|
| |
October 2001
Memorization Tips: Acrostic Method
Sometimes we need to memorize a sequence of words that cannot easily
be associated with images, thereby making the techniques such as the
link method difficult to use. In such cases, the acrostic method may
work well. Although you may not recognize it by name, you have
probably used it before. For example, those budding musicians who
needed to learn which notes are on the lines of the treble clef
probably used a phrase like "Every Good Boy Does Fine" to remember the
notes as E, G, B, D and F.
To apply this method to memorizing text in the scriptures, suppose you
are working on Mosiah 3:19 and need help remembering the traits listed
there: submissive, meek, humble, patient, full of love. By taking the
first letters of each word, we have S, M, H, P, F (you may want to
include an 'L' at the end if you need to, but we will let 'F'
represent "full of love" for this example). Now use those letters to
compose a phrase that would be easy to remember. The sillier the
phrase, the easier it will be to recall. For example, the phrase
"Small Mice Hurt People's Feet" is one possibility. As with any
memorization method, use words and images that you can relate to and
that create a vivid impression for you. What works for one person may
not work for another. Also, once you derive a phrase, stick to it.
Trying to change or "improve" it will likely cause confusion.
Can you remember President Hinckley's six "B's"? If not, you may want
to create your own acrostic to help you. The six "B's" are: be
grateful, be smart, be clean, be true, be humble, be prayerful. What
phrase can you create out of G, S, C, T, H, P? Good luck!
Do you have some favorite tips and techniques for memorizing? Please
feel free to share them with us.
|
|
Front page