Book of Mormon Reading Challenge

------ Forwarded message -----
From: Benjamin Pedersen
b1nzion@yahoo.com

Book of Mormon Reading Challenge

A Book of Mormon Reading Challenge to the Saints:

Is there anything that all of the Restoration Gospel peoples can agree on? If there is, one thing is probably the validity and powerful truth of the Book of Mormon. The early missionaries led with the Book of Mormon because it contains words that speak to our soul – words that were written specifically to us as saints and for this very monumental time in history.

Wouldn’t it be pretty powerful if we decided to read the Book of Mormon together?

Many in our membership have never read the Book of Mormon. Some haven’t read it in years. This is a great way for us to come together to gain a testimony of the truthfulness of this book or to remember the powerful messages contained in these beautiful words of eternity.

Moroni 10:1-7 tells us to ask God to know the truthfulness of all things and He will confirm their truthfulness by the POWER of the Holy Ghost. We live in a world full of darkness and distractions. Holding onto the Iron Rod, or word of God, is so very critical and could save us from pits of darkness and destruction. Reading God’s words, especially the Book of Mormon, speaks truth to our soul, allowing us to recognize God’s words when we read them because we will recognize His voice. The old adage says that the best way to know counterfeit currency is to view real currency over and over and then when we see the counterfeit, it is recognized because it is just different enough from the real ones. The same goes for reading God’s word. As Alma 16 says, when we read the good word of God, it becomes delicious to us and enlarges our soul. The good Spirit of the Book of Mormon is the same Spirit that leads us into truth and allows us to know truth when we hear or read it.

Now, more than ever, the restoration needs to find ways to come together.

· Can we try a challenge together?

· Are you willing to participate in a reading challenge of the Book of Mormon?

· Are you willing to organize others to participate as well?

Outreach Restoration Branch took on this challenge at the start of 2018. We were accountable to each other and came together often to discuss our readings. We organized our Sunday School classes to discuss what we read that week. We involved the children by having them read “Between of the Covers of the Book of Mormon” by Verda Bryant (which can be purchased at Price Publishing) and rewarded their successful completion of the challenge. We organized small groups that met every-other-week. We started a Facebook group for the reading challenge. We encouraged each other to keep going. We prayed, testified, and celebrated throughout the reading challenge. The result was we grew together and had wonderful experiences together that strengthened our faith. It helped our branch be more united as a part of the body of Christ.

The attached reading calendar starts the readings on November 19th and goes to April 5th. What a great day to finish – the eve of the anniversary of the restoration of Christ’s church to the earth!

If you are unable or don't have time to read, you can visit www.outreachbranch.org for audio readings of the Book of Mormon (click on the “Book of Mormon Audio” button).

The chapters and verses on the calendars are from the RLDS Book of Mormon text.

Please prayerfully consider taking up this challenge.

Your Brother in Christ,
Elder Benji Pedersen, Outreach Restoration Branch

“Next Year In Zion”