Emphasis Scriptures

The word 'foolish' occurs 73 times in the standard works.

9 of those occurances are found in the list of scriptures highlighted below. These verses have the highest concentration of the word 'foolish' in the standard works and contain 12.3% of all occurances. Assuming 30 seconds per verse, it would take about 4 minutes to read the entire list.

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Alma 30:13-14 (3 in 2 verses)

 30:13 O ye that are bound down under a foolish and a vain hope, why do ye yoke yourselves with such foolish things? Why do ye look for a Christ? For no man can know of anything which is to come.

 30:14 Behold, these things which ye call prophecies, which ye say are handed down by holy prophets, behold, they are foolish traditions of your fathers.




Alma 30:23 (2 in 1 verse)

Job 5:2-3 (2 in 2 verses)

Matt. 25:2-3 (2 in 2 verses)

Exact Word Count

  FULL PART ALL
OT 35 23 58
NT 17 9 26
BM 19 4 23
DC 1 0 1
PGP 1 0 1
TOTAL 73 36 109

Gen. 31:28
And hast not suffered me to kiss my sons and my daughters? thou hast now done foolishly in so doing.

Num. 12:11
And Aaron said unto Moses, Alas, my lord, I beseech thee, lay not the sin upon us, wherein we have done foolishly, and wherein we have sinned.

Deut. 32:6
Do ye thus requite the Lord, O foolish people and unwise? is not he thy father that hath bought thee? hath he not made thee, and established thee?

Deut. 32:21
They have moved me to jealousy with that which is not God; they have provoked me to anger with their vanities: and I will move them to jealousy with those which are not a people; I will provoke them to anger with a foolish nation.

1 Sam. 13:13
And Samuel said to Saul, Thou hast done foolishly: thou hast not kept the commandment of the Lord thy God, which he commanded thee: for now would the Lord have established thy kingdom upon Israel for ever.

2 Sam. 15:31
And one told David, saying, Ahithophel is among the conspirators with Absalom. And David said, O Lord, I pray thee, turn the counsel of Ahithophel into foolishness.

2 Sam. 24:10
And David's heart smote him after that he had numbered the people. And David said unto the Lord, I have sinned greatly in that I have done: and now, I beseech thee, O Lord, take away the iniquity of thy servant; for I have done very foolishly.

1 Chr. 21:8
And David said unto God, I have sinned greatly, because I have done this thing: but now, I beseech thee, do away the iniquity of thy servant; for I have done very foolishly.

2 Chr. 16:9
For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to shew himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward him. Herein thou hast done foolishly: therefore from henceforth thou shalt have wars.

Job 1:22
In all this Job sinned not, nor charged God foolishly.

Job 2:10
But he said unto her, Thou speakest as one of the foolish women speaketh. What? shall we receive good at the hand of God, and shall we not receive evil? In all this did not Job sin with his lips.

Job 5:2
For wrath killeth the foolish man, and envy slayeth the silly one.

Job 5:3
I have seen the foolish taking root: but suddenly I cursed his habitation.

Ps. 5:5
The foolish shall not stand in thy sight: thou hatest all workers of iniquity.

Ps. 38:5
My wounds stink and are corrupt because of my foolishness.

Ps. 39:8
Deliver me from all my transgressions: make me not the reproach of the foolish.

Ps. 69:5
O God, thou knowest my foolishness; and my sins are not hid from thee.

Ps. 73:3
For I was envious at the foolish, when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.

Ps. 73:22
So foolish was I, and ignorant: I was as a beast before thee.

Ps. 74:18
Remember this, that the enemy hath reproached, O Lord, and that the foolish people have blasphemed thy name.

Ps. 74:22
Arise, O God, plead thine own cause: remember how the foolish man reproacheth thee daily.

Ps. 75:4
I said unto the fools, Deal not foolishly: and to the wicked, Lift not up the horn:

Prov. 9:6
Forsake the foolish, and live; and go in the way of understanding.

Prov. 9:13
A foolish woman is clamorous: she is simple, and knoweth nothing.

Prov. 10:1
The proverbs of Solomon. A wise son maketh a glad father: but a foolish son is the heaviness of his mother.

Prov. 10:14
Wise men lay up knowledge: but the mouth of the foolish is near destruction.

Prov. 12:23
A prudent man concealeth knowledge: but the heart of fools proclaimeth foolishness.

Prov. 14:1
Every wise woman buildeth her house: but the foolish plucketh it down with her hands.

Prov. 14:3
In the mouth of the foolish is a rod of pride: but the lips of the wise shall preserve them.

Prov. 14:7
Go from the presence of a foolish man, when thou perceivest not in him the lips of knowledge.

Prov. 14:17
He that is soon angry dealeth foolishly: and a man of wicked devices is hated.

Prov. 14:24
The crown of the wise is their riches: but the foolishness of fools is folly.

Prov. 15:2
The tongue of the wise useth knowledge aright: but the mouth of fools poureth out foolishness.

Prov. 15:7
The lips of the wise disperse knowledge: but the heart of the foolish doeth not so.

Prov. 15:14
The heart of him that hath understanding seeketh knowledge: but the mouth of fools feedeth on foolishness.

Prov. 15:20
A wise son maketh a glad father: but a foolish man despiseth his mother.

Prov. 17:25
A foolish son is a grief to his father, and bitterness to her that bare him.

Prov. 19:3
The foolishness of man perverteth his way: and his heart fretteth against the Lord.

Prov. 19:13
A foolish son is the calamity of his father: and the contentions of a wife are a continual dropping.

Prov. 21:20
There is treasure to be desired and oil in the dwelling of the wise; but a foolish man spendeth it up.

Prov. 22:15
Foolishness is bound in the heart of a child; but the rod of correction shall drive it far from him.

Prov. 24:9
The thought of foolishness is sin: and the scorner is an abomination to men.

Prov. 27:22
Though thou shouldest bray a fool in a mortar among wheat with a pestle, yet will not his foolishness depart from him.

Prov. 29:9
If a wise man contendeth with a foolish man, whether he rage or laugh, there is no rest.

Prov. 30:32
If thou hast done foolishly in lifting up thyself, or if thou hast thought evil, lay thine hand upon thy mouth.

Eccl. 4:13
Better is a poor and a wise child than an old and foolish king, who will no more be admonished.

Eccl. 7:17
Be not over much wicked, neither be thou foolish: why shouldest thou die before thy time?

Eccl. 7:25
I applied mine heart to know, and to search, and to seek out wisdom, and the reason of things, and to know the wickedness of folly, even of foolishness and madness:

Eccl. 10:13
The beginning of the words of his mouth is foolishness: and the end of his talk is mischievous madness.

Eccl. 10:15
The labour of the foolish wearieth every one of them, because he knoweth not how to go to the city.

Isa. 44:25
That frustrateth the tokens of the liars, and maketh diviners mad; that turneth wise men backward, and maketh their knowledge foolish;

Jer. 4:22
For my people is foolish, they have not known me; they are sottish children, and they have none understanding: they are wise to do evil, but to do good they have no knowledge.

Jer. 5:4
Therefore I said, Surely these are poor; they are foolish: for they know not the way of the Lord, nor the judgment of their God.

Jer. 5:21
Hear now this, O foolish people, and without understanding; which have eyes, and see not; which have ears, and hear not:

Jer. 10:8
But they are altogether brutish and foolish: the stock is a doctrine of vanities.

Lam. 2:14
Thy prophets have seen vain and foolish things for thee: and they have not discovered thine iniquity, to turn away thy captivity; but have seen for thee false burdens and causes of banishment.

Ezek. 13:3
Thus saith the Lord God; Woe unto the foolish prophets, that follow their own spirit, and have seen nothing!

Zech. 11:15
And the Lord said unto me, Take unto thee yet the instruments of a foolish shepherd.

Matt. 7:26
And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand:

Matt. 25:2
And five of them were wise, and five were foolish.

Matt. 25:3
They that were foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them:

Matt. 25:8
And the foolish said unto the wise, Give us of your oil; for our lamps are gone out.

Mark 7:22
Thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness:

Rom. 1:21
Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.

Rom. 2:20
An instructor of the foolish, a teacher of babes, which hast the form of knowledge and of the truth in the law.

Rom. 10:19
But I say, Did not Israel know? First Moses saith, I will provoke you to jealousy by them that are no people, and by a foolish nation I will anger you.

1 Cor. 1:18
For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.

1 Cor. 1:20
Where is the wise? where is the scribe? where is the disputer of this world? hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world?

1 Cor. 1:21
For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe.

1 Cor. 1:23
But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks foolishness;

1 Cor. 1:25
Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men; and the weakness of God is stronger than men.

1 Cor. 1:27
But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty;

1 Cor. 2:14
But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.

1 Cor. 3:19
For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, He taketh the wise in their own craftiness.

2 Cor. 11:17
That which I speak, I speak it not after the Lord, but as it were foolishly, in this confidence of boasting.

2 Cor. 11:21
I speak as concerning reproach, as though we had been weak. Howbeit whereinsoever any is bold, (I speak foolishly,) I am bold also.

Gal. 3:1
O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you, that ye should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth, crucified among you?

Gal. 3:3
Are ye so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh?

Eph. 5:4
Neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor jesting, which are not convenient: but rather giving of thanks.

1 Tim. 6:9
But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition.

2 Tim. 2:23
But foolish and unlearned questions avoid, knowing that they do gender strifes.

Titus 3:3
For we ourselves also were sometimes foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving divers lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, and hating one another.

Titus 3:9
But avoid foolish questions, and genealogies, and contentions, and strivings about the law; for they are unprofitable and vain.

1 Pet. 2:15
For so is the will of God, that with well doing ye may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men:

1 Ne. 2:11
Now this he spake because of the stiffneckedness of Laman and Lemuel; for behold they did murmur in many things against their father, because he was a visionary man, and had led them out of the land of Jerusalem, to leave the land of their inheritance, and their gold, and their silver, and their precious things, to perish in the wilderness. And this they said he had done because of the foolish imaginations of his heart.

1 Ne. 17:20
And thou art like unto our father, led away by the foolish imaginations of his heart; yea, he hath led us out of the land of Jerusalem, and we have wandered in the wilderness for these many years; and our women have toiled, being big with child; and they have borne children in the wilderness and suffered all things, save it were death; and it would have been better that they had died before they came out of Jerusalem than to have suffered these afflictions.

2 Ne. 9:28
O that cunning plan of the evil one! O the vainness, and the frailties, and the foolishness of men! When they are learned they think they are wise, and they hearken not unto the counsel of God, for they set it aside, supposing they know of themselves, wherefore, their wisdom is foolishness and it profiteth them not. And they shall perish.

2 Ne. 26:10
And when these things have passed away a speedy destruction cometh unto my people; for, notwithstanding the pains of my soul, I have seen it; wherefore, I know that it shall come to pass; and they sell themselves for naught; for, for the reward of their pride and their foolishness they shall reap destruction; for because they yield unto the devil and choose works of darkness rather than light, therefore they must go down to hell.

2 Ne. 28:9
Yea, and there shall be many which shall teach after this manner, false and vain and foolish doctrines, and shall be puffed up in their hearts, and shall seek deep to hide their counsels from the Lord; and their works shall be in the dark.

Alma 8:11
Nevertheless, they hardened their hearts, saying unto him: Behold, we know that thou art Alma; and we know that thou art high priest over the church which thou hast established in many parts of the land, according to your tradition; and we are not of thy church, and we do not believe in such foolish traditions.

Alma 21:8
And the man said unto him: We do not believe that thou knowest any such thing. We do not believe in these foolish traditions. We do not believe that thou knowest of things to come, neither do we believe that thy fathers and also that our fathers did know concerning the things which they spake, of that which is to come.

Alma 30:13
O ye that are bound down under a foolish and a vain hope, why do ye yoke yourselves with such foolish things? Why do ye look for a Christ? For no man can know of anything which is to come.

Alma 30:14
Behold, these things which ye call prophecies, which ye say are handed down by holy prophets, behold, they are foolish traditions of your fathers.

Alma 30:23
Now the high priest's name was Giddonah. And Korihor said unto him: Because I do not teach the foolish traditions of your fathers, and because I do not teach this people to bind themselves down under the foolish ordinances and performances which are laid down by ancient priests, to usurp power and authority over them, to keep them in ignorance, that they may not lift up their heads, but be brought down according to thy words.

Alma 30:27
And thus ye lead away this people after the foolish traditions of your fathers, and according to your own desires; and ye keep them down, even as it were in bondage, that ye may glut yourselves with the labors of their hands, that they durst not look up with boldness, and that they durst not enjoy their rights and privileges.

Alma 31:17
But thou art the same yesterday, today, and forever; and thou hast elected us that we shall be saved, whilst all around us are elected to be cast by thy wrath down to hell; for the which holiness, O God, we thank thee; and we also thank thee that thou hast elected us, that we may not be led away after the foolish traditions of our brethren, which doth bind them down to a belief of Christ, which doth lead their hearts to wander far from thee, our God.

Alma 37:6
Now ye may suppose that this is foolishness in me; but behold I say unto you, that by small and simple things are great things brought to pass; and small means in many instances doth confound the wise.

Alma 39:11
Suffer not yourself to be led away by any vain or foolish thing; suffer not the devil to lead away your heart again after those wicked harlots. Behold, O my son, how great iniquity ye brought upon the Zoramites; for when they saw your conduct they would not believe in my words.

Hel. 12:4
O how foolish, and how vain, and how evil, and devilish, and how quick to do iniquity, and how slow to do good, are the children of men; yea, how quick to hearken unto the words of the evil one, and to set their hearts upon the vain things of the world!

Hel. 13:29
O ye wicked and ye perverse generation; ye hardened and ye stiffnecked people, how long will ye suppose that the Lord will suffer you? Yea, how long will ye suffer yourselves to be led by foolish and blind guides? Yea, how long will ye choose darkness rather than light?

Hel. 16:22
And many more things did the people imagine up in their hearts, which were foolish and vain; and they were much disturbed, for Satan did stir them up to do iniquity continually; yea, he did go about spreading rumors and contentions upon all the face of the land, that he might harden the hearts of the people against that which was good and against that which should come.

3 Ne. 2:2
Imagining up some vain thing in their hearts, that it was wrought by men and by the power of the devil, to lead away and deceive the hearts of the people; and thus did Satan get possession of the hearts of the people again, insomuch that he did blind their eyes and lead them away to believe that the doctrine of Christ was a foolish and a vain thing.

3 Ne. 3:3
And it seemeth a pity unto me, most noble Lachoneus, that ye should be so foolish and vain as to suppose that ye can stand against so many brave men who are at my command, who do now at this time stand in their arms, and do await with great anxiety for the word-- Go down upon the Nephites and destroy them.

3 Ne. 14:26
And every one that heareth these sayings of mine and doeth them not shall be likened unto a foolish man, who built his house upon the sand--

D&C 63:54
And until that hour there will be foolish virgins among the wise; and at that hour cometh an entire separation of the righteous and the wicked; and in that day will I send mine angels to pluck out the wicked and cast them into unquenchable fire.

JS-H 1:28
During the space of time which intervened between the time I had the vision and the year eighteen hundred and twenty-three-- having been forbidden to join any of the religious sects of the day, and being of very tender years, and persecuted by those who ought to have been my friends and to have treated me kindly, and if they supposed me to be deluded to have endeavored in a proper and affectionate manner to have reclaimed me-- I was left to all kinds of temptations; and, mingling with all kinds of society, I frequently fell into many foolish errors, and displayed the weakness of youth, and the foibles of human nature; which, I am sorry to say, led me into divers temptations, offensive in the sight of God. In making this confession, no one need suppose me guilty of any great or malignant sins. A disposition to commit such was never in my nature. But I was guilty of levity, and sometimes associated with jovial company, etc., not consistent with that character which ought to be maintained by one who was called of God as I had been. But this will not seem very strange to any one who recollects my youth, and is acquainted with my native cheery temperament.