"The importance and valve of studying the scriptures" - encourage personal and family study of the scriptures, particularly

the Book of Mormon In our limited time here, what are we going to think about? That is the all-important question. We've been assured that it is not too early to start thinking about things of the eternities. In fact, Latter-day Saints should be taking rapid strides toward setting up that eternal celestial order which the Church must embody to be acceptable to God. Also, we are repeatedly instructed regarding things we should not think about. I would pass by this negative thing lightly, but the scriptures are explicit, outspoken, and emphatic in this matter; and whenever anyone begins to talk about serious matters [at the BYU], inevitably someone says, "I would like to spend my time thinking about such things and studying them, but I cannot afford the luxury. I have to think about the really important business of life, which is making a living." This is the withering effect of the intimidating challenge thrown out to all of us from childhood: "Do you have any money?" with its absolute declaration of policy and principle: "You can have anything in this world for money!" and its paralyzing corollary: "Without it, you can have NOTHING!" I do not have to tell you where that philosophy came from. Somebody is out to "decoy . . . [our] minds," to use Brigham Young's expression, from the things we should be thinking about to those we should not care about at all. -Hugh Nibley "Like Adam, we are sent to this earth to go to school to learn things by our own experience, to be tried and tested and to seek ever greater light and knowledge. While we are here at school our room and board are all paid up by our kind, indulgent Father. What are we to study? Are we to spend all of our time at school studying how to get more and fancier room and board? ... "Seek not for riches but for wisdom, and behold, the mysteries of God shall be unfolded unto you, and then shall you be made rich. Behold, he that hath eternal life is rich" (D&C 6:7). "Ha! Make you rich after all!" The Father explains that: He who has eternal life is rich. That is the wealth he wants us to have." - Hugh Nibley Brigham Young says if we continue "lusting after the grovelling things of this life, [we will] remain fixed with a very limited amount of knowledge, and, like a door upon its hinges, mov[ing] to and fro from one year to another without any visible advancement or improvement. . . . Man is made in the image of God, but what do we know of him or of ourselves, when we suffer ourselves to love and worship the god of this worldriches?" We are told to "lay up not treasures on earth" but in heaven, for where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. You cannot serve two masters; you must choose one and follow him alone: "For all that is in the world . . . is not of the Father, but is of the world" (1 John 2:16). I wonder if we are really serious about studying our scriptures? For example Joseph Smith told us that insights often come from reading the Bible in the original language. Joseph Smith wrote in History of the Church (HC): In the forenoon, at home, studying the Greek language. (HC 2:344) This day we commenced reading in our Hebrew Bibles with much success. It seems as if the Lord opens our minds in a marvelous manner, to understand His word in the original language. (HC 2:376) My soul delights in reading the word of the Lord in the original, and I am determined to pursue the study of the languages, until I shall become master of them, if I am permitted to live long enough. (HC 2:396)

How many of us study greek or hebrew just so we can understand the bible in the original? Now if that was what Joseph Smith thought was a valid use of his time so he could understand the scriptures what studying do we do that shows this sort of commitment? Are we just the door on its hinges? In a fantastic talk by James Faulconer called how to study the book of mormon he mentions a medieval alchemist motto which is Lege, Lege, Lege, laboura, oura et re lege: read, read, read, work pray and re-read. Brother Faulconer says Now in the church most of us are acquainted with some elements of this procedure. Most of us know how to read. Those of us who follow the admonition of the prophet read, read, read. We also pray and presumably those of us who study pray over what they study. But I dont think that many of us, many as should, do the work thats required and so Ive written that moto into the front of my bible to remind me of the things I need to do in my life to turn the leaden things in my life into Gold, through the scriptures We need to slow down when reading the scriptures. Sometimes its useful to read quickly though the scriptures to get an overview, but this should not be our limit. I have borrowed Brother Faulconers suggestions for study. What glorious conversations we could have if we would actually study what we have been given? I get very down hearted because I long to have conversations with people who are studying the scriptures, but I find no-one want to talk about it. Im sure many of us do study the scriptures, but do we discuss what we find with our wives, our children or our brothers or sisters? What things then should we think about, and how? Here the Prophet is very helpful. In the first place, that question itself is what we should think about. We won't get very far on our way until we have faced up to it. But as soon as we start seriously thinking about that, we find ourselves covered with confusion, overwhelmed by our feelings of guilt and inadequacyin other words, repenting for our past delinquency. In this condition, we call upon the Lord for aid, and he hears us. We begin to know what the Prophet Joseph meant about the constant searching, steadily storing our minds with knowledge and informationthe more we get of it, the better we are able to judge the proper priorities as we feel our way forward, as we become increasingly alert to the promptings of the Spirit which become ever more clear and more frequent, following the guidance of the Holy Ghost: and as we go forward, we learn to cope with the hostile world with which our way is sure to bring us into collision in time. That calls for sacrifice, but what of that? Eternal life is not cheaply bought.

22 For in those days there shall also arise false aChrists, and false prophets, and shall show great signs and wonders, insomuch, that, if possible, they shall deceive the very elect, who are the elect according to the covenant. ... 37 And whoso atreasureth up my word, shall not be deceived, for the Son of Man shall bcome, and he shall send his cangels before him with the great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together the dremainder of his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.