Why Scripture Study is Essential

"People who study the scriptures get a dimension to their life that nobody else gets and that can't be gained in any way except by studying the scriptures. There's an increase in faith and a desire to do what's right and a feeling of inspiration and understanding that comes to people who study the gospel - and who ponder the principles, that can't come in any other way."
— Bruce R. McConkie

I have been on a soapbox for a long time about the need to study the scriptures. I decided to write down the scriptures that help me to understand how important they are in my goal to obtain eternal life.

Jeremiah 31: 33 But this shall be the ^acovenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the Lord, I will put my ^blaw in their inward parts, and write it in their ^chearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people.

This is one of the reasons that we need to study so that the law will be written in our hearts so that we can be the covenant people of the Lord.

Joshua c1: 8 This book of the ^alaw shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt ^bmeditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.
This also shows the need to meditate on the scriptures and that will help us to observe them.

Deuteronomy 17: 19And it shall be with him, and he shall ^aread therein all the days of his life: that he may learn to fear the Lord his God, to keep all the words of this law and these statutes, to do them:

Ezra 7: 10For Ezra had ^aprepared his ^bheart to seek the law of the Lord, and to do it, and to teach in Israel ^cstatutes and judgments.
**Preparing our hearts is an important part of the will to read and do.


Acts 17:11 These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and ^asearched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.

2 TImothy 2:15^aStudy to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, ^brightly dividing the word of truth.

2 Timothy 3:15And that from a ^achild thou hast known the holy ^bscriptures, which are able to make thee ^cwise unto ^dsalvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.

Rev 13^aBlessed is he that ^breadeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the ^ctime is at hand.

2 Nephi 415And upon ^athese I ^bwrite the things of my soul, and many of the scriptures which are engraven upon the plates of brass. For my soul ^cdelighteth in the scriptures, and my heart ^dpondereth them, and writeth them for the ^elearning and the profit of my children.

2 Nephi 3120Wherefore, ye must press forward with a ^asteadfastness in Christ, having a perfect brightness of ^bhope, and a ^clove of God and of all men. Wherefore, if ye shall press forward, feasting upon the word of Christ, and ^dendure to the end, behold, thus saith the Father: Ye shall have ^eeternal life.

2 Nephi 32:3^aAngels speak by the power of the Holy Ghost; wherefore, they speak the words of Christ. Wherefore, I said unto you, ^bfeast upon the ^cwords of Christ; for behold, the words of Christ will ^dtell you all things what ye should do.

Mosiah 1:7 And now, my sons, I would that ye should remember to ^asearch them diligently, that ye may profit thereby; and I would that ye should ^bkeep the commandments of God, that ye may ^cprosper in the land according to the ^dpromises which the Lord made unto our fathers.

Alma 17:2 his brethren in the Lord; yea, and they had waxed strong in the knowledge of the truth; for they were men of a sound understanding and they had ^bsearched the scriptures diligently, that they might know the word of God.

3 Nephi 23:1And now, behold, I say unto you, that ye ought to ^asearch these things. Yea, a commandment I give unto you that ye search these things diligently; for great are the words of ^bIsaiah.

3 Nephi 10:14And now, whoso readeth, let him understand; he that hath the scriptures, let him ^asearch them, and see and behold if all these deaths and destructions by fire, and by smoke, and by ^btempests, and by whirlwinds, and by the ^copening of the earth to receive them, and all these things are not unto the fulfilling of the prophecies of many of the holy prophets.
If we want to know the fulfilling of prophecy we must read

D&C 1:37^aSearch these ^bcommandments, for they are true and ^cfaithful, and the prophecies and ^dpromises which are in them shall all be fulfilled.
D&C 11:22But now hold your ^apeace; study my word which ^bhath gone forth among the children of men, and also ^cstudy my word which shall come forth among the children of men, or that which is ^dnow translating, yea, until you have obtained all which I shall ^egrant unto the children of men in this generation, and then shall all things be added thereto.

D&C 18:2Behold, I have ^amanifested unto you, by my Spirit in many instances, that the ^bthings which you have written are ^ctrue; wherefore you know that they are true.

3And if you know that they are true, behold, I give unto you a commandment, that you ^arely upon the things which are ^bwritten;

4For in them are all things ^awritten concerning the foundation of my church, my gospel, and my ^brock.

D&C 26:1Behold, I say unto you that you shall let your ^atime be devoted to the ^bstudying of the scriptures, and to preaching, and to confirming the church at ^cColesville, and to performing your ^dlabors on the land, such as is required, until after you shall go to the west to hold the next conference; and then it shall be made ^eknown what you shall do.
The Lord knows we have may things to do yet he also says to spend our time in the scriptures.

D&C 33:16 And the Book of Mormon and the holy scriptures are given of me for your ^ainstruction; and the power of my ^bSpirit ^cquickeneth all things.
What blessing!

D&C 84:57 And they shall remain under this condemnation until they repent and remember the new ^acovenant, even the ^bBook of Mormon and the ^cformer commandments which I have given them, not only to say, but to ^ddo according to that which I have written—

D&C 138:2 I sat in my room ^apondering over the scriptures;
Totally we must ponder.

JS_M 1:37And whoso ^atreasureth up my word, shall not be deceived,

Deut. 8:3 that he might make thee know that ^cman doth not live by ^dbread only, but by every ^eword that proceedeth out of the mouth of the Lord doth man live.

D&C 41:12 These words are given unto you, and they are pure before me; wherefore, beware how you hold them, for they are to be answered upon your ^asouls in the day of judgment. Even so. Amen.