Scripture Power

There are many verses of scripture that lift and encourage everyone. There are also verses that when read immediately zap into the heart in such a way that it immediately empowers you and ever after that moment the verse has special significance to you.

President Ezra Taft Benson had such a verse. He served as Secretary of Agriculture during the administration of Dwight D. Eisenhower and as Secretary he encountered a great deal of opposition. At Pres. Benson’s funeral Elder Boyd K. Packer read a verse of scripture, 3 Nephi 22:17 which says, “No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall revile against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and their righteousness is of me, saith the Lord.” Elder Packer explained that President Benson carried a copy of this verse in his wallet all his life.

This verse encouraged Pres. Benson and verses of scripture can and will lift and encourage us, but we have to use them if they are to do that. It isn’t enough to once in awhile read our scriptures. Instead we need to find the verses that speak specifically to our hearts and surround ourselves with them. We can put them on walls, carry them in our wallets where we refer to them frequently, or we can memorize them so we can recite them whenever we need them. But the key here is to in some way make them highly accessible. When we do this, their power is always available to comfort and encourage us.