Scripture Sharing

It seemed we were a failure in doing our family scripture study. It wasn’t that we hadn’t tried over the years to do what the prophets had asked. In fact, we felt we’d tried everything—from taking turns reading aloud together and listening to tapes to adding hymn singing and incorporating scripture reading with different mealtimes.

None of our efforts seemed to work for very long, and we felt that we experienced no significant application of the scriptures in our lives. We may have put the scriptures in the midst of the family, but did we have the family in the scriptures?

Then it occurred to me that we each were already studying the scriptures through our involvement in Primary, Sunday School, seminary, and other Church meetings, as well as during our own personal study time. Why not share with each other what we were learning?

As a family we made a goal to try a new method of family scripture study utilizing each family member’s personal course of study. It works this way. Each person has a regular family scripture day. For example, my day is Monday. Scriptures in hand, we meet at the dining room table early each morning. The person whose day it is gives us a reference and shares a verse, chapter, or story he or she has heard or read and the insights gained from it. This usually opens up a discussion of applications, questions, and sharing of experiences and testimonies. The person closes by leading us in family prayer.

Our scripture sharing is working. We have found a way to search the scriptures and discover the deep meaning they can have in our lives. Personal study is enhanced knowing we have to come up with something interesting to share with the family. And as we teach one another, our personal impressions are strengthened, expanded, and added upon.—Janice Graham, Pleasant Grove, Utah

Illustrated by Julie Armstrong