Teens Read the Book
Bringing the sound of scripture
to a world-wide audience
Success
May 2023
In 2021, 250 teens from around the world submitted recordings of themselves reading chapters from the Book of Mormon, Another Testament of Jesus Christ, which we assembled and published as the Teens Read the Book podcast. The recordings, available on all major podcast platforms, iTunes, and Spotify, have been heard by many thousands of listeners from 72 countries. You can also listen to the recordings on this website under the Book of Mormon tab.
The project enjoyed some great publicity, including a December 2021 article in the Church News, a July 2022 Instagram post by Church’s General Young Men’s Presidency member Brad Wilcox, a December 2022 post on the Church’s youth focused Gospel Living app, and a December 2022 article in the Church’s For the Strength of Youth magazine.
More important is the project’s influence for good on its listeners. One person wrote “I had been praying for a new way to read [the Book of Mormon] or a fresh way to study. This project has been an answer to my prayers. I can not thank you enough.”
Messages like this show the potential this has to be an influence for good. We shouldn’t be surprised, though. It’s “the virtue of the word of God” that people are responding to when they hear these scriptures (Alma 31:5).
Thank you again to the many of you who sent in records or encouraged your kids/siblings/friends to do so. We will keep making the podcast available for a very long time, hopefully permanently.
Next Phase
What's Next?
Many people have asked the obvious: Will we publish additional recordings of scripture read by teens? We feel the time has now come to do that. Specifically, we are preparing to assemble and publish recordings of the King James Version of the Bible (including chapter headings as published by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints), the Doctrine and Covenants, and the Pearl of Great Price.
We will prepare high quality recordings that can be used in many different media formats. Our hope is to produce them to a high enough standard that they can be published on the Gospel Library app.
Would you like to participate in this important project?
If you are a teen (agd 12-19), we invite you to submit a recording of yourself reading a chapter of scripture. See below for instructions. People around the world will enjoy hearing your voice for many years to come.
Would you like to do more? We are looking for visionary teens and helpful adults who see the importance of this ambitious effort. We need help reviewing and quality checking the recordings for accuracy. Email us at teensreadthebook@gmail.com if you would like to get involved and we will reach out to you. We look forward to working together.
I believe our efforts to produce these recordings will fill a unique need in the world. In a day of instant media whose relevance and appeal often fades in hours or days, these scriptures have been around for hundreds to thousands of years. Our recordings of them will last for years, decades, or longer. They will make a big difference to those who hear them.
This is God's word. Thanks for helping us share it in a way that will bless lives and increase faith for many years to come.
-McKay
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. Cloasets 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?
Your recording doesn't have to be perfect. If you mistake a word, just correct yourself and repeat it. You are a teen, not a professional. Do your best and it will be good enough.
Just be you
You don't need to sound like a professional or like anyone else. Be authentic. Your unique voice is what we need.
And smile every once in a while as you read. Remember that you are doing something great. :)