How to Use Wide-Margin Scripture Tools

To create your own copy, I’d suggest you print these out double-sided, and have them spiral bound so the volume can lay flat when open.  If you’d like, split the printing into two or more sections and bind separately (especially with the Old Testament) for easier writing.  Alternatively, you can three-hole-punch them and put them in a binder, but that just doesn’t look as cool.  I printed my own copy at home, but I had mine bound at the UPS store for somewhere around $5, with a stiff cover for the front and back to protect the pages.  The nice thing about these is that you can do whatever you want with them!  If you find some creative use, just come back and share it in the comments so others can use your nifty idea as well.

Years ago a professor at BYU, teaching New Testament, required us to purchase a wide margin version of the scriptures. Sadly, back then, only the New Testament was available and it was quite expensive, but I loved it for taking notes.

Enter the Wide Margin Edition of the Standard Works. Brad Jackman, at his blog,”The Garden Tower,” explained that he took official PDF versions of the scriptures, from LDS.org, then placed each page on a standard 8½x11 page layout without increasing the text size. This provides readers with a page that has the same text and page numbers as each of the official standard works, but with ample space for notes.

Jackman suggests you use the “huge margins… [to] write your thoughts, study notes, questions, quotes, lesson guides, references, or whatever you can come up with!” He offers these “free of charge” at his blog, “The Garden Tower” and tells the story behind the project.

I used a copy I made (see header image above) at my adult Isaiah Institute class last week and found that for a change I could keep up. I didn’t have to worry about how it would look forever in my personal scriptures, so I marked and wrote whatever I felt like.

I must admit it seems pretty messy now looking back, but the nice thing is the exact same page numbers and layout matches my personal edition. That way I can go back and mark lasting ideas I collect.

I do not know how I can recommend these any higher, get a copy for yourself now: The Book of Isaiah, LDS Authorized King James Version