How the ACAD Blog Came to Be

Years ago, as our children became teenagers, my husband observed that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was doing a great job making available helpful materials for Family Home Evenings (see lds.org), but they were all geared toward families with small children.  "Why," he wondered, "don't they design any of the materials for couples or single people?"  So I got this wild idea to write my own commentary of the Book of Mormon as a Family Home Evening Manual.  I started with the first chapter and read it over and over again until I found something in it I thought would inspire a good lesson.  It took me six years to complete it. "What are you going to do with it?" my husband asked.  I didn't think anyone would be interested in publishing it.  But I've held onto that blue notebook for all these years.  And I recently decided to turn it into a blog.

In the meantime, years before that, when the Church added the phrase "Another Testament of Jesus Christ" to the title of the Book of Mormon, I wondered how much of a Testament of the Savior it is.  So I bought an unmarked paperback copy and a marking pencil and began re-reading it.  I marked every reference I found to Jesus Christ, whether it called Him by name, quoted Him directly, or made reference to Him as the Lord or God. (I believe Jesus Christ was the Jehovah of the Old Testament.  I'm not saying you should, too - just that I do, and used that belief as I highlighted it). When I finished that read through, of the five hundred and thirty-one pages of the Book of Mormon, there were only about 50 pages I hadn't marked, which means about 90% of the book testifies of Jesus Christ (from my point of view, anyway).  As I worked with my little commentary to turn it into a blog, that 90% really stood out to me again.

So tomorrow, June 1st, the daily blog begins.  A Chapter A Day in the Book of Mormon.  I respect that some people don't believe it to be scripture, as I do.  I'm not trying to change anyone's opinion about the Book of Mormon with this blog.  I simply wish to share my thoughts of each chapter in a way that, whether they believe in it or not, people will find encouragement and a little food for thought as they read it with me.

'Til tomorrow, then!

Are you ACAD?

Are you ACAD?  That is, do you like to read A Chapter A Day of the Book of Mormon?  If so, please join me here in my ACAD Blog.  Beginning June 1, 2014, I will post my commentary once a day beginning with 1 Nephi Chapter 1 and will continue daily posts until we've covered every chapter in the Book of Mormon.  Now this commentary will not be scholarly, nor will it be heavily doctrinal.  It is simply one woman's attempt to liken each chapter of the Book of Mormon to our lives.  I've been a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints since 1976, and in all those years, about half of my Church service has involved teaching.  Most of that has been as a Gospel Doctrine Sunday School teacher, where the curriculum rotates around studies of the Old Testament, the New Testament, the Book of Mormon, the Doctrine and Covenants and the Pearl of Great Price, which members of the Church consider to all be scripture.  I love all these scriptures, and most particularly the Book of Mormon.

I believe reading any scripture has the most merit when it is found to be applicable to a person's life. My attempt over the next months will be to share thoughts I've had in my own personal study of the Book of Mormon and point out some of the lessons I've learned in studying this special volume and sharing it with class members.  I do not present the daily posts as being the teachings or doctrines of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, but take full responsibility for the content that will appear in the blog.  I genuinely hope that those who might choose to follow the blog will find some food for thought as they study with me the Book of Mormon.

Next time I'll explain how this blog came to be.

Susan R Miller