Recommendations

Okay so my original intention was to create a craft blog and only post crafts and stuff like that well I am going to deviate from that in this post. I want to tell you all about a really cool web site that I found unintentionally while web surfing. It all started when I was doing a google search for scripture reading charts. I thought I could find one that I could just print out and color as I go. My goal was/is to read D&C before our trip to Nauvoo Memorial weekend. In my searching I came across the web site readthescriptures.com It is basically an online scripture calendar! It is amazing! What you do is create and account. Then you tell it that you want to create a reading schedule. They have all of the standard works listed as well as the current manuals for sunday school, rs, primary and others. Lets use the Book of Mormon as an example. I have decided to read it and I want to finish it by Sep 1. After I have selected BOM it then takes me to the reading length screen. You have tons of options here. Reading it in 30, 60, 90 days or a chapter a day or a custom schedule. Since I have a specific date for when I want it finished I will choose custom schedule. You then tell it where you want to start. (i.e. 1 Nephi 1:1 or Alma 14:8 if you wanted) After telling it the date you want to finish it calculates the number of verses you need to read every day to accomplish your goal. Then it e-mails you the readings every day. (the actual verses are in the e-mail to read as well as a link to the audio for every chapter) At the bottom of the e-mail is a link to click when you are finished. When you log in and look at your account there is a progress bar that tells you how far you have read. The only way for you to get the e-mail for the next day's reading is for you to click the completed link. If you finish the required reading and want to continue you click the send more button, other wise you will get tomorrows reading tomorrow. I personally don't like to read the passages from my e-mail, its a little too casual for me but Dad loves it! He is currently set up to read the entire standard works in a year. If you read them on their web site they have the highlighter option as well as a journal option. I find that it really motivates me to read just so I can see that progress bar move, not to mention I want to accomplish my goal. One last thing about the site. You can read in teams. I am not quite sure how it works because I have never used it but if there are a group of people who want to read together they can see each others progress and discuss what they are reading. Anyone up for reading the BOM by July 18?

My book recommendation goes hand in hand with the web site. It is Scripture Study For Latterday Saint Families: Church History (or Book of Mormon, New Testament) This book is FABULOUS! I truly love this series and in fact own all of them. They are actually meant for families to use as a help during family scripture reading time. (hence the name) It takes you chapter (or section as the case may be) by chapter and gives the background of what is going on at the time as well as gives brief bios on key people. There are awesome quotes that go along with the reading by church authorities. There are also thought provoking questions. When I read I have a notebook by my side and write down thoughts that come to me, answers from the questions as well as some of the quotes. There are games you can play, hymns to sing etc. I have learned tons from the book already. Did you know that out of the 11 witnesses to the book of mormon 8 of them were Whitmers by blood or marriage? Sidney Rigdon was excommunicated in August (personal differences with Joseph) and came back the following January. I cannot tell you how much I have learned using the book. The retail price for the book is 19.99 which is a bit expensive but it is worth every penny, especially if you use a 25% off coupon from the catalog or buy it used like I did.
~Tricia