Changed From Time To Time

"And there was also written upon them a new writing, which was plain to be read, which did give us understanding concerning the ways of the Lord; and it was written and changed from time to time, according to the faith and diligence which we gave unto it. And thus we see that by small means the Lord can bring about great things." (1 Nephi 16:29). Why do we read the scriptures again and again? Because, just like the Liahona, the meaning of the words we read change from time to time. It makes sense. After all, we are always changing, hopefully, usually for the better. A verse you may have glossed over a dozen times may suddenly leap out at you and be the answer to the anguish in your soul. Nephi noted that what was written changed according to the faith and diligence that they gave unto it. The same applies to us and the scriptures. The more we read and study with faith and seek differently to understand the mysteries of God, the more the Spirit will reveal to us new ideas and messages contained in the same words we've read over and over. There's an old philosophical assertion that you can't cross the same river twice. The basic outline of a river may change little from year to year or even from century to century, but what is actually in the river changes from moment to moment. Rivers are constantly flowing and the particular molecules of water and silt that brush past your legs as you walk across the first time are completely different from the molecules that flow through you the second time you cross. It's the same with the scriptures. The actual words may always be the same, but the particles of truth and light and inspiration that flow through those words and into our hearts and minds are different every time.