I’m glad the First Presidency’s letter inviting all members to read the Book of Mormon before the end of the year has gotten a little play in the Bloggernacle, but I think it needs more emphasis. Just like Frank, I think this is an invitation we need to take very seriously. As with all things, blogging is the answer.
The natural thing to do would be for me to put together a calendar and show you exactly how much you need to read a day, what chapter you need to be in on October 10 and November 10 and etc. But that’s just not me. I’m an organizationally challenged guy with inspiration that runs in fits and starts. So you’re on your own in figuring out how fast you need to read.
What I think sounds more fun is to discuss the reading as we go. Assuming we can all generally keep up a decent pace of reading, I’d like to blog about specific parts of the Book of Mormon, in a very non-comprehensive, take the insights as they come kind of way. My hope is that by the end of the year we’ll have ten to fourteen useful discussions, each growing out of principles taught in each of the major books of the Book of Mormon. Maybe I’ll invite a guest blogger to handle Jarom and Omni for me, but you get the idea. Hopefully, we can generate some discussion about the Book, and create a community focused on motivating everyone to accept the First Presidency’s invitation.
I’d also like to say that this is a poaching-immune idea. In other words, how great would it be if every blog out there made an effort to post thoughts culled from reading the Book of Mormon? What if the Bloggernacle suddenly became a rich repository of Book of Mormon reflections over the next four and a half months? If you’re considering doing so, don’t let the Steve-bot scare you off this one.
Anyway, without further ado, on with the BOMBlogging . . .
That is a wonderful idea! Count me in.
Ryan, great idea. My wife and I read the scriptures together every night, and last week we started the BoM again. So, hopefully I’ll have some thoughts to add.
You may also want to share your insights at Feast Upon the Word.
Great idea – I’ve read it so many times it’ll be nice to have someone else “nudge” me into a new way of thinking beyond the new impressions I receive each time a read. You know, more pondering and less check – that’s chapters done!
Four pages a day, starting today (11 August), and you’ll be done by 21 December.
(Assuming that you’re using the current [1981] edition of the BofM, published by the Church.)
Thanks, Mike. I knew someone would do the real work for me!
It might be useful to put comments in the Book of Mormon Wiki as well as you read. (Improves your comprehension at the minimum)
http://feastupontheword.org/The_Book_of_Mormon
I like the idea of blogging about our faith and scriptures. I think I’ll join everyone every Friday on my blog for scriptural thoughts from the week.
As a side note, our Stake had little packets made. There was a big card with the words “I Have Read the Book of Mormon” each letter is composed of little blocks. Every time we read a chapter we color in one of the blocks. On the back there is a cobblestone path that gets a stone colored for each day we read. There are little stickers and a color pencil set in the packet. Everyone in the Stake got one.
As corny as it sounds its really helped us focus on actually reading and keeping track of when we read and when we dont.
Sounds like a great idea …
Can one of the main forums for this be at M*? I’d like to do this in conjunction with one of the major ‘Nacle blogs — read along at the same pace as others. It would really help me I think as I struggle with reading the BOM in the simple straightforward all-the-way through approach.
For interesting books and articles along the way, check out this page.
I guess what I’m hoping is that one of the blogs will post the section that should be read each day and invite comments. It could be a BOM-related open thread that merely shows us in the title how much we need to read and invite comments.
Ben, the depth of your resources always just blow me away whenever I visit there.
Danithew, that’s a great idea. I anticipate that I’ll have a new post almost every week, which can turn into an open thread, but I admit that doesn’t serve exactly the same purpose you’re seeking here. Perhaps something can be cooked up.
I think my father created a little chart of some sort — though his ward or stake is already into it … might require some catchup or adjustment … I’ll be back if I can find it.
Someone could set up a new blog and just post the new section each day and invite comments. Nice, neat, organized and all in one place. Publish the link on the major blogs and viola.
Pris, I’ll see your viola and bet you one violin and two cellos. Voila!
Here’s a project of mine that never took off. If people like I could open up the comments and we could do it there. I’d be willing to cede to anyone else who wanted to do it though.
Here’s a little chart my father put together showing how many pages people would have to read through. I don’t know how it will show up when I hit “post comment” … so be warned.
Week Thru
Ending Page
8/7 Intro-1
8/14 27
8/21 53
8/28 79
9/4 105
9/11 131
9/18 157
9/25 183
10/2 209
10/9 235
10/16 261
10/23 287
10/30 313
11/6 339
11/13 365
11/20 391
11/27 417
12/4 443
12/11 469
12/18 495
12/25 521
1/1/06 531
Suggestion for Home Teachers:
(and for Visiting Teachers of people who don’t have Home Teachers)
I suggest HT’s get some extra copies of the Book of Mormon from their ward mission leader, or buy them from the Distribution Center, http://www.ldscatalog.com or 1-800-537-5971.
Then, make sure that every member of your home teaching families has their own personal copy of the Book of Mormon. Even those too young to read, yet, should have their own copy to treasure as their own. Something that they might take to their parents, grandparents, older siblings and ask to be read from, and in which they can put their own bookmark to keep track where they are.
That might be one way of teaching young children to treasure the Book of Mormon.
I know of a child who received a testimony of the Book of Mormon just by reading the “Book of Mormon Reader” or “Book of Mormon Stories”.
Well, I took Pris’s idea and ran with it. I’ve set up an open thread with a listed reading for Week 1 (which ends on the 14th) at http://bomb.weblogs.us
I don’t know if people will respond to it or not. Maybe I’ve been too pushy or hasty in throwing it up there. Again if Ryan or someone else would prefer to do it here at M* or one of the established blogs, I’ll defer to them and take that stuff down. Or we can do a “carnival” approach too. Regardless, I’m really glad Ryan wrote up this post as I needed a little motivation.
By the way, very cool Book of Mormon icon and ticker in the corner.
Dan, with a name like “bomb.weblogs.us” you are bound to get investigated by the FBI! Maybe some of them will become interested in the church as a result. ;-p.
Just looked at your site Dan. Looks great! Pris’ idea of posting the actual chapter from with open comments is wonderful. Good job.
Ah … posting the actual reading would be a good idea. ‘Tis true. I’ll need to work out a daily chapter schedule then. Does anyone already have one? Hmmmmmmm …
I’m working on a reading calendar and I noticed that New Years Day, 1 January 2006 is a Sunday. So you gotta know that in church that day they are going to ask how many people in the audience read the Book of Mormon and took advantage of President Hinckley’s promise. Regardless of public demonstrations of faith, it would be a nice feeling I think to wrap things up on Saturday the day before.
Do you think they’ll hand out golden tickets to Adam-Ondi-Ahman based on those who raise their hands that day? Or will all others just be burned as stubble? One way or another, that day is going to rock us all, I just know it.
I think it would be neat to compile a list of all the blogs participating, so that we can get a wide range of commentaries.
The Lovable Deranged Sisters began blogging about the challenge last week.
An excellent habit to get into is reading with your spouse each night. Don’t stop when the year is up, either. Another is to download the scriptures to your pda (Yanceyware rocks!)and read during the day. Take a break, fer the love of pete. Why should just the smokers get 10 minutes out of every hour to slack off? Take a walk away from your desk, go outside and read. I’m getting through 2-3 chapters a day between reading with my husband and taking breaks at work.
If you can multi-task, you can also listen to the scriptures.
Hello Everyone,
I thought one good way of getting through the Book of Mormon would be to podcast each day specific chapters as well as the manual for the book of mormon (Sunday School manual). This would allow you to take it on the go and subscribe to the podcast in your podcatching application. So, starting on Monday, August 15, I will begin posting chapters for each day. This will keep me reading and I hope will be of value to all of you. See the blog at:
http://mormonaudio.blogspot.com
for more information. The podcast feed will be:
http://feeds.feedburner.com/MormonAudio
This will be fun.
BTW, all links to MP3 files will be from the official church site.
Later today all of the introduction material will be posted to the blog/podcast.
I plan on keeping this going after this project for other readings (Ensign, The Friend, etc).
Jeff Bishop
Wow, great idea. Thanks, Jeff!
I have created a day-by-day Book of Mormon reading schedule that will allow a person to finish on December 23rd, which happens to be Joseph Smith’s birthday. You can find it here. Admittedly, it started yesterday — but yesterday’s reading was only the Book of Mormon Title Page … so catching up shouldn’t be too hard. I will also provide daily posts with links to the assigned chapters. People who want to follow the schedule can leave comments on their reading or even simply the statement “I did it” … whatever suits them.
I have created a single page chart to help you track your progress. The chart has a box for every chapter in the Book of Mormon. The height of each box is proportional to the length of the chapter. As you read each chapter color in the box. The dates next to the chapter boxes tell you where you need to be to finish by the end of the year. Download the chart here.
Week 2 links for BOMBlogging are posted here.
I’ve created an open thread for people to comment on their Book of Mormon Challenge reading so far. The schedule I created has people finishing 1 Nephi today … but anyone is welcome to share thoughts, regardless of where they are in the reading.
Do not try this with your seminary class.