A Different Way to Read the Scriptures
By Jonathan H. Westover

I first fell in love with scripture study while serving on my mission in South Korea. Prior to that point in my life, scripture study was something that I did more out of a sense of duty than out of a true and sincere desire to learn the gospel and understand and apply the will of God in my life. However, the regimented life of a mission, coupled with serving the Lord 24/7, provided a fertile soil for my love of the scriptures to grow.

Like many missionaries do, I quickly read through the standard works multiple times, vigorously marking up the scriptures as I went along. The result was that by the end of my mission I had a very thoroughly marked set of scriptures, with additional quotations, scripture chains, glue-ins, thematic color marking schemes — the works!

I took a great deal of pride in the thorough evidence I had in hand of my diligent scripture study on my mission, but after returning home, I quickly realized something. In some ways, all of those markings had not been to enhance my learning and experience with the scriptures, but rather to provide evidence and proof that I was a diligent missionary. I spent more time worrying about my marking scheme than carefully considering and pondering on the words I read. In this way, I realized that perhaps my new-found love for the scriptures was not completely pure.

Furthermore, in subsequent scripture study, I found that all of those markings and additions once given such great personal value, seemed to actually hinder my continued study. I found myself continually slipping back into the same mode of contemplation and getting the same thing out of the scriptures every time I read.

I had always learned as a young boy that one of the miracles of the scriptures was that you could get something new out of them each time you studied, but I began to realize that all of my markings often resulted in a personal laziness in my study, as I wouldn't take the time to carefully consider each verse, but rather rely on prior understanding and perspectives represented in my markings.

That is when I decided to put away my missionary scriptures and start fresh on a new set. This seemed to work wonders with my personal study, and almost immediately I began to see new things in those words I had previously read so many times. However, after a while, I began to notice the same old pattern, as my scriptures became more marked — I began to focus on my previous markings more than the real words on the page.

At this point, I decided to try a new approach. I would no longer mark my scriptures. The thought seemed almost blasphemous! However, in the place of scripture marking, I began to use a scripture journal. I picked up a little black bound book, filled with hundreds of pages of empty graph paper, and this became my new grail diary of sorts (for those of you who remember the third installment of the Indiana Jones trilogy).

After reading each day, I would right down the particular passages that had special meaning to me, sometimes including quotations of special versus, and then write my thoughts about what I had studied. I carried this little journal around with me almost everywhere, and found it to be a great strength to me throughout my day. I could look back over what I had studied and feel the spirit of the words I had read.
I could also add extra thoughts and insights as I went about my days and weeks.

Over time, the little black scripture journal has been replaced by a word file on my computer. Additionally, I have found that using the computer has availed me with further resources to enhance my personal scripture study. I enjoy using the additional resources found on the church website, including the "Guide to the Scriptures," which provides very clear and succinct entries on a wide variety of gospel topics and principles. Furthermore, I have greatly enjoyed the "LDS General Conference Scriptural Index" (http://scriptures.byu.edu/), which links all scriptures in the standard works to all general conference talks that reference that particular scripture.

Over time I have seen the methods of my personal scripture study evolve, and I am sure that they will continue to do so. More important than any particular method, whether it be traditional marking, a scripture journal, or other innovative techniques, I have learned that you need to find what works best for you, and this may change with time.

Furthermore, I have learned that scripture study should be a very personal interaction between us and the Lord, as we search and study the words of His prophets and work to apply those teachings into our daily lives. I am grateful for the scriptures and the guidance their words provide in my life. I look forward to the continued life-long journey of study and application.