Do you have a scripture reading routine that works for you/a way of recording your insights?

[Sunday21]

Do you have a scripture reading routine that works for you? A way to record insights?

AS per suggestion in Teaching NO Greater Call, I pray before and ask the HG to b with me to help me understand what I read and after I pray to say thank you for scriptures. This manual also said to come up with a system to record and retrieve spiritual impressions. The best that I have come up with is a spiral notebook with post it notes to indicate pages that have important information.

Do you have a scripture study method that works for you?

[The Folk Prophet]

At this point my scripture reading routine is one of sheer commitment to time. I commit to 1/2 hour every day no matter what. Beyond that, it varies. I am still looking myself for better methods to "study". Some days it's straight-up reading for 1/2 hour, and some days I'm looking up topical ideas, etc... I use other books to help (like Institute manuals or various writings of prophets) and I do a whole lot of Google-ing and searching around on lds.org for insights, related talks, etc... I think the variety is a good thing, and plan to continue not having a set method of study. But I am always looking for means to add to the arsenal that can benefit my study time.

[Sunday21]

I like your varied approach. I think looking up topics is a good break from reading the Book of Mormon over and over!

[Palerider]

My wife and read the scriptures together out loud each night. We have read through them many times now. After we read we will talk about what we read and find ourselves talking about those things the next day. Sometimes I make comments about what we are reading in my journal.

[classylady]

My only commitment for scripture reading is to read at least something every day, even if it's just one verse.  To some of you this may seem so insignificant.  But, it is a commitment, and I can say I have read something every day in the scriptures without fail for I don't know how many years now.  For me, a commitment is more than just a goal.  It is an absolute of what I will do.  I can do a minimum of one verse a day.  Now, it is rare that I only read one verse.  But, there are times when I've been sick, or family crises that have happened.  I can still do my one verse.  And, because I haven't broken that commitment, I don't feel negative about myself, for I do feel awful if I ever break a commitment.  And once broken, the next day comes, and it's too easy to say, well another won't hurt, I'll read later.  Eventually, that can turn into weeks, months, or even years.  I will stick with my minimum commitment, because I know it is one I will and can keep.

[The Folk Prophet]

My only commitment for scripture reading is to read at least something every day, even if it's just one verse.  To some of you this may seem so insignificant.  But, it is a commitment, and I can say I have read something every day in the scriptures without fail for I don't know how many years now.  For me, a commitment is more than just a goal.  It is an absolute of what I will do.  I can do a minimum of one verse a day.  Now, it is rare that I only read one verse.  But, there are times when I've been sick, or family crises that have happened.  I can still do my one verse.  And, because I haven't broken that commitment, I don't feel negative about myself, for I do feel awful if I ever break a commitment.  And once broken, the next day comes, and it's too easy to say, well another won't hurt, I'll read later.  Eventually, that can turn into weeks, months, or even years.  I will stick with my minimum commitment, because I know it is one I will and can keep.

 

I think this is key. I think we need to set a commitment that is appropriate to our current abilities and then KEEP IT! Just as classylady has said, you commit and you do not falter. I think then there comes a time (hopefully) when we realize that the commitment we have kept is lesser than it could be, that we need to step up and lengthen our stride a bit, and at that point the process is the same. We adjust the commitment and then we KEEP IT! :)

 

I started with a commitment similar to classylady's. Then I moved to a 5 min a day minimum. Then I jumped to 30 min a day. Reasonably speaking, my next phase of stride-lengthening will probably not be a time increase (how much time can one actually give to scripture study a day? -- an interesting question,) but will probably be a commitment more related to how I study. But I'm not there yet. I stick to my 30 min a day - no matter what - and that is working for me well. But there will come a time, I believe, when it is insufficient and I will need to find ways to broaden my study somehow.

[Drpepper]

My only pattern is the lack of consistency. Sometimes I will pour over them for hours other times leave them for weeks.