Pick one of the challenges, or make up your own. These challenges certainly might not be easy, but the point of this is to stretch yourself and do more than what you’ve done before.
1. Figure out the highest number of times you’ve read or listened to the Book of Mormon in one year’s time, and double that amount.
2. Take one hour of each day (no skipping, and no cutting time back) and diligently study the Book of Mormon. You may veer off and study other things as well, but the Book of Mormon should be your launchpad. If you only get 1/2 hour one day, make it up the next day by doing 1 1/2 hours.
3. Give away at least 2 copies of the Book of Mormon a month for the entire year. You can be creative, and give them with a testimony, story, or challenge to members of the church as well if you like, but you must give away one a week for a year.
4. Memorize a chapter a month for a year.
Filed under: Teachings , Book of Mormon, challenge, give, new year, ponder, pray, read, resolution, scriptures, study
Here’s a million dollar question – If you were to die right now, would you qualify for the celestial kingdom? If you’re like most Mormons, you’re not sure. You try hard to be as good as possible, but you still don’t know if you’ve done enough. If the Book of Mormon is really scripture, this hope will always elude you. Alma 11:37 says God cannot save you in your sins. Are all of your sins forgiven? Moroni 10:32 says you must be perfected in Christ, which can only be done by denying yourself of “all ungodliness”. Have you done that? Do you repent on a regular basis? If so, then it is clear that you sin on a regular basis, since only those who break the commandments need to repent. 1 Nephi 3:7 states that you are able to keep His commandments. In fact according to D&C 25:15, you are required to keep them continually! Since you haven’t done this so far, why assume you will in the future? Of course, we should all try to be holy; but if you think that sinning less will qualify you to live in God’s presence, you are mistaken (Gal 3:1-11). The assumption that good works are required for forgiveness only cheapens Christ’s atonement, making it nothing more than a partial payment. God chooses to justify us by faith. Jesus alone does the “perfecting” (Heb 10:14). God gives peace to those who trust in Him alone. If you don’t have this peace, it’s probably because at least a part of you trusts in yourself. Questions? Visit us at http://www.gotforgiveness.com
Thank you for your comment. Surely many do wonder how they are doing. Gratefully the Savior has provided a way for us to overcome sin and experience complete hope in Him for Eternal life.
The point is to look to Him, know Him, and allow His enabling grace to turn us into the people He wants us to be. He has provided a way. He is the way. The law and the requirements are in His hands. And as the purchaser of our souls, He has made it possible for us to overcome sin, become like Him, and partake of every blessing He desires us to have.
He has not paid the price of death and hell for us only to lose us to our own imperfections. The matter hinges on our choice to accept Him as our Savior and trust that if we do what He has asked of us, He will enable us to become all that He wants us to be.
Hi Chas
I stumbled across your blog on LDS BLOGS. I thought you mighe be interested in a site my wife and I just built called MormonsMadeSimple.com, which uses simple, explanatory videos to explain the Mormon faith. Feel free to feature any of these videos on your blog, or just share them with non-member friends. We’re hoping these videos will be missionary tools to help members share their beliefs. Anyway, sorry to spam your comments section. I couldn’t find any contact information for you on your blog.
- Doug & Laurel