The Book of Mormon Changed my Life

If you’ve kept up with my blog you know that this past year has been very challenging for Eric and me. He has continuously looked for work to no avail. This economy is just completely beating us up and it’s been very painful and frustrating at times. As 2009 progressed I sunk deeper and deeper into despair and borderline depression at times. I had no hope that anything would work out. We continually prayed and did what we were supposed to do; whatever that means. Anyway, I felt like Heavenly Father wasn’t even hearing our prayers anymore. I started to question if anyone was even there to hear our prayers or if I was just saying them to make me feel better. My life was collapsing around me and my faith was going along with it. I tried to put on a happy face and really listen to the messages at church, but rarely did anything get through. There were a few happy moments, but nothing really significant during that time. I eventually decided sometime in July that I couldn’t just give up on the church without putting in a full effort to see if things were true or not. Throughout the year I had tried reading the Book of Mormon, but I was only at 1 Nephi, chapter 6. Clearly, I hadn’t put much of an effort in to read it. I decided I would read it every day.

At first I was tired at nights when I was supposed to read so that made it particularly hard to do it everyday. Suddenly, one day while at work I got a brilliant idea. I realized the scriptures were all online and I could read them during the slow parts of the day at work. That first day I started at 1 Nephi, Chapter 7 and probably read about 15 chapters. I literally couldn’t stop myself from reading. I was addicted. The old stories that I knew so well were comforting and exciting. The next day I probably read another 15 chapters. Eventually I slowed down how much I was reading everyday and now I’m down to one chapter a day usually. But it is now my goal to read at least one chapter a day. Reading this book has changed me completely. I don’t have so many doubts and I generally live in a place of hope and not despair. I have faith and hope for our future again. I believe things are going to work out for us even if I don’t know how or when. We’re surviving and things are going better for us than should really be possible. Simply reading this book has made my life easier to live and enjoy. Nothing is as hard as it used to be. My prayers are more meaningful and answers are coming to us on a regular basis.

If you need comfort, counsel, peace, direction or whatever I suggest you pick up the book again and start reading from page one. If it could change my life so quickly than I truly believe it can change yours if you let it.