We often leave the most precious personal direction of the Spirit unheard because we do not record and respond to the first promptings that come to us when the Lord chooses to direct us.
“Merry Christmas!” My dear friend Terri handed me a Christmas gift. “Before you open it,” she said, “I need to tell you that the Lord guided me specifically to get this gift for you.” Terri is a faithful woman who seeks with all her heart to follow the Lord, so I took her comment seriously.
I removed the wrapping to find two books by Nancy Leigh DeMoss—an inspirational book called A Place of Quiet Rest and a beautiful accompanying journal.
Opening the journal, I saw that it wasn’t a typical journal for recording events in my daily life; rather, it was a place to capture thoughts and insights from scripture study.
A whole journal devoted to scripture study? That was a new concept to me. I’d kept a personal journal for years and had occasionally recorded insights from the scriptures. But this was different—more focused, more intentional. Because of Terri’s words, I was eager to try it out.
It wasn’t long before keeping a scripture journal took my scripture study to a whole new level of enjoyment, purpose, and learning.
Tips for Keeping a Scripture Journal
I learned quickly that there isn’t one right way to keep a scripture journal. Different approaches work for different people at different times.
The simplest approach is to write down things you want to remember from your scripture study. You don’t have to follow a certain structure or write a certain amount. Just record your thoughts, ideas, and insights.
A slightly more structured approach, recommended by DeMoss, involves writing two sentences for each chapter you read—one sentence that summarizes the content of the chapter, and another that summarizes how the chapter spoke to you. What did you read that was relevant to your current situation and challenges?
For a more comprehensive approach, DeMoss recommends writing your thoughts in three areas:
- Observation: What is this passage saying? For example:
- Who wrote it, when, and to whom?
- What was happening when it was written?
- Why was it written?
- Interpretation: What does it mean? For example:
- What does the passage teach me about God? About myself?
- Are there examples to follow, guidance to embrace, promises to claim, or sins to avoid?
- Application: How can I use what I’m learning in my life? For example:
- How do the truths in this passage apply to my current situation?
- What wrongs might I need to forgive?
- What changes might I need to make?
- What practical steps can I take to apply the truths I’m learning?
There’s another way you can use your scripture journal. You may have heard people mention the benefits of memorizing scriptures. After memorizing a verse, try writing it in your journal to see how well you remember it. Not only does this exercise help with memorization, but you’ll likely gain even more insights to write in your journal.
You can also journal by topic. What questions would you like to explore about a given topic? Organize your journal into sections around those topics and questions. In each section, you can compile lists of scriptures and even search the web for other resources. After you have gathered these scriptures and resources, prayerfully study them and capture your thoughts. You might be surprised by the journey this approach takes you on.
What Are the Benefits of Keeping a Scripture Journal?
While everyone’s experience will be unique, here are some of the benefits I’ve found from scripture journaling:
- Increased focus: When I know I'm going to write about what I read, I pay more attention. I don’t get distracted as easily. I notice things I probably wouldn't notice otherwise.
- Learning as I write: As I capture my thoughts in writing, I see things I hadn’t noticed before. For example, one day I was studying Hebrews 11. In this passage, Paul lists people from the scriptures who exercised faith. As I summarized each one in my scripture journal, I was surprised to see how extensive Paul’s list really is. In addition, I found myself reflecting on each example as I wrote about it, gaining more insights.
- Finding answers to questions: When I have questions about what I’m reading, writing helps me refine my questions and discover answers. At times I’ve been guided to answers in the very act of writing.
- Receiving spiritual confirmations: On occasion I’ve written something in my scripture journal and have been surprised by a powerful spiritual witness that what I’m writing is true. I capture those spiritual confirmations in my journal by saying something like, “I feel the truth of these words as I write them.” These spiritual confirmations have taught and encouraged me.
- Remembering: Recording your thoughts in a scripture journal makes it easy to refer back and remember what you’ve felt and learned. As Elder Richard G. Scott noted, capturing spiritual impressions means that “the knowledge you gain will be available throughout your life” (“To Acquire Knowledge and the Strength to Use It Wisely,” Ensign, June 2002, 32).
Starting Your Scripture Journal
Getting started is easy. First, decide whether you want to use a physical journal or an electronic one. Some people find that writing in a physical journal helps them think; for others, an electronic journal works best. You can use a regular word processing app or get an app designed especially for journaling.
Your scripture journal is for you, so don’t worry about perfect grammar or pleasing a writing teacher. In fact, it’s okay to keep your scripture journal private. However, you might want to share excerpts in a blog or even in FamilySearch Memories. Think how much it would mean to you to have a scripture journal from one of your parents, grandparents, or great-grandparents. Your posterity won’t be any different. Consider adding your best entries to FamilySearch Memories for future generations to enjoy and learn from. For example, you could put them in an album in your gallery and then share the link to the album with your family.
One more tip: As you begin your scripture study, start with a prayer. Ask the Lord to teach you something you need to know that day or right now in your life.
Then read the scriptures and write in your scripture journal. It’s that simple.
Terri’s gift set me on an adventure that changed my life. Scripture journaling can change your life too.
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