Here is the introduction to my book, so you can better grasp what you are about to get your hands on. Enjoy! I will post a link to the book as soon as it is ready. Cheers! -Jared
You may be asking yourself why we need another book about scripture study. Currently, when you go to a religious bookstore, you will find many study guides and tools to help improve understanding of the scriptures. However, many of those books are written for the individual that is studying the scriptures. There are not many resources for parents to specifically help them understand the role they can play as mentors. Many books also lack the tools parents need to help their children develop a love for the scriptures that will help them study for the rest of their lives. This book will help you understand the role you can play as a mentor for your children. This book also gives some simple tools to help understand and apply the scriptures. Parents can be powerful mentors to their children in their scripture study development.
While completing my Master’s Degree in Education, I studied and researched scientifically proven practices that are used in classrooms to increase literacy and understanding of texts. I have also applied these practices in my own classroom. Their effects are astounding. These practices, however, are rarely applied to scripture study since scriptures are not used as texts in schools. Also, parents are usually told by teachers that the solution to children struggling with literacy is to simply “read more” at home. As a result, many of these practices are not shared with parents, yet alone applied to their child’s scripture study. This book discusses how these practices can be taught in the home to improve scripture study.
Without tools or knowing their influence, parents ask their children whether they have read or studied their scriptures but rarely give or teach them the strategies they need to read, study and understand the scriptures. Many parents want to provide guidance, but are unsure where to start. Consequently, many children are left to their own devices on navigating the complicated vocabulary and symbolism in the scriptures. Without the proper strategies, some children give up on studying the scriptures due to frustration that comes from a lack of understanding. Others simply read the words but do not piece them together to create the masterpiece of a strong testimony of the scriptures and our Savior Jesus Christ.
This book provides tools necessary to mentor children and teach them the strategies that will increase the child’s confidence when reading scriptures. These strategies will help them develop a better understanding of the scriptures, give them the desire to study the scriptures more often for longer periods of time, and strengthen their testimony in the gospel of Jesus Christ. This book is for parents who desire to help their children develop a personal love for reading the scriptures, but are not sure where to start.
Entire families will benefit from improved scripture study by implementing the practices from this book. President Marion G. Romney stated,
“I feel certain that if, in our homes, parents will read from the Book of Mormon prayerfully and regularly, both by themselves and with their children, the spirit of that great book will come to permeate our homes and all who dwell therein. The spirit of reverence will increase; mutual respect and consideration for each other will grow. The spirit of contention will depart. Parents will counsel their children in greater love and wisdom. Children will be more responsive and submissive to the counsel of their parents. Righteousness will increase. Faith, hope, and charity—the pure love of Christ—will abound in our homes and lives, bringing in their wake peace, joy, and happiness”
These are blessings we need to secure in our homes, especially in today’s turbulent world.
In addition, as a father of eight children, ranging from the ages of 16 to newborn, I have personally used these strategies to foster a love and understanding of the scriptures in my own children. I immediately noticed a difference in the desire my children had to study the scriptures. I also noticed they were more willing to share what they had read with my wife and me, as well as each other. However, one of the most dramatic changes we noticed was how they started treating each other with more love and thoughtfulness. We are not a perfect family by any means, but improved scripture study continues to make us better!
Consistent application of the practices in this book will help your children develop a great love for the scriptures that will continue to be with them throughout the rest of their lives. They will be able to pattern important choices of adolescence after the Savior Jesus Christ with a testimony rooted in the gospel of Jesus Christ. Their testimony will help them progress on the covenant path of baptism, receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost, being endowed in the temple and a temple sealing. They will also develop a stronger, loving relationship with you!
Although the practices in this book can be applied to children of any age, the benefits of mentoring your children at a younger age are monumental. Students struggling with studying who receive necessary interventions at earlier ages improve their studying far greater than those who are given these interventions later in life. Reading and comprehending the scriptures should be seen in the same light. Implementing these practices in your family as soon as possible will create the greatest possible impact. However, whatever the age of your children, it is never too late to start.
This book is divided into four sections. The first section establishes the importance of mentoring your children in scripture study. The second focuses on personal reading strategies you can implement in mentoring your children in scripture study. The third section focuses on reading strategies you can implement in family settings. Throughout this third section, I will refer to family and children repeatedly, but the same principals also apply to any group of individuals or group members with the desire to study the scriptures together. Finally, the fourth section focuses on tying everything together and gives you specific strategies you can use to help your children improve their scripture study on their own. Each section of this book will give you a better understanding of the role parents play in the development of scripture reading and studying skills. With this understanding will come simple tools and tips that will provide long-lasting results in the lives of your children. Now is the time to equip our children with the inner strength and testimony they will need to withstand the fiery darts of the adversary and find everlasting joy in a world that is becoming more polarized between the followers of Jesus Christ and those that choose not to follow Him.
