Reading the Book of Mormon in 90 days.

[Red Ryder]

Anyone else suddenly find their spouse with their head buried inside a blue copy of the BoM and a yellow highlighter in hand last night before bed?

Nelson is turning up the heat!

[Brent]

He is just trying to get the heterosexual suicide rate to come up to Gay levels.

[jfro18]

The real problem is that the BoM is just not a book that should be read that fast. If you actually want to study and get anything out of it, you shouldn't want people to rush it.

Yet here we are, forcing members to do something in order to get that sweet righteousness badge as the leaders flex their muscles over the members.

It's so stupid, and yet people just eat it up. It's like politics in our current environment except so much more controlling and takes so much much more.

[Red Ryder]

The real problem is that the BoM is just not a book that should be read that fast. If you actually want to study and get anything out of it, you shouldn't want people to rush it.

Yet here we are, forcing members to do something in order to get that sweet righteousness badge as the leaders flex their muscles over the members.

It's so stupid, and yet people just eat it up. It's like politics in our current environment except so much more controlling and takes so much much more.

As long as the hamster wheel keeps moving.

[moksha]

Would anyone prefer being assigned to read Tolkien's The Silmarillion instead?

[Hagoth]

The real problem is that the BoM is just not a book that should be read that fast. If you actually want to study and get anything out of it, you shouldn't want people to rush it.

But that's entirely the point. Move your eyes across the pages, notice familiar faith-promoting verses and look for anything that will create a positive emotional response, plow through to the back cover as an of devotion to demonstrate to the tribe that you are following the prophet and therefore worthy of their acceptance. Put a big, happy check mark in the I'm-a-good-boy-or-girl box. For extra credit, get up and testify about what a rewarding experience it was. Endorphins galore.

I don't know about the rest of you, but it was when I actually READ the Book of Mormon that everything fell apart for me.

[RubinHighlander]

The real problem is that the BoM is just not a book that should be read that fast. If you actually want to study and get anything out of it, you shouldn't want people to rush it.

Yet here we are, forcing members to do something in order to get that sweet righteousness badge as the leaders flex their muscles over the members.

It's so stupid, and yet people just eat it up. It's like politics in our current environment except so much more controlling and takes so much much more.

As long as the hamster wheel keeps moving.

This!

When I think back over my 40+ years on the hamster wheel, it was so much busy work! All the stars you get in primary when you memorized AOFs or read X pages with recognition and treats as rewards. Then as an adult you get the bragging rights during F&Ts and can boast them up as to how much you and your family was blessed when you jumped through all the hoops. Working out your own salvation with the placating tag line "after all you can do" trying to satisfy the works without faith with the saved by grace dogma. Like most other formerly-known-as Mormons narratives: always trying to have it both ways!

[Reuben]

He is just trying to get the heterosexual suicide rate to come up to Gay levels.

I'm stealing that. I'm not even going to ask permission.

[IT_Veteran]

Wait - just had a thought at the mention of a highlighter. Has anybody tried highlighting passages in other peoples' scriptures? Or just specific phrases like "fine steel" or "horse"?

Wondering how that would go.

Gladly, I don't have to worry about Kalikala burying her head in a BoM any longer.

[MerrieMiss]

I had no idea the woman I sit next to during most swimming lessons was Mormon - until today. Scriptures open, at the beginning of Nephi. Chances are, I enjoyed my novel more than she's enjoying hers.

[Brent]

Which highlighters are Word of Wisdom approved?

[jfro18]

But that's entirely the point. Move your eyes across the pages, notice familiar faith-promoting verses and look for anything that will create a positive emotional response, plow through to the back cover as an of devotion to demonstrate to the tribe that you are following the prophet and therefore worthy of their acceptance. Put a big, happy check mark in the I'm-a-good-boy-or-girl box. For extra credit, get up and testify about what a rewarding experience it was. Endorphins galore.

I don't know about the rest of you, but it was when I actually READ the Book of Mormon that everything fell apart for me.

My wife has been reading the BoM every day this year (chapter a day) and while I know she doesn't trust what I've told her is true, clearly she is not bothered even knowing the anachronisms, the blatant stealing from the KJV, etc.

You can read it 1000 times, but until you have that emotional snap to the church, you'll never see the flaws... but once you do there is no turning back.

[græy]

Anyone else suddenly find their spouse with their head buried inside a blue copy of the BoM and a yellow highlighter in hand last night before bed?

That is EXACTLY what my wife did! Well, mostly. She had a red pencil. She also started re-listening to each and every talk from the entire conference this morning.

Right after the women's session (which I got sucked into watching with her) she tried to get me to commit to the social media fast with her. When I pointed out that I already never use social media (I sign into facebook maybe once or twice a year), she tried to morph it into a general cell phone/technology fast. I argued back that he didn't challenge anyone to a tech fast, only social media, and beyond that he didn't challenge the men to do anything at all. I'm not punishing myself for being ahead of Nelson's curve on social media. She huffed and walked away mumbling something about finishing the discussion later.

In past years I would likely have agreed with her that what is good for the... gander is good for the goose (did I get the order right?), and then secretly not done anything different, but I just can't do it anymore. I don't agree with everything, or even a lot of what her "prophets" teach, and I won't go along just because they're the ones who said it. If she can't accept that then things are going to get rougher in the weeks/months/years ahead.

[achilles]

Would anyone prefer being assigned to read Tolkien's The Silmarillion instead?

Well Mr. Penguin, I've totally graduated from all of that. I've got four volumes of the History of Middle Earth on their way this week, and three volumes of tales from the First Age (The Children of Hurin, Beren and Luthien, and The Fall of Gondolin) in another two weeks.

The Silmarillion? Pfft!!! Please, you pathetic spiritual weaklings are still on that when there are literally fifteen volumes of deeper doctrine waiting for you? Let me know when you graduate from the Silmarillion, and we'll take the training wheels off.

[achilles]

Which highlighters are Word of Wisdom approved?

I'm pretty sure that uncapping a dozen sharpies and huffing them isn't mentioned in D&C 89, so I think it's fair game.

[achilles]

You can read it 1000 times, but until you have that emotional snap to the church, you'll never see the flaws... but once you do there is no turning back.

I used to really enjoy those BoM sprints. I haven't tried to read it since I left. Maybe I should have a look...

[Just This Guy]

I don't know about the rest of you, but it was when I actually READ the Book of Mormon that everything fell apart for me.

Yup! My mom challenged me to read it soon after my faith transition. I agreed to it partially to placate her, partially because I knew what would happen. Needless to say, it didn't help.

[wtfluff]

You can read it 1000 times, but until you have that emotional snap to the church, you'll never see the flaws... but once you do there is no turning back.

I used to really enjoy those BoM sprints. I haven't tried to read it since I left. Maybe I should have a look...

It's much better to listen to it: See My Book of Mormon Podcast. (Darn it, SATAN is controlling my fingers AGAIN!)

[nibbler]

This is like the third goal this year that I've heard to get people to read the BoM.

It's like that scene in Wedding Singer where George takes over singing duties while Robbie Hart takes a break. At the end of George's song he doesn't have any more material so he just starts singing the song over again from the beginning.

[moksha]

The Silmarillion? Pfft!!!

Obviously, you've moved past the milk and are ready for the deepest mystery meat. Congratulations!