Thread: Westminster Shorter Catechism Memorization

I am about to start memorizing the Shorter Catechism and wanted to know if anyone had any hints to the best method. I also posted a poll to see how many PBers have memorized it. Below is a link I found to memorization cards you can print off.

http://dangitbill.files.wordpress.co...lash-cards.pdf

Great challenge to us all, thanks!

I will go ahead and vote first and I am about to start memorizing the WSC.

Check with Chris Cauldwell. He has flash cards of the WSC. I'm flipping through them all the time, rewrote the whole WSC in my Jouranling Bible...

It helps, but I still do not have them memorized...

I memorized a good portion of the WSC when I was 12, but have forgotten most of it because I did not keep up with it in intervening years...

I did as a child; a looooong time ago. Not much left now, but it might come back if I started over.

Other: I am memorizing it with my children. I have my son help me, and he gets to memorize it at the same time (although he is currently ahead of me).

When he answers some of the questions, an uncontrollable "Amen!" often slips out of my mouth. It is great to hear children saying truths such as, "The only Redeemer of God’s elect is the Lord Jesus Christ, who being the eternal Son of God became man, and so was, and continueth to be, God and man, in two distinct natures, and one person forever."

I'm in the process now...actually started this week. There is no easy way except repetition, repetition, repetition, repetition, repetition, repetition, repetition, repetition, repetition, repetition, repetition, repetition, repetition, repetition, repetition, repetition, repetition, repetition, repetition, repetition, repetition, repetition, repetition, repetition, repetition, repetition, repetition, repetition, repetition, repetition, repetition, repetition, repetition, repetition, repetition, repetition, repetition, repetition, repetition, repetition, repetition, repetition, repetition, repetition, repetition, repetition, repetition, repetition, repetition, repetition, repetition, repetition, repetition, repetition, repetition, repetition, repetition, repetition, repetition, repetition, repetition, repetition, repetition, repetition......rinse and repeat.

My plan is to memorize 3 questions every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. Since I am visual this helps what I have done this week is look at the question in Word. I read it outloud a few times. I look for a "pattern" and from there decide how I will write in on the 3x5 card. Once I write on the card I begin to memorize it. I say the question # and give the answer from memory 10x and then start the process over with the second question. Once I have recited each question individually 10 times I then recite them as a group in order 10 times. Finally I recite them 10 times in random order. For the rest of the day I set a timer and recite them every hour in random order and follow the same timer pattern the off day. I got up late this morning so have to do my WSC workout here shortly. Should have them all down in 12 weeks. Plan on putting them on flashcardexchange.com and using their Leitner Cardfile system to transfer all the questions into my longterm memory.

Not sure if that helps but that is what I am doing. Also memorizing a verse a day but that starts on Monday. Just call me "RoteMemorization" guy!


BTW I also have used McMahon's WSC on MP3. I was starting to use it in the car but figured I would get two weeks worth into the ole grey stuff and then use the auditory method as well.




Man...reading this I seem a little OCD....

Thanks for the link. That's a great resource!

[quote=Other: I am memorizing it with my children. I have my son help me, and he gets to memorize it at the same time (although he is currently ahead of me).

When he answers some of the questions, an uncontrollable "Amen!" often slips out of my mouth. It is great to hear children saying truths such as, "The only Redeemer of God’s elect is the Lord Jesus Christ, who being the eternal Son of God became man, and so was, and continueth to be, God and man, in two distinct natures, and one person forever."[/QUOTE]


How old is your son? My sons are 3-1/2 and 1-1/2, we want to start working with my oldest on memorizing. We have been told several different things by different people. Our pastor has encouraged us to start at three years old with the WSC. But others have told me to start with either the Catechisms for Young Children or the First Catechism. Do you and the other PBers have any advice on which catechism to work with my three year old on memorizing? Also would you start with the catechism and them move on to Bible verses/chapters or both at the same time with a young child (3 yrs old)?

-----Added 2/6/2009 at 10:20:21 EST-----

Originally Posted by coramdeo

I did as a child; a looooong time ago. Not much left now, but it might come back if I started over.

Coramdeo I like your avatar where did you get it from?
( On my own thread )

I memorized about half of it a few years ago, but haven't kept up with it. My girlfriend is interested in memorizing it, so we started again. It's much easier the second time around.

I had to memorize it to graduate from seminary. The strategy I used was to record myself saying the questions and answers, burn them to CD, and listen (over and over and over again) as I drove to class (about a 40 minute drive). I would say the answers along with the recording.

Originally Posted by Blev3rd

How old is your son? My sons are 3-1/2 and 1-1/2, we want to start working with my oldest on memorizing. We have been told several different things by different people. Our pastor has encouraged us to start at three years old with the WSC. But others have told me to start with either the Catechisms for Young Children or the First Catechism. Do you and the other PBers have any advice on which catechism to work with my three year old on memorizing? Also would you start with the catechism and them move on to Bible verses/chapters or both at the same time with a young child (3 yrs old)?

My son is 6 and oldest daughter is 8. Our 4 year old daughter is memorizing it too. She does not go as quickly, but is fully able to memorize the catechism. We also do Bible memory alongside of the catechism. I believe God created children with a tremendous capacity for memorization and so a lot of our "schooling" focuses on that. As they grow, it is our prayer that all those seeds that were sown earlier will grow, blossom and produce fruit.

As far as the three year old, there is a man at our church teaching his two year old the Shorter Catechism. The difference in age I think is merely a level of proficiency, but I think young ones can do fine on the Shorter Catechism.

I hope this helps.

Originally Posted by SemperEruditio

I'm in the process now...actually started this week. There is no easy way except repetition, repetition, repetition, repetition, repetition, repetition, repetition, repetition, repetition, repetition, repetition, repetition, repetition, repetition, repetition, repetition, repetition, repetition, repetition, repetition, repetition, repetition, repetition, repetition, repetition, repetition, repetition, repetition, repetition, repetition, repetition, repetition, repetition, repetition, repetition, repetition, repetition, repetition, repetition, repetition, repetition, repetition, repetition, repetition, repetition, repetition, repetition, repetition, repetition, repetition, repetition, repetition, repetition, repetition, repetition, repetition, repetition, repetition, repetition, repetition, repetition, repetition, repetition, repetition......rinse and repeat.

My plan is to memorize 3 questions every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. Since I am visual this helps what I have done this week is look at the question in Word. I read it outloud a few times. I look for a "pattern" and from there decide how I will write in on the 3x5 card. Once I write on the card I begin to memorize it. I say the question # and give the answer from memory 10x and then start the process over with the second question. Once I have recited each question individually 10 times I then recite them as a group in order 10 times. Finally I recite them 10 times in random order. For the rest of the day I set a timer and recite them every hour in random order and follow the same timer pattern the off day. I got up late this morning so have to do my WSC workout here shortly. Should have them all down in 12 weeks. Plan on putting them on flashcardexchange.com and using their Leitner Cardfile system to transfer all the questions into my longterm memory.

Not sure if that helps but that is what I am doing. Also memorizing a verse a day but that starts on Monday. Just call me "RoteMemorization" guy!


BTW I also have used McMahon's WSC on MP3. I was starting to use it in the car but figured I would get two weeks worth into the ole grey stuff and then use the auditory method as well.




Man...reading this I seem a little OCD....

There's no easy way to do it. You just have to do the grunt work of repetition. Read it, say it, hear it, (maybe even write it) over and over. Then review frequently. It also helps to meditate on it. Make sure you understand what you are memorizing, that helps it stick better because it becomes a part of you.

As a youngster, I memorized the Heidelberg Catechism, one Lord's Day at a time (as do all CanRC young people). Back then I wouldn't have been able to say it all in one sitting. However, at seminary we did have to memorize the whole works and be able to recite it at two sittings. That was in the first year. In the second to fourth years, we had to memorize Scripture, about 500 passages per year.

I memorized it about 20 years ago and still know some parts of it by heart, a bit rusty on others.

Originally Posted by Guido's Brother

As a youngster, I memorized the Heidelberg Catechism, one Lord's Day at a time (as do all CanRC young people). Back then I wouldn't have been able to say it all in one sitting. However, at seminary we did have to memorize the whole works and be able to recite it at two sittings. That was in the first year. In the second to fourth years, we had to memorize Scripture, about 500 passages per year.

Was there a method or order to the verses that yall memorized? I guess a better way to ask the question is was it broken out systematically or just random?

I memorized it years ago but regretably can only recall a small percentage word for word today...

I am newly converted and am still reading it.

Why is there no option for "I haven't tried, and I'm not sure if I will"?

I can see why memorization would be valuable. However, I question whether memorization is sufficiently more valuable than mere familiarity. I am trying to memorize more Scripture, and I think that is much more important.

But if I have children someday, I will teach it to them, and likely memorize it in the process.

I might make flash cards for the 39 Articles! That would be a good spiritual exercise!

Originally Posted by Blev3rd

Originally Posted by Guido's Brother

As a youngster, I memorized the Heidelberg Catechism, one Lord's Day at a time (as do all CanRC young people). Back then I wouldn't have been able to say it all in one sitting. However, at seminary we did have to memorize the whole works and be able to recite it at two sittings. That was in the first year. In the second to fourth years, we had to memorize Scripture, about 500 passages per year.

Was there a method or order to the verses that yall memorized? I guess a better way to ask the question is was it broken out systematically or just random?

Yes, it was systematic. For the most part it followed Louis Berkhof's Textual Aid to Systematic Theology.

Originally Posted by Ex Nihilo

Why is there no option for "I haven't tried, and I'm not sure if I will"?

I can see why memorization would be valuable. However, I question whether memorization is sufficiently more valuable than mere familiarity. I am trying to memorize more Scripture, and I think that is much more important.

But if I have children someday, I will teach it to them, and likely memorize it in the process.

Hey.. you make a good point.. I was thinking the same after I posted...

I voted other. My kids and I have been working on it together. We also memorize a chapter of scripture at a time. I work on catechism at least three days a week and then do scripture memory work about four days a week. We use Teaching Hearts, Training Minds. It is a devotional based on the WCF and we enjoy it. I am learning it right along with my kids.

I voted other. I haven't memorized it, I've thought it might be nice to do so, but being in college, I have a lot of other things to memorize as well, and I can think of any number of Scripture passages that would probably be more valuable to me in the heat of the fight than the WSC. No offense.

I agree that memorizing the Shorter Catechism is good. It gives you a systematic, orderly body of doctrinal truth. However, if I was training my children, I would first want to train them in the Scriptures, then move on to the catechism. The Bible provides the foundation which everything is built on. By itself, the catechism is a house of cards waiting to be pushed over. A child can have the whole thing memorized, but suppose someone comes up to little Johnny after he has just recited the answer to question #1 and asks him, "Why?"

What would Johnny say?

Originally Posted by Ex Nihilo

Why is there no option for "I haven't tried, and I'm not sure if I will"?

I can see why memorization would be valuable. However, I question whether memorization is sufficiently more valuable than mere familiarity. I am trying to memorize more Scripture, and I think that is much more important.

But if I have children someday, I will teach it to them, and likely memorize it in the process.

Originally Posted by Skyler

I voted other. I haven't memorized it, I've thought it might be nice to do so, but being in college, I have a lot of other things to memorize as well, and I can think of any number of Scripture passages that would probably be more valuable to me in the heat of the fight than the WSC. No offense.

Originally Posted by Calvinist Cowboy

I agree that memorizing the Shorter Catechism is good. It gives you a systematic, orderly body of doctrinal truth. However, if I was training my children, I would first want to train them in the Scriptures, then move on to the catechism. The Bible provides the foundation which everything is built on. By itself, the catechism is a house of cards waiting to be pushed over. A child can have the whole thing memorized, but suppose someone comes up to little Johnny after he has just recited the answer to question #1 and asks him, "Why?"

What would Johnny say?

I placed other on the list because there could be hundreds of "other" descriptions that I could have listed. My wife and I are teaching ourselves and our children the Westminster Standards (WSC in particular for this thread discussion) because IMHO the Westminster Standards are mans best attempt to systematically explain the Word of God. We plan on also teaching scripture to our children and ourselves from now till we are taken home by the Lord. But that doesn't take away from the benefit that is gained by having the WSC memorized giving you a complete overview of the Bible and what it teaches. I think that to make the argument that it is a waste of time to memorize the WSC because there is scripture that would be better used in an argument is silly. I do not plan on memorizing the WSC or any other part of the WS so that I can use them in an apologetic argument. We are learning them so that we can better understand what the whole Word of God teaches. I would not think that anyone would suggest not memorizing scripture and arguing solely with the WSC. With that said I did not start a thread on Scripture memorization (though that would be a great thread) but a thread on advice to the best way to memorize the WSC, with a poll to see how many PBers had. Its late and I am about to go sleep so that I will not be weary for the Lords Day. I hope that I have not misunderstood yalls posts. I submit this post hoping that it is a polite response to yalls. We all agree that God's Word is supreme but that is not a reason to shrug off the value of our Reformed Standards. I have not been offended and I hope yall have not been either

I'm sorry if I struck a nerve, brother. I guess the topic of the thread sort of meandered and I followed it along without referring to the OP. My apologies.

Originally Posted by Blev3rd

I submit this post hoping that it is a polite response to yalls. We all agree that God's Word is supreme but that is not a reason to shrug off the value of our Reformed Standards. I have not been offended and I hope yall have not been either [/B]

I definitely agree. I apologize for being off-topic, and I certainly did not mean to, even by implication, demean the value of memorizing the WSC.

I memorized portions of it when my older daughter was learning it. She almost finished it. My youngest daughter only made it through question 20.

I'm a baptist, but have memorized the Shorter Catechism.


I would repeatedly write it over and over.

Also, I would tape myself on cassette reading and rereading the same question about 15 times over before moving on to the next question and answer.

I worked nights on a pysch ward at that time. If I did not have these quiet hours, I would not have been able to memorize anything...and now, I cannot even memorize small snippets of Scripture it seems.

I voted "tried but gave up" because it is true. I got through about 20 questions back when Mike Butterfield was teaching the WSC at Riveroaks. But time has taken its toll.

On the other hand, I keep thinking that I should try again. I have found MP3's of the Shorter Catechism at Immanuel Presbyterian Church - Norfolk, VA where it is broken up into segments of a half dozen questions for each file. (Look down towards the bottom of the page.)

Originally Posted by Blev3rd

I am about to start memorizing the Shorter Catechism and wanted to know if anyone had any hints to the best method. I also posted a poll to see how many PBers have memorized it. Below is a link I found to memorization cards you can print off.

http://dangitbill.files.wordpress.co...lash-cards.pdf

I've just started it myself. Thanks for the link John.

Originally Posted by jfschultz

I voted "tried but gave up" because it is true. I got through about 20 questions back when Mike Butterfield was teaching the WSC at Riveroaks. But time has taken its toll.

On the other hand, I keep thinking that I should try again. I have found MP3's of the Shorter Catechism at Immanuel Presbyterian Church - Norfolk, VA where it is broken up into segments of a half dozen questions for each file. (Look down towards the bottom of the page.)

Thanks for the link I will download them.

Originally Posted by Pergamum

I'm a baptist, but have memorized the Shorter Catechism.


I would repeatedly write it over and over.

Also, I would tape myself on cassette reading and rereading the same question about 15 times over before moving on to the next question and answer.

I worked nights on a pysch ward at that time. If I did not have these quiet hours, I would not have been able to memorize anything...and now, I cannot even memorize small snippets of Scripture it seems.

So... after all that work you didn't become enlightened, repent and turn to peadobaptism? (Just kidding... throw no stones)

I plan on memorizing the Baptist Shorter Catechism someday

Okay you have convinced me all of you I will have to do this

I've memorized the first ten questions or so but I'm still working on it.

By the way, you asked earlier about memorizing the children's catechism or something before learning the WSC. I would strongly urge against that. I learned the Children's catechism and it only made things more difficult when I would work on the WSC because the answers were so different! Your very young children may not understand everything when they initially memorize the WSC but they will appreciate its use throughout the rest of their lives!

I recommend the following book to help you: Amazon.com: Quantum Memory Power: Learn to Improve Your Memory with the World Memory Champion!: Dominic O'Brien, Dominic O'Brien: Books

Any of his books will help you. (Don't tell William Perkins!)

We have been memorizing the WSC for some time now with our children in our family worship. We are now in the 40's and are pushing along. Our children range in ages from 3-13 and some of them do not fully understand the truths in what they are learning, but we are hiding them in their hearts and trusting in the promises of God that he will use the fruits of our labors as a means of grace to our children later on.

Something that has helped us learn the catechism so quickly is buying cds that have the question and answers set to music. It has worked very effectively for our family, especially for the younger ones. However, my husband and I both catch ourselves going around singing them all the time around the house. It can become one of those things that get stuck in your head all day long.

There are a few different kinds that you can purchase. When we were in the Baptist church we started with "Baptist Catechism set to Music" which we purchased through the Founders Ministries. A lot of what we have memorized from the catechism came from that cd. Of course the answers on that cd are somewhat different than the WSC, so we are getting ready to purchase one for the WSC. There are a few available out there, if you google WSC set to music you will come across them with different types of music depending on your preference of style. One of them available from the McCracken family can be found at the Crown and Covenant website: Sing the Westminster Shorter Catechism, Q 1-20