My first try at marking scriptures with my own method was on my mission 78-80. I took the Topical Guide and spent those 2 years marking "scripture chains" from the subjects I found of value.
When I came home rather pleased with my effort I found that the Church was announcing a new set of Scriptures that would include the Topical Guide in them as well as great foot notes and cross references.
I then started on a new way of marking.
- I took a sheet of paper and divided it into columns and rows.
- Each "square" had a subject listed in it
- This was glued into the front of my scriptures.
- On the right side of the book I drew lines down the side to match the rows on the page
- Each Column had a color Red, green, yellow and then Blue
- As I read something on that subject I would mark it in the color that matched the column it was in
- I would then take a colored sticker dot and place it in the row that matched to the subject.
- The dot was placed halfway on the page and half way off.
- I then took another dot and put it on the back side of the previous dot creating a "tab"
This way all I had to do was look at the front of the book for the subject I wanted, follow the row over to the side of the book and any corresponding tab of that color in that row was about that subject.
I have done this 3 times now. My latest is on a larger set of scriptures. ( I am older and need the bigger print)
It also has grown to 4 columns and colors:
- Red
- Green
- Blue
- Yellow
- as well as orange that means no tab or set subject, just parts I liked.
I have also added tabs along the bottom of the book that correspond to stories I like to use or favorite teaching scriptures.
The benefits are that I do not have to memorize a lot of chapter and verse. The down side is that if I do not have my set of scriptures I am lost.This set of scriptures also has 2 other features in them.
- Statements from General Authorities are printed on thin paper. I have used vellum, onion skin but have found plain tracing paper to be the best.
- These statements are formatted to fit inside the book.
- I take the cut out paper, run the edge of it along a glue stick
- then place it in the folds of the pages. This seems to work well.
- These are printed on the same tracing paper as above
- They are glued the same as stated above.
This lets me personalize "MY" scriptures for me. It also lets me have a lot of my knowledge at my fingertips when I want or need it.
The downside:
- With all this extra "stuff" or layers in the book the binding my bend.
- I have adjusted my book to help with is. (more on that later)
- The tabs may rip and then need to be reinforced or lost.
- The tabs may also bend and wear depending on how you carry and store your scriptures
Here is the list I have as of now
| Adversity | Forgiveness | Marriage | Sabbath |
| Agency | Free Agency | Mercy | Sacrament |
| Apostasy | Genealogy | Millennium | Sacrifice |
| Atonement | Gifts of God | Missionary Work | Scripture Study |
| Authority | Godhead | Mysteries | Second Coming |
| Baptism | God-Seeing Him | Nature of God | Secert Combinations |
| Charity | Holy Ghost | Obedience | Service |
| Christ-Head of Church | Hope | Opposition | Spirituality |
| Contention | Humbleness | Peculiar People | Talents |
| Conversion | Israel- Lost Tribes | Persecution | Teaching w/Spirit |
| Degrees of Glory | Isreal-Blessing of | Prayer | Testimony |
| Discerment | Isreal-Mission of | Pride | Tithing |
| Faith | Jesus-Teaching Mode | Priesthood | Translated Beings |
| Fasting | Judgement | Problem Solving | Wickedness |
| Fellowshipping | Light of Christ | Repentance | Word of Wisdom |
| Foreordination | Lost Scriptures | Resurrection | Worth of Souls |
| Endure to the end | Maginfy your calling | Satan | Zion |
| 4th Watch | As God Sees you | Look,Learn,Listen | |
| Signs of true Church | |||