This past August President Hinckley challenged all of us to (re)read the Book of Mormon by the end of the year. For those of you that have not started yet, it is not too late! With some diligence and dedication on your part you can finish the Book of Mormon by the end of the year. We've even come up with a reading schedule to help you reach your goal!

The schedule is broken down into weeks:

November 6
1Nephi 1 - 2 Nephi 2

November 13
2 Nephi 3 - Jacob 1

November 20
Jacob 2 - Mosiah 15

November 27
Mosiah 16 - Alma 11

December 4
Alma 12 - Alma 34

December 11
Alma 35 - Alma 54

December 18
Alma 55 - 3 Nephi 3

December 25
3 Nephi 4 - Mormon 2

December 31
Mormon 3 - Moroni 10

Approximately 8 pages a day.

Elder Marion G. Romeny gave five basic reasons in a General Conference address, for us as Latter-day saints to read and study the Book of Mormon:

1. It is approved by the highest authority in the universe, the Lord himself... After the Prophet Joseph had trasnlated that part of the record which he had been told to translate, the Lord said: ... "and as your Lord and your God livest it is true." (D&C 17:6)
   
2. It will sustain you against attacks being made by the modernistic against that other great scripture, the Bible. The Book of Mormon is not only a new witness for God; it is also a witness to the truth of the Bible.
   
3. We shall be judged by what is written in it. Moroni says that the very reason the book has been given to us is that we may know the "decrees of God." (Ether 2:11)
   
4. Unless we read, study and learn the principles which are in the Book of Mormon, we, the ... teachers of this church, cannot comply with [the] direction to teach them. (D&C 42:12)
   
5. We will fill and refresh our mids with a constant flow of that "water" which Jesus said would be in us, "a well of water springing up into ever lastting life," (John 4:14). We must obtain a continuing supply of this water if we are to resist evil and retain the blessings of being born again.

As we read from the pages of the Book of Mormon, our lives are richly blessed with an increased measure of the spirit, that allows the spirit to touch and teach us. And we have been promised many additional blessings if we will seriously study the Book of Mormon.

President Ezra Taft Benson
"There is power in the Book of Mormon which will begin to flow into your lives the moment you begin a serius study of the book. You will find greater power to resist temptation. You will find the power to avoid deception. You will find the power to stay on the strait and narrow path. The scriptures are called "the words of life" (D&C 84:85) and nowhere is that more true than it is of the Book of Mormon. When you begin to hunger and thirst after those words, you will find life in greater and greater abundance."

- General Conference Address October 1986

[The Book of Mormon] was written for our day. Mormon, who compiled it, saw us in vision and was directed to put into the book those things God felt we would especially need in our time... Not only should we know what history and faith-promoting stories it contains, but we should understand its teachings. If we really did our homework and approached the Book of Mormon doctrinally, we could expose the errors and find the truths to combat many of the current false theories and philosophies of men ...
I have noted within the church the different in discernment, in insight, conviction, and spirit between those who know and love the Book of Mormon and those who do not. That book is a great sifter.

- New Era, May 1975

Elder Bruce R. McConkie
"Men can get nearer to the Lord, can have mroe of the spirit of conversion and conformity in their hearts, can have stronger testimonies, and can gain a better understanding of the doctrines of salvation through the Book of Mormon than they can through the Bible... There will be more people saved in the kingdom of God - ten-thousand times over - because of the Book of Mormon than there will be because of the Bible."

- Book of Mormon Symposium, BYU, August 1978

Elder Marion G.Romney
I feel certain taht if, in our homes, parents will ready from the Book of Mormon prayerfully and regularly, both by themselves and with their children, the spirit of that great book will come to permeate our homes and all who dwell therein. The spirit of reverence will increase; mutual respect and consideration for each other will grow. The spirit of contention will depart. Parents will counsel their children in greater love and wisdom. Children will be more responsive and submissive to the counsel of their parents. Righteousness will increase. Faith, hope, and charity - the pure love of Christ - will abound in our homes and lives, bringing in their wake peace, joy, and happiness.

- General Conference Address, April 1980

President Gordon B. Hinckley promised each of us, if we will take hold of this challenge to read from cover to cover the Book of Mormon before the end of 2005, that "... if each of you will observe this simple program, regardless of how many times you previously may have read the Book of Mormon, there will come into your lives and into your homes an added measure of the Spirit of the Lord, a strengthened resolution to walk in obedience to His commandments, and a stronger testimoney of the living reality of the Son of God. (Ensign, August 2005)

Make Your Life
More Conducive to Scripture Study

• "Working 12 hour days and then coming home to help out with the kids makes it hard to find time to quietly sit down and read the Book of Mormon. I have a lot of downtime at work that allows me to read the Book Of Mormon online. It is a great way to supplement my reading at home. Aaron Hales, Chandler Alma Arizona Stake"
  
• Would you like an email reminding you to read your scriptures everyday? Sign-up here to create your own reading schedule and to receive reminder emails.
  
• Put a copy of the Book of Mormon in every room of your house. Read while you wait for a pot to boil.
  
• Put a copy of the Book of Mormon in your car. Read it while you sit in the waiting room for appointments.
  
• Use the institute Book of Mormon reading manual to give you greater insight as you read.
  
• Keep a journal where you record what you've read.

How Mormonchic.com Readers are making
room in their lives for scripture study:

Desiree from Arkadelphia, AR Branch reads her scriptures at work during down time.

Christina, from the Orangecrest Ward, Riverside West Stake in California, says:
"My family which includes 4 girls under the age of 8 reads them after breakfast before school. We always have reading time from 8-8:15pm in which the we all get to read whatever book we want. If we don't get our scriptures read together during breakfast, then we read during reading time at night."

Margaret from Raleigh 2nd Ward, Raleigh NC Stake says:
"We have 6 children living at home, ages 5 to 17. Every evening before bed, we gather the family on our king sized bed and read the Book of Mormon aloud. We take turns reading 5 verses each, starting with Dad, and going down by age. It varies, but we try to get through at least two chapters each night.The 5 year old is developmentally delayed, so he has a children's Book of Mormon reader that he can look at.Our desire is that he feel a part of what we are doing, even if he can't read yet. I can't say he holds still very often, or that he isn't a distraction, but we plow through our reading anyway. The point is, it's family time. Afterwards we gather around the bed and have family prayer.Reading our scriptures as a family has increased our spirituality and is fostering more love in our home. Our oldest son is on a mission, and it also helps us feel closer to him."