What does it really mean to “dive into” the scriptures? In theory, it sounds wonderful and like something I’d love to do. But in practice, I feel like I’m either skimming the scriptures’ surface or flailing in their deep doctrinal waters.
If you feel the same way and need a concrete study structure to help you, I just learned an approach that could make a huge difference in how we connect to scripture.
Making the Scriptures Your Own
My friend Kate has been rewriting the Book of Mormon in her own words, verse by verse, since the beginning of the year. Initially, I thought this sounded like an enormous undertaking, but Kate convinced me that it’s the opposite of overwhelming—this process actually makes deep, profound scripture study achievable.
She was first inspired to rewrite scripture during one of her religion classes at Brigham Young University. Professor Anthony Sweat shared that, each morning, he and his wife choose a scripture to think on throughout the day, then come together in the evening with a personalized rewording. This embodies his study motto: “Slow the heck down.”
Years later, Kate learned that one of her coworkers had been rewriting the Book of Mormon for the past four years. When she heard some of his rewritten verses, they resonated so deeply with her that she wanted to try it too.
“I always had this struggle of feeling overwhelmed [by the scriptures],” she tells me. “There are so many things I could study and so many things I want to know and learn. [But] this [approach] seemed a lot more comprehensible.”
Kate clarifies that she’s not trying to create her own translation of the Book of Mormon. This is a study tool. She is sure to check her interpretations against external sources like latter-day prophets and other Bible translations.
“It’s like there’s a package, and I’m trying to unwrap what’s actually inside,” she says.
Kate’s Process
When Kate sits down to rewrite her verses, she says it feels like trying to communicate with the prophet who wrote them. She’ll often go to Webster’s Dictionary from 1828 to find synonyms and definitions, knowing that certain words in the Book of Mormon may have different meanings today than when Joseph Smith was translating the plates.
“I’ll read the verse slowly and then go through each line, and be like, ‘Okay, what’s the big picture of the message here?’” she says. “It’s helped me see how hard it probably was to write scripture. … I get stuck a lot, but I think that’s part of it. It’s the wrestle. I just figure out what God is trying to tell me in my own words.”
Kate doesn’t rewrite every word in every verse. Sometimes a verse is written with words she would’ve chosen herself, so she’ll leave it. Other times there’s beautiful imagery or an iconic phrase she chooses not to change. Some days, she’ll rewrite one verse; other days, she’ll do 12. “I just do it until I feel connected,” she says.
She originally started by physically writing her verses by hand in a notebook, but this made it difficult to go back and edit. Now, she types up the verses digitally and includes personal notes in parentheses about things she’s learned and experiences she’s had.
“It’s like a spiritual journal,” she says. “It’ll be a cool record for me—like my own [set of] plates.”
Diving Deep
Dissecting the Book of Mormon on such a granular level has blessed Kate with scripture study that is both bite-sized and uniquely rewarding.
“It narrows it down and then allows the Spirit to teach you,” she says. “You’re not just abstractly like, ‘Okay, what am I going to learn in all these words today?’ It lets you get specific.”
This type of specificity has also given Kate a new appreciation for ancient prophets.
“I more fully comprehend storylines that I may have just skipped over before. I’ve started to realize that these [were] real people—fathers and sons passing these plates down to each other. There was real trust there.”
Below are two original verses from the Book of Mormon and Kate’s interpretations.
Original:
And this is not all—it has been made manifest unto me, for I have heard and seen; and it also has been made manifest unto me by the power of the Holy Ghost; wherefore, I know if there should be no atonement made all mankind must be lost.
Interpretation:
The scriptures aren’t the only reason I know this. I have also received a witness through my own experiences and through the power of the Holy Ghost. Because of this, I now know that if a sacrifice is not made, all of us will be forfeited.
Original:
And he said unto me: Because of thy faith in Christ, whom thou hast never before heard nor seen. And many years pass away before he shall manifest himself in the flesh; wherefore, go to, thy faith hath made thee whole.
Interpretation:
And He replied that it is because you have faith in Christ and in His power, even though you have never met Him. Even though He will not come to earth and receive a physical body for many years, your faith in His promises has made you whole. So, go forward in faith.
For more insights on scripture study, check out the articles below:
▶ 3 steps to get more out of Isaiah (that require less reading)
▶ 4 ideas for getting out of a scripture-reading slump
▶ 1, 2, 3: A method for finding more personal insights from scripture
