I have to write about this before more time slips away. My niece Julia challenged our family to read the Book of Mormon during the month of October. I’ve only read the Book of Mormon fast one other time, when the stake Relief Society invited us to read it in preparation for a women’s conference (I remember I taught a mini-class on the Gadianton Robbers, of all things; they’re really a fascinating bunch).
Most of the time when I read the Book of Mormon, I plug along just above stall speed. I try to read a chapter a day, but then I skip a few days and have to go back and read the heading of the last chapter to figure out what was going on “when we last left our hero.” (Reminds me of something Marjorie Hinckley wrote in a letter to one of her children: “I’m reading one chapter out of each of the standard works every day. I’ve been doing it for four days now and am only three days behind.”) I plod through the Isaiah chapters and the war chapters and look forward to 3rd Nephi, and then I whiz through 4th Nephi, Mormon, Ether and on to the (bitter if you’re a Nephite) end.
This time around I skipped chapter headings entirely and read 17-18 pages a day. Things made much more sense. That section where we backtrack in time (the Record of Zeniff) wasn’t as confusing as it usually is. “Okay. Limhi was the son of King Noah, who was the son of Zeniff, who left Zarahemla and went to the land of Nephi. Zeniff—good; Noah—BAAAD; Limhi—good. Alma—VERY good. And then everybody eventually winds up back in Zarahemla again.” I even got caught up in the war accounts, and I have even greater admiration for Captain Moroni, a passionate, skilled leader and not just some zealous flag-waver.
And I have a new love for Mormon himself, who pawed through piles of records to get just the right distillation of history and doctrine. What an enormous undertaking. How just plain smart he must have been (I love what Ammaron tells Mormon when he’s only a kid: “I perceive that thou art a sober child, and art quick to observe.”)
But beyond all the history, the urgency of the message was so fresh this time. During a fast read-through the major themes just keep getting hammered and hammered:
1. Keep the commandments.
2. If you keep the commandments, you’ll prosper (in all the ways that matter most).
3. This is a unique land with a unique purpose.
4. Jesus Christ will come to earth (and after 3rd Nephi, will return to earth).
5. Keep the commandments.
Oh yeah, and ix-nay on the costly apparel and fine-twined linens.
What a book. I love it. Nay, I lurve it. Thanks, Julia, for the challenge!
6 comments:
Great blog. It was a good experience for several of us who met the "challenge". I'm one who never reads the chapter headings; why read a summary of what you're going to read anyway? (Who needs Cliff Notes?) Reading it straight through this time gave further evidence that Joseph Smith just wasn't clever enough to make all this up and keep so many details straight.
Very concise description and summary. What a challenge.
Here here, Denies! I loved the experience of reading it one gulp too - and thought almost exactly the same thoughts you did, but lack the brains to express them so eloquently, so thank you for the beautiful post. I read 1/3 of the book on October 31st while we drove to Denver for 9 hours and would read parts aloud to Dennis - I read the comment at the end of one of the chapters, can't remember which one, where the author says they "mourned away their days..." and I think he said they were "strangers in a strange land.." or something like that. Anyway, when I read it to Dennis, his comment was, "He must have been a glass half-empty kind of guy."
XO
Barbie
I love it too... especially now as I see us as a world in so many of the situations of the Book of Mormon.
What a challange! You will get so much out of this challange! I love seeing pics of Emma. She is such a pretty girl!
One of the best posts I've ever read! It was great talking to you yesterday and we're looking forward to seeing you gals in a couple weeks (Anya already hung a sign for Emma - it says "I Like You"
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