SHADE FINISHED THE BOOK OF MORMON!

I am a big advocate of teaching my kids WHY they should do something rather than have them do it just because it is expected. So to my excitement, when Shade turned 7, he decided he wanted to read the Book of Mormon before he got baptized into the LDS church. So we started reading it together shortly after his 7th birthday. We figured if we read at least one chapter a day, we would get through the whole book about a month before his birthday, which would give him time to pray about it and learn for himself if it were true before getting baptized. It wasn't always easy (some chapters are VERY long, and the wording is not easy to understand for a 7 year old), but it gave us a chance to discuss the stories, advice, instruction, and consequences that the book contains. It was a great learning experience for Shade, and it was a different experience for me having to explain some of the complexities to a child. Especially with some of the questions he would come up with. When we went to Utah this summer, we weren't as vigilant at reading every night, as we were often exhausted with the time change, but we made up for it when we got back, sometimes reading 2 chapters per night :) It took almost a year, but Shade accomplished his goal! He read the whole Book of Mormon.

SIDE NOTE: The first Fast Sunday after Shade was baptized (November 6th), he got up in front of everyone to bear his testimony. It was short and sweet - he said he knew the Book of Mormon was true. I really hope he can hold onto that witness he has received as life's challenges come his way...!