How I study the scriptures, step by step

If you are new to studying your scriptures or if you are looking for some ideas here is a suggestion: As you read your scriptures you can use other resources to help you understand what you are reading

Before reading your scriptures you should always pray and ask Heavenly Father to guide your learning and help you learn from the spirit

Read 1 Nephi 1:1

As you read this verse sentences, phrases, or words stand out to you?

I picked out 5 things that stood out to me

1- I Nephi having been born of goodly parents-

My questions- what makes a good parent?

Study- I searched the gospel library by search “being a good parent” What other resources that pop up stand out to you. Read those and see what you can learn about being a good parent.

 The resources that stood out me were Unit 15 Day 3 Doctrine and Covenant 68 From the manual Doctrine and covenant’s and church history study guide for Home-study seminary students Scroll down until you come to the section Doctrine and Covenants 68: 25-35 read those scripture, 

Write down what sticks out to you.  Then write your feelings and thoughts

If you want more practice you could do the following exercise that follows in that verse.

2- “Have seen much affliction in my day”

My question- Do I need affliction

Study-Search in the topical guide affliction, or other words that mean affliction like, burdens, trials, suffer. Pick a couple of scriptures, write those in your journal and write what you learn from those verses.

3-Goodness of God- 

My question-What does the goodness of God mean to you,

Study-if you are not sure look at www.churchof jesuschrist.org and type on the search bar Goodness of god, a lot of general conference talks can teach you what that means. Write what stands out to you.

Write- when have you seen the goodness of God in your life.

4-Mysteries of God- 

My Question-What are the mysteries of God? 

Study-One of my favorite resources is guide to the scriptures it is with the scriptures in the scripture app.  It can teach you what the mysteries of God is, then write what stands out to you.

Journal what you learned in your own words

5- I make a record of my proceeding- Nephi is essentially keeping a journal. 

My question-Do I need to keep a journal

Study-You can see what you find on the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints website about keeping a journal.  But I also like to like to look and church videos.  Look at O remember, remember on youtube. 

Write- what you learned and what you feel.

Now read the verse again.  Write what comes to mind.

Pray and give thanks for learning.

Happy studying, Have a delightful day

Charissa

Protection from the Adversary

President Spencer W. Kimball taught that the fight against Satan and his forces “is not a little skirmish with a half-willed antagonist, but a battle royal with an enemy so powerful, entrenched, and organized that we are likely to be vanquished if we are not strong, well-trained, and watchful.”

[Lucifer] will use his logic to confuse and his rationalizations to destroy. He will shade meanings, open doors an inch at a time, and lead from purest white through all the shades of gray to the darkest black.

The arch deceiver has studied every way possible to achieve his ends, using every tool, every device possible. He takes over, distorts, and changes and camouflages everything created for the good of man, … so he may take over their minds and pervert their bodies and claim them his.

Today my topic is how we can fortify ourselves against the adversary.  I have studied several general conference talks and the scriptures and I found out that what our greatest defense is against the adversary is continuing to strengthen our faith in Jesus Christ.

I want to read for Alma Chapter 48: 7-9 In this chapter Amalickiah is going from one Lamanite city to another to gather an army, and Moroni is preparing the Nephites for battle.

Read verse 7 and change the name of Amalickiah to Satan and Moroni to President Nelson.

 How is President Neilson preparing our minds to be more faithful towards God?

Elder Eyering in this last conference said “You will best lead by example. Family members and others must see you growing in your own faith in Jesus Christ and in His gospel. You have recently been provided great help. Parents in the Church have been blessed with an inspired curriculum for families and individuals. As you use it, you will build your faith and the faith of your children in the Lord Jesus Christ.” End quote

Our greatest defense against Satan is the Come Follow me Curriculum. The purpose of this curriculum is to teach us and our children how to have one on one experience with Savior that will increase our faith in Him.

The lessons in this manual are fabulous but it’s the underlying principles taught in this manual that is the key to gaining a greater faith in Jesus Christ.

Each lesson in the Come Follow Me invites each individual and family to pray, study, ponder, record and act. Why these 5 principles are important and what do they look like?

1-Prayer-Prayer opens the line of communication to Heavenly Father, It opens our minds to the will of God

2-Study-Doctrine and Covenants 88:118 And as all have not faith, seek ye diligently and teach one another words of wisdom; yea, seek ye out of the best books words of wisdom; seek learning, even by study and also by faith.

Help your children learn how to study the gospel, you can ask them simple questions like can they think of a primary song or a youth song that teaches them about what they are studying, can they recall a scripture story that teaches them the same principle they are learning about, show them how to use the gospel library app. I recently taught a lesson to the beehives and many of them did not how to use this App.  This is a great resource for study and learning.

3-Ponder- Ponder is the key to learning. In the guide to the scriptures, it teaches “when combined with prayer, pondering the things of God may bring revelation and understanding.  I recently heard a different perspective of revelation that I really liked. Revelation is a one on one interaction with God-( David Beutler) 

We need to create quiet moments in our homes when our kids can take opportunities to ponder and think without the noise of the outside world so they can have one on one interactions with God.

4-Record-In this week’s Come Follow Me, the improving personal study tip was record impressions. It reads “when impressions or insights come, record them.  For example, you could record your thoughts in the margin of your scriptures, in the gospel library app, or in a study journal.  “When you record spiritual impressions, you show the Lord that you value His direction, and He will bless you with more frequent revelation” (teaching in the saviors way 12) 

We should encourage ourselves and our children to record spiritual prompting, spiritual experiences, things they learned from pondering so that you and they have your own record that God loves you and them.

5-Act- The Savior taught in order to change lives. He wanted His disciples to do more than just hear His words, so He invited them to act on His teachings with faith. He knew that as His followers lived the doctrine He taught, they would come to know that it came from God. His teachings would be a protection to them in times of turmoil, confusion, and adversity. Remember that building faith and becoming more Christlike does not happen in one brief moment. As we act on true doctrine, we extend the learning experience into their homes and daily lives and we become more Christlike (teaching in the Saviors way)

I want to testify that these principals will help you and your children's faith increase in Jesus Christ so that you and your family can fortify yourselves against Satan. 

I have been practicing these 5 principles for several years. My family has been through some really hard things over the last four years.  Each of my kids has walked their roads of Gethsemane and some are still there waiting upon the Lord to hear their prayers.

Because I had been practicing these 5 principles when my children came to me for help with their hard things I was spiritually prepared to first all not to judge them, second I was ready to love them with Christ-like love and third was prepared to help them.

And as my children have tried to act upon these 5 principles they have come to know the Savior for themselves and have become resilient against the adversary.

Moms and dads as you pray, study, ponder, act and record you will be prepared to help your children through their hard things, and as they will be resilient against whatever the adversary throws at them.

I found this quote in the back of one of my journals as I was preparing this talk

“You could have given me diamonds and rubies, but nothing is more to me than my knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ”

Let us be like the Nephites at the time of Moroni and prepare our hearts and minds that we might fortify ourselves against satan.

Name of Jesus Christ Amen.

Have a delightful day

Charissa

Heavy Laden, I will give you rest

Several years ago I studying light and came across this scripture

28 ¶ Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.

30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.

We always look at the Saviors burden as light not being heavy, but it struck me that his burden is light like the light that comes from him.

 I often think of my burdens loaded in a wagon and I am strapped to the wagon and pulling them with all my might.  I am standing there sometimes feeling unsure and hopeless and sometimes scared that I am not going to be able to move forward with all that I carry.  Then I always have this image come to mind the Savior walking towards me with His load that is all light and be puts his load in my wagon and the weight is gone. Then he straps himself in with me and he says let us walk a while together.  I keep looking back my burdens are there amongst all his light in my wagon and the journey doesn’t seem as long as we visit along the way.

The Savior’s light for me is reading my scriptures, reading the words of our prophets and good music and partaking of the sacrament each week.

My wagon is always with me sometimes it filled with burdens and light from the Savior and sometimes it is just filled with the Saviors light.  I have noticed if I can keep the light always in my wagon that when trials and heartache come they don’t knock me down like they use too.  I just look towards the Savior and say "here we go again." 

No matter what we are going through good or bad the answer is always the Savior and the best way to come to know that Savior is walking with Him daily in our scriptures study and prayers so that we go through the day we carry His light with us.  I love you all.  This is my testimony in the name of Jesus Christ Amen.

Have a delightful day

Charissa

How I Came to Study the Scriptrues

In Fall of 2015 I and the Lord embarked on a journey together.  He wanted me to come to know Him, strengthen my faith, teach me where true joy comes from, and prepare me for the storms that were about to hit me and I needed to be able to know what source to turn to

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Before Fall of 2015 I believed that scripture study was not something I could do because I couldn’t recite scriptures, I don’t memorize scriptures and most things I did read I didn’t see the “deeper” meaning in the scripture stories that others around me did.  And most of all I didn’t understand when people would say “ I was reading in my scripture and my book fell open to this certain passage”,  Or the other favorite that I didn’t understand is “all the answers are in the scriptures, you just have to look for it”.  That wasn’t for me.  I hated reading, studying is not my thing, and pondering, what is that?

Well in 2015 the Lord blessed me with two amazing women that changed my attitude on reading, studying, and pondering the scriptures.  One was Cindy Dobson and the other a Sister named Sylvia Allen.

I will be honest my friend, I love your lessons and I wish that I could attend more regularly, but the first class that you ever taught was the one that I needed most and it is your first class at the beginning of a new season.  I hung onto every word that was spoken that day; I felt that I needed to head your council

1. Figure out what were my obstacles to consistent gospel study

2. What could I modify?

3. What was my learning style?

4. What study method could I experiment with?

You lit a fire in me that day that started my journey.  So I worked out a plan and tried several methods, I didn’t find my method until our Relief Society invited a Sweet sister to come and speak to our sisters on how to get more out of my scripture study.  I knew that she was coming for me.

I learned from you make an appointment with the Lord and keep it, and meet with him in the same spot every day. 

From Sylvia I learned my style.  Sylvia shares 5 steps on receiving revelations and getting more out of your scriptures that I have soaked up both times that I have heard it.

You will recognize it because it is also what you taught; I just needed her method of teaching to understand how to apply it into my life. After hearing her council and receiving your council I went out and bought me a white desk.  I chose white because I knew this would become my sacred and holy place and I wanted the Lord to know that I understood that.

5 things I and you must do to receive revelations

1- Ask- I always struggled with this part, I could never think of “good” questions because I am not a “deep” thinker, and I don’t question the doctrine, so what was I supposed to ask?  Over time I have learned that some days my question is what doctrine do you want me to get out of this story, Is there something you want me to learn today, I ask about those things I am worried about, and what should I do to help my cute kids.  I learned there are no wrong questions, but not asking a question doesn’t get you very far.

2-Search- This was the hardest for me.  Sylvia taught the Spirit will show you where to search if you will trust him and Lord.  I remember my first time sitting at my desk wondering if the spirit was really going to help me search for my answer.  I had my question ready, but did I trust the spirit, did I have the faith that Holy Ghost would attend with me with my appointment with the Lord? I am happy to report that the Holy Ghost did come and attend my appointment with the Lord.  It has taken time and trust on my part, but he teaches me every day that I show up and gives me the message the Lord has for me that day. And yes my scriptures sometimes fall open to a certain page, and yes, I will be turning the pages and have a feeling to stop and read, and I was drawn to the conference talks that I need that day or old journal entries

3-Ponder- As mentioned before, I had no idea what this meant, ponder…. what?  Sylvia finally explained it in a term I understood, thoughts that come to you when reading a passage of scripture, you know you were reading, but your thoughts are going somewhere else. Pay attention to those wondering thoughts it’s most likely the guidance you are looking for, you are just in a spot where the spirit could talk to you. 

4. Write- a Lot of my pondering happens when I am writing.  I have learned love to journal my impressions.  I never thought I would be a journal writer, I hate writing.  But I can’t help it, I like to write the scriptures that influence me.  I like to write the verses that “jump off the page” I write my thoughts, and how I feel about what I am reading. Pres. Hinkley said and I am paraphrasing “take time to write the scriptures that come to you, it allows time for them to sink deep into your heart and gives the spirit time to teach. I journal because I can say to my posterity I have 780 pages and rising every day, of proof that my Heavenly Father loves me and is aware of me.

5- Give a pray of just saying thank you-

Sorry that this is so long, but this is something that I have learned to be passionate about.

Have a delightful day
Charissa

Spiritually-Minded

In Act 17 Paul and Silas are teaching a group of Jews in a synagogue and they immediately accept the gospel, “…they received the word with a readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily.”

It’s probably safe to say that they were spiritually-minded.

In 2 Nephi 9:39 we learn “…to be spiritually minded is life eternal.”   In Romans 8:6 tells us the blessing we receive if we are spiritually minded, “…But to be spiritually minded is life and peace.”  Who doesn’t want the peace of God?

What does it mean to be spiritually minded? I personally think that it’s doing at least one thing every day to draw the spirit into our lives.  The ideal is to take time every day to study and ponder the scriptures, but in reality, we are busy moms with jobs and there isn’t always time to study and ponder as we would like to.  But we can always do something to bring the spirit into our day. We can listen to a chapter of scripture, we can listen to a general conference talk, we can listen to an uplifting song, we can read spiritual quotes. We Just need to do something every day that turns our mind and heart to Heavenly Father.

I read an article by a pastor Brian Hedges he also thought that praying to have the spirit to be with us throughout the day would help us to be more spiritually minded and also praying to God throughout the day and inviting Him into your daily life helps with being spiritually-minded.

I pondered that, I would have to agree, I am more spiritually-minded when I am praying throughout the day wither it’s to ask for help or for guidance. But when I am praying throughout the day I am for focused on His will and not my will.

I hope that in your busy life that you will find time to turn your heart to god by doing one thing that will spiritually uplift you, and then ask for the companionship of the Holy Ghost and pray to Heavenly Father often so that you can the peace of God as promised in Romans 8:6.

Have a delightful day,

Charissa

Like Peter and John of the New Testament

From Come Follow Me Lesson July1-7

What impresses you about the faithfulness of Peter and John?

 How can we be bold in our testimony of Jesus Christ?

This week’s reading assignment was Acts 1-5.  What impressed me most was the faithfulness of Peter and John and their boldness.

Peter and John were great apostles and followers of Christ but may have not had much boldness in the beginning.  But we see that after Peter and John receive the Gift of the Holy Ghost their desire to share the gospel can’t be stopped and they become bolder in sharing the gospel.

Act 4:13

13  Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men, they marvelled; and they took knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus.

Sometimes as moms we feel that we might be unlearned and ignorant when it comes to the knowledge of the gospel of Jesus Christ.  But as we study the gospel and learn the teachings of Jesus Christ with the help of Spirit our knowledge grows as well as our testimonies. We may not be able to physically sit at the feet of the Savoir and learn from Him like Peter and John but we can learn of Him and His teachings as we study the New Testament.

The greatest teaching we will ever do is in our own homes.  I have really struggled with teaching my children with boldness like Peter and John.  I worry too much what their reaction will be to what I have to say.  I came across this great talk this week “Courageous Parenting” Oct 2010 conference.  Here are a couple of quotes that I really liked-

“In these last days, what the world really needs is courageous parenting from mothers and fathers who are not afraid to speak up and take a stand. –Larry R Lawrence

Elder Robert D Hales has observed, “Sometimes we are afraid of our children-afraid to counsel with them for fear of offending them.” 

This is exactly how I feel.  My goal is to work on parenting with boldness and use Peter and John as my examples.

Acts 5:15-16

15 Insomuch that they brought forth the sick into the streets, and laid them on beds and couches, that at the least the shadow of Peter passing by might overshadow some of them.

16 There came also a multitude out of the cities round about unto Jerusalem, bringing sick folks, and them which were vexed with unclean spirits: and they were healed every one.

As Peter grows in testimony and boldness, he also grows in compassion and carries on the work of the Savoir and heals the sick just like the Savoir. 

As moms, we have healing powers too.  I think that we forget that because we don’t see ourselves as very significant.  But think back to your mom or a mother figure to you, didn’t her kind words give you strength and encouragement, her love gives you hope, and her hugs heal your wounds.  We have that same ability for our children.  We help heal our children as we stay close to the Holy Ghost to know how to succor them in their time of need like Peter and John.

Acts 5:42

42 And daily in the temple, and in every house, they ceased not to teach and preach Jesus Christ.

This is my final goal, that I will not cease to teach and preach of Christ.  One of my favorite scriptures is 2 Nephi 25:26 “And we talk of Christ, we rejoice in Christ, we preach of Christ, we prophesy of Christ, we write according to our prophecies, that our children may know to what source they may look for a remission of their sins.”

I know that our children may not always choose to follow the teachings we have taught them.  But I do believe that they will always look to our example. I feel that if we keep our faith I have the hope that someday they will remember those things that we have taught them and practice their faith.

Have a delightful week, Love you

Love Charissa