I spent a lot of time today finishing up some blog posts that I had started earlier in the week. I also felt inspired and motivated to create a few memes based on artist Carl Bloch’s images. Currently it’s late, about midnight. I was just going to look around a bit online and then possibly call it a night. That is when something caught my eye. I was on Reddit and I saw a post titled “I made a hand written copy of the Book of Mormon.”
My first impression was, wow that must have taken a long time. Then I thought, my hand would hurt after that. After I thought about it more I started to list in my mind the benefits of doing this. I came up with:
- You would likely learn differently (reading and writing).
- You would end up reading and rereading the Book of Mormon many times simultaneously.
- You would gain an appreciation for how the Book of Mormon was translated.
- You would gain an appreciation for how golden plates were painstakingly written.
Either way, no matter the reasoning, I am impressed. I can see this process being a journey of faith. I’m inspired by it. I don’t plan on doing it myself. But still, I’m inspired by it. It made me want to pause and ponder and write about it.
I often like to read the comments. People can be so brutal sometimes. No one was too demeaning on this one. There were a number who questioned him about this, asking why would you do that.
However, there was one comment that stood out. I think it describes perfectly why someone would do this. DeOriginalCaptain wrote: “I hope you made a “heart-written” copy too.” I can imagine there is something to be said or experienced by hand-writing every single word in the Book of Mormon. I would imagine a personal reason for doing so would be that it was written upon your heart, mind, and on every fiber of your body.
2 Corintians 3:2-3
2 Ye are our epistle written in our hearts, known and read of all men:
3 Forasmuch as ye are manifestly declared to be the epistle of Christ ministered by us, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God; not in tables of stone, but in fleshy tables of the heart.
2 Corinthians 3 (churchofjesuschrist.org)
Mosiah 5:12
I say unto you, I would that ye should remember to retain the name written always in your hearts, that ye are not found on the left hand of God, but that ye hear and know the voice by which ye shall be called, and also, the name by which he shall call you.
Mosiah 5 (churchofjesuschrist.org)
How do you know the master you do not serve?
I know simply reading and rewriting the scriptures does not engraven the word upon your heart. But an honest sincere process of doing so, may draw you closer to God. And drawing closer to God may help you hear and recongnize he voice. Isn’t that the goal? If you hear and regonize him, your heart is connected to him.