The Sting of Death

I'm finishing my study of the words of Abinidi to Noah and his wicked priests. Abinidi is explaining about the mission of Christ and the consequences of our actions. He says in Mosiah 16:7 & 8, " And if Christ had not risen from the dead, or have broken the bands of death that the grave should have no victory, and that death should have no ^asting, there could have been no resurrection.

But there is a ^aresurrection, therefore the grave hath no victory, and the sting of ^bdeath is swallowed up in Christ."

Were it not for Christ, the grave would be victorious. Our bodies would be trapped there forever, and our spirits would remain in spirit prison. And death would be a huge black hole that our loved ones slip into, never to return.

But because our Savior did fulfill his mission and rose from the dead and broke the bands of death, the grave has no victory and death loses its terrible sting.

We all confront the death of a loved one. When that person is old and feeble or in pain, it's easier to let them go. But if our loved one is young, it can seem very unfair. Many people never get over it. "Parents should not outlive their children!", people exclaim.

If I believed that Gaea had ceased to exist, that her life and light was blotted out forever, it would be unbearable! But I KNOW that my dear Savior gave His life so that we all can live again. That means that someday I will be able to be with Gaea again. She exists and is probably watching and helping and encouraging her family until the day that we can all be together again. Then we will laugh and love and enjoy and testify and share our lives together for eternity. Then death has truly lost its sting.

The Book of Mormon Speed Read

I tried a different approach to the Book of Mormon this year. A friend told me that she does this at the first of each year, so I thought I would try it. Beginning on January 1st, I read 10 pages in the Book of Mormon each day. I finished the last pages of Moroni just a few days ago.

Part of the reason is the desire to read the whole book in one calendar year. The Young Women's Virtue Value experiences asks us to read the book as one of the experiences, and we have been challenged to do the Virtue Value as mothers and grandmothers.

I had been in Mosiah at the end of 2009, so I left my bookmark there and started over with my speed reading method. It wasn't a particularly satisfying method, but I wanted to try it at least once.

We're often encouraged from various sources to set time goals in our scripture reading. President Hinckley asked us a few years ago to read the whole Book of Mormon in just a few months. It was a challenge that ended up blessing the whole church. But that doesn't mean that we need to continue to push our way through the scriptures as if the same challenge exists. We are not involved in a contest. The goal is not to read the book the fastest, or the most times, but to "treasure up" the Word, to "feast". When we push quickly through our reading, it's more like a food-eating contest. How many hot dogs can we consume in 5 minutes? Is there any nutritional value to stuffing those hot dogs down our throat? Did we enjoy the flavor, and savor the taste? Compare that to the way a gourmet food judge eats a meal. He takes tiny bites and holds the food in his mouth, discerning the various flavors therein. He takes his time. He savors the food. He is truly feasting.

Now I'm back to my slower method of reading. I put a little post it note at my spot. I take one verse and look at it a phrase at a time. I ask why it was put there, what does it really mean, why that word was used, and sometimes look in the TG to see all the references on that subject. It's so much more satisfying!