Do you color-code highlighted scriptures?

[coyotemoon722]

If so, what method/colors do you use, and what do they correspond to. Just trying to get some ideas for myself to get more organized. Thanks.

[Guest mormonmusic]

I use Blue for anything to do with the Holy Ghost. Plan of salvation is in Red. Life of the Savior in Green. Priesthood authority and Church administration, purple. I write a two or three word description of what a passage means in the margin, in pencil, but only if it's long.

I also used to put little strips of tough tape on the edge of the page right beside where key scriptures were found, and color coded them. These act as thumb tabs for easy flipping. To this day I can get to James 1:5 in a a nano-second.

[Just_A_Guy]

What benefit do you think color coding might bring to your scripture study? On my mission set that I used during lessons, I had a system depending on how the marked verse might be used (each discussion had its own color, and I used different styles of solid highlighting or cross-hatching depending on whether the scripture was integral to the lesson, provided additional background, or explicitly debunked common misconceptions); but for personal study I've never seen a need.

Edited December 14, 2009 by Just_A_Guy

[Dravin]

I have two colors and there isn't any system, the only point of two colors is when you have two scriptures you want to highlight back to back, makes it easier to see where one ends and the other starts.

[Vort]

No, I don't color-code at all, except I occasionally change colors I use so I can roughly tell when I marked a certain scripture. I have found colored marking to be a bit artificial and altogether too fuzzy for my use. "Should this scripture be marked as atonement or as obedience?"

I wish the margins were bigger so I could have more room for notes and thoughts. I'm going blind in my old age, too, so I'm considering at some point getting a large-print edition, which I assume would also have larger margins.

[coyotemoon722]

What benefit do you think color coding might bring to your scripture study?

Well to be honest, I don't have the best memory. So, if I can actively highlight and come up with a system for organization of scripture type, it'll aid me in remembering. I feel like interacting with it in this way, along with taking notes will help for referencing later. MormonMusic's idea seems good.

I saw another church member who instead of highlighting, drew boxes around passages with colored pencils, so that could be a good idea. Thanks for the input.

Edited December 15, 2009 by coyotemoon722

[ozzy]

When I was on my mission I let my obsessive organizational side take over. So I got a box of 24 crayons. I then removed black and white from the picture since they don't do much good with color coding text. I then pulled out my preach my gospel book. I assigned a color to each of the 5 lessons. I then took the remaining colors and assigned them a topic. Whenever I marked a verse I would only mark a little square so that I could see it was marked for a topic. I then numbered the 5 dealing with lessons to correspond to subheadings. And lastly I made lists of all the highlighted scriptures on separate paper. I never finished, and it has been about 2+ years since I started. It makes a wonderful eternal project. :)

[WillowTheWhisp]

I also draw coloured boxes and when a scripture can have more than one identifyable topic I use one colour inside another. It definitely does help me.

[DB37]

I bought a new set of scriptures earlier this year and have found my scripture study greatly enhanced by color-coding.

Over a year and a half, I read all of the standard works from cover to cover . But when I just want to finish the scriptures, I don't get as much out of it. So now I'm doing topical studies and color-coding as I choose the topics I want to study. These are the topics I've chosen so far:

-Temple scriptures: not ones that just mention the temple, but ones that talk specifically about what goes on--for example, Paul's questioning of why baptisms for the dead are done. Also, direct quotes from the temple definitely get highlighted.

-Prophecies: for these, I use three different shades of orange. In the lightest, I highlight prophecies yet to be fulfilled. With the middle, prophecies being fulfilled. And with the darkest, prophecies already fulfilled (I mark the scriptures where these happen if their fulfillment is in the scriptures). By doing light to dark like this, if these states of prophetic fulfillment change, I can adapt.

-Atonement scriptures: these are really hard to decide. Do scriptures that mention baptism but not the atonement count? What about repentance and the resurrection? I started with overt ones about the atonement, and maybe as I continue my study others will seem to fit the bill.

-Trials, tribulations, adversity, etc. - I highlight all the scriptures I can find about how God will help us overcome trials and adversity.

These are all I have done so far, but I'm sure more will come! I'm thinking about doing healings and miracles next.

[tefor]

In the mission, yes, but then the discussions each had a "color", so I'd highlight the scriptures in red and then shade the inside margin with the appropriate color. Now, I just highlight in blue, and only the words or phrases that stand out to me--otherwise, if I highlight the whole verse, the pertinent part gets "hidden". Mostly, though, I rely on notes and cross-references in the margin.