the Book of Benjamin (and our experience while reading the Book of Mormon from cover to cover.)

I've had a lot of kind feedback about our christmas letter and just wanted to say thank you.  The idea came about a week before it was written, totally out of the blue.  i wanted to do some kind of story-form letter because our year felt like we had a story to tell, but I never was able to put it in "once upon a time" format.  When the idea came to write it in scripture from Ben's perspective, it wrote itself.  Well, until the last few verses.  I was seriously stuck on those last few verses for a week.  I got so annoyed by it that I almost didn't finish..

Thinking back to it now, I realize I was stuck on what to say about myself and what to say about Aaron.. and how to end it on a positive note without saying our lives kind of suck.  But I honestly couldn't get it right.. and not to be too picky or anything, but it still isn't right.  One night I just filled in a bunch of words and called it good enough.  But then there was that last verse.. I seriously couldn't close it with anything spiritual.  I tried.  But I literally could not write something cheesy about God or Christmas or my testimony without it sounding in-authentic.  I have a really hard time with typical church phrases.  I needed it to be how I really felt, and the only thing I could end it with was that the scriptures helped us feel better about our lives.  And they really (truly) have.

reading scriptures as a family was truly our biggest and best accomplishment of 2014.  We read almost every day of the year for a good hour or more.  Because Aaron was home and because our kids schedules were flexible, it seemed like stopping after a couple of chapters wasn't good enough.  Sometimes I literally hated it.  But it became just an amazing thing for us, even when it was hard at the same time.  Especially when it was hard.

There were days that were so difficult that we sat down to read twice, morning and night because we didn't know how else to feel peace.  And when we didn't read, I can promise you, we felt it.  There was a literal tangible power that came into our home when we read together.  Answers to prayers came, our hearts were softened, we found direction and we genuinely felt more love for each other and for our neighbors.  It was a year that changed the way we read as a family..  and I hope it's something we're able to build on every year from here on out..

We didn't have a chart, we didn't set goals of when to finish by, we didn't care how much we read everyday.  We read through the entire Book of Mormon, then studied by topics, then read stories and parables from the Bible, and then started the Book of Mormon again.

After struggling to write one chapter about the happenings of my family, I honestly DO NOT SEE how someone (JS) could have written the Book of Mormon without divine guidance.  I love to write and it comes naturally to me, but I cannot fathom trying to write the entire book.. it really doesn't even seem possible.  I have thought it through over and over and I want my kids to read it with an open mind, really developing a testimony of their own.  In my mind, it has to be true.  It's powerful and brings good and wholesome feelings in our home.  The storyline is phenomenal.  The lessons extremely valuable.  The writing beautiful.  I have grown the really love the Book of Mormon through this experience and I would challenge anyone who's struggling with their own testimony to read it consistently and see how the feel.  It's been an incredible experience for our family.