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In 2006 I published the book, Please Pass the Scriptures. (now available for free on the Deseret Bookshelf App). In that book, I share one of my favorite techniques for scripture study–finding powerful one-liners.
Elder Neal A. Maxwell said, “The scriptures contain so many jewels over which we pass too lightly, especially some stunning one-liners.”
A one-liner is a short, simple phrase that carries a lot of power—and the scriptures are full of them. A great purpose you can have in your scripture study is to look for these one-liners. Consider the following:
“The battle is the Lord’s” (1 Samuel 17:47).
“Get thee hence” (Matthew 4:10).
“Ye ought to search the scriptures” (Alma 33:2).
“Ye must study it out” (Doctrine and Covenants 9:8).
Each of these one-liners carries a deep meaning, particularly when you understand what is happening in the verses surrounding them. For example, in 1 Samuel 17 the giant Goliath was defying the armies of Israel, and none of the Israelites had the courage to challenge him. David, a young shepherd had volunteered to fight Goliath. Since we know the outcome of the story, perhaps we do not reflect often enough on what it would have been like to be David. Imagine that you were in a battlefield. Everyone you know, including the king and your brothers, are afraid of Goliath. What would you feel?
While standing alone, David told Goliath that he was not afraid. “For the battle is the Lord’s,” David said. What courage! When I am in a situation where the obstacles seem insurmountable I can remind myself that “the battle is the Lord’s” and trust in His power.
Elder Jay E. Jensen of the Seventy, in his excellent book Treasure up the Word, explained how to find one-liners. He said, “(1) Study, search, and examine words and phrases prayerfully and humbly…(2) ignore existing punctuation marks and verse and chapter breaks…(3) put periods in a sentence where there are none…(4) after you have isolated a phrase ask yourself whether those words express an idea much bigger than the words themselves” (95-96).
Several one-liners have influenced me for good throughout my life. Once I was debating about whether I should do a certain thing. I knew what the right choice to make was, but I was wavering a little bit. I prayed and asked Heavenly Father to help me find a verse that could give me direction. I turned to Doctrine and Covenants 87:8 which says, “Stand ye in holy places and be not moved.” The phrase “be not moved” jumped out at me and has become a one-liner that reminds me to stand firm when I am tempted to do wrong.
Another one-liner that has influenced me comes from Alma 27:27. This verse talks about the Anti-Nephi-Lehis, the Lamanites that were converted by the sons of Mosiah. It says that “they were perfectly honest.” What does it mean to be perfectly honest? Many times when I have been faced with seemingly gray areas I have asked myself, “what is the perfectly honest thing to do?” This one-liner has helped me make many good decisions.
Another tip for finding one-liners is to read alternate Bible translations. Sometimes the wording of the KJV gives the highest impact one-liner, but sometimes it’s other translations that do so. (Is it okay to read translations besides the KJV? Yes, see this post).
Make the effort to find one-liners as you study the scriptures. It’s fun and easy. Without pulling the scriptures out of context, take some time to identify these short, powerful phrases. Write down those that are most meaningful to you and ponder on how you can apply them in your life.
