Why do we care about history? 

This might sound a little selfish but…

I used to wonder why I should really even care about studying history.

I mean, I guess it’s cool to know, but it doesn’t really affect my life.

And if you think about it, that’s really what most scriptures are—

Collections of stories from people who lived a really really really long time ago.

The Title Page of the Book of Mormon gives one of the primary purposes of the book:

“Which is to show unto the remnant of the House of Israel what great things the Lord hath done for their fathers. . . .”

Now THAT is a powerful reason that affects me.

God expects me to study and learn about the great things He has done for people in the past so that I can know what to expect from Him in the future!

He wants me to learn how He works.

The actual stories in the Book of Mormon may seem completely unrelated to what we are dealing with in our personal lives.

But there is so much to learn about how God interacts with people who make covenants with Him and remember Him.

There are so many great stories we will study this year.

And as we study each event, it helps when I pause and ask myself:

How would I have responded in this situation?

What would I have done or said or thought?

What are the emotions and principles here?

Simple questions like these help my brain figure out how the Nephites’ experiences with wars, secret combinations, and

evil kings can apply to my experiences with busy schedules, difficult people, and keeping the commandments.

Studying in the past can seem silly at face value.

But with an unchanging and immovable God, the patterns become meaningful and relevant.

I don’t study the scriptures just for the gripping plot lines and character development—

I study the scriptures to learn how God deals with His covenant children so that I know what I can expect as I create my own relationship with Him.

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black