Throughout the scriptures, Jesus Christ repeatedly invites others to follow Him or to come and know Him and His Father in Heaven. The same invitation is extended to each of us today– and the scriptures are one of the most powerful ways we can truly come to know Him.
At times, it can be difficult to stay engaged with our scripture study, and some even feel they are getting nothing out of it. But that can change today!
Becoming fully engaged in the scriptures–even “feast[ing] upon the words of Christ” — is key in coming to know and love our Savior, Jesus Christ. Highlighting or marking our scriptures while we study provides a powerful way to hear Him in our daily lives.
What Do I Mark?
Many have tried marking their scriptures before, only to give up after wondering, “What am I looking for?” or “What am I supposed to mark?” Here are two simple methods you can try today to put those questions to rest for good.
1- Study By Topic
New Scripture Method
Elder David A. Bednar, an Apostle in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, once invited individuals to get a new set of scriptures as often as needed and study the entire book focusing on one specific topic, like faith.
If you were to choose faith, you would mark every verse, word, or example that helps you better understand, recognize, or connect to faith. Once you studied the whole book focusing on faith, you would then purchase another inexpensive set of scriptures, and start again with a new topic.
Color coordinating Topics
If you’d rather not buy new scriptures that often, you can take a similar approach by assigning colors to your topic. For example, you could choose faith and mark every related verse in red. Once you finish, choose a new topic—perhaps hope—and a new color, like yellow.
One drawback to this approach is that, over time, you’ll likely use multiple colors on a single verse, which can look a little messy in a physical copy of scriptures.
2- Study by Application
This is the method I personally use, and it’s worked very well for me. Here, you color coordinate specific aspects of the scriptures to apply to you personally. I’ll share my personal color choices below, but remember—you can adapt this system to fit your needs. Our ultimate goal in scripture study is to come to know and love our Savior by Hearing Him speak to us personally through His word.
- Light Green – Attributes or characteristics of Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ
- Yellow – What I should or need to do
- Pink – Blessings
- Light Blue – Doctrine
- Purple – Prophecies
- Orange – Warnings
- Dark Blue – Something to think about
I’ll give a specific scriptural example: 3 Nephi 9:13
I’ve marked the words “return,” “repent,” and “be converted” in yellow because they speak to me, and represent actions I can take. These phrases invite me to look at my life, identify anything that may be turning me away from the Savior, refocus on daily repentance, and take ownership of my testimony so I can continue becoming more converted to Him.
By connecting colors to different aspects of personal application, the scriptures become alive for us. We can truly come to hear the Savior’s voice and feel His love for each of us in a deeply personal way.
So what will you try?
The Lord will speak to each of us in His own way and in His own time–but this much is certain: He will speak to us as we sincerely strive to hear Him. Marking and highlighting our scriptures as we study is a sign to the Lord that we want to hear Him, know Him, and love Him. So, what will you try—studying by topic or studying with colors?