4,000th Post

Just over eleven years ago, I started writing this blog, sharing what I learn from the scriptures each day.

The first few years, I occasionally missed a day. I still recall an urgent text message from a friend a few days after my son returned home from a mission, wondering if I was okay, since he hadn’t seen a blog post in a while. Since 2018, I’ve been quite consistent, writing at least 365 posts each year, pretty much every day, with only occasional brief delays.

Which brings me to this post: number 4,000. I thought you might be interested to hear a few fun facts about these posts.

• The average length is 532 words, so most of them should be readable in about two minutes.
• Out of 6,604 verses in the Book of Mormon, I’ve referenced 5,503 so far, about 83%. I’ve also referenced about half of the verses in the New Testament, Doctrine and Covenants, and Pearl of Great Price, and about 15% of the verses in the Old Testament.
• I’ve quoted or referenced 625 General Conference talks.

The Book of Mormon verse I have referenced most frequently (in 48 posts) is Mosiah 18:9:

Yea, and are willing to mourn with those that mourn; yea, and comfort those that stand in need of comfort, and to stand as witnesses of God at all times and in all things, and in all places that ye may be in, even until death, that ye may be redeemed of God, and be numbered with those of the first resurrection, that ye may have eternal life…

I love the reminder that disciples of Christ show their love by sharing others’ sorrow! I also love the apostle Paul’s related injunction to “Rejoice with them that do rejoice, and weep with them that weep” (Romans 12:15). We share others’ sorrows, and we also share their joy!

What have I learned by repeating this process 4,000 times?

1. Learning is an incremental process. What I’m learning today builds on what I learned yesterday. That’s why it’s so much better to study daily than to study a lot occasionally, like a student cramming for an exam.
2. Accountability is motivating. You, my readers, have helped me maintain good study habits, including making the effort to dig for new insights every day. I’m grateful for the regular reminders that what I’m learning may benefit someone else.
3. The scriptures are intricately interconnected. Every time I find a connection between passages written by different prophets in different locations, perhaps separated by centuries, I marvel at the unity of God’s truth. The richness of the Book of Mormon’s message is due in large part to its interaction with words of prophets throughout the ages.
4. It’s all about personal spiritual growth. I have ended nearly every blog post with a commitment, introduced by the words “Today I will…” One of my readers once asked if I always follow through on those commitments. Of course I fall short, and variations of the same commitments often return for another try. But I have found that those daily resolutions invite the power of God and are often exactly what I need for the challenges of that particular day. And I have faith that, over time, the process is shaping me into the person God wants me to become.

It has been and continues to be a joyous journey. Thank you for taking it with me, and I look forward to continued learning and growth in the days and years ahead!