Scripture Marking


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I am not certain if this thread would be best placed here or in the General Discussion area, but I will throw it here and the Mods are welcome to move it if they deem appropriate.

How do you mark your scriptures?

Years ago I read a comment (or perhaps heard?) by one of the GAs describing how he doesn't feel that anyone should mark their scriptures as ALL the words therein are important and none more than others.

I like to mark my scriptures if for no other reason than that certain versus stand out to me when I read them at various times of study or during the course of my life.

I am torn as to how best to mark them. In the end, of course, I always mark them in a way that appeals to me at the time.

I am curious, however, how do all of you mark yours if you do? Do you follow a color-coded pattern for marking various topics or subjects in the scriptures? Or do you use only red? Many colors? No particular pattern? Stickers?

What works for you?

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PAM!! I've done it again.....I always Post Before I Look, so to speak. I should have known that this topic has and will be discussed ad infinitum.

My apologies *tips hat*

I will learn....in a few decades I'm sure. ^_^

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No it's okay. There are so many new people..that I realize that some of the same questions will be asked. As long as you don't mind us showing some of the previous links.

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Mark them any way you want to, just use a highlighter rather than a magic marker (marks-a-lot, sharpie, whatever you call them in your part of the country)

I highlight verses that jump out at me when I read them. I know people that use colors by subject.

My mother (non-LDS) would have killed me had I marked anything in the Bible growing up - they were sacred, not to be messed with. I like our (LDS) way much better -- they should be an old friend well worn with signs of use and study.

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I prefer to mark my scriptures with the red marking pencil from distribution.

I mark those verses that I feel inspired and uplifted by when reading. I also mark those I receive in answer to prayer and others that I just love to read.

On days I feel down, or am not concentrating well in my studies I just flick through those verses I have marked and I feel uplifted in one way or another from reading them.

I sometimes put a date near particular scriptures that I read for example when I am going through a rough time. I have chanced upon those verses months or even years after the trial has eased or is over and I feel reassured and encouraged at the progression that I have made since I marked the verse/s.

Personally I don't see the value in marking every scripture I read because I don't want to turn my scriptures into a colouring book. I prefer to learn from the verses I am highlighting rather than highlighting to impress. This is what works for me.

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I don't mark mine very often - tends to be because I am using the scripture. With my old set I did mark themm, by colouring it in and writing my impressions by it, but I am with the GA once I start marking I struggle knowing where to stop lol I love it all....... What I now mark is anything relevant to a current life decision or a calling I hold

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I never liked using colored pencils in my scriptures. Since I began seriously writing/marking in them, I've found that most pens work fine (so long as the ink doesn't bleed through- most ballpoint pens work fine, as long as the ballpoint isn't so fine it rips the page).

I've developed a few different patterns on how to mark my scriptures- I usually end up grouping important verses together (such as when the Lord is speaking through a prophet; when multiple verses cover one topic; etc.) with long sideways brackets; underline important phrases and words to highlight a particular verse's impact; make notes in the margins (or make my own footnotes if there's not enough room in the margins) and in between verses.

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A few years ago I tried to mark scriptures with different colour each topic when I realized that most of them rely to more than one topic.

Now, I rarely colour anything anymore but underline things that strike me and if there is a scripture that really got me thinking I will either draw an exclamation point next to it or write down my thought.

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I have a set of scriptures for marking, and a set that are not marked. Sometimes I feel I need to read certain scriptures without previous markings. I find that I simply concentrate on what's marked, thusly cheating myself out of something new.

Marked scriptures are good though if you need to find a scripture relatively quickly. I remember needing to find a scripture, I could clearly see where it was marked, but with no memory of what book or chapter. If I only had my unmarked set I couldn't find the scripture in question, but if I had my marked set then I could find it without issue.

Basically, marking scriptures is note taking, designed to help you remember a principle, whatever spiritual impression you got at the time. Or you can think of it as a spiritual journal for the mini moments, the parts without an actual story to go with it.

I tried the color coded thing, but like Connie, found that didn't work. I tried pencil, but it's hard to see and read as time passes. Now I use a pen that doesn't bleed through. I've yet to find a highlighter that doesn't highlight both sides of the page. Stickers are cool, but I find them distracting, but other people find them to be helpful in locating particular passages or topics.

I also write in the sides, and use vertical lines, boxes, brackets, underlining, circling footnote markings and then underlining that footnote, and occasionally with use arrows.

The important thing is that your markings make sense to you. They could be completely nonsensical to me, but as long as you understand it then it's all good.

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Years ago I read a comment (or perhaps heard?) by one of the GAs describing how he doesn't feel that anyone should mark their scriptures as ALL the words therein are important and none more than others.

I don't buy that FOR A SECOND. How can one claim that the Song of Solomon is at all comparable to Isaiah or Nephi? How about verse after verse after verse of "A begat B. B begat C. C begat D. D begat E." ????? Sure, lineage is relevant, but those passages don't hold a candle to, say, 3 Nephi 11...

Further, Gordon B. Hinckley marked his scriptures with varying colors.

What works for you?

First off, I have found that Pilot makes fine point pens that are awesome for making notes. And for the highlighting, the Crayola Twisty Pencils CANNOT BE BEAT.

For me, I just mark whatever's poignant at the time. I fill my scriptures up, wear them out, and then buy a new quad every several years and start all over. I find that things super-profound to me 5 years ago aren't anymore, but the verse just below it is suddenly calling my name! :lol:

May not be for everyone, but I'd rather write/highlight too much than not enough. Besides, I find that taking that extra time provides additional moments to contemplate the passage AND helps me to remember it later on down the road...

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  • 2 years later...

And for the highlighting, the Crayola Twisty Pencils CANNOT BE BEAT.

Thank you, thank you, thank you for sharing this!

Every one of these scripture marking threads has shown me something valuable, but I've had the hardest time finding out something I could use that I could buy without shopping online. I'll be purchasing some Crayola Twisty Pencils soon :-)

While I won't really know until I get going, I think I won't be color-coding so much as organizing specific topics, and doing general highlights of things that call to me.

I intend to graduate to new scriptures whenever I feel is right, and archive all of my notes and highlights in my master digital scriptures.

But, again, as I haven't marked any scriptures yet (I have someone else's Book of Mormon and no Bible), I can't be sure yet...

Thanks again everyone for sharing :-)

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