How to Start a Scripture Study Routine You'll Actually Stick With
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Starting a scripture study routine can feel easy.
Sticking with it is usually the harder part.
We often begin with the best intentions—planning to study every morning, take detailed notes, read several chapters, or follow the perfect study schedule. Then life gets busy, we miss a few days, and before long our new routine disappears.
But meaningful scripture study doesn't have to be complicated.
The best scripture study routine isn't necessarily the longest or most impressive one.
It's the one you'll actually return to.
1. Start Smaller Than You Think You Need To
Instead of deciding that you'll study for 30 minutes every day, begin with something you know you can accomplish.
Maybe that's:
- One chapter
- Five verses
- Ten minutes
- One Come, Follow Me thought
- One General Conference quote
You can always keep studying when you have more time.
The important thing at first is simply creating the habit of opening your scriptures.
2. Attach Scripture Study to Something You Already Do
One of the easiest ways to create a new routine is to connect it to an existing one.
For example:
After I eat breakfast → I'll read my scriptures.
After I get the kids to school → I'll study for ten minutes.
After getting ready for bed → I'll read one verse.
Instead of trying to remember another task, scripture study becomes part of a routine you already have.
3. Create a Simple Scripture Study Space
You don't need a dedicated room or beautiful desk.
Choose one comfortable place where you can regularly study.
Keep your scriptures and a few favorite supplies nearby—a journal, pen, highlighter, or study guide.
The easier it is to begin, the more likely you are to do it.
4. Have a Plan Before You Sit Down
Have you ever opened your scriptures and thought:
Okay...what should I read?
Remove that decision.
You might follow the weekly Come, Follow Me reading, study one book of scripture at a time, choose a gospel topic, or work through a General Conference talk.
Having a simple plan gives you somewhere to begin each day.
5. Write Down One Thing
You don't need pages of notes.
At the end of your study, write down one thing you want to remember.
It might be:
- A scripture
- A question
- An impression
- Something you learned about Jesus Christ
- Something you want to do differently
Over time, those small entries become a personal record of your spiritual growth.
6. Don't Let Missing a Day Become Missing a Week
You will miss days.
That's normal.
The danger isn't missing Tuesday.
It's deciding on Wednesday that you've already ruined your routine.
Just begin again.
Scripture study isn't a streak you're trying to protect. It's a relationship you're continuing to develop. It is who you are becoming each day as you learn more about Jesus Christ.
7. Focus on Connection, Not Completion
There will always be another chapter to read, another talk to study, and another insight you could discover.
You don't have to finish everything.
Instead, ask yourself:
Did something I studied today help me understand Heavenly Father or Jesus Christ better?
Did I receive an impression I want to remember?
Is there something I want to apply to my life?
Those questions can change scripture study from something you're trying to complete into something you're trying to experience and WHO you are trying to BECOME.
Your Scripture Study Routine Can Be Simple
You don't need the perfect schedule.
You don't need an elaborate study system.
And you don't need an hour of uninterrupted time.
Start with ten minutes.
Open your scriptures.
Read.
Think.
Write down one thing.
And tomorrow, come back.
Small moments of scripture study, repeated over time, can become some of the most meaningful moments of your day.
Ready to Make Scripture Study More Meaningful?
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