Does Daily Scripture Study Really Make a Difference?

Sister Ann Madsen

Sister Madsen is a master teacher. She has internalized the pattern of learning in the gospel. Consequentially, she knows how to teach it so that people will truly grow—that is, by inviting learners to faithfully engage with her and the Spirit when she is in front of a crowd. The YSA stake fireside I attended this evening was no exception.

We spent the few minutes of our time together getting to know one another.  She was extremely genuine, which helped us develop an immediate trust in her and what she was about to say.  Madsen then shared a few, simple, powerful statements of truth, which set the tone and scope for the rest of the evening. About 15 minutes into it, she began to ask the audience questions and pass around microphones allowing us to verbally share our testimonies with one another. She even gave out her telephone number and invited us to text her our thoughts. And so, although I didn't speak up during the meeting, I wanted to share my thoughts here.

Here is one of Sister Madsen's questions that I want to address:

Does daily scripture study really make a difference?

After some reflection, here is the answer I came up with:

Consistent, daily scripture study builds trust between the you and the Lord. Each day you successfully read the scriptures, He trusts you more and more until, eventually, a habit/understanding is formed. When you know that you'll read and the Lord knows you'll read, He will make you an active tool in His hand. When you have earned the Lord's trust (through daily, meaningful, scripture study), He will do three things:

1. He will quickly guide you to verses/ideas/answers that will bless your life and the lives of people you'll run into that week. These people may be family members, friends, co-workers, acquaintances, or even strangers.
2. The Lord will guide you (either physically or mentally) to people with whom you can share what you are learning during your study of the scriptures.  As you commence your daily study with prayer, the Lord may reveal to you the name or face of someone whom you can serve before you even open your scriptures for the day.  Most days, you will feel prompted to share what you've learned with more than one person.  Listen to the Spirit throughout the day to discover who might be in need of love, support, and/or encouragement.
3. The Holy Spirit will make you His active teammate in inviting people to Christ. (E.g., He will become an active force in your daily life. You will recognize His promptings more frequently and more powerfully.) Tremendous blessings come to those who participate with the Lord in His great work.

Many of us are on the Lord's team, but we essentially "bench" ourselves when we do not prove our commitment to Him through our daily actions. We show our commitment by applying the Lord's words found in Isaiah 6:8—"here am I; send me [today]." In Hebrew it reads: הנני שלחני . Hinne sh'lacheni.

My favorite quote from Sister Madsen at the fireside:

"You can never plumb the depths of the Gospel." In reference to God's fountain of truth being everlasting (John 4:14). Sister Madsen shared how she is continually awed by the new things she learns from her daily scripture study, even at age 82.

Sister Madsen's Bio (via Deseret Book)

Wife of Truman G. Madsen, Ann Madsen is the mother of three (plus an Indian foster son), and a grandmother of sixteen and great-grandmother of two and 7/9. Her hobbies include hiking, swimming, cooking, writing poetry, and photography. Ann received her BS Degree from the University of Utah, her MA degree from BYU in Ancient Studies with a minor in Hebrew. Her thesis was entitled, Melchizekek, the Man and the Tradition. Sister Madsen has been teaching Old Testament at BYU since 1976. She also teaches courses in New Testament and Isaiah and taught these at the Jerusalem Center for Near Eastern Studies between 1987 and 1993. She has recently completed a book entitled Making Their Own Peace: Twelve Women of Jerusalem which tells of 12 modern women who live or have lived through Jerusalem’s wars and have created their own peace. It will be published in New York in April 2003. She presently teaches three courses at BYU; Writings of Isaiah, The Life of Christ: the Gospels, Honors: Old Testament Roots of the Book of Mormon. Her church service has included: Mission Presidents’s wife (New England Mission 1962-65), Stake Relief Society President (BYU 8th Stake), and Jerusalem Branch Relief Society President 1991- 1993. She was on the Gospel Doctrine writing committee for the Church for 17 years. She is presently a Visiting Teacher in her ward and teaches 16 yr. and 17 yr. olds in Sunday School.

*This post is dedicated to my dad, on his birthday. There's no gift he'd want more than to know his son is plotting ways to better serve God and his fellow man.