by Shauna Horne
[Courtesy of Wilford Woodruff Papers]
Wilford Woodruff said, “Brethren and sisters, let us read the revelations of God for ourselves, and when we read them, let us believe them, and try to live in such a way that we may be ready for whatever dispensation the Lord may have in store for us.”
Has there ever been a scripture that changed you? This week while studying 2 Kings 23, the story of King Josiah stuck out to me. He read the scriptures that were found in the temple, and they had a huge impact on him. They changed him.
I, as well, have been changed by scripture. I had one especially personal and life-changing experience as I was going through my divorce after 22 years of marriage. I had anger towards my soon-to-be ex-husband—years of built-up anger coming out in a hurry. At times it felt like I was going to explode. I didn’t like who I was or who I was becoming. I remember on a particularly difficult day kneeling down on the floor at work and crying out to the Lord, telling Him that I could not continue like this. The anger was too much. I told Him I needed to heal and move on. I poured out my heart to Him, crying for His help. I desperately needed Him. He whispered back to me, ‘Recite the Living Christ.’
Years before, my daughter and I had memorized ‘The Living Christ: The Testimony of the Apostles’ together. It was an awesome experience. I did not know that six years later, that sacred text would be what helped me heal from a broken heart. Immediately, I pulled the document up on my phone and began to recite it. Every time I had an angry or ugly feeling towards my husband, I would start at the beginning.
This document, this modern-day scripture, healed my heart. There is no way to read about our Lord and Savior without feeling His spirit. Each time I recited it, my heart became a little softer. The pain was a little less intense. It took time to heal, but in that very moment I had relief from agonizing pain. I can testify that the Lord literally healed my broken heart. He saved my soul from agony. Scripture, both modern and ancient, can change lives. Studying the pages of God’s words has changed my life forever.
More Come, Follow Me resources here.
Shauna graduated from Brigham Young University-Idaho in April 2022 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Marriage and Family. She has spent most of her life raising her four children and two foster daughters. She loves being a mother and now a grandmother to three perfect preschoolers. She has a passion for marriage and family. She worked for Wilford Woodruff Papers as an intern on the content team and was hooked. Now, she is ecstatic to accept a position as the content manager. She loves the gospel and is thrilled to be a part of a project that will impact generations to come. Besides the gospel, Shauna loves hiking in the Pacific Northwest where she lives, reading, going on adventures with her husband and children, camping, and anything water related. She also has been an early morning seminary teacher the last seven years and loves teenagers.
