In the preface to His Book of Commandments, the Lord mentions one of the reasons He gives us scriptures: "That faith also might increase in the earth" (D&C 1:21). Obviously, our faith will not increase unless we read and study and ponder the scriptures. Scripture study becomes to the spirit what food is to the body.
President Harold B. Lee, speaking to the Regional Representatives of the Twelve, put it this way: "Are you brethren continually increasing your testimonies by diligent study of the scriptures? Do you have a daily habit of reading the scriptures? If we're not reading the scriptures daily, our testimonies are growing thinner, our spirituality isn't increasing in depth" (Regional Representatives' seminar, Dec 12, 1070).
Some of us seem to be on spiritual diets. We can go days and weeks at a time never feeding our spirits, and consequently our testimonies grow thinner and thinner until we find ourselves spiritually malnourished.
I was impressed when I recently encountered this statement by President Marion G. Romney, of the great prophets of this dispensation: "The older I grow in the service, the more I turn to the scriptures and try to understand the meaning of what the Lord has said. . . . It is worth our time to study the scriptures and see the depth, as far as we can, of the Lord's teachings" (Welfare session of general conference, Oct. 5, 1974).If you will consistently and prayerfully search the scriptures for a few moments each day—for fifteen minutes if that's all the time you have—I can promise that your testimonies will grow, that your faith will increase, and that you will understand the meaning of what the Lord has said.
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