book of mormon challenge {results}

i'm happy to report that i finished the book of mormon on saturday, august 31, right on schedule. like i said before, this is the first time i've attempted to read the book of mormon in such a short amount of time, and some days were harder than others, but it was a cool experience.

one of the main things that stood out to me was how often the prophets stressed that they "delight in plainness"--the gospel is supposed to be "plain" to us. the truths of the gospel are pure and simple; if i don't understand a principle, i need to work to understand it plainly. things aren't supposed to be confusing, though there are obviously things that we just don't know yet (the mysteries--i LOVE thinking about the mysteries :)).

reading so quickly, i also felt like i got to know the people a little bit better and that i had a better grasp of the history and the timeline. it was easier to keep track of everybody when i wasn't spending two months reading second nephi.

so, it was pretty great. here is one of my fave scriptures, one out of many.

now, i'm reading the old testament as the next installment in my standard works challenge. i'm sticking with the 8-chapters-a-day regimen, which will put me in the middle of december to finish, also just in time to start the new testament at christmas (which will hopefully help me to stay on schedule). so far, it's pretty cool. some weird stuff, but that's why you consult official church materials for clarification.

in summation, the church is true. read your scriptures.

bring on the fall

as much fun as summer is, i'm always ready for fall by the end of august. i'm tired of the heat, i'm kind of tired of wearing sandals, and i'm especially tired of being sweaty all the time.

fall has so many great things, so many things i love. cooler weather, changing colors, football season, new tv. writing that last one made me think that i've written a post of this sort before, but i'm going to keep going anyway.

this fall is a little different than every other fall before in that, for the first time in twenty years, i'm not starting school. this is the first september i can remember that won't include a first day of school, new supplies, fresh syllabi, interesting classmates. instead, it will include (hopefully soon) a new neighborhood, fresh roommates, and interesting coworkers.

spring is supposed to be the season of renewal and rebirth, but fall has always been that for me.