Behind all books of scripture in the Bible, Book of Mormon, Doctrine and Covenants and Pearl of Great Price—which The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints recognizes as the Standard Works—is an immense amount of sacrifice. Prophets and others took painstaking effort to record the word of God.
Alma, under threat of death, recorded the prophetic words of Abinadi, who earler had died a martyr for angering wicked King Noah by preaching repentance.
Moroni, the last surviving follower of God on the American continent around 400 A.D., spent decades hounded and hunted by savage Lamanites as he worked diligently to keep safe what is now the Book of Mormon.
William Tyndale was burned at the stake because he translated the Bible into English, bringing the word of God to common people.
We are blessed to have the word of God, and we often take for granted the sacrifices others made to bring it to us. Never in history have others had such easy access to scripture, yet we so easily forget to even open the books!
Elder D. Todd Christofferson teaches us why we must not forget to study the word of God—
Scripture tutors us in principles and moral values essential to maintaining civil society, including integrity, responsibility, selflessness, fidelity, and charity. In scripture, we find vivid portrayals of the blessings that come from honoring true principles, as well as the tragedies that befall when individuals and civilizations discard them. Where scriptural truths are ignored or abandoned, the essential moral core of society disintegrates and decay is close behind. In time, nothing is left to sustain the institutions that sustain society.If we will study the word of God daily, we will enjoy greater peace and purpose in life. The scriptures, especially the Book of Mormon, teach us that our Savior and Father in Heaven love us. They teach us what we need to do to serve them. There is nothing more worthwhile we could be reading.
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