Ask the Readers: Scripture Study
I wasn’t raised in the church. My family celebrated Christmas, but that was more or less the extent of my religious upbringing. But my parents had received a Bible as a wedding gift, and it sat on a bookshelf. I was a voracious reader as a child, so from time to time, I picked it up off the shelf and would read it. I never made it past the first few chapters of Genesis because King James English is a bit advanced for a 5-year old, even a highly literate one.
I joined the church as a Beehive, and I decided to dive head-first into making up for lost time in my spiritual education. In Seminary, one of my teachers challenged us all to read the scriptures every day, even if it was only a verse. I decided to take up the challenge, and for the most part I was pretty good at sticking with it.
By the time I went on my mission, I had graduated from Institute and had read all of the Standard Works multiple times. On my mission I read them again multiple times. Sometime after my mission I fell out of the habit. I’m not sure when it happened. It was gradual – first I would miss a day or two, then eventually it would be weeks since I had picked the scriptures up outside of church. I was still actively attending church, and I was participating in the Bloggernacle and/or Mormon-themed Facebook groups daily. But going back to primary sources had gone by the wayside.
Every time general conference rolls around, there are several talks about scripture study and I remind myself that I should get back into the habit. Like clockwork last weekend, the Spirit reminded me once again that I need to spend more time in the scriptures.
I’ve tried setting up a calendar that emails me my reading assignment for the day each morning, but I get so much email that it gets lost in the shuffle. I’ve tried listening to audio scriptures as I commute, but I work from home now so I commute less. I’ve tried reading first thing in the morning, but I’m too rushed. And I’ve tried reading before bed but I’m tired and fall asleep.
What I’m doing isn’t working, so I’m open to ideas. How have you worked scripture study into your busy lives? How have you started the habit after years of falling out of it?
