Ideas to keep scripture notes?

[tempomental]

Hey all,

I've got about 9 years' worth of notes on the Standard Works spread out over 3 copies of the SW. I'm wondering what you have done to keep your taken-over-time notes straight? I'd like, ideally, to keep them in a system that is portable and scalable, and inexpensive. (Not relatively inexpensive... I'm talking INEXPENSIVE.)

While I don't think my notes will eventually take up three crates of stuff like the Braille edition of the Book of Mormon, I do envision a nice, handy reference that I can use.

So, what do you do to aggregate your scripture notes?

-TM-

[puf_the_majic_dragon]

Well I have 3x5 cards cut in half that I use as bookmarks for each reference. Of course this gets real hard on your binding and a pain in the neck to maintain over time.

My eventual plan is to someday implement a "wiki" based scripture library where you can post your own notes, comments, and cross references to each scripture. This would initially be something online where you and your friends can share notes, but I'd also like to make an offline version you could have on your PC, laptop, PDA or even your cell phone. Of course this all assumes I ever actually get around to doing it...

[Guest tomk]

The only thing that comes to mind is something on the internet or just on your local computer. Leverage the power of recall, relationship and organization that computers are really good at.

Or come up with a system for your existing notes that links relevant idea or scriptures together in a chain (scripture chain).

I am a computer programmer. One day I would like to WRITE some software that will do this sort of thing.

There are some applications out there that do some "scripture chain" type things, but I've never seen one that does it the way I want.

[Jbs2763]

maybe start by scanning all the pages with notes, compiling them into various image files and put them on a PDA?

[Vort]

I only keep notes written in my scriptures. I don't have a notebook or index cards or a computer file or anything else like that. Why not? Because when I'm reading or studying scriptures, I want the information RIGHT THERE, not in some other notebook or file.

Some habits I've found helpful include:

• I only underline important words or phrases, not whole verses. If a verse is important, I circle the verse number (or the first letter, if it's the unnumbered verse 1 of the LDS edition of the scriptures.)
• If I like a footnote reference, I circle the reference letter in the verse and in the footer. I sometimes underline the specific reference for emphasis.
• I often find correlations with other scriptures that aren't already included in the footnotes. For these, I simply write the citation next to the verse. If "my" citation goes along with some footnote citations already provided, I will sometimes write the citation in the footnotes beside the others I've already marked.
• For quotations or thoughts, either from myself or from GC talks (for example), I will put an asterisk beside the verse of interest, then write the long comment (preceded by an asterisk) at the top or bottom margin of the page.
• I have not done this one, but I know someone who has onion-skin sheets of paper the same size as his scriptures. If he has lengthy notes or quotes, he will write them on a blank sheet, then insert (tape?) that sheet into his scriptures at the appropriate spot.

Using this system, I've rarely felt the need for any external record-keeping device, and my notes are there for me every time I open my quad.

I understand you can by large-print editions. These would be nice in that they would have wider margins and allow you to cram more notes in the spaces. Maybe there is a wide-margin edition of the scriptures, as well.

[puf_the_majic_dragon]

[*]I have not done this one, but I know someone who has onion-skin sheets of paper the same size as his scriptures. If he has lengthy notes or quotes, he will write them on a blank sheet, then insert (tape?) that sheet into his scriptures at the appropriate spot.

You can get books rebound, including scriptures. I have an institute teacher who has had his scriptures rebound with pages of notes and talks and other what have yous bound in the back. I've considered buying one of the large quads and having it rebound with a blank sheet between each page of scriptures specifically for writing notes on. Technology is great but it's not always there when we need a note or a reference.

[Guest missingsomething]

I know this is a little time consuming - does it have to be non-time consuming? hmmm... I made a word document. With each of the books from the scriptures on a separate page. Then I transcribed my notes into the word doc.

Then, I can zoom thru there to find it when I need it.

[solomon-helaman]

I always just throw away my notes, but sometimes I want to know where I can find a good quote to go with a certain scripture. Here is a great site that I use.

Scriptural Index to the Latter-day Prophets

I try to only write questions in my scriptures. The Spirit will give me different answers each time I study a particular scripture.

Hope this helps.