Emphasis Scriptures

The word 'persecute' occurs 43 times in the standard works.

7 of those occurances are found in the list of scriptures highlighted below. These verses have the highest concentration of the word 'persecute' in the standard works and contain 16.3% of all occurances. Assuming 30 seconds per verse, it would take about 3 minutes to read the entire list.

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Alma 1:19-21 (3 in 3 verses)

Mosiah 24:8 (2 in 1 verse)


JS-H 1:24-25 (2 in 2 verses)

 1:24 However, it was nevertheless a fact that I had beheld a vision. I have thought since, that I felt much like Paul, when he made his defense before King Agrippa, and related the account of the vision he had when he saw a light, and heard a voice; but still there were but few who believed him; some said he was dishonest, others said he was mad; and he was ridiculed and reviled. But all this did not destroy the reality of his vision. He had seen a vision, he knew he had, and all the persecution under heaven could not make it otherwise; and though they should persecute him unto death, yet he knew, and would know to his latest breath, that he had both seen a light and heard a voice speaking unto him, and all the world could not make him think or believe otherwise.

 1:25 So it was with me. I had actually seen a light, and in the midst of that light I saw two Personages, and they did in reality speak to me; and though I was hated and persecuted for saying that I had seen a vision, yet it was true; and while they were persecuting me, reviling me, and speaking all manner of evil against me falsely for so saying, I was led to say in my heart: Why persecute me for telling the truth? I have actually seen a vision; and who am I that I can withstand God, or why does the world think to make me deny what I have actually seen? For I had seen a vision; I knew it, and I knew that God knew it, and I could not deny it, neither dared I do it; at least I knew that by so doing I would offend God, and come under condemnation.




Exact Word Count

  FULL PART ALL
OT 16 6 22
NT 9 20 29
BM 13 7 20
DC 2 4 6
PGP 3 2 5
TOTAL 43 39 82

Deut. 30:7
And the Lord thy God will put all these curses upon thine enemies, and on them that hate thee, which persecuted thee.

Job 19:22
Why do ye persecute me as God, and are not satisfied with my flesh?

Job 19:28
But ye should say, Why persecute we him, seeing the root of the matter is found in me?

Ps. 7:1
O Lord my God, in thee do I put my trust: save me from all them that persecute me, and deliver me:

Ps. 7:5
Let the enemy persecute my soul, and take it; yea, let him tread down my life upon the earth, and lay mine honour in the dust. Selah.

Ps. 10:2
The wicked in his pride doth persecute the poor: let them be taken in the devices that they have imagined.

Ps. 31:15
My times are in thy hand: deliver me from the hand of mine enemies, and from them that persecute me.

Ps. 35:3
Draw out also the spear, and stop the way against them that persecute me: say unto my soul, I am thy salvation.

Ps. 35:6
Let their way be dark and slippery: and let the angel of the Lord persecute them.

Ps. 69:26
For they persecute him whom thou hast smitten; and they talk to the grief of those whom thou hast wounded.

Ps. 71:11
Saying, God hath forsaken him: persecute and take him; for there is none to deliver him.

Ps. 83:15
So persecute them with thy tempest, and make them afraid with thy storm.

Ps. 109:16
Because that he remembered not to shew mercy, but persecuted the poor and needy man, that he might even slay the broken in heart.

Ps. 119:84
How many are the days of thy servant? when wilt thou execute judgment on them that persecute me?

Ps. 119:86
All thy commandments are faithful: they persecute me wrongfully; help thou me.

Ps. 119:161
Princes have persecuted me without a cause: but my heart standeth in awe of thy word.

Ps. 143:3
For the enemy hath persecuted my soul; he hath smitten my life down to the ground; he hath made me to dwell in darkness, as those that have been long dead.

Isa. 14:6
He who smote the people in wrath with a continual stroke, he that ruled the nations in anger, is persecuted, and none hindereth.

Jer. 17:18
Let them be confounded that persecute me, but let not me be confounded: let them be dismayed, but let not me be dismayed: bring upon them the day of evil, and destroy them with double destruction.

Jer. 29:18
And I will persecute them with the sword, with the famine, and with the pestilence, and will deliver them to be removed to all the kingdoms of the earth, to be a curse, and an astonishment, and an hissing, and a reproach, among all the nations whither I have driven them:

Lam. 3:43
Thou hast covered with anger, and persecuted us: thou hast slain, thou hast not pitied.

Lam. 3:66
Persecute and destroy them in anger from under the heavens of the Lord.

Matt. 5:10
Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Matt. 5:11
Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake.

Matt. 5:12
Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.

Matt. 5:44
But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;

Matt. 10:23
But when they persecute you in this city, flee ye into another: for verily I say unto you, Ye shall not have gone over the cities of Israel, till the Son of man be come.

Matt. 23:34
Wherefore, behold, I send unto you prophets, and wise men, and scribes: and some of them ye shall kill and crucify; and some of them shall ye scourge in your synagogues, and persecute them from city to city:

Luke 11:49
Therefore also said the wisdom of God, I will send them prophets and apostles, and some of them they shall slay and persecute:

Luke 21:12
But before all these, they shall lay their hands on you, and persecute you, delivering you up to the synagogues, and into prisons, being brought before kings and rulers for my name's sake.

John 5:16
And therefore did the Jews persecute Jesus, and sought to slay him, because he had done these things on the sabbath day.

John 15:20
Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also.

Acts 7:52
Which of the prophets have not your fathers persecuted? and they have slain them which shewed before of the coming of the Just One; of whom ye have been now the betrayers and murderers:

Acts 9:4
And he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?

Acts 9:5
And he said, Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest: it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks.

Acts 22:4
And I persecuted this way unto the death, binding and delivering into prisons both men and women.

Acts 22:7
And I fell unto the ground, and heard a voice saying unto me, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?

Acts 22:8
And I answered, Who art thou, Lord? And he said unto me, I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom thou persecutest.

Acts 26:11
And I punished them oft in every synagogue, and compelled them to blaspheme; and being exceedingly mad against them, I persecuted them even unto strange cities.

Acts 26:14
And when we were all fallen to the earth, I heard a voice speaking unto me, and saying in the Hebrew tongue, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks.

Acts 26:15
And I said, Who art thou, Lord? And he said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest.

Rom. 12:14
Bless them which persecute you: bless, and curse not.

1 Cor. 4:12
And labour, working with our own hands: being reviled, we bless; being persecuted, we suffer it:

1 Cor. 15:9
For I am the least of the apostles, that am not meet to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God.

2 Cor. 4:9
Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed;

Gal. 1:13
For ye have heard of my conversation in time past in the Jews' religion, how that beyond measure I persecuted the church of God, and wasted it:

Gal. 1:23
But they had heard only, That he which persecuted us in times past now preacheth the faith which once he destroyed.

Gal. 4:29
But as then he that was born after the flesh persecuted him that was born after the Spirit, even so it is now.

1 Thes. 2:15
Who both killed the Lord Jesus, and their own prophets, and have persecuted us; and they please not God, and are contrary to all men:

Rev. 12:13
And when the dragon saw that he was cast unto the earth, he persecuted the woman which brought forth the man child.

2 Ne. 9:30
But wo unto the rich, who are rich as to the things of the world. For because they are rich they despise the poor, and they persecute the meek, and their hearts are upon their treasures; wherefore, their treasure is their god. And behold, their treasure shall perish with them also.

2 Ne. 24:6
He who smote the people in wrath with a continual stroke, he that ruled the nations in anger, is persecuted, and none hindereth.

2 Ne. 28:13
They rob the poor because of their fine sanctuaries; they rob the poor because of their fine clothing; and they persecute the meek and the poor in heart, because in their pride they are puffed up.

Jacob 2:13
And the hand of providence hath smiled upon you most pleasingly, that you have obtained many riches; and because some of you have obtained more abundantly than that of your brethren ye are lifted up in the pride of your hearts, and wear stiff necks and high heads because of the costliness of your apparel, and persecute your brethren because ye suppose that ye are better than they.

Jacob 2:20
And now, my brethren, I have spoken unto you concerning pride; and those of you which have afflicted your neighbor, and persecuted him because ye were proud in your hearts, of the things which God hath given you, what say ye of it?

Mosiah 24:8
And now it came to pass that Amulon began to exercise authority over Alma and his brethren, and began to persecute him, and cause that his children should persecute their children.

Mosiah 26:38
And now all these things did Alma and his fellow laborers do who were over the church, walking in all diligence, teaching the word of God in all things, suffering all manner of afflictions, being persecuted by all those who did not belong to the church of God.

Mosiah 27:2
And it came to pass that king Mosiah sent a proclamation throughout the land round about that there should not any unbeliever persecute any of those who belonged to the church of God.

Mosiah 27:13
Nevertheless he cried again, saying: Alma, arise and stand forth, for why persecutest thou the church of God? For the Lord hath said: This is my church, and I will establish it; and nothing shall overthrow it, save it is the transgression of my people.

Mosiah 27:32
And now it came to pass that Alma began from this time forward to teach the people, and those who were with Alma at the time the angel appeared unto them, traveling round about through all the land, publishing to all the people the things which they had heard and seen, and preaching the word of God in much tribulation, being greatly persecuted by those who were unbelievers, being smitten by many of them.

Alma 1:19
But it came to pass that whosoever did not belong to the church of God began to persecute those that did belong to the church of God, and had taken upon them the name of Christ.

Alma 1:20
Yea, they did persecute them, and afflict them with all manner of words, and this because of their humility; because they were not proud in their own eyes, and because they did impart the word of God, one with another, without money and without price.

Alma 1:21
Now there was a strict law among the people of the church, that there should not any man, belonging to the church, arise and persecute those that did not belong to the church, and that there should be no persecution among themselves.

Alma 4:8
For they saw and beheld with great sorrow that the people of the church began to be lifted up in the pride of their eyes, and to set their hearts upon riches and upon the vain things of the world, that they began to be scornful, one towards another, and they began to persecute those that did not believe according to their own will and pleasure.

3 Ne. 12:10
And blessed are all they who are persecuted for my name's sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

3 Ne. 12:11
And blessed are ye when men shall revile you and persecute, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake;

3 Ne. 12:12
For ye shall have great joy and be exceedingly glad, for great shall be your reward in heaven; for so persecuted they the prophets who were before you.

3 Ne. 12:44
But behold I say unto you, love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them who despitefully use you and persecute you;

4 Ne. 1:29
And again, there was another church which denied the Christ; and they did persecute the true church of Christ, because of their humility and their belief in Christ; and they did despise them because of the many miracles which were wrought among them.

D&C 45:53
And then shall they weep because of their iniquities; then shall they lament because they persecuted their king.

D&C 88:94
And another angel shall sound his trump, saying: That great church, the mother of abominations, that made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, that persecuteth the saints of God, that shed their blood-- she who sitteth upon many waters, and upon the islands of the sea-- behold, she is the tares of the earth; she is bound in bundles; her bands are made strong, no man can loose them; therefore, she is ready to be burned. And he shall sound his trump both long and loud, and all nations shall hear it.

D&C 101:1
Verily I say unto you, concerning your brethren who have been afflicted, and persecuted, and cast out from the land of their inheritance--

D&C 121:38
Behold, ere he is aware, he is left unto himself, to kick against the pricks, to persecute the saints, and to fight against God.

D&C 127:4
And again, verily thus saith the Lord: Let the work of my temple, and all the works which I have appointed unto you, be continued on and not cease; and let your diligence, and your perseverance, and patience, and your works be redoubled, and you shall in nowise lose your reward, saith the Lord of Hosts. And if they persecute you, so persecuted they the prophets and righteous men that were before you. For all this there is a reward in heaven.

JS-H 1:22
I soon found, however, that my telling the story had excited a great deal of prejudice against me among professors of religion, and was the cause of great persecution, which continued to increase; and though I was an obscure boy, only between fourteen and fifteen years of age, and my circumstances in life such as to make a boy of no consequence in the world, yet men of high standing would take notice sufficient to excite the public mind against me, and create a bitter persecution; and this was common among all the sects-- all united to persecute me.

JS-H 1:24
However, it was nevertheless a fact that I had beheld a vision. I have thought since, that I felt much like Paul, when he made his defense before King Agrippa, and related the account of the vision he had when he saw a light, and heard a voice; but still there were but few who believed him; some said he was dishonest, others said he was mad; and he was ridiculed and reviled. But all this did not destroy the reality of his vision. He had seen a vision, he knew he had, and all the persecution under heaven could not make it otherwise; and though they should persecute him unto death, yet he knew, and would know to his latest breath, that he had both seen a light and heard a voice speaking unto him, and all the world could not make him think or believe otherwise.

JS-H 1:25
So it was with me. I had actually seen a light, and in the midst of that light I saw two Personages, and they did in reality speak to me; and though I was hated and persecuted for saying that I had seen a vision, yet it was true; and while they were persecuting me, reviling me, and speaking all manner of evil against me falsely for so saying, I was led to say in my heart: Why persecute me for telling the truth? I have actually seen a vision; and who am I that I can withstand God, or why does the world think to make me deny what I have actually seen? For I had seen a vision; I knew it, and I knew that God knew it, and I could not deny it, neither dared I do it; at least I knew that by so doing I would offend God, and come under condemnation.

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.