In 2016 we will study the Book of Mormon in Sunday School. Are you going to nibble on the scriptures, or will you feast on them? In order to truly feast, try a new study method. It will help us have new insights into the scriptures. The more perspectives we learn to see from, the more truth we have access to!
*How does the Lord answer prayers?
*How does He communicate with us?
*What is grace and how does it work in my life?
*Study family relationships in the Book of Mormon, such as Lehi, Alma the younger and Helaman as fathers; Laman, Lemuel, Sam and Nephi as brothers (how did they treat each other? Nephi was a wonderful brother); the Lord as a Father; Jared and his brother; Nephi & Lehi as brothers. What do we learn about being a parent or sibling?
2 - Read the Book of Mormon in another language and make notes of the different connotations in other languages - what can you learn from them? When you read the scriptures in another language, you learn what the words mean in a new way.
4 - Read the Book of Mormon studying the Lord's character - what kind of Person is He? At times the scriptures may tell us, eg He is kind and forgiving, but at other times we can infer the kind of Person He is by His behaviour (eg He doesn’t punish us immediately when we sin, but He gives us the opportunity to repent, which makes Him patient and merciful).
5 - Keep a scripture journal with these questions for each chapter:
*Reference
*Summary (what was this chapter about?)
*What are the life lessons and how do I apply them?
*What I learned about Jesus
Each question should have us searching the chapter, looking for different answers.
6 - Read the Book of Mormon as if the stories are metaphors.
An example:
The Jaredites travelled across the great ocean (we travel through life) being tossed about by huge waves (trials) and singing hymns for strength and comfort (we can turn to the Lord). The lights in the barges were prepared by the Lord (the Holy Ghost gives us “light”) and the strong winds blew them to the promised land (the Spirit leads us to the promised land = eternal life).
8. President Ezra Taft Benson made a suggestion for studying the scriptures:
“If [the Book of Mormon writers] saw our day and chose those things which would be of greatest worth to us, is not that how we should study the Book of Mormon? We should constantly ask ourselves, ‘Why did the Lord inspire Mormon (or Moroni or Alma) to include that in his record? What lesson can I learn from that to help me live in this day and age?’” (“The Book of Mormon—Keystone of Our Religion,” Ensign, Nov. 1986, 6.)
