The Twenty Third Psalm

“The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.”

The school I attended when I was young required us to memorize scriptures as part of our religious curriculum. Each year there would be a contest and the one who memorized the most would receive a beautiful children’s Bible – with a zipper closure and a picture of Jesus teaching the Sermon on the Mount. I won it once. I don’t know when it disappeared, but it was my most treasured possession for many years.

One of my favorite passages continues to be the Twenty Third Psalm which I memorized in school as child. Each thought and promise expressed has had relevance in my life. The strongest being, “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me.” Each time a woman goes through childbirth she can relate to this one sentence universally. My personal experience with six rough pregnancies, and the act of childbirth, taught me that this is always a walk down the “valley of the shadow of death.”

In moments of vulnerability where life and death can hang in the balance scriptures bring comfort and strength. In my darkest moments, the words and imagery I access from this passage truly restored my soul. “He restoreth my soul” or “he maketh me to lie down in green pastures” or “he leadeth me beside the still waters” or “surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.” Though life is not perfect, and sometimes dark and dangerous, these words lead us to the light at the end of the tunnel, which is our faith in Jesus Christ, the Good Shepherd, and his promises.

Although my treasured Bible has disappeared, the words I memorized have not left me. They are imprinted in my soul, and when I need them, they re-appear in my consciousness and continue to guide me. Inspired scripture and prophetic truths are the main pathway the Holy Spirit uses to comfort and guide us.

In school, we also had what were called “forensic” competitions. As young children these would be in the form of small poems. Later, in high school these competitions included speeches, and debates. The term “forensic” in this sense refers to the art of communication, especially in the field of law and politics, but more broadly it developed the art of speaking in front of others and the ability to express your opinion. It also developed a sense of the rhythm of language.

I still remember my first one, which I recited for the competition when I was in first grade. It is called “My Shadow” by Robert Louis Stevenson.

“I have a little shadow that goes in and out with me, And what can be the use of him is more than I can see. He is very, very like me from the heels up to the head; And I see him jump before me, when I jump into my bed.

“The funniest thing about him is the way he likes to grow— Not at all like proper children, which is always very slow; For he sometimes shoots up taller like a rubber ball, And he sometimes gets so little that there's none of him at all.

“He hasn't got a notion of how children ought to play, And can only make a fool of me in every sort of way. He stays so close beside me; he's a coward you can see; I'd think shame to stick to nursie as that shadow sticks to me!

“One morning, very early, before the sun was up, I rose and found the shining dew on every buttercup; But my lazy little shadow, like an arrant sleepy-head, Had stayed at home behind me and was fast asleep in bed.”

Songs are much easier to memorize that poems or speeches. Music is a great way to trigger the brain to memorize words, and experience feelings. The Twenty Third Psalm is believed to be a song composed by ancient Israel’s King David. It has often been set to music and has become a favorite hymn for some.

It’s been a long time since I tried to memorize a scripture, or a song, or a poem. The art of memorizing names, places, events, songs, poetry, etc., had been the backbone of knowledge until our digital age, when we rely heavily on hard drives and memory sticks.

I would like to return to memorizing stories, scriptures, and inspiring passages. Paper can burn, digital files can be hacked or destroyed, but the mind has endless book shelves for volumes of information and only requires us to do the work to maintain it. The idea of a family gathered about the warmth of a fireplace or campfire, telling and retelling the stories of their people or their faith, has long since been replaced by the blue light of the television set or computer screen, and we fear power outages. There are no power outages of the Spirit for those who have conscientiously prepared.

Where can we find good things to memorize? In Doctrine and Covenants, Section 88, verse 118, God gave us a pattern for identifying the best sources: “And as all have not faith, seek ye diligently and teach one another words of wisdom; yea, seek ye out of the best books words of wisdom; seek learning, even by study and also by faith.”

Karen Murray is a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints experiencing life as a wife, mother, grandmother, writer, genealogy junkie, and political activist.