“I open at the close.” I remember being 12 years old and reading that in a Harry Potter book. When I read it, it felt pretty profound to my 12-year-old brain but the funny thing is that through my teenage years and adult years the Spirit has used that phrase to communicate peace and love through some of the hardest experiences of my life.

Forty-one years ago I was in my final year at the University of Otago in New Zealand when my evening was interrupted by two missionaries of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints—the first two members of the church I had ever met. I listened to them as they bore witness of the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon. They then left me with a copy of the book with specific passages marked out for me to read, promising to return in two days’ time to take me to a “special di

My journey to gaining a testimony of the Book of Mormon has been a roller coaster of fear, stubbornness, backbreaking trials, and ultimate peace and direction, all at a young age. I grew up in the church, yet from an early age my struggle with mental illness and subsequent isolation, loneliness, and fear led me to having a hard time knowing what was true and believing my life had value. I strayed from praying and grew more and more skeptical. In middle school, I went from bei

Throughout my life I have read from this book many times. This book is about families. The stories of immigrant families. Families fleeing war, death threats, slavery, and wanting a refuge and a better life for their children. Families that love each other, families that split apart. Families that are separated for centuries and then find each other again. It’s about culture, heritage, and genealogy. It’s a book about the Americas, but mostly it is a book about Jesus Christ.

Jesus can help us make real changes in every season of our lives. His words are the same, but each time we read them, our lives are different. Translating His words into the context of our lives requires persistence and patience across days, months, and years to become the best version of ourselves. When I was a grumpy 14 year old, I wanted to be happier so I decided to read The Book of Mormon, Another Testament of Jesus Christ. I plunked through it on my own and six mont

Out of the thousands of books I have read, I love this one the most. I have read and re-read this text many times and learned new principles to apply to my current struggles every time. The Book of Mormon reminds me that God loves each one of his children, that Christ is the Savior of this earth and that through righteous choices, people can live happy, fulfilled lives in this life and the next. The best way to read this book is by keeping an open mind, asking questions, and