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| ©Darrell Wyatt |
Thanks to my fabulous mother-in-law, all of my kids have their own set of scriptures now. This seemed like a great reason to get back to our nightly family scripture reading routine. We read the Book of Mormon as a family a few years ago, and it was very challenging. Four of the kids were under eight years old, which posed some interesting struggles. It was really tough to get them all to sit still and read when it was their turn. Three of the kids weren't really reading well yet, and so we would whisper in their little ears and they would repeat the verse out loud. Sometimes the chapter seemed to drag on forever.
So, now that the kids are older and they are all proficient readers, this nightly reading stuff should be a cinch, right? Um, no. There are unique challenges to every age, I'm discovering. The older kids are off doing what pre-teens and teens do best - running between sports practices and friends' houses. The younger kids are just running. Everywhere. When we do finally manage to reel everyone in, my autistic son is usually angry because his nightly routine has been ruined. We try to make scripture reading at the same time every night, but it rarely happens the way we want it to, leaving my son's perfectly scheduled night in shambles.
So why do we do it? First, because we've been instructed to. We've been told time after time of the blessings that we'll receive from family scripture study. Elder Howard W. Hunter said, “Families are greatly blessed when wise fathers and mothers bring their children about them, read from the pages of the scriptural library together, and then discuss freely the beautiful stories and thoughts according to the understanding of all.” (Ensign, Nov. 1979, p. 64.) We frequently stop during our reading to discuss a certain story or verse and how it applies to our personal lives. There is no better feeling that a parent can get than the feeling that comes when a teenage daughter volunteers her experiences, unprompted. Or when a son remembers something that he has learned in primary that is applicable to our discussion. It really is a feeling unmatched by any other.
The other, and probably more important, reason that we read is for the same reason that the ancient prophets kept the records in the first place:
Wherefore, I, Moroni, am commanded to write these things that evil may be done away, and that the time may come that Satan may have no power upon the hearts of the children of men, but that they may be persuaded to do good continually, that they may come unto the fountain of all righteousness and be saved. (Ether 8:26)
What more, as a mother, could I ever want for my children than for them to be free from Satan's grasp, doing good continually? This is the greatest blessing that comes from teaching them correct principles and taking the time to do the important things - the hard things - like nightly scripture reading. It definitely makes the chaos worth it.
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