During my scripture study the other day, I noticed a small sentence that I had written out on the bottom of the page. This Book of Mormon is the very first one I owned. I received it as a gift from my parents on the day I was baptized as a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I’m reading the scriptures from the beginning (again) so right now I’m in 1 Nephi.
These scriptures of mine are proving to be very beaten up. I love them. I cherish them. I would grab them first if my house was on fire (besides my family). These scriptures have seen it all…. just like my life. Everything I have ever poured out of my soul to God is inside of these pages. Everything I have ever learned is inside these pages.
I 100% believe that making your scriptures and scripture study is your own thing. I remember being in primary when I was probably like 8 or 9, and there was a boy in my Sunday school class who would draw allllll over his scriptures. I was in shock and I couldn’t believe he was doing that. When I told my teacher, she said, “It’s okay. Those are his scriptures.” I just remember being in complete shock that she would allow that! When I later told my mom, she said that I could do the same but that they aren’t a coloring book.
In middle school, I basically just highlighted every scripture I ever saw. I didn’t even care what it said or why I was highlighting it, I just did. Now I painfully regret doing that to my scriptures. Whenever someone sees those beloved highlighted pages I just cringe and laugh with embarrassment because they just look terrible.
In high school was probably when I started to personalize my scriptures a little bit more. I would write quotes on the borders. Decorate with flowers or hearts or stars. I would write thoughts down or any suggestions that my seminary teacher had. I started underlining more with a purpose than just because I could. So I guess you could say my scriptures are quite the sight to see but I’m proud of them nonetheless. Of course, I have new sets. I have scriptures that have never touched the tip of a pen. And then I have these beautiful scriptures that are 18 years old that have seen better days.
My point to this post is to tell you that your scripture study and your physical/electronic scriptures are what you make them. Write what your heart tells you. Write what the Spirit prompts you to write. Write quotes or small things to remember scriptures, different phrases or stories. In the photo, you can see that I use little sticky tabs. I wrote a very small, mostly one-word phrase on the sticky tab that went right with the scripture. So if I needed a “faith” scripture, I would open up to that tab and BAM! I would always have a faith-based scripture to use right then and there. I would tab favorites, promises, reminders, etc. Anything that meant something to me.
That’s what this is all about. Your scripture journey… your learning and your understanding are all yours. Only you learn the way that you know best. And if that’s decking out your scriptures like nobody else, then so be it! It’s okay to get messy. It’s okay to draw lines, shapes, or write paragraphs. Whatever will help you have a better scripture study experience, by all means, do it!!! I am not the first to say such and I know I most definitely won’t be the last.
As much as I wish I knew when, why or what from I wrote on the page (in the image), I do know that through scripture and scripture study, God has most definitely healed my broken soul more than once. I love being a member of the LDS Church. I love reading my scriptures and I love finding these reminders throughout the pages. Even if I don’t remember them or where they came from. It’s like my past-self is telling my future-self something. I love my own personal journey and I love sharing about it.
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