Resource 3: LDS Citation Index

Finding Authoritative Quotes

Some years ago a BYU professor named Richard Galbraith created a scripture citation index on paper which was later made into web and mobile apps by Stephen Liddle, also a BYU professor. Since then the LDS Citation Index has had additional programming by other students to enhance it into a wonderful resource that allows you to look up a verse reference and find every reference to it that has been made in General Conferences, the Journal of Discourses, and Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith. This is the website you should bookmark.

https://scriptures.byu.edu

Watch this short demonstration or read below.

Access LDS Citation Index from Scripture Notes

Getting to this resource is super easy from Scripture Notes. From any verse, just click the chain icon to the right of a verse and click on the LDS Citation Index link. You’ll go straight to the chapter for that verse. You’ll see why it goes to the chapter instead of the verse below.

Paul Gives us a Rabbit Hole

I will give you an example and then encourage you to check it out.

Lets say you are reading in the New Testament and come across 1 Corinthians 2:10.

10 “But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God.”

We might stop and ponder how the Spirit searches all things. What exactly does that mean?  I thought we were the ones to search and seek to find truth and the Spirit would confirm it, yet this verse was indicating the Spirit was doing the searching.

You might start off doing a search in Scripture Notes for “searcheth” to see where else that word is used (and I strongly encourage that kind of behavior :)).

You might also search for “deep” and see what other “deep things” the scriptures talk about. Remember to write your questions down as you go. These are fun rabbit holes to explore.

Diving Into the LDS Citation Index

You might wonder what other authorities have said about this verse and in that instance, you would want to turn to this resource, the LDS Scripture Citation Index.

On the left side of the site you can read the scriptures, but the power of this site is if you choose the right (side). —>

Click on “1 Cor” under the New Testament area, and then click into chapter 2. You will see a list of all references and all the various ways those references have been stated in all the sources they pull from. This makes it a little tricky at times because a verse you’re researching might be found in a bunch of different citations. For example, 1 Corinthians 2:10 appears like this image on the right.

As you click into each of those references, you’ll find results like this:

Survey Says?

Here’s a few quotes I found in these results that help shed a little more light on this verse which you can copy/paste into a note tied to that verse if you want.

“I have an old edition of the New Testament in the Latin, Hebrew, German and Greek languages. …I thank God that I have got this old book; but I thank him more for the gift of the Holy Ghost. I have got the oldest book in the world; but I have got the oldest book in my heart, even the gift of the Holy Ghost. … The Holy Ghost … is within me, and comprehends more than all the world; and I will associate myself with him.” (Joseph Smith, History of the Church, 6:307–8)

“I feel truly grateful that we live in an age of the world when we can receive instructions by the power and wisdom of that Spirit which searches all things (1 Cor. 2:10) that Spirit that understands all things, and discerns the thoughts and intents of the heart. (Heb. 4:12) All other preaching is vain. I can say, with him, that it is one of the greatest pleasures of my life to speak, when I can have the Spirit of the Lord to assist me.” (Elder Orson Pratt, JD 7:308)

“The Savior has the words of eternal life. (John 6:68) Nothing else can profit us. There is no salvation in believing an evil report against our neighbor. (D&C 42:27) I advise all to go on to perfection,(Hebrews 6:1) and search deeper (1 Corinthians 2:10) and deeper into the mysteries of Godliness.(1 Timothy 3:16; D&C 19:10) A man can do nothing for himself (John 15:5; John 5:19,30) unless God direct him (1 Thes. 3:11) in the right way; and the Priesthood is for that purpose.” (Joseph Smith, TPJS, Pg. 364)

Summarize

Reading the verse again in light of this knowledge helps me understand that the Spirit has the all-knowing mind of God. There is nothing hidden from it. It is a revealer of all things including the thoughts and intents of the hearts of all individuals.  It is our privilege to seek a closer relationship to the Holy Ghost to learn the deep things and have the mysteries of God revealed to us through the Spirit and obtain direction for our lives. It is the ultimate personal tutor.

Please share your insights and thoughts below, and keep the LDS Citation Index in mind as you’re studying the scriptures and find a passage you want to learn more about.