If you haven’t noticed by now, I’m quite honest on this blog to help more girls that might read it. I have struggled with the scriptures many times in my life.
- Struggled in different seasons to have a desire to read them.
- Struggled at times to even understand basically anything they were saying.
- Struggled to feel something when I opened them.
- And even struggled at times to receive one of those “undoubtedly coming from God” answers that they were true.
We read in the scriptures that Enos wrestled in prayer. But I think we also can have a wrestle with the scriptures, and I have done so.
If you’re struggling to open your scriptures, may a suggest a simple tip to you that may help you develop a pattern for yourself?
Something that helped me in one of my hardest seasons with the scriptures was a challenge my grandpa gave me to not let one day go by without reading them for a year. It didn’t matter if it was one page, one chapter, or even if it had to be just one verse. The point was consistency to show God a sign and to fight the adversary’s power on a deeper level.
Another thing I really enjoy doing is buying one of those paperback Books of Mormon that are only $2.50. I carry it with me EVERYWHERE. That way when I am in the mood to read them or if I’m having a hard moment throughout my day, I can open it up showing God I am willing to be taught. Oh, how precious so many of those moments have been. (I have a funny story about this one as well. If you want to know, just ask!)
One more fun thing that I do is I have a pink pen with my Book of Mormon ALWAYS! I recommend choosing your favorite color, it’s SO fun! And I make notes about what I’m learning in the margins. But the best part of all is I love drawing a heart over each word ‘heart’ in the scriptures.
You can, you can ALWAYS learn SO many truths all by the condition of their hearts. When their hearts are hardened, you know they are listening to God or at least aren’t able to hear Him and that means something unfun is about to come. When they speak of their heart being opened or full, you know some kind of blessing or tender mercy is about to be poured out among them. It’s one pattern that I could easily see as I was learning how to understand the scriptures. I’ve now been marking hearts in my scriptures for twenty years and it has blessed my life immensely.
Now, don’t let my suggestions overwhelm you. You just do what you feel is right for you at this time. I’m just one that loves recommendations and tips, so I thought I would share 3 fun ones with you!
Here’s a recap of those 3 tips:
- Don’t let ONE day pass without reading at least one verse in the scriptures. Your faith will grow and Satan’s power over your life will begin to diminish.
- Carry a Book of Mormon with you everywhere! You can keep it in your car, your locker, your backpack, or whatever your heart desires.
- Mark the word ‘heart’, every time you see it in your scriptures. You’ll see powerful patterns and be more aware of the condition of your own heart ❤️which will help you feel more connected to Christ.