Mary Baker Eddy includes this question in her textbook on Christian Science healing, Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures: “How can I progress most rapidly in the understanding of Christian Science?” Her answer begins this way: “Study thoroughly the letter and imbibe the spirit” (p. 495).
With this in mind during class instruction in Christian Science, our teacher gave assignments for continuous reading of the Bible, Science and Health, and Mary Baker Eddy’s other writings, and advised us to read every word—not to skip passages—and to give prayerful thought to the spirit of what we were reading.
Her instructions about reading the Bible included this advice: “Read all the ‘begats.’ ” That got my attention, because I was familiar with the long passages listing the fathers who begat sons, who begat their own sons, etc., etc., and I thought it would be tempting to skip them. But I knew our teacher was really directing us to read every passage in the Bible carefully and prayerfully.
