“I, Nephi, was desirous also that I might see, and hear, and know of these things, by the power of the Holy Ghost” – 1 Nephi 10:17
My scripture study habits have transformed in the past few years of my life.
It all started when I decided I really wanted the Spirit to teach me through the scriptures EVERY TIME I read them. I was done only having spiritual experiences at big, important events in my life, and I wanted to invite the power that I knew I could claim into my scripture study even more.
So I started asking “So what?” when I read.
Instead of just reading cool stories and inspiring accounts and powerful verses – I would ask, “So what can I do in my life right now because of what I just read?”
And if you’ve been following this account for any amount of time, you know that is the entire premise of everything that I write and share.
Lehi told his family all about his extensive dream and vision.
For Laman and Lemuel, that’s where the story ended. I don’t know if they were touched by the spirit while listening to it, or if they felt that prick in their hearts that they needed to change… but they just heard the story and that was it.
Nephi turned to the Spirit, and I imagine, asked his own version of, “So what?”. And he was filled with the desire to experience the vision himself. He heard the dream and decided to act – and his action was to request the vision for himself.
Asking “So what?” has truly transformed my scripture study experience, which has naturally rolled over into my Come Follow Me studies.
But I’m working on asking “So what?” from every good thing that I experience!
A sacrament meeting talk by a 12-year old. A session in the temple. An inspirational podcast. A General Conference talk. An uplifting conversation with a friend. A spiritual prompting.
Instead of having these experiences and thinking, “Wow, that was cool!” and then never thinking about it again (or even worse, but still common, “I got NOTHING out of that”)…
… I’m trying to think more and more, “What does the Spirit want me to learn from this? What is my ‘so what’ on a personal level?”
Nephi KNEW that the Holy Ghost would give him that personal instruction, and our current prophet has continued to make that his theme song.
The Holy Ghost will be our personal tutor. He will teach us exactly what WE need to know from everything we go through. BUT – we have to give him a chance to teach us. We have to ask for his help. And that transforms everything!
