How The Book of Mormon Has Blessed My Life.

"The Book of Mormon is a volume of holy scripture comparable to the Bible.  It is a record of God's dealings with the ancient inhabitants of the Americas and contains, as does the Bible, the fullness of the everlasting gospel."-the introduction to the Book of Mormon

 Ah!  The Book of Mormon is the best book ever!   And that is saying a lot because I love to read.  In my reading of the Book of Mormon, I try to learn as much as I can about how to be better.  I have found that we need to approach the scriptures with questions in mind.  Although it can be interesting, I kind of shy away from thinking about the "un-known" principles like "the body temperature of translated beings."  Instead, I am always trying to be an expert on people:  What influences them to be prideful?  What motivates them to sacrifice?  What causes them to forget their blessings?  And then, I try to apply what I learn to myself, and help those that I love. 

With these questions in mind, I have found that the best way to learn about people is to learn about God.  What is His purpose?  What influences His decisions to give or withhold blessings?  Why does He expect this or that?  How does He make decisions?  That is where the Book of Mormon is invaluable.  I can read the first hand accounts of the people in ancient America and their experiences with God and His gospel.   I can learn from their successes and from their failures.  Over and over again, I determine that the more we trust and follow God, the more our own natures will become similar to His.  We can adopt His way of thinking as our own.

Try It!

-Elder Blackburn