Watching out for Our Young Women

In the months after I graduated high school, my church attendance must have been hard to track. It’s not that I didn’t attend. It was the season of missionary farewells, so sometimes I attended two or three wards—just not my own. Plus, I had to pick a ward—my home ward, the local singles’ ward, or the student ward. No one tracked where I was one week to the next. I remember thinking, “If I wanted to get lost in the shuffle and go inactive, I totally could.”

Good thing that I had no intention of doing so. But it took good friends, a welcoming ward, and effort on my part. I shudder to think what my life would have turned out to be like if I hadn’t made that effort or if I hadn’t had the inner drive to know I needed to keep attending. I could have slipped into inactivity all-too easily.

And many—far too many—young women are doing just that.

In recent years, the First Presidency has stressed their concern of this Church-wide problem. They’ve even sent letters to Relief Society and Young Women presidencies, pleading for them to watch over the young women and make sure they make a successful transition to Relief Society.

The fact is, we’re losing way too many young women, and many never return. For some reason, the young men don’t get hit so hard—they don’t get lost in the shuffle quite so easily. That could be because of mission preparation or several other reasons.

I personally believe one reason is that the young men get a sense of belonging with the men in the Church from the time they’re ordained a deacon. They have combined opening exercises with all the priesthood holders from age twelve right on up to the oldest high priest. From a tender age, each boy knows he belongs in that brotherhood and that some day he, too, will be a teacher, a priest, an elder, and then a high priest.

On the other hand, a Beehive never has a reason to feel connected to the “old ladies” in Relief Society. The sisters of the ward might as well belong to another planet as far as they're concerned. That’s the hurdle we need to overcome: to make the girls recognize that they belong and are needed.

Here are a few things we have done in my ward over the years, coordinating between the Relief Society and the Young Women auxiliary presidencies, to help tether the girls and make them feel their membership of the greatest sisterhood on Earth.

Before applying any of these ideas in your ward, be sure to talk with your bishop for approval.

• Opening exercises. Follow the example of the brethren and have opening exercises together periodically. We don’t do this every week, but we do meet as a complete group for opening exercises once a month. The two presidencies trade off conducting. The Young Women stand and repeat the theme.


• Include the Laurels in some Relief Society lessons. We chose the fourth week of the month, the lessons taken from General Conference talks, for the second-year Laurels to participate in. Those lessons tend to be a bit less heavy doctrinally than the Teachings of the Prophets lesson and are easier for the instructor to adapt so the young women and their lives. The instructor makes a point of including them and calling on them.


• Weclome them. If the Young Women participate in Relief Society, encourage sisters to be warm and welcoming to the Young Women, sitting by them and starting up conversations so they feel loved and that they belong.


• Mentors. A sister in the ward is assigned to each Laurel as a “mentor,” or a friend to turn to. They are there to help the Laurels have at least one sister in Relief Society they can feel comfortable around. Mentors make regular contact with the Laurels outside church, sit next to them during in lessons, invite them to Enrichment activities, and learn about who they are and what they care about.


• Visiting Teaching assignments. When a Laurel is in her last year of Young Women, assigning her as a Visiting Teacher can be a useful experience. This is especially helpful if her companion is someone she already knows well, such as a current Young Women leader or her mentor.


• Combined activities. Occasionally, the Enrichment committee and the Young Women leaders can plan an activity together for both organizations to attend.


• Other involvement. Whether asking a Laurel to fulfill a compassionate service assignment, teach a skill to be taught at an Enrichment activity, or something else entirely, try to find a place where the Laurels can contribute. They’ll experience firsthand how Relief Society works.

Only time will tell whether our efforts will yield success. We’re doing our best to keep our young women far, far away from any cracks they could slip through.

I believe the key will be making sure they feel a belonging to the sisterhood of the Church and that we as Relief Society sisters need them.

That they’ll know that Relief Society isn’t just a room full of women from another generation. That they’ll know they’re loved.

That they’ll want to stick around, because they know this is where they belong.

And that this is where they want to be.

Return to The Neighborhood.

For Valentine's Day: Safe Romance Novels

There's a reason romance novels are the best-selling category of any kind of fiction . . . by a mile.

The bad news, of course, is that thousands of them don't, well, espouse LDS values. The good news? There are plenty of others to choose from, if you know where to look.

Why are romance novels so popular in the first place? I think it boils down to something one of my university professors taught: "All stories are about one of two things: love or death."

Think about it for a minute, and you'll realize that he was right. Whether the love is romantic, platonic, parental, or even the love of an object or career, everyone has experienced love in some way or form.

You can't say the same about other genres of fiction: not everyone can relate to an alien invasion, a wizarding school, or a detective solving a mystery. But everyone who has ever lived can relate to love, whether it's loving someone else or being loved, whether it's love for family, friends, or a romantic love interest. And we all know how tangled relationships can be.

On the other side, life and death (even personal growth and change, a form of death, in a sense, such as rebirth and repentance) is the state of the human condition. If you're alive, you've experienced love and death in some form.

It makes sense, then, that stories about love, particularly ones that target the entire point we're on the Earth—marriage and family—would strike a chord. It's logical, in a spiritual sense, that we gravitate toward stories that lead two people toward love, marriage, and commitment.

It also follows that Satan would try to warp those stories, turning them from something beautiful and uplifting into something base—essentially, literary pornography. That is exactly what's happening with some novels classified in this genre: they're getting more and more graphic in the bedroom, to the point that even literary agents and publishers debate where the line is between "erotica" (books written with the point to titillate the reader) and simply graphic romances.

It's no surprise, then, that the term "romance novel" has developed a negative reputation. On some level, it's deserved, and those books are something Latter-day Saint women need to steer clear of. Many have found themselves inadvertently sucked into (and even addicted to) the pages of books that are no better for them than visual pornography would be for their husbands.

BUT . . . the great news is that people who love to read and who enjoy a good love story—without the graphic smut—have more options today than ever.

Many publishers have clued in that not all readers are looking for so-called "hot" books, and several have lines devoted specifically to cleaner reads, such as Harlequin's Steeple Hill imprint, which puts out only clean, Christian romances. (As opposed to their Spice line, which you can guess is very different.)

Another good place to look is Tyndale House, which publishes books by writers like Dee Henderson, a Christian author who writes adventurous romances like The Negotiator. Another writer to try is Lawanna Blackwell (who publishes with Christian publisher Bethany House). Her books are popular, clean, historical romances.

And of course, LDS publishers such as Deseret Book and Covenant regularly print many romance titles, and women can pick them up, knowing that they're reading a "safe" book and don't have to be on edge, ready to skip pages.

Below are some LDS romance titles I recommend:

• Counting Stars, by Michele Paige Holmes. This book won the 2007 Whitney Award for Best Romance, and in my opinion, it deserved the honor. This is a romance that's unpredictable and fresh. You'll both laugh and cry.
• To Have or to Hold, by Josi S. Kilpack. A classic story of an arranged marriage gone horribly wrong (or maybe right?).
• Desire of Our Hearts, by Sariah S. Wilson. A love story set during the times of the Book of Mormon.
• Isabell Webb: Legend of the Jewel, by N. C. Allen. A adventurous (and romantic) trip through late 1800s India. A great yarn with a fun love story mixed in.
• The First Year, by Crystal Leichty. A hilarious trip through one couple's first year of marriage, with all the ups and downs.
• What the Doctor Ordered, by Sierra St. James. A classic romantic tale that's laugh-out-loud funny. All of St. James's books are fantastic reads. (Also look for Masquerade and Trial of the Heart.)
• The Counterfeit, by Robison Wells. Part mysterious suspense, part romance, this is a great story that takes the reader all over the world, even into the catacombs beneath Paris. A funny and exciting read.
• Spires of Stone, by Annette Lyon. Personal plug here, granted, but my five books, including this 2007 Whitney Award finalist, all have sweet love stories along with fun plots and interesting characters. (If I say so myself!) And my sixth novel, Tower of Strength, will be on shelves in March.

As you can see, just because a lot of romantic book have smut doesn't mean you have to abandon the genre altogether. Remember, some of the most popular stories of all time had romantic themes.

This would be a very different (and lacking!) world without all-time classics like Pride and Prejudice and Romeo and Juliet.

Land Yourself Money for School

If you are (or have) a high school student looking toward a college education, you’re probably wondering how tuition will be paid for. Sure, there are academic scholarships for great grades, and you can always cross your fingers that you’ll get one.

But academic scholarships don't always cover everything, and not everyone can get one since there are only so many out there. The great news is that you don’t have to rely solely on academic scholarships to pay for college—there are other scholarships to be found.

Many corporations, companies, and even individuals sponsor scholarships of all stripes that look for things besides good grades. Bottom line: There really is no excuse to not get the education you need.

Many of these groups award a few hundred to a few thousand dollars, so one scholarship alone won't be enough to pay for all of college. What to do? Apply for lots of them!

Students who apply for several dozen small scholarships can often receive enough funding to pay for all of their college experience—including tuition, fees, boarding, and books. Sometimes the money is paid directly to the school for whatever it's intended for, and other times a check is cut to student.

Amazingly, much of this scholarship money is unclaimed each year, mostly because students don’t even know it exists.

Plan Ahead
In a best-case scenario, students should start thinking about the kinds of information they’ll eventually use on scholarship applications around ninth or tenth grade, even though they won’t be applying for another year or two.

Be involved in school programs, leadership opportunities, school clubs, extracurricular activities, service organizations, honor societies, and more. Note any awards you’ve received and all of your major accomplishments.

Make a list of all of them—they’re the kinds of things scholarship committees look for.

Then expound on them: the more specific, the better. “Participated in a Sub-for-Santa event” won’t hold nearly as much weight as details like: “Spent 45 hours coordinating 15 high school students in a Sub-for-Santa drive, raising $2,400.”

Note that church callings for youth (such as Teachers quorum president or Mia Maid first counselor) can be included in your list, but they need to be phrased in such a way that a scholarship committee (who likely will not be LDS) will know what it means and what the job involved.

Not many scholarship committees will know what a "Mia Maid" is or what a "Teacher" president does. Describe the calling in actions. For example, “For ten months, acted as president of church girls’ group consisting of eight young women ages 14 to 15. Helped plan and carry-out weekly activities that included life skills and community service.”

Note anything about you that might be scholarship specific, such as the geographic area you live in, gender or race, and career goals or interests.

Most scholarships ask for letters of recommendation. To make each scholarship’s deadline, be sure to ask for letters (from teachers, employers, or other adults who know you well) well advance so they have plenty of time to get them back to you before each application is due.

Create Reusable Materials
Many scholarships ask for similar items. You can reuse many of the things you collect and write, including essays. Make lots of copies of your transcripts and test scores. Same goes for letters of recommendation you receive, so you can use them with a number of applications.

While you must tailor your application to each specific scholarship, reusing what you can will save you a lot of time, especially if you’re applying for a large number of scholarships.

Personal Themes and Examples
You’ll need to describe yourself in various ways on applications. Think back to your academic, work, church, and extracurricular activities. Find patterns there, and then use those patterns to describe yourself.

Come up with at least three themes. Possible themes include your interests (athletics, science, music, etc.), service to the community, leadership, your ethnic identity, your unique talents, and so on.

After you’ve picked three themes, expand them with powerful specifics. Write three solid examples of your actions and/or accomplishments within each theme, being as specific as possible. Use your list of activities and awards to create the themes and examples.

Find the Scholarships

• Start local and work your way out. Ask around at local organizations, such as businesses, radio stations, rotary clubs, etc. Spread the word through family and friends; they may be aware of a scholarship offered by an employer or through another little-known avenue.
• Talk to your school counseling office. They may have binders filled with scholarship information, and they can often point you toward other resources.
• Search published scholarship directories. You can find many of them at bookstores and at your local library, such as How to Go to College for Almost Free by Ben Kaplan.
• Search the Internet. Do a search for, “Scholarship Search Engine,” and you’ll find many great sites (such as http://www.cashforcollege.com/ and http://www.findaid.org/) where you can search for scholarships using criteria that fit you.

A word of caution: Never pay a website or a person to hunt down scholarships for you. Reputable businesses don’t do that, and you’ll be out more money than they’ll ever give you, regardless of their promises.

This is the time of year students need to be thinking about scholarships and paying for college after graduation. Get ahead of the game and claim some of the money for yourself! It takes time and effort, but the rewards of a college education—one that’s paid for—are priceless.

Return to the Neighborhood.

A Classic for the New Year

I often get asked for books that are good for older kids and families to read together. Even though I have a teenager now, I still read to my kids at bedtime, and it's a time we look forward to each night. While sometimes we throw in a picture book for the kindergartner's sake, we go through a lot of fun novels as well.

Instead of considering bedtime reading a new year's resolution (something you know will flounder around, oh, February, if you're doing really well), simply pick up books at night as a treat for both parent and child.

What to pick? In the near future, I'll post a great list of middle grade and young adult titles perfect for reading together as a family.

For now, here's one fantastic idea, one that even my teenager (a boy!) enjoyed and laughed over. You've surely heard of this classic, which celebrated its 100th birthday a few months ago:

Four months after the novel's 1908 release, Mark Twain wrote to the author and declared that the heroine was “the dearest and most lovable child in fiction since the immortal Alice.”

Readers agreed, in droves, and today, they still do.

The book went on to be translated into dozens of languages. It spawned seven sequels. Several stage plays and motion pictures and at least one musical have been made of it. A national park in Canada is centered around its heroine. Tourists who love the story enjoy annual events and 3-day tours around beloved Prince Edward Island.

2008 marked the one-hundred-year anniversary of the debut of Anne of Green Gables by L. M. Montgomery. Twain was right; a century after he made his statement about Anne, there’s a good chance that worldwide, more readers have read about her—and loved her—than Lewis Carroll’s Alice.


Lucy Maud Montgomery was born on Prince Edward Island in 1874, and she spent most of her growing-up years there, raised by strict grandparents. After attending Prince of Wales College and Dalhousie University, she taught in local schools and worked at two newspapers. During that time, she worked hard on her craft, writing and selling poems and several dozen short stories.

She returned home to PEI in 1902 to care for her ailing grandmother, still writing and publishing her short stories, and decided to try her hand at a full-length novel for the first time. First she looked over a notebook where she kept story ideas, and she came across an entry about an elderly couple wanting to adopt a boy but who were mistakenly sent a girl.

Thus Anne of Green Gables was born. The book flew off shelves when it was released June of 1908. Montgomery continued writing books for decades, following her first success with Anne of Avonlea, Kilmeny of the Orchard (a rework of a previously published short story as a novella), and The Story Girl.

Shortly after her grandmother’s death in 1911, she married a minister, Ewan Macdonald, and moved with him to Canada's mainland, where she lived for the rest of her life, returning to PEI only for visits.

If you’re looking for an excuse to gather around and enjoy literature this winter, use Anne’s recent centennial as a way to bring your family together. There’s something in the book—and in all of L. M. Montgomery’s work—for everyone.

Young girls love Anne’s imagination and feel for her when she gets into scrape after scrape.

Older children—including boys (remember mine?)—laugh at the wry humor from Marilla and Mrs. Lynde.

And adults appreciate the deeper themes and wit.

Already read Anne of Green Gables? Try some of Montgomery's other work. Read one of the following Montgomery books aloud as a family or enjoy alone with a cup of hot chocolate on a cool winter day next to a roaring fire:

The Blue Castle is one of only a few her books that focus on an adult protagonist rather than a child, and the only one that does not feature Prince Edward Island. Valancy is an old maid living with her oppressive mother and aunt. She wishes desperately to live her own life but lacks the courage until she sees a heart specialist who tells her she has only a year to live. She keeps her diagnosis a secret and determines that her last year will be meaningful. For the first time in her life, she stands up for herself—leading her strait-laced family to believe she’s lost her mind. Poignant, moving, and laugh-out-loud funny, The Blue Castle is one of Montgomery’s best.

Rilla of Ingleside, although part of the Anne series, is actually about Anne’s daughter. Rilla (named after Marilla from Green Gables) is the youngest in her family. The Great War (World War I) breaks out in Europe, and the reader experiences the challenges and worries families on the home front endured when the world’s future was unsure and frightening. Rilla grows up fast as she sends her beau to war, becomes an adoptive mother, and watches her dearest brother, Walter, enlist as well. Some of the description and angst over the war come from Montgomery’s own journals. Rilla is arguably the best of the Anne series.

Emily of New Moon and its two sequels, Emily Climbs and Emily’s Quest, while less-known, are just as delightful as the Anne books. The story is fictional, but certain elements make these books the most autobiographical of any of Montgomery’s work. Emily’s mother dies when she is only a toddler, just as Montgomery’s did, and Emily’s one memory of her mother comes almost verbatim from Montgomery’s journal remembering her mother’s funeral when she herself was just twenty-one months old. Other autobiographical elements include Emily’s creative “flash” and her ambitions of becoming a writer.


If you enjoy these books, you might want to look into Montgomery’s other works, such as Jane of Lantern Hill, the 2-book Pat series, A Tangled Web, and Magic for Marigold, not to mention some ten volumes of collected short stories, which are also great for bedtime reading.

Lucy Maud Montgomery exploded on the world’s literary scene with Anne in 1908, leaving a legacy to last for generations to come. The one hundredth anniversary is an event definitely worth celebrating.

So gather the family around the fireplace, pull up a chair, and begin with Chapter One: “Rachel Lynde Is Surprised.”

Enjoy!

Return to the Neighborhood.

How Five Colors Can open a New Level of Scriptural Understanding

Right up there with "I'm going to lose weight" (which nearly everyone on the planet resolves each year) is another New Year's resolution, one that's almost as common among Latter-day Saints as shedding those pounds:

I'm going to study—no really, study—my scriptures this year.

Feeling like you're failing already? Try approaching your scriptures from a new angle. It's one that has brought me an almost startling amount of understanding to literally hundreds of Biblical passages.

Like the time when I learned that the Lord didn't harden Pharaoh's heart, that Pharaoh hardened his own heart.

Or the time when I read the parable of the Ten Virgins and gained more insight when I realized that instead of the bridegroom telling the foolish ones, "I know you not," he actually said, "Ye know me not." (Emphasis added.)

These are just a couple of examples of literally hundreds of times I've had an “aha” moment from a passage in the Bible—after reading a clarifying footnote.

Had I not marked my Bible footnotes ahead of time, I would never have noticed these gems that added to my understanding.

In the summer of 1979, a new edition of the Standard Works rolled off the printer. This new set included literally thousands of additions that could, in Elder Packer’s words, open up the scriptures to "anyone who can read."

Among the resources we now have in Standard Works:

• Thorough footnotes in all the standard works but especially the Bible
• Topical Guide
• Bible Dictionary
• Joseph Smith Translation appendix
• Gazetteer
• Maps
• Enhanced chapter headings
• and the Triple Combination Index.

The “new” version of the scriptures has been out for nearly thirty years, but how many of us take advantage of all that these amazing resources can bring us in our personal and family scripture study? Do we use them in such a way that the scriptures can be “opened” to us as Elder Packer promised?

In future posts, I’ll discuss some of the other elements included in the “new” version and how we can use them to increase our gospel and scriptural understanding, but today we’ll focus on the one that has had the most profound effect for me personally in enhancing my understanding of the sacred words of the Bible.

If you take the time to really use your footnotes, your scripture study in 2008—and beyond—will never be the same.

The footnotes, which provide an amazing amount of clarity to the scriptures, were painstakingly created over many years by scholars under the direction of Church leaders. Some of the added understanding they provide is from alternate Hebrew and Greek translations. Other elements include insight to culture, geography, or other conditions from scriptural times. And of course we have some of the most important Joseph Smith Translation (JST) passages as well.

There’s just one problem: Actually recognizing that the footnotes are there as you read along.

How likely is it that you’ll glance down after every verse to make sure you didn’t miss a Greek translation, a clarification, or a JST citation—especially when the majority of footnotes are simply cross references and Topical Guide notations, which you aren't likely to need right now?

The chances are pretty slim, which means a wealth of understanding is quite possibly being passed over by millions of Latter-day Saints every day.

The solution is simple: Take time to mark the relevant footnotes in your Bible. If you do that, then as you read along, you’ll know immediately whether any given verse has something below that can open up your understanding.

Color Coding
I chose five colors to identify the different types of footnotes. This makes it easier to know at a glance which ones are connected to which verses and what kind of information each footnote contains.

You can use whatever colors you like, but here were my choices, along with explanations for each type of footnote.

RED = Joseph Smith Translation (I used this color because to me the JSTs are the most important footnotes.)

Shorter JST footnotes are included right on the page where the relevant passage is. Longer ones direct the reader to JST appendix. Note that text in italics are words added by the Prophet Joseph Smith to the King James text.

You may notice that the verse numbering in the JST citations don’t always line up with the chapter they belong to. This is because the full JST has many additions, which changes the verse numbering. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints does not own the JST transcript (which still belongs to the former RLDS church), so our printing of the Bible cannot include them all. Those deemed most important to include were selected by a Church scholar.

Readers interested in reading the entire JST can purchase it at LDS bookstores in a separate volume that compares the King James Version (KJV) with the JST side by side.

PURPLE = Hebrew translations. Since the KJV Old Testament was translated into English primarily from Hebrew manuscripts, you’ll find the majority of “HEB” footnotes there.

GREEN = Greek translations (easy to remember, as both green and Greek start with the same letters). These footnotes will be mostly found in the New Testament, as it was translated primarily from the Septuagint text, which was in Greek.

ORANGE = OR (Alternate wordings: A word could mean this OR this. Again, the spelling is a cue: ORange)

BLUE = Other miscellaneous clarifying footnotes, including cultural notes and those noted as “ie”

After underlining the actual footnote, don’t forget to color the superscript letter in the corresponding verse. Those letters will be your signals as you read to look down for the relevant footnote in the same color.

Going through all of the footnotes can take a long time (the Bible is big!), so do a little bit here and there over the course of several weeks.

It’s easy if you take a little time, going through a book or two each Sabbath, until it’s done.

Marking your footnotes is well worth the effort. Just wait; the first time you read the Bible after marking the footnotes, you’ll be amazed at all of the things you missed before.

And when December 31, 2008 rolls around, you'll be able to say—Yes! This year you really did study your scriptures.

Mission Possible: Family Scripture Study

We’ve all been there—we’ve heard the weeping, the wailing, the gnashing of teeth. Unfortunately, it has nothing to do with the War in Heaven. It’s daily family scripture study.

Trying to get the family together to study scriptures—and have it become something other than a verbal wrestling match—sometimes feels like an Olympic event, surpassed in difficulty perhaps only by weekly Family Home Evening.

While there are no perfect solutions, below are ten tips you can use to make family scripture time a more uniting, positive experience.

1-Adapt the time and place according to the changing needs of your family.
It’s easy to get into a rut, thinking that 6:30 am is the only time to get in the scripture reading. (Granted, it might be.) But try to find other opportunities as well. It’s not uncommon for a family’s schedule to change from year to year, so be flexible and adapt.

If early mornings used to work but don't anymore, try dinner time (even if you’re not all gathered together 7 nights a week—even 3 or 4 nights counts). What about right after nighttime family prayer? For years I read scriptures to the kids immediately before cracking open the nightly storybook.

2-Listen to audio scriptures together.
In today’s high-tech society, we have more options for immersing ourselves in the scriptures than ever before. You can now download the scriptures from the Church website onto you MP3 player and listen to them in the car as you drive the kids around to their activities. You can also purchase audio scriptures on CD, but that can is much more expensive.

3-Pause for questions and discussions.
Beware of the “we’ve got to finish the chapter” trap, or you might miss out on poignant questions and the opportunity for sacred discussions. It’s helpful even with older children to take a break mid-chapter and recap what is happening, who is speaking, or what doctrinal concept is being taught and what it means.

Reading this way does use more time. But it’s all right if reading the entire Book of Mormon takes you three years, verse by verse. The point isn’t how quickly you get through it, but that your family learns, grows, and feels the Spirit along the way.

4-Use the Gospel Art Picture Kit
Young children especially are visual learners, and they thrive of seeing images of scripture stories they’ve heard. Help them to learn better by pulling out selections from the picture kit and reading the condensed story written on the back. For slightly older children, have everyone look up the scripture references listed and read them aloud.

This is particularly helpful in learning scripture stories from parts of the Standard Works that aren’t read quite as often and therefore aren’t as familiar to children, such as those from the Old Testament.

5-Take advantage of Seminary and Institute materials.
These lesson manuals created by the Church are excellent, with lots of background and clarifying information, commentary, and glimpses into cultural and other contextual details that help students of all ages understand the scriptures.

Going through one of these manuals as a family can be a great support for current or future seminary students, and provide wonderful Family Home Evening material as well.

6-Take turns reading.
It’s easy for one parent to do all the reading aloud. It’s quicker that way, right? But it’s important for all family members to be connected to the scriptures, to feel as if they are also part of the experience. Even small children can sensed the Spirit as they “read” with help.

Some families rotate around a circle reading one verse at a time, while others do a set number of verses before trading readers. In this case, a preschooler may still do only verse or so while someone else prompts them with the words.

7-Make connections.
To help family members have a big-picture view of the scriptures, it’s helpful to map out time lines, major historical figures, and events as you read and connect them to other scriptures you’ve already covered. For example, finding the places where the Book of Mormon intersects with the Bible, or track the battles in Alma, the relationships between prophets, or major groups of people within the Book of Mormon, like Zeniff’s people and the Ammonites and how they connect with the Nephites and Lamanites.

8-Use in-scripture resources.
Remember all the resources located in the back of the scriptures, such as pictures, maps, the Bible Dictionary, Joseph Smith Translation, and Topical Guide.

For example, the maps can help you keep track of Christ’s travels through the Holy Land during his lifetime, putting the Gospels into context. Using the Bible Dictionary and triple combination Index can refresh your memory and clarify people, events, and principles, including obscure cultural references that you might be unsure of, like various Jewish feats listed in the Bible, that make more sense when they’re explained.

9-Get everyone their own set of scriptures.
Even if your family has a tradition of buying a nice set of scriptures on a special day such as a baptism, it’s worth getting an inexpensive set that younger children can hold and consider their own, even if they can’t read yet. Personal ownership creates a feeling of responsibility and specialness associated with scripture study.

10-Don’t force it.
When contention breaks out (and it will at times), don’t panic. Let everyone cool off. Forcing the family to finish a chapter tonight—or else—will only breed further unrest. Instead, pause for the day. But most importantly, always be sure to come back tomorrow. Make regular scripture reading a family habit, and you’ll all reap the rewards.



When counseling the Saints the read the Book of Mormon by the end of the year in August of 2005, President Hinckley made a promise that applies as much to family scripture study as it did to his challenge:

“regardless of how many times you previously may have read the Book of Mormon, there will come into your lives and into your homes an added measure of the Spirit of the Lord, a strengthened resolution to walk in obedience to His commandments, and a stronger testimony of the living reality of the Son of God.” (“A Testimony Vibrant and True,” Ensign, Aug 2005, 2–6.)

Top Reads for Families from 2007

Finding good reading material appropriate for the family gets harder every year. Fortunately, the LDS literary market is now producing more books and higher-quality literature than ever before, and the national market has more LDS authors writing for it than ever.

Below are my top picks, in no particular order, for books published in 2007 that are great for the whole family to read together.

Sheep's Clothing, by Josi S. Kilpack
This book has not only an exciting, gripping story, but vital information for parents and children alike. Kilpack does an extraordinary job of showing the dangers of Internet predators as well as how parents can protect their children in a world that is increasingly cyber-savvy. Read this one with your youth. It'll open up a great conversation between you.

Land of Inheritance, by H. B. Moore
This is the fourth and final volume of the Out of Jerusalem series, a fictional account of Lehi and Nephi's families as they journey from Jerusalem to the Promised Land. Expertly researched and beautifully written, the books bring to life not only spiritual giants of scripture, but what the culture was like, what the women might have experienced, and much more. Now that the entire series is out, you can read the whole thing as a family from start to finish. Begin with Of Goodly Parents, the first volume.

Presidents and Prophets, by Michael K. Winder
How has the top position in the U. S. government been impacted by latter-day prophets? You might be surprised at the connections the author finds between the men who have held both positions since 1830. You'll also uncover fun sometimes surprising trivia, such as which United States President checked the Book of Mormon out of the Library of Congress. (Abraham Lincoln.)

Book of Mormon Who's Who
Perfect for the Sunday School curriculum in 2008, this book has entries on all the people found in the Book of Mormon, complete with explanations and connections. Can't remember who Pahoran was? Look him up and refresh your memory. A great tool for family scripture study and Family Home Evenings.

Bullies in the Headlights, by Matthew Buckley
A fun (and funny!) trip down memory lane, this is a terrific book that all ages will enjoy and laugh along with as they followed the adventures (and misadventures) of the Buckleys and Hagbarts.

How to Take the Ex out of Ex-boyfriend, by Janette Rallison
Rallison is one of the top Young Adult writers in the country, and she's LDS as well. Her writing style will have you rolling on the floor. Best of all, parents won't have to worry about their teen reading anything inappropriate. All of Rallison's books provide a great romp through high school without venturing into the "dark" side that so much of teen fiction tends to gravitate toward.

Santa's First Flight, by Sam Beeson
This is a delightful picture book the family will enjoy together as they read what Santa's first flight might have been like. Using penguins instead of reindeer is just one of the silly problems Santa runs into. Buy it now and hang onto it for next Christmas.

The Wednesday Letters, by Jason F. Wright
From New York Times best-selling author of Christmas Jars, this book helps families remember the importance of telling your loves ones you care. It can ignite a love of writing down those important things on paper and not waiting to share them.

The Fablehaven series, by Brandon Mull
The third installment, The Candyshop Wars, was released this last fall. Families of all ages have had fun reading about Kendra and Seth's magical adventures together.