how to enhance your scripture study

Okay. Here's the thing. I shave always struggled with consistently reading my scriptures.  There have been times in the past that I did a good job, but overall, it has been a struggle of mine. When New Year's came around, I made it a goal to never go a day without reading my scriptures. I was so determined. January was a success and I think I did a pretty good job in February too. However, come March, April, May, June, and July, I went back to my old ways of only reading them every so often. 

If you're reading this and you're struggling too, then keep reading because I think I have discovered a new way to keep people like me (the easily distracted, artsy kind) not only consistently reading from the scriptures, but studying them too.

For my birthday, Ammon got me some pretty awesome gifts. He knew I needed a new scripture case and that I wanted a CTR ring, so while he was grabbing me those, he also grabbed some scripture markers.

I absolutely love them! It's the best gift he could have given me because now I am using them and reading from the scriptures like no one's business! 

There are many different ways to enhance your scripture study time and if anyone tells you that there is only one correct way of doing it, I don't think that is true. Everyone is different and scripture study time is going to be different for everyone. I am someone that gets distracted easily while I'm reading. If the slightest noise is going on, I have a hard time concentrating. I am also a very artsy person, which means I still love to color and use anything that emits color. (Hence the reason Ammon takes me to Color Me Mine each year for my birthday)

Here's what I've been doing that has really helped me stay focused and engaged: I am still reading in chronological order (right now, it's from in the Book of Mormon) and as I read, I mark things that stand out to me using a certain color.  Different people use different colors for different things. I picked topics that I wanted to focus on and colors that made sense to me. 

Faith is like a light so that's why I picked yellow. 

Prayer starts with p and so does purple so that's why I picked purple. 

The atonement is the greatest evidence of our Savior's love and in doing so, he shed his blood for us, so that's why I picked red. 

I picked salmon for love and charity because that's another good color for love. 

The Holly Ghost is a spirit and blue seemed like a good color for that. 

You get the picture, right?

The possibilities are endless and just pick whatever feels good for you.

Each day I've been reading a chapter or two and sometimes it comes out looking like this:

Call me a nerd, but I think it is fun! And I look forward to reading my scriptures. 

I would recommend doing this with a new set of scriptures. I still cling to my scriptures that I've had since I was 8 years old, but I've noticed that if I read from them, then I tend to just skim the parts that aren't highlighted and only read the parts that are already highlighted. However, when I read from a blank slate, new things stand out to me because I am at a different stage in my life. 

The Book of Mormon is true and I love reading from it. Although I struggle with consistently read from it, I know that when I do, there are so many questions that can be answered within the pages of this beautiful book. The person I need and want to become becomes more clear as I read about previous prophets and their example. I love the stories. I love reading about my Savior Jesus Christ who I know loves me and made it possible to become a better person. I love it all!