Scripture Journal

My cousin Kim asked about my scripture journal. It's just a three-ring binder of lined paper that I keep next to me when I'm reading my scriptures. I start a page for each chapter I read. I write down thoughts I have about what I'm reading, helpful cross references, questions about things I don't understand. I can't remember where I got the idea, but I started it almost four years ago at a time when I was feeling the need to recommit myself to scripture study (January of course :-). I had lost count of how many times I had read 1st Nephi, so I started in Mosiah (with King Benjamin's speech--my favorite). It's slow-going--I'm just finishing Ether. Much as I try, I don't read every day, and writing slows the reading down, but I feel like my study is more meaningful, more personal, and more worthwhile. Occasionally I get writing and my thoughts just takes off, connecting things from the scriptures with what's going on in my life or in the world. I'd like to think that this kind of scripture study helps me be more open to the Spirit and to personal revelation, but what I notice mostly is that it helps me keep my mind on spiritual things and more in tune with what is really important--the gospel of Jesus Christ and my efforts to draw nearer to Him. Since I'm almost done with the second half of the Book of Mormon, I'm thinking about journaling about the most recent General Conference talks too, before I start with 1st Nephi again.

Consider the Lilies

A few weeks ago in Salt Lake City the beautiful 7-year-old daughter of a refugee family from Myanmar (Burma) was kidnapped, sexually assaulted, and murdered. As the story developed in the news, a song our ward choir sang for Easter Sunday kept running through my mind, especially the third verse:

Consider the sweet, tender children
Who must suffer on this earth.
The pains of all of them He carried
From the day of His birth.

He clothes the lilies of the field,
He feeds the lambs in His fold,
And He will heal those who trust Him,
And make their hearts as gold.

(Consider the Lilies, by Roger Hoffman, arranged by A. Laurence Lyon)

You can listen to the whole song here, or read about Roger Hoffman's experience writing the song here.

When I see or hear about innocent children suffering abuse of any kind, my heart just hurts. What a comfort to know that Christ has taken on all their pain and He will heal them. Thanks to our loving Father in Heaven who cares for and provides for His children through the sacrifice of His Beloved Son.