“The scriptures contain so many jewels over which we pass too lightly, especially some stunning one-liners.”

(Elder Neal A. Maxwell, “Unto this Very Purpose,” 5)

The Lord had told Jeremiah to preach the gospel and he did. What happened? Jeremiah was put in prison, and later spent a day in the stocks. That’s not talking about financial stocks—it’s the kind where people would walk by and throw rotten fruit at you.

Jeremiah expressed his frustration to the Lord. It seemed so unfair that he was punished when he did what the Lord wanted him to do. The persecution for preaching the gospel had become so intense that Jeremiah decided he would stop speaking the word of the Lord. Just as he had made up his mind, Jeremiah said, “But his word was in mine heart as a…fire…in my bones, and I was weary with forbearing, and I could not stay” (Jeremiah 20:9).

God’s word was so powerfully placed in Jeremiah’s heart that he could not stop preaching the gospel. I hope to study and live in such a way that God’s word is like a fire in my bones.

The phrase “a fire in my bones” is a scriptural one-liner. A one-liner is a short, simple phrase that carries a lot of power—and the scriptures are full of them. A great purpose you can have in your scripture study is to look for these one-liners. Consider the following:

“The battle is the Lord’s” (1 Samuel 17:47).

“Get thee hence” (Matthew 4:10).

“Ye ought to search the scriptures” (Alma 33:2).

“Ye must study it out” (Doctrine and Covenants 9:8).

Each of these one-liners carries a deep meaning, particularly when you understand what is happening in the verses surrounding them. For example, in 1 Samuel 17 the giant Goliath was defying the armies of Israel, and none of the Israelites had the courage to challenge him. David, a young shepherd had volunteered to fight Goliath. Since we know the outcome of the story, perhaps we do not reflect often enough on what it would have been like to be David. Imagine that you were in a battlefield. Everyone you know, including the king and your brothers, are afraid of Goliath. What would you feel?

While standing alone, David told Goliath that he was not afraid. “For the battle is the Lord’s,” David said. What courage! When I am in a situation where the obstacles seem insurmountable I can remind myself that “the battle is the Lord’s” and trust in His power.

Elder Jay E. Jensen of the Seventy, in his excellent book Treasure up the Word, explained how to find one-liners. He said, “(1) Study, search, and examine words and phrases prayerfully and humbly…(2) ignore existing punctuation marks and verse and chapter breaks…(3) put periods in a sentence where there are none…(4) after you have isolated a phrase ask yourself whether those words express an idea much bigger than the words themselves” (95-96).

I saw a teacher use these techniques in a class one day. He was teaching from Joseph Smith-History 1:20. Notice that even though it is a long verse, by ignoring punctuation and inserting a period, the teacher created a one-liner.

He again forbade me to join with any of them; and many other things did he say unto me, which I cannot write at this time.  When I came to myself again, I found myself lying on my back, looking up into heaven.  When the light had departed, I had no strength; but soon recovering in some degree, I went home.  And as I leaned up to the fireplace, mother inquired what the matter was.  I replied, “Never mind, all is well—I am well enough off.”  I then said to my mother, “I have learned for myself that Presbyterianism is not true.”  It seems as though the adversary was aware, at a very early period of my life, that I was destined to prove a disturber and an annoyer of his kingdom; else why should the powers of darkness combine against me?  Why the opposition and persecution that arose against me, almost in my infancy? (emphasis added).

“I have learned for myself.” A powerful one-liner. What other one-liners can you find in these verses?

An invitation: Spend a few minutes searching the scriptures looking for one-liners. Post some of your favorites by commenting below.