Book of Mormon

Well, I read through all the requirements and one stood out with an ominous feel... "Read the Book of Mormon." I know that I should not feel this way about such a basic requirement. It is the one book that will bring you closer to Christ than any other. We should be reading it every night as a family. It is how God talks to us. I think my major issue is that I have yet to complete it, and now I have psyched myself out. When I was in high school, I read the whole book except maybe 10 pages. 10 more pages! That's it! I got into a rough spot in life and choked. It is very embarrassing, really.

I think the truth is that I was scared to take the challenge by Moroni and so sabotaged my efforts. Moroni promises to have God manifest "the truth of [the Book] unto you, by the power of the Holy Ghost" (Moroni Ch. 10 verse 4). Through my life, I have not often had the Spirit manifest strongly that something is right or true. I generally get warnings that something is wrong, or a path unwise. Consequentially, to be asked to change my relationship with the Holy Spirit is extremely intimidating.

Part of the struggle I have with re-reading the Book of Mormon is that it feels very segmented and my mind wonders. It is like each verse is an individual quote, and I cannot find a flow or story line. I was explaining this to Josh the other day, and he had just read about the original version that was printed in the early days of the church. It was an actual novel. No verses; those were added later to aid in deep scripture study. We looked it up on the Internet, and you can buy the 1830 replica edition for $23 from Deseret Book. I am really excited! We are going to buy it tonight.

Womanhood Recognition

I found out a couple of months ago that I, as a YW leader, could receive my YW Recognition Award. I am so excited! I never worked towards getting it as a young woman and was really saddened by the idea that I had passed by the opportunity. I know that it is going to be very difficult to add more to my plate, but I am very excited for a second chance. And adding more in the area of spiritual growth can't have a negative effect, right?

While reading through the instruction booklet, I realized that my biggest challenge will be the journaling (which is required for EVERY experience/project). I have never kept a journal in my life. After much thought, I figure my best bet is a blog. I love to read, and on the Internet I can find information on what ever subject is currently interesting me. Consequentially, I spend a lot of time online. Also, after I have completed each experience, I am to express my feelings with my mother/friend/leader. I will be letting people know about this journal for this purpose, so please leave comments!

I am a very private person, so allowing others to read my first-ever journal will be a bit nerve-wracking for me. Maybe someone will benefit from reading my musings. That is my hope, so please don't judge me too harsh on my ramblings! :)

Alright, wish me luck...