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At my school, in my Bible class, in a land far, far, far away....oh, wait. That's not it. All right, then, on with the real topic intro. I have to memorize a large amount of longish Bible verses (for example: 1 Peter 1:3-5) for my Bible class at school. I have a hard time remembering them, and I was wondering if anyone had any good ideas or "memorizing tools" that work well for them. By the way, I have to memorize them all in NASB (New American Standard Bible).
What I already use as "memorizing tools":
-writing them out multiple times and often with little random doodles to illustrate the point and get my mind to recognize it.
- cover up one line, then try to say that line from memory, then read the rest; cover up two lines, try to say them from memory, then read the rest; and so on, and so on, and so on, and so on, and so on, and so on...

The problem is that they don't always work that well. Anyone have any tips or ways that work for them?

Record yourself reading them aloud. Listen to the recording ad nauseum and repeat aloud along with it.

I would tell the teacher that if I memorized Bible verses but had no love in reciting them I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal and therefore memorization only serves to drive us further from God. :p

But you'd probably fail if you did that. So you probably shouldn't do that. You should do what Nette said. Really you just have to repeat them over and over and over again. It's really the only way.

Make a tune to sing it to. It's what a lot of us bible quizzers did back in the day, and it works really well if you're musically oriented. Even just a catchy rhythm can work. You don't have to sing it when you're finally reciting it; thinking of the song will give you the words, which you can then say however you want.

[quote="Midori (post: 1420012)"]Make a tune to sing it to. It's what a lot of us bible quizzers did back in the day, and it works really well if you're musically oriented. Even just a catchy rhythm can work. You don't have to sing it when you're finally reciting it]


Having seen Midori recite verses at quizzing - and a bunch of others on the same team - I can attest that this works VERY well. I did it myself, "back in the day" and it worked for me, too. WAY easier than trying to simply remember by repetition. I'm not sure *why* it works, just *that* it works.

From my experience, I'd say this is likely the best advice you're going to get. I'm sure it's not the only way to memorize things, but it seems to drastically cut down on the time involved.

Friend of mine used to read aloud while watching herself in the mirror, might work for you.

I'd approach it the same way I approached memorizing scripts: One verse at a time. Just memorize the sentence and then add a new sentence on it and repeat those until you know those two sentences, then add the new sentence, ad nauseum.

Though admittedly, the tune thing suggested probably works better. I suspect they wouldn't have taken kindly to my singing all my lines in a serious drama.

Dangit. When someone mentioned the "Make a song to it!" thing I immediately remembered when I was a kid we had some song that was to teach us the order of the books in the New Testament...and I STILL REMEMBER IT.

So yeah maybe a song is a good idea too.

Oh, I also heard that there's like...some sort of connection between smells and memory. I don't know how you could use this to your advantage...maybe sniff mints or something while you recite the verse a few times? And then, when you're in class, sniff a mint again and it can help you remember.

I wouldn't rely solely on that, but it couldn't hurt...besides, mints smell great!

I agree with everything mentioned in this thread. As a Theology student, I have to memorize a lot in the Bible. So far it's been little things, like knowing the twelve Disciples and all sixty-six books of the Bible in order starting in the beginning of the Old Testament, ending at the end of the New Testament (and bonus points if you know the Hebrew order!) That being said, the most prominent and effective method of learning these things I have found, is through song. For me, it makes me feel like I am using my resources of worship and making them fit and work into the academic area of the Bible.

I understand the pain of the 'Textbook Bible.' I dreaded it in my Freshman year, knowing courses like the Old Testament Trilogy were soon to be upon me. Now that I am in heavier intermediate Biblical theology classes, I can testify that it truly isn't that bad...just a bunch of busy work, a tired brain, and a craving hunger to know more of what the Bible is saying in context of the original readers... /Spent six hours last night in Genesis 1 and 2. <.< >.> >.<

What I've done in the past is to write verses down on index cards (colorful ones work well and keep my interest) and attach a ring to them (punch a hole in each one) so you can flip through them like a book.

Then, whenever you're waiting in line, waiting at the doctor's office, just sitting for a few minutes, etc., take it out and read through it, one verse card at a time.

(I also use the same method to study material for an exam--like the genus/species names I had to know in my Forages class.) This method has worked pretty well for me --I am a very visual learner and writing them down physically helps me to remember --and then reading them out loud over and over.

Thank you all so very much!

Nate (post: 1419989) wrote:I would tell the teacher that if I memorized Bible verses but had no love in reciting them I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal and therefore memorization only serves to drive us further from God. :p

But you'd probably fail if you did that. So you probably shouldn't do that. You should do what Nette said. Really you just have to repeat them over and over and over again.

Haha. Yes, I would fail. (Although, the one thing that it would do would make my friends [who also have to memorize these long verses] laugh.)

Midori (post: 1420012) wrote:Make a tune to sing it to. It's what a lot of us bible quizzers did back in the day, and it works really well if you're musically oriented. Even just a catchy rhythm can work. You don't have to sing it when you're finally reciting it]
Unfortunately, I have to write them down, so singing isn't as helpful as I want it to be. Oh well; it still works! I'll try that with this week's verse.

Nate (post: 1420086) wrote:Dangit. When someone mentioned the "Make a song to it!" thing I immediately remembered when I was a kid we had some song that was to teach us the order of the books in the New Testament...and I STILL REMEMBER IT.

Oh, I also heard that there's like...some sort of connection between smells and memory. I don't know how you could use this to your advantage...maybe sniff mints or something while you recite the verse a few times? And then, when you're in class, sniff a mint again and it can help you remember.

I wouldn't rely solely on that, but it couldn't hurt...besides, mints smell great!

Wonder which song you know? I know songs for the Old and New Testament, so any time I have to look something up, I'm singing. I once learned an OT rap, but I didn't like it very much- plus it wasn't a "quick-sing-it-to-find-the-verse-type-song" in my opinion.
I should try the mint thing sometime. I do love mints...unfortunately, they're my cure for nausea, too...perhaps something else might be wiser. It would make for an interesting day in class.
Me: *sniff sniff*
Classmate: What in the world ARE YOU DOING?

Sheenar (post: 1420203) wrote:What I've done in the past is to write verses down on index cards (colorful ones work well and keep my interest) and attach a ring to them (punch a hole in each one) so you can flip through them like a book.

Then, whenever you're waiting in line, waiting at the doctor's office, just sitting for a few minutes, etc., take it out and read through it, one verse card at a time.

This method has worked pretty well for me --I am a very visual learner and writing them down physically helps me to remember --and then reading them out loud over and over.

I've never heard of that method! I'm a visual learner, too, so I should try that. Sounds like it would work!

Once again, thanks! Let's see if anyone else has awesome suggestions!

When I was a kid, my mom would have my sister and me memorize Bible verses, and then if we could recite them from memory we'd get a star sticker. If we had enough star stickers on Saturday (we always did, of course) we'd go out to the mall, to the little coin-op kiddie rides.

The horsie, the fire engine or the helicopter. What more motivation do you need?

Tamachan319 wrote:Wonder which song you know?

It was just for the NT. It didn't have lyrics, not really. It was just the books of the Bible put to a stupid little tune. It's barely a song, honestly, but somehow it's stuck in my head for all my life.

I really can't explain it unless I was to like...record myself singing it and trust me, you don't want that. My singing has been compared to a wildebeest giving birth...no joke. XD

I can attest to the song-memorization tip being effective. That is how I learned to skip count ("fast adding of the same number"). To this day, a decade and a half later, I still find myself occasionally lapsing into song when I am trying to multiply something. Thankfully, I keep it in my head, but still: curse you Mack the muskrat!