Each page that I turn

My mind is starting to think like a teacher.  I was thinking about the way in which I would introduce this topic that is so dear to my heart to my students and so I ask you to take a ride with me as I introduce you into the world of teaching.  

If you could close your eyes and just listen to my voice these are the questions that I would ask you:

• Have you ever read a book where it felt so magical and unreal, that you wished for a short time that you could be a character in the story?
• Have you ever felt while reading this special book that you became more interested in the story each page that you turned, and it was hard to put the book down?
• Was there a character in your book that you admired or looked up to?  Or one that you felt was just like you?
• Did this book become so special to you that you took it with you wherever you went?

I have a book like this that means the world to me.  It is a book that has sometimes sat on my shelf for months at a time collecting dust, and there have been times where the pages have had to be glued back in because they had fallen out from the many times I have read through the book.  Can anyone guess what special book this is?

I'll give you some hints: 

1. The book I am talking about is not one that could be found in most schools or in the library, but is still readily available to us to read.  Many of us would have our own copies of this book or even multiples of it in our home. 
2. This book isn't like other books where it takes away from the book to write in it.  In fact, it is encouraged that we color in passages that stick out to us, and write in the margins why this passage has affected us in the way that it has.  
3. This book comes in a variety of sizes and colors. 
4. This book has many characters and can be read on multiple levels.  One can read it just for the stories it has, to learn about the characters and the trials they went through, to learn from others experiences and to learn about someone very important to each of us in our lives.

This special book that I am talking about is the Book of Mormon.  I feel such a sense of peace around me that I haven;t felt in a long time and it came so suddenly as I finally humbled myself enough to open my Book of Mormon and to feast upon its words.  Now don't get me wrong I am not here to gain praises from anyone about good for you for reading your Book of Mormon or anything else.  I just had some amazing experiences as I went about my day and thought that they were important to share.  A couple of years ago, Gordon B Hinckley, a beloved member and prophet of our church, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, extended a challenge to all that heard his voice to reopen our scriptures and read the Book of Mormon again.  His promise to us was, "Brothers and sisters, without reservation I promise you that if you will prayerfully read the Book of Mormon, regardless of how many times you previously have read it, there will come into your hearts an added measure of the Spirit of the Lord.  There will come a strengthened resolution to walk in obedience to his commandments, and there will come a stronger testimony of the living reality of the Son of God."

Now I have just restarted the journey of reading the Book of Mormon and I have challenged myself to read it in a month.  I decided that December would be a great time to do it because school is finally winding down and I have more time to dedicate to my study and focus while we also prepare to celebrate Christmas which really is all about the Savior's birth.  It has been amazing to me as I have made  the choice each day to search out my Book of Mormon and set aside a special time just to immerse myself in the teachings of ancient day prophets from the Book of Mormon and stop allowing the distractions of the world pull me away.  What an amazing amazing experience I had today.  I knew I had missed my bus and had fifteen minutes until the next one came, so I set out of the house early to sit at the bus stop and open my Book of Mormon.  I tried to imagine what it would have been like to be Nephi or in his family, and then I questioned myself on what was Nephi trying to teach me so that I could become more like Christ.  I felt uplifted and happier even when I had to deal with a rotten professor who has made my life absolutely miserable.  And I thought the blessing of reading the Book of Mormon would end there but it didn't.  In Social class today we were given some time to reflect on a concept brought up in class, and I was focused when the spirit nudged me.  I was prompted to start doing something in my home and ask J to join along with me.  An answer to a prayer I remember pleading with the Lord was finally here.  I just had never taken the time to stop and actually do what it took to listen.  And I thought is it really that simple?  Is that really all we have to do in life to be close to God is to try to be like the Savior? Actually READ our scriptures and pray?  I was so humbled by this fact that I thought wow I feel happier, I know how to solve a problem in our home and I was amazed by that.  

But yet, it just didn't end there.  I take two buses each school day to get home from university and I am going to share with you one of my very human like attributes that pulls me away from Heavenly Father when I allow it to.  As I was on the bus I like to just sit, ponder and think about my life.  I was thinking about my blog and how I wanted to share my testimony of how Heavenly Father is so mindful of us.  Today in music class I had to do a musicianship where I chose to play the recorder and sing a song.  I chose to do a Christmas song from the church, one that was chosen for children that was one of my favorite Christmas hymns growing up entitled, Picture a Christmas.  I felt so nervous as I went into the teacher but she was so kind. I messed up the recorder the first time and played it perfectly the second time through.  Then it was time to sing and I was nervous, even more so than playing the recorder which I'm really not very good at.  But as the music came on, the spirit was present and a sense of calming peace entered that classroom.  The teacher became still as I sang my song and the music played and I could tell that she was feeling the spirit.  I came out of my musicianship with an A+ and I thought to myself how lucky I have been to be blessed to be a member of the church that prepares you for many challenges or maybe frightful opportunities that so many others never get the chance to be a part of.  It made me realize that Heavenly Father again was mindful of us and prepares us to be the Best that we can be.  

I was abruptly pulled out of this thought, as  a young man of a different culture got on the bus.  Now normally I am quite cautious and untrusting towards this specific culture because I was bullied by quite a few girls in high school who really made my life not such a pleasant experience.  They are known as being quite untruthful and their religion encourages deceit and dishonesty.  So although I am kind I have kind of a resentment towards them... but something changed today for me that again goes to show how much the Book of Mormon and its teaching can truly change us and pull us closer to the Savior and Heavenly Father.  The bus driver was yelling at this young man because he was short in change of paying the bus driver.  It was something little like fifty cents and I know that other bus drivers just tell the individuals to pay extra next time they get on the bus.  But this bus driver decided to make it known to the whole bus that this young man had not paid enough and belittled him, telling him to stay home and not show his face on the bus tomorrow.  At first I thought good teach this young man a lesson, but my heart changed for two reasons.  There was a little old lady who was sitting in front of me who looked back and chuckled at me for what the bus driver had said and then I turned and looked at this young man.  He sat down across the isle from me and his shoulders slumped down into the seat as if he were trying to make himself as small as possible.  He was biting his lip and when he looked up I saw that he was trying to fight back the tears but one escaped and had already run down his cheek.  I wanted so badly to help him so I thought of how would the Savior respond if he were here.  I knew that fifty cents was such a tiny amount so I pulled out my wallet in search of fifty cents but being a poor student I had nothing.  And then it occurred to me, Heavenly Father was teaching me a great lesson about forgiveness, about turning the other cheek and that God sees us as His children no mater what mistakes we make in this life.  Finally the culture was no longer apparent but there sat to me a Son of God, and I knew that Heavenly Father felt his pain and sorrow and was there for him.  

The Book of Mormon is such a wonderful gift that I have been given.  It is something that I know about but there is always more to learn.  I have learned through experience that sometimes the answer will not come after you pray or even as you read your scriptures but after that.  It provided me today such a sense of gratitude for my Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ.  It allowed me to see others as the Savior would.  It touched my heart and allowed me to be prompted on what I could do to strengthen my marriage.  So a simple promise from a beloved prophet will ever remain in my heart for I know from the few times I have picked it up to read it that the blessings flow.  Blessings sometimes I don't think I deserve but I so lovingly get.