Five Hundred and Thirty One Pages

I have never been a big reader. The only book series I've ever read all the way through was Twilight as a young teenager. When I met the missionaries and they asked me to read the Book of Mormon it was such a struggle! I remember the second time I met with them, I had not read what they asked me to. They were so upset! Not a fake kind of upset, but very real and sad. From that day forward I would read before I met with them again- even if it was just 10 minutes before they were coming over- so I could say "yes I did!" when they asked me about if I had read. I never quite understood why it hurt them so personally when I did not read.



The angel Moroni visiting Joseph Smith.

Before you go on a mission, you have to summit papers to send into the prophet and apostles. They go over it and pray about where you will be called. Before I was able to do that my wonderful bishop asked me to read the Book of Mormon, all the way through, cover to cover. It took me months! It was honestly so ridiculous! I was in a mission prep class- just me, another person preparing for a mission in my ward, the teacher and my bishop- and he asked me how serious I was about going on a mission. It made me think- I'm not acting like I'm very serious because I've been in Alma for about 6 weeks. (Alma is the longest book in the Book of Mormon- still shouldn't take that long to read.) That night I was feeling really bad for my idleness and procrastination. The next day I read half of the Book of Mormon. I didn't remember details of what I read, but I did it! I was serious about my mission. I still wasn't so sure about what the big deal was about the Book of Mormon.

Let me take you to December. I'm sitting in the MTC. (Missionary Training Center in Provo, UT) I don't exactly have a testimony of the Book of Mormon, and in a couple weeks I will have to go out and teach complete strangers about it. I was scared! I then started really reading the Book of Mormon, with real intent, to know if it is true! I feel like I've done all that I should- being baptized, going to the temple, preparing for a mission- but I didn't have a true testimony at this point of the corner stone of this wonderful religion. I felt like it's a good book, but I didn't have that solid evidence. A couple months ago I finished reading the Book of Mormon all the way through- cover to cover- for the second time. I took time to understand the stories. I highlight when it mentions Jesus Christ, Heavenly Father and the Holy Ghost. I sincerely wanted to know if what I am teaching it true! The angel Moroni never came to me to confirm the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon. I didn't hear the voice of Jesus Christ. Nothing dramatic or even super happened. I knelt down and prayed and nothing happened. It was a little frustrating.



The Book of Mormon is the word of God!

I pondered this for a few days. Then I thought to myself, "I know it's true." I can open the Book of Mormon up and always find an answer to a question I have. I always feel good and calm as I read it. I have felt that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints is true since the moment that I met missionaries. The Book of Mormon has to be true!
I read it everyday! There is not a day missed. I have never felt so great in my life! I know that when there may be trail in your life, if you open the Book of Mormon you will find peace. If you're not sure what to do in a situation, the Book of Mormon will give you the answer. We talk to our Father in Heaven through Prayer, He talks to us through scripture.

I know, without a doubt in my mind, that the Book of Mormon is the word of God! I want to share this wonderful gift to all the world. Nothing brings me more joy than this!