40-Day Reading Challenge

[pam]

Originally Posted by KeithLBrown

Thanks Pam! Only three more days to go and then. . . .let the challenge begin!!

hahaha I got to thinking...Hopefully we won't be so busy reading we won't have time for any discussion about what we read.

[pam]

Ruthie..in just using the number of chapters in the OT...if we read just over 7 chapters a day it would take 120 days. Haven't figured in the NT yet.

Again with just the OT...to finish in 40 days we would have to read 23.225 chapters a day. I couldn't do that.

[ruthiechan]

Originally Posted by pam

Ruthie..in just using the number of chapters in the OT...if we read just over 7 chapters a day it would take 120 days. Haven't figured in the NT yet.

Again with just the OT...to finish in 40 days we would have to read 23.225 chapters a day. I couldn't do that.

Not surprised, but I was thinking if we did something similar, like when in October one year we had the Book of Mormon challenge to finish it before the end of the year, it'd be doable. I was not expecting the time frame to remain the same.

[pam]

I think it's an awesome idea. I would be up for that.

[Seanette]

Well, the New Testament in 40 days could be done (260 chapters yields 6.5 chapters/day, which for me is entirely doable, being just a little more than what we're reading in the Book of Mormon daily for the challenge, and I've done the BoM in 40 days before).

The OT is 929 chapters. My plan for next year is to do that over the course of 365 days.

[pam]

I could probably do Psalms in 1-2 days. Most of those are just a few verses. But you get into Isaiah and such and some of that can be pretty heavy reading.

[KeithLBrown]

In 2008 I made a decision that for the remainder of my days I would read the entire canon of Scripture at least once a year. That is the Bible, the Book of Mormon, Doctrine and Covenants, and the Pearl of Great Price at least once each in their entirety. Thus far this year, I have completed reading Psalms and Proverbs in the Old Testament as well as Genesis through Judges. I am currently reading Ruth. Thus far in the New Testament I have read all of Matthew, Mark, and Luke, and half of John. My goal is to be finished reading the New Testament before the start of October General Conference and the rest of the Old Testament by midnight on 31 December. To date, I have read the Bible in its entirety 7 times.

I like the idea of a similar challenge with reading the Bible and maybe it is something that we can set up after the current challenge is over. Understandably, reading the Bible in its entirety does take considerable more time, so a different time schedule and chart would have to be worked out. However, I am a witness that it can most definitely be done within a year time frame. If anyone comes up with a good schedule to follow to make the reading of the entire Bible doable for everyone. please let me know. I am definitely in on it. Great ideal!

With that being said, I just wanted to remind everyone that starting on 1 July 2009, that is 3 days from now, we will begin reading the Book of Mormon, the Doctrine and Covenants, and the Pearl of Great Price for 40 consecutive days. Everyone is invited to participate and to share some of their thoughts, insights, and lessons learned as they read each of these blessed portions of Scripture. Pam has already set up a special forum for all participants to use for sharing their study notes. Thanks again Pam! At the conclusion of this reading I will have read the Book of Mormon 8 times, and the Doctrine and Covenants and Pearl of Great Price 9 times. The beauty of it all is that the Scriptures never grow old.

It is my sincere prayer that this will not just be a race to the finish, but that once we have crossed the finishing line, we will be inspired to read the Scriptures again and again. Take care and God bless.

Helaman 5:12

[pam]

I also hope that people will post their thoughts on their reading as well. What one might get out of the reading another may not pick up on. I learn so much from the posters here on this site.

[Seanette]

I'm already planning to do the Old Testament next year, starting January 1 (I do like to focus on whichever Standard Work is the Gospel Doctrine course), plus of course keep cycling through the Book of Mormon. I'm thinking the New Testament in 40 days at some point this year, if anyone else would like to join me (this will, of course, come AFTER the Triple in 40 days challenge).

Keith, I'm sure around here somewhere, I can find several "Bible in a year" plans. Were you thinking reading the OT and NT concurrently or consecutively?

I did once actually manage the entire quad in a year, which was a big task for me (I really bog down around Leviticus and Numbers).

[pam]

I like your plan Seanette. I would be up to doing the NT after our current challenge and saving the OT for next year.