Ellen Chat Conversation

Based on your description, the passage you are looking for is found in an article Ellen White wrote for the *Review and Herald* and *The Youth's Instructor*. She was emphasizing the importance of quality over quantity in Bible study. ### Most Relevant Quote > "Take one or two verses, and read them, and pray over them, and read them again, and pray over them, and read them again, and reflect upon them, and meditate upon them, until you have the thought, and it is committed to memory." — *The Review and Herald*, April 20, 1886, par. 1 (also found in *The Youth's Instructor*, August 31, 1887) ### Context This counsel was given to encourage believers—especially the youth—to engage in a deeper, more meditative approach to the Scriptures. Ellen White taught that it is far more beneficial to thoroughly digest a single verse until its meaning is imprinted on the soul than to read many chapters without focus or prayerful reflection. *** **Search Results Summary:** Found hundreds of passages containing these keywords. For the complete list with filters, try the Full-Text Search: [Full-Text Search](/advanced-search?q=Commit+it.) **Book breakdown:** 1T (45), 2SM (26), 1SP (24), GC (14), GC88 (14)

Based on the search results and the references you provided, the most prominent passages are found in the opening chapter of the 1888 edition of *The Great Controversy*. These passages describe Jesus looking over Jerusalem and weeping for its impending destruction. ### Top Matching Quote > "From the crest of Olivet, Jesus looked upon Jerusalem. Fair and peaceful was the scene spread out before him. ... But far other thoughts occupied the mind of Jesus. 'When he was come near, he beheld the city, and wept over it.' [Luke 19:41.] Amid the universal rejoicing of the triumphal entry, while palm branches waved, while glad hosannas awoke the echoes of the hills, and thousands of voices declared him king, the world's Redeemer was overwhelmed with a sudden and mysterious sorrow. He, the Son of God, the Promised One of Israel, whose power had conquered death, and called its captives from the grave, was in tears, not of ordinary grief, but of intense, irrepressible agony." — *The Great Controversy (1888)*, GC88 18.1 ### Context This passage is from **Chapter 1, "Destruction of Jerusalem."** Written to illustrate the consequences of rejecting God's mercy, this chapter depicts the Savior’s deep, unselfish sorrow. Even as the crowds celebrated His triumphal entry, Jesus looked past the beauty of the Temple to the future suffering of the people who refused His protection. ### Search Results Found thousands of passages containing these keywords. For the complete list with filters, try the Full-Text Search: [Full-Text Search](/advanced-search?q=GC88) **Book breakdown:** * GC88 (1718) * GC (3)

Ellen White strongly advocated for a meditative, verse-by-verse approach to Bible study, teaching that "one passage thus studied until its significance is clear is of more value than the perusal of many chapters with no definite purpose in view" (Ed 189.4). She believed that the primary goal of study is to "concentrate the mind on the task of ascertaining the thought which God has put in that verse for us until it becomes our own" (WMHerald October 26, 1904, par. 9). This method of deep reflection is essential for maintaining spiritual vitality. Ellen White suggested that "several times each day, precious golden moments should be consecrated to prayer and the study of the scriptures" (WMHerald October 26, 1904, par. 9). By focusing on even a single text, a person ensures that "spiritual life may exist in the soul" (LDE 66). She encouraged believers to meditate upon the truththrough earnest attention and prayerful thoughtto truly "drink deep of the spirit of the holy oracles" (COL 59.5). Practically, this habit serves as a defense against spiritual attacks. She noted that "even whole chapters may be committed to memory, to be repeated when Satan comes with his temptations" (WMHerald October 26, 1904, par. 10). To make this easier, she recommended keeping a pocket Bible with you as you workto "improve every opportunity to commit to memory its precious promises" (LDE 67.4). Even while walking on the street, one can read a passage and meditate upon it,allowing God to "flash the knowledge obtained into the memory at the very time when it is needed" (WMHerald October 26, 1904, par. 10). For those who struggle with a "defective" memory, she offered encouragement, stating that the memory "will gain strength by exercise" (CCh 207.8). Rather than viewing memorization as a "task," it should be seen as a "privilege" and a "valuable aid to spiritual growth" (CCh 207.8). The key is to avoid a "divided heart" or "superficial impressions," which quickly pass away" (YI September 1, 1898, par. 7). In summary, the practice of reading, praying, and meditating on a single verse until it is committed to memory ensures that the Word of God becomes an active, working agency in the life of the believer. --- 💡 **You might also want to explore:** • What did Ellen White say about the benefits of memorizing Scripture for resisting temptation? • How does she describe the relationship between prayer and Bible study? • What advice did she give for those who feel they have a poor memory?