Jul 28, 2024

When Alma saw that many of the Nephites were falling into unbelief and wickedness, he gathered his sons to teach them about the gospel and guide them on the covenant path. When speaking to Helaman, he emphasized the importance of records, saying, “God has entrusted [us] with these things, which are sacred” (Alma 37:14). The scriptures, especially the Book of Mormon, are gifts that provide an outline for how we can “look to God and live” (Alma 37:47). As we engage in intentional study of the Book of Mormon, the Lord can enlarge our memory, help us know how to improve, and deepen our relationship with our Father in Heaven (Alma 37:8).

As I have studied the Book of Mormon, God has directed my efforts to become more like Him. I am often humbled as I recognize gaps between where I am and where I want to be. My love for Jesus Christ is strengthened as I understand the infinite nature of His Atonement and His ability to reach each one of God’s children, helping us grow to be more like Him. 

In 1895, President Wilford Woodruff said, “Search the scriptures that have come directly to us . . . and learn to comprehend the mind and will of God, which we can do by reading them when the light of the Holy Spirit is within us, and thus prepare yourselves for that which will come to pass in life.” 

I love this promise that we will be prepared to face anything in life as we stay close to the Savior through the scriptures. Our prophet, President Russell M. Nelson, has frequently taught about the importance of scripture study and has promised powerful blessings to us as we study. In the October 2020 general conference, he said, “Few things build faith more than does regular immersion in the Book of Mormon. No other book testifies of Jesus Christ with such power and clarity. Its prophets, as inspired by the Lord, saw our day and selected the doctrine and truths that would help us most. The Book of Mormon is our latter-day survival guide.” 

As we rely on the strength that comes from the scriptures, the records that were so carefully handed down and preserved, we can navigate life and stay close to our Heavenly Father.  

Kamryn Maughan is studying Family Life at Brigham Young University. She joined the Wilford Woodruff Papers and was drawn by its mission to deepen and strengthen faith through President Woodruff’s documents and history. Kamryn has a big, loving family who she recently reunited with after serving in Oklahoma as a missionary for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. She loves hiking, playing card games, and watching movies with her family and friends. 

The Wilford Woodruff Papers Foundation’s mission is to digitally preserve and publish Wilford Woodruff’s eyewitness account of the Restoration of the gospel of Jesus Christ and make his records universally accessible in order to inspire all people, especially the rising generation, to study and to increase their faith in Jesus Christ. For more information, please explore wilfordwoodruffpapers.org.