The Book of Mormon is known to be the keystone of the religion – the keystone of our testimony, of our doctrine, and of the witness of Jesus Christ. Hence, studying the book of Mormon is not as easy as it may sound. There are certain things that you will have to consider while going through this unique scripture.
Moreover, since the Book of Mormon is the basis of the witness of Christ and His gospel, it is important in this study to give extra attention to various testimonies and teachings of the Savior it includes. Notably, some people do it by obtaining inexpensive and new copies of Mormon literature. Then, all of the verses are marked that tech about or refer to the Savior, His mission, and His ministry. This makes both of them a witness of Jesus as God’s son and also a fresh appreciation of all of the things He has done and still continues to do for everyone.
Here are a few things you have to remember while reading the Book of Mormon to have maximum benefits out of it.
1. Start Your Study with Prayer
You can get the most out of reading Mormon resources if you do it with the help of God. To do that, you can start your study by saying prayers and addressing God. You can ask Him for guidance and wisdom. In addition to that, you can also ask God to help you understand all of the things that you read.
Moreover, praying before starting to read also enables you to ask for God’s guidance for a particular problem or make a specific decision in your life. When you are done reading, you may end your prayers with these words: “In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.”
Importantly, praying before you start studying will show God how humble you are and that you need His direction and help as you read through the Book of Mormon to increase your knowledge.
2. Choose a Topic that Interests You
While you read the Book of Mormon, make sure to probe into the topic that you are really interested in. You may want to learn more about a topic that you learned about during a meeting with the missionaries or during a Sunday lesson in the church.
Importantly, you can begin with the resources that you find in the index. This index is always present at the back of every copy of the Book of Mormon. Also, this index consists of a list of associated scripture verses and common topics. If an index entry tends to include related words, you can also use those words to further your study. Additionally, if you tend to use the Book of Mormon application, you can find study topics in the reference guide section of the application.
3. Cross-reference the book of Mormon with the Bible
It is important to note that the Bible and the book of Mormon support each other in their testimonies and teaching of Jesus Christ. As you start studying the Mormon book, don’t forget to check the annotation for related scriptures in the Bible. Also, look all of the footnotes up properly so that you would not miss out on any valuable information.
4. Watch Different Videos Related to the Book of Mormon
While reading the Mormon book, you can also take help from different videos related to the Book of Mormon. There is a huge collection of videos on the book of Mormon that you can find on the internet easily. These videos will help you understand the stories that are written in the scriptures better, and can even make them come to life.
5. Listen or Read the Book of Mormon Online
If you are not able to find a hard copy of the Book of Mormon, you can always get a copy online. There are many websites and applications that provide copies of the Book of Mormon for free.
In addition to that, you can also find the Book of Mormon in the form of an audiobook. These audiobooks also often come with a lot of study guides that will help you understand the book of Mormon in better way and learn in a better way.
6. Journal as You Read
If you think you are bad at remembering things then journaling along with reading can be a great thing. This will help you remember all of the things that you have learned from the Book of Mormon.
Moreover, keeping a notebook or a journal will also help you keep a track of the valuable insights you get as you study. This way, you can also enable you to reference the things you have learned from the Book of Mormon or the things that the Holy Spirit has taught you whenever needed.
7. Make the Book Your Own
If you have a copy of the Book of Mormon, make the copy look like your own. Grab a set of highlighters or colored pencils and mark the book as you read. Don’t hold yourself back if you feel like making your copy a little colorful.
You can even use different colors for highlighting different topics, draw pictures to understand things you are reading, and even write notes in various margins. Surely, all of these things will make the whole learning process more rewarding and engaging.
8. Choose an Individual to Study
While studying the book of Mormon, it will be a good idea to choose someone in the book and be focused on them. You can read that particular story more than one time. In addition to that, you can also think of different questions and research them, which will help you understand the stories better.
The questions that may pop up in your mind can include: Do I have anything in common with this individual? What things can I learn from this story? How was their life influenced by God? What would I have done if I were in the same situation?
Many people think reading the book of Mormon is an easy task. But this is certainly not true. Here are a few suggestions that will help you get the most out of the book of Mormon’s teachings.
