Marking Your Scriptures - Make them YOURS!

I know there may be people who disagree with me, but I am one of those people who believes that we should mark our scriptures.  And, by mark them, I mean MARK them!  Underline, circle, connect, write, color, add, MARK them!!!  

There is a saying that goes something like, "Scriptures that are falling apart usually belong to someone who isn't."  (I believe the original quote is attributed to Charles Spurgeon.)  We don't want our scriptures to be pretty additions to our book cases, or decoratively arranged on our living room tables.  We want them to be used, opened, in the way, and treasured!

I am by no means an expert or trying to tell anyone how they should mark their scriptures (that is a VERY personal thing!!), but I wanted to share how I frequently mark my scriptures, and how it has helped me as I study.

As you can see, I do a lot of different methods as I mark my scriptures.  This is a great representation of what many of the pages in my scriptures look like.  Underlinings, circling, connections, writing, coloring, additions, MARKINGS everywhere!!!  I get very excited to turn to a page like this and see all that I have learned and gleaned from my studies!

Here is an example of how you can "partition" certain scriptures that go together in a parable, or a thought, or a principle.  I use both brackets and circles to highlight sets of scripture:

I also underline parts, or highlight, or underline and highlight.  It is what works best for your individual ideas and thoughts.

This helps me when I am looking for a particular scripture, or group of scriptures, especially when I am teaching.  I sometimes even find scriptures by thinking, "I can't remember which scripture it is, but I know it is on the right hand column of the page highlighted in blue."  I can always find it that way! 

I will often use page headings to make it easy to see what is included in the scriptures on the page.  In this example, I have shown the different parts in the book of Luke where Jesus Christ went through during the Atonement, the Crucifixion, His Burial, the Resurrection and Ascension:

I often use linking lines to connect a word or phrase to a notation in the footnotes:

Sometimes the cross references I want are not in the footnotes, so I will add them to the pages.  In this example, I have added the interpretation references for the symbolism of Lehi's Dream in the Book of Mormon:

I like to put my thoughts or quotes or longer explanations in the margins of my scriptures:

This allows me to remember other points or thoughts in relation to the scripture that are important to me.  For example, in the first photo I added, Luke 14:27 is highlighted.  "And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple."  In the margin I wrote: "THERE IS A HEAVY PRICE TO FOLLOW CHRIST!!  HE MUST COME FIRST! NOTHING SHOULD BE BEFORE HIM!!  If you say you follow Him, you will be tested!"  I am reminding myself that we cannot simply say that we believe in Jesus Christ and then consider ourselves His disciples.  To bear His cross means that we pay the price -- of our obedience, our love, our service, all of it!  That is the only way we qualify to be considered His disciple.

Then there are books of scripture, like the writings of Isaiah for example, that need a LOT of markings of all kinds!  Isaiah used a LOT of symbolism, and he was trying to describe things that he saw of the modern day that were not in existence in his time, and therefore he didn't have a lot of references or words that he could use that the people in his time would understand.  My Isaiah sections are pretty crowded.  (You may notice that I am referring to Isaiah, but showing pictures of 2 Nephi in the Book of Mormon.  Nephi felt that Isaiah's words were of great worth!  (And that is where I have done most of my notations about the words of Isaiah.)  Nephi states: "my soul delighteth in the words of Isaiah."  (2 Nephi 25:5)

In 3 Nephi 23:1, Jesus Christ himself says: "And now, behold, I say unto you, that ye ought to search these things. Yea, a commandment I give unto you that ye search these things diligently; for great are the words of Isaiah."

Here are a few more examples of how I mark my scriptures:

The most important part of marking your scriptures is marking them!!  Imagine how your descendants will feel to have a treasure of not just your scriptures, but your testimony of what was important to you IN them!  How they have affected your life, changed you, challenged you, made you a better person!  That is truly a treasure of great worth!