that for us to make desired progress during our mortal probation, we would need to face difficult challenges.  Some of these would be almost overpowering.  He provided tools to help us be successful in our mortal probation.  One set of those tools is the scriptures."


About a year ago I worked as a nanny and I loved helping the girls with their homework when they came home from school.  One day after school, Brynlee handed me this science project packet she had to work on and I got super excited.  I started brainstorming what we could do for the poster board and the model and the essays.  I looked down at the last page in her packet and in big, bold letters it said: PARENTS CAN NOT HELP WITH THIS PROJECT OR STUDENTS GET MARKED DOWN.  URGH!!!
But that's ok.  If she needed help with anything, even though I wasn't able to do her project for her, I could always open one of her research books to a specific page and kinda scoot the book toward her across the table and say, "Hmmmm, you might find the answer you're looking for on this page!"
I can't help but feel like Heavenly Father feels the same way at times.  He can't live our lives for us, but he's given us access to the answers we need in this life through the scriptures.

Romans 15:4 says, "For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning."
We can always turn to the scriptures for answers.

My mother-in-law gave me her mother's primary songbook that was used back in 1943.  I wanted to share the lyrics to one of the songs.  This is by Edwin Hodder and E. Lester Thurman (NO. 91)



Thy Word is like a garden, Lord, 
With flowers bright and fair;
And ev'ry one who seeks may pluck
A lovely cluster there.
Thy Word is like a deep, deep mine;
And jewels rich and rare
Are hidden in the might depths
For ev'ry searcher there.

Thy Word is like a starry host:
A thousand rays of light
Are seen to guide the traveler, 
And make his pathway bright.
Thy Word is like an armory, 
Where soldiers may repair,
And find, for life's long battle day,
All needful weapons there,

O may I love Thy precious Word,
May I explore the mine.
May I its fragrant bowers glean,
May light upon me shine.
O, may I find my armor there,
Thy Word my trusty sword,
I'll learn to fight with ev'ry foe
The battle of the Lord


Also, on our way to church last week I told my husband in the car that I wished I brought more snacks for the girls in class.  I don't want them to be a distraction or take away from the lesson, but honestly, when I was little, and STILL NOW, it brightens a person's day when their teachers hand out a treat.  So, here's what I'm thinking of doing this week...

Found it here.


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