By D. Kelly Ogden
we aren't asked to read the scriptures, wee need to study, search, ponder, liken, and treasure the scriptures. Lds people know the gospel is true, but do they know the gospel?
Why study the scriptures and how to study is the topic.
Why:
we're commanded to
john 5:39
if we love him, we'll study his words
millions of books exist, but only 4 contain the word of god.
Scriptures give us peace. It tells us all the things we need to do. 2 Nephi 32
we get answers and solutions to all of our questions and problems
if you're waiting for an angel to come down to give you the answer to your problem, you're wasting your time - all the angel would do is show you where in the scriptures to find the answer.
2 n 32 - angels= messengers=missionaries and us
feast upon the words, not nibble. There's a great banquet spread out, but we choose to go to McDonald’s instead.
Verse 5 - the holy ghost will show you - bring them to your remembrance, if you've been studying conscientiously just when you need to remember the holy ghost will bring them back to you.
Our goal is to be like the father and son, and that will give us eternal life.
If we don't study these things, we're showing a lack of love. The Old Testament spans about 1000 years (moses to Malachi) and the book of Mormon also 1000 years - that's a lot of work.
If we want to be like god, we would want to know what it says. We'll be judged from these 4 books, even if we don't read them.
We learn how to follow his example and have models to follow.
the scriptures can bring joy.
we can receive personal revelation.
how to study the scriptures
we learn more when we involve more of our physical senses.
hearing the words helps sometimes - using two senses
pray
cross-reference
mark scriptures
add quotes from general authorities and insert them
keep a scripture journal and write impressions that you receive
don't have a quota - it might make you skip writing or thinking in favor of pushing on.
dramatize stories
1 Nephi 11:1 - he questioned, asked, pondered, he gets chs 11-15 because he was pondering
d&c 76: some say the most important revelation given to man, received while meditating on the translation of the bible John 5:29
d&c 138:11 received revelation while sitting in his room, reflecting and pondering the scriptures, reading 1 peter 3 and 4
JSHistory - verse 12 - read James 1:5, pondered
1 Nephi 15:24 - hearken to word and hold fast, will never perish, fiery darts will not hurt us
Interesting side note, this teacher spent his entire mission going through the standard works one time, very very slow and detailed, making tons and tons of cross references, which served him well when he was asked to help create the footnotes for the new scriptures whenever that was. This guy did most of the Old Testament himself! How cool is that. Probably won't do this class again, though. I looked at the clock too often, and as my friend Rachel pointed out yesterday, that's a sign.
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