A few weeks ago we finished reading the Book of Mormon. It took us about 2 years but we finally did it! Would you like to know how we did it? Here's our method:
1. Persistence! The first year was spent just trying to get into a good routine, making it a daily habit. And when we did get sidetracked we just picked up where we left off (with a good refresher of what we had been reading about). We didn't quit or start over if we missed a week or even a month. We simply tried harder the next day and the next day until it really became a family ritual at bedtime. Eventually it became a habit and the kids would remind us if we forgot. Thanks kids!
2. Stop to Reflect - this was a key step in teaching our children. When we came to a passage that was difficult to understand we clarified the subject matter. When we came to a story that taught a valuable gospel principle we stopped and talked about it...which prompted many spititual discussions with the kids. (Funny how the scriptures do that, huh?)
3. The Mo Factor - we learned to read over her "toddler noises" and when it became too much, we allowed her to watch a show downstairs while we read upstairs. Sometimes that was necessary with our particular 2 year old.
4. Wiggles & Giggles - reading the scriptures with 4 children under the age of 10 is not for the faint of heart. There were so many times we had to stop to discipline the kids. And most of the time our scripture reading sounded more like this: "Sit up! Stop talking! Don't play with that toy right now! Pay attention!" inbetween each verse. In fact I don't think there was ever a single night that we didn't use at least one of those phrases. And when the kids were really wound up we felt like quitting, but we didn't, it was tempting however. Some nights I felt like there was no way we were ever going to feel the Spirit while reading the Book of Mormon...yelling at the kids tends to drive the Spirit away. But we knew this wouldn't be easy and we referred back to #1 quite a bit.
I have to say reading the Book of Mormon or any scripture with young children can be a real challenge. And at the end I didn't experience the wave of euphoria I thought would wash over me. As I look back on our experience I realize it wasn't the fact that we finished but that we took the journey together. Part of me expected the children to tear up, bearing undeniable testimony that what we had just read was true and had changed their young life forever. And then thank us as parents for our endurance and patience in reading the Book of Mormon with them. Okay, I know that was a lot to wish for and maybe someday they will do that, but not any time soon. Our children groaned and complained while endlessly shifting in their seats as we read. A few times they even passed out while we were reading, and I know more often than not their little minds were wandering. But that's okay, because of what I said before. It was the journey, not the destination that will make a difference in our family's life. I love the Book of Mormon and the lessons taught within it's pages. And I am so grateful to have experienced that with the people I love the most. And along the way I have watched their testimonies grow as they understand God's love for us - His work and His glory.
We'll definitely read it again together. For now, we're on to the New Testament!
