[If you don't feel like reading, scroll to the bottom & watch my vid😎]
If you’ve read my book you’ll know how hard things became and all the people I lost after I joined the church. There were several times that my co workers and my boss would lock me in their office and make me watch all of these terrible and untrue videos about the gospel. They would tell me I am a terrible person and what I am apart of is wrong. How hard that was just being baptized and felt like I was being punished for it. I didn't know what to do or how to defend myself because I only knew of the church for only a few weeks, how small my knowledge was. Every time things got hard, literally every spare second I had of every day, I would read the Book of Mormon. Not once did my situation change because of it—not really— but every single time I would receive the strength and the knowledge to be able to handle what I was going through. I don't know what I'd do without that book. That is where strength and happiness comes from. I cannot count how many times I’ve finished the Book of Mormon or Doctrine & Covenants. And I don’t write that to brag, I write that because I seriously rely on it so much every day. This book is my life. Because simply put, I am not, without it. I am not strong. I am not confident. I am not wise or smart. I am not guided. Guys, I get you stubborn, independent folks-I was a 21 yr old New Yorker who thought I could conquer the world on my own- but if it weren’t for giving this book a REAL chance—daily—(even when it didn’t make sense to me at first & even though I didn’t really want to) I wouldn’t be here. I wouldn’t have what I do. I would not truly be happy. I would not truly be me without it. Without Him. And I hope that everyone will give this book a real effort & allow yourself to be changed & blessed the way I have been. This is REAL LIFE, guys. Real life strength. Real life promises. Real life God. Because can you think of anything more important than endless happiness & eternal life?!
I definitely know it's not about how fast we get through them, but knowing the strength and revelation that comes from reading, it should be about how often we read so we can receive even more to help us best. The reality is you have a spirit living inside of you and it’s crucial to feed it.
Easy things to do:
1. Read every day. Set a specific time to read that will work for you daily and make it a habit. Lunchtime, before school/work-even if it means setting your alarm a little bit earlier. I prefer to read as soon as I wake up, when the world is quiet but the spirit is not—breakfast for me and breakfast for my soul.
2. Don't wait for quiet. I've been humbled & surprised every time I read during chaotic play time around my kids, that almost every time they see me read, they grab a book and start "reading" too.
Or when I get caught up in tasks & I see Ben reading at the table, I adjust my priorities.
The impact of doing it around others is much greater than us.
(I had a girl tell me her mom has never read the Book of Mormon & that made her sad & confused. Only to find out when she was older her mom read it daily but it was always alone during nap time or bed time).
3. Don't limit yourself how much to read. Instead of saying I'll read X amount of versus a day and stop, just read until you can't anymore for whatever reason.
4. It's ok to read more than once a day. What?! I know. And it will be huge contrast in yourself and your life when you do this. And do you know how much you can gain if you watch just one less episode on Netflix? 😏 Or how much you can get from a few versus while you’re waiting for your water to boil? Or waiting in the car for your friend/kid to come out.
5. Keep a Book of Mormon everywhere. I know a lot of you are big on the Gospel Library App, which is great, but I'm talkin' hard copies so you can see it and be reminded of it in times when you wouldn't otherwise. Keep one in your bathroom, your kitchen counter, bedside, pocket-sized ones are perfect for your car and your purse. (You can get them for free from the missionaries, or if you live in high populated member areas, D.I. and thrift stores have some awesome, ones for a quarter).
5. Start over. When you finish, celebrate and be excited! Soak it in. Gloat a little even to yourself for accomplishing it. But then turn it right back to page 1 and start from the beginning. A week or a month or the start of next year are not appropriate lengths for parties.
xox AL
Refuse to be idle and have these quickly passing days without substance or meaning or progress. Refuse to pass through life without God. Don’t deny yourself the best things by putting off talking to Him or reading scriptures. Today, with God, you have the power
to do anything. What will you choose to do with your time?
Quote from my book, (page 147).
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