100 Days: Read the Book of Mormon before the end of the year

[Wingnut]

In August of 2005, President Hinckley gave us a challenge. He said, "I offer a challenge to members of the Church throughout the world and to our friends everywhere to read or reread the Book of Mormon."

His challenge was to finish the book by the end of that year. For anyone interested in reading the Book of Mormon by the end of THIS year, join with me in my goal to have it read in 100 days (starting on Tuesday, September 23rd). I am one who always does best with a support group behind me, and I love to offer encouragement to those working on similar goals.

I understand that many of you are already immersed in your own study or are focusing on different books of scripture. For any who are willing to start from the beginning, I invite you to join a Book of Mormon Study Group. This will not be a topical study. It will be chronological. To join the group, you will need to be prepared to account for your success or failures in keeping with the reading goals.

A sister in my ward invited us to join her in this challenge (the above are all her words, not mine). As it has been some time since I have read the Book of Mormon in its entirety, and for various reasons I did not participate in President Hinckley's challenge, I eagerly joined her study group. I am grateful for the opportunity to participate in this study group, and to give an accounting of my reading. I also am better when I have to check in.

So I invite each of you to join also. We can discuss in this thread our study for the week, and individual insights we may have gained. I will update this post each week with that week's reading assignment.


Week 1: September 23
1 Nephi 1-18
I know it's a lot, but for me, if I can make it through this assignment, I'll be able to do the rest...this is the hurdle that is hardest to get over.

Week 2: October 1
1 Nephi 19 - 2 Nephi 13
Sorry I am late in getting this week's reading assignment sent out! I figure you're all just plugging along in your reading. I think it is best that we stick with the average of 2.5 chapters a day.

Week 3: October 6
2 Nephi 14-30

Week 4: October 15
2 Nephi 31 - Words of Mormon
Sorry I'm late again...was out of town and away from a computer.

[raulrosalez22]

I have been slacking off lately and this might be just the thing =)
count me in!

[Nappaljarri]

I'm in. I'll check in each day. I probebly won't get time to check other threads which is also good for my time schedule.

[raulrosalez22]

How are we going to check in our progress? is there going to be a new thread on the forums? chat? or should we follow this thread?

[skalenfehl]

I'll commit to this.

[Nappaljarri]

Tuesday 23rd September 2008:

I have read 1 Nephi 1-3 this evening. Two main points that have impressed me about reading it this time.
1: The fact that Nephi’s parents were the ones who taught him the language and learning of his people (Egyptian/jewish respectively). This has great importance to me at this time, as I take on the responsibility of home schooling our children. The most important skill I see to teach our children is our language and how to speak, understand and write it. I also believe that our children are blessed in learning how to do this because my focus in teaching them, is reading the scriptures together. I know that as we read the Book of Mormon together, that they are blessed to know the scriptures and understand them better, and also that they are blessed secularly to understand and comprehend our language quicker.
2: It amazes me how fast Laman and Lemuel forget who chastises them. In the last verses of chapter 3, we read the part about Laman and Lemuel beating Nephi and Sam with a rod, then an angel of the Lord chastises them, and immediately after the angel is gone, they are murmuring again. I must apply this to myself directly… asking…. When the prophet speaks, how do I react. How long does it take for me to make excuses for myself. I love how bad examples in the scriptures can help me to check myself and become better....

Good reading. I'm out for the night, peace.

[a-train]

Started last night, on page 6. I love how Lehi had the faith to turn his back on the economy and social structure of his life-long home and literally walk into the wilderness never to return. To him, Jerusalem was already destroyed.

And it was. The filthiness of spiritual darkness had long blackened the once bright city. What remained was the corpse of a once living Zion.

I am reminded of the Saviour who wept for Jerusalem in His time. And now, we weep for our nation.

-a-train

[Wingnut]

Originally Posted by raulrosalez22

How are we going to check in our progress? is there going to be a new thread on the forums? chat? or should we follow this thread?

Stay with this thread. You don't have to check in daily, but if you're going to participate, please check in with some thoughts/impressions/something to share at least weekly.

Thanks already to everyone who is doing this with me!

[Wingnut]

Originally Posted by Nappaljarri

Tuesday 23rd September 2008:

I have read 1 Nephi 1-3 this evening. Two main points that have impressed me about reading it this time.
1: The fact that Nephi’s parents were the ones who taught him the language and learning of his people (Egyptian/jewish respectively). This has great importance to me at this time, as I take on the responsibility of home schooling our children. The most important skill I see to teach our children is our language and how to speak, understand and write it. I also believe that our children are blessed in learning how to do this because my focus in teaching them, is reading the scriptures together. I know that as we read the Book of Mormon together, that they are blessed to know the scriptures and understand them better, and also that they are blessed secularly to understand and comprehend our language quicker.
2: It amazes me how fast Laman and Lemuel forget who chastises them. In the last verses of chapter 3, we read the part about Laman and Lemuel beating Nephi and Sam with a rod, then an angel of the Lord chastises them, and immediately after the angel is gone, they are murmuring again. I must apply this to myself directly… asking…. When the prophet speaks, how do I react. How long does it take for me to make excuses for myself. I love how bad examples in the scriptures can help me to check myself and become better....

Good reading. I'm out for the night, peace.

I also read chapters 1-3 last night, which I've probably read a million times before. I never thought of the significance of teaching the language, but it si important, isn't it? Even today we still have an oral culture that isn't written -- stories, etc.

I also was amazed at the end of chapter 3 how Laman and Lemuel just start murmuring again. Like, HELLO? How stupid can you guys be? But I'm not sure I don't do it sometimes, too.

[a-train]

Originally Posted by Nappaljarri

The fact that Nephi’s parents were the ones who taught him the language and learning of his people (Egyptian/jewish respectively). This has great importance to me at this time, as I take on the responsibility of home schooling our children. The most important skill I see to teach our children is our language and how to speak, understand and write it.

My children are 4 years and 2 weeks old respectively. I plan now to homeschool my children. As a seminary teacher I teach 16 different students, the three that are homeschooled are my best students. Those from single-parent families struggle the most.

I came from a single parent home and was (un)educated by public schools. I plan to do all in my power to offer my children better.

-a-train