Paper or Plastic?

I have an iPhone. A lot of people do. I use it all the time, for various reasons. One of the great features on my phone is the LDS Scripture App. I have access to the scriptures anytime, anywhere, even in the dark. I love it, and I use it all the time, everyday. 

However, I still prefer the book. When I sit down to really read the scriptures and soak in their warmth and light, I set aside my phone app, and I reach for my book. There is something beautiful about caressing the pages of the scriptures. There is something comforting about the weight of the book in my hands. There is something magical about holding pure truth from a tool that cannot access evil -- like the phone can. I love my scriptures with crinkled pages and pencil-highlighted passages. 

Sometimes I feel sad when I look around the classes at church and I see the glow of phones lighting the faces of the congregation. I am not exempt, I have done it too. And Charles uses his phone at Church all the time. Technology is here to stay, and it is being used in an amazing way in the church classrooms. I get that. I do. I am in awe of all that is available at our fingertips. I am also aware that we are on our way to becoming a world like the one depicted in the movie Walle -- which is a little scary. 

There is just something beautiful about holding the actual book in your hand -- something precious. I know they are the same words of truth that grace the screens and the pages, but how much more beautiful the words appear upon the pages of paper. I don't know why, they just are. It is like the difference between viewing art on a computer screen, and art on a painter's canvas. One is hard, and one is soft. One is covered in dense plastic, and one is free to touch and even smell, in the form of paper and ink. 

Ever seen this scene at church? I have. 

When we do our family scripture study every night, I try really hard to read from the book and not the phone. I don't want my kids looking back on their childhood recalling how we gathered around the glow of the cell phone for scripture time. Sometimes, when it is late, I cop-out and use the phone while standing in their bedroom with the children all in their beds. But I really try to reach for the book. I so prefer it. 

I remember writing an article back in college about how newspapers would likely become obsolete in the future, because of the Internet. Though there are some people who still get their morning paper, I am pretty sure most people get their news from news websites. Newspapers will likely become obsolete, as they are currently falling into oblivion. I just hope that does not apply to the scriptures. Even though they are available via all electronic devices, I hope that scriptures in book form will never become outdated. I hope they will remain despite the advance of technology. 

There is something magical about the book that can never be replaced.