Scripture Memorization

Early in January, I was listening to the talk  by Elder Richard G. Scott from last October Conference.  He was talking about scriptures and kind of gave a challenge to memorize scriptures and the good that it would do. "Learning, pondering, searching, and memorizing scriptures is like filling a filing cabinet with friends, values, and truths that can be called upon anytime, anywhere in the world.  Great power can come from memorizing scriptures. To memorize a scripture is to forge a new friendship. It is like discovering a new individual who can help in time of need, give inspiration and comfort, and be a source of motivation for needed change."  You may want to look up his talk and read through it.The Power of Scripture   So I decided (even though I have never been good at memorizing scriptures and haven't really felt like it was necessary) to memorize one scripture a month.  That's pretty small and should be attainable right?  But I wasn't sure how you go about choosing which scripture to memorize and decided to choose a topic and go to the topical guide and look up scriptures on that topic and decide from there which one to memorize for the month.  I chose the word "believe" since that seems to be my word lately.  There are a lot of scriptures with that word so I chose the ones I liked and pasted them into a word doc.  I now have 2 pages of scriptures!!!   Then I went through each one, and chose one that I wanted to memorize.    I challenge each of you to do the same--or something similar according to how you feel prompted.  The challenge is on.   I decided to print off the scripture and post it in 3 places where I would see it often..inside my kindle fire which I read my scriptures from daily; on the refrigerator door, which is obvious why I will see that one; and on the mirror where I put my makeup on and do my hair every day.  This has proved to be very helpful.  I see it often, and I read through just a line or 2 each time I see it until I've got that part memorized and then I go to the next line.  I'm happy to say, it is working!! 

My January scripture: 
Alma 24:19  And thus we see that when these Lamanites had learned to believe and know the truth, they were firm and would suffer even unto death rather than commit sin.  And thus we see that they buried their weapons of peace, or they buried their weapons of war for peace.

I love this scripture.  I love the thought that these people were so committed to the Lord.  They symbolically buried all the things in their lives that would destroy them.  We, as people of God, can and should do the same thing.  We can bury our pride, our impatience, our worldliness, our criticism of others, or whatever it is that keeps us from progressing, so that we can have peace in our lives.

I was able to memorize that scripture within the first 2 weeks of January so I decided to choose another one that I had for the theme of "believe".  This is the one I went with:

Mosiah 4:9  Believe in God, believe that He is and that He created all things both in heaven and in earth.  Believe that He has all wisdom and all power, both in heaven and in earth.  Believe that man doth not comprehend all the things which the Lord can comprehend.

I love this one too.  It has given me so much strength as I try to go through every day trials and I don't quite understand why some things happen the way they are.  And then I believe in God and I know that He has all wisdom and I know that I can't comprehend everything that He does comprehend.  I know I have to TRUST Him.  It has given me strength and courage and faith to continue on!

For February, I went with a scripture that is a bit harder, but as the month has gone on, I have learned to love this scripture so much.  I am amazed at how much the Lord has helped me to memorize these scriptures and how much strength I have felt from them.

2 Nephi 2: 26-27  And the Messiah cometh in the fullness of times that He might redeem the children of God from the fall.  And because that they are redeemed from the fall, man has become free forever, knowing good from evil, to act for themselves and not to be acted upon, save it be by the punishment of the law at the great and last day, according to the commandments which God hath given.

Wherefore man is free according to the flesh, and all things are given them which are expedient unto man, and they are free to choose liberty and eternal life, through the great mediator of all men, or to choose captivity and death, according to the captivity and power of the devil; for he seeketh that all men might be miserable like unto himself.

I've got verse 26 memorized and part of verse 27.  I've got just over a week to get it finished.  Again. . .   The Challenge is ON!!  Please join me.  I'd love to hear of your experiences with memorizing scriptures.