i have decided to start a series of posts called "confessions of a convert".
i am not sure if they will be once a month...once a week...or whenever but the point of them will be to highlight the things that i, a convert, faces dealing with church-y things....those little things that i struggle with or hide and think to myself...um, i could probably be better about that, or what the heck does that even mean?! you know...those moments.
i was at a baby shower last week and someone mentioned a name like: malyshamalamahama... {try to say it its fun!}
ok, it wasn't really that... but the name was so foreign to me that it sounded like that. i had NEVER heard the name. then i asked the woman who she was talking about and she said "oh, he's in the book of mormon!".
busted.
like i said, i had never even heard the name...in fact i don't even remember the name {dyann help me out here!} which means one thing.
confession number one is to commence....now:
i suck at reading the book of mormon...really i suck at reading the scriptures in general. i don't know what it is but i have an awful time motivating myself to read them. i know its important. i know i would like it if i read it but i just...dont. :[
its even worse when my husband asks if i want to read them with him and i say no!
i will say it again...i suck!
it doesn't help that i dont really like to read in general, but even though i dont like to read, i NEED to read the scriptures. its essential and i am smart enough to know that!
i definitely have my ups and downs...times where i do read the scriptures and really enjoy it. but after the ups, there are downs and i just dont read at all.
its hard. and i am bad at it.
perhaps reading should have been my new years resolution along with these.
ugh.
{maybe i should get these books. haha}
I just came across your blog, and it is so refreshing!! I am also a convert, I have been a member of the LDS church now for 5 years. I totally get where you're coming from with the scriptures... I'm bad about reading them, too. I'm trying to do better!!
ReplyDeleteThank you!
ReplyDeleteFor me, it's especially hard to find time let alone the motivation...that is the deadly combo! I need to do better too!
:]
Kristen you are too cute! I have a hard time too! We've all been there. I have to get creative...in fact, I have totally read the primary "Book of Mormon Stories" and Bible versions of the scriptures and no joke, they are the best!
ReplyDelete(Here's a link to them! http://store.lds.org/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/Category3_10705_10551_21008_-1_N_image_0. The study aides on the homepage are wonderful too.)
I also recently started listening to the Book of Mormon on my iPod and I've loved it (it's free on itunes!). I put in my headphones when I'm getting ready for the day. It's brings them to life, I love it. :)
My friend came across your blog and sent me a link to it. I am also a fairly new convert (it was three years this last October 2010) and I loved reading your conversion story and all of your other posts. It seems like we have a lot in common, almost like you are telling my story and taking the thoughts right out of my head! haha =]
ReplyDeleteIt's nice to know that I'm not the only one who struggles reading the scriptures. I think it's not so much the fact that I don't like reading them (I really enjoy it when I do it, actually!), but that it's hard to make a habit of it, especially if you didn't grow up reading them all the time or there are other things in your life going on that occupy your time! One thing that has helped me a little is getting a study guide to go along with it, listening to it on my iPod (like Bethany said above), and just doing it at my own pace. Someone once taught me that its not about the length of what you read, or even how long you read for, it's about your heart and what you get out of reading it. The more I read and understand the scriptures, the more I have the desire to read them.
Hope that helps! Good Luck! =]
We were going to name the baby Malyshamalamahama but then we decided on Andrew at the last second.
ReplyDeleteBethany- Thank you for the link, I am definitely going there and I have GOT to try listening to them on my ipod when I get ready! That is a great idea! Thank you Thank you!
ReplyDeleteJack!e, I love what you said at the end there about what you get out of reading them. I feel so much pressure to read and finish the Book of Mormon and the Bible. A) that seems like a crazy feat! and B) It should not be race!
I know I will finish them, some day...and then of course start all over, but it IS how you feel when you read, and the spirit that goes into reading that is important. Thank you for reminding me!!
Esther, too bad... Malyshamalamahama is such a good strong name! ;]
Oh, Kristen, you funny girl!
ReplyDeleteConvert, schmonvert--I'm born & bred & I suck at it, too! We did finish the BofM as a family, though, which is a huge achievement! (Of course, it only took almost 2 years, but whatever.)
I'm sorry that I dropped Malyshamalamahama's name without an explanation. I just keep forgetting that you're a convert. I really do.
And it's Mahonri Moriancumr. And it's obscure.
Mahonri Moriancumr- Malyshamalamahama...same thing right?!
ReplyDeleteWe all struggle with reading our scriptures! I do too, it's just one of those things for us non-readers! ha Just keep your chin up and congrats to your hubs for encouraging you :)
ReplyDeleteAnna