The Book of Mormon Projects

This rain. I love it.

It's past midnight and I've been sitting here emailing all my favorite missionaries. It's been fun watching all my friends ship off all over the world to join the ranks in God's sin-kicking army, but it's hard watching my favorites leave. I've got 76 days until I get to join them. Heaven help me.

The past few years I've been working on a few "Book of Mormon Projects." These projects have just been fun ways that I've been able to dive deeper into the scriptures and gain more understanding and a stronger testimony of their truthfulness, while always keeping things exciting and fresh. I've learned that for me just reading isn't enough; I need to invest in it. So here are a few things that have made scripture study an adventure.

1. Page Titles

This one was something I found on Pinterest. It was originally posted over at Confessions of a Slacker Mom and I found it on a blog called The Red Headed Hostes.

It is a PDF file that has a compiled list of titles for every page in The Book of Mormon. As one of my young womens projects I wrote every single title at the top of each page. It is SO incredibly helpful when reading scriptures because it is so easy to find the context of each page. It's also great when you're sitting in Sunday School and the teacher asks you to read a verse and tell what you think about it and you recount the story is behind the verse because you have cheats on the top of each page. You will end up looking really smart and well studied which is mighty fun I must say. I love them so much!

PDF: Book of Mormon Page Titles

2. Character Flow Chart

This is a project I did last time I read The Book of Mormon. Since The Book of Mormon is a bunch of records that were handed down from generation to generation I decided to make a flow chart of all the people and how the book got passed around. It started in one of my sketch journals (aha!) and eventually came up with this. This flow chart is in hopes of making the "so-and-so begat so-and-so" chapters a little more comprehensible.

3. Sketchbook Journals

For the last few years I have been obsessed with scripture journals and note-taking at things like firesides and when I'm in Sacrament meeting or other church meetings. Reticently I've decided to switch over from regular journals to sketchbooks. They aren't any more expensive and I just get mine from Walmart. I love using sketchbooks because they allow me to turn my notes into art. I am known for my sketchbook notes by everybody that I know. They are the best for personal study, listening to General Conference, Church classes, and Sacrament meetings. It is also a sneaky way to make yourself stay awake and pay attention in church, you know, because coloring books aren't appropriate when you're an adult. 

Here are a few pages from my sketchbooks.

4. Clean Reading

This was an idea I got from my favorite blogger Al Fox Carraway. When she reads The Book of Mormon she always starts with a brand new book that hasn't been marked. I've been using the same scriptures since I was eight and let's just say I got a little highlighter happy when I was a beehive. This time around I decided to give Al's method a try. 

I got a brand new cheap copy of The Book of Mormon and started reading. I found that with a clean copy I was more open to see how things apply to my life in this very moment, instead of focusing on what I thought about the versus when I was 12. Right now all of my markings have to do with missions and how to be a good missionary. I love it so much!

(from Al's blog because she's the bomb digity and I want to be her when I grow up.
I tried taking pictures of some of my pages but it's 1am and my lamp lighting just isn't cutting it.)

These projects have been a blast and a half and have made my scripture study a thousand times more meaningful. I'd love to hear some of your study methods so please comment!

I'm obsessed with The Book of Mormon and I know that it is true without a doubt in my heart. I have a testimony of the teachings written in it. I know that it is indeed another testament of Jesus Christ and I have felt the peace that it can bring to ones life. It is the whole reason I am planning on serving a mission; because I want everyone to have this same joy that comes from this book in their own lives. I also have a testimony that Joseph Smith was a true prophet and that he really did translate The Book of Mormon. I love this book and I love this gospel. 

My friend Briana gave me the cutest ceramic pineapple this week with the words "life is good" written on the inside because it reminded her of me. I think this just about sums up how I feel about The Book of Mormon.

Life is good.

I wouldn't have it any other way.

feel my sunlight

p.s. If you don't already have a copy, you can request a FREE one HERE!