Early morning scripture study in a stinky gym

I get up every morning and go to the gym REALLY early.

It is not easy. It is difficult some days. But I am always grateful.

The first thing I do when I arrive is walk on the treadmill for 10 minutes and read my scriptures.

This sounds insignificant but I have noticed this "preworkout scripture study" time is one of the most revelation flowing sessions I have of the day.

I am not sure why that is. Now if you remember I am at a gym. I am surrounded by people in workout clothes, pop-fitness music is playing and Televisions are broadcasting overhead. It isn't an environment that a person would usually feel the spirit.

So why is it that I feel that great "mysteries of God" are revealed to me in those short sessions right before my workout?

I have thought about this alot.

Shouldn't it be only that only quiet moments in the temple are when I get that inspiration?

Shouldn't it be when I am completely away from the worlds influence in all it's forms and I have fasted and prayed or when I am at church?

Why in a stinky gym with music playing, with TV's broadcasting would I have very tender revelations?

The other day it occurred to me.

Sacrificing a tiny slice of my early morning workout time (I get up at 4:45 again it is not easy) to read my scriptures is my own form of a personal tithe or my own "widows mite." I don't always have a lot to offer to the Lord but my workout time is something that its truly something of worth to me.

Reading 10 minutes may seem insignificant but I feel the Lord blesses me for it.

 I try to also read at other times during the day but this is what I do to make sure I get it in before anything else and to make a special offering before the Lord each day.

One of my sessions this week I read Mosiah Chapter 1. King Benjamin is talking to his sons about the Plates of Brass so essentially the "scriptures" hes says:

"My sons, I would that ye should remember that were it not for these plates, which contain these records and these commandments, we must have suffered in ignorance, even at this present time, not knowing the mysteries of God."

I had never considered not reading the scriptures as "suffering in ignorance". But as I contemplated all the glorious truths of the gospel and the great things that we have learned from the scriptures, not even to mention the guidance of revelation or "mysteries of God" in my personal life then yes the word suffering would fit that state of absence without these things very much.

I can't imagine life without what the gospel brings me and not only the gospel but the additional "mysteries of God" or these little slices of personal revelation that I get when I feel connected and doing what I know is right and reading the scriptures.

So yes even in a stinky gym, with pop fitness music playing and television broadcasting while reading scriptures we can feel the spirit!

Preparing for conference- Having our tent doors open towards the prophet

Friday night for scripture study we had one of those nights.

Jared was sick and went to bed early and it was just me and the boys. Instead of pulling out the scriptures I decided to do a "scripture story" which means I talk about either a scripture I read in my own studies that stuck out to me our we talk about an actual story.

We do this once or twice a week. This may sound like a slacker way of doing things but these discussions actually turn out to be rich in discussion and longer than many of our actual reading sessions. I have found these to be very useful and spirit driven.

Tent door open towards the prophet
On Friday night in preparation for Saturday conference the story of the people of King Benjamin came to mind. The scripture is: Mosiah 2:6

"And they pitched their tents round about the temple, every man having his tent with the door thereof towards the temple, that thereby they might remain in their tents and hear the words which king Benjamin should speak unto them;"

Every family had their door towards the temple which means it was towards the prophet.

I told them to liken it to us in our day. I tried to make it a little silly and asked them to listen carefully.

"Tell me if I am saying this right." I asked "If we had a tent and the prophet was speaking to us we would pitch our tent with the door facing away from him."

They all being the smart boys that they are jumped up and immediately caught my flaw and said "No mom you need to face it towards the prophet"

"We don't have tents that we pitch today" I told them "but we do have hearts that we get ready for conference so how do we get our hearts ready so they are facing open towards the prophet just like our tents should be."

I thought that I would have them stumped but not a chance they immediately answered "Scripture study and prayer."

One child even thoughtfully replied "Mom I always see you writing in a journal during conference. Is that something you do to keep your heart open?" Wow. I hadn't thought of it that way but yes. That is exactly why I do it.

During conference I continually get little thoughts about what I should be doing in my life so  not only do I take notes of the talks but I write down impressions that I have.

***I make three little stars like this by impressions that come to me. When I review my notes I review those impressions and try to act upon them.

Last April conference I had a distinct impression to serve a sister in my ward in a special way. Little did I or anyone else know that she would die within a week of conference. My heart breaks thinking about her loss.

Conference Question Challenge
I ended our "scripture story" session with a challenge for them. I asked them to think of a question that they had for Heavenly Father it could be anything that they felt right about asking him. I challenged them to pray about it and then listen for the answer in conference.

Asking a question at conference is one of the best ways to open our hearts towards the prophet and might I add the apostles.

They are taking that challenge this conference. We will see how it turns out!