Whenever I get a new set of scriptures, there are a few places I go to first to mark them. Even though I could make my way back to these verses from memory, my scriptures don't really feel like mine until I've been to them.
1. 2 Corinthians 4:8-9
These first two were on my wall when I was a teenager. I don't even remember when I found them. My scripture reading method at the time was to just flip around randomly in the Bible until I found something that spoke to me.
2. Romans 8:35-39
Because my family and friends didn't accept my decision to be baptized and were constantly undermining my beliefs and life decisions, reading these verses reassured me that nothing they were trying to do would ultimately succeed.
3. Psalm 27
Everyone needs a psalm that speaks to them in their suffering, and this one is mine. Everything about it speaks directly to my heart, especially verse 10. This psalm teaches me what it looks like to hold my head above water. It couldn't speak any better to my heart if I had written it myself.
4. 1 Nephi 21:15-16
Similar to Psalm 27:10, these verses remind me that even though my relationships with my parents are full of painful memories I wish I didn't have, I have a Savior who has been with me through all of it. There is someone who loves me and sees me for who I am, even when my parents cannot.
5. Isaiah 62:1
This is the scripture I would've put on my mission plaque if I'd had one. It speaks to the part of me that truly never wants to give up on anybody, the tenacity of holiness, and the refusal to quit.
6. Mosiah 11-17
Abinadi. Enough said.
7. Alma 32
This was the first chapter in the Book of Mormon I ever read. It was the reason I got baptized. It's also the chapter in the Book of Mormon I've come back to the most throughout my life, especially when I struggle with my relationships with other members of the Church. The Church is not the focus of my worship. Jesus Christ is. Every time I've needed that reminder, I've ended up spending time in this chapter.
8. Alma 36
There is no better description than this chapter of what it feels like to be redeemed by Jesus Christ. It perfectly captures the joy of repentance. It gets me every time.
9. 3 Nephi 22
This was the chapter I ended up reading after I sent my father a copy of the Book of Mormon, shortly before he ended up passing away. It was a difficult thing for me to do because we were estranged. This was the message I got from God letting me know that he was proud of me, that he would bless me for doing the best I could with a really difficult situation, and the blessings in this chapter were the ones he was saving especially for me.
10. 2 Nephi 26:23-33
This is the chapter I have probably quoted the most when I'm teaching other members of the Church. I love it because it teaches the universal love of God for all of his children, with specificity about the issues most prevalent in our day.
