“My Special Books,” Friend, Oct. 2012, 23
Friend to Friend
My Special Books
The Spirit beareth record, and the record is true, and the truth abideth forever and ever (D&C 1:39).
The scriptures have always been very meaningful to me, and I have owned several different books of scripture throughout my life. When I turned eight, I received a new Book of Mormon from my Primary president. When I was 12, I received a triple combination from my grandfather. (A triple combination is a book that combines the Book of Mormon, the Doctrine and Covenants, and the Pearl of Great Price.) The book had belonged to his father, Elder George F. Richards, who had been a member of the Quorum of the Twelve. I took that book with me on my mission. It contained some of my great-grandfather’s markings, which were very special to me.
When my children were young, we read the scriptures together as a family. Recently, my wife found an old triple combination that we used for years in our family scripture study. She noticed that every page of the Book of Mormon had seven creases in it. That is because when we read together, we folded down the corner of each page as we finished it. The seven creases reminded us that we read the Book of Mormon seven times as a family. Each of our children took a turn reading a verse or two. When the youngest ones wanted to participate, they could say, “And it came to pass,” and then it was the next child’s turn.
It took us five years to read the Book of Mormon for the first time as a family, but we never quit. After we finished using the book with the creased pages, we all continued to read, study, and mark our own scriptures. When we read and study the scriptures often, we can grow closer to Heavenly Father and understand His message to us as His children. Through the scriptures, He teaches us sweet lessons that we can use as a guide for our lives.
Illustration by Dilleen Marsh