Teens Read the Book
Bringing the sound of scripture
to a worldwide audience
The Holy Bible
The Bible is the word of God. It is a timeless collection of holy writings revered and loved by billions. Its impact on world history and human life is without parallel.
At the center of the Bible is Jesus Christ, Jehovah of the Old Testament and the promised Messiah of the New Testament. The Bible is a witness of His life, His work, and His purposes among God’s children.
Our desire is to honor and celebrate Jesus Christ by reading this sacred scripture for you. We hope our young voices sharing this ancient text will elevate its timeless teachings and bless the whole world.
Tips for Making a Good Recording
Pray
Ask God to help you as you do for people around the world what Nephi did for his brothers:
22 Now it came to pass that I, Nephi, did teach my brethren these things; and it came to pass that I did read many things to them, which were engraven upon the plates of brass, that they might know concerning the doings of the Lord in other lands, among people of old.
23 And I did read many things unto them which were written in the books of Moses; but that I might more fully persuade them to believe in the Lord their Redeemer I did read unto them that which was written by the prophet Isaiah; for I did liken all scriptures unto us, that it might be for our profit and learning. (1 Nephi 19:22 - 23)
Prepare
Review the chapter you will record. Practice pronouncing any difficult words until you can say them right. If you are unsure how to say a word, listen to the church's existing voice recording to get the pronounciation right.
Hydrate
It's hard to speak clearly with a dry mouth. Drink a full bottle or glass of water about 10 minutes before you record.
What to read
Record yourself reading the whole chapter in the current version of the scriptures published by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Read the chapter number, introductory chapter notes, and all verses. If you are reading the first chapter of a book, read the full book name and any extra text that precedes chapter one.
What to record with
Use the highest quality recording device you can find. If that's an app on your phone, see if you can adjust the settings to capture your voice in the highest quality possible. Many phones and apps will compess audio files to save storage space, but for this you want an "uncompressed" file type to capture the highest quality possible. The best format is a WAV file, but FLAC, AIFF (for apple files) and ALAC formats should also work. You may need to download a good recording app if your phone's built-in recorder can't export your recording as a WAV file.
Cadence
Don't read too fast or too slow. Read at a pace that is natural and comfortable for you and can be easily understood.
Shhh..
Eliminate background noise. Record in a silent, carpeted room without an echo. Closets and cars that are off make excellent recording studios.
Put your phone down
Holding your phone or recording device in your hands as you record will make small clicking / tapping noises. Put your phone on a pillow or stand about six inches below your mouth. And obviously, put your phone on airplane mode and silence all alarms.
What if I mess up?
In order to be published widely, your recording need to include every word spoken correctly. If you mistake a word, just say it again correctly and continue reading.
If you notice a mistake in your recording afterward, send us a second recording of the corrected verses and we will edit them together to make it right.
Just be you
You don't need to sound like a professional when you record. Be authentic. Your voice is unique and is what we need. Do your best and it will be good enough.
And smile every once in a while as you read. Remember that you are doing something great. :)