Is it even important to read every single word, or rather to just pick and choose themes? So what I am desiring, is this: I want to see the words, the intent, the spirit of the book, as if I were a non-member and see how it affects me. I am sure, or fairly sure this is impossible, as I have been steeped in the gospel for nearly my whole life.
Maybe what I want to do is just get a fresh look. "Dig About the Roots" and TRY to imagine the import the message of the Book of Mormon for me and for mankind and womankind, in general. I need oxygen and I need to refresh or even re-set my relationship with the Book of Mormon. My spiritual relationship with the gospel of Christ needs fertilizing, sunlight, the "Light of Christ", and in general, a fresh perspective.
We say in the Genealogical Society board meetings, sometimes, that we need "fresh blood" in the membership. We talk of how we can attract those people that will come into the leadership and "stir things up" a bit--bring new ideas, new ways of looking at things.
I do not plan to discard the knowledge and relationship that I've already acquired with the Book of Mormon--I just plan to give those roots, a bit of oxygen and search them for ways to refresh my testimony...search in ways that will lift me to new understanding.
The best way of course to accomplish this is to apply the discoveries of disciple-ship to my daily walk. Bring the principles forth and liken them to my situation. Example:
And we will nourish again the trees of the vineyard, and we will trim up the branches thereof; and we will pluck from the trees those branches which are ripened, that must perish, and cast them into the fire."Trim up the branches" = pruning. Right? So I can eliminate from my life those things which are less useful in obtaining spirituality, yes? Cast into the fire those practices in my life that impede my spiritual progress. Sometimes I practice this principle by self-correcting my course. For example, I am partially successful in not reading a novel when it begins to go into way too much detail about the love life of a couple. I just toss it in the trash bin if the language is too salty, the scenes too hot and steamy...etc. What about my own language? Is it appropriate and meaningful in good ways? Or do I occasionally sink to promulgating confidential information? Am I a gossip?
So application of the principles of righteousness in the Book of Mormon have to be customized to our particular personality and challenges. That is why we have to read the scriptures over and over and over; we change, we forget, we need new experiences to understand the import of the revelations that await us in the teachings of the Book of Mormon, the Bible, and other sacred writ.
So my plan is both to approach the Book of Mormon from "where I am coming from", but also from the "where is God coming from" and how the Book is a "shaker and mover" in the lives of investigators.
Links:
I hope that one of these links will help you and me to accomplish our study and build our testimony of the Book of Mormon, Another Testament of Christ.
