An estimated 99 percent of BYU students completed or partially completed a reading of the Book of Mormon by the end of 2005, according to a new BYU survey.

A new survey conducted by a BYU professor revealed that many BYU students made time to read the Book of Mormon, in addition to their other studies.

Photo by Mark Philbrick/BYU

An estimated 99 percent of the BYU student body read or partially read the Book of Mormon last year.

The survey, conducted by BYU religion professor Alex Baugh, was intended to determine how BYU students responded to an invitation issued in August by President Gordon B. Hinckley and his counselors — President Thomas S. Monson and President James E. Faust — to read the Book of Mormon by the end of the year.

The results were remarkable, he said, with 62 percent of 1,303 students surveyed completing the entire book.

Two-thirds of the students "subscribed to the challenge," said Brother Baugh, in reference to an article President Hinckley wrote for the August 2005 issue of the Liahona and Ensign magazines, and the subsequent invitation from the First Presidency to read the Book of Mormon by the end of 2005.

More important, Brother Baugh added, only 12 students — or less than 1 percent — did not read any of the Book of Mormon.

After completing the Book of Mormon himself on Dec. 31 — and contemplating the blessings he had received from accepting the invitation — Brother Baugh determined to find out how BYU students did in response to the challenge. With the help of research assistant Meghan Mathews, he distributed surveys to 4.3 percent of the BYU student body, including 784 females and 519 males. The surveys were distributed to BYU students randomly across campus, in off-campus apartments, and in religion classes. All BYU students are required to take 14 semester hours of religion credit in order to graduate, making these classes a good place to survey students studying a variety of disciplines.

Brother Baugh found that 61 percent of females and 64 percent of males surveyed completed the book. In addition, 38 percent of females and 34 percent of males completed a partial reading of the Book of Mormon.

Hundreds of students shared their feelings in the survey about their experience of reading the Book of Mormon, he said.

"Their statements were genuine and heart warming," he said. "I was deeply moved by the things they shared concerning how their reading the Book of Mormon touched their lives, strengthened their faith and testimony in Christ and brought them peace."

For example, one student wrote that reading the Book of Mormon was "the best experience I've had with the book. . . . It allowed me to connect with the rest of the saints. . . . I knew that we were all working toward the same goal together — united in spirit."

One respondent said he saw his family get stronger in the gospel. "Even my father read, which he hadn't done since his mission."

Another noted, "I received exactly what President Hinckley said I would — an added measure of the Spirit. I noticed that the Spirit was with me more often and helped me with the smallest of decisions."

In addition, Brother Baugh distributed surveys to 144 adult members of his own ward in Highland, Utah. Of this non-student control group, he found 41 percent successfully completed an entire reading of the Book of Mormon with 56 percent of the adult ward members reading at least some of the book. Furthermore, 20 percent of those who completed the book used CD or tape narrations to assist them; 10 percent of the BYU population listened to the book.

"They did what they could to use media/technology available to them to try to fulfill the challenge," he said.

His ward sample, he said, "is probably a fairly good representative sample" of Church members living along the Wasatch Front in Utah.

"I really think the students took it more seriously than the general membership," he said.

However, as with the student respondents, the most remarkable findings about his ward survey were the comments included at the end, he said.

"The biggest blessing that we have seen is that the Spirit has been in our homes," said one respondent. "We aren't so quick to turn on the TV, only to become muted and numb to the needs of our family, as well as personal needs and answers from the Spirit. We have become better at setting time aside to make scripture study a habit."

Another said the challenge reaffirmed his testimony of the Book of Mormon. "It made me feel really good to accept the challenge and complete it. And now I am reading the scriptures almost every day."

Even those who did not finish the book were touched by it, Brother Baugh said.

"At least they gave it a try," he said. "They knew it was important. They recognized this was a clarion call. They gave it a try and gleaned something from it. You can't read the scriptures and not benefit from it."

One survey respondent vowed to complete the book now.

"In the small amount I read I got more out of it than any other time," the respondent said. "I felt and I knew that I have a true testimony of the Book of Mormon, which I have read several times. I am starting to read it again — and I will finish it."

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