Earlier this year, I decided to memorize "The Living Christ" which is a document written back in 2000 to commemorate the birth of Jesus Christ two millennia previously. Actually, I should say that I decided to attempt memorizing it! I was extremely intimidated by the length of it...10 paragraphs.
My mom also decided to memorize it, and it was a lot easier to work on it with her than it would've been to try to do it all on my own. (I honestly doubt that I would've stuck with it, OR been as successful all on my own.) We would go over it individually, but then once or twice a week we would go over it together and quiz each other to see how the other was progressing.
I finished memorizing the 10th paragraph last week. I'm absolutely shocked that I was able to memorize the entire thing, and so quickly (about 10 weeks). It was actually a lot easier to memorize than I thought it would be, too. When I first thought about doing it, I assumed it would take all year to get it committed to memory. It really wasn't that bad. I did spend a lot of time reciting it in my head over and over (especially at night as I tried to fall asleep) and it stuck in my head fairly easily. Some of the words and phrases are very similar, though, so it's easy to get certain parts mixed up if I'm not careful.
Now the real question is, how long can I keep it memorized?! Retaining something you've memorized is even harder than memorizing it, in my opinion. I will continue to recite The Living Christ to myself every day or so to continue cementing it in my brain. One thing's for sure as far as memorizing something goes…if you don't use it, you lose it, so I know I could easily lose my ability to recite it if I'm not careful! It is far easier to remember things you've memorized in your youth, too, than it is to remember something you've memorized as an adult! And my mom said that it gets even more difficult to memorize things over age 50. I guess the lesson in all of this is that if you want to memorize something, do it sooner than later!
I just discovered your inspiring blog, and I thank you for sharing your life and faith! I also just finished memorizing The Living Christ yesterday, and my heart is full of gratitude for my Savior's life and sacrifice, living apostles, and for the impact this inspired document has had in my life. You are so right--I've got to keep this memorized for the rest of my life. Way to go, and thank you again!
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