Emphasis Scriptures

The word 'why' occurs 366 times in the standard works.

114 of those occurances are found in the list of scriptures highlighted below. These verses have the highest concentration of the word 'why' in the standard works and contain 31.1% of all occurances. Assuming 30 seconds per verse, it would take about 40 minutes to read the entire list.

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Ps. 42:9-43:5 (8 in 8 verses)

Morm. 8:38-40 (5 in 3 verses)

Job 3:11-12 (4 in 2 verses)

2 Ne. 4:26-27 (4 in 2 verses)

1 Sam. 1:8 (3 in 1 verse)

Mosiah 12:29 (3 in 1 verse)

Alma 30:22 (3 in 1 verse)

Gen. 4:6 (2 in 1 verse)

Judg. 5:28 (2 in 1 verse)

1 Sam. 19:17 (2 in 1 verse)

1 Chr. 21:3 (2 in 1 verse)

Ps. 10:1 (2 in 1 verse)

Ps. 22:1 (2 in 1 verse)

Ps. 42:5 (2 in 1 verse)

Ps. 74:1 (2 in 1 verse)

Ps. 88:14 (2 in 1 verse)

Luke 24:38 (2 in 1 verse)

Acts 3:12 (2 in 1 verse)

Rom. 14:10 (2 in 1 verse)

1 Cor. 6:7 (2 in 1 verse)

Alma 10:25 (2 in 1 verse)

Alma 26:19 (2 in 1 verse)

Alma 30:13 (2 in 1 verse)

Hel. 7:17 (2 in 1 verse)

Morm. 8:33 (2 in 1 verse)

Moses 5:22 (2 in 1 verse)

JS-H 1:20 (2 in 1 verse)

JS-H 1:25 (2 in 1 verse)

JS-H 1:60 (2 in 1 verse)

Gen. 12:18-19 (2 in 2 verses)

Judg. 5:16-17 (2 in 2 verses)

2 Sam. 19:10-11 (2 in 2 verses)

2 Chr. 25:15-16 (2 in 2 verses)

Neh. 2:2-3 (2 in 2 verses)

Job 7:20-21 (2 in 2 verses)

Eccl. 7:16-17 (2 in 2 verses)

Jer. 14:8-9 (2 in 2 verses)

Matt. 15:2-3 (2 in 2 verses)

Mark 2:7-8 (2 in 2 verses)

Acts 5:3-4 (2 in 2 verses)

Rom. 9:19-20 (2 in 2 verses)

1 Cor. 10:29-30 (2 in 2 verses)

1 Cor. 15:29-30 (2 in 2 verses)

1 Ne. 3:31-4:1 (2 in 2 verses)

Alma 14:19-20 (2 in 2 verses)

Alma 29:6-7 (2 in 2 verses)

Hel. 8:1-2 (2 in 2 verses)

Hel. 16:18-19 (2 in 2 verses)

Morm. 9:19-20 (2 in 2 verses)

Exact Word Count

  FULL PART ALL
OT 180 0 180
NT 102 0 102
BM 63 0 63
1 Ne. 4 0 4
2 Ne. 5 0 5
Jacob 3 0 3
Mosiah 5 0 5
Alma 23 0 23
Hel. 10 0 10
3 Ne. 3 0 3
Morm. 9 0 9
Ether 1 0 1
DC 8 0 8
PGP 13 0 13
TOTAL 366 0 366

1 Ne. 3:29
And it came to pass as they smote us with a rod, behold, an angel of the Lord came and stood before them, and he spake unto them, saying: Why do ye smite your younger brother with a rod? Know ye not that the Lord hath chosen him to be a ruler over you, and this because of your iniquities? Behold ye shall go up to Jerusalem again, and the Lord will deliver Laban into your hands.

1 Ne. 3:31
And after the angel had departed, Laman and Lemuel again began to murmur, saying: How is it possible that the Lord will deliver Laban into our hands? Behold, he is a mighty man, and he can command fifty, yea, even he can slay fifty; then why not us?

1 Ne. 4:1
And it came to pass that I spake unto my brethren, saying: Let us go up again unto Jerusalem, and let us be faithful in keeping the commandments of the Lord; for behold he is mightier than all the earth, then why not mightier than Laban and his fifty, yea, or even than his tens of thousands?

1 Ne. 17:46
And ye also know that by the power of his almighty word he can cause the earth that it shall pass away; yea, and ye know that by his word he can cause the rough places to be made smooth, and smooth places shall be broken up. O, then, why is it, that ye can be so hard in your hearts?

2 Ne. 4:26
O then, if I have seen so great things, if the Lord in his condescension unto the children of men hath visited men in so much mercy, why should my heart weep and my soul linger in the valley of sorrow, and my flesh waste away, and my strength slacken, because of mine afflictions?

2 Ne. 4:27
And why should I yield to sin, because of my flesh? Yea, why should I give way to temptations, that the evil one have place in my heart to destroy my peace and afflict my soul? Why am I angry because of mine enemy?

2 Ne. 32:1
And now, behold, my beloved brethren, I suppose that ye ponder somewhat in your hearts concerning that which ye should do after ye have entered in by the way. But, behold, why do ye ponder these things in your hearts?

Jacob 4:9
For behold, by the power of his word man came upon the face of the earth, which earth was created by the power of his word. Wherefore, if God being able to speak and the world was, and to speak and man was created, O then, why not able to command the earth, or the workmanship of his hands upon the face of it, according to his will and pleasure?

Jacob 4:12
And now, beloved, marvel not that I tell you these things; for why not speak of the atonement of Christ, and attain to a perfect knowledge of him, as to attain to the knowledge of a resurrection and the world to come?

Jacob 6:6
Yea, today, if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts; for why will ye die?

Mosiah 12:29
And again he said unto them: If ye teach the law of Moses why do ye not keep it? Why do ye set your hearts upon riches? Why do ye commit whoredoms and spend your strength with harlots, yea, and cause this people to commit sin, that the Lord has cause to send me to prophesy against this people, yea, even a great evil against this people?

Mosiah 20:14
But Limhi said unto them: Ye shall not slay him, but bring him hither that I may see him. And they brought him. And Limhi said unto him: What cause have ye to come up to war against my people? Behold, my people have not broken the oath that I made unto you; therefore, why should ye break the oath which ye made unto my people?

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.

Alma 10:25
But Amulek stretched forth his hand, and cried the mightier unto them, saying: O ye wicked and perverse generation, why hath Satan got such great hold upon your hearts? Why will ye yield yourselves unto him that he may have power over you, to blind your eyes, that ye will not understand the words which are spoken, according to their truth?

Alma 11:23
Now Amulek said: O thou child of hell, why tempt ye me? Knowest thou that the righteous yieldeth to no such temptations?

Alma 14:19
And it came to pass that the judge stood before them, and said: Why do ye not answer the words of this people? Know ye not that I have power to deliver you up unto the flames? And he commanded them to speak; but they answered nothing.

Alma 14:20
And it came to pass that they departed and went their ways, but came again on the morrow; and the judge also smote them again on their cheeks. And many came forth also, and smote them, saying: Will ye stand again and judge this people, and condemn our law? If ye have such great power why do ye not deliver yourselves?

Alma 20:9
And behold, the father of Lamoni said unto him: Why did ye not come to the feast on that great day when I made a feast unto my sons, and unto my people?

Alma 21:5
Therefore, as Aaron entered into one of their synagogues to preach unto the people, and as he was speaking unto them, behold there arose an Amalekite and began to contend with him, saying: What is that thou hast testified? Hast thou seen an angel? Why do not angels appear unto us? Behold are not this people as good as thy people?

Alma 22:3
And now, O king, if thou wilt spare our lives, we will be thy servants. And the king said unto them: Arise, for I will grant unto you your lives, and I will not suffer that ye shall be my servants; but I will insist that ye shall administer unto me; for I have been somewhat troubled in mind because of the generosity and the greatness of the words of thy brother Ammon; and I desire to know the cause why he has not come up out of Middoni with thee.

Alma 22:20
Now the servants had seen the cause of the king's fall, therefore they durst not lay their hands on Aaron and his brethren; and they pled with the queen saying: Why commandest thou that we should slay these men, when behold one of them is mightier than us all? Therefore we shall fall before them.

Alma 26:19
Oh then, why did he not consign us to an awful destruction, yea, why did he not let the sword of his justice fall upon us, and doom us to eternal despair?

Alma 29:6
Now, seeing that I know these things, why should I desire more than to perform the work to which I have been called?

Alma 29:7
Why should I desire that I were an angel, that I could speak unto all the ends of the earth?

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 30:22
And it came to pass that the high priest said unto him: Why do ye go about perverting the ways of the Lord? Why do ye teach this people that there shall be no Christ, to interrupt their rejoicings? Why do ye speak against all the prophecies of the holy prophets?

Alma 30:35
Then why sayest thou that we preach unto this people to get gain, when thou, of thyself, knowest that we receive no gain? And now, believest thou that we deceive this people, that causes such joy in their hearts?

Alma 39:17
And now I will ease your mind somewhat on this subject. Behold, you marvel why these things should be known so long beforehand. Behold, I say unto you, is not a soul at this time as precious unto God as a soul will be at the time of his coming?

Alma 58:9
And now the cause of these our embarrassments, or the cause why they did not send more strength unto us, we knew not; therefore we were grieved and also filled with fear, lest by any means the judgments of God should come upon our land, to our overthrow and utter destruction.

Alma 58:34
Now we do not know the cause that the government does not grant us more strength; neither do those men who came up unto us know why we have not received greater strength.

Alma 60:18
But why should I say much concerning this matter? For we know not but what ye yourselves are seeking for authority. We know not but what ye are also traitors to your country.

Hel. 7:13
And it came to pass that he opened his mouth and said unto them: Behold, why have ye gathered yourselves together? That I may tell you of your iniquities?

Hel. 7:17
O repent ye, repent ye! Why will ye die? Turn ye, turn ye unto the Lord your God. Why has he forsaken you?

Hel. 8:1
And now it came to pass that when Nephi had said these words, behold, there were men who were judges, who also belonged to the secret band of Gadianton, and they were angry, and they cried out against him, saying unto the people: Why do ye not seize upon this man and bring him forth, that he may be condemned according to the crime which he has done?

Hel. 8:2
Why seest thou this man, and hearest him revile against this people and against our law?

Hel. 8:5
Therefore they did cry unto the people, saying: Why do you suffer this man to revile against us? For behold he doth condemn all this people, even unto destruction; yea, and also that these our great cities shall be taken from us, that we shall have no place in them.

Hel. 8:12
And now behold, if God gave unto this man such power, then why should ye dispute among yourselves, and say that he hath given unto me no power whereby I may know concerning the judgments that shall come upon you except ye repent?

Hel. 8:20
And behold, also Zenock, and also Ezias, and also Isaiah, and Jeremiah, (Jeremiah being that same prophet who testified of the destruction of Jerusalem) and now we know that Jerusalem was destroyed according to the words of Jeremiah. O then why not the Son of God come, according to his prophecy?

Hel. 16:18
That it is not reasonable that such a being as a Christ shall come; if so, and he be the Son of God, the Father of heaven and of earth, as it has been spoken, why will he not show himself unto us as well as unto them who shall be at Jerusalem?

Hel. 16:19
Yea, why will he not show himself in this land as well as in the land of Jerusalem?

3 Ne. 13:28
And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin;

3 Ne. 14:3
And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye?

3 Ne. 27:4
And the Lord said unto them: Verily, verily, I say unto you, why is it that the people should murmur and dispute because of this thing?

Morm. 8:33
O ye wicked and perverse and stiffnecked people, why have ye built up churches unto yourselves to get gain? Why have ye transfigured the holy word of God, that ye might bring damnation upon your souls? Behold, look ye unto the revelations of God; for behold, the time cometh at that day when all these things must be fulfilled.

Morm. 8:38
O ye pollutions, ye hypocrites, ye teachers, who sell yourselves for that which will canker, why have ye polluted the holy church of God? Why are ye ashamed to take upon you the name of Christ? Why do ye not think that greater is the value of an endless happiness than that misery which never dies-- because of the praise of the world?

Morm. 8:39
Why do ye adorn yourselves with that which hath no life, and yet suffer the hungry, and the needy, and the naked, and the sick and the afflicted to pass by you, and notice them not?

Morm. 8:40
Yea, why do ye build up your secret abominations to get gain, and cause that widows should mourn before the Lord, and also orphans to mourn before the Lord, and also the blood of their fathers and their husbands to cry unto the Lord from the ground, for vengeance upon your heads?

Morm. 9:19
And if there were miracles wrought then, why has God ceased to be a God of miracles and yet be an unchangeable Being? And behold, I say unto you he changeth not; if so he would cease to be God; and he ceaseth not to be God, and is a God of miracles.

Morm. 9:20
And the reason why he ceaseth to do miracles among the children of men is because that they dwindle in unbelief, and depart from the right way, and know not the God in whom they should trust.

Ether 3:7
And the Lord saw that the brother of Jared had fallen to the earth; and the Lord said unto him: Arise, why hast thou fallen?