Feeling the spirit more in their lives, helping them not only spiritually but in all aspects of their lives, are reasons why BYU–Hawaii students said study the scriptures.
Mahonri Eteru, a senior from Australia majoring in communications and psychology, said, “The most important thing is inviting the Spirit into your study sessions [...] the Spirit will guide you toward what you need to study.”
Studying and pondering the scriptures is a personal choice students said they make because they want to know more about the gospel of Jesus Christ, and learning how to do it more effectively is something they strive to do as well.
Studying provides spiritual strength
Eteru said, “I study the scriptures because it gives me full confidence in my success. I know that if I put the Lord first, I will be successful no matter what. [He] will lead me to where I need to be, and I can help others if I am in the right place.”Studying the scriptures, he said, has helped him spiritually. “
It helps me strengthen my testimony in Jesus Christ and is the most important thing. And if there is anything that we need to learn [about] the gospel, it’s about our Savior Jesus Christ.”
Zeph Mckee, a senior from California majoring in political science, shared why he focuses on scripture study. “I feel like it [the scriptures] is a constant in my life that I need. If I don’t have constant instructions, spiritual nourishment, then I feel like something is off, which is why I feel like I always have to study.“I noticed that when I have been doing scripture study, I am more focused and do better on my studies.”
Mckee said when he has a specific question, the scriptures will provide him an answer. “Other times the scriptures give me peace. I feel peace when I am reading, and I kind of feel like I can have a vision of what is going to happen in the future. And I feel that everything is going to be okay because I am somebody who stresses about the future.”
He added the gospel brings the feeling of peace – a form of healing. Scripture study can be more than just a commandment, Mckee said, but a medicine that can help someone go through life’s challenges.
Stop procrastination and distractions
Gideon Nabuti, a sophomore from Kiribati majoring in both political science and secondary education, said, “There are times that we get so busy with all of our school stuff, assignments and all that, but the main important thing is we always keep in mind the importance of scripture study.
“And that’s what motivates us a lot to overcome or prevent procrastination is the clear knowledge that scripture really helps us ease on things.”
According to Gideon, midterms and projects can hinder one’s opportunity to study the scriptures. "It can be hard to prioritize what is important in life. Homework and assignments, working at your job, applying for scholarships can become burdensome when trying to put the Lord as a top priority."
Eteru shared his method of overcoming procrastination and how to focus on studying the scriptures. He said, “I set a specific time. My goal is to have an hour every day dedicated to personal study. I can study a variety of things, but as long as I set an hour a day, that is my goal.”
Paper versus electronic
Eteru said he prefers to study from a paper copy of the scriptures. He said, “There’s too much distraction on the phone. Like you could be reading the scriptures, and all of a sudden, you get three notifications of people wanting to talk to you.”
Kristian Alfoja, a junior from the Philippines majoring in psychology and social work, said he prefers a hard copy. “A hard copy helps me study because on the electronic [version], you might go to social media.”
Thomas Robertson, a junior from Nevada majoring in biology, said, “I prefer a paper copy because I get distracted by other apps. Using the paper copy helps me focus. I like to underline with red pen.”