There’s a famous quote by Mark Twain that I use all of the time:

“If it’s your job to eat a frog, it’s best to do it first thing in the morning. And if it’s your job to eat two frogs, it’s best to eat the biggest one first.”

It’s really a time management tactic. But also a way to avoid procrastination. If you’re looking at a job, no matter the size, do the thing you least want to do FIRST. And do it first thing in the morning.

Well, you’ve probably heard of this scripture study plan before, but I’m new to it. Here it is: if you read 4 chapters a day from the Standard Works (the Old Testament, New Testament, Book of Mormon, Doctrine and Covenants, and Pearl of Great Price), then by the end of the year you will have read through them all. This is approximately 30 minutes of scripture reading, in addition to the Come Follow Me reading, each day for a year. I have a favorite book of scripture. It’s the New Testament. Oh how I love to read about the life of the Savior! But that means that I also have a least favorite. The Old Testament. So, in following with “eating the frog,” I quickly decided to read the Old Testament first this year.

Imagine my complete surprise, that as I have been reading 4 chapters of the Old Testament everyday, that I have actually really enjoyed it! I have found that I don’t want to stop at just 4 and often I stop myself at 6 so I don’t get too far ahead. Craziness, right? The Old Testament is not a frog at all! And reading it quickly, helps put the stories together, and the people and their stories flow together.

As January comes to a close, I have been thinking a lot about my favorite scripture from my reading in Genesis this month. It’s just after the coat of many colors story of Joseph and his 10 brothers. When their father Jacob (God changed his name to Israel) dies, the brothers are worried that Joseph will now turn on them and hate them for what they did to him when he was younger. They were worried for good cause. They wanted to kill Joseph out of jealousy, but instead threw him in a pit in the middle of nowhere, and then told his father that he was dead. They watched their father mourn and cry and said nothing. Joseph was left, and sold as a slave. But Joseph had forgiven his brothers a long time ago, and he had seen all of the good that came from that terrible day. The brothers come to him begging forgiveness after their father is dead and Joseph gives them this sermon:

”As for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive.” (Genesis 50:20)

You tried to harm me, it’s true, but God was there with me in my suffering and turned my pain into something great so that I could save the lives of so many people. He shows compassion on his brother’s once again. Doesn’t this remind you of Jesus Christ? Joseph’s story parallel’s the Savior’s too. Beloved by His Father, and hated by His own. Betrayed by His own, He forgave even those who tormented Him and were cruel to Him, and then God used that suffering to save everyone from death, through mercy. We learn so many things in this story, and I think the one that stuck with me is this:

It is through pain that we are saved.

This story is another glimpse into the amazing way that Heavenly Father takes and uses the most painful and difficult circumstances in our lives, when we trust in Him and His plan, and turns it into good for ourselves and those around us. In our times of pain, we can turn to Him and trust in His ways. He knows what He is doing.

ONE LAST THOUGHT:

If you haven’t started the 4 chapters a day, it’s not too late! You have a few options: you can skip reading the Doctrine and Covenants later, because you’re already reading that now with Come Follow Me, OR you can read 6 chapters a day for a few months until you catch up. There are 1,579 chapters in total and there are plans on the internet for the reading if you’re interested. JOIN ME!

Comment below your favorite scripture from this month’s reading.