“Meeting the Challenge,” New Era, Jan. 2013, 39
Meeting the Challenge
Oscar Moroni Zelaya lives in El Salvador.
Studying the Book of Mormon is giving this young man strength both now and for the future.
A little while ago, I was invited to read the Book of Mormon every day. I was asked to begin with prayer and to write down my impressions as I read.
The Challenge:
Read and study the Book of Mormon.
How It Works:
Begin with prayer.
Study the Book of Mormon.
Write down your impressions.
Be consistent and repeat the process every day.
Illustrations by Bryan Beach
Before this challenge, I did not read the Book of Mormon often, but as I accepted the challenge, I became accustomed to reading every day and starting with prayer. It helped me and gave me strength to stand against temptation. It made me much stronger.
At the beginning it was kind of difficult because I would get distracted or tired. But as time went on, I couldn’t stop reading the Book of Mormon. I felt something inside that told me to keep going, and I could feel my testimony growing. Now I don’t just believe—I know that it’s true.
I’ve learned that it helps me to read the Book of Mormon with a spirit of gratitude for everything. And as I continue reading the Book of Mormon, the Spirit indicates that it’s true.
As I wrote in my journal while reading, I knew what to write because I had started with a prayer and asked Heavenly Father to help me understand through the Spirit what He wanted me to learn. And the Spirit taught me as I studied and wrote.
I am grateful for all I have learned. It is going to help me a lot on my mission. I will be a representative of the Lord, teaching others His doctrine and the teachings that the prophets have given us in the Book of Mormon. It is the key for people to come unto Christ.
After my mission, when I marry in the temple and start a family, it will help me to teach my children about the gospel and be able to say to them that all of this is true. Reading the Book of Mormon each day and writing down what I learn has been a great blessing in my life.