If it’s been too long since you’ve feasted on the word of God, let a story from this week’s Come, Follow Me readings inspire you to jump back in. President Spencer W. Kimball even called this account “one of the finest stories in all of the scriptures.”
King Josiah: The Power of Coming Back to the Scriptures
In 2 Kings 22–23, we read about King Josiah, who “did that which was right in the sight of the Lord.”
Josiah was eight years old when he became the king, and the Kingdom of Judah was entrenched in many sinful and idolatrous practices. Under the leadership of previous kings, the temple was desecrated, and the written law of Moses had been lost.
To help his people return to the Lord, Josiah governed that the temple be repaired during the 18th year of his reign. A high priest named Hilkiah discovered the book of the law inside the temple, so he sent a scribe to read the record to King Josiah.
Hearing the words of the neglected text deeply impacted Josiah, as he realized the extent to which his “fathers [had] not hearkened unto the words of this book” (2 Kings 22:13). His heart was “tender,” and he wept and tore his clothes in a symbolic gesture of grief and distress (2 Kings 22:19).
But rather than accepting this state, King Josiah chose to treasure and act on his newfound knowledge. He shared the scriptures with his people, gathering them together and reading the book aloud. This experience moved his people to return to the Lord, and they made a covenant “to keep his commandments and his testimonies and his statutes with all their heart and all their soul” (2 Kings 23:3).
We All Can Return
Like King Josiah, we may need to discover our scriptures again. Whether it’s dusting off the pages of an untended Bible or unearthing the Gospel Library app from a sea of notifications, there is power in returning to scripture study.
As President Kimball taught, “I feel strongly that we must all of us return to the scriptures just as King Josiah did and let them work mightily within us, impelling us to an unwavering determination to serve the Lord.”
Even if we’ve read the scriptures many times and can recite certain verses by heart, going back to their sacred words invites greater light and knowledge. Just as Josiah and his people did, we can experience a “mighty change” of heart from reading the scriptures, especially with other people.
“Josiah teaches us the power of gathering together to read the words of God and the strength that lies therein,” wrote Young Women General President Emily Belle Freeman. “We must stand in that place and learn more of the covenants—we must learn to walk, to keep the commandments and the testimonies and the statutes with all our hearts, with all our souls. To stand to it. To act upon what we learn.”
Learning from the scriptures is a lifelong journey, one that requires continuing revelation. President Dallin H. Oaks once explained, “What a scripture in the Book of Mormon meant to me when I first read it at age 16 is not conclusive upon me as I read it at age 60. With the benefit of my life’s experiences and with my greater familiarity with revelation, I can learn things that were not available to me yesterday by reading the scriptures today.”
So, if you feel discouraged about neglecting your scriptures, take comfort in King Josiah’s example. You can always come back to God’s word—and you don’t have to do it alone. By studying the scriptures with our friends, family, and ward members, we can rebuild our holy habits, invite the Spirit into our lives, and return to the Lord together.
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