10 Year Anniversary

On February 10, 2002, I finished reading The Book of Mormon for the first time on my own.

It was a rather significant day--those of you in Marysville, Washington at that time may remember that to be the day that the Marysville 3rd Ward was dissolved and combined with the 5th Ward.

As you might guess, this was not a terribly exciting thing for those of us in the 3rd Ward. It was kind of an in-your-face "You're not good enough to be a ward anymore" moment. There was a lot of anger and anxiety that day that I can clearly recall. I was 16 at the time.

I read the last few chapters of Moroni only hours before we went to the meeting where this change was announced. Because of the Spirit that came to me from reading then, I managed to keep myself out of much of the emotion involved in changing the wards. I knew, beyond a doubt, that the Church and the gospel were much larger than what building you happened to meet in and what number was listed at the top of the Sacrament Meeting bulletin. The wards are only a tool to facilitate members in growing closer to the Savior and in caring for families and those in need. Testimony that is based on doctrine and comes through personal revelation cannot be shaken by shifting ward boundaries.

It was a powerful lesson my teenage self learned that day. Ever since, I have had a strong connection to the Book of Mormon and its standard for containing the full and complete Gospel of Jesus Christ.

On February 10, 2012--today--I finished reading The Book of Mormon again, having it read it enough times in the last ten years that I've lost count. My testimony of that book has never wavered, and every time I read, I find new insights and delicious words that strengthen my soul. In honor of this anniversary today, I want to share a few of my favorite verses.

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The Book of Mormon gives clarity to principles taught in the Bible. 1 Corinthians 10:13 states,

"There hath no temptation taken you but such as which is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it."

This is a wonderful promised from God, proving that we will be given all the help and tools will need to succeed in this mortal life. However, I have occasionally heard this verse used almost as an excuse or catch-all for giving in--something to the effect of not needing to try too hard because we won't ever be faced with temptations or decisions that are that hard to bear.

In the Book of Mormon, we can find clarification on that idea in Alma 13:28.

"But that ye would humble yourselves before the Lord, and call on his holy name, and watch and pray continually, that ye may not be tempted above that which ye can bear, and thus be led by the Holy Spirit..."

We have to do our part--humble ourselves and call on God--in order to receive that promise of strength. Once we have done as much as we can ourselves, God will take over the rest.

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Particularly in the last six months, many verses have stood out to me as reminders that God truly is in control, like Mormon 5:23,

"Know ye not that ye are in the hands of God? Know ye not that he hath all power, and at his great command the earth shall be rolled together as a scroll?"

and other verses that show how much God loves us, like 3 Nephi 17:7.

"Have ye any that are sick among you? Bring them hither. Have ye any that are lame, or blind, or halt, or maimed, or leprous, or that are withered, or that are deaf, or that are afflicted in any manner? Bring them hither and I will heal them, for I have compassion upon you; my bowels are filled with mercy." (bold added)

The most powerful verses, though, are the ones that seem to be speaking directly to me. I first came across this verse, that seemed as though I could have written it myself, for it so very much sounded exactly how I felt in dealing with depression and especially trauma--2 Nephi 4:26,

"O then, if I have seen so great things, if the Lord in his condescension unto the children of men hath visited men in so much mercy, why should my heart weep and my soul linger in the valley of sorrow, and my flesh waste away, and my strength slacken, because of mine afflictions?"

Why, oh, why.

Peace comes only a few short verses later, if you'll let it--2 Nephi 4:30,

"Rejoice, O my heart, and cry unto the Lord, and say: O Lord, I will praise thee forever; yea, my sould will rejoice in thee, my God, and the rock of my salvation."

If you have a copy of the Book of Mormon, I strongly encourage you to read the rest of that chapter, 2 Nephi 4. If you do not have a copy of the Book of Mormon and would like one, call me!