The Blessings of Studying the Scriptures

This week I am teaching the Young Men a lesson about the importance of studying the scriptures.  I am going to list as many blessings that come from regular scripture study below as I can.  Are there any others that I am missing?

• Discover “all things what we should do” (2 Ne 32:3)
• Learn and speak the language of angels (see 2 Ne 32:3)
• Become strong in the knowledge of the truth (Alma 17:2-3)
• Know the word of God (not just think about or have a conceptual understanding of) (Alma 17:2-3)
• When coupled with fasting and prayer, teach with power and authority (Alma 17:2-3)
• Divide assunder the cunning of the devil, and be rescued from sin  (see Helaman 3:29-30)
• Be led across the gulf of misery to return happily to our Father in Heaven (see Helaman 3:29-30)
• Hear the voice of the Lord and know His words (D&C 18:33-36)
• Allows us to know the commandments that we should follow (see D&C 21:4)
• The gates of hell will not prevail against us (D&C 21:4-6)
• The Lord will disperse the powers of darkness and cause the Heaven’s to shake for our good (D&C 21:4-6) (in other words we will have power over the adversary, power to resist temptation and to choose the right, and the blessings that we receive will be multiplied)
• We will be inspired what to say when we are teaching about the gospel (see D&C 84:85)
• The Lord will bless us with prosperity and success (Joshua 1:8) (“The Lord was not promising Joshua material wealth and fame, but that his life would prosper in righteousness and that he would have success in that which matters most in life, namely the quest to find true joy.” Pres Benson)
• We will have inspiration to guide us and to enlighten us, we will be blessed with guidance and direction in our lives (see Psalms 119:105)
• Lead us to faith in Jesus Christ and “wise unto salvation” (2 Timothy 3:15)
• We can know how to make the needed corrections in our lives (see 2 Timothy 3:16-17)
• They help us teach and reproof, both ourselves and others, for increased righteousness (see 2 Timothy 3:16-17)
• Help us to become perfect and attentive to good works (2 Timothy 3:16-17)
• It leads us to conversion and eternal life (1 Nephi 8:19, 30)
• We will not perish or be overcome by temptation or the “fiery darts of the adversary” (1 Nephi 15:24)
• They fill our souls with faith in God the Father and in His Son, Jesus Christ (see Elder Christofferson’s talk)
• Help us to remember the works of the Lord, convince us of our errors, and help us to increase in knowledge of the things of God (Alma 37:8)  In other words, they hold a great converting power
• Shows forth the power of God (Alma 37:14)
• Brings us to repentance and righteousness, more so than by force (see Alma 31:5)
• “The scriptures enlarge our memory by helping us always to remember the Lord and our relationship to Him and the Father. They remind us of what we knew in our premortal life. And they expand our memory in another sense by teaching us about epochs, people, and events that we did not experience personally.” (see Elder Christofferson’s talk)
• They build our faith in God and help us to know of our purpose (compare 1 Nephi 4:14-16 with Omni 1:15,17)
• “God uses scripture to unmask erroneous thinking, false traditions, and sin with its devastating effects. He is a tender parent who would spare us needless suffering and grief and at the same time help us realize our divine potential.” (see Elder Christofferson’s talk)
• They teach us proper conduct before God and that wickedness is not the way to happiness (see Helaman 13:38)
• Increases our faith as a plant that grows (see Alma 32:27–43; see alsoRomans 10:13–17)
• “Because they expound the doctrine of Christ, the scriptures are accompanied by the Holy Spirit, whose role it is to bear witness of the Father and the Son (see 3 Nephi 11:32). Therefore, being in the scriptures is one way we receive the Holy Ghost. Of course, scripture is given through the Holy Ghost in the first place (see 2 Peter 1:21; D&C 20:26–27;68:4), and that same Spirit can attest its truth to you and me. Study the scriptures carefully, deliberately. Ponder and pray over them. Scriptures are revelation, and they will bring added revelation.” (see Elder Christofferson’s talk)
• “Scriptures are like packets of light that illuminate our minds and give place to guidance and inspiration from on high.  They can become the key to open the channel to communion with our Father in Heaven and His Beloved Son, Jesus Christ.” (see Elder Scott’s talk)
• “Because scriptures are generated from inspired communication through the Holy Ghost, they are pure truth.” (see Elder Scott’s talk)
• “To memorize a scripture is to forge a new friendship. It is like discovering a new individual who can help in time of need, give inspiration and comfort, and be a source of motivation for needed change.” (see Elder Scott’s talk)
• “Pondering a passage of scripture can be a key to unlock revelation and the guidance and inspiration of the Holy Ghost. Scriptures can calm an agitated soul, giving peace, hope, and a restoration of confidence in one’s ability to overcome the challenges of life. They have potent power to heal emotional challenges when there is faith in the Savior. They can accelerate physical healing.” (see Elder Scott’s talk)
• “[The Book of Mormon and the Bible carry] with it the spirit of inspiration, the power to convince and to convert.” (see Pres. Hinckley’s message)
• “I know of no other writing which sets forth with such clarity the tragic consequences to societies that follow courses contrary to the commandments of God…No other written testament so clearly illustrates the fact that when men and nations walk in the fear of God and in obedience to His commandments, they prosper and grow, but when they disregard Him and His word, there comes a decay that, unless arrested by righteousness, leads to impotence and death.” (see Pres. Hinckley’s message)
• “To show unto the remnant of the house of Israel what great things the Lord hath done for their fathers; and that they may know the covenants of the Lord, that they are not cast off forever—And also to the convincing of the Jew and Gentile that Jesus is the Christ, the Eternal God, manifesting himself unto all nations” (Title Page of The Book of Mormon)
• “Without reservation I promise you that if each of you will observe this simple program, regardless of how many times you previously may have read the Book of Mormon, there will come into your lives and into your homes an added measure of the Spirit of the Lord, a strengthened resolution to walk in obedience to His commandments, and a stronger testimony of the living reality of the Son of God.” (see Pres. Hinckley’s message)
• “My dear brethren, this is an answer to the great challenge of our time. The word of God, as found in the scriptures, in the words of living prophets, and in personal revelation, has the power to fortify the Saints and arm them with the Spirit so they can resist evil, hold fast to the good, and find joy in this life.” (see Pres. Benson’s message)
• “There are those who have seemed to forget that the most powerful weapons the Lord has given us against all that is evil are His own declarations, the plain simple doctrines of salvation as found in the scriptures.” (President Harold B. Lee, In Regional Representatives’ Seminar, 1 Oct. 1970, p. 6.) (see Pres. Benson’s message)
• “However talented men may be in administrative matters; however eloquent they may be in expressing their views; however learned they may be in the worldly things—they will be denied the sweet whisperings of the Spirit that might have been theirs unless they pay the price of studying, pondering, and praying about the scriptures.” (Elder Bruce R. McConkie, In Regional Representatives’ Seminar, 2 Apr. 1982, pp. 1–2.) (see Pres. Benson’s message)
• “I add my voice to these wise and inspired brethren and say to you that one of the most important things you can do as priesthood leaders is to immerse yourselves in the scriptures. Search them diligently. Feast upon the words of Christ. Learn the doctrine. Master the principles that are found therein. There are few other efforts that will bring greater dividends to your calling. There are few other ways to gain greater inspiration as you serve.  But that alone, as valuable as it is, is not enough. You must also bend your efforts and your activities to stimulating meaningful scripture study among the members of the Church.” (see Pres. Benson’s message)
• “when individual members and families immerse themselves in the scriptures regularly and consistently, these other areas of activity will automatically come. Testimonies will increase. Commitment will be strengthened. Families will be fortified. Personal revelation will flow.”  (see Pres. Benson’s message)
• the Prophet Joseph Smith said: “I told the brethren that the Book of Mormon was the most correct of any book on earth, and the keystone of our religion, and a man would get nearer to God by abiding by its precepts, than by any other book.” (Introduction to The Book of Mormon)
• The word heals those who have been affected by sin or are otherwise afflicted (see Jacob 2:8)
• We won’t be deceived by the philosophies of the world (see Joseph Smith Matthew 1:37)
• “There is a power in [The Book of Mormon] which will begin to flow into your lives the moment you begin a serious study of the book. You will find greater power to resist temptation. You will find the power to avoid deception. You will find the power to stay on the strait and narrow path…[w]hen you begin to hunger and thirst after those words, you will find life in greater and greater abundance.” (Pres. Ezra Taft Benson, “The Book of Mormon–Keystone of Our Religion,” October 1986 General Conference)

What experiences or blessings have you had from regularly studying the scriptures?

Faith and Character

The story is told of two frogs that ended up in a pail of milk.  Not immediately finding a way out, and discovering that the sides of the bucket were too steep to climb, the first frog resigned to his fate and gave up swimming, thereby ending his life.  The other frog, a little more optimistic, kept struggling and swimming until he churned the milk into butter and was able to hop out.  What was the difference between these two frogs?  One of them gave up easily under pressure and the other chose to keep working toward a solution, even though one didn’t immediately appear.  The first frog chose to let doubt and disbelief control his actions while the other chose to exercise his faith and hope that things would work out for the best–and they eventually did!

I believe that the best way to deal with new challenges is to draw upon our faith and work toward a solution–and I feel like those who do, find greater happiness in life.  In the last General Conference, Elder Richard G. Scott spoke about “The Transforming Power of Faith and Character” and after reading his talk I felt like it would be a good topic for my blog.  In it he essentially points out that our faith in God helps build our character and that our character helps sustain us through the hard times, thereby strengthening our faith.  These two interrelated principles help us to approach the challenges in life and to persevere–it is how we “endure to the end.”  Here are his words:

Faith and character are intimately related. Faith in the power of obedience to the commandments of God will forge strength of character available to you in times of urgent need. Such character is not developed in moments of great challenge or temptation. That is when it is intended to be used. Your exercise of faith in true principles builds character; fortified character expands your capacity to exercise more faith. As a result, your capacity and confidence to conquer the trials of life is enhanced. The more your character is fortified, the more enabled you are to benefit from exercising the power of faith. You will discover how faith and character interact to strengthen one another. Character is woven patiently from threads of applied principle, doctrine, and obedience…We become what we want to be by consistently being what we want to become each day.

I love this talk because Elder Scott reinforces the idea that we need to choose righteousness and faith each day, for out of these consistent choices we build a strong character.  That is the power of choice!  We can choose what we become, we control our own destiny, by simply making choices every day.  Aristotle said, “We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.”  So we become excellent, we forge a strong character, we obtain the blessings of this life, by each individual choice that we make–and the more we choose righteousness, the better.

President Thomas S. Monson said something similar in his talk to the Priesthood brethren in that same conference:

Brethren, you are of a noble birthright. Eternal life in the kingdom of our Father is your goal. Such a goal is not achieved in one glorious attempt but rather is the result of a lifetime of righteousness, an accumulation of wise choices, even a constancy of purpose. As with anything really worthwhile, the reward of eternal life requires effort.

I know this principle is true!  I am grateful that we can choose, that we are able to overcome the challenges in life as we exercise faith in the Lord, Jesus Christ, and draw upon the atonement.  I know that as we consistently make choices to do what is right and to reject evil that we will be able to build a strong character that will help us overcome this world and rejoice in the promise of eternal life.  So what are you doing to strengthen your faith and character?