Camian Academy

I truly believe that while you can have a testimony of something without doing that thing, it is only strengthened as you do it. As James said, faith without works is dead. I have seen this to be true in myself as I have made the commitment to study my scriptures (personally) each day.

I’ve known the scriptures are true for many years, but I did not have a testimony of scripture study. Bringing them to church each week and looking up the scriptures the teachers asked us to look up seemed enough. Then I decided that just wasn’t enough.

I started really studying my scriptures. I found that just reading them wasn’t enough for me. The more I read the more I wanted. I eventually decided to use the Teachings of Presidents of the Church series. I decided I would read a lesson every morning (I’m an early riser naturally) and look up all the scripture references and highlight things that struck my fancy (minimum of one thing per section lest my mind wander as I’m reading) and answer the questions at the end by literally writing them in the book.

What an amazing difference! Soon I began to look forward to my scripture study time. Then I began to love the scriptures in a way I never had before. Knowing they were true turning into a deeper, absolute knowledge of their truth as well as just knowing them in general. I love sitting in Sunday School or Relief Society and knowing exactly which books come where (much faster to look the verses up!) and even knowing generally what the scripture reference says before looking them up.

Then I began to have a deep desire for my family to read the scriptures, too. So we started reading scriptures as a family (pretty much) daily. We’ve completed the Doctrine and Covenants and have moved on to the New Testament. In addition I read an Ensign article aloud to them each evening. Ani in particular has found this to be wonderful as she has sat in Sacrament Meeting and recognized a story told or a reference made to something we’ve read as a family.

And then I began to have a desire to do some sort of scripture study with Jamie. So we are going through church-produced pamphlets, lesson manuals, etc. together. I read it aloud and Jamie looks up the scripture references we come upon. Questions are discussed together.

I have no doubt that the scriptures are true. I have a deep testimony of them and of the blessings that come as you study them (I know I’m a much better mom when I am diligent about reading my scriptures!). It’s a testimony that has only come as I have first made the effort to daily study my scriptures as we have been asked to do.