Never been so motivated to memorize scripture

[Fether]

I want to be able to do this x)

[zil]

23 minutes ago, Fether said:

I want to be able to do this x)

What, memorize your lines between each clip?

[Guest]

Let me tell you what motivated me to memorize scriptures.

A zone leader on my mission once told me that Bruce R. McConkie had stated that he obtained much of his scriptural knowledge by memorizing a scripture a day and then outlined a review process so he didn't forget them the next day or week.  He then promised that if we followed this process for 60 days, we'd have a photographic memory.

At the beginning of my mission, we had to pass off about 50 scriptures to be considered "trained".  I did so.  

Then the mission president handed out certificates to those who memorized the "First Mile" scriptures (about 100 scriptures) and plaques to those who memorized the "Second Mile" scriptures (another 150 or so).  These encompassed all 300+ scriptures that were contained in the discussion materials.  In reality there are about 208 because of many overlaps and so forth.  But they were listed as just over 300 separate scriptures.

Well, between all the other stuff we have to do as missionaries, I didn't really feel motivated to memorize them all.  But when I heard that I could develop a photographic memory, I was motivated.

I got my second mile plaque before the 60 days were up, so I started memorizing the Pearl of Great Price.  I got in a few chapters of Moses and that's when I got sick.  Day 59 and I was so sick, I could not get out of bed.

So close.  But I do think my memory improved even more than what I had before.  And my knowledge and understanding of scriptures increased.

 

[person0]

This is a great practice, and will definitely strengthen the mind and spirit.  That being said, to date there is no real evidence of a single individual with a true photographic memory, ever.  There are many many people with very good memories, and many with strong mnemonic skills who are able to memorize a lot of content in a short period of time, but no true photographic memory.  In fact the 60 days in a row of memorization to obtain the photographic memory has also been told before in many forms; when I heard it it was 1 full year of memorizing.  I would assume that memorizing scriptures would become easier over time though since there are phrase and concept repetitions occurring regularly.

[Guest]

9 minutes ago, person0 said:

This is a great practice, and will definitely strengthen the mind and spirit.  That being said, to date there is no real evidence of a single individual with a true photographic memory, ever.  There are many many people with very good memories, and many with strong mnemonic skills who are able to memorize a lot of content in a short period of time, but no true photographic memory.  In fact the 60 days in a row of memorization to obtain the photographic memory has also been told before in many forms; when I heard it it was 1 full year of memorizing.  I would assume that memorizing scriptures would become easier over time though since there are phrase and concept repetitions occurring regularly.

I'm not sure what qualifies as a "true photographic memory."  But I did read in a college textbook, I think it was psychology, on the study of memory.  And it did describe someone who seemed to have a photographic memory as I'd define it.  To test him, he was asked to go and look at the paintings in an art gallery.  He was then taken aside and quizzed.  He was able to describe every painting in such a manner as you'd expect from someone with an exceptional memory.  Then he was asked about a special painting.

The painting was a pixelated painting (a painting made up of many dots rather than print or brush strokes).  They asked him how many dots between the top of the table to the bottom of the man's elbow (or something like that).  He proceeded to close his eyes and count in his mind.  He gave them a number that was only 1 pixel off of what they had recorded.

I didn't realize the 60 days was so common.  Good to know.  What I can say is that the memorization did get faster and faster.  For the 30 to 40 minutes a day I dedicated to memorizing, I found that the first week, I was able to memorize two or three small passages per day.  As time went on, they got longer and longer and more of them.  By the time I got to the PoGP, I was memorizing almost an entire page in one memorization session (and I was also doing the review process as well).

What I found was that since my method included me saying it out loud, my mouth was able to recite them even when my conscious mind was wandering (ADD).  That's right, I had developed muscle memory faster than my mental capacity to remember the words.  When I wanted to remember the words of the scripture, I'd let my mouth go and I'd listen as if it were a recorder.  It was an interesting sensation.  To this day, many of those verses are still in my jaw, mouth, and tongue even if my mind has forgotten them.

[Fether]

1 hour ago, person0 said:

 there is no real evidence of a single individual with a true photographic memory

Tell that to Bruce R. McConkie  

[Vort]

57 minutes ago, Carborendum said:

The painting was a pixelated painting (a painting made up of many dots rather than print or brush strokes).  They asked him how many dots between the top of the table to the bottom of the man's elbow (or something like that).  He proceeded to close his eyes and count in his mind.  He gave them a number that was only 1 pixel off of what they had recorded.

This is more than mere photographic memory material. This is a savant.

[anatess2]

We have somebody in our ward who has photographic memory.  He gives a talk complete with quotes and references to the ensign volume and page number or book without any aids/notes/index cards, etc.  Just straight out of his head.  He taught Gospel Doctrine in the same manner.  He would bring his Quad to the classroom to read verses but he doesn't really need it.  So he starts reciting the verse while his hands flips through the pages looking for the verse and most of the time he finishes reciting the verse before he gets to the page.  Sometimes, he starts reciting another verse before he gets to the first one he's flipping for so he just gives up flipping while reciting the verse.  But this is usually when there's only a few minutes left in the lesson.  He usually asks somebody in the class to read verses.  But yeah, he would give the lesson with just his Quad on hand.  No teacher's manual or anything else... and he'd quote prophets from ensigns from memory when the lesson calls for it.

[Guest]

53 minutes ago, Vort said:

This is more than mere photographic memory material. This is a savant.

Now that you mention it, I believe he was.