By Melissa Plowman
Intense scripture study among all ages should be more desired than gold, and sweeter than honey, said LDS Young Women General President Susan Tanner at Sunday''s CES Fireside in the Marriott Center.
Sister Tanner began by describing the reasoning behind scripture study as being sweeter than honey with a story about Jewish traditions.
?When the child was to start his education in the Torah, a taste of honey was given to the student, so he would associate the study of the holy books with sweetness,? she said.
She also referenced the ancient prophet David, in Psalm 19:10, who described scripture study as ?sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb.?
Latter-day Saints must hunger for the scriptures so the words can become like sweet honey, she said. This hunger for the word was evident on her recent trip to Africa when she was overcome by the humility of the Saints and their desires to learn more about the gospel.
?The Saints were often hungry for food but even hungrier to feast on the word of the Lord,? Tanner said. ?They had very little temporally, but they were rich spiritually. Their well-worn scriptures accompanied them at every meeting. They taught from them, read from them, knew them and loved them.?
Even though they had to walk four hours to church meetings, sometimes without shoes and very little to eat, they still feasted upon the words of God, Tanner said.
Because of these Saints? longing for the gospel, Tanner began to reflect on her own needs for improvement, she said. She is concerned for the Saints who have so much and hopes they have not grown casual or complacent in studying the scriptures and living the doctrine.
Sister Tanner also told of the need for young children to learn and love the scriptures early on. She related Elder Neal A. Maxwell?s lessons on awakening glimpses into previous lessons learned in the pre-mortal existence from Heavenly Father.
?Perhaps the special, evocative powers of scriptures are bound up with our flashes of memory from the pre-mortal world or at least call forth our predispositions nurtured for so long there,? she said, quoting Maxwell.