I want to talk for a moment about the power of example. This is the best way to teach, because it is through seeing you live your testimony that others can gain their own testimony. I was thinking a lot today about writing a blog about teaching your kids the importance of personal scripture study, and I kept thinking of my mom. From the earliest I can remember, I remember finding my mom reading the scriptures quietly in her room. This was a regular occurrence. She reads on a daily basis, and so as I child I honestly didn’t think anything about it. When we were on vacation, she would have to read before we could go where ever we were heading.
It wasn’t until I was an adult and I stopped and thought about how long I had been having personal scripture study that I realized the impact that my mother’s example had on me. I started personal scripture study right after I was baptized, because my stake president challenged all the youth to read the Book of Mormon that year. After that I never really stopped. I don’t remember my mom ever talking about the importance of reading your scriptures. I just knew it was important because she did it. She did it every day, and I knew it.
I know that two of my sisters also started having personal scripture study at a young age. I know that each of them have a strong testimony of the peace that comes from reading your scriptures everyday. I know that part of our testimonies came from seeing our mom practice that principle and then applying it to our everyday lives.
It is so important to be an example. You shouldn’t really even have to think of it constantly. If you have a strong testimony and are living that testimony, your life will naturally become an example and others will be drawn to you, because of the peace that goes with you as you do the things the Lord asks you to do. I think a lot of it has to do with having Christ’s image graven in your countenance.
I have had friends, teachers, and other family members be examples to me. Their examples have given me strength as I have faced the challenges in my life. I have had people come and talk to me about what I believe because they knew I was a member of the church from the things that I did or didn’t too. You never know what moment in your life may touch another person. If you are making your best effort to do the things we should, then we are being the examples that we should be.