I study the scriptures differently, we study scriptures together as family differently. It has effected the way I look at teaching the gospel to my kids and they way I feel about and look at myself. I cannot say enough good about this book, I highly recommend reading it. You can find it, as well as Ali's other great books, here: https://www.millennialstandardpress.com/online-store (I cannot wait to read her Millennial Instructor!)
First I want to tell you about how this book has changed the way our family studies the scriptures together. We have tried so many different way to keep our kids engaged, learning, and relatively under control. We have used those comic book like Scripture story books, regular scriptures, taking turns reading, listening to Daddy read, acting out what we read, drawing what we read, building with Legos or blocks what we read. Nothing really worked for long, nothing felt right. In her book Ali talks about principles being unchanging gospel truths. They can be summed up in one sentence, such as "I am a child of God" She talks about finding true principles everywhere in books, not just in scriptures. I decided to start searching the scriptures with the intent to find principles. It really changed the way I read and study. I was no longer re-reading something I'd read 100 times before, I was seeing a message and seeing it re-enforced again and again. I started teaching Benjamin to study scriptures the same way. Then I suggested we do it as a family. Each night someone picks a principle or topic and we all turn to the topical guide or index to find a scripture or story that we feel speaks of that principle. Some aren't in the topical guide, like "I am a child of God" so instead we looked at love, Son, Children, and searched our memories for stories that testified of this precious truth. Benjamin chose to find the scripture in Moses where he is talking to God and then after God leaves Satan comes and tries to get Moses to worship him, but he won't because he knows he is a son of God. Elizabeth told us a story about living in heaven and the great council in Heaven. Glen found a scripture that spoke to him of God's love for us. John found one about teaching children and that led to another scripture I remembered, "Whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth." The most beautiful thing is that each night is now a discussion, everyone is engaged and no one is bored. Because we are sharing our own thoughts and ideas scriptures and stories are shared that I wouldn't have thought of or seen the way my children do, I am learning too! I love that Elizabeth can participate because she can pull out her picture book and tell us a story that she thought of when we gave the topic. I feel like we have finally found the way the Lord intended for our family to study His Gospel. It is wonderful that the Lord knows all of His children so well that He can inspire us and teach us what we need for our family, even though it is different from what another family needs.
The other life changing concept I learned from this book in about being converted. I feel like I have truly become converted to the lord. I am no longer a hearer of the word, but a doer also. For me the gospel is not just a Sunday thing, it is so much a part of my life that is is woven into every fiber of my being. Every thought, word and action is based on my testimony that God knows me and that He loves me. Because I have become truly converted I can teach my children by my example. They see me studying the scriptures, not just reading for a few minutes each morning. They see me doing, as I serve others, and they see that everything reminds me of the scriptures and of my Savior, everything is a teaching moment. What really changed my life was seeing that just like I need to be truly converted to Christ, I also need to be truly converted to Homeschooling. Being truly converted to teaching my children is important because there is no longer an out, "If you keep acting up I'll just send you back to public school." Now we solve the problems. Knowing that this choice is right for us and won't change means the way we learn changed, the way we look at life changed, the way we see our family and our eternal salvation changed. Homeschooling used to be about a specific time and subject, but after being converted homeschooling became a part of who I am. Every thought and action is based off of homeschooling. Homeschooling has become a true principle in my life, an unchanging truth, but one that continues to change me as I learn each day.
I am eternally grateful for a loving Father in Heaven who knows me and my family so well that he knows just what we need each day. I know that he inspires me as I teach my children. I can no longer see secular knowledge and spiritual knowledge, I see how connected they are. We learn math, science, literature, Mathew Mark, Luke and John, all with an eye single to the glory of God. I know He lives! I know He loves me! I know the Spirit testifies of the truth of all things!
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