Computerized Guide to Scriptures Developed

A computerized guide designed to facilitate scripture study by enabling readers to quickly locate chapter and verse references is now available. The program, called DSEARCH™ Computerized Topical Guide, was recently developed by researchers at Brigham Young University’s Computer-Aided Manufacturing Software Research Center.

DSEARCH™ offers a complete index of the scriptures on floppy disks. The software can be used on IBM-PC or compatible computers.

“The program enables a user to choose a word, a combination of words, or a phrase, then have the computer list all chapter and verse references containing the chosen words,” said Ron Millett, one of the developers.

For example, to find all scripture references containing the phrase “God so loved the world,” the operator would enter the words in the phrase (leaving out the word the, which is not indexed), and the computer would display the two scripture references that contain those words: John 3:16 in the New Testament and Doctrine and Covenants 34:3. [D&C 34:3]

The actual text of the scriptures is not displayed by this program; instead, the user looks up the references in his or her personal scriptures after the computer lists them.

The New Testament, the Book of Mormon, and the Doctrine and Covenants/ Pearl of Great Price are stored on separate disks intended for floppy disk systems. Users with a hard disk and 512K memory can order larger-capacity disks containing the complete Bible or the Quadruple Combination, which indexes the entire four standard works. A copy of the DSEARCH™ Topical Guide Program is necessary to run any of the topical guides.

The DSEARCH™ Computerized Topical Guide program is priced at thirty dollars; diskette guides to the New Testament, the Book of Mormon, and the Doctrine and Covenants/ Pearl of Great Price sell for six dollars each. The larger Bible and Quadruple Combination disks for use on IBM-PC or compatible hard disk systems are fifteen dollars each. The program and disks are available at LDS bookstores. They can also be ordered through local Church distribution centers or by writing the Salt Lake Distribution Center, 1999 West 1700 South, Salt Lake City, Utah 84104.