I finished the Old Testament

Ok, so maybe it's not really on a scroll but close enough

I started reading the Old Testament last summer when I found out my friend Brittany was reading it. I realized that even though I had always accepted the Bible as God's word, just as much so as the Book of Mormon, I'd never read the Bible from cover to cover. I'd read the New Testament several times, and I've always loved the books of Ruth, Esther, Psalms and Isaiah (yes, I'm weird), I'd never attempted the entire Old Testament. (I'm pretty sure we were supposed to do that during freshman year of seminary, but also pretty sure I spent most of that year giggling with Shawna, Caitlyn and Gio in the back row and driving Sister Peterson crazy.) I stopped reading partway through Genesis and left it alone for several months.

When I got my pretty new fun-sized scriptures for Christmas, I decided to try again. I re-started the Old Testament on January 1. I finished it on July 15. And yes, although there are passages filled with names and dimensions that I couldn't care less about, exhaustive descriptions of long-outdated laws and some exploits that made me cringe, I loved it. Some people say God is harsher in the Old Testament. I disagree. I see example after example of a loving God guiding His children to become more like Him. He gives them teaching experiences not so different from our own. He loves them just as much. He's with them just as often (aka, always). And He hints at the same exalting ordinances we find in our temples today (at least, as far as I can tell). It's a beautiful book. And after I finish the rest of the Bible (which will easily happen by December 31), I just might have to read it again.