These days it seems like we are living in a digital world. I have the scriptures on my IPod that I can easily pull out and read. In church, I frequently see people using their smart devices to read their scriptures in class. My primary chorister even uses her IPad to lead the music each week.
While technology is a beautiful tool, I wonder about its effects on my own scripture study. No longer do we use red pencils to read our scriptures. And, are the days gone where your children might catch you reading your scriptures and be inspired by your example? Will they instead just see you on your phone, Ipod, or other smart device and assume that you are doing something that you are usually doing, like facebook?
Now, don’t get me wrong, I love reading my scriptures on my Ipod. There is something new and different about it to me. The cross-referencing tools do make me look at the footnotes more often, and I do find it fun to go and read another scripture related to the one I’m reading, so easily. However, in searching for an idea to help me spruce up my scripture study, I started thinking about keeping a scripture journal. Have you ever kept one? I like the idea, but have never done it myself.
It is exactly what it sounds like. A way to journal your thoughts during your personal scripture study. But, how do we make it effective to help our spiritual growth? What is the point?
I guess the point is whatever you want it to be. Goals could include more in-depth studying, more pondering, watching how your testimony grows over time, recording inspiration that comes to you, helping you remember that inspiration. The list could go on and on.
I want to try it in order to renew my love for the scriptures. I want to get that spark I had as a missionary where reading them everyday was not only a habit, but something I needed in my life.
Here are some ways you can use it:
*Take it to sunday school class with you.
*Write down thoughts or feelings
*Record quotes you hear relevant to certain scriptures
*Divide your journal into topics and record thoughts and feelings according to topics
*Make lists of scriptures to use for future spiritual thoughts/talks
*Plan future FHE ideas
*Write down questions that pop up during Sunday School. Use your journal to go back and research those questions during personal study.
*Write down what a scripture used to mean to you, and what it means to you now. Ponder on what it might mean to you in the future.
*Use your journal to share thoughts with your spouse, or another person also studying with you.
*Study a book of scripture that you haven’t read in a while.
The first step in deciding what it is that you want to do with your journal is deciding what purpose the journal will serve. Set some goals of some things that you would like to change or improve about your personal study time, and then go from there in deciding what method to use for scripture journaling. Remember to have fun, and most importantly, learn something, and be inspired!