The Story of this Blog

While serving on my mission in Seattle, Washington, I had the desire to write a gospel-related book after I returned home. I had an unofficial goal to write a series of essays on various gospel topics and try to get them published by Deseret Book or one of its subsidiaries. Well, life ensued and I never wrote my book, not that it would necessarily get published anyway.

Then a few months ago I decided that I needed to change my gospel study habits. Since my mission I have always missed how much I was able to study the gospel as a missionary. We had about 2 hours of study in the morning plus at least an hour in the evening. I also tried to utilize lunch and breakfast times and any other time I had to study and read. I read the Book of Mormon a number of times as a missionary. I read substantial portions of the Old and New Testaments as well as Doctrine and Covenants and Pearl of Great Price. I read the books in the "missionary library" - Jesus the Christ, Articles of Faith, A Marvelous Work and a Wonder, Truth Restored, and Our Search for Happiness. After I finished those books I started into books borrowed from members or purchased at Deseret Book. Everything revolved around the gospel and I loved it. It wasn't just the studying and learning that I loved but also the teaching.

I shared that simply to provide a picture of how immersed most missionaries are in the gospel (although, I do admit that I read more than all my companions did; but reading is my background - it's just part of who I am and who my family are; we're a family of readers). Then I came home. I continued to read the scriptures and study the gospel but over time I became busy with school, marriage, more school, work, kids, and more school. I found that I was no longer studying the gospel very intently; I felt like I was merely sipping from the fountain of living waters and nibbling upon the word. I found myself missing a few days or even a week of personal scripture reading. I had become careless in my scripture study.

So a few months ago, I don't remember exactly when but I think it was in June, I decided I needed to make a change. I felt that my gospel knowledge wasn't growing much; I also felt, to an extent, my personal spirituality was stagnant. I knew that I needed to be more intentional in my gospel study. Even simply reading the scriptures every day would not be enough. I decided to start a topical study of the gospel. I began to treat my scripture study as if I were preparing talks for Sacrament Meeting (or writing essays on gospel topics). I felt that, for the time being, I had a good linear (temporal) foundation of the Book of Mormon so I could stop reading it straight through and begin to study topic by topic.

I randomly pick topics - usually whatever comes into my mind first. Sometimes I pray and ask that I be led to my next topic and sometimes I just pick a topic. Next I look up and write down scriptures. Then, I start expanding on the scriptures and try to form my thoughts into mostly coherent essays, adding more scriptures as I find them or as they come to me. Recently, I've started adding in quotes from General Conferences, as appropriate.

This blog is my book. I still hope that I can turn many of these essays into a published book, or at least expand on one or two of them and turn that into a book, but this will suffice as my book for now. This blog allows me to share the gospel and my testimony with others, as few as they may be. I hope that these posts will brighten someone's day, lighten someone's load, or strengthen someone's testimony, even if it is just my own.

My shift from nibbling upon the word to feasting (or, at least trying to) upon the word brought a noticeable - to me - change in my life. Studying the gospel intently will always have a positive effect on your life. It gives you greater power over the Adversary and greater peace about your path. The burden may not be lighter but you will be strengthened so that it becomes easier to bear.

That's the story of the genesis of this blog. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do creating it.