Washing Your Hands & Memorizing Scripture
How many times a day do you wash your hands? But now ask yourself what do you mentally do while washing your hands? Remember, it is recommended we wash 20-30 seconds to do the job right. While doing that, are you thinking about work? Singing the alphabet song? Counting one-one thousand, two-one thousand until you get to twenty?
What a waste of time this is—unless you make it productive—mentally! I decided I would memorize a scripture and repeat it when I washed my hands. I found scriptures that could be said mentally in about 20-30 seconds. By doing this you are exercising your mental spiritual mind.
I wash my hands about 16 times a day. This adds up to a whopping 49 HOURS in a year! If you take just one week to memorize a scripture, then in one year you will have 52 scripture verses memorized. Add year after year and you will see what you will be able to recall with the help of the Holy Ghost. This works no matter how old you are.
Remember what Elder Richard G. Scott said in his October 2011 General Conference talk about what scripture memorization can do to help us in our lives: “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. For example, committing to memory this psalm has been for me a source of power and understanding:
“The earth is the Lord’s, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein.
“For he hath founded it upon the seas, and established it upon the floods.
“Who shall ascend into the hill of the Lord? or who shall stand in his holy place?
“He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart; who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity, nor sworn deceitfully.
“He shall receive the blessing from the Lord, and righteousness from the God of his salvation” (Psalm 24:1–5).
Pondering a scripture like that gives great direction to life. The scriptures can form a foundation of support. They can provide an incredibly large resource of willing friends who can help us. A memorized scripture becomes an enduring friend that is not weakened with the passage of time.”
Why not make your first scripture the one Elder Scott quoted from Psalms. It even mentions “clean hands!” Or how about “He that hath clean hands and a pure heart.” (Psalms 24:4; Alma 5:19) After that scripture verse, you could choose one from the 100 Scripture Mastery Scriptures the church uses for seminary students. You can see the list by clicking here. Or you can choose scripture verses which are relevant and applicable to this time in your life.
Ready for an advanced tip? Click here to read the complete article with some fascinating insights on memorization and additional tips and techniques in memorizing scriptures.
~Bruce Barton
Some scriptures about the importance of the scriptures and the words they contain for our benefit:
John 5:39 “Search the scriptures; for …they are they which testify of me.”
1 Nephi 15:23-24 “…hearken unto the word of God…”
DC 84:85 The scriptures are called “the words of life”
2 Nephi 4:15-16 “For my soul delighteth in the scriptures, and my heart pondereth them, and writeth them for the learning and the profit of my children.”
2 Timothy 3:14 “…the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation.”
Jacob 2:8 “…the word which healeth the wounded soul.”
JS-M 1:37 “And whoso treasureth up my word, shall not be deceived.”
Psalms 19:105 “Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.”
2 Nephi 32:3 feasting upon the words of Christ “will tell you all things what ye should do.”
Alma 31:5 “the word [has] a great tendency to lead people to do that which [is] just—yea, it [has] more powerful effect upon the minds of the people than the sword, or anything else, which [has]happened unto them.”
Alma 31:5 “It [is] expedient that [you] should try the virtues of the word of God.”
James 1:22 “But be ye doers of the word and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.”
3 Nephi 23:1-5 “…search these things. Yea, a commandment I give unto you that ye search these things diligently…give heed to my words…”
DC 84:52 “Whoso receiveth not my voice is not acquainted with my voice, and is not of me.”
