Why is it important to read the Holy Gospel at home and how to do it correctly? How to read the Gospel correctly at home? Tips and tricks.

27.07.2023

The Bible (“book, composition”) is a collection of sacred texts of Christians, consisting of many parts, combined into the Old Testament and the New Testament. The Bible has a clear division: before and after the birth of Jesus Christ. Before birth it is the Old Testament, after birth it is the New Testament. The New Testament is called the Gospel.

The Bible is a book containing the sacred writings of the Jewish and Christian religions. The Hebrew Bible, a collection of ancient Hebrew sacred texts, is also included in the Christian Bible, forming its first part - the Old Testament. Both Christians and Jews consider it to be a record of the agreement (covenant) made by God with man and revealed to Moses on Mount Sinai. Christians believe that Jesus Christ announced a new Covenant, which is the fulfillment of the Covenant given in Revelation to Moses, but at the same time replaces it. Therefore, the books that tell about the activities of Jesus and his disciples are called the New Testament. The New Testament constitutes the second part of the Christian Bible.

The word "bible" is of ancient Greek origin. In the language of the ancient Greeks, “byblos” meant “books.” In our time, we use this word to call one specific book, consisting of several dozen separate religious works. The Bible is a book of over a thousand pages. The Bible consists of two parts: the Old Testament and the New Testament.
The Old Testament, which tells about God's participation in the life of the Jewish people before the coming of Jesus Christ.
The New Testament, giving information about the life and teachings of Christ in all His truth and beauty. God, through the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, granted salvation to people - this is the main teaching of Christianity. Although only the first four books of the New Testament deal directly with the life of Jesus, each of the 27 books in its own way seeks to interpret the meaning of Jesus or show how his teachings apply to the lives of believers.
Gospel (Greek - “good news”) - a biography of Jesus Christ; books revered as sacred in Christianity that tell of the divine nature of Jesus Christ, his birth, life, miracles, death, resurrection and ascension. The Gospels are part of the books of the New Testament.

Bible. New Testament. Gospel.

Bible. Old Testament.

The texts of the Books of the Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments presented on this site are taken from the Synodal translation.

Prayer before reading the Holy Gospel

(prayer after the 11th kathisma)

Shine in our hearts, O Master of Mankind, the imperishable light of Your God-understanding, and open our mental eyes, in Your Gospel sermons, understanding, put in us the fear of Your blessed commandments, so that carnal lusts, all straightened, we will go through spiritual life, all of which is for Your good pleasure. both wise and active. For You are the enlightenment of our souls and bodies, O Christ God, and we send up glory to You, with Your Originless Father, and Your Most Holy and Good, and Your Life-giving Spirit, now and ever, and unto ages of ages, Amen.

“There are three ways to read a book,” writes one wise man, “you can read it in order to subject it to critical evaluation; you can read it, looking for pleasure in it for your feelings and imagination, and, finally, you can read it with your conscience. The first read to judge, the second to have fun, the third to improve. The Gospel, which has no equal among books, must first be read only with a simple mind and conscience. Read this way, it will make your conscience tremble on every page before goodness, before high, beautiful morality.”

“When reading the Gospel,” the bishop inspires. Ignatius (Brianchaninov), - do not seek pleasure, do not seek delight, do not seek brilliant thoughts: seek to see the infallibly holy Truth.
Do not be content with one fruitless reading of the Gospel; try to fulfill his commandments, read his deeds. This is the book of life, and you must read it with your life.

Rule regarding reading the Word of God

The reader of the book must do the following:
1) You should not read many sheets and pages, because someone who has read a lot cannot understand everything and keep it in memory.
2) It is not enough to read and think a lot about what is read, for this way what is read is better understood and deepened in memory, and our mind is enlightened.
3) See what is clear or unclear from what you read in the book. When you understand what you're reading, it's good; and when you don’t understand, leave it and continue reading. What is unclear will either be clarified by the next reading, or by repeating another reading, with God’s help, it will become clearer.
4) What the book teaches you to avoid, what it teaches you to seek and do, try to do it in action. Avoid evil and do good.
5) When you only sharpen your mind from a book, but do not correct your will, then from reading the book you will become worse than you were; learned and intelligent fools are more evil than simple ignoramuses.
6) Remember that it is better to love in a Christian way than to have a high understanding; It is better to live beautifully than to say: “reason boasts, but love creates.”
7) Whatever you yourself learn with God’s help, lovingly teach it to others on occasion, so that the seed sown grows and produces fruit.”

The Gospel of Matthew is the first of the books of the New Testament. The Gospel of Matthew belongs to the canonical Gospels. The New Testament begins with the four gospels - the lives of Jesus Christ. The first three Gospels are similar to each other, which is why they are called synoptic (from the Greek “synoptikos” - to see together).

Read the Gospel of Matthew.

The Gospel of Matthew consists of 28 chapters.

Church tradition names the author as Matthew, the tax collector who followed Christ. However, modern researchers believe that the Gospel was not written by a direct eyewitness of the event, and, therefore, the Apostle Matthew cannot be the author of the first Gospel. It is believed that this text was written somewhat later, and the unknown author relied on the Gospel of Mark and the extant source Q.

Theme of the Gospel of Matthew

The main theme of the Gospel of Matthew is the life and work of Jesus Christ. The book was intended for a Jewish audience. The Gospel of Matthew is replete with references to messianic Old Testament prophecies. The author's goal is to show that messianic prophecies are fulfilled at the coming of the Son of God.

The Gospel describes in detail the genealogy of the Savior, starting from Abraham and ending with Joseph the Betrothed, the husband of the Virgin Mary.

Features of the Gospel of Matthew.

The Gospel of Matthew is the only book of the New Testament that was not written in Greek. The Aramaic original of the Gospel was lost, and the Greek translation was included in the canon.

The activity of the Messiah is considered in the Gospel from three points of view:

like a Prophet
as a Legislator
as the High Priest.

This book focuses on the teachings of Christ.

The Gospel of Matthew repeats many of the other Synoptic Gospels, but there are several points here that are not revealed in any other book of the New Testament:

The story of the healing of two blind men,
The story of the healing of a mute demoniac,
The story of a coin in a fish's mouth.

There are also several original parables in this Gospel:

parable of the tares,
parable of the treasure in the field,
parable of the pearl of great price,
parable of the net,
the parable of the merciless lender,
parable of the workers in the vineyard,
parable of two sons,
parable of the wedding feast,
parable of the ten virgins,
parable of the talents.

Interpretation of the Gospel of Matthew

In addition to describing the birth, life and death of Jesus, the Gospel also reveals themes about the Second Coming of Christ, the eschatological revelation of the Kingdom and in the daily spiritual life of the Church

The book was written to accomplish 2 tasks:

Tell the Jews that Jesus is their Messiah.
To encourage those who believed in Jesus as the Messiah and feared that God would turn away from His people after His Son was crucified. Matthew said that God had not given up on the people and that the previously promised Kingdom would come in the future.

The Gospel of Matthew testifies that Jesus is the Messiah. The author answers the question, “If Jesus is truly the Messiah, then why did He not establish the promised Kingdom?” The author says that this Kingdom has taken on a different form and that Jesus will return to earth again to establish His rule. The Savior came with good news to the people, but according to God's plan, His message was rejected to be heard later to all nations throughout the world.

Chapter 1. Genealogy of the Savior. Birth of the Messiah.

Chapter 2. Flight of the Holy Family to Egypt. Return of the Holy Family to Nazareth.

Chapter 3. Baptism of Jesus by John the Baptist.

Chapter 4. The beginning of the preaching work of Jesus Christ in Galilee. The first disciples of Christ.

Chapters 5 – 7. Sermon on the Mount.

Chapters 8 – 9. Sermons in Galilee. Miracles of Christ. The power of the savior over illness, the forces of evil, nature, over death. The Savior's ability to forgive. The ability to turn darkness into light and cast out demons.

Chapter 10. Calling of the 12 Apostles

Chapter 11. A challenge to the authority of the Son of God.

Chapter 12. Disputes about the power of the new Tsar.

Chapters 13 – 18. Miracles and parables of Christ. Preaching in Galilee and surrounding lands.

Chapters 19 – 20. Jesus goes from Galilee to Judea.

Chapters 21 – 22. Jesus' entry into Jerusalem and preaching there.

Chapter 23. Jesus' rebuke of the Pharisees.

Chapter 24. Jesus predicts his Second Coming after the destruction of Jerusalem.

Chapter 25. New parables. Explanation of future events.

Chapter 26. Anointing of Jesus with chrism. Last Supper. Arrest of the Messiah and trial.

Chapter 27. Jesus Christ before Pilate. Crucifixion and burial of the Savior.

Chapter 28. Resurrection of Jesus.

The Gospel of Matthew (Greek: Ευαγγέλιον κατά Μαθθαίον or Ματθαίον) is the first book of the New Testament and the first of the four canonical gospels. It is traditionally followed by the gospels of Mark, Luke and John.
The main theme of the Gospel is the life and preaching of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. The peculiarities of the Gospel arise from the book's intended use for a Jewish audience - the Gospel often contains references to the messianic prophecies of the Old Testament, with the purpose of showing the fulfillment of these prophecies in Jesus Christ.
The Gospel begins with the genealogy of Jesus Christ, going in an ascending line from Abraham to Joseph the Betrothed, the named husband of the Virgin Mary. This genealogy, the similar genealogy in the Gospel of Luke, and their differences from each other have been the subject of much study by historians and biblical scholars.
Chapters five through seven provide the most complete exposition of Jesus' Sermon on the Mount, presenting the essence of Christian teaching, including the Beatitudes (5:2-11) and the Lord's Prayer (6:9-13).
The evangelist sets out the speeches and deeds of the Savior in three sections corresponding to the three sides of the Messiah’s ministry: as Prophet and Lawgiver (chap. 5 - 7), King over the visible and invisible world (chap. 8 - 25) and High Priest sacrificing himself for sins all people (chap. 26 - 27).
Only the Gospel of Matthew mentions the healing of two blind men (9:27-31), a mute demoniac (9:32-33), as well as an episode with a coin in the mouth of a fish (17:24-27). Only in this Gospel are there parables about the tares (13:24), about the treasure in the field (13:44), about the pearl of great price (13:45), about the net (13:47), about the unmerciful lender (18:23), about the workers in the vineyard (20:1), about the two sons (21:28), about the wedding feast (22:2), about the ten virgins (25:1), about the talents (25:31).
Genealogy of Jesus Christ (1:1-17)
Nativity of Christ (1:18-12)
Flight to Egypt of the Holy Family and return to Nazareth (2:13-23)
The Preaching of John the Baptist and the Baptism of Jesus (chapter 3)
The Temptation of Christ in the Wilderness (4:1-11)
Jesus comes to Galilee. The beginning of the sermon and the calling of the first disciples (4:12-25)
Sermon on the Mount (5-7)
Miracles and preaching in Galilee (8-9)
The calling of the 12 apostles and their instructions for preaching (10)
Miracles and parables of Christ. Preaching in Galilee and surrounding lands (11-16)
Transfiguration of the Lord (17:1-9)
New parables and healings (17:10-18)
Jesus goes from Galilee to Judea. Parables and miracles (19-20)
Entry of the Lord into Jerusalem (21:1-10)
Sermon in Jerusalem (21:11-22)
Refutation of the Pharisees (23)
Jesus' Predictions about the Destruction of Jerusalem, His Second Coming, and the Rapture of the Church (24)
Proverbs (25)
Jesus' anointing with chrism (26:1-13)
Last Supper (26:14-35)
Gethsemane Controversy, Arrest and Trial (26:36-75)
Christ before Pilate (27:1-26)
Crucifixion and burial (27:27-66)
Appearances of the Risen Christ (28)
Church tradition
Although all the Gospels (and Acts) are anonymous texts, and the authors of these texts are unknown, ancient church tradition considers the apostle Matthew, a tax collector who followed Jesus Christ, to be anonymous (9:9, 10:3). This tradition is attested by a church historian of the 4th century. Eusebius of Caesarea, who reports the following:
Matthew originally preached to the Jews; Having gathered to other nations, he handed them his Gospel, written in their native language. Recalled from them, he left them his Scripture in return.
Eusebius of Caesarea, Ecclesiastical History, III, 24, 6
Quoted by the same Eusebius, a Christian writer of the first half of the 2nd century. Papias of Hierapolis reports that
Matthew recorded Jesus' conversations in Hebrew and translated them as best he could.
Eusebius of Caesarea, Ecclesiastical History, III, 39, 16
This legend was also known to St. Irenaeus of Lyons (II century):
Matthew published the scriptures of the Gospel among the Jews in their own language, while Peter and Paul preached the gospel in Rome and founded the Church.
St. Irenaeus of Lyons, Against Heresies, III, 1, 1
Blessed Jerome of Stridon even claims that he had a chance to see the original Gospel of Matthew in Hebrew, which was in the Caesarea library, collected by the martyr Pamphilus.
In his lectures on the Gospel of Matthew, Bishop. Cassian (Bezobrazov) wrote: “For us, the question of the authenticity of the Gospel of Matthew is not of significant importance. We are interested in the writer because his personality and the conditions of his ministry can explain the writing of the book.”
Modern researchers
The text of the Gospel itself does not contain any indication of the identity of the author, and, according to most scholars, the Gospel of Matthew was not written by eyewitnesses. Due to the fact that the text of the Gospel itself does not contain the name of the author or any obvious indication of his identity, many modern researchers believe that the first of the four Gospels was written not by the Apostle Matthew, but by another author unknown to us. There is a two-source hypothesis, according to which the author of the Gospel of Matthew actively used material from the Gospel of Mark and the so-called source Q.
The text of the Gospel has undergone a number of changes over time; it is not possible to reconstruct the original text in our time.
Language
If we consider the testimony of the Church Fathers about the Hebrew language of the original Gospel to be true, then the Gospel of Matthew is the only book of the New Testament, the original of which was not written in Greek. However, the Hebrew (Aramaic) original is lost; the ancient Greek translation of the Gospel, mentioned by Clement of Rome, Ignatius of Antioch and other Christian writers of antiquity, is included in the canon.
The peculiarities of the language of the Gospel indicate the author as a Palestinian Jew; a large number of Jewish phrases are found in the Gospel; the author assumes that readers are familiar with the area and Jewish customs. It is characteristic that in the list of apostles in the Gospel of Matthew (10:3), the name Matthew is marked with the word “publican” - probably this is a sign indicating the author’s humility, for publicans were deeply despised by the Jews.

People who have just recently joined the church do not know how to read the Gospel correctly at home, and therefore ask questions like these. Reading Scripture is usually fraught with difficulties. And they are worth considering in more detail.

Difficulties in Mastering the Gospel

Some believers note that reading Scripture is extremely difficult at first. And this is due not only to the unusual style of presentation, but also to the fact that many are steadily drawn to sleep when reading it.

The clergy believe that this phenomenon is associated with manifestations of the subtle world, where not only angels, but also demons are found. It is the dark forces that do not like it when a person studies the Holy Scriptures. And they try in every possible way to prevent such an action.

Churched people have fewer difficulties reading the Gospel, because they are stronger in spirit. And their faith is greater and deeper than that of beginners. Therefore, all temptations and difficulties in mastering the Holy Book pass over time if a person makes efforts to do so.

There are a number of rules regarding the reading of Scripture. They contain the following information:

You must read while standing;
The first reading should be carried out from the beginning to the end of the book. Next, you can read your favorite passages. But this does not mean that you need to read continuously;
While reading, you should not be distracted or rush.

In addition to general rules, in the modern world there are myths associated with reading the Gospel. Among them are the following:

Those where it is said that a woman must have a certain form of clothing and a covered head for reading. You can read at home without these formalities;
Those where it is mentioned that if the information is not remembered, then just praying is enough. It is almost impossible to absorb everything from the Gospel even after dozens of readings. Therefore, it is worth continuing to read even when what you read is not stored in your head at all. Just as a river purifies what a person has put into it, the person himself, by reading, is purified.

The longer the Holy Scripture is studied, the more new meanings a Christian discovers for himself in the end. It is difficult to give a definite answer to the question of how to correctly read the Gospel at home.

In what language should we study Scripture?

Modern people do not know the Old Church Slavonic language, and it is not recommended to torture yourself with reading it. It is best to analyze spiritual texts in the language that is native to the person.

How to introduce children to reading the Gospel?

In Orthodoxy, there are many wonderful books for children, where biblical stories are presented in an accessible form. You can buy one of these to read about it to your children. But reading the “adult” Gospel is also welcome.

It is unacceptable to use modern versions stylized as fairy tales for reading. The child must understand the importance of the process and not confuse it with childish fun.

Due to a lack of church knowledge, a believer may not understand some passages of Scripture. Then it is necessary to resort to official interpretations authorized by the church or personal confessor.

Is it necessary to cover spiritual literature?

The clergy give a negative answer to this question. In church practice there is no rite of consecration of literature. And the Gospel itself is already a holy book. And it does not need additional lighting.

So, how to read the Gospel correctly at home? This must be done in a calm environment. You can read in solitude, or you can organize reading for the whole family. If difficulties arise, you can pray to the Lord before reading. Ask him for the gift of wisdom to study the Holy Scriptures. Thoughtfulness and diligence are the main aspects of comprehending one of the main books in Christianity. While reading, it is recommended to take notes in a separate notebook. There you can write down questions, important thoughts and favorite quotes. This approach helps to systematize the acquired knowledge.

You can learn about the life of Jesus Christ from a number of works called the Gospel. It talks about the life of the son of God, about his deeds on earth. The New Testament of the Bible consists of four parts. But before reading one of the sections, the church recommends reading a prayer. You can read Scripture at home, the main thing is to believe in what you are reading.

Prayer before and after reading the Gospel: how to read the Gospel correctly?

The Gospel is nothing more than Good News. By reading this sacred book, a person receives a unique opportunity to know God and love him. Therefore, while reading it, it becomes possible to free oneself from sin and suffer punishment for it.

In the gospel, it is possible to highlight several main provisions.

What surrounds us, including people, was created by the Creator - God.
God is holy and has no sins.
People must obey God since he is their creator.
For what has been done, a person will face eternal punishment.
It is possible to avoid punishment through good deeds.
Resurrection of Jesus Christ.
The trusting relationship between Jesus Christ and humanity. Willingness to follow him under any circumstances.

How to read the gospel at home and when to read prayers?

The Gospel is not a simple book, but a sacred one. Therefore, in order to get the maximum benefit from it, you need to do it correctly. In order to pray before reading, you need to adhere to some basic rules.

Take this matter seriously. If you take a holy book, then you must sincerely believe what is written there. If you have an unbiased attitude to reading, proper results will not be obtained.
A person's desire to study the Bible. A person must want to read the holy book, otherwise he will not understand what is written there. The Gospel is holy scripture; a book is not fiction.

You can read the holy letter alone or in a group of people, but you definitely need to read the prayer. The prayer before reading the gospel can be addressed for your loved ones or relatives. It is worth noting that when picking up a holy book, it is worth reading at least one chapter. At the same time, you should not stop in the middle of the text. You need to read it completely, to the end!

Many who want to understand the gospel with all their hearts take notes on the essence of what they read, highlighting important points for themselves. According to church rules, the Gospel can only be read while standing. But at home, it is best to take a position that will allow you to escape from extraneous matters and immerse yourself in the essence of the Holy Scriptures. If a person listens to the gospel in the temple, then he should give up.

How to read the gospel correctly and when?

The Church recommends prayer daily. But in order for the study of the holy book to be successful, it is recommended ask your spiritual mentor for a blessing in church. The best ways to study the holy book for yourself can be:

Read a chapter a day every day.
Reading scripture according to the Orthodox calendar. Every day, look at what chapter is being read in church today, and study it.

The first method is optimal for those who do not know the basics of gospel history. But at the same time, it will take a lot of time to read one chapter. The second option is optimal for understanding scripture. The next time a person comes to church, he will carefully and consciously listen to what the clergyman says.

But so that there is no additional misunderstanding of what they are reading about. It is best to know the historical moments. The Church recommends reading additional Church literature that presents the correct interpretation of God's Scripture. It is recommended to read the following church explanations.

Interpreter from John Chrysostom.
Interpretation from Theophylact of Bulgaria.
It is recommended to read Bishop Mikhail Luzin, as well as Averky.
The explanation of Professor Alexander Lopukhin is authoritative.

After reading the first two authors, it may seem that the interpretation is unclear and inaccessible to the common person. The clergy suggest that you first read Seraphim of Slobodsky, and only after that begin to study Chrysostom and Bulgarian. To better understand the gospel, it is recommended that you study it in your own language. After all, Church Slavonic is sometimes considered difficult to understand.

How to correctly read the prayer before and after the Gospel at home and when?

In order to correctly understand what you read in the word of God It is recommended to read the prayer before and after reading. It is worth noting that the desired result will not come immediately. You will need to devote a sufficient amount of time to this issue. To better understand the gospel, you need to start living according to God's commandments.

Many people note that when reading the gospel, they do not realize what they are reading about, and they also do not always want to continue what they started. Church leaders note Ignatius Brianchaninov’s story about a student. He read the Gospel for a long time and did not understand what he was reading. Then he came to his teacher with questions about what to do if you read and don’t understand anything?! The teacher answered him that the word of God purifies a person’s thoughts and his life. Therefore, reading the Gospel is necessary for self-purification. In addition, it is important to be aware of what book you are holding in your hands. You need to pray before and after reading the holy book at home. When reading the gospel at home, it is best to ask for a blessing in church.

Many priests give some recommendations so that the effect of reading prayer and the Holy Scriptures can be enhanced. By applying simple rules, you will be able to achieve purification in a fairly short time and allow you to improve your life. The main thing in this is faith in what you read and faith in God. Let's look at the basic advice that the church offers.

How to correctly read prayers for yourself and for loved ones and when?

The gospel is an integral part of the basis of the life of a Christian person. There is a lot of spiritual literature that the church recommends. But the first source and basis, is the word of God, which should constantly sound in a person’s heart. That is why it is necessary to read the Gospel and prayers every day and without fail.

Even in ancient times, a tradition of reading the gospel appeared. It may be different. People perceive the holy book differently and everyone chooses for themselves how best to say the prayer and how best to read the holy book. Some people begin to read the sacred words a chapter a day. Others, on the contrary, read only passages that sound in the Divine, following the church year.

After prayer, many recommend reading three chapters of the New Testament and one chapter of the Gospel a day. Some people still practice reading two chapters from the Apostle, and then praying. In addition, the main rule of a Christian is to read the psalter. You need to read one kathisma per day or one of the parts. At the same time, you need to read not depending on the needs of the human heart. Each of us can find a few minutes to read one or more chapters of Holy Scripture.

Prayer in a person’s life and when to read it?

In addition, the priests insist that a person's life should be spent reading. Seraphim of Sarov, argued that the human mind should revolve around scripture. That is, everything that a person reads is deposited on an unconscious level. The Bible can be reread several times daily and with each reading a new meaning will be revealed.

If a person begins the day with prayer and reading scripture, then during the day he will definitely put into practice what was conveyed to his heart. In order to receive spiritual benefit, you will need to constantly remember what you have read. And also make every effort to implement in life what was said by God.

It is necessary to pray before and after any task. In the prayer word you can find prayers that must be said before starting to read the holy book. But if this is not possible, then you can ask God for a blessing in your own words. In addition, it is worth asking him for understanding and help in any other matters. And especially in the awareness and understanding of holy scripture.

In addition, the church insists that a righteous person read the Old Testament daily. Despite the fact that the Old and Old Testaments are quite difficult to read. They can be accepted and understood with special interpretations. You can find out which interpretations are best for you from your church mentor. Ignorance of the Old Testament as a basis makes it impossible to understand what is being said in the New Testament.

A person can be offered different ways to read the Old Testament. The simplest one is reading from start to finish. You need to do this calmly and not dwell on any details. Especially when it comes to the history of the Jewish people. If it is possible to skip this part, then it will be optimal for you. But despite this, you will need to study the old part of the holy book completely.

You must decide for yourself whether you need constant daily reading of the Old Testament. It is worth noting that it is advisable to read it from beginning to end. Because there is a lot of useful and edifying stuff there. In addition, a person can learn a lot of instructive things from this. Many Christians admire what is written in the old part of the holy book.

It is worth noting that before each reading of the Old and New Testaments it is recommended to read a prayer. The main thing in this is that between the Old and New Testaments a line can be drawn between the soul of man and God. At the same time, there are wonderful images that can help a person take the right path and explain to him what he should not do.

The Old Testament is an instructive part of life in which you can find your own special meaning. But over time, a person becomes uninterested in this part of the old book. At the same time, a Christian can draw a lot of useful things from it. The Old Testament has a positive effect on each of us.

Prayers, reading a holy book- this is what a believer should do every day. Therefore, before you take the true path and plunge into this issue, it is recommended to come to church and ask for a blessing from a mentor. He will help and also give advice on what to do in a given situation, and will also direct you on the right path. Be sure to read a prayer before and after reading the gospel so that your understanding of the scripture goes better.